[ROLL CALL]
          [00:00:07]
          RESPONDERS THAT PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERY DAY TO BE SURE THAT YOUR PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND KEPT WELL. FATHER, COME IN TO THESE PROCEEDINGS. NOW, SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO BE WITH US, SO THAT ALL THE THINGS WE SAY AND DO ARE IN ACCORDANCE TO YOUR WILL. WE ASK YOU TO BLESS THIS CITY, BLESS ITS CITIZENS AND ITS LEADERSHIP. IN JESUS PRECIOUS NAME I PRAY. AMEN. 
          WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME NOW IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. THANK YOU. 
          CHAPLAIN. WE'LL HAVE OUR ARTS MOMENT FROM CRAIG ANDERSON. IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO COME UP. 
          YES, SIR. COME ON UP. SO MY NAME IS CRAIG ANDERSON, AND I'M A BUSTER. AND SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN ME DOWNTOWN GOING. GREAT TRADITION OF TROUBADOURS AND MINSTRELS. AND I'M GOING TO DO FOR YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THE MELODY, BUT I THINK THE WORDS ARE JUST FOR THIS TOWN. CONFUSION CORNER, ALMOST HEAVEN. WEST VIRGINIA. SANDY BEACHES DANCING. HEY, SORRY. YOU. KNOW, SANDY COASTAL ROAD, AND THEY CAN BE HOME. I BELONG. TO FLORIDA FOR ONE. 
          HUNDRED. ALL I WILL BE GATHERED ROUND. ME. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. SURPRISE GLORY. CLOSER TO FRIENDS. TAKE ME HOME TO THE PLACE I BELONG. FLORIDA. LA LA LA. TAKE ME HOME. COUNTRY. I. 
          ONLY COME TO LIGHT THE PALM TREES. DANCING IN THE SHADE OF THE SHIMMERING. THAT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD. AND SAY. GOD, TAKE ME HOME TO THE PLACE I BELONG. TO FLORIDA. AND LOVE. TAKE ME HOME. HOME. SO. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A PICTURE. WELL DONE. SURE AM. BY THE WAY, I DO THAT ALL THE TIME. DOWN, DOWN, DOWN IN FRONT OF ME. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO HEAR IT LIVE, THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TO THIS PAST. OH, GREAT. THANKS, MAN. YEAH. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ANDERSON. FOR TO GET PROJECTS. AND FOR 
          [PROCLAMATIONS]
PROCLAMATIONS. HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. YEAH. GLENN. DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THE PROCLAMATION? YES, SIR. YEAH. ALRIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. WHEREAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A $150 BILLION GLOBAL BUSINESS AND IS A FORM OF MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN WHICH 
          [00:05:06]
HUMAN BEINGS ARE CONTROLLED, ABUSED AND EXPLOITED FOR PROFIT THROUGH LABOR AND SEX. AND WHEREAS CHILDREN HAVE BECOME THE PRIMARY TARGET OF TRAFFICKERS AND PREDATORS AS A RESULT OF ONLINE ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION, AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CRIME CRIMES IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, INTERPOL AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. AND WHEREAS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD SEX EXPLOITATION ONLINE IS HAPPENING IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS, WITH ARRESTS DOCUMENTED IN STUART MARTIN COUNTY AND THE TREASURE COAST THIS YEAR, AND FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE NATION FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE CALLS. AND WHEREAS LOCAL AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATORS, BUSINESS LEADERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FAITH LEADERS ARE CONNECTING TO BRING AN END TO THIS HORROR OF ENSLAVING AND ABUSING CHILDREN AND ADULTS THROUGH AWARENESS AND EQUIPPING CITIZENS TO PROVIDE TIPS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE IS WORKING TO ALERT STUART COMMISSIONERS TO IMMEDIATE TO THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS AND THE NEED FOR ALL TO BECOME EDUCATED THROUGH SUPPORT OF AN AWARENESS PRESENTATION. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 2026 AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH IN AND WITNESS HEREOF, HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, TO BE AFFIXED THIS NINTH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026. THANK YOU, LEE LYNN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR COLLINS AND COMMISSIONERS, I AM LYNN BARLETTA, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ACT UNITED AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING. WE JUST CHANGED OUR NAME FROM FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE TO YOU ACT. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN WOMAN EULA CLARK, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUPPORTED US WELL OVER THE YEARS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF STUART IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, INCLUDING REDOING THE MURAL ON THE AT&T BUILDING THAT I FINISHED TEN YEARS AGO. SO WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE FASTEST GROWING CRIME, WHICH IS CHILD TRAFFICKING FUELED BY ONLINE EXPLOITATION. WE BRING AWARENESS OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN FIVE COUNTIES WITH PLANS TO GO STATEWIDE, AND WE WORK WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. IN TWO YEARS NOW, WE HAVE COMPLETED 21 PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARENESS IS GROWING, RESULTING IN ARRESTS AND RESCUES. PORNOGRAPHY, SEXTING AND SEXTORTION ARE THE FASTEST GROWING GATEWAY TO CHILD TRAFFICKING PRESENT IN EVERY SCHOOL. WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH OVER 500 TRAFFICKED AND ABUSED CHILDREN ACROSS THREE COUNTIES WITH OUR ART RESTORATION PROGRAMS CALLED THE POWER OF ART AND OUR DON'T TAKE THE BAIT TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN MARTIN COUNTY AND INDIAN RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEGINNING AND CONTINUING A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M MARK MANNING, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR YOU AT PREVIOUSLY. I'VE RUN TECHNOLOGY FOR NASCAR AND FORMULA ONE TEAMS OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS. NEW AI TECHNOLOGY MEANS THAT PREDATORS AND TRAFFICKERS ARE BOMBARDING CHILDREN THOUSANDS OF TIMES PER SECOND ON TRENDING GAMING PLATFORMS SUCH AS ROBLOX, THROUGH APPS SUCH AS SNAPCHAT, WIZ, DISCORD, YUBO, PERP, AND MANY, MANY MORE. THESE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY MONITORED AND UPDATED AS DAY TO DAY CHANGES AND BOTS ARE PROGRAMED TO SEEK CHILDREN, DRAW THEM INTO DISAPPEARING CHAT ROOMS, FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, TALK TO THEM INTO SEXTING, SEXTORTION, AND EVEN SUICIDE. WE MUST INFORM PARENTS AND ENGAGE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO END THIS HORRIFIC CRIME. THANK YOU FOR BECOMING EDUCATED AND LEADING THE WAY TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M JAMES BILLIG, CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND LAW ENFORCEMENT LIAISON. I LEAD THE RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT TEAM OF THE BLUE TASK FORCE. OUR MISSION IS TO TRAIN LOCAL AGENCIES WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ROAD PATROL OFFICERS THROUGH A 90 MINUTE TRAINING SERVICE BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY MONTHLY REAL TIME INTEL UPDATES ON THE LATEST TRENDS, ONLINE THREATS, CASE STUDIES, AND THE RAPIDLY GROWING REACH OF THE 764 CULT ON CHILDREN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE. OUR INTELLIGENCE IS OBTAINED THROUGH OUR NATIONWIDE PARTNERSHIPS WITH CURRENT AND RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS, HOMELAND SECURITY, INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS, AND TRAFFIC SURVIVORS WHO SERVE AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WHO PROVIDE INVALUABLE LIFE EXPERIENCE AND INTEL TO IDENTIFY VICTIMS AND PREDATORS. TOMORROW AFTERNOON AT 4:00, WE WILL KICK OFF OUR 
          [00:10:01]
PILOT PROGRAM RIGHT HERE WITH STUART POLICE DEPARTMENT, STARTING WITH THE ROAD PATROL SHIFTS THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND ENDING THURSDAY WITH THE DETECTIVE BUREAU AND THE ADMINISTRATION. I WELCOME YOU ALL TO ATTEND THURSDAY, IF THAT'S OKAY. WITH CHIEF, OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO APPLY OUR TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM THROUGH THE 19TH JUDICIAL AND THE REST OF THE NATION TO CREATE A SINGLE SILO OF REAL TIME INFORMATION TO TAKE THE FIGHT DIRECTLY TO EVERY PREDATORS FRONT DOOR. YOU ACT. AS DOCUMENTED OVER 60 ARRESTS ON THE TREASURE COAST OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR BLUE TASK FORCE TRAINING FOR OUR LOCAL AGENCIES, WE LOOK TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER TENFOLD AND MAKE THE 19TH JUDICIAL THE PROACTIVE STANDARD FOR THE UNITED STATES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENDING THIS TRAVESTY AND PROTECTING AND PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN, STARTING RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHERE WE HAVE BUILT OUR FAMILIES AND RAISED OUR OWN CHILDREN. WE THANK YOU AND CHIEFS, AND IT'S IRONIC THAT WE ARE STARTING HERE IN STUART AS CHIEF. AND I STARTED THE ACADEMY TOGETHER 32 YEARS AGO. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE THE CITY OF STUART THE TIP OF THE SPEAR IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION. THANK YOU. SOMEBODY TAKES UP THE END OF THIS. ME. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M TONY BARLETTA, AND I HAD THE MEN'S WARRIOR TASK FORCE. AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THIS GENTLEMAN STANDING OVER HERE IS FILMING US. HE'S DOING IT FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL REASONS. BUT JOEL IS A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. HE IS PART OF OUR TEAM. WE HAVE HANDS ON RESULTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK EVERYONE TO BE ALIGNING WITH US. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION SO FAR AND WHAT YOU'VE WHAT YOU'VE HONORED US WITH WITH THIS PROCLAMATION. 
          SO THANK YOU, EVERYONE. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO UNITE AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SO OUR MARTIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, OUR PORT SAINT LUCIE CITY COMMISSIONERS, AND OUR SAINT LUCIE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ALL AGREED TO TRAIN THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH THE STATE APPROVED. IT WAS THE ASHLEY MOODY 100% CLUB. WE'VE NOW TRAINED A TOTAL OF 2500 MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN THAT TEAM AND I'VE GIVEN YOU THE INFORMATION TO DO SO. IT'S SIMPLE, IT'S EASY, IT'S FREE, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING. WE HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO SAY WHEN IT COMES TO CHILD TRAFFICKING AND CHILD EXPLOITATION ONLINE, AND THAT IS NOT ON OUR WATCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR STUART PD, AND I WANT EVERYONE THAT COULD SEE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. SO I'M THANKFUL YOU GUYS ARE WATCHING AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IN SPREADING AWARENESS. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. MAKE SURE YOU. CALL IT FORWARD CHRIS. THANKS. OH THANKS, LYNN. THANKS. MAKE A NOTE OF THAT ONE. CONTINUING ON WITH PROCLAMATIONS 211 AWARENESS MONTH. LEE, WOULD YOU. 
          WHEREAS 211 PALM BEACH AND TREASURE COAST HAVE HAS HAS RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 3 MILLION CALLS TO THE 211 HELPLINE SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1971 AND RECEIVES OVER 120,000 REQUESTS FOR HELP EACH YEAR. 211 IS HIGHLY TRAINED AND ACCREDITED. TEAM CONTINUES TO SERVE AS FRONTLINE RESPONDERS 24 HOURS A DAY EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, INCLUDING TIMES OF DISASTER AND GREAT UNCERTAINTY. AND WHEREAS 211 PROVIDES FREE, CONFIDENTIAL AND 24 OVER SEVEN ACCESS TO LIFE SAVING CRISIS INTERVENTION, SUICIDE PREVENTION, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY NAVIGATION SERVICES YEAR ROUND, THE MENTAL HEALTH OF MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY IS AT RISK DUE TO CHALLENGES WITH HEALTH, ADDICTION AND A LACK OF BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS HOUSING, UTILITY PAYMENTS, FOOD AND TRANSPORTATION. 211 TEAM HANDLES EVERY REQUEST WITH 
          [00:15:01]
COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, DEESCALATING CRISIS SITUATIONS AND HELPING PEOPLE NAVIGATE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO OVERCOME EVERYDAY STRUGGLES AND LIFE'S DARKEST MOMENTS. AND WHEREAS 211 ALSO OFFERS SPECIALIZED ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO GROUPS WHO FACE A HIGHER RISK OF CRISIS, INCLUDING SENIORS, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS AND OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS. 211 IS ALSO THE REGIONAL RESPONDER FOR THE NATIONAL 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE, THE FLORIDA VETERANS SUPPORT LINE, AND OTHER SPECIAL PROJECTS DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE FACING UNIQUE CRISIS SITUATIONS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 2026 AS 211 AWARENESS MONTH. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHAD ADCOCK. I DO THE OUTREACH FOR 211 HERE ON THE TREASURE COAST AND A LONG TERM, ALMOST 20 YEARS NOW STUART RESIDENT AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSION, FOR CONTINUING TO BRING AWARENESS AND WORKING WITH US TO LET THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          EVERYWHERE I GO, I, I STILL RUN INTO PEOPLE WHO SAY, OH, WHAT'S TWO, ONE, ONE? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT. AND THAT ALWAYS BREAKS MY HEART BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO WORK MYSELF OUT OF A JOB SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT WHAT WE DO. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I'M NOT REALLY GOING TO READ ANY NUMBERS OR ANYTHING APART FROM WHAT WAS ALREADY READ IN THE PROCLAMATION. I WILL SAY THAT ANNUALLY WE GET MORE THAN 3000 CALLS FROM CITY OF STUART RESIDENTS OR, YOU KNOW, HELP, HELP. THEY LOOK FOR SUPPORT FROM US ABOUT 3000 MORE THAN 3000 TIMES. SO THE NEED IS THERE AND IT IS GROWING. IT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE. THE PROGRAM THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY IS A PROGRAM CALLED SUNSHINE OR OUR SUNSHINE CALLS PROGRAM. THIS IS A PROGRAM FOR SENIORS. ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 60 CAN GET A FREE DAILY CHECK IN CALL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING OKAY, THAT YOU'VE HAD FOOD, YOU'VE HAD MEDICINE. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISOLATED SENIORS HERE. SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT DAILY CHECK IN CALL, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM. ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS CALL 211 AND THEY CAN GET SIGNED UP. I KEEP TELLING THE LEADERSHIP THEY NEED TO LOWER THAT AGE DOWN TO LIKE 45 SO I CAN GET ON THE LIST, BUT THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT YET. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S A IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM AND WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TO ADD MORE SENIORS TO THAT LIST. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THE NUMBERS ARE ONE THING, BUT THE STORIES OF THE CLIENTS THAT WE SERVE ARE REALLY WHAT MATTER. AND THIS IS AN ACTUAL CLIENT THAT CALLED I'LL CHANGE THEIR NAME RECENTLY. HER NAME WAS AMELIA. IT'S A MADE UP NAME, BUT SHE CALLED HYSTERICALLY CRYING AND DISTRAUGHT BECAUSE SHE HAD RECENTLY HAD SOME FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND HER AND HER FIVE YEAR OLD AUTISTIC SON WERE ABOUT TO BE EVICTED FROM THEIR HOME. THEY HAD FAMILY IN THE AREA, BUT THE FAMILY COULDN'T HELP THEM SO SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN. 
          SHE CALLED US, OF COURSE, THE FIRST THING THAT OUR CALL CENTER STAFF DID WAS TO LISTEN COMPASSIONATELY AND JUST TO HEAR WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY, AND JUST TO HEAR HER STORY AND TO PROVIDE THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR HER. AND THEN AFTER HELPING CALM HER DOWN, THEY WERE ABLE TO REFER HER TO SEVERAL AGENCIES THAT COULD HELP WITH HOUSING ASSISTANCE. ACTUALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP FIND HER A NEW PLACE TO LIVE, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THEY WERE ABLE TO CONNECT HER WITH OUR SPECIAL NEEDS ADVOCATE TO HELP HER MAKE SURE THAT SHE GOT ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE AVAILABLE FOR HER SON. AT THE END OF THE CALL, AFTER STARTING BY CRYING HYSTERICALLY, AMELIA TOLD THE COORDINATOR THAT SHE NOW FEELS ENCOURAGED AND HELPFUL THAT THINGS WILL WORK OUT. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT WE GET EVERY DAY, AND I JUST WANT EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR ME NOW, AND EVERYONE THAT CAN LISTEN TO THIS LATER TO KNOW THAT IT'S FREE, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL, AND IT'S AVAILABLE 24 OVER SEVEN. AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REACH OUT ANYTIME YOU NEED HELP. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. AND ENGINEERING WEEK. WHEREAS ENGINEERING IS A DYNAMIC AND VITAL PROFESSION THAT ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE, DRIVES INNOVATION AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE, TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND COUNTLESS ENGINEERING ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS. AND 
          [00:20:01]
WHEREAS NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK OBSERVED FEBRUARY 22ND THROUGH 28TH, 2026 RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ENGINEERS IN SHAPING OUR MODERN WORLD, INSPIRES FUTURE GENERATIONS TO PURSUE ENGINEERING AND STEM CAREERS, AND RAISES AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR A DIVERSE AND WELL-EDUCATED ENGINEERING WORKFORCE. AND WHEREAS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES DURING ENGINEERS WEEK PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGINEERS, EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING, DESIGN, INNOVATION, AND PROBLEM SOLVING, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF MATH, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND CREATIVE THINKING IN EVERYDAY LIFE. AND WHEREAS, THE FLORIDA TREASURE COAST CHAPTER OF THE FLORIDA ENGINEERING SOCIETY PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN ADVANCING THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION LOCALLY BY SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, PROMOTING ETHICAL STANDARDS, AND ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT INSPIRE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE TREASURE COAST TO PURSUE CAREERS IN ENGINEERING AND RELATED STEM FIELDS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 22ND THROUGH THE 28TH, 2026 AS ENGINEERS WEEK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER SMYTH. I AM THE TREASURER OF THE FLORIDA ENGINEERING SOCIETY FOR TREASURE COAST CHAPTER. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS ENGINEERING WEEK WITH YOU GUYS. AS ENGINEERS, I FEEL LIKE WE MAKE THINGS EASIER, MORE ADVANCED FOR THE EVERYDAY, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR EVERYDAY LIVES. WE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR GUYS ARE SAFE, THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORRY ABOUT BEING IN ANY UNSAFE CONDITIONS, THAT WE TAKE CARE OF YOUR INSPECTIONS, WE TAKE CARE OF THINGS AND WE GUIDE YOU. WE MAKE SURE THAT WE EXPLAIN TO YOU THESE DIFFERENT THINGS OF WHY BUILDINGS NEED TO BE INSPECTED. YOU KNOW, WHY IS SO IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE ENGINEERING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS, THE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, KIDS GROWING UP IN HIGH SCHOOL, I JUST HIRED A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, A JENSEN BEACH HIGH SCHOOL FOR SOME CAREER FAIR. 
          AND HE'S BRILLIANT, VERY SMART, GOING TO BE AN ARCHITECT. SO I FOUND MY NEW ARCHITECT. 
          HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE. BUT BASICALLY, ENGINEERING WEEK IS A WEEK DEDICATED TO PROMOTE ENGINEERING. WE HAVE A DINNER ON THE 27TH. NO, I'M SORRY, THE 26TH. ON THAT THURSDAY, WHICH WILL BE WILL BE CROWNING A YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AND AN ENGINEER OF THE YEAR FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN ENGINEERING FIELD FOR THAT YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST I MEAN, HERE IT IS. DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGINEERING ENGINEERING WEEK AND PROMOTING. WE HAVE MATHCOUNTS ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK, NOT PART OF ENGINEERING WEEK, BUT JUST RIGHT BEFORE WHERE WE GO TO THE YOU KNOW, THIS WHAT WAS THAT THIS CAMPUS I, I INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE I'M SORRY. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. I'M NOT THE BEST PUBLIC SPEAKER, BUT YEAH, WE HAVE OVER THERE. 
          SO WE HAVE HIGH SCHOOLS FROM LIKE ALL OVER TO COMPETE AND MATH BASED EVENTS JUST, YOU KNOW, SHOWCASE THEMSELVES. AND MOST OF THEM END UP BECOMING ENGINEERS. THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN ENGINEERING. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGINEERING WEEK. AND WE'RE JUST HERE TO PROMOTE IT AND PROMOTE ENGINEERING IN GENERAL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HE'S NOT SHY. 
          THEN HE WANTS A PICTURE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT'S INTERESTING. THIS IS AN EXTRA. 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
MOVING ON TO SERVICE AWARDS. IS IT MINE? WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE VINCENT TAYLOR. SPEECH. 
          NO. I HAVE MINE. THIS. SO THIS IS AN EXTRA. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HE'S GOT ONE AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH. WE TRIED. I SEE WHY THE GUYS ARE HERE NOW. I GOT YOU 
          [00:25:08]
WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE. THOMAS. DUANE. HEY, THOMAS. THAT'S MY NEIGHBOR. MY NEIGHBOR? YES. DUANE. THOMAS. SPEECH DURING. SPEECH. WHAT'S THE WIFE IS GETTING A PICTURE. ALRIGHT. 
          WHERE'S THE LITTLE GIRL? HE'S NOT. BIG SPEECH. THANK YOU. WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, BUT NOT IN ATTENDANCE IS OLGA ROCKWELL FROM UTILITIES. WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE FROM FIRE RESCUE. LEROY RODRIGUEZ. IN ATTENDANCE. 
          AND WITH TEN YEARS OF SERVICE. BUT NOT IN ATTENDANCE IS MARTIN MEEHAN FROM UTILITIES. OKAY, MOVING ON TO PRESENTATION FROM MAJOR COREY BELL FROM THE ARMY CORPS. 
          ARE YOU READY? BORN READY. ALRIGHT, COME ON UP, MAN. THANKFULLY, YOU GUYS ARE HERE. 
          TRULY, THIS IS GOING TO INTRODUCE HIM. YES, COMMISSIONERS, I AM NOT MAJOR COREY BELL, BUT I WANTED TO TELL YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT MAJOR BELL. HE'S THE DEPUTY COMMANDER FOR THE SOUTH FLORIDA REGION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. 
          HE IS ALSO A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, A UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA GRADUATE, FLORIDA RESIDENT, AND HE TO FISH AND SCUBA DIVE. SO HE'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE LOATHSOME AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES OF THE REGION. I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE CLICKER AND LET HIM GO THROUGH HIS PRESENTATION. HE HAS A LOT OF SLIDES THAT ARE PROBABLY INTENDED TO BE A LOT LONGER IN NATURE FOR THE PRESENTATION THAN WHAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR, SO HE'S JUST GOING TO PICK OUT THE RELEVANT ONES THAT HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. AWESOME. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. MAYOR COLLINS AND COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU. SO I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY GO OVER SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I THINK THAT MOSTLY YOU'RE PROBABLY CONCERNED ABOUT AND WANT TO TALK THE MOST TIME THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER. BUT WE DO HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF MISSION SETS WITHIN THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SPECIFICALLY THE SOUTH FLORIDA OR JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT, AND THEN HERE SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTH FLORIDA AS WELL. SO AT YOUR TIME OF LEISURE, IF YOU HAVE ANY, YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK THROUGH OUR OTHER PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE NAVIGATION, WHICH IS A HUGE IMPACT FOR FOR US IN JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT RESTORATION PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY. SO THIS IS ALL THIS IS WHAT'S CONGRESS HAS MANDATED US TO ACT ON AS A COUNCIL. AND THEN IT TIES DIRECTLY TO THE RESTORATION OF THE EVERGLADES, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT WOULD STOP FLOWS FROM THE EAST OUT OF THE STRUCTURE AND MOVE THEM SOUTH AND SEND WATER SOUTH TO THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK. BUT THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN 1948. AND YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE PROJECT PURPOSES THAT CONGRESS HAS MANDATED THAT WE BALANCE. 
          BUT THOSE THOSE THOSE CONGRESSIONAL MANDATED AUTHORIZED PROJECT PURPOSES ALSO CAME WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT HURT THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK. AND THAT LEADS INTO THE RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT WE CONDUCT. AND WE ARE STILL UNDER KISSIMMEE RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT THAT'S NORTH OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THAT WAS STARTED BY THE STATE IN 1976. THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS GOT INVOLVED IN 1978, AND WE'RE STILL DOING THAT TODAY WITH UPDATED WATER CONTROL PLANS. AND WE'LL TALK SORT OF A LITTLE BIT LATER OF THAT AS WELL. AND HERE'S A LOT OF THE STUDIES WE'RE DOING AND DIFFERENT PHASES THAT WE HAVE OF THOSE STUDIES OR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY. AND YOU CAN SEE WHO OWNS THOSE IF THOSE ARE STATE LED CO-LED OR CORPS ENGINEERS LED IN JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT. ALL RIGHT. JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SO THE INTEGRATED DELIVERY SCHEDULE THIS IS HOW WE MANAGE THE SURFERS SOUTH FLORIDA ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION UNDER SERP. THIS WE HAD A WORKING GROUP AND SHOWED HOW 
          [00:30:06]
FOLKS HOW TO READ THAT BACK IN JANUARY. AND WE'RE LOOKING TENTATIVELY TO RELEASE THE THE FINAL VERSION OF THE IDS IN MARCH. SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT WILL BE A PUBLIC MEETING AS WELL TO SHOW ALL THE UPDATES AND CHANGES AS WELL AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM. 
          SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT. SO THERE'S TWO FACETS OF THIS PROJECT. ONE PORTION, WHICH WAS THE WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT THAT WAS TERMINATED. SO TIED TO THAT IS THE ASR. THAT'S THE STORAGE RECOVERY SYSTEM THAT IS STILL MOVING FORWARD. AND OUR ENGINEERING RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ERDC, THEY'RE OUT IN HUNTSVILLE. THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THOSE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS TO LOOKING AT THE ROE, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, IF IT'S FEASIBLE FOR THE FEDERAL ENTITIES TO BE INVOLVED, AND THAT FINALIZED REPORT WILL BE IN 2027. SO THAT'S MOVING FORWARD WITH NO ISSUES. CURRENTLY, SOME OF THE STUDIES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON SHINGLE CREEK NORTH TO THE LAKE AND THEN WE HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY. THIS IS BASICALLY THE CSF STUDY. AND THEN WE HAVE THE THE SECTION 8215 WHICH LOOKS AT JUST THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THAT WHICH THESE ARE ALL UNDERGOING. AND THEN THE 216 203 STUDY. SO THIS IS ALONG THE THE PALM BEACH COUNTY, BROWARD, MIAMI-DADE AND PORTIONS OF. MARTIN COUNTY AS WELL. BUT MAINLY THIS IS LOOKING AT THE STORM RISK MANAGEMENT FROM A COASTAL PERSPECTIVE. SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR OTHER MISSION SETS. THOSE ARE BROKEN UP AT FOUR REACHES AND HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO GET DONE BASED ON FUNDING. AGAIN, WE HAVE CONSTRAINTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE. SO SOUTH FLORIDA DOES HAVE THE LEAD ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TO LOOK AT THOSE IMPACTS AS WELL. EARL, WHICH IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO EVERYONE'S HEART HERE. SO WE SEE 2324 STA. WE JUST HOSTED A VISIT OUT THERE RECENTLY THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 96% COMPLETE AND WILL BE ONLINE LATER THIS SUMMER. AND THAT WILL ALLOW THE TREATMENT OF WATER INTO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE NORTH FORK FOR EARL. SO THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE LED BY SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AS WELL, AND THEN THE NORTH RESERVOIR. SEE 2324. NO. SHE'S CURRENTLY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON TRACK ON THAT. AND SAME WITH C25 AS WELL. THE PACKAGE IS MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE SYSTEM AS WELL. SO THERE'S A BIG LANDMARK AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THAT WAS MOU. THAT'S THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, AND THAT SAYS EXPEDITE THE RESERVOIR. THE RESERVOIR IN BLUE THERE. AND THAT IS THE MANDATE THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE ACQUISITION STRATEGIES ON THAT WITH OUR PRIME CONTRACTOR THROUGH THE MODIFICATION PROCESS. SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. AND THEN SUB SOUTH IS ALSO GOING TO BE EXPEDITED. AND THAT'S BEEN MOVED UNDER SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. SO WITH ALL THIS BEING DONE ACROSS THE CSF SYSTEM, IF THE BATHTUB ONLY HAS ONE SINGLE DRAIN, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE MUCH BENEFIT TO THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON GETTING CONDUCTED. SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THESE OTHER STEPS SOUTH FEATURES IN LINE WITH THAT. AS WE GET THE RESERVOIR MOVING FORWARD AND COMPLETING IN 2029. 
          LOATHSOME. WE CONDUCTED LAKE RECOVERY OPERATIONS THIS PAST LAST YEAR, THIS TIME. AND THIS REALLY LOOKED AT THE ECOLOGY OF THE LAKE. SO THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE SYSTEM OPERATING MANUAL LOATHSOME WAS A CURRENT REGULATION SCHEDULE THAT WE OPERATE UNDER LAKE O. AND WITHIN THAT, TO GET THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS, THERE WAS A TRIGGER FACTOR THAT LOOKED AT THE ECOLOGY OF THE LAKE AND THE HEALTH OF THE LAKE. IF YOU HAVE A HEALTHY LAKE, THEN ALL ALL THINGS CONNECTED TO THE LAKE WILL BE BETTER IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE AS WELL. BUT THESE ARE THE METRICS THAT WE USED WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT. AND IF WE HIGHLIGHT THESE, THE COMMANDER CAN THEN MOVE FORWARD AND SAY, LET'S CONDUCT THESE OPERATIONS, WHICH IMPACTED YOUR COMMUNITY HERE LAST YEAR. BUT WE SAW GREAT BENEFITS FROM THAT. SO YOU CAN SEE THE THE DRAW DOWN ON THE LAKE AND THEN THE RECOVERY ENVELOPES. YOU NEED AT LEAST 90 DAYS AT 12 OR 11.5 OR 60, WHICH WE EXCEEDED BOTH THOSE STANDARDS. AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN SAV SUB AQUATIC VEGETATION ON THE LAKE. THAT'S THE SEAGRASSES AND OTHER ORGANISMS THAT LIVE IN THE LAKE. AND WE ARE CONDUCTING AN R FOR THAT. SO YOU COULD TAKE A QR CODE OF THIS. SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION. WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF LETTERS AS WELL. AND ALONG WITH THE DIGITAL FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT DATA, I DO HAVE SOME HESITATIONS WITH THIS BECAUSE THIS IS AN INTERIM REPORT. SO THIS REPORT WILL BE FINISHED LATER THIS YEAR. BUT THE PURPOSE OF WHY IT'S AN INTERIM REPORT IS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE MULTIPLE WATER YEARS ACROSS THE ENVIRONMENT TO SEE THE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACTS ACROSS THAT. SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE BASS FISHERIES, THOSE THINGS TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO SEE THOSE RESPONSE TIMES. SAV IS A HIGH QUALITY, HIGH TARGET, BUT THAT'S IT'S A QUICK RESPONSE TO THE SYSTEM. AS YOU DRAW THE LAKE DOWN, THE LIGHT CAN PENETRATE THE BOTTOM OF THE THE LAKE TO CAUSE THAT INSTANT GROWTH. THAT'S WHAT WE SAW THIS PAST YEAR. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY AT 12.565FT ON THE LAKE. SO WE'RE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN WE WERE THIS TIME WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE SLIDES. BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. NO, NO CHANGES THERE. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, WHICH IS PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY HERE AND THE COMMISSIONERS HERE, IS THAT LOATHSOME 2.0 OR 1.5 OR THE SON OF LOATHSOME. THERE'S STILL WORKING THROUGH THE NAME 
          [00:35:02]
SMITHING OF WHAT THE NEXT VERSION OF LOATHSOME IS GOING TO BE. BUT WHEN THE EA IS COMPLETED IN 2029, WE HAVE TO HAVE A WATER CONTROL PLAN, WHICH IS LOATHSOME, HAS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT STORAGE CAPACITY AND TREATMENT FACILITY SOUTH OF THE LAKE. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO ROLL THAT OUT HOPEFULLY LATER THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, DEPENDING ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT PLANNING INITIATIVE FOR THOSE OPERATIONAL PLANS. BUT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL FOR YOU. C44. THIS IS CURRENTLY STILL UNDER OPERATION. IT IS UNDER TMP, WHICH IS OPERATIONAL TESTING AND MAINTENANCE PHASE. WHAT THIS DOES TAKES WATER BASIN OFF THE C-44 CANAL, PUMPS IT INTO A LARGE RESERVOIR, THEN TREATS IT THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS PAST WATER YEAR WATER YEAR 25 WE WE SAVED APPROXIMATELY 25,000 ACRE FEET THAT DID NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STRUCTURE AFTER LAKE RECOVERY OPERATION. SO IT'S ANOTHER GOOD HIGHLIGHT STORY THAT THIS THIS PROJECT'S WORKING. YES. WE CANNOT OPERATE IT TO THE FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF 15FT, BUT WE CAN STILL OPERATE UP TO TEN FEET AND GET BENEFITS OUT OF THE SYSTEM FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY ROUGHLY ABOUT FOUR FEET ON THE RESERVOIR ITSELF. AND THEN THE SDAS MANAGE ABOUT FOOT AND A HALF, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DRY SEASON, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT VEGETATION DRYING OUT. AND I'LL I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS. MAYOR COLLINS, JUST ON THAT POINT, I, I SAW ON SLIDE 17 YOU YOU MENTIONED C44 AND TIMELINE OF MARCH OR MAY OF 27, CORRECT? YES, SIR. SO THIS IS THE SEEPAGE FEATURE THAT IS ALONG THE SOUTHWEST CORNERS OF THE RESERVOIR. SO AGAIN, OPERATIONALLY WE CAN BRING IT UP TO TEN FEET, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE SEEPAGE WELLS BECAUSE AS WE STARTED TO DO OUR DAM SAFETY INSPECTIONS, AS WE WERE BRINGING IT UP TO 15FT, WE SAW SLOUGHING ON THE SOUTHWEST SEEPAGE CANAL. SO ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A GOOD PHOTO. WELL, YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE EA THAT OUTER YOU HAVE THE PERIMETER CANAL, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE EMBANKMENT AND THE OUTER CANAL ON THAT IS WHAT'S CALLED THE SEEPAGE CANAL. IT'S AN ENGINEERED FEATURE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE HYDRAULIC BECAUSE IT'S NATURALLY FLOWING THROUGH THAT PHOTOGRAPHY THERE. IT'S TO CAPTURE IT AND SEND IT BACK INTO THE RESERVOIR. SO WHEN WE WERE DOING THOSE INITIAL STUDY PHASES, AS WE DO THE INFILL PROCEDURES FOR THAT C-44, WE NOTICED THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE SEEPAGE CANAL, NO ISSUES TO THE EMBANKMENT ITSELF, BUT THIS REQUIRES US TO NOT HAND OVER A LEMON TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. WE ARE HOLDING ON TO THAT PROJECT, WORKING THROUGH THAT SEEPAGE WELL DESIGN, WHICH WE'RE COMPLETING, AND WE'LL MOVE OUT WITH CONSTRUCTION IN 27. TARGET. 
          GOT IT. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MISTER BELL. YES. THANK YOU, MAJOR BELL. AND THIS QUESTION IS MEANT TO REVEAL TO PEOPLE HOW COMPLICATED THESE EFFORTS ARE. AND I LEARNED THIS WHEN THE MAYOR AND I ATTENDED THE RIVERS COALITION MEETING THE OTHER DAY. SO THERE'S SO MANY COMPETING INTERESTS. SO WE WANT THE LAKE LEVEL HIGH BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT WATER. 
          BUT I SIT ON SOME COMMITTEES WITH MEMBERS OF OKEECHOBEE AND THEY WANT IT LOW, OBVIOUSLY. 
          AND IN FACT, WE'VE SEEN THE BENEFIT OF THAT IN THIS DRY PERIOD BECAUSE, AS YOU SAY, THE SAV HAS BEGUN TO RECOVER. BUT I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT, IN FACT, WE'RE REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS THAT ARE IMPERILING THE LONG TERM HEALTH OF THE CALOOSAHATCHEE. IS THAT CORRECT? WHEN THE WATER GETS THIS LOW. SO UNDER LOATHSOME. THE TARGET FLOATS CAN GO UP TO 1200 CFS TO THE WEST. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE TARGETING 350 CONSTANT, WHICH THE COMMUNITY IN THE WEST COAST WOULD LIKE. MORE THAN THAT THEY WOULD LIKE AT LEAST 750 MINIMUM. I TALKED DAILY WITH WITH FOLKS FROM THE WEST COAST. I'VE HAD I HAD SOME FOLKS FROM SANIBEL EVEN CALL THIS MORNING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING, BUT WE'RE WORKING PARTNERING WITH SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE THE SCHEDULE, WHICH IS TO HOLD THAT WATER FOR FOR LATER IN THE DRY SEASON BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. 
          SO IT'S UNCLEAR WHEN THE THE SEASON WILL TURN WHEN WE START TO SEE THOSE RAINS. BUT WE'RE UNDER YOU KNOW, I THINK SOUTH FLORIDA HAS RELEASED A WATER RESTRICTION FOR MOST OF THEIR PERMITS. SO IT'S IT'S A CHALLENGING TIME THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. BUT I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE IS TO TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITIES SO THAT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD UNDER ON THE NEXT VERSION OF LOATHSOME, WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR THIS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE WATER YEAR THAT YOU'RE DOING THE OPERATION IN. IT'S THE YEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME INTO WATER YEAR 26 AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THAT COULD HAVE IMPACTS THAT MAY HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN REALIZED BY OUR STAFF. SO IT'S OR THE COMMUNITY OR AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS. SO IT'S IT'S A CHALLENGING TIME FOR EVERYONE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MANAGERS AND OUR COMMANDER ON, ON TRYING TO INCREASE THOSE FLOWS TO THE WEST IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEND THEM SOUTH. BUT WE'RE ALL CONCERNED RIGHT NOW FROM A WATER SUPPLY PERSPECTIVE UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT THE SEASON LOOKS LIKE. SO WE CONTINUE TO CLOSE ONE QUARTER RIGHT NOW OF WHAT THEY WANT APPROXIMATELY. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          [00:40:04]
YEAH. IT'S A TOUGH JOB. IT'S A TOUGH JOB. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CLARK. YES, THANKS. 
          THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THIS MESSAGE, THIS QUESTION IS MOSTLY FOR ATTORNEY HOLMES AND MR. KUROWSKI, BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I SEE THIS OR NOT, BUT DO WE HAVE A LINK ON OUR CITY WEBSITE NOW FOR LOATHSOME? IF WE DON'T, I'D SUGGEST THAT WE LOOK INTO IT. WE WILL. THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK AND CHECK, READ UP, AND THEN ALSO LOOK AT THE UPDATE UNDER I'VE GONE OUT TO TO ASK WHEN WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT UPDATE AND WE'VE PRESENTED AND GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. SO AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE LAKE LEVELS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IS THAT PRIMARILY? YES. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS SHOW UP. YOU AND JEFF. THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE CORPS. COMPARED TO IN TIMES PAST, YOUR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AND BEING ABLE TO ARTICULATE THAT TO NORMAL PEOPLE IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LOGISTICAL CONCERNS, I WORRY THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE FOREVER. WE DID SUBMIT A LETTER TO YOUR SUPERIORS ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR. MY ASK FOR THIS COMMISSION. AND I'VE NOT BEEN PROMPTED BY YOU TO DO THIS, BUT WOULD BE TO ASK FOR ONE MORE EXTENSION OF A YEAR, WHICH IS VERY UNORTHODOX. AND I YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE A HAIL MARY, BUT I KNOW HE'S GOT ONE MORE YEAR BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT POSSIBLE AT ALL. SO IF I COULD HAVE HIM FOR THAT ONE MORE YEAR WITH WITH A BRAND NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE AND THAT IS THAT RELATIONSHIP, ESTABLISHING MORE AND MORE WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE BLESSING, MR. COLLINS. YES, SIR. MAYOR COLLINS, THE TIME DENIAL IS THE ACT IS NOW OKAY IF YOU GUYS WANT TO DO THAT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION WANTS TO DO, THAT'S THE TIME TO DO IT IS NOW. I'LL START INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR MY NEXT POSITION IN OCTOBER, SO I'LL GET LOCKED IN BY FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. SO IF BY NEXT YEAR. 
          SO IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO ACT ON THAT, YOU NEED TO DO THAT. WOULD THERE BE ANY CONSENSUS FROM FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE MOTION OR CONSENSUS? CONSENSUS WOULD BE CONSENSUS. I HAD NINE HEAD NINE OKAY. THAT'S THREE OF US, AT LEAST FOUR. OKAY. SO SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT THE LAST GUY. AND THEN WE GOT THIS GUY. AND WE LOVE THIS GUY. THIS GUY'S WAY BETTER THAN THE LAST GUY. I DISAGREE WITH THAT. TWO YEARS WITH THIS GUY WILL GET US THROUGH TWO. SO LEE, IF YOU IF YOU WOULD GO AND LOOK TIRED OF THIS COMMISSION TELLING OTHER INSTITUTIONS HOW TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS. WELL, DO WE HAVE A CONSENSUS? YES. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE CONSENSUS IS ALL SO. NO, BUT YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A MAJORITY. I'M SURE THAT'S OKAY. 
          SO, LEE, IF YOU WOULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT PREVIOUS LETTER AND, AND CRAFT THAT AND GET THAT OVER TO THE CORPS, HYPOTHETICALLY, WHO WOULD WE SEND THAT TO? THE SAME INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SENT THE LAST ONE TO. YES. FANTASTIC. THAT'D BE BENEFICIAL. YEAH. 
          OKAY. I DID HAVE A QUESTION OUTSIDE OF HOUSEKEEPING. YOU HAD MENTIONED TO ME AT THE RIVERS COALITION, OR I HEARD IT AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE AFTER IS THE SUCCESS OF LAKE RESTORATION MODE. NONE OF US WANTED TO HAVE ANY SORT OF DISCHARGES, BUT THE TENTATIVE HOPE IS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY RELIEVE US OF DISCHARGES FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, GOD PERMITTING AND WEATHER PERMITTING. WOULD YOU MIND SPEAKING TO THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A MAIN CONCERN ANY OF US HAVE. YES. SO THE THE BENEFIT OF CONDUCTING THOSE LAKE RECOVERY OPERATIONS IS IT DOES GIVE US A RESET. SO ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO 6 YEARS DEPENDING ON THE ENVIRONMENT. RIGHT. SO IT'S ALWAYS A CAVEAT IF THERE'S HURRICANES, IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE LIFE HEALTH SAFETY ON THE DAM ITSELF AROUND HERBERT HOOVER DIKE, THAT ALL PENDING LAST YEAR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A VERY ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON, AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA RECEIVED NO HURRICANES. SO IF WE CONTINUE TO BE BLESSED IN THAT ASPECT, IT COULD BE A FORESEEABLE FUTURE WITHOUT RELEASES 3D STRUCTURE. NOW THAT WE WILL HAVE FLOWS THROUGH THE S300 STRUCTURE. AND THAT'S MAINLY TO TO PROVIDE WATER SUPPLY AND OTHER MUNICIPAL USES ALONG THE CANAL, BUT ALSO FOR THE C-44, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN WHAT'S CALLED MINIMUM POOL TO KEEP THE STA, WHICH IS A LIFE ORGANISM OF ITSELF, HYDRATED THROUGHOUT THE DRY SEASON. BUT YES, 5 TO 6 YEARS YOU SHOULD SEE NO OPERATIONS THROUGH THE S.A.T AND AS IDEALLY AND THEN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 
          [00:45:02]
DEPENDENT. AND THEN WITH THE THE DEVELOPMENT AND SCOPING OF THE NEW PLAN FOR THE NEXT VERSION OF LOATHSOME, THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN REDUCE THAT FURTHER. SO WITH LOATHSOME, YOU CAN ALREADY SEE A LARGE REDUCTION IN THE S.A.T OPERATIONS OTHER THAN THE LOCK ITSELF, BY TRANSPORTING RECREATION OR COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC THROUGH IT. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE A HUGE REDUCTION IN THAT. SO AS WE BRING THESE FEATURES ONLINE AND SEND IN MORE WATER SOUTH, THERE'LL BE LESS OPPORTUNITIES TO EXERCISE THE STRUCTURE FOR LIFE, HEALTH, SAFETY. I DON'T THINK YOU COULD ASK FOR MORE THAN THAT. I MEAN, THAT'S FANTASTIC. NOT NOT HAVING DISCHARGE IS THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND EVEN WITH LOATHSOME EVOLVING HAVING OPPORTUNITY TO IT'S THERE'S HOPE FOR EVEN A BETTER SITUATION THAN THAT. SO COMMISSIONER JOB. YES. I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS JUST SAID HERE ON THE DAIS THAT WE ARE TELLING OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COMPANIES OR CORPORATIONS OR WHATEVER HOW TO DO THEIR JOB. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING A GOOD AND HONEST REQUEST AND TELLING SOMEONE HOW TO DO THEIR JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS FROM MAJOR BELL? QUESTIONS? OKAY. HEY THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS ARE FANTASTIC. OTHER THAN THAT APPRECIATE YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO YEAH. MOVING ON TO HALF CENT SALES TAX SPENDING GUIDELINES WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. ATTORNEY HOLMES. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. I BELIEVE THAT THE MARTIN COUNTY REFERENDUM, THE 2024 REFERENDUM IS IN YOUR PACKAGE BEHIND THE ITEM TODAY. 
          JUST FOR BACKGROUND, MARTIN COUNTY PROPOSED AND PASSED A HALF CENT SALES TAX BY REFERENDUM IN 2024. THE IDEA OF THE SALES TAX WAS FOR MARTIN COUNTY TO FUND ACQUISITION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS. THE COUNTY'S DIRECTION WAS LIMITED TO SPECIFIC REGIONS AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THE LAND COULD BE KEPT IN CONSERVATION TO BENEFIT THE SAINT LUCIE RIVER, THE ESTUARY AND THE OVERALL INDIAN RIVER LAGOON SOUTH. THE COUNTY'S DIRECTION IS LIMITED AND SPECIFIC. I THINK IT TAKES UP ALMOST A WHOLE PAGE AND THE REFERENDUM. 
          I CALL THOSE DIRECTIVES FROM THE REFERENDUM GUARDRAILS. COUNTY CAN'T JUST GO AND SPEND THE MONEY ON WHATEVER IT WANTS TO. THEREFORE, THE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE. THE GUARDRAILS ON THE SIDE, YOU KNOW, JUST STAY IN YOUR LANE TYPE THING AND THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE. THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN MARTIN COUNTY ARE ALSO GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THE HALF CENT SALES TAX. HOWEVER, THE GUARDRAILS FOR THE CITIES WITHIN MARTIN COUNTY ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF. TODAY, I'M GOING TO READ WHAT THOSE GUARDRAILS ARE FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES. SO THERE'S NO MISTAKING THIS IS IN SECTION TWO ON PAGE THREE OF THE REFERENDUM. MUNICIPALITIES MAY ONLY SPEND THEIR SHARE OF THE SURTAX REVENUES TO FINANCE, PLAN AND CONSTRUCT INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO ACQUIRE LAND FOR PUBLIC RECREATION, CONSERVATION OR PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 212.055, PARAGRAPH TWO OF FLORIDA STATUTES, WHICH IS KIND OF A IT'S MORE OR LESS JUST A. SECTION OF FLORIDA STATUTE THAT DEALS WITH PROCEDURES OF TAXATION AND HOW AND WHO CAN SPEND THE MONEY AND HOW THAT'S DONE. SO WITH THAT. THE THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF STUART, IN MY OPINION, HAVE BROADER GUARDRAILS THAN DOES THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY CAN ACQUIRE LAND. 
          THEY CAN ACQUIRE LAND FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. THEY CAN ACQUIRE LAND FOR A FEE SIMPLE INTEREST, BUT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES. THE CITIES CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE. THE CITIES CAN ACQUIRE LAND. THEY CAN PLAN FOR PURCHASE OF LAND FOR RECREATION PURPOSES OR PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. THEY CAN FINANCE LAND. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE CITY NEEDS TO VALIDATE BONDS FOR PURCHASE OF LAND, THEY CAN DO THAT UNDER THIS, UNDER THIS REFERENDUM. SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT BROADER. I ALSO PUT IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU THIS AFTERNOON JUST SOME IDEAS ABOUT EVALUATION CRITERIA. WHAT I HAVE, WHAT I HAVE REALIZED KIND OF LOOKING INTO THIS HALF CENT SALES TAX, A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, 
          [00:50:05]
SPECIFICALLY COUNTIES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE MONEY COMING INTO THEM, THEY HAVE MORE LAND USUALLY TO ACQUIRE THAN DOES A SMALL CITY THAT'S MAINLY BUILT OUT. BUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS EVALUATION CRITERIA THERE. YOU KNOW, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE COUNTIES AND ALL DEPENDS ON THE EXACT DEDICATION OF FUNDS. I JUST GAVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES THAT YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT FOR IN THE FUTURE. AND THE POINT OF IT ALL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT IS SPENT IS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S MONEY YOU RECEIVE IS IN THE PUBLIC TRUST, AND IT'S FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE. AND SO YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU SPEND THE MONEY ON ULTIMATELY, THAT IT'S THAT YOU DO IT ON OBJECTIVE CRITERIA AND THAT IS DEFENSIBLE. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IF SOMEBODY RAISES A CLAIM DOWN THE ROAD THAT YOU SPENT THE MONEY IMPROPERLY, THAT YOU HAVE A BASIS TO SAY, WE DID IT OBJECTIVELY, WE DID IT UNDER THE POLICY AND OBJECTIVES OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE. AND IF YOU WANT TO USE CRITERIA THAT WOULD EVEN HELP FURTHER THAT PURPOSE. SO I LEFT THOSE FOR YOU. I WOULD ALSO SAY ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE PACKET THAT I LEFT FOR YOU IS THE MARTIN COUNTY. THE WAY THE EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE JUST YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT IN ACTION AND HOW THEY DO IT. THEY WEIGHT EACH OF THOSE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, TEN POINTS THIS FIVE POINTS FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY IN A IN A SMALL CITY LIKE STUART THAT'S BUILT OUT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT IS LAND THAT'S ALREADY UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP. 
          THAT'S AND IF YOU HAVE PROJECTS IN MIND FOR THAT, THAT'S A GREAT STARTING PLACE BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET AS MUCH MONEY FROM THE SALES TAX AS, AS THE COUNTY WILL. SO YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY ON. SO I JUST GAVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT AT SOME OTHER TIME IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MISS HOLMES. YES. WOULD YOU LIKE CAN I ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS? SO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THOUGHT GIVEN TO THIS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL BY MANY MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY STAFF. HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH ANY OF THEM REGARDING WHAT LIMITATIONS THEY MAY SEE THAT APPLY TO US AND OR NOT TO THEM? I HAVE I MEAN, NOT NOT FORMALLY HAVE I DONE THAT, BUT I HAVE AND. YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT THE COUNTY STAFF THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO ARE FOCUSED ON THEIR ACQUISITION PROCESS AND IS THEIR PERIL IF WE VIOLATE THESE GUIDELINES OR WHAT WHAT WHAT RISKS DO WE FACE IF WE DON'T ADHERE TO THE THE THE STRICT REQUIREMENTS? THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. I, I, I THINK THAT IN ADDITION TO. YOU KNOW, JUST CLAIMS BEING RAISED, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS IS A VERY ENGAGED COMMUNITY HERE IN STUART, MARTIN COUNTY. BUT THERE COULD BE A CLAIM THAT YOU MISAPPROPRIATED THE FUNDS. 
          COULD IT BE A LEGAL ACTION? I THINK IT PROBABLY COULD BE. IT'S IT IT'S IT'S NOT LIKELY, BUT IT COULD BE. THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK OF GETTING SUED. OKAY. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IN LIGHT OF YOU PRESENTING THIS AND THEN GIVING US THIS INFORMATION, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOOD AT OUR NEXT MEETING OR THE, YOU KNOW, VERY SOON TO HAVE A CONVERSATION NOW WITH NEW GUARDRAILS OF WHAT OUR NEW PRIORITIES MIGHT BE. MAYBE THEY'RE THE SAME, MAYBE THEY'RE UPDATED. BUT IN LIGHT OF THIS CONVERSATION AND REALLY INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, IF IT PLEASE THE BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK STAFF TO BRING BACK A, D AND D WHERE WE CAN REPRIORITIZE AND DISCUSS IF OUR PREVIOUS PRIORITIES MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS. EXCUSE ME, COULD I DO? YES, SIR. YES. YES OKAY. YES, YES. ALL RIGHT. CONSENSUS LIVES. ALRIGHT. SO THAT WAS ALL. THANK YOU. RUTH, 
          [COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS]
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE FOR RUTH. OKAY. MOVING ON TO COMMENTS. GENERAL COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS. COMMISSIONER RICH. ONE OF THE SOUTH'S BEST SMALL TOWNS, BEST SMALL TOWN FOR RETIREMENT, ONE OF AMERICA'S HAPPIEST SEASIDE TOWNS. MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY, 
          [00:55:06]
BEST COASTAL SMALL TOWN. SOUTH'S BEST SMALL TOWN. CIGNA HEALTHY WORKFORCE. GOLD EMPLOYER. BELLWETHER CITY FOR THE LARGEST CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. AND THAT PRIMACY HAS ALLOWED THE CITY OF STUART TO SECURE THE RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT OUR WATER WILL BE SAFE TO DRINK FOR GENERATIONS. THAT IS QUITE A LIST OF SUPERLATIVES. RECOGNIZING WHAT THIS CITY HAS ACHIEVED. SO WHAT DOES THIS COMMISSION DECIDE TO DO? LET'S FIRE ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ACHIEVEMENTS, THE FORMER CITY MANAGER MICHAEL MORTEL. BUT DON'T WORRY, WE'LL REPLACE HIM WITH SOMEONE EQUALLY CAPABLE. AND THEY WERE CORRECT. LOUIS BOGLIO BOGLIO IS REMARKABLY WELL QUALIFIED. BEEN WITH THE CITY OVER 30 YEARS. GRADUATED FROM LOYOLA. HE HOLDS THE CEG, WHICH IS THE CERTIFIED GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICER CERTIFICATION, A PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION THAT SIGNIFIES EXPERTISE IN FLORIDA SPECIFIC GOVERNMENT FINANCE MANAGEMENT. NOT ONLY THAT, AS A MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA GFOA, WHICH IS THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, HE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT FINANCE, CHAIRMAN OF THE STANDING TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, AND A MEMBER OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT CREATED THE VERY FIRST FG FOIA WEBSITE. HIS EXPERTISE IS HELD IN SUCH HIGH REGARD THAT HE IS A SOUGHT AFTER SPEAKER, BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, AND IS THE LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WAS RECOGNITION BY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL, EXCEPTIONAL 2024 BUDGET PRESENTATION. BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SUCCESSES HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, AS WELL AS MR. MORTEL, IS THE CITY OF STUARTS FINANCIAL CREDIT RATING. THIS IS DETERMINED BY NATIONAL INDEPENDENT RATING AGENCY AND IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING FOR CITIES OF OUR SIZE. THIS POTENTIALLY SAVES THE RESIDENTS OF STUART MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IF WE NEEDED TO GO TO THE CREDIT MARKETS. NOT THAT WE NEED TO BORROW, THANKS TO THEIR VERY CONSERVATIVE FISCAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES. BUT REMEMBER, DON'T WORRY, WE'LL REPLACE HIM WITH SOMEONE EQUALLY CAPABLE. JUST TO RECAP, ON THE 27TH OF OCTOBER, MR. MORTEL WAS FIRED. NO REASON GIVEN, AND MR. BOGLIOLI BECAME THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER AT THE NEXT MEETING, IN RECOGNITION OF MR. BOGLIOLI HARD WORK, HE WAS GIVEN A RAISE BY THIS COMMISSION. AT THE NEXT MEETING IN JANUARY. APPARENTLY THE DEMANDS OF THE JOB WERE TOO MUCH AND THE BUDGET CYCLE WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. AND SO THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO RELIEVE MR. BOGLIOLI OF HIS SHORTLY HELD INTERIM POSITION AND ALLOW HIM TO RETURN TO HIS FULL TIME POSITION AS FINANCE DIRECTOR. PLEASE NOTE, MR. BOGLIOLI STATED FROM THIS DAIS THAT HE HAD NOT INDICATED THAT THE WORKLOAD WAS TOO MUCH, AND HAD NOT ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM HIS POSITION. ROSS JOHNSON WAS ASKED BY SOMEONE AND SOMEHOW KNEW THAT THE VACANCY WOULD OCCUR, AND AGREED TO MOVE INTO THE ROLE OF INTERIM CITY MANAGER. TWO DAYS AFTER THAT MEETING, SUDDENLY, MR. BOGLIO MR. BOGLIOLI HANDED IN HIS 90 DAY NOTICE OF RESIGNATION. THE 90 DAYS IS WAY BEYOND THE STANDARD TWO WEEKS, BUT JUST A VERY FEW POSITIONS IN CITY GOVERNMENT REQUIRE THIS EXTENDED PERIOD OF NOTICE. 
          BECAUSE THE POSITIONS ARE SO VITAL AND COMPLICATED, A LONGER TRANSITION IS DEEMED NECESSARY. 
          DON'T WORRY, WE'LL REPLACE HIM WITH SOMEONE EQUALLY CAPABLE. I'M NOT QUITE SURE OF THE TIMELINE NOW, BUT VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT I HEARD THAT MR. BOGLIOLI WAS TERMINATED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY NOT HIS IDEA, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE IT WAS THE NEW INTERIM CITY MANAGER'S IDEA. THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS PROBABLY THE LAST PERSON YOU WOULD FIRE. THEN I HEARD THAT MR. BOGLIOLI WAS BROUGHT BACK FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD IN ORDER THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUBMIT THE BRIDGE GRANT IN A TIMELY MANNER. APPARENTLY, SOMEONE WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE GRANT SUBMISSION WAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. I KNOW 
          [01:00:04]
MR. BOGLIOLI WAS VERY WELL AWARE OF THAT TIMELINE. THAT SUBMISSION DATE WAS LAST WEDNESDAY. THEN LAST THURSDAY I HEARD WAS MR. BOGLIOLI LAST DAY. APPARENTLY THE URGENCY OF THE IMMINENT BUDGET CYCLE HAD RECEDED. THIS COMMISSION HAS NOW JETTISONED OVER 60 YEARS OF MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE. NO CITY CAN PROSPER WITH SUCH DISREGARD FOR HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PROVEN COMMITMENT. NO BUSINESS CAN SURVIVE THAT RECKLESSNESS. AND I USE THE WORD BUSINESS DELIBERATELY. THE CITY IS A LARGE BUSINESS, A $100 MILLION BUSINESS WITH APPROXIMATELY 275 EMPLOYEES, ITS OWN WATER DEPARTMENT, ITS OWN SEWER SYSTEM, ITS OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ITS OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND YOU KNOW WHO THE CUSTOMERS ARE. IT'S NOT JUST THE FIVE OF US UP HERE, BUT ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF STUART, THE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE BILLS, AND THE LAST PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE RUNNING THIS BUSINESS ARE THE FIVE OF US UP HERE. HAVING ONE BOSS CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING SIX BOSSES OF VARYING EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS? AND EVERY ELECTION CYCLE, 2 OR 3 OF THEM CAN CHANGE. THAT IS A NIGHTMARE, ESPECIALLY FOR EMPLOYEES. THIS IS THE REASON MANY GOVERNMENTS ARE SET UP THE WAY THEY ARE, INCLUDING THE CITY OF STUART. WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT. IT WAS FIRST USED IN VIRGINIA IN 1908, AND I'M QUOTING NOW FROM THE FLORIDA MUNICIPAL OFFICIAL MANUAL, UPDATED FOR 1925. AND I'M SORRY. LET ME GET THAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM IS WIDELY VIEWED AS A WAY TO TAKE POLITICS OUT OF MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION. THE MANAGER IS EXPECTED TO ABSTAIN FROM ANY AND ALL POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER POLITICAL LEADERS ARE EXPECTED TO REFRAIN FROM INTRUDING ON THE MANAGER'S ROLE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE. THE MANAGER, WHO IS HIRED AND FIRED BY THE COUNCIL, IS SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE COUNCIL, BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO ABSTAIN FROM SEEKING TO INDIVIDUALLY INTERFERE IN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS, INCLUDING ACTIONS IN PERSONNEL MATTERS. AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS LAST SENTENCE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINKING I'M MAKING TOO MUCH OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE, SOME CITY CHARTERS PROVIDE THAT INTERFERENCE IN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS BY AN ELECTED CITY OFFICIAL ARE GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL OF THAT OF THE ELECTED OFFICIAL FROM OFFICE. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED. SO I'M NOW GOING TO READ FROM OUR STUART CITY COMMISSION CODE OF CONDUCT. AND THIS IS THE COMMISSION CONDUCT WITH CITY STAFF. THIS IS ITEM FOUR. AND IN FACT IT'S UNDERLINED. IT'S HIGHLIGHTED EXCEPT FOR THE PURPOSES OF INQUIRIES AND INVESTIGATIONS. CITY COMMISSIONERS SHALL DEAL WITH CITY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTION AND SUPERVISION, SUPERVISION OF THE CITY MANAGER SOLELY THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER, AND NEITHER THE CITY COMMISSION NOR ANY OF ITS MEMBER SHALL GIVE ORDERS TO ANY SUCH CITY EMPLOYEES, EITHER PUBLICLY OR PRIVATELY, WHICH, DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, COULD BE DEEMED HARASSMENT, AND IN ADDITION, IT SAYS THAT COMMISSIONERS CAN MAKE NO PROMISES ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COMMISSION WITHOUT A COMMISSION VOTE. AND IT IS IMPROPER IMPROPER TO OVERTLY OR IMPLICITLY PROMISE COMMISSION ACTION. I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT TONIGHT, BUT AT THE NEXT MEETING, IN THE INTEREST OF FULL TRANSPARENCY AND TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE OPERATION OF CITY AFFAIRS, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO CONDUCT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF ALL THE EVENTS AND ACTIONS SURROUNDING THE HIRING AND FIRING OF MR. BOGLIOLI AND THE ASCENDANCY OF MISS JOHNSON TO HER CURRENT POSITION TO 
          [01:05:03]
DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT BY ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION OR ANY EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF STUART. AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED. DID ANY COMMISSIONER THREATEN OR MAKE PROMISES TO ANY STAFF MEMBERS WITH REGARD WITH REGARD TO PROPOSED OR CURRENT POSITIONS? DID ANY COMMISSIONER OVERTLY OR IMPLICITLY PROMISE A SPECIFIC COMMISSION ACTION TO ANY EMPLOYEE OR GROUP OF EMPLOYEES? DID ANY COMMISSIONER ORDER AN EMPLOYEE TO TERMINATE ANY INDIVIDUAL? DID ANY COMMISSIONER HARASS ANY EMPLOYEE AS DEFINED IN THE STUART COMMISSION STUART CITY COMMISSION CODE OF CONDUCT IS ANY CURRENT EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF STUART AFRAID TO SPEAK THE TRUTH OUT OF FEAR OF RETRIBUTION FROM ANY CITY OFFICIAL? I HOPE THAT THE COMMISSION WILL SHARE MY DESIRE TO GET THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAS GONE ON HERE. THIS CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. SO I WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT. THERE WAS A LOT OF. ACCUSATIONS THAT WEREN'T EXACTLY ACCUSATIONS. REMOVING PEOPLE FROM OFFICE. A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, ROZ WAS JOLIE TERMINATED. NO MIND SAYING THAT TO THE MIC A LITTLE BIT LOUDER SO PEOPLE ON THE END CAN HEAR, NO, LOUIS BOGLIOLI WAS NOT TERMINATED. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? DID YOU MAKE THAT UP? IS THAT FROM YOUR FRIEND TOM CAMPINI? HE HANDS IN HIS 90 DAY RECORD. I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE. DID YOU HEAR THAT? HE WAS DISCUSSION AFTER WHAT YOU JUST SAID. YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW. TRANSPARENCY. IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT? HE WAS TERMINATED. HE HANDS IN HIS 90 DAY NOTICE. AND THEN 1 OR 2 DAYS LATER, QUITS. SO DO YOU THINK HE'S THAT OKAY? AND FOR TRANSPARENCY SINCE FOR TRANSPARENCY, SINCE YOU BROUGHT THIS ALL UP AND YOU WANT TO STIR THE POT, JOLIE EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY WITH HIS PERFORMANCE HERE AS MANAGER. BUT WE HAD HIM WORKING REMOTELY. WE HAD HIM HERE IN FINANCE FROM ALABAMA. WE ASKED HIM TO STEP IN FOR THAT 2 OR 3 MONTH PERIOD, AND THAT WAS A LOT. HE WAS PLANNING ON RETIRING A YEAR BEFORE MIKE ASKED HIM TO STAY ON AND DO THIS WORK. REMOTE THING IN FINANCE. THERE'S NOT SOME LARGER CONSPIRACY HERE, WHICH IS IT'S WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I TRIED TO TAKE NOTES WHILE YOU WERE. YOU WERE KIND OF REALLY HAMMERING ACCUSATIONS THERE. PROMISING ACTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE. ORDERING TWO EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY OR THREATENING THEM. I'D NEVER, IF YOU WERE ACCUSING ME OF THAT, I. I'M ASKING THAT AN INQUIRY BE MADE. IT WAS VAGUE. I'M GOING TO DEAL WITH IT DIRECTLY. OKAY. LET'S GO WITH YOU, MR. BOGLIOLI. I BROUGHT THIS UP WHEN YOU FIRST SUGGESTED. WHEN IT WAS FIRST SUGGESTED, I SAID, ARE YOU AWARE THAT HE HAS BEEN WORKING FOR ALABAMA FROM ALABAMA? I KNOW, AND THAT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. AND THEN SUDDENLY IT BECAME TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS A LIE. IT WAS A LIE. AND AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S SOME LARGER CONSPIRACY THAT HE'S BEING THREATENED, THAT I WENT TO HIM DIRECTLY. I DID NOT I DID NOT THREATEN HIM DIRECTLY OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. SPECULATIONS ON A GRANT APPLICATION. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THE END OVER THERE. I'M JUST ASSUMING THE AIR IS THIN FROM YOUR SOAPBOX. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I THINK HE WAS FIRED. ONE OF MY MOST VALUED EMPLOYEES SUBMITTED AS HE WAS REQUIRED TO DO. A TO GIVE US 90 DAYS NOTICE. HE RETIRED. HE RETIRED. HE'S DONE. 
          HE WAS, BUT HE DIDN'T BEFORE. HE DIDN'T EVEN HE WAS FULLY EXPECTING TO WORK THOSE 90 DAYS. 
          AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER HE'S HE GOES, OH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO GIVE 90 DAYS. I REALLY WANT TO QUIT. 
          I THINK YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE ASPERSIONS YOU MAY BE MAKING. YOU JUST YOU JUST YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT. HE GOES 90 DAYS. OH, I DIDN'T MEAN IT. I REALLY MEANT TO QUIT. I'M NOT SURE WE'RE EVEN. YOU WERE READING FROM. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE EVEN READING FROM ABOUT US BEING POTENTIALLY REMOVED. YOU WERE THE ONE THROWING ACCUSATIONS AROUND LIKE THAT, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF INVESTIGATION FOR SOMETHING. SO, MR. MAYOR, POINT OF ORDER. I, I KNOW THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS MADE A 
          [01:10:02]
COMMENT, AND YOU SEEM TO WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS. I JUST WANT TO DO. BUT I JUST DIRECTLY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SHADE BEING THROWN AROUND ABOUT IT. I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO EITHER SET A TIME TO TO DISCUSS THE SUCCESSION PLAN OR WHATEVER HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULDN'T. AND I HEAR YOU WANTED TO JUST ADDRESS IT NOW, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOR THE PUBLIC. AT LEAST WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CARRYING ON BUSINESS IN AN ORDERLY MANNER. SO AND AND IN FACT, WE ARE THE CITY IS DOING QUITE WELL. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ROZ, WHO IS LOOKING AT SOME NEW A NEW INDIVIDUAL, PARTICULARLY FOR FINANCE. I DON'T APPRECIATE THIS SORT OF CASTING SHADE AROUND AND TRYING TO THROW INSTABILITY IN THE MIX, LIKE THE CITY WILL NEVER RECOVER. THE CITY IS DOING GREAT, AND I WISH THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD EITHER HAVE TALKED TO THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER OR CITY ATTORNEY AND JUST TRY TO SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY COULD GATHER AND CONFIRM, AND I JUST THINK I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT TOO, IS INSTEAD OF COMING IN HERE AND TRYING TO THROW GRENADES, MAYBE TALK TO YOUR STAFF ABOUT THAT IF YOU HAVE I DON'T TALK. I DON'T TALK TO MR. BOGLIOLI ONCE HE WAS NO LONGER CITY MANAGER. 
          THAT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. MR. BOGLIOLI, I'M TALKING ABOUT ROZ AND LEE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ALONG THAT LINE, IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF ISSUE, YOU SHOULD TALK TO STAFF ABOUT THAT AND NOT COME IN HERE AND THROW A GRENADE TO CREATE THE APPEARANCE OF SOME LARGER CONSPIRACY THAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO WORRY ABOUT, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, MR. MAYOR. YES, MA'AM. I THINK THAT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN MAY HAVE BEEN THAT HOW WE DO LIKE I SAID, HOW WE DID THE SUCCESSION WITH THE SUGGESTION COMING FROM THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR SAYING WHAT HAD BEEN. DONE. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A CONSENSUS REGARDING THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE THE THE QUESTION IS COMING FROM AS TO HOW WE THAT SUGGESTION SHOULD HAVE COME TO US FROM YOU. AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE IT HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH I'M HEARING FROM LISTEN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAD TWO OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I THINK MOST PEOPLE SEE IT AS THAT ONE TIME WHEN THE WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE SOMEBODY TO TAKE OVER FROM MR. BOGLIOLI. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SEEM THAT SEEM PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME, IS IT ONE PERSON WHO MADE THAT DECISION WHO CAME UP WITH THAT DECISION, OR IS IT THE ENTIRE COMMISSION THAT SAID, WE WANT TO DO THIS AND WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT AND THEN DO THAT AS A PART OF OUR SUCCESSION PLAN? AT SOME POINT, ONE OF US HAS TO BRING UP AN IDEA, AND THE REST OF US AGREE OR NOT. AND THAT OPPORTUNITY WAS GIVEN TO US. I HAVE SEVERAL THINGS TO SAY. AND I'M TRYING TO CONTAIN MY COMPOSURE. NUMBER ONE, IT'S ALWAYS PRESENTED FROM COMMISSIONER RICH IN A VERY NEGATIVE WAY. THIS GOES BACK TO WHEN WE WERE DOING THE BUDGET. EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU PROJECT SEEMS TO BE NEGATIVE. WE NEED TO PURPORT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. OUR CITY IS DOING WELL, WE HAVE GREAT EMPLOYEES AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE US AT THE NEAR. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE REST OF THE NAYSAYERS AT NEAR DOOM WILL NEVER GET ANYONE TO APPLY FOR THE CITY MANAGER JOB. WE HAVE 82 APPLICANTS, ONE, 81, 82. IT'S 82, 81, 81. OKAY, WHATEVER. OKAY, SO, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD ASK, I DON'T YOU DON'T SAY THAT. YOU'RE NOT YOU ARE NOT. FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT TO ADDRESS OR INSULT EACH OTHER BY NAME. POINT OF ORDER. OKAY. THAT'S I AM NOT FINISHED. 
          AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO INSULTING. I THOUGHT YOU WERE QUITE ACCUSATORY AND CONDESCENDING TO OUR NEW INTERIM CITY MANAGER AT THE LAST MEETING, WHICH YOU OWE HER AN APOLOGY. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, I'M SO DISAPPOINTED YOU WENT UP TO TALLAHASSEE. WE HAVE SO MANY HOUSE BILLS AND SENATE BILLS THAT ARE ABOUT TO TAKE AWAY OUR MANAGEMENT OF WATER, CLEAN WATER, HOME RULE, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO HERE AT OUR LOCAL LEVEL. AND WHAT WAS YOUR CONCERN TODAY WAS TO BRING UP PAST ITEMS THAT REALLY, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. AND YOU WANTED TO PUT A POSITIVE, YOU WANT TO PUT A NEGATIVE SPIN ON IT. SO I HAVE TO ADDRESS YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO SAID IT. AND DON'T YOU EVER DARE SAY THAT YOU DON'T CARE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. IT WAS MY TIME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. OKAY. THE CHAIR. SPEAK. 
          [01:15:05]
THAT'S IT. I'M DONE. IT WOULD BE YOUR TIME FOR YOUR. WELL, I'M. I'M DONE. OKAY, COMMISSIONER CLARK. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO ARTS FEST, BUT I THINK DOWNTOWN IS IS THERE. I THINK YOU'RE ON THE BOARD FOR ARTS. I IS. I WAS GOING TO DO. OKAY. NO, I WAS GOING TO SAY ART FEST WAS FABULOUS. FRIDAY WAS ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS LOGGING IN THE THE VENDORS AND THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO WERE PUTTING UP TABLES AND WHATNOT. IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND. IT WAS FABULOUS. IT WASN'T COLD. IT WASN'T RAINING. IT WAS JUST COOL ENOUGH, NOT HOT ENOUGH, AND EVERYBODY CAME. IT WAS A GOOD EBB AND FLOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE. AND I THANK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY FOR COMING. HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR EVERYONE WILL COME, AND I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE BILLS THAT ARE UP IN TALLAHASSEE THAT CURRENTLY ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO TAKE AWAY ANY REASON FOR COMMISSIONERS TO BE HERE BECAUSE NOTHING WILL COME BEFORE US. SO THAT THAT WAS ALL I WAS GOING TO SAY BEFORE OTHER ITEMS CAME. MORE IMPORTANT BLOOD PRESSURE WENT UP. YES, MR. CLARK? YES, THANKS. 
          SO, LIKE I SAID, ARTS FEST, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WITH THAT IS JUST DRIVING DOWNTOWN AND BEING DOWNTOWN. AND IN THAT REGARD, WE HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, BONNIE MOSHER, WHO'S BEEN WORKING TO SEE HOW SHE CAN USE HER SKILLS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'M GOING TO BE MEETING WITH BONNIE AND MILTON. IF IT'S NOT THIS WEEK, IT'S NEXT WEEK. I THINK WE'VE CHANGED THE TIME JUST TO SIT AT CONFUSION CORNER. AND ACTUALLY WHEN WE HAD OUR ARTS MOMENT, I THOUGHT HE WAS ON A SING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CONFUSION CORNER, BUT THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT. OKAY. VICE MAYOR YEAH, I WANTED TO SEND CONDOLENCES TO THE MCBRIDE FAMILY. HELEN HAD PASSED AWAY. I SPOKE WITH HELEN QUITE A BIT. SHE KEPT ME ON MY TOES. SHE LET ME KNOW WHEN I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG UP HERE. SHE ALSO LET ME KNOW WHEN I WAS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. AND AS FAR AS CAMPBELL RICH'S COMMENTS, I'M NOT GOING TO LIGHT YOU UP. I'LL LET THE PUBLIC DO THAT. BUT A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAID WAS UNTRUE. AND WHAT I WILL SAY FOR ANYONE THAT'S OKAY WITH HAVING A CITY MANAGER HERE, EDITING EMPLOYEE CELL PHONES WITH TEXT REPLACEMENT. WHEN YOU TEXTED THE WORD HOME, IT WOULD SAY PORN STUDIO. WHEN YOU WOULD SAY KEV, IT WOULD SAY MY LOVER. SO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, COMMISSIONER RICH, MAYBE HE WAS YOUR GUY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE FROM A CITY MANAGER. I ALSO DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE WITH AN OFFICER OF THE COURT DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE FOR 12 MONTHS, KNOWINGLY. SO IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, MAYBE SHERIFF BUDENSIEK SHOULD SEARCH THAT CRIMINAL INCIDENT AND BRING CHARGES TO THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. SO, YES. GO AHEAD. 
          ABSOLUTELY. I ALSO ON FRIDAY THERE WAS A SHOOTING DOWN ON TARPON AND I WANT TO THANK OUR POLICE FORCE. WE DID HAVE A POLICEMAN THERE AND HE HE WAS PULLED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE HE'S PART OF THE STRIKE FORCE OR SPECIAL FORCES. HE WAS PULLED AND WE FELT SAFE BECAUSE ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS WERE DOWN THERE TAKING CARE OF THAT. SO THERE WERE SHOOTINGS UP CLOSE, NOT TOO FAR FROM WHERE WE WERE. AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A GREAT POLICE FORCE, AND THEY WERE TO PROTECT THERE, TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. MY COMMENTS WERE TO START BRINGING FORWARD SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DISCUSSED IN OUR ONE ON ONE MEETINGS. ONE OF THEM WAS THE BRIGHT LINE PARKING SITUATION. I WANTED TO ASK STAFF TO BRING FORWARD A, D AND D, PARTICULARLY LEE, WHERE WE COULD START TO LOOK AT. AS BEST AS WE CAN TELL, WHAT THE REQUIRED PARKING FOR THE COURTHOUSE WAS IS. AT THIS POINT, CONSIDERING THE GAZEBO PARCEL AND SOME TRADES THAT WERE MADE. BUT ROUGHLY HOW MANY SPACES SHOULD BE AT THAT SITE VERSUS THE ZERO? THAT WOULD BE IF BRIGHT LINE WAS GIVEN THAT ENTIRE PARKING LOT FOR ITS PROJECT. AND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE FOR PUSHING OUT ALL OF THE COURTHOUSE STAFF ONTO THE ON STREET PARKING. CONSIDERING THAT WE'VE ALREADY ALLOTTED SOME AMOUNT OF THAT ON STREET PARKING FOR THE ELIZABETH, SOME 60 SPACES OR WHATEVER IT WAS, BUT REALLY A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WHAT THE PARKING IMPLICATIONS OF BRIGHT LINE COMING IN MIGHT LOOK LIKE. SO THAT WAS ONE ITEM. TWO IS. PERFECT TIMING. THE THE FEC. ACTUALLY HAD A 
          [01:20:11]
CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN MAST, AND HE ENDED UP PUTTING A VIDEO CLIP ABOUT IT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY HELPFUL, BUT. THERE'S A FEW MOVING PIECES HERE WITH WITH OUR APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS FOR THE BRIDGE, WHICH I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD ARGUE THAT WE WE NEED A NEW RAIL BRIDGE. ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT NEEDS TO BE WHY, IF TAXPAYERS ARE GOING TO IF THE CITY IS GOING TO BE THE LEAD FOR ACQUIRING $200 MILLION OF TAX DOLLARS FOR A NEW FEC BRIDGE, WHY IS THE CITY OF STUART, IF WE'RE GOING TO PROCURE THAT MONEY FOR YOU AND BE THE POINT PERSON, WHY IS THE CITY OF STUART NOW SPENDING $174,000 PER YEAR LEASING PARKING SPACES AND RAILROAD CROSSINGS FROM FEC? THAT SEEMS INSANE TO ME, AND I THINK ANY REASONABLE PERSON, MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA THAT WE LEASE UTILITY EASEMENTS, PARKING SPACES ALL ALONG THE TRACKS THERE. ANYTIME YOU CROSS A ROAD. AND THERE'S ALWAYS FEAR THAT IF FOR SOME REASON WE DIDN'T RENEW THAT LEASE, THEY WOULD PUT UP ORANGE CONES AND ALL THOSE SPACES AND WOULDN'T LET YOU CROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S A RAILROAD CROSSING. SO WITH THIS GRANT APPLICATION, WE'VE SENT IT IN. BUT AT SOME POINT. I GUESS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I'D LIKE TO SEE A D AND D WHERE IT WOULD COME BACK. STAFF COULD BRING BACK SORT OF THE NEXT STEP IN THAT GRANT PROCESS. I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO APPROVE WHATEVER COMES BACK FROM THE FEDS, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, LOOKING AT RENEGOTIATING THAT LEASE ARRANGEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH FEC, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THOSE MOVING PARTS AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE TAXPAYERS THAT BUCK 75 A YEAR. AND THE REASON IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT RATE HAS GONE UP DRAMATICALLY. WE WERE PREVIOUSLY FROM WHAT YOU SENT ME, ROSS, WE WERE WE WERE SPENDING SOMETHING LIKE 40,000 A YEAR, WHICH ISN'T CHEAP TO RENT THOSE SPACES. BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 175. SO, YOU KNOW, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS IF WE'RE GETTING YOU $200 MILLION FOR YOUR BRIDGE, I DON'T WANT TO PAY YOU A PENNY FOR PARKING SPACES. IF ANYBODY'S WATCHING. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CONSENSUS FROM YOU GUYS TO TALK ABOUT THAT. A DAB? YEAH. COOL. YES. YES. OKAY. PERFECT. 
          AND FINALLY, FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF COMMISSIONER REED'S TOWN HALL, I WANT TO GET IN ON THIS. THIS WAS REALLY WELL RECEIVED. I HEARD ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS SECOND HAND FROM OTHER PEOPLE. SO WHAT I WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW IS THAT I WAS GOING TO WORK WITH STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER A SLOW GROWTH TOWN HALL, WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE UPDATES THAT WE MADE TO CODE THROUGH OUR ZONING AND PROGRESS, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN A ZONING IN PROGRESS SLASH MORATORIUM. YOU KNOW WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS OR SO TO DELIVER ON WHAT RESIDENTS VOTED FOR. SO I THINK THAT IN SOME DETAIL, FOR ANYBODY WHO MIGHT WANT TO ATTEND MIGHT BE A NICE THING. AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY YOU WON'T YOU GUYS WON'T BE ABLE TO ATTEND. BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I WAS GOING TO START PURSUING THAT WITH STAFF TO HELP COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC WITH THAT. THOSE WERE MY 
          [COMMENTS BY CITY MANAGER]
COMMENTS. INTERIM MANAGER I DO. WOULD YOU LIKE AN UPDATE ON THE BRIDGE GRANT? FANTASTIC. THE STATUS OF THAT. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY. SO WE WE'RE IN A HOLDING PATTERN FOR A LITTLE BIT. WHILE WE WAITED WORD ON WHETHER WE COULD STACK THE GRANTS, WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE PROTOCOL. WE DID GET WORD THAT WE COULD STACK THE GRANT. SO THE MEGA GRANT WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED, WHICH IS 130.5 MILLION THAT'S BEEN AWARDED BUT NOT YET EXECUTED. 
          THEN THE FSP, WHICH IS THE FEDERAL STATE PARTNERSHIP FOR INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL FEDERAL FUNDS. WE DID MAKE THAT DEADLINE. THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THAT WAS THIS PAST FRIDAY. WE SUBMITTED ON THURSDAY THAT 78.9 MILLION. WE DO EXPECT NOTIFICATION ON THAT AWARD BETWEEN NOW AND APPROXIMATELY THE SPRING OR SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, BUT IT SHOULD BE SOONER THAN THAT. THAT'S THE HOPE. WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY PUSHBACK ON THAT OR ANY CHALLENGES. SO THAT SHOULD COME THROUGH FDOT. WE DO HAVE A LETTER OF COMMITMENT FROM FDOT FOR 26 MILLION, AND THESE ARE PLUS MINUS NUMBERS, BUT 26.2 MILLION FROM FDOT AND 26.2 MILLION FROM FEC AND BRIGHTLINE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE CITY OF STUART HAS AN IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION FOR THAT LITTLE SLIVER OF LAND THAT WAS UNBUILDABLE, BUT IT WAS NEEDED TO EXPAND THE TRACKS. SO FOR THE RECORD, THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO BE HANDING OVER ANY MONEY. BUT THE LAND DOES HAVE A CONTRIBUTION. YES, AN IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION GRANTS. CORRECT. 
          [01:25:07]
AND IT'S BECAUSE THE BRIDGE WOULD HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CAN'T TO IT THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT PROPERTY THERE. THAT IS CORRECT. IT'S ABOUT A FIVE ACRE, FIVE AND A HALF ACRE SPOT IN THE CITY, COMMANDS ABOUT THREE ACRES OF IT. SO THAT WAS THE IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION. ALL OF THAT TOTALED IS A 262 PLUS MINUS MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT. THE ANTICIPATION IS TO START. 
          THE NEPA WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT THEY WOULD DO IN THIS PROJECT. AND THEY'RE EXPECTING THAT TO BEGIN. IF ALL GOES WELL, OCTOBER OF 27. AND THEN THE PROJECT WOULD CONCLUDE IN 2032, ALL THINGS GOING WELL. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED ANY MORE OF THE UPDATES ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE STARTS OR WHAT IT'S YOU WANT ME TO PUT THAT INTO. I JUST WANT TO SAY HEIGHT AND WIDTH. AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HOW HARD YOU'VE BEEN WORKING. THANK YOU, I REALLY DO. I'VE MET WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, IN THIS TIME YOU'VE BEEN INTERIM MANAGER AND YOU'VE JUST REALLY GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND. THANK YOU. AND I REALLY MEAN THAT. I'VE BEEN REALLY IMPRESSED WITH HOW HARD YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AND TAKEN TO THIS, AND EVEN TO HAVE THE STATS FOR THE BRIDGE READY. IT'S JUST IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. AND THANK YOU. I HOPE WHOEVER ENDS UP TAKING THIS SPOT HAS SOME AMOUNT OF THAT IN THEM. THANK YOU. YES. YOU'RE WELCOME. MAYOR. 
          YES. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE MONIES THAT BRIGHTLINE AND FEC ARE PUTTING TOWARD THE BRIDGE. THAT'S REALLY NOT SECURED MONEY. 
          IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING UNTIL THE GRANTS COME THROUGH. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO ESCROW THAT AMOUNT. YES. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I BELIEVE FDOT HAS ALREADY PUT IT ASIDE. PLEASE DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT, BUT I BELIEVE THEY MAY HAVE PUT THAT ASIDE. BRIGHTLINE, I'M WAITING ON ABSOLUTE CONFIRMATION THAT HAS BEEN PUT ASIDE, BUT I THINK THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE FSP TO BE AWARDED. AND THEN THEY WOULD PUT THAT ASIDE AS I UNDERSTAND IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. IT'S IT'S A PLEASURE. I MEAN, I WORKED WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE WITH HR, BUT IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU IN THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER POSITION. YOU HAVE JUST BEEN SO INFORMATIVE, SO HELPFUL AND SO ON TARGET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HERE TO SERVE. IT'S VERY REFRESHING. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. YEAH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I DID CALL INTERIM CITY MANAGER ROSS AS WELL. AND I APOLOGIZED ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER RICH FOR WHAT HE SAID AT THE LAST MEETING AND THEN FOR THE PUBLIC FOR CLARIFICATION. TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING 90% FOR THE BRIDGE AND FEC PAYS 10%, CORRECT, 10% BY FEC AND BRIGHTLINE AND 10% DOT. AND THEN FEC GETS TO CHOOSE THEIR CONTRACTOR. TO TOP IT OFF. CORRECT. THE CONTRACTOR HAS NOT BEEN SELECTED YET. IF THEY HAVE SELECTED, I HASN'T BEEN ADVERTISED. BUT YES, BRIGHTLINE AND THEY DICTATE THE CONTRACTOR WILL WORK THROUGH THE CONTRACTORS SO THEY THEY WIN IT ALL BASICALLY. SO THE PUBLIC'S AWARE. AND MAYOR, DID YOU WANT ME TO ADD ANY MORE ABOUT THE THE DIMENSIONS, WHAT THIS BRIDGE IS DOING? OKAY. THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA. OKAY. I JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL. SO THIS PROJECT WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRIDGE WITH A NEW DOUBLE TRACK BASCULE STRUCTURE DESIGNED FOR MODERN STANDARDS OF RELIABILITY, RESILIENCY AND NAVIGATION. SOME OF THE KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE AN INCREASED HORIZONTAL CLEARANCE FROM 50FT TO APPROXIMATELY 90FT, INCREASED VERTICAL CLEARANCE TO MEAN HIGH WATER FROM 6.5FT TO ABOUT 17.75FT IN THE CLOSED POSITION. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT ENABLES OVER 90% OF VESSELS TO PASS WITH THE LEAF IN THE CLOSED IN THE DOWN POSITION. SO IT'LL BE HOPEFULLY A WIN WIN FOR BOATERS AND DRIVERS AND EVERYBODY ALIKE. HAVING A SON AND DAUGHTER IN LOVE WHO WORK IN THE YACHTING BUSINESS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT PASSAGE THERE ON A REGULAR BASIS IS CRITICAL. SO I KNOW THAT THOSE WERE HELPFUL TO THE MARINE INDUSTRY AND FIND AND AND OTHERS INVOLVED. THANK YOU. CITY ATTORNEY BAGGOTT, ANY COMMENTS? I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT JUST I'VE GOT 
          [APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
NOTHING. ALL RIGHT. PROBABLY PROBABLY BEST TO STAY OUT OF FIRE RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS PUBLISHED. UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO MOVE ANY OF THE AGENDA ITEMS, AND I DON'T. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THE 
          [COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC (Non-Agenda Related) (3 Minutes Max.)]
MOTION. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. MARY, DO WE HAVE ANY GREEN CARDS? I HAVE KEVIN HEMPEL. KEVIN. OH. I'M KEVIN HEMPEL. I SPOKE TO YOU BEFORE AND I WANTED TO COME LAST MEETING. I WAS A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER, BUT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP. THERE WAS A MINOR COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN THAT I MENTIONED, AND I WANTED TO THANK THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME. BUT YOU CAN PASS 
          [01:30:06]
THE WORD ON THE VERY NEXT DAY I WAS CONTACTED AND OUR ISSUE WAS. RESOLVED OR BEING RESOLVED. I WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT THE COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN WAS NOT WITH CITY STAFF OR ANYBODY PAID DIRECTLY BY THE CITY. IT WAS MORE MISCOMMUNICATION. IT DOES TAKE TWO TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE VENDOR THAT THE CITY HAD HIRED. HELP US WITH THE DRAINAGE PROJECT AND THE SUBDIVISION. SO ANYWAYS, I DON'T WANT TO JUST EVER JUST COME HERE AND COMPLAIN. AND LIKE I TOLD YOU, I'M VERY HAPPY LIVING IN STUART. WE'VE OWNED OUR CURRENT HOUSE FOR 40 YEARS. 
          I HAVE A 55 YEAR CONNECTION WITH THE CITY BETWEEN WITH MY WIFE AND MYSELF, AND JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME GOOD NEWS AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, BECAUSE WE DO AS CITIZENS. THAT'S IT. I'M GOING TO GO HOME AND WATCH THE OLYMPICS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GIVE THANKS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HI ROBERT MCKEEN. MARINE INDUSTRIES. MORE GOOD NEWS. GOOD EVENING, CITY COMMISSION AND STAFF. I'M ROBERT MCKEEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MARINE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF THE TREASURE COAST AND RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF STUART. I'LL GET MY COMMENTS BRIEF, BUT I WANTED TO COMMEND AND COMPLIMENT THE CITY OF STUART AS AN ORGANIZATION. AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE MITC HELD ITS 52ND ANNUAL STUART BOAT SHOW LAST MONTH. DESPITE SOME INTERESTING WEATHER JUST BEFORE AND AFTER THE EVENT, THE SHOW PERFORMED REMARKABLY WELL. WE SAW RECORD VISITOR ATTENDANCE. MANY BOATS WERE SOLD ON THE BARRELHEAD, WITH OTHERS CONTRACTED FOR SALE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SHOW FROM VISITORS AND EXHIBITORS ALIKE. THE FEEDBACK WAS VERY POSITIVE, ALTHOUGH WE DEFINITELY GOT THE MESSAGE THAT EVERYONE WANTS THE SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR. WE ARE AWARE OF SOME TRAFFIC IMPLICATIONS LEADING UP TO THE SHOW, PARTICULARLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROOSEVELT. AS PER THE ROUTINE, WE HAD A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THE CITY EVENT STAFF LAST WEEK AND HAVE AGREED TO POST AN ADDITIONAL FIVE OFFICERS AT INTERSECTIONS TO HELP MANAGE THE DRIVERS. THAT THOUGHT HANGING OUT IN THE BOX WAS A GOOD IDEA, I MUST SAY. 
          WORKING WITH THE EVENT STAFF, INCLUDING JIM TROSKY, DENNIS RIVERA AND JESSICA THARP MAKES A COMPLICATED PRODUCTION MUCH EASIER. THEIR INPUT IS VALUABLE, THEIR GUIDANCE SAGE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE HELPFUL. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TWO PRE-PRODUCTION MEETING WITH STAFF PD, FIRE, SANITATION AND UTILITIES, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE POST PRODUCTION MEETING, SUCH AS WHAT WE HAD LAST WEEK, IS INFORMATIVE AND HAS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S PLANNING. WE KNOW ROAD CLOSURES AREN'T EASY ON ANYONE, BUT ON BEHALF OF THE MITC, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND THE ENTIRE CITY OF STUART FOR ACCOMMODATING THE 52ND ANNUAL STUART BOAT SHOW. IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT A SHOW THAT TAKES THREE WEEKS TO SET UP ALLOWS FOR THE ROAD TO BE REOPENED WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER THE SHOW CLOSES. IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE AMOUNT OF LABOR AND DEDICATION IN THE ALL SPORTS PRODUCTION STAFF, AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF STUART. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THIS SHORT DURATION EVENT IS TANGIBLE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELIERS, AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THE AMAZING MARINE INDUSTRY IN OUR REGION. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 53RD STUART BOAT SHOW SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 15TH, 16TH 17TH OF 2027. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE OUR CITY COMMISSIONERS AT AN OPENING CEREMONY. WE HAVE 11 MONTHS TO PLAN. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE MARINE INDUSTRY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. KAREN HALL. GOOD EVENING. KAREN HALL, 1701 SOUTHWEST PALM CITY ROAD. YES, I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE. I'VE BEEN IN MARTIN COUNTY VOTING SINCE 1992. THANK YOU TO MY COMMISSIONER, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DELIBERATION AND DISCUSSION. TWO WEEKS AGO, I FOUND IT TO BE VERY SAD. PLEASE NEVER, EVER DO AN UPDATE ON CITY V RUDGE. THE PROPERTY RIGHTS, HOMESTEAD RIGHTS CASE AND A DAD. OKAY, THAT TO ME IT WENT BADLY. I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE GAL, BUT WE HAD SEAT FIVE AT. IF YOU WATCH THE MEETING TWO HOURS, 56 MINUTES AND 44 SECONDS, SEAT FIVE SAYS I'M JUST GOING TO RUN RAMPANT. AND TRUST ME, SEAT FIVE DID RUN RAMPANT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, SAYING THINGS THAT WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL, HELPFUL, SAYING THINGS WERE LIKE, OH, THE CITY WILL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU NEED. OKAY, I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT DELAYED DISCOVERY FROM THE CITY, THE PROCEDURAL 
          [01:35:03]
POSTURE SEAT FIVE SAID THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES. OH, IT'S NOT WITH US. OKAY, WE'RE NOT THE COURT. OKAY. SEAT FIVE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND. YOU MAY NOT BE THE COURT, BUT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ATTORNEY AND WHAT THEY SAY IN COURT AND WHAT THEY GIVE TO THE COURT. AND IF THEY DEFRAUD THE COURT AND THEY LIE TO THE COURT, THEN THE COMMISSION IS RESPONSIBLE. OKAY. 
          I THINK WHAT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS OUR CASE IS OPEN AND WE'RE DEFENDANTS. WE'RE NOT PLAINTIFFS, WE'RE DEFENDANTS. AND NOW THE CASE IS STILL OPEN, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO DEMAND FOR A JURY TRIAL ON OUR CROSS CLAIMS. BUT JUDGE RUBY, JUDGE ROBEY'S RULES SAY WE HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE OPPOSING ATTORNEY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE MR. BAGGETT. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO DO IT IN PUBLIC AND ASK YOU, ARE YOU GOING TO COOPERATE AND SHOW UP FOR THE TRIAL? ARE YOU GOING TO IGNORE ME BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE WAY IT'S GONE? I MEAN, SEAT FIVE WAS UP THERE FROM 2019, 2000 TO 24. I'M ASKING, CAN MIKE MORTEL JUST SIT SECOND CHAIR? HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE MAIN ATTORNEY. JUST LET HIM SIT. SECOND CHAIR C5 IGNORED THAT. ALL OF THAT. 
          OKAY. AND THAT'S A LOT OF YOU KNOW, THE TIMING OF IT WAS WILLOW WAS 12. WILLOW WAS 13. 
          WILLOW WAS 14. WILLOW WAS 15. WILLOW WAS 16. MY DAUGHTER HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE. BUT SHE SURVIVED. SO YES, ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS BECAUSE WHAT I SEE FROM THE MEETING AND I WATCH IT AND I WATCH THE BODY LANGUAGE. BUT LAST WEEK AT THAT, DAD, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, AND SEAT FIVE, ALL THEY DID WAS JUST TALK AND TALK AND TALK AND TALK. AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, I'M NOT ABOUT 60 IN JUNE, BUT I KNOW ENOUGH. WHEN PEOPLE TALK AND TALK AND TALK, THEY'RE SPINNING. 
          AND I DON'T LIKE THE SPIN COMING OUT OF SEAT FIVE AND THE SPIN FROM MORTEL 2.0. NOW, ARE YOU GOING TO GO TO THE TRIAL? NO SPIN. YES OR NO? THERE IS NO TRIAL, MA'AM. OKAY. YOU HAVE A MOTION TO WITHDRAW. ASK YOU IF YOU WILL OBJECT TO IT OR WILL YOU AGREE WE'RE I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ABOUT LITIGATION ON PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT. OH, NO, ONLY ONLY WHEN YOU'RE NOT SET FOR TRIAL, MA'AM, YOU'RE NOT SET FOR TRIAL. I HAVE TO ASK YOU FIRST. YOU'RE NOT SET FOR TRIAL. I'M GOING TO FILE IT AFTER YOU SAY YES OR NO. OR DO YOU OPPOSE IT OR NOT? IT'S A TO Z PROPERTIES, INC. YOU WOULD ASK FOR A HEARING. LIKE I SAID, SPIN, SPIN SPIN. IT'S YES OR NO. 
          OKAY. I'M DONE. YES. GAIL. GOLDIE. GAIL, YOU SAID NO. GAIL. GOLDIE 1153 NORTHWEST 12TH TERRACE AND STUART. AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO THE CITY COMMISSIONERS AND OF COURSE, MAYOR COLLINS. AND I ALSO WANT TO REALLY EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU COMMISSIONERS HAVE A HARD JOB. YOU HAVE A HARD ROAD TO HAUL WITH OPPOSITION FROM SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT SIT UP THERE. AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE COMMISSIONER IN PARTICULAR LIKES TO CAST ASPERSIONS ON STAFF, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, ALONG WITH A SELF-PROCLAIMED JOURNALIST WHO HAPPENS TO BE A GREAT FRIEND OF HIS, I'M ASSUMING, BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT I'VE READ. AND THAT'S MR. TOM CAMP. PENNY, WE KNOW HIS ALTERNATIVE MOTIVE IS TO UNSEAT THE CURRENT COMMISSIONERS, WHO WILL BE UP FOR REELECTION IN AUGUST. TO PUT ALL OF THIS NEGATIVE STUFF OUT THERE ABOUT THE STAFF, THE COMMISSIONERS AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY LOOK UP TO THIS COMMISSION AND ALSO THE STAFF THAT WORKED SO DILIGENTLY AND HARD FOR THE CITY. I HOPE THAT THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SEE THROUGH A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S WRITTEN AND SEE WHAT IT'S WHAT THE ACTUAL INTENT IS. THE ACTUAL INTENT IS NOT TO TRY AND MAKE A COHESIVE GROUP AND WORK TOGETHER. THERE'S THERE'S A CONSTANT PULLING AND TRYING TO PULL APART THE COMMISSION AND, AND THE COMMISSION DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB. SO THAT'S BASICALLY IT. I, I ALSO KNOW THAT BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ IN FRIENDS AND ENEMIES OR WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS THAT PUBLICATION FRIENDS. AND OH, I GUESS IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, BUT I THINK I RENAMED IT FRIENDS AND ENEMIES 
          [01:40:02]
BECAUSE IT'S VERY OBVIOUS WHO THE ENEMIES ARE IN THAT PUBLICATION. SO THEY'RE DIRECTED AT THE COMMISSIONERS SO THAT THAT'S ABOUT IT. I JUST HOPE THAT THE PUBLIC IS SMARTER THAN CERTAIN, COMMISSIONER AND A CERTAIN PRIVATE, SELF PROCLAIMED JOURNALIST PROFESS. 
          THANK YOU, BONNIE MOSER. GOOD EVENING. COMMISSIONERS. BONNIE MOSER, 1121 SOUTHEAST 10TH STREET. I RACED OVER HERE FROM A MPO JOINT BPAC AND OTHER COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY BECAUSE I WANTED TO EXPRESS CONCERN FOR THE 714 FEC RAILROAD CROSSING FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC MEETING IN MARCH. I KNOW I'VE EMAILED YOU ALL ABOUT THIS PROJECT BEFORE, BUT I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS DEEP, DEEP CONCERN FOR THE FIRST TWO ALTERNATIVES. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THREE, BUT THE FIRST TWO, ARE ARE GOING TO BE VERY DAMAGING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN. AND I HOPE YOU'RE THERE. DO YOU MIND? YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN I FEEL LIKE I NEED A VISUAL, BUT ESSENTIALLY THOSE TWO CONCEPTS WOULD ONCE THE TRAFFIC ARISES OVER THE RAILROAD, THEY WOULD BE PUSHING ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT WOULD WANT TO TURN LEFT AND RIGHT ONTO A-1-A, ONTO A RESIDENTIAL STREET THAT WOULD BE TAKING OUT HOMES, TAKING OUT PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS, TWO DIFFERENT STREETS, 18TH STREET IN THE ONE NORTH OF IT I CAN'T RECALL. AND THEN FINALLY IT BOTH WAYS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR LITTLE RESIDENTIAL PALM BEACH ROAD, WHICH GETS ABOUT 7000 CARS A DAY, REALLY RAMPING THAT UP MINIMUM OF FOUR LANES WIDE. IT WOULD BE SEPARATING THE YMCA, SOCCER FIELDS OR SPORTS FIELDS FROM THE YMCA AND ITS PARKING LOT. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD BE PROPOSING TO CROSS THAT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LITTLE CHILDREN CROSSING A FOUR LANE ROAD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE POLLUTION, MORE NOISE POLLUTION, LESS SAFETY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ALL TO NOT SUPPORT THOSE FIRST TWO CONCEPTS. I'M OKAY WITH THE THIRD AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, BUT I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO GET THE WORD OUT TO RESIDENTS. I WOULD LOVE FOR STUART AND THEN EVERYBODY EAST OF PALM BEACH ROAD TO GET SOMETHING OUT THEIR FRONT DOOR SO THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS. BUT I'M ALSO ASKING FOR YOU ALL TO GET THE WORD OUT AND TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN AS A COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE TWO FIRST TWO ALTERNATIVES DON'T HAPPEN. MR. MAYOR. YEAH, MAYBE, MAYBE HAVE MAYBE HAVE BETH COME IN AND GIVE US A BRIEF PRESENTATION AT AN UPCOMING MEETING. YEAH, IT WAS INTERESTING. I WAS THERE FOR THAT. YEAH, WE COULD PUT THE LINK ON OUR SITE, TOO FOR THE NEXT MEETING, THE COMMUNITY CENTER, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED. STUART. OKAY. COMMUNITY CENTER. YEAH, YEAH. WE HAD PEOPLE COME OUT TO THE IF SHE COULD REVIEW THE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND THE IMPLICATIONS AND, AND WHAT THE FEEDBACK WAS AT THE MEETING. I HAVE GWENDOLYN HALL BRINKLEY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GWENDOLYN, 814 SOUTHEAST TARPON AVENUE. I WAS NOT GOING TO GET UP AND SAY ANYTHING TONIGHT UNTIL I HEARD THE COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONER JOB THAT THERE WAS A SHOOTING ON TARPON ON FRIDAY. DID I SAY THE WRONG STREET? YEAH, YOU SAID THE WRONG STREET. AND THAT WAS I GOT UP TO CORRECT THAT. YOU KNOW, WE GET ENOUGH BAD PUBLICITY IN EAST STUART. WE DON'T NEED IT COMING FROM THE DIOCESE. OKAY? WE HAVE SOME GOOD THINGS GOING ON OVER THERE. AND WHEN THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT COME FROM THE DIOCESE, BUT DON'T GIVE US ANYTHING EXTRA. I EVEN WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AND I SEE IT WAS ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE, NOT EAST STUART. YEAH. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THE INFORMATION THAT THIS LADY'S TALKING ABOUT TOO AS WELL. SO THAT AS A COMMUNITY WE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT. BUT THAT WAS MY WHOLE REASON FOR GETTING UP WAS TO MAKE THAT CORRECTION. IT WAS NOT I LIVE ON TOP. AND WHEN YOU SAID THAT, MY HEAD JERKED BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR A SHOOTING ON TOP HORN. SO LET'S NOT MAKE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN STUART TO HAPPEN IN EAST STUART MAKE IT A PART OF EAST STUART. YES. WAS THERE AN UPDATE ON THERE WAS THERE WAS AN UPDATE THAT WAS PUBLISHED RELATIVE TO THAT I THINK A YEAR AGO MAYBE. YEAH, YEAH. BUT THERE WAS A RECENT UPDATE ABOUT THAT CASE WHICH, WHICH MAY BE THE CONFUSION. AND THEN THERE 
          [01:45:01]
WAS ON RIVERSIDE. RIGHT. BECAUSE IT'S THE ARTICLE I HAD READ, AND I JUST HEARD THAT THE POLICEMAN TOOK OFF FOR HE DIDN'T REALLY SAY WHERE HE WAS GOING, HE JUST LEFT. BUT WHEN I READ IT, IT SAID RIVERSIDE. BUT THAT WAS A YEAR AGO ON THE RIVER. THIS IS THIS IS WHY WE GOT CHIEF. WE GOT CHIEF HERE. WE GOT MAYOR. COULD WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE CHIEF? BECAUSE THE SHOOTING WAS NOT, IN FACT, A SHOOTING. RIGHT? WE GOT CHIEF. WE DON'T WANT THESE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPECULATE. MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFICATION. THERE WAS A SHOOTING INCIDENT REPORTED ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. OUR PATROLS, OUR SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM, SURROUNDED A HOUSE OVER THERE AND AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO SHOOTING AT THE LOCATION AND THE 900 BLOCK OF RIVERSIDE. WE'RE CONTINUING AN INVESTIGATION INTO SOME ACTIVITY THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE AREA, BUT IT WAS VERY ISOLATED. NO ONE WAS SHOT. THE REPORTS OF ANYONE BEING SHOT AT THAT HOUSE WERE UNFOUNDED, COMPLETELY. WITH REGARD TO TARPON AVENUE, THERE WAS NOT A SHOOTING ON TARPON AVENUE. 
          THERE WAS. WE INVESTIGATED ONE ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, COMPLETELY UNRELATED, BUT THERE WAS NOT ONE THIS PAST WEEK. BUT IF THERE WAS AN UPDATE IN THE NEWS POTENTIALLY RECENTLY ON THE OLDER TARPON INCIDENT, AGAIN, THOSE ARE ISOLATED INCIDENTS. THE TARPON WAS VERY ISOLATED BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO KNEW EACH OTHER. AND YES, IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS SHOT, BUT IT WASN'T A GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN THAT SOMEONE'S RIDING AROUND ON TARPON AVENUE. 
          SHOOTING PEOPLE AT WILL IS VERY CLOSELY RELATED AND VERY TARGETED BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND I'M SORRY. YEP. NO, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING THE WRONG STREET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. YES THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER PUBLIC 
          [APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR]
COMMENT. OKAY, SO MOVING ON TO APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE IT? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. IS THERE A PERFECT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR? SEEING NONE. MARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL? SURE. COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, COMMISSIONER. RICH. YES. VICE 
          [9. CITY MANAGER SCREENING COMMITTEE SELECTION & MEETING DATE (RC): RESOLUTION No. 07-2026; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING A CITY MANAGER SCREENING COMMITTEE, IDENTIFYING PARTICIPANTS, AND SCHEDULING A DATE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO MEET; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
MAYOR REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. JOB. YES. MAYOR. COLLINS. YES. MOVING ON TO COMMISSION. ACTION. 
          ITEM NINE. CITY MANAGER SCREENING COMMITTEE SELECTION AND MEETING DATE TO BE. ROSS. 
          I'M READY TO GO. ALL RIGHT. ROSS. ALRIGHT, SO THIS ITEM WAS TO ESTABLISH A SCREENING COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED. WE DID RECEIVE 82 APPLICATIONS. 
          I DID ORIGINALLY REPORT 81. WE DID A RECOUNT AND FOUND A COUPLE OF DUPLICATES. SO I KNOW YOU'RE JUST GETTING WARMED UP HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE A POINT. ROSS. YEAH, PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AT THE CITY OF STEWART. YES. YEAH YEAH YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE, I WOULD AGREE. THANK GOD. OKAY. MOVING ON. SORRY. FORGIVE ME. SO WE HAVE 82 APPLICANTS. THIS ITEM IS TO IDENTIFY MEMBERS OF A SCREENING COMMITTEE. TRADITIONALLY, A SCREENING COMMITTEE HAS ASSISTED WITH LOOKING AT THE VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVE. MATCH THEM TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION. MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHO MIGHT BE BEST QUALIFIED, AT LEAST AT FIRST RUN, TO BE INTERVIEWED. WE DO HAVE IN THOSE 82, WE HAVE FOUR APPLICANTS WHO MEET CRITERIA FOR VETERANS PREFERENCE. SO THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE INTERVIEWED. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, ANYONE ELSE ON TOP OF THAT. SO THE IDEA IS TO OH, THE COMMITTEE ALSO, HISTORICALLY THIS HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, A MEMBER OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. TRADITIONALLY IT'S BEEN RYAN CAVO, MEMBER OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THEN TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          WE I PRELIMINARY SCHEDULED THIS MEETING FOR FRIDAY THE 13TH OF FEBRUARY TO MOVE THIS PROCESS ALONG. YES. THANK YOU. BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO IS SELECTED MAY NEED TO GIVE 90 DAYS NOTICE. 
          THEY MIGHT NEED TO RELOCATE, WHICH IS VERY COMMON FOR A POSITION OF THIS LEVEL. SO ANTICIPATING THAT THAT COULD BE THE OUTCOME. IF THIS PART MOVES ALONG, THEN THE WAIT TO GET THAT PERSON ON BOARD DOESN'T STING AS MUCH BECAUSE WE'VE MOVED THE PROCESS AS BEST WE CAN. BUT RYAN CAVO, OUR PARALEGAL WHO HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN SEATED ON THESE, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE ON THE MEETING. ON THE 13TH, SHE IS OUT. HOWEVER, SHE AND I PLAN TO GET TOGETHER ON THE 16TH TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SHE CAN DO TO ASSIST IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPHERE. SHE WAS REALLY VALUABLE WHEN I WAS ON THOSE COMMITTEES AT GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE DEEP BACKGROUND. SO REALLY THAT SPREADSHEET THAT SHE PROVIDED WAS EVEN MORE VALUABLE THAN, YOU KNOW, FOR ANYBODY WHO MIGHT END UP ON THAT COMMITTEE, HER HOMEWORK WAS EVEN MORE VALUABLE THAN, YOU KNOW, HER BEING THERE. YEAH. NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT VALUABLE, RYAN, BUT NO, SHE'S SHE'S DONE YOUR HOMEWORK IS THE REAL DEAL. SO THE OTHER THING I DID FOR YOU AND THE THE CLERK 
          [01:50:05]
AND ATTORNEY HAVE A COPY OF THIS, BUT I PUT TOGETHER A CALENDAR FOR YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THIS PROCESS. YEAH. SO THERE'S ONE. I BROUGHT PENCILS. IF IF WE NEEDED TO MARK UP AND ERASE. THERE IS THREE. AND THEN HERE ARE TWO MORE AND PENCILS IF NEEDED. BUT THIS CALENDAR HOPEFULLY WILL ASSIST IN EXPLORING THE ACTUAL TIMELINE. AND AGAIN THE REASON WHY WE JUST WENT AHEAD AND PUT THE 13TH AS THE DATE. BECAUSE WHICHEVER COMMITTEE MEMBERS YOU SELECT, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN WITH THEM THAT THE MEETING COULD BE FRIDAY THE 13TH AT 10 A.M. IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO CHANGE THAT DATE, WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT. IT HAS BEEN ADVERTISED PROPERLY TO MEET THAT THREE DAY WINDOW. PERFECT. SO THAT'S THE OPENER, MAYOR. OKAY, VICE MAYOR, I'LL THROW OUT SOME NAMES SO IT'S FAIR. I'LL THROW OUT TOM CAMP. 
          PENNY, JUST TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE. I WOULD SAY ROBIN CARTWRIGHT. I WOULD SAY ROZ LEE, DAN HUDSON. MAYBE I CAN'T BE ON IT, OKAY, I CAN'T, SO OKAY, THANK YOU FOR OFFERING THAT. 
          THOUGH I DID MENTION IF THE COMMISSION WISHES A MEMBER OF HR, WHICH I WOULD SUGGEST KAREN CHAMBERS IS SECOND IN COMMAND, IF YOU WILL, OF HR, AND SHE AVAILABLE THAT DATE. DEFINITELY. 
          SO. SO, KAREN. YEAH. TOM CAMP PENNY, ROBIN CARTWRIGHT MYSELF. DAN HUDSON THOSE ARE JUST SOME NAMES THAT I'LL THROW OUT THAT ALSO BREAK IT UP. GAIL, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN? NO WAY. 
          SHE'S SHE'S RESIDENT. SHE'S LIVING. THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID. I'D HOPE THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD WANT ME TO SERVE ON IT. I'D LIKE TO SERVE ON IT. AND I SEE NITA HERE. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED, MISS DENTON, I CHECK IT MAY BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL. WHAT? THE CLERK'S RIGHT. YEAH, BUT I YES, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR. I THINK THAT YOU'D BE A GOOD PERSON FOR. AND MR. FREDERICK JAMES, THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER PERSON I SECOND THAT ONE. DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PUT FORWARD PETER UPTON. PETER LIVES IN THE CITY. OBVIOUSLY, HE'S AN ATTORNEY. HE SITS ON THE BOARD OF THE FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES. HE USED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE ELEPHANT ELLIOTT, AND HAS A DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE OF OUR COMMUNITY. COMMISSIONER JOB, I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO COULD BE ON. THERE'S ONLY ONE. YEAH. JUST ONE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU REALLY WOULD BE DIRECTLY INTERACTING WITH THE CITY MANAGER. THAT'S FOR ME. THIS MORE THAN EVEN MYSELF, COMMISSIONER CLARK OR. 
          COMMISSIONER RICH. REALLY? THE THE TWO OF YOU ARE GOING TO BE INTERACTING WITH THIS PERSON FOR THE LONGEST. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. SO I REALLY WE VERY WELL MAY BE GONE SOON. YOU NEVER KNOW. IT'S A CITY OF STUART. YOU CAN YOU CAN BE VOTED OUT LIKE THAT. SO YOU KNOW IN MY OPINION IT WOULD BE EITHER THE VICE MAYOR AND SINCE HE'S THE VICE MAYOR, IF YOU'RE VOTED OUT, HE WOULD THEN BE THE MAYOR. SO MAKE THE MOST SENSE TO ME. JUST I JUST I SEE EVEN THOUGH I LOVE THIS KIND OF THING. YEAH. NO, I LOVE THIS. I, YOU KNOW, SELFISHLY, I LOVE IT. BUT I DO THINK ONE OF YOU TWO. YEAH. THEN I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO PUT SHAWN'S NAME FORWARD. YOU LIKE HOW YOU GOT ROPED INTO THAT? I DON'T MIND BEING ON IT. HE LOVES THAT KIND OF THING, TOO. I THINK YOU YOU I THINK YOUR SKILLS OF OF. RESEARCH AND DISSECTING IT ALL WOULD BE QUITE VALUABLE WHEN YOU HAVE 82 HUMAN BEINGS TO WORK HERE. SO WE HAVE SHAWN AND WE HAVE KAREN COFFEE FOR SURE. LIKE I SAID, I, I IT'S KAREN COFFEE HR HR HR. YEAH, YEAH. YES. FORGIVE ME. 
          AND THEN LIKE I SAID, I'M SUGGESTING IF MISS DENTON CAN GET BACK WITH US AND MR. FREDERICK JAMES, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE. HE'S ALREADY A BOARD MEMBER, THOUGH. THAT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT. HE'S ON THE CR MUCH. I THINK IT'D BE BETTER JUST TO HAVE A PERSON FROM THE PUBLIC. YEAH, WELL, I COULD HAVE PEARL CLARK. WELL, I COULD SUGGEST SHE HAS SERVED ON THE. 
          WHEN IT USED TO BE THE. SIR. AS LONG AS WE. SHE LIVES IN THE CITY. YEAH. SHE'S NOT ON THE SHE'S NOT ON THE E STUART BOARD OR ANYTHING. SHE'S NOT ON ANY BOARD NOW. OKAY. I THOUGHT SHE 
          [01:55:06]
WAS. YEAH I BELIEVE SHE'S ON. OH SHE'S ON ISHAK. THAT'S TRUE. YEAH. WELL BUT SHE'S NOT MR. PEARL CLARK. SHE IS ON THERE. YES. BUT SHE'S IT'S WELL THAT'S. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS TONIGHT. YEAH. WE'LL SEE YOU TONIGHT. OKAY. SO SEAN, KAREN. KAREN, I THINK YOU NEED TO PICK PEOPLE THAT ARE CONFIRMED AVAILABLE. YEAH, WE'LL DO IT. IF YOU'RE PICKING SOMEONE THAT'S NOT HERE THIS FRIDAY THE 13TH. OKAY. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. THERE'S A SPIRIT. THAT'S A THANK YOU, ROBIN. WE NEED ONE MORE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. AND IF HUDSON DAN OR PETER UPTON, SINCE WE'RE CITY MANAGER, AND I THINK HE'S VERY NEUTRAL IF HE'S AVAILABLE, I LIKE I SPOKE TO DAN. LET'S GET SOMEBODY REACH OUT TO DAN, OKAY? OKAY. SO WHAT DO WE NEED? WE NEED. THAT'S THAT'S IT FROM THE COMMUNITY. TWO PEOPLE WE NEED. AND THEN RYAN AND WELL, WELL SHE'S NOT AVAILABLE ABLE TO ATTEND ON THE 13TH. SHE CAN HELP IN THE BACKGROUND BUT SHE'S WOULDN'T BE THERE THAT DAY. SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE THERE THAT DAY. THEY MEET A COUPLE TIMES, RIGHT? OR JUST ONCE? JUST ONCE. JUST ONCE. THE 83 THERE THROUGH HER HER HOMEWORK THAT SHE DID. OR YOU COULD HAVE ANOTHER WE GET FROM LEGAL THEN SHE WOULD BE THE PERSON WHO WOULD BE HELPING WITH BACKGROUNDS AND PULLING INFORMATION AND ASSISTING WITH ALL OF THAT. SO WE COULD HAVE HER ON IN THAT WAY. OR YOU COULD SELECT ANOTHER PERSON TO BE THE FIVE, AND ROBIN WOULD STILL BE HELPING IN THE BACKGROUND ANYWAY, BUT MAYBE NOT PARTICIPATING, RIGHT? WOULD I SAY ROBIN? SORRY, RYAN GOT A LOT OF NAMES FLYING AROUND. SORRY. THAT'S ROBIN, MR. MAYOR. 
          YES. ASK A QUESTION. YES, SIR. CITY MANAGER. 80. WHAT'S THE NUMBER? TWO? 82? 82. AND THOSE WHO MEET ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION. WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE DECIDING. BUT FOUR OF THEM MEET THE VETERANS PREFERENCE CRITERIA. AND THE VETERANS PREFERENCE IS IN TAB FOUR OF THE BOOK. AND IT STATES THAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF THE POSITION AND MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR THE FLORIDA VETS, THEY HAVE TO BE INTERVIEWED. I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAVE HIM A LITTLE WORK IF POSSIBLE. THEY ONLY MEET ONCE, BUT SO YOU'RE SAYING THEY WILL BE REQUIRED? DID SOMEBODY BRING THEIR BOOK TO GO THROUGH ALL 82 OR ARE ANY ARE THEY GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH ALL 82 OF THE APPLICATIONS. YES. BUT OKAY. BUT YOU'RE ASKING A GOOD QUESTION. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT TO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE 82 AT THAT MEETING. AS SOON AS WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN COMMIT TO THAT DATE, WE'RE GOING TO GET THE BINDERS TO THEM. THEY'RE PREPARED ALREADY. SO THEY'D HAVE THE WEEK. NO, NO, THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF HOMEWORK TO DO BEFORE THAT MEETING. OKAY. YES. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD SAVE THEM REAL QUICK. THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION. 
          IF ANY FIVE OF YOU WANT SOMEONE THAT THEY DIDN'T SELECT, YOU COULD ASK TO HAVE THAT ADDED AS WELL, CORRECT? YES. SO WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO WHATEVER THAT COMMITTEE COMES UP WITH. WE CAN ALWAYS ASK, ADD OR TAKE MAYBE SOME. WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON WE NEEDED ON THE COMMITTEE FOR ON THERE NOW RIGHT FOUR ON THERE NOW. AND THEN RYAN, WE'RE GOING TO CHECK WITH MR. UPTON TO SEE WHAT HIS MR. UPTON, HE'S AVAILABLE. OH GREAT. HE'S AVAILABLE. OKAY. IF PETER IS AVAILABLE ALSO IF SEAN'S GOING TO BE ON IT AND HE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH DAN AND ROBIN, I, I'M I'M MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT THAN REACHING OUT TO PETER. AND THEN IF WE HAVE KAREN AND THEN RYAN IN THE BACKGROUND, I THINK IF YOU GET TOO MANY VOICES, IT CAN START TO BE TOO MANY COOKS IN THE SOUP. YEAH, I AGREE, JUST FROM BEING ON THAT COMMITTEE, I WOULD SAY THAT AND REALLY, YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO NARROW IT DOWN TO MAYBE IF WE HAD TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FOUR BECAUSE OF THE VETERANS PREFERENCE, MAYBE IF YOU'RE COMING IN WITH TEN, ASSUMING 1 OR 2 OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL NOT EVEN ULTIMATELY BE AVAILABLE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO US IN THE PAST, IS WE HAD SEVEN OF THEM. TWO OF THEM ENDED UP BACKING OUT AND ENDED UP WITH FIVE. IF YOU'RE SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE OF LIKE 5 TO 7 PEOPLE FOR US ALL TO INTERVIEW, IT'S NOT OVERWHELMING. YOU KNOW, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FOUR VETERANS WHO MUST BE SEEN. CORRECT. YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD AT LEAST FOUR MORE. 12. YEAH, SOMETHING IN THAT RANGE. YEAH. REALLY IT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO WHO APPLIED. IF YOU HAVE TEN GREAT PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE NINE, IF YOU HAVE 12. AND THAT'S A JOB OF THAT COMMITTEE IS IS TO OFFER UP WHO WHO'S TRULY QUALIFIED. RIGHT. AND PREFERRED OKAY. SO ARE WE ARE WE SEEKING IN THIS ITEM A MOTION WITH ALL OF THOSE NAMES? YOU SAID DANNY HUDSON WAS IN THERE. YES, YES. 
          [02:00:04]
DAN, SEAN, H.R. ROBIN RYAN IN THE BACKGROUND IS YOUR COMMITTEE. CAN I CONFIRM PETER UPTON? KAREN. PETER. NO, NO, I'M SAYING NO ON PETER FOR NOW BECAUSE WE'RE DOING TWO FROM THE PUBLIC. SO IT WOULD BE DAN AND ROBIN IF FOR SOME REASON DAN AND ROBIN WOULDN'T DO IT, MAYBE CONTACT PETER SO HE'D BE AN ALTERNATE? YEAH. IF YOU CALLED DAN TOMORROW AND HE SAYS I CAN'T. OKAY. I THOUGHT MISS CARTWRIGHT SAID SHE WOULD MAKE HERSELF AVAILABLE, DIDN'T SHE? YES. SHE DID. WHAT TIME? MEETINGS AT 10:00. 10:00 ON THE 13TH. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION ALONG THOSE LINES TO HAVE VICE MAYOR BE THE REPRESENTATION ON THE COMMITTEE FROM US HR, KAREN, ROBIN, DAN HUDSON AND RYAN IN THE BACKGROUND? IS IT AT 10 OR 2? I'M SORRY. IN THE BACKGROUND I DON'T UNDERSTAND. SHE'S GOING TO BE SHE'S ON THE COMMITTEE BUT NOT THERE THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING ALL OF THAT THAT RESEARCH AS A FUNCTION OF THAT COMMITTEE, EVEN THOUGH SHE WON'T BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT THAT DAY. OKAY. SO THE I SORRY FINISH YOUR THING, I APOLOGIZE. I WAS GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE CALENDAR. OH SORRY I STEPPED IN. 
          OKAY, OKAY. I STILL NEED A MOTION. MAYBE. MAYBE A MOTION. YES. IS THERE A MOTION ALONG THOSE LINES? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE EVERYONE. VICE MAYOR, COFFEE FROM HR. ROBIN AND IN THE BACKGROUND. BUT I COUNTED HER AND DAN. YEP. TWO FROM THE PUBLIC. I DON'T KNOW DAN'S LAST NAME. SORRY. I WOULD ALSO REQUEST THAT THE MOTION INCLUDE THE DATE AND TIME OF THE MEETING BECAUSE IN OUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION, IT'S BLANK. OKAY, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE COMMITTEE STAFF TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS FOR CITY MANAGER, THE VICE MAYOR, SEAN READ. KAREN FROM HR. HR RAN WILL BE IN THE BACKGROUND. SO THE ADDITIONAL PERSON THE TWO PUBLIC PEOPLE WOULD BE ROBIN CARTWRIGHT AND DAN HUDSON. AND THIS MEETING WOULD BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 13TH AT 10 A.M. SECOND. NAILED IT. OKAY. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT MOTION? SEEING NONE. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS. YEAH, JUST 82 APPLICATIONS THAT THAT'S A LOT. I THINK IT'S FABULOUS. AND HOPEFULLY THE COMMITTEE WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE COMMITTEE. I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A FULL BOARD CONSENSUS. I WISH WE COULD GET SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, THOUGH. IT'D BE NICE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, THOUGH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS COMMITTEE WILL NOT BE CONDUCTING ANY INTERVIEWS. CORRECT. I'M SORRY. 
          THIS COMMITTEE WILL NOT BE CONDUCTING ANY INTERVIEWS, NO REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS THEY'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO. YOU WILL BE DOING INTERVIEWS WHEN? WE WILL THE COMMISSION, NOT COMMITTEE? NO. ALL RIGHT. JUST CLEARING IT UP. THANK YOU. OKAY, MARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL? YEAH. YOU HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. 
          BUT COME ON UP, DOCTOR GRANT. I'M KIM MCCARTHY. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE WILL THERE ARE 82 APPLICANTS, BUT YOU ALL WILL HAVE INFORMATION REGARDING ALL OF THEM. YES. SO WHOEVER THE ACTUALLY AND WHOEVER THE COMMITTEE DECIDES UPON, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY YOU ALL WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND ADJUST. OKAY? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. OKAY. 
          OKAY. COMMISSIONER RICH. YES. VICE MAYOR REED. YES, MAYOR. COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. 
          CLARK. YES. COMMISSIONER. SELBY. YES. OKAY. MOVING ON TO ITEM TEN. THE 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY. IS SHE DOING THE SCHEDULE? NO. OH FORGIVE ME. OH, YOU WERE GOING TO GO OVER THE SCHEDULE. YES. JUST TO MAKE. IS THAT IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S CLARITY. SO THE CALENDAR OUTLINE THAT I PROVIDED FOR YOU SHOWS OUR MEETING TONIGHT, WHICH WE JUST WENT OVER THE NAMES OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND THE DATE OF THE SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH WE KNOW IS THE 13TH. AND THEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT TEN. WE'RE THINKING UNTIL ABOUT NOON, A BREAK FOR LUNCH, AND THEN AT 2 P.M. THE COMMISSION WOULD CONVENE, RECEIVE THE RECOMMENDED LIST, AND THEN DECIDE WHO THE FINAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW WILL BE. THAT IS, AT THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION. 
          THE 16TH AND 17TH, WE WOULD CALL THOSE CANDIDATES. THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE 
          [02:05:03]
INTERVIEWS ON THE 25TH AND 26TH. IF THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, THERE WOULD BE A SPECIAL. 
          ANOTHER COMMISSION GATHERING MIGHT BE ONE ISH, TWO ISH THAT DAY ON THE 26TH TO DECIDE WHO THAT CANDIDATE THE SELECTED CANDIDATE MAY BE, MEANING YOU MIGHT HAVE. LET'S SAY YOU HAVE FOUR CANDIDATES. YOU MIGHT INTERVIEW FOUR OF THEM ON THE 25TH AND FOUR OF THEM ON THE 26TH. CONVENE AT, SAY, 2:00. BUT IF THAT'S TOO SOON, BECAUSE IT IS A LOT TO DIGEST, I PUT A TICKLE ON MARCH 2ND THAT MONDAY. IF YOU FLIP THE PAGE OVER, A POSSIBLE SPECIAL MEETING, THAT DAY MAY BE AT 10 A.M. SO THAT GIVES YOU THE WEEKEND TO REALLY REVIEW THE PEOPLE YOU INTERVIEWED. YES. SO IS THE 26TH THE SAME AS THE SECOND? THOSE ARE JUST TWO POTENTIAL DATES FOR THE SAME. YES. OKAY, SO I WON'T I WON'T BE HERE ON THE 26TH. I WILL NOT EITHER. OH SORRY. THAT'S GOOD. WE'RE DOING THIS. THAT'S REAL GOOD. WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE A SPECIAL MEETING OF COURSE WOULD NEED TO BE ADVERTISED ACCORDINGLY. AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO I'M AVAILABLE ON THE SECOND. YOU ARE. OKAY. SO THE INTERVIEWS THEN MIGHT NEED TO BE THE 24TH AND THE 25TH BECAUSE THE THE CANDIDATES ROTATE TO EACH COMMISSIONER ONE AT A TIME. IS THE COMMISSION AVAILABLE? THE 24TH AND THE 25TH, 24TH, 25TH IS GOING TO BE TOUGH. THE 24TH? YES. IS THIS ALL DAY? IT DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES. SO IF WE DID IT ALL, WE COULD DO THEM ALL DAY. IF YOU HAVE, SAY EIGHT IS ABOUT THE MAXIMUM, REALLY A LOT. IT IS A LOT. YEAH. SO IF DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER THAT YOU SELECT WHETHER WE NEED 25TH. 
          ARE YOU BUSY IN THE MORNING OR AFTERNOON OR THAT WHOLE DAY. WELL YOU CAN OKAY I'M AVAILABLE ON THE 24TH AND THE 25TH. MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN GET HIM BANGED OUT IN ONE DAY. OKAY. IF WE'RE HERE ALL DAY VERSUS STRETCHING IT OUT INTO TWO DAYS, CAN I JUST PLAY IT BY EAR, I GUESS, YEAH, IF YOU GUYS CAN WEED THAT DOWN TO WHERE WE HAVE THE CANDIDATES, 7 OR 8 PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY SHOW UP, EVEN IF LIKE IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE DONE THESE INTERVIEWS, IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, IT'S SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME THERE'S SOME DEAD TIME LIKE WE CAN HAVE FASTER. 
          WHAT WERE THE HOUR LONG OR AN HOUR IF WE DID EVEN SHORTER 45 MINUTES. I THINK YOU'D BE FINE IF WE HAD TO. IF WE HAD TO TIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. YEAH, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE ROOMS AVAILABLE. IT REALLY DOES. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, I MEAN, WHEN LEE AND I DID IT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY, IT WENT BY VERY QUICK. AND IF WE START EARLIER AND NOT 7 A.M. 
          BUT IF WE START EARLIER, WE CAN PROBABLY WRAP IT UP. AND WE STARTED AT LIKE WHAT, NINE? I THINK WE STARTED AT NINE. SO EVEN IF WE IF WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THAT BACK FOR WHOEVER THE EARLY RISER IS, THE FIRST CANDIDATE WOULD BE WITH THAT PERSON, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ROTATE DOWN. SO IF WE AIM DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES, WHATEVER YOU LAND WITH, MAY I RECOMMEND THEN THAT THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMISSION TO DECIDE THE CANDIDATE MIGHT BE BEST SET FOR MONDAY? THE SECOND IS EVERYBODY THAT WE CAN ADVERTISE ACCORDINGLY. YEAH, BECAUSE I'M AVAILABLE ON THE SECOND. OKAY. I'M AVAILABLE ON THE SECOND. ALSO, WHAT ABOUT TUESDAY THE THIRD? I'M AVAILABLE. THEN IT'S AVAILABLE TOO. THAT WOULD BE BETTER. YEAH OKAY. WHAT TIME IS THAT ALL DAY. OR IS IT THE THIRD 2 P.M. OR ALL DAY. THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE FOR THE THIRD IS A BETTER DAY OKAY. IT'S JUST MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY I'M GOOD WITH THE THIRD. WHAT TIME IS THAT TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE. 
          NO. THAT'S FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONVENE TO DECIDE AMONG THE CANDIDATES THAT WERE INTERVIEWED. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO? WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELECT? SO THAT COULD BE A MEETING AT 10 A.M. IT COULD BE 1 P.M. 2 P.M. WHATEVER YOUR PLEASURE IS. I'M ALWAYS FOR THE MORNING GETTING IT DONE. 10 A.M. ON TUESDAY THE THIRD. THAT WORK 9:09 A.M. ON TUESDAYS, THE THIRD 9 A.M. I THINK WE HAVE NO CONSENSUS. SO 9 A.M. ON THE THIRD. OKAY, OKAY. 
          THEN THAT WOULD JUST SHIFT THE CITY ATTORNEY AND CANDIDATE NEGOTIATE. NO PROBLEM. JUST SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT BY A DAY. AND ON THE 24TH AND 25TH, THOSE WOULD ALSO START AT NINE. THOSE THOSE CAN START ANY TIME YOU'D LIKE. I WOULD JUST SUGGEST EARLIER. YES, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER. YEAH. IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER. BUT BLOCK OUT BLOCK OUT ALL DAY ON DAY NINE. BUT STARTING AT NINE I'LL BE HERE AT EIGHT, WHATEVER IT TAKES. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT WE SAID IS GOING TO BE THE 25TH THAT YOU WANT TO RUN THE INTERVIEWS, RIGHT. OR DID YOU 
          [02:10:03]
SAY THE 24TH. 24TH. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THAT WOULD SET THE MEETING DATE FOR MONDAY, TUESDAY, MARCH 3RD AT 9 A.M. AND THE IDEA WOULD BE IF THE ATTORNEY AND CANDIDATE ARE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THAT CONTRACT SUCCESSFULLY, THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT WOULD COME BEFORE YOU ON THE NINTH. AND I'VE ALREADY MARKED ON THE CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER IN THE AGENDA. MARCH. YEAH. DID I SAY FEBRUARY? YEAH. SORRY. FEBRUARY 11TH IS THE AGENDA DUE DATE FOR FEBRUARY 23RD? THAT ONE. SO SORRY. YES. SO FEBRUARY 25TH. AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE FOR MARCH 9TH. SO WE WOULD PUT A PLACEHOLDER ON THAT FOR THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. PERFECT. 
          WITH THE HOPES THAT THAT COULD BE RATIFIED. AND THEN I PUT ON THE CALENDAR THAT THE 12TH ANTICIPATING THAT THE PERSON ISN'T EMPLOYED. THEY COULD START PRETTY QUICKLY BECAUSE WE CAN GET THROUGH THE BACKGROUND PRETTY QUICKLY. BUT IF THEY NEED TO GIVE 90 DAYS NOTICE, AT LEAST WE KNOW WHERE THE CLOCK STARTS. AWESOME. IT'D BE HOPEFULLY THE NINTH. ROZ. YOU ROCK. YEAH. THAT WORKS. OKAY, OKAY, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, MAYOR, CITY CLERK JUST NOTIFIED ME THAT WE FAILED TO READ OUT THE RESOLUTION TITLE. SO FOR THE PRIOR PRIOR AGENDA ITEM. SO RESOLUTION NUMBER ZERO SEVEN 2026, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING A CITY MANAGER SCREENING COMMITTEE, IDENTIFYING PARTICIPANTS AND SCHEDULING A DATE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO MEET, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES COVERED OUR BASES. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO ON. I'LL NEED TO READ THE NEXT ONE. SO MOVING ON TO ORDINANCE SECOND READING. YES, MA'AM. SURE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER. I'M HOPING THAT YOU WILL HAVE A GUIDELINE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS, DOING THE SELECTION COMMITTEE. I KNOW 82 SOUNDS LIKE AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT, BUT I AM ON A BOARD FOR SOLICIT FOR DOING SCHOLARSHIPS. WE GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS AND WE HAVE TO SOMETIMES WE MAY HAVE 100 APPLICANTS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FURTHER EDUCATION. AND WE HAVE GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATION MUST BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. THEY HAVE TO FIT THIS CRITERIA. SO I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE A AN ELIMINATION PROCESS FOR YOU TO HAVE THE 82 IF YOU HAVE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT THE SELECTION COMMITTEE IS AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DID THEY FILL OUT THE APPLICATION PROPERLY. YOU KNOW, JUST YOU KNOW, Y SO I THINK THAT WOULD JUST BE A HELP IF YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER. YEAH. THANK YOU, MISS GOLDIE. AND YOU'RE RIGHT THERE NEEDS TO BE CRITERIA. SO EACH MEMBER, WE TRAIN THEM, MISS CHAMBERS AND I WILL MAKE SURE THEY'RE WELL TRAINED. THEY USE THE JOB DESCRIPTION AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE IF THE PERSON MEETS MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR HAS SOME PARALLEL EXPERIENCE. YES, WE'LL TRAIN EACH ONE. VICE MAYOR. 
          YEAH. FOR CLARIFICATION, IS IT LIKE WHEN WE DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY WHERE WE HAD LIKE A CHECKLIST AND YOU HAD PREDETERMINED QUESTIONS? SO SO, GAIL, WE HAD A BUNCH OF INFORMATION GIVEN. GAIL. WE HAD A WE HAD A BUNCH OF INFORMATION GIVEN TO US WHEN WE DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY. THERE WAS LIKE A RANKING SHEET. THERE WAS PREDETERMINED QUESTIONS. 
          AND WHEN YOU DID THOSE PREDETERMINED QUESTIONS, THEY ROLLED INTO OTHER QUESTIONS WHERE YOU COULD ELABORATE AND OTHER STUFF. HR DID REALLY, REALLY GOOD WHEN WE DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL. REALLY EXCELLENT. VERY, VERY, VERY HELPFUL. YEAH. A LOT OF THOSE. YEAH. YES. OKAY. 
          SO FOR THE RECORD, SHERRY WHITE I PROMISE I WILL FILL OUT A GREEN CARD. MARY, JUST BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES, MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING YOUR CANDIDATE, YOU ALSO HAVE AN ALTERNATE IN THE WING ONLY BECAUSE THAT CANDIDATE MIGHT WALK AWAY. ACTUALLY, THEY'VE HAD TWO IN THE WING MOST MOST OF THE TIME. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YEP. GOOD POINT. ALL RIGHT. ORDINANCE SECOND READING, ITEM 11 CODE 
          [10. 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY (RC): RESOLUTION No. 13-2026; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
AMENDMENT ADDING LANGUAGE RELATED TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. OH, YEAH. MAYOR, WE MISSED AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TEN. NUMBER TEN, THE RESOLUTION. YES. NUMBER TEN. FORGIVE ME. 
          ITEM TEN MITIGATION 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE THREE 2026 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER 
          [02:15:05]
PURPOSES. IS ANYBODY PRESENTING? YES. YOU DO IT ALL, CHIEF. YOU DO IT ALL. THANK YOU. THIS WAS SUBMITTED THROUGH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. AND IT'S A IT'S A FIVE YEAR CYCLE. SO I TOOK THE RESOLUTION DIRECTLY FROM OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, CAPTAIN HURTADO, AND FLIPPED IT INTO THIS. IT JUST GIVES US THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THAT IF THERE'S MITIGATION AND ISSUES THROUGH STORMS OR THROUGH ISSUES IN THE COUNTY OR THE CITY THAT WE CAN COORDINATE, APPLY FOR MONEY RECOVERIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. CAPTAIN SAID THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH THIS, BUT IT'S A FIVE YEAR INCREMENTAL STUDY. AND THEN WE SIGNED THE THE AGREEMENT EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO THIS IS JUST A RENEWAL OF WHAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I ATTACHED I THINK IT'S ABOUT A 255 PAGE STUDY. YES, YES, YES IT WAS, BUT I JUST I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPECIFIC PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE ON THE PROCESS OTHER THAN WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO ME AS PART OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCESS. I THINK THERE WAS JUST ONE UPDATE FROM THE PREVIOUS. YES. PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YEAH. WHO WHO UPDATES THIS. AND I KNOW IT'S EVERY FIVE YEARS IT SAYS IT RIGHT. BUT IS IT LIKE STAFF. WHICH STAFF IS IT LIKE POLICE THAT LIKE WHO'S INVOLVED I GUESS. NO, IT'S NOT THE POLICE. IT'S THROUGH THE IT'S A STATE LEVEL. IT'S NOT THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. CAPTAIN RICARDO SERVES AS THE EMERGENCY PART OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY. AS AS THAT ROLE, NOT AS POLICE CAPTAIN, BUT IT'S THROUGH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COUNTY WIDE AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE STATE. AND IT'S JUST AN AGREEMENT THAT IS AT A LEVEL BEYOND OURS. WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN ANY OF THAT PLANNING, NEGOTIATING ANY OF THE PARTS OF THAT STUDY. WE JUST WE TAKE IT AS JUST BECAUSE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONNECTION. IF IF CAPTAIN HURTADO WASN'T OUR GUY FOR THE CITY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND IF IT WAS IN THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, THEY WOULD SPEAK ON IT OR COORDINATE IT. SO WE JUST COORDINATE IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. AWESOME. WELL, WHOEVER FORMATTED IT, THERE'S A TON OF INFORMATION. IT'S VERY CLEARLY LAID OUT. I HOPEFULLY MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS LOOKED AT IT, BUT I DID. YES. VERY DETAILED. YES IT IS. YEAH. OKAY. 
          I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT RESOLUTION 132026 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION AND CITY OF STEWART ADOPTING THE 2025 MARTIN COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. SECOND, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM TEN? SEEING NONE. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS SAYING NONE. MARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL? VICE MAYOR REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. RICH. YES, MAYOR. 
          [11. CODE AMENDMENT ADDING LANGUAGE RELATED TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION (RC): ORDINANCE No. 2547-2026; AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 8.07.07 OF THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RECENTLY ENACTED LEGISLATION, SENATE BILL 954; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
COLLINS. YES. ALRIGHT. MOVING ON TO SECOND READING. ITEM 11 CODE AMENDMENT, ADDING LANGUAGE RELATED TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2547 2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 8.07.07 OF THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RECENTLY ENACTED LEGISLATION. SENATE BILL 954 PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT. PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. THIS I WANT TO REMIND YOU, THIS IS THE SECOND READING. SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION LAST WEEK. I MEAN, TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE MEETING. LAST MEETING, IN ESSENCE, THE CITY ALREADY HAD AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS THE FLORIDA SENATE. BILL 954 REQUIRED THAT CITIES PUT IN AN ORDINANCE ON THIS ISSUE. WE ALREADY HAD ONE. THERE WERE SOME REQUIREMENTS IN THE BILL THAT WE DID NOT HAVE IN OUR ORDINANCE. IN ADDITION, WHILE WE WERE IN THERE AND ADDING THESE ADDITIONS REQUIRED BY THIS NEW SENATE BILL, THERE WERE OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO CLEAN UP. SO. AND SO SOME OF THE PROPOSED EDITS THAT WE WENT OVER LAST MEETING WERE WERE ON MY, MY, MY OPINION AND NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 954 PER COMMISSIONER CLARKE, AT THE LAST MEETING, SHE WANTED TO HAVE LANGUAGE ADDED TO THE THIRD WHEREAS CLAUSE TO REFLECT THAT THE LPA, LPA VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND FOR YOU TO ADOPT THE TEXT AMENDMENTS, WHICH WE DID, THAT WE ADDED THAT IN THE THIRD WHEREAS CLAUSE. SO WE UPDATED THE ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THAT REQUEST. IF YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK THROUGH THE SECTION 8.0707, GO THROUGH THE CHANGES LIKE I DID LAST MEETING OR YOU WANT TO UNNECESSARILY. I THINK WE HAVE GOOD CONSENSUS. THAT WAS THE ONLY THING NEW WAS AT THE REQUEST OF COMMISSIONER CLARKE THAT I ADDED IN THE THIRD WHEREAS CLAUSE ABOUT THE LPA. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION 
          [02:20:01]
MOTION REGARDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 25, 47, DASH 2026 AND THE ORDINANCE? THE TITLE HAS BEEN READ ALREADY. I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. AND THE MOTION WAS FOR APPROVAL, INCLUDING THE ADDITION. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM 11? SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY COMMENT FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS? SEEING NONE. MARY. OH. OH, SORRY I MISSED YOUR LIGHT. FORGIVE ME. IT WAS RIGHT BEHIND MY MICROPHONE. COMMISSIONER RICH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS. 
          ELIMINATING THIS BOARD DOES NOT INDICATE A LACK OF INTEREST IN THIS COMMUNITY AT ALL. YOU'RE ON THE WRONG ITEM. WRONG ITEM? NO, THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE 12. 11. WE'RE ON 12, AREN'T WE? 1111. YOU'RE ALMOST THERE. NOW. YOU BELIEVE MY MY BAD. I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THERE. SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT MARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL COMMISSIONER RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES. VICE MAYOR REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, YES. 
          [12. DISSOLUTION OF EAST STUART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE (RC): ORDINANCE No. 2548-2026; AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA AMENDING PART II, CHAPTER 2 (ADMINISTRATION), ARTICLE III. – BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS, DIVISION I, SECTION 2-28 AND DIVISION 7 EAST STUART HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SECTIONS 2-118 THROUGH 2-121, OF THE CITY OF STUART’S CODE OF ORDINANCES, BY REMOVING CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE EAST STUART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE DUE TO DISSOLUTION; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF PRIOR ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO ITEM 12. I'M READY. WE'RE THERE. OKAY. DISSOLUTION OF THE EAST OR EAST? STEWART. HISTORICAL COMMITTEE, ORDINANCE NUMBER 2548 DASH 2026, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF STEWART, FLORIDA, AMENDING PART TWO, CHAPTER TWO ADMINISTRATION. ARTICLE THREE BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS. DIVISION ONE, SECTION TWO, DASH 28 AND DIVISION SEVEN. EAST STEWART HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SECTIONS TWO, DASH 118 THROUGH TWO. DASH 121 OF THE CITY OF STEWART'S CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          BY REMOVING CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE EAST STEWART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE DUE TO DISSOLUTION. PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION. PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE, EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. A FEW MEETINGS BACK. THE CITY COMMISSION WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DISSOLVING THE HISTORIC EAST STEWART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE, AND BY DOING SUCH, WE NEEDED TO REMOVE IT FROM OUR OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES. SO, IN ESSENCE, THIS ORDINANCE IS REMOVING ALL MENTIONS OF THE EAST OR EAST. STEWART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MUCH MORE OF AN EXPLANATION OTHER THAN THAT THAT YOU NEED FROM ME, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MORE EXPLANATION IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON IT. YEAH, I DIDN'T FLIP MY LIGHT YET, SO LADIES FIRST. YES. OH YEAH. SO THIS HAS BEEN UP AND THIS IS OUR SECOND TIME. AND I KNOW THAT I PUSHED HARD TO GET THIS COMMITTEE. AND I'VE HEARD FROM THE MEMBERS FROM EAST STEWART AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE HERE, AND ABOUT THE IDEA OF MEMBERS HAVING AUTONOMY WHEN THEY'RE NOT TIED TO A COMMITTEE. I'VE HEARD ALL OF THAT. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PART OF CANCEL CULTURE AND ERASURE CULTURE. 
          AND I WANTED I'M SORRY THAT PENAL ISN'T HERE. I WAS GOING TO ASK HER WHAT WAS THE SCHEDULE FOR? WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY GET THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGNATION STATUS. 
          DO YOU KNOW THAT ROSS WARD TO WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL TO GET THE WHOLE EAST? STEWART DESIGNATION? DESIGNATION? I DO NOT KNOW THE STATUS, BUT I CAN GET THAT TOMORROW. AND I REALLY I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT IF WE GIVE THIS COMMITTEE A CHANCE TO STAY UNTIL WE GET THAT DESIGNATION, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO TO PUT INFORMATION TOGETHER FOR JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MEET LAST YEAR, BUT THEY PROBABLY NEEDED MORE DIRECTION. I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING AND GIVING MORE DIRECTION TO GET SOME MORE PHOTOGRAPHS, GET SOME MORE THINGS DONE, AND TO FINALIZE THAT LINK THAT GIVES THE HISTORY OF EAST STEWART ON THE ON THE WEBSITE. AND I THINK THAT IT DOES NEED THE COORDINATION OF, OF SOME GROUP THAT'S HAS THE EAR OF THE CITY TO DO THAT. SO OPEN ALL OKAY. 
          GOOD PANEL WILL HELP ANSWER MY QUESTION. SO THAT'S MY ONLY THING. THAT'S MY ONLY THING. IF WE COULD TRY TO KEEP IT UNTIL WE GET THAT DONE THEN WE CAN SAY YES, WE'VE ACHIEVED 1 OR 2 THINGS WITH REGARD TO THIS PANEL. SORRY, I JUST RAN HERE. SO WE DO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING SCHEDULED IN MARCH. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THE POSTCARDS. WE'RE GOING TO BE MAILING OUT NOTICES TO ALL THE RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS IN EAST STEWART. I DON'T HAVE THE DATE WITH ME, BUT IT'S IN MARCH AND THE STATE IS ACTUALLY COMING HERE. MR. PAUL IS COMING. OKAY. 
          WILL BE HERE ALSO. HOW HOW ARE THE BOARD, DEAR? JUST JUST TO HER POINT, HOW WOULD A HOW 
          [02:25:02]
WOULD HAVING THIS BOARD CONTINUE ULA BENEFIT THAT PROCESS THOUGH. HAVE THEY FINISHED THEIR WORK PANEL? HAVE WE WITH THE PICTURES AND THE WEBSITE BEFORE THE BOARD. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT PROCESS AT THIS LEVEL. BUT HAVE WHAT ABOUT THE THE HISTORIC INFORMATION THAT WAS COLLECTED. YOU THINK THAT IT'S IT'S COMPLETE, RIGHT. IT'S ALL IN THE REPORT THAT WAS PREPARED BY PAUL. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I WANT TO GIVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY DOESN'T SAY THE BOARD WAS ERASED, AND WE STILL DIDN'T GET TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT WE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT FOR EAST STEWART. AND TO BE A PART OF THE RECORD AND CHRONICLED FOR EAST STEWART. PLUS, WE CREATED THE MASTER PLAN FOR PUBLIX AND ARTS PLACES. SO WE HAVE THAT THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE AS PART OF THE GUY DAVIS PARK PROJECT AND MLK STREETSCAPE PROJECT, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. YES, VICE MAYOR. YEAH, I AND I THINK PART OF IT WAS COMMISSIONER CLARK. THE BOARD'S INTENTION WAS FOR PUBLIC ART, SPECIFICALLY TO MLK STREETSCAPE AND THE GUY DAVIS COMMUNITY PARK, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. AND I AND I THINK FOR MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND EVEN ON THE BOARD, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE FULLY KNOWN WHEN THEY GOT ON THE BOARD. MAYBE THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD A BROADER SCOPE OF BEING ON THE BOARD, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE NOT REALIZED IT WAS LIMITED. NO. OR THE ORDINANCE WAS CLEAR. THE ORDINANCE WAS CLEAR. IT WAS. YEAH. IT WAS KNOWN THAT WE WERE JUST WORKING ON THE MASTER PLAN FOR ARTS. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS CONFUSION ON WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD WAS FOR SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS. MAYBE THEY DO, BUT AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS FROM BOTH SIDES. BUT YEAH, THE ORDINANCE WAS CLEAR. THEY'RE NOT AN OMBUDSMAN. THEY'RE NOT A GROUP LIKE THE LPA OR SOMEBODY. IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHAT THEIR DUTIES WERE BASED ON THE ORDINANCE. IF SOMEBODY ON THE COMMITTEE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BUT IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHAT A VERY LIMITED. YES, YES. YEAH. I JUST QUESTION THE WORD RERAISE. WE'RE NOT ERASING IT. I THINK WE'RE OFFERING THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT VIEW. RIGHT. AND I THINK WE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT IT REALLY ISN'T ABOUT ERASING THIS COMMITTEE. IT'S ACTUALLY GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY, GIVING THAT EAST HISTORICAL SOCIETY AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOMPASS MORE, LARGER SCOPE THINGS THAT THEY CANNOT ACCOMPLISH NOW. I MEAN, THE YEAR HAS PASSED AND WE'RE NOW CALLING FOR A MEETING IN MARCH, SO THERE HAS BEEN NO NO ABILITY FOR THEM TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER AND ALL OF THAT. WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THE COMMITTEE BETTER. AND I HAD OFFERED MYSELF, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE OFFERED, THAT WE WOULD HELP THEM SET UP A COMMITTEE. 
          IT WOULD BE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE, WHICH GIVE THEM A LARGER SCOPE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. THEY CAN ENCOMPASS OTHER THINGS THAT MAY WANT TO BRING BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS. IT DOESN'T INVOLVE HISTORICAL. THERE MIGHT BE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT THAT GIVES THEM A GREATER SAY IN THE COMMUNITY. THANKS. I KNOW THE COMMISSIONERS WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT THAT MEETING IN MARCH IS ABOUT THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION THAT SOMETHING COMPLETE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS. WE HAVE SPECIAL MONIES. WE'VE HAD A CONSULTANT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GONE ON. NONE OF THAT GOES AWAY. YES. NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. NONE OF THAT. INDIVIDUALS CAN BE AT THAT MEETING. THEY CAN DO IT. THEY CAN PARTICIPATE WITHOUT VIOLATING SUNSHINE. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S A PUBLIC HEARING WITH REGARD TO THE DESIGNATION. AND MR. PAUL WEAVER HAS BEEN ACTIVE WITH THAT. AND IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY. I, I PROBABLY SPENT TWO HOURS WITH TALKING TO ALBERT AT HIS HOUSE ON HIS COUCH ABOUT STARTING AN NAC. SO I THINK THERE'S A REAL DESIRE WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET ORGANIZED AND TO START TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A VOICE TO TO WORK WITH US. AND THEY CAN DO THAT. 
          SO I JUST HOPE THAT THERE'S NO SENSE THAT THAT WE'RE LOSING SOMETHING. E STUART'S LOSING A VOICE. WE'RE IN FACT, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO START A NEW KIND OF VOICE THAT IS CENTRAL TO THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT HAVING THE LIABILITY OF PEOPLE VIOLATING SUNSHINE, YOU KNOW, FOR TALKING TO THEIR NEIGHBOR WHEN THEY DON'T MEET ALL YEAR, OR THEIR BROTHER OR SISTER. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. WHICH IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO VIOLATE. IT'S A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, SO SOMEBODY'S GOING TO TALK. 
          IT'S GOING TO. YEAH. OKAY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PANEL I HAVE A MOTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT ORDINANCE 2548 2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF STUART AMENDING PART TWO, CHAPTER TWO ADMINISTRATION ARTICLE THREE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS. 
          DIVISION SECTIONS 228. DIVISION SEVEN. IN THE CITY OF STUART. CODE OF ORDINANCES. BY REMOVING CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE EAST STUART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE DUE TO DISSOLUTION. 
          PROVIDING FOR THE OF PRIOR ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS, AND PROVIDING FOR THE CODIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. DO WE 
          [02:30:04]
NEED TO STATE THE DATE IN THIS MOTION? NO. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? IT'LL BE TODAY. THAT'LL BE TODAY. OKAY, I'LL SECOND IT. BUT I THINK COMMISSIONER RICH HAD A COMMENT AS WELL THAT HE STARTED. HE TOOK HIS. NO, NO. ALL ALL ALL THE ALL MY COMMENTS WERE MADE BY OTHER COMMISSIONERS. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY. SEEING NONE COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS. YOU SURE YOU SAVED IT FOR THIS ONE? OKAY. ALRIGHT. FAIR ENOUGH. SO I WAS HOPING TO HEAR IT. I KNOW WE WERE THERE. ME TOO. BECAUSE LIKE WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS LIKE IF THERE'S A COMMENT THAT'S GOING TO COME IN, ARE YOU JUST WAITING TO SAY NO TO JUST PLAY POLITICS? I'M JUST CURIOUS. LIKE WE'VE STATED EVERYTHING AND I JUST I GUESS WE'LL WAIT FOR THE ROLL CALL. MARY. VICE MAYOR REED. YEAH, THIS IS FOR DISSOLVING IT, CORRECT? YES. WE DISSOLVE IT. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. RELUCTANTLY. YES, COMMISSIONER. 
          [13. COMMUNICATION TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & ENVIRONMENT STUDY FOR THE WILLOUGHBY BOULEVARD EXTENSION]
RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. JOB. YES, DEAR. COLLINS. YES. MOVING ON. ON TO ITEM 13. 
          COMMUNICATION TO THE FLORIDA DOT ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT. STUDY FOR THE WILLOUGHBY BOULEVARD EXTENSION. AT THE JANUARY 12TH, 2026 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING, THE MAYOR ASKED TO BRING ASKED STAFF TO BRING FORWARD AN AGENDA ITEM ON THE COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. I'LL REFER TO THEM AS FDOT AS WELL FOR THIS FOR THE REST OF THE AGENDA. SO IT'S ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT STUDY FOR THE WILLOUGHBY BOULEVARD EXTENSION. SO THEREFORE THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN THAT STUDY STAGE. AND THE STUDY STARTED ON JUNE 25TH, 2025 WITH A PUBLIC KICKOFF MEETING. THE STUDY IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 2028. A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT STUDY IS FDOT PROCESS TO EVALUATE THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH A PLANNED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. FDOT ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND THEY HAVE ON THEIR WEBSITE EVEN FOR RESIDENTS TO EMAIL IN, AND THEY CAN EMAIL DIRECTLY TO THE PROJECT MANAGER, WHICH HER NAME IS VINITA CURRENTLY, AND I THINK SHE'S NEW AND REPLACED THE THE PRIOR PROJECT MANAGER. SO THE PROJECT CURRENTLY IS ANALYZING THREE ALTERNATIVES. 
          CORRIDOR ONE EXTENDS WILLOUGHBY BOULEVARD NORTH ALONG SOUTHEAST ALHAMBRA AVENUE AND ACROSS SOUTHEAST CENTRAL PARKWAY TO CONNECT WITH US ONE NEAR STATE ROAD FIVE A. AND THEN THERE'S CORRIDOR TWO, WHICH REALIGNS WILLOUGHBY BOULEVARD TO THE EAST NEAR THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND CONTINUES NORTH ACROSS MONTEREY ROAD ALONG SOUTHEAST RACEWAY. IT THEN FOLLOWS SOUTHEAST CENTRAL PARKWAY WEST TO POPPLETON CREEK PARK, WHERE IT TURNS NORTH TO CONNECT WITH US ONE NEAR STATE ROAD FIVE A, AND THEN THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE IS NO BUILD. THE NO BUILD ALTERNATIVE WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY IMPROVEMENTS. IT WILL REMAIN A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. VICE MAYOR YEAH, SO I'M ONE OF THE BOARD REPRESENTATIVES IN THE CITY THAT SIT ON THE MARTIN COUNTY MPO, AND I'VE TRIED TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND, I GUESS SOMETIMES WHERE THE DIRECTION COMES FROM, AND I REMEMBER THE MPO ADMINISTRATOR, BETH BELTRAN, SAYING THAT THE DIRECTION CAME FROM THE MUNICIPALITY THAT IT WAS IN. SO I'D LIKE TO GET A CONSENSUS FROM MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HERE IN THE CITY TO SEND A LETTER TO BETH BELTRAN AND THE MPO TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE PREFER OPTION THREE FOR A NO BUILD OPTION THAT WAS NEVER PRESENTED BY PRIOR CITY EMPLOYEES, OR EVEN PRESENTED AT THE MARTIN COUNTY MPO BOARD UNTIL THE QUESTION WAS RAISED. SO IT'S HARD FOR US TO VOTE ON AGENDA ITEMS WHEN WE'RE NOT GIVEN ALL THE INFORMATION OR WRONG INFORMATION OR INACCURATE INFORMATION, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE OPTION THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEE, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IT. THE ONLY COMPARISON I COULD THINK IS LIKE PORT SAINT LUCIE BOULEVARD, WHERE THAT USED TO BE RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN IT BECAME A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR. BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY ON IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, AND IT AFFECTS A LOT OF LIVES ON THAT ON CENTRAL PARKWAY, BECAUSE THE PRIOR BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN UP HERE OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS APPROVED A LOT OF COMMERCIAL TO MULTIFAMILY ZONING CHANGES. AND SO IT AFFECTS EVERYONE'S LIVELIHOOD MORE. SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF IT STAYED A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR 
          [02:35:02]
PREDOMINANTLY, IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE. BUT NOW THERE'S PLENTY OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE ON CENTRAL PARKWAY. AND YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S MY OPINION. I AGREE, VICE MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, I WOULD ALSO I WOULD ENCOURAGE A LETTER. I WOULD HOPE WE CAN HAVE A LETTER SENT TO THE MPO LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND NO BUILD AS WELL. REALLY. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THEM TO REMOVE THIS PROJECT FROM THEIR LIST ENTIRELY, TO STOP MOVING FORWARD AT ALL. WHATEVER WAS THE CONSENSUS IN THE PAST? NO LONGER. I DON'T BELIEVE ANY LONGER EXISTS ON THIS BOARD FROM THE CITY. I DO NOT SEE THE VALUE IN EXTENDING WILLOUGHBY, ERASING A LOW INCOME HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD, CUTTING THE CITY. 
          WHAT'S THAT? THAT'S NOT IN THE CITY IT'S IN, THOUGH. WELL, YEAH, I KNOW I HEAR YOU. THAT LITTLE PART IS IN THE COUNTY. I KNOW, BUT MORE BROADLY, THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT, I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT IN ERASING THAT LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD IN. YOU KNOW, TO TO YOUR POINT, SOME OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF DECISIONS WE HAVE MADE. WE HAVE DEVELOPED WITH ADDING HUNDREDS OF APARTMENTS TO CENTRAL PARKWAY. THAT AREA ALREADY MOVING NORTH FROM THERE. WE WOULD BE ERASING PART OF THAT APPLETON CREEK PARK. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE PLAYGROUND THERE. YOU WOULD BE REALLY CUTTING THAT. YOU'D STILL HAVE THE DOG PARK, BUT THAT ENTIRE PART OF THAT GREEN SPACE THERE WOULD BECOME AN EXTENSION OF THAT HIGHWAY. AND THEN CUTTING THE WATERSHED FOR POPPLETON CREEK. NOT IN HALF, BUT MAYBE A THIRD OF IT OUT THERE AS IT I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT REALLY IN THAT EXTENSION FOR HOW MUCH DAMAGE IT CAUSED. IT SEEMS LIKE A PYRRHIC VICTORY TO ACHIEVE THIS. YOU KNOW, FOR ME PERSONALLY. SO FOR THOSE REASONS, IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING, THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN A LETTER. OKAY. I HAD MY LIGHT ON ALSO COMMISSIONER JOB. OKAY, I, I WANT TO AGREE. AND THAT'S WITH ALL OF THAT GOING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S NOW OVERBUILT BECAUSE OF DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE PREVIOUSLY. BUT WE'VE ALSO INVESTED TIME AND EFFORT INTO THAT WATERSHED AND THAT PARK AND THAT. AND NOW WE WANT TO JUST RUN A ROAD THROUGH IT TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC. I THINK IT'S REALLY UNACCEPTABLE. 
          AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE ASKED THE FDOT TO REMOVE IT FROM ANY FUTURE. ANY FUTURE, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS TO HAVING KIND OF DESTROY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. THANKS, THANKS. WITH REGARD TO THE VICE MAYOR, TALKED ABOUT THE PAST AND I WAS WONDERING, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I'VE SERVED ON THE MPO TO IF KIMLEY-HORN HAD DONE ANY REPORTS TO US OR WHOEVER. THE RECENT REPORT FROM KIMLEY-HORN TO THE MPO ON IT AND WHAT WHAT WAS BEHIND IT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING. AND THEN I WANTED TO FIND OUT THIS IS JUST DISCUSSION. BUT IF WE DECIDE TO SEND SOMETHING TO THE TO THE MPO, WHAT WE JUST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO JUST DO THAT OR ARE WE STILL ASKING BETH TO COME AND TELL US SOME BACKGROUND? WHAT WAS YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING, COMMISSIONER? I MEAN, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT. WHAT I WILL I, I FORGOT ONE COMMENT. SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED THERE PAY FOR WATERFRONT VIEWS CURRENTLY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS COMICAL BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A MAJOR ARTERIAL ROAD RUNNING IN YOUR BACKYARD, BUT YOU'RE PAYING AN EXTRA $200 A MONTH TO SEE TRAFFIC COME THROUGH YOUR BACKYARD. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY COMICAL, BUT YES, THEY DO CHARGE A PREMIUM, BY THE WAY, FOR THOSE APARTMENTS THERE. AND I YEAH, BLEW MY MIND, BUT. OKAY, COMMISSIONER RICH, FORGIVE ME. 
          OKAY, OKAY. COMMISSIONER RICH. SO OPTION ONE. YEAH. IS THAT. IS THAT DESTROYING HOMES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD GOING DOWN ALHAMBRA, WHICH IS AN EXISTING STREET? THAT'S OPTION TWO, I BELIEVE. NO, THAT'S OPTION ONE. BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEING DESTROYED. I'M JUST WONDERING. YEAH, IF YOU GO NORTH THERE, THAT'S THAT'S THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          IS THAT ONE. YEAH. SO HOMES WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE TORN DOWN. YEAH. THAT YOU HAD TO WIDEN THAT ROAD. YEAH. YOU WOULD HAVE TO BASICALLY MAKE A ROAD. EMINENT DOMAIN. YES. NO, NO I'M JUST I MEAN, I'M RELYING ON YOU AND THE VICE MAYOR BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU, YOU SIT ON THE MPO. SO CERTAINLY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD NOT EXIST IN ITS CURRENT FORM. OKAY. AND IS THAT TRUE OF IT SEEMS LIKE OPTION TWO. ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT AN EXISTING ROAD. IT IS 
          [02:40:08]
RACEWAY IS. RACEWAY IS. BUT BELOW THAT IS THAT AN EXISTING ROAD? NO. SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO I DON'T SEE ANY HOMES THERE. BUT OKAY. SO THAT WAS THE COMPLEX THAT WE APPROVED. 
          COMMISSIONER RICH LIKE THE IT WAS LIKE 200 AND SOME THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT. I THINK THAT WAS A JEREMIAH BARON COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE IT WOULD COME THROUGH WILLOUGHBY AND CONNECT WELL BELOW SEVEN BETWEEN WILLOUGHBY AND 714 THAT SEEMS. YEAH. SO I WOULD IMAGINE THEY WOULD ADD A SIGNALIZED LIGHT AT RACEWAY THEN AND THEY WOULD COME THROUGH WILLOUGHBY. RIGHT. LET ME PULL IT UP. IT GOES UP TO OKAY. LIKE IT WOULDN'T AFFECT RESIDENTIAL PER SE COMING THROUGH RACEWAY LIKE THAT. BUT I THINK IT WOULD AFFECT PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE THAT LIVE ON CENTRAL PARKWAY. STILL TRUE, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'D BE LOSING RESIDENTIAL HOMES. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS A MAJOR CORRIDOR COMING THROUGH THEIR BACKYARD. I THINK THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. HAVE EITHER OF YOU DONE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN THAT AREA TO TRY TO GAUGE? NO, BUT WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS. 
          OKAY. YEAH. SO YOU SO SO YOU'RE JUST RELYING ON THE EMAILS WE'VE RECEIVED, WHICH IS WHICH IS NOT IN SORRY, WHICH IS NOT AN INCONSIDERABLE NUMBER. OKAY. JUST TRYING TO PUBLIC WORKSHOP BEFORE WE SEND IT OFF ANOTHER ONE IN MARCH, I BELIEVE. ARE YOU SUGGESTING A PUBLIC WORKSHOP WITH REGARD TO THIS? NO, THEY'RE ON THE MPO. THAT'S ANOTHER ONE. I YOU KNOW, I WOULD IT WOULD BE UP TO THEM TO DECIDE WHETHER IN ORDER TO GAUGE PUBLIC SENTIMENT, THEY WANTED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP. I'M CERTAINLY NOT TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO FROM THE CITY VERSUS MPO COMMISSIONER. JIMMY. YES, ACTUALLY, I SPOKE TO VINITA TODAY. SHE HAD BEEN SHE REPLACED MARIA FORMOSA, WHO I DID HAVE SOME DIALOG WITH OVER THE LAST YEAR. AND. SO VINITA HAD STATED THAT, AND I THINK I SENT IT ON TO LUKE IS HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY. THERE IS A WEBSITE THAT AND SHE GAVE ME A DIRECT LINE FOR RESIDENTS TO GO TO WHERE THEY COULD VOICE WHETHER THEY WANT TO ACCEPT OPTION ONE, 2 OR 3 AND THEY'LL BE TALLYING THOSE. AND SHE DID PLAN TO HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP IN SOMETIME IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF MARCH. 
          BUT I LIKE THE MAYOR'S SUGGESTION TO SEND THEM A LETTER, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY THEMSELVES HAVE HAD MEETINGS, AND ACTUALLY FDOT ATTENDED ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS. AND THAT WAS WHAT, SIX MONTHS AGO? LUKE CIRCA OCTOBER. YEAH. SO 40 LOCAL, RIGHT? YOU GOTTA COME TO THE MIC. LUKE. OH, SORRY. IF YOU DON'T SAY IT ON A MIC, IT DOESN'T EXIST. UNDERSTOOD. SO CIRCA OCTOBER OF 2025, FDOT HAD A MEETING AT OUR COMMUNITY, THE SEASIDE TOWNHOMES. THERE WERE 40 RESIDENTS THAT SHOWED UP, MOSTLY FROM SEASIDE. ALSO SOME LEADERSHIP FROM VILLA BELLA AND ALSO A CITY COMMISSIONER. AND THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ARE IN FAVOR OF A NO BILL. BUT I FEEL WE'RE KIND OF PLAYING 51ST DATES ON THIS AT THIS POINT, AND I BELIEVE A COUPLE OF THE COMMISSIONERS WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO CITIZENS AT THE DOG PARK AND CAN VERIFY THEIR SHOCK WHEN PEOPLE THAT LIVE RIGHT ADJACENT TO THIS PROPERTY. IF THIS SERENITY HOMES WERE BUILT, PAY $200 A MONTH FOR THAT PARK VIEW AND DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT, THAT SEEMS WRONG. THEY DON'T. THEY'RE NOT OWNERS, BUT THEY'RE STILL YOUR CITIZENS. THEY'RE STILL RESIDENTS. THEY'RE STILL STILL HAVE RIGHTS. 
          WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN INFORMED BY FDOT? I'VE LUCKILY RECEIVED A MAILER IN. IN ADDITION, I BELIEVE ANOTHER CITY COMMISSIONER SAW SOMEONE FROM TOWN PARK CONDOMINIUMS, WHICH THEY STATE. FDOT STATES THAT THEY SENT OUT MAILERS TO EVERYONE WITHIN 300FT SO WE CAN GO WALK IT. BUT IF THEY CHOOSE CORRIDOR TWO GO AND RACEWAY, THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO TOWN PARK'S WEST ENTRANCE, AND THERE'S MULTIPLE BUILDINGS WITHIN 300FT OF THAT. AND I ALSO, I BELIEVE I SHARED THE TEXT ON MY EMAILS TO YOU. THE TOWN PARK HOA WAS VERY DISPLEASED TO LEARN OF THIS INFORMATION. AS YOUR RESIDENTS IN SEASIDE ARE, AS YOUR RESIDENTS IN VILLA BELLA ARE, AS YOUR RESIDENTS IN THE ESTATES OF STUART ARE, AND THE APARTMENT DWELLERS THAT HAVE LEARNED ABOUT IT AREN'T TOO THRILLED ABOUT IT EITHER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. WELL, THE. I DID SPEAK TO VIENNA REGARDING THE NOTIFICATION TO THE RESIDENTS WHO RENT, AND SHE SAID THEY ONLY REACH OUT TO THE OWNERS. THEY HAVE A VESTED 
          [02:45:02]
INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY. AND BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PODIUM, YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. LUKE LATHAM 369 SOUTHEAST. CENTRAL OR SOUTHEAST. SECOND WAY SEE SEASIDE TOWNHOME OWNER AND RESIDENT AND POPLAR CREEK PARK PROTECTOR. OKAY. AND THEN YOU JUST NEED TO FILL OUT A GREEN FORM. THANK YOU. LUKE. YEAH. NO, THAT THAT WAS IT. I JUST WANTED TO HAVE HIM SPEAK. 
          OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE SOME CONSENSUS? THE VICE MAYOR AND I ARE, IN THE OPINION OF A NO BUILD LETTER TO THE MPO. I'M CONSENSUS WITH THAT, I AGREE. OKAY, WELL, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT IT BE PUT ON A SUBSEQUENT AGENDA SO THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO FDOT AND TALK TO THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T UNDERTAKEN THAT, BECAUSE I RELIED ON THE FACT THAT YOU TWO ARE THERE. I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN I'M GOING TO DEFER TO YOU. YOU DO NOT LIKE THE OUTCOME, SO YOU'D LIKE TO I JUST WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BETTER INFORMATION ON IT. AGAIN, I STILL I'M RELYING ON THE FACT THAT YOU TWO ARE ON THE MPO, SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THEIR MEETING IN DOG. THERE'S NO URGENCY HERE. THE STUDY CONCLUDES IN 28. IS THAT CORRECT? AUGUST 2028. YEAH. SO THE NATURE OF THESE THINGS IS THE THE FURTHER THEY GO, THE MORE MOMENTUM THEY BUILD AND HARDER THEY ARE TO STOP. SO I WOULD, AFTER HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, LIKE TO STOP THIS MOVEMENT. NOW, I WANT IT TO BE, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY'S POSITION THAT IT'S NO LONGER INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT AND IT'S SEEKING THE NO BUILD OPTION. THREE ALTERNATIVE VICE MAYOR. YEAH, I THINK ANOTHER BIG THING TO THIS TOO AS WELL, COMMISSIONER RICH IS BEING AFFECTED AND WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN POPPLETON CREEK UP. WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN FRAZIER CREEK UP. AND IT'S COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. YEAH. IT'S YOU KNOW, WE'RE THROWING TAXPAYER MONEY AT ANOTHER TAXPAYER PROBLEM. IT DOES SEEM STRANGE THAT ANYBODY WOULD BE FOR BISECTING THAT WATERSHED IN HALF TO EXTEND THAT ROAD. ANOTHER HOWEVER MANY FEET TO GET TO US. ONE, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. AND I ALSO BELIEVE, LIKE I WANT TO SAY, WITH THE TRAFFIC HOTSPOT MAP THAT I SAW, IT REALLY DIDN'T EVEN ALLEVIATE IT BECAUSE THE REAL PROBLEM IS KANNER AND MONTEREY, NOT WILLOUGHBY AND MONTEREY. BUT THAT'S MY OPINION. 
          SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION? WE CAN MAKE A MOTION. OKAY, I THOUGHT WE'RE JUST DOING DELIBERATION. 
          I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME THE OTHER DAY. NO, I WOULD LIKE TO. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. I GUESS I'D PREFER A MOTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE COMMISSIONER JOB TALKED ABOUT SENDING A LETTER TO FDOT, AND COMMISSIONER READ TALKED ABOUT SENDING A LETTER TO MPO, SO I DON'T YEAH, IT'D BE THE MPO. OKAY. WOULD THAT BE THE ENTITY OKAY THEN I WOULD CERTAINLY. 
          BUT THE THE THE FDOT HAS WHAT AND SOUGHT INPUT FROM IT. I THINK IT DOES SAY FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS TO RESIDENTS TO EVERYBODY ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE. THAT'S WHAT I ATTACHED. 
          SO THEN TO YOUR POINT, IT WOULD BE TO BOTH. WE WOULD IT WOULD BE THE SAME CORRESPONDENCE TO MPO AND FDOT. THAT'S ALL I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION FROM. OKAY, OKAY. SO THEN I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE CITY TO SEND A LETTER TO BOTH THE MPO AND FDOT REGARDING THE WILLOUGHBY EXTENSION, THAT A MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA WOULD LIKE A NO BUILD OPTION THREE. 
          AND THE CITY IS ALSO REQUESTING THAT. AND IF WE COULD SEND THAT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. AND COULD I HAVE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION? I'LL SECOND IT. IS THERE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES, I HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. MARK BELLISSIMO. YES, SIR. THREE MINUTES. SEASIDE. 
          WHERE WHERE LUKE LIVES. WELL, IT'S OUR SECOND HOME. SO I THINK WHAT WILL HAPPEN HERE IS THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD SOMETHING. IT'LL GET USED, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY THINK IT WILL. I THINK IT'LL CREATE A NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ON CENTRAL PARKWAY. I MEAN, JUST THE IDEA WHETHER THEY GO RAISE WAY, STOP SIGN, MAKE A LEFT, ANOTHER STOP SIGN, MAKE A RIGHT, OR IF THEY COME THROUGH ALHAMBRA, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ANOTHER STOP SIGN. AND YOU'RE STILL NOT GOING TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GOING LEFT OR RIGHT AS COMPARED TO THAT. AND I DON'T. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL THE TRAFFIC'S STILL GOING TO END UP WHERE CANTER AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY MEET. IT WILL IT WILL ALLEVIATE SOMEONE CANTER. SURE. 
          BUT YOU'RE GOING TO INCREASE WILLOUGHBY. PROBABLY INDIAN. WHOEVER YOU KNOW FROM COMING SOUTH TO NORTH. HOWEVER THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, JUMP ON THERE. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S 
          [02:50:02]
AN EXPRESSWAY. BUT AT LEAST YOU HOPE IT'S NOT. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DRIVE IN FLORIDA. THEY TRY TO DRIVE A LITTLE FAST. THE OTHER THING I THINK SOMEONE MENTIONED ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND I'VE SEEN THIS IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE 62 MILLION, THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING TO BUILD EXTENSIONS TO THE TURNPIKE. AND THEY'RE GREAT. THERE'S NO ONE THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO ONE ON IT. I GET ON THERE TO TAKE THE SHORT, YOU KNOW, PERIODICALLY. 
          AND I LOOK AT MY WIFE AND I SAY, THERE'S NO ONE ON HERE. AND THEY SPENT WHO KNOWS HOW MANY MILLIONS THAT THEY SPENT ON THAT. AND I THINK SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO SPEND THEM. AMEN. AND MAYBE WE CAN SPEND THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT I THINK YOU GUYS HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION. SO CONGRATULATIONS. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND FOR CLARIFICATION, YOU'RE PROBABLY ALL MOVING DOWN HERE WHERE WE LIVE WHERE PEOPLE VACATION SO THEY'RE NOT USING THE ROADS NO MORE. I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT. 
          WHAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT TAXES. AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT'S NOT EVEN FULLY FUNDED. WHICH MEANS IF THEY DID GO TO BUILD THE ROAD NOW, THE TAXPAYERS WOULD BE HIT WITH THE COST TO BUILD THE ROAD AND THE BREAKTHROUGH AND ALL OF THAT. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT. LUKE, LUKE, LUKE, YOU CAN YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? YEAH. YOU CAN TELL YOU'VE BEEN AN INTERVENOR. 
          YOU GOT THE READY TO GO. GOOD EVENING. COMMISSION. MUCH LIKE JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP, I WAS BORN IN A SMALL TOWN AND I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN. SMALL TOWN CHARM ISN'T PUTTING A TREE IN A CENTER MEDIUM FOR EVERY 50 YOU CHOP DOWN. BUT THIS ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER THAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE ON CENTRAL PARKWAY SINCE 2021, REMINDS ME, A SONG BY COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR TIM MCGRAW, WHERE THE GREEN GRASS GROWS AND IT GOES AS FOLLOWS. THERE'S CONCRETE GROWING IN THE CITY PARK. I DON'T KNOW WHO MY NEIGHBORS ARE, AND THERE'S BARS ON THE CORNER AND BARS ON MY HEART. THERE WAS A RIDICULOUS ATTEMPT TO COMMANDEER A PUBLIC GAZEBO TO MAKE THAT INTO A FOR PROFIT BAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS FOR SHUTTING THAT DOWN. I DON'T KNOW WHO MY NEIGHBORS ARE, BECAUSE IF QUARTER ONE IS CHOSEN, THERE WILL BE 17 FAMILIES ALONG ANGLER IN SEASIDE THAT WILL BE MOVING OUT, AND IT'LL TAKE OUR HOME VALUES. I CARE MORE ABOUT THE PARK MYSELF. YES. ALL ON ALHAMBRA. IT STATES CLEARLY ON THE MPO MEETING FROM 915 THAT RIGHT OF WAY SLASH EMINENT DOMAIN WILL BE PULLED OFF. CORRIDOR ONE IS CHOSEN. YES. CORRIDOR TWO IS THE LESS BAD OPTION. WE SHOULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO SETTLE FOR LESS BAD ON CENTRAL PARKWAY. 
          THE FDOT CLAIMS NO IMPACT ON THE PARK. I FIND THAT EXTREMELY DISINGENUOUS. YES, IT MIGHT JUST A BRIDGE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, BUT THAT CAN. NOW THEY'RE PAVING OVER. MISS MARY MYERS HAS SOME PICTURES THAT I GAVE TO MISS MARY KIMBALL. CONTAINS FIVE FEDERALLY THREATENED WOOD STORKS. I DON'T THINK WE NEED A THAT'S NOT SMALL TOWN SHERIFF PAVING OVER THEIR THEIR HOME. 
          IT'S GOING TO BE NOISE. IT'S GOING TO BE RUIN OUR VIEWS. IT IT'S NOT PART OF SMALL TOWN STUART THAT WAS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE ACCOLADES FROM THE PAST COUPLE DECADES. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT CALL ME A NIMBY. NOT IN MY BACKYARD, BUT I WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF A NOOP. NOT ON OUR PUBLIC PARK. WE DON'T WANT IT. AND YES, THERE ARE 62.3 MILLION REASONS WHY THIS PROJECT IS A BAD IDEA. THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE FOR THIS PROJECT IS NOT FUNDED, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE MPO CAN ATTEST. WE'RE ORDERING A FINANCIAL SHORTFALL OF THAT. LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION FROM 915 OF 2025. AND IN ADDITION, THE ONE OF THE MOST BUSINESS BUSY AREAS MY NEIGHBOR TALKED ABOUT, GO TRY MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM CENTRAL PARKWAY ONTO CANTER. BUT FIRST BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT AND SAY YOUR PRAYERS. AND THAT'S ONLY GOING TO BE EXACERBATED IF THAT ROAD GETS PUSHED THROUGH. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT YEAH, SEASIDE TOWNHOMES DON'T WANT IT. 
          VILLA BELLA DON'T WANT IT. ESTATES AND STUART DOESN'T WANT IT NOW THAT THEY FINALLY KNOW ABOUT IT. TOWN PARK CONDOS DON'T WANT IT. AND SERENITY STUART, AKA THE OLD CENTRAL PARKWAY LOTS DON'T WANT IT. SO PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR CITIZENS AND RECOMMEND A NO BUILD TO FDOT AND THE MPO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONERS? I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S MY HONOR TO ACTUALLY DELIVER TO THE PUBLIC WHAT THEY WANT. I FEEL LIKE FOR SO MANY YEARS I WATCHED THE OPPOSITE HAPPEN, SO IT IS MY ABSOLUTE HONOR. DO YOU NEED ANY CLARIFICATION FROM US? I HAVE THE TO MPO AND FDOT. ALTERNATIVE. THERE WILL BE EXTENSION THAT THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS IN THE AREA WOULD LIKE THE NO BUILD OPTION THREE AND TO REMOVE AND THEN DRAWING FROM SOME OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT IT WOULD BE THE CITY'S POSITION THAT WE WE ARE 
          [02:55:06]
CHOOSING OPTION THREE. IT'S A POSITION OF THE CITY COMMISSION. OKAY. COMMISSIONER RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLERK. YES, MAYOR. COLLINS. YES. VICE MAYOR. REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. JOB. YES. 
          OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER BUSINESS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.