City Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, let's call this meeting to order. Vice Mayor, would you mind doing the pledge? Please stand al to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We'll have Pastor Keith of Club Zion do the invocation. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the privilege and the honor that you've given us to live in a country where we can speak our mind, speak our heart. We ask for your guidance and direction over this meeting. Let all things be done decently and in order. We thank you Lord God for uh our city commissioners and our our attorney and all those who serve Lord and uh ask us Lord to uh keep you keep them in prayer to guide our community. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. City clerk roll call. Commissioner Jackson here. Commissioner Hutcherson here.

Commissioner Smalty. Commissioner Timalty.

Yeah, I'm here. Vice Mayor Williams. I'm here. Mayor KZY here. A motion for the agenda. Move to approve the agenda as written. Second. Motion is second. All in favor? I I I. Motion passes. 50. Um, public comments about items that are not on the agenda. You have three minutes and we've got quite a few. I'll call these for CRA or are they for the We'll call Olivia Cape first. CRA or No, this is just for public comment. Are you nervous?

Yes. [laughter]

Um, hi. Um, my name is Olivia Capisi and I'm here today to talk about updating the city code enforcement rules for temporary signs, specifically um, open house signs, garage, garage sales, estate sale. Uh, these signs are not only for the benefit of realtors, but for the benefit of the local community. They help the sellers get a buyer a an a buyer to navigate through the city safely because uh some buyers are from out of town and they just don't know how to get places. Um we hold open houses because they help they bring real traffic to the property. Uh active buyers and no active buyers. I myself I have examples of people that just walking into the property and they were not thinking about uh buying a property and because they saw signs um the one of the community members were able to sell the property. Um I have personally experienced um that and in the last year a few times um there is the traffic uh comparison with signs or without signs is significantly low. Uh placing signs too far back right now from the sidewalk uh from the street reduc reduces the visibility. Uh and in many areas here in Koko Beach, there is just no space to put a sign uh on the other side on the private section or the private property. Uh this makes our job very difficult and espe especially in this tough market. Um I came here not just to complain but to also propose some uh reasonable regulations. Um you

guys can change it to maybe just um put a a limit of window of times uh Friday to Sunday uh a specific hours um and set a clear limit of how many signs we can put over there and to promote education about the code. I encountered the code enforcement twice this this month in January and I mean we spend a lot of money in signs and we like to pick them up and when somebody comes and just is rude about it and just say no we're going to trash it and we're facing and we're being polite is not it's not right. On the second time he was very nice and gave me a piece of paper uh with the code enforcement. and I had the signs in the right place but I didn't know that we were not allowed to put balloons so encouraging the education about what is the code there is a bunch of new agents too around that was it

thank you

um how many in this room are here because of the signs can you raise your hand okay I have a I have a lot here and in in anticipation of this um for those of you that don't know, uh, we we got a new code enforcement guy. So, um, they've been a lot more strict on on open house signs lately, and those signs are are tools, um, for these realators. They don't want to lose their signs, so they pick them up as soon as they're done, and they don't want people going to open houses when they're not there. So, um I have asked our attorney to write a um a temporary uh stop on the siden ordinance. Uh if you wouldn't mind reading that.

Okay. Um what it's not on the entire sign ordinance, but it is a temporatorium in the enforcement of certain temporary sign ordinance violations. But the title of it is adopt resolution 20263 a resolution of the city commission of the city of Cocoa Beach, Florida. Providing for a temporary moratorum on the enforcement of certain temporary sign ordinance violations. Providing conditions and limitations on the mor moratorum. Providing for confiscation and retrieval of temporary signs under certain circumstances. Providing for a retrieval fee. Providing for direction to the city manager. providing for a limited duration and providing for an effective date. Um, Representative Becky Vo, city attorney, recommendation approved. Um, this resolution basically gives us some breathing time to reook at our sign code, particularly relating to temporary signs. And um, within that 30 days, we can uh figure out exactly which direction we want to go. we can adopt um an emer a temporary emergency ordinance and then start the process of a permanent ordinance. So this is just to give us some time to discuss what's needed and uh you know allow the process to go forward.

Let me just explain to the commission real quick. Um, the reason why uh I wanted to do this is because not only is it taxing for our um our code enforcement, also for our our staff and for for for me because I've been getting a lot of calls and emails and stuff like that as well. Um, I would like to to know if you guys are willing to look at that and maybe um come up with a an idea that helps so that they can use their tools without them getting picked up. it just like um so you know if you if you put them up you know an hour or so before an open house usually they're a couple hours long sometimes four hours long and pick them up within an hour after that and they're not you know impeding you know people traversing sidewalks and roads and stuff um I'd be consider relaxation of our current code. But um like over on uh North Banana River Drive in Merit Island, you drive down that road and there's open house signs for a mile. I a half mile on one side of where you turn and a half mile on the other side. There's like 40 signs. So we got to have a limit on how many signs, you know, at basically at the at the major the intersections and such. I would consider, but there definitely needs to be a limit on the the amount of signs. And um I think that this is something that uh we could make a motion and I'd like to revise this as a a temporary resolution number. Umpy

it. It actually it only lasts for 30 days. Yeah. Okay. so that we can come up with like you said maybe a maybe a a five hour time frame limit uh of the signs being out or after that they get picked up stuff like that. Yes. The way it's written is that um if you have a temporary sign out there more than 8 hours it will get taken. Um so it can't be more than eight hours and maybe that number needs to be smaller. Um, and I think we should have some discussion as to what ultimately when they leave the property after the open house. That's the time they should be picking up the signs.

Absolutely. And and I would think that that really is what happens. But this it's not only uh open house signs. It's also um garage sale signs and sometimes garage sales do last all day. That is true. That is true.

Yeah. in looking at this this brought up some discussion with Wes and and Becky, I didn't get a chance to talk to you about this, but we've got a season coming up that is near and dear to all of our hearts where signs proliferate across the city, right? Um, seat four, seat five are we're going to see names everywhere. And I know that uh year ago, two years ago, as we were putting up signs, there was there was some consideration provided by the city manager that sign code was not enforced. And and I think if we're going to ask for enforcement of sign code, it needs to apply to the commission and commission candidates as well. And so I'd ask we look at this, let's make sure that we as we amend things that we address all of the different specialty times including commission campaigns and things like that.

And sometimes, and it's pretty common, um there will be a hiatus of maybe 30 days before the election where temporary sign ordinances are not enforced at all. whether it's for campaign signs, open house signs, because you can't discriminate against them, right? And that is not an unusual thing to happen. Well, I'd just say that as far as campaign signs go, you don't put them on

the private property. I mean, you put them on the private property, not on the public rideway. And that's what I've always done. But I promise everybody in this room tonight I won't put up one sign [laughter] even though residents do still matter. So can we could somebody make a motion? Yeah. So I I mean I support the 30-day mortorium. Are we are we going to be able to hash out the details? We only have one other commission in the next 30 days. No no I'm not asking. I'm saying whatever inputs you guys want to exolve. We only have one commission in the next 30 days. So Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a good target. Yes. Go ahead, Tim.

Oh, thank you. So, um, my position on on these signs is I I agree. The 8 hours for, um, open house signs and whatnot. We also have signs out there for pressure washing and all. It that's more of a Is that different than an open house sign? I don't know. Um, but but we need to we need to discuss that. That needs to be brought out and I know I know Becky, you're going to come up with a a plan going forward for us at our next meeting and and give us a a long-term ordinance. Um, with regard to campaign fines, I totally disagree in having a any type of moratorum and allowing any campaign or um candidate to put any sign on any property other than private property. We totally

I agree. Fine should not be on public property anywhere. I agree with you on that, Tim. I agree. Yeah. We simply didn't enforce it this last campaign season. And I I I agree with you, Tim. I [clears throat] think the the rules need to apply equitably across. Okay. So, we got a motion from Jeremy for Becky's temporary um moratorum. I'll second. Got a motion in a second. All in favor? I I motion passes. 50. That being said, does anybody about the sign stuff still want to speak because we we are planning on making it work for you. So, if uh what's your name? Debbie.

Debbie, come on up. Debbie Roth. Sorry, I couldn't see.

That's okay. Um I'm glad you are reviewing this because it is important. As you know, I'm a realtor. I've been a realtor over 30ome years. I won't say how long, but I've never had open house signs taken up. This weekend, I did speak with the code enforcement. He said they are now enforcing it because they have a weekend person to enforce it. So my s I'm just offering some suggestions to think about and that is the number of signs. I don't think you need 10 signs on A1A for one open house. That's one thing. The other thing is maybe a warning because he said they destroy them right away. It costs a lot of money. So when you're thinking of this plan, uh maybe certain days we don't need eight hours. We don't hold eight hour open house houses. So perhaps a time and a day limit. And I think Olivia pointed out though, we can't put our open house signs on private property because they can't be seen from A1A and South Orlando and Bvard. So, they are on city property and they've been doing this for years. We've never had a problem until just recently because you've got someone enforcing it. But a warning would have been great. Um, and we pick them up immediately after the open house if they're they're longer than they should be picked up. So, but limit the number. Having 10 and 20 is ridiculous. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Um Wes, you you wanted to add something to that? Just with regard to uh destroying the signs. Yeah, it's on, I think. Okay. Just with regard to signs being destroyed, um that's actually one of the things that we're going to look at as well. I've already met with the city attorney on it and we we actually have some thoughts on it. So, that's going to be addressed. Thank you. also. Yep. All right. Um, anybody else uh for public comment about items that are not on the agenda?

Go ahead, Melissa. Good evening. I'm Melissa Byron. Um, I first off, I want to congratulate and thank whoever is doing CBNN for the city. It is absolutely amazing. It's informative. It's entertaining. It's done in a timely fashion. And whoever is doing it and whoever the team is, please give them huge kudos because it's really come a long way. And it's you can rely on it. And I love the new tone to it. The new tone of folksy almost folksy. And you know, we're part of your neighborhood and we want to tell you what's going on. And it's just incredibly informative. And I want to thank you for that. And I want you to thank the staff members that are doing it and commend them for that because it's an incredible um communication tool that is really being used well. So, whoever did it, thank you very much.

Thank you, Melissa. [applause] Jenna Scott. [clears throat]

Good evening, mayor, commissioners, city staff, everybody. Um, happy new year. Uh, it's a good time. I made a New Year's resolution. I wasn't coming to any more meetings. I know you'll all miss me though, right? You won't know what's going on really among the the resident taxpayers unless you hear from me. So, I just thought I would remind you all that it may be archaic to go by the city charter that says you all are to conjure up policies and vote on them here, agree on a consensus, and those are the policies that get implemented by by the city manager directing his staff. The other thing I wanted to and I mean it's archaic. I I learned how to do it. So, I know you guys are a smart study. You could do it, too. Um, I also wanted to say this may be a little early, but you know how I feel about taxes. And I know other agencies, county, everybody are looking at increasing their taxes, putting schoolboard taxes on the ballot again, putting um lagoon taxes. Who knows what other taxes are going to come forward before this is over. But I wanted to um just say that during your campaigns when we all elected you, you said you would support low taxes. So now I challenge you all to stand up and be the conservative Republicans you claim to be. Thank you.

Thank you, Janice. And by the way, uh I think we all are going to try to do roll back this year. Just to be clear, the commission seats are nonpartisan. So, we don't claim to hold a particular party office. Yes. But we're not allowed. No, I'm just joking. Uh Keith Capey.

Yes. I'm nervous. Um I'm going to bring up a dead horse. the electric ebikes, scooters. I know you guys have heard it a million times, but I live off of Minute Man Causeway and when I come out of my street in the morning, it's like the Indianapolis Speedway and these kids are riding two up, they're going 30 miles an hour easy. Uh there's a multitude of them running wheelies down the road. You have people walking, walking dogs. You have people pulling pushing strollers. And it's it's like total chaos. Half these kids aren't wearing helmets. And I'm just wondering, has there been anything spoken in the in the city to fix this problem? Because I I someone's going to get killed. That's that's just a fact. Someone is going to get killed. And how many times do we have to keep bringing it up before something is done? I'm I'm telling you, I'm not prophesying. It's gonna happen because I have almost hit a kid and they they come out of nowhere and they come up on you so fast you it's it's scary and I I I see these kids go by when I'm waiting to pull out and they're not even looking at the side streets. They're flying and just two days ago, four of them coming down like a gang pulling wheelies and then one of them ran the other one off the sidewalk by where the canal is close to the sidewalk. So, uh, you know, I don't get up and speak hardly ever, but it's gotten to the point where I'm afraid, you know, some parents going to be grieving seriously to lose a beautiful child. So I think we need to do something.

So Mr. Capezy. Yes, sir. We we have we have done something and we we are continuing to do stuff. We we did make a 15 mph speed limit on Minute Man Causeway. Yes. Um and we are also currently ticketing uh the dirt bike style uh bicycles.

Mhm. because uh we're giving them no registration, no license, uh riding a motor vehicle uh on a sidewalk. So, they're actually getting real time like bad tickets now. Um but I would like to ask the city manager if we can up the enforcement in the morning for for the ebikes to try to um make it make them understand that we're we are going to keep them accountable. Yeah, it would be our pleasure. Uh we have put out notices on social media that we're having zero tolerance now. We've actually given out plenty of uh notices. We've had communication with our students both at both schools on Minute Man as well, and we've had plenty of conversations with parents that we are zero tolerance. We've I don't have the stats tonight, but we've written plenty of tickets lately and have heard from plenty of parents about it. So, we will continue to do so, sir.

I know the police stay at the the Lutheran Church shooting radar at the cars, but I never see them as shooting radar at the bikes. We are there. And we're not just there. We're on Cedar. We're on Woodland. We're on Brevard. Um, our hands are tied as it relates to speed in those areas because we just have the speed limit on Minute Man right now, but we can still get them for other violations. Okay. Okay. I'm just very concerned. Yes, sir. So are we. Thank you.

Yeah. I I didn't bring this up in in November because I didn't want it to be a separate subject, but in observation I had um I don't know if any of any of y'all have been in Israel, but in Israel, every ebike, every ecooter has a little motorcycle sized Israeli license plate on it. So, you know, flock cameras, you know, cameras, whatever. You know, you can uh identify who was the person that went and got the tag. It might not be the person riding the bike, but you can identify the the person that that got the tag and tied to the vehicle. You know, I know that that's a long shot. you know, we we can't afford to create a a city law to have everybody register them and get the prisoners to crank out license plates and do all the bookkeeping and all that for them. But, uh, I just thought it was interesting that in in a country like that, they do that and people don't ride down the road at 30 m an hour and they don't ride through the bike paths down in Tel Aviv by the beach at 30 m an hour. You know, they're very courteous because there is enforcement and they are identifiable. So, I just wanted to bring that up. I could have brought pictures, but I don't think you'd be able to see them on my my [laughter] phone or show you on my phone. All right. Thank you. Uh, any other public comments items that are not on the agenda? All right. Moving along. Uh, staff reports. Okay. Staff reports. Uh, from our storm

water department, there will be a vulnerability assessment public outreach meeting on February 10th at 6:00 p.m. in the commission room. There will be engineers on site with maps and it'll be an information sharing session from our leisure services department. Uh the installation of the Toro irrigation system was 100% completed at the golf course on January 9th, 2026. With regards to the pool, the pool will close on Sunday, January 25th to replace the liner. The project is estimated to take 5 to 6 weeks, but we hope to have it completed sooner than that. from our public works department. Everybody hold their breath. The parking garage elevator is scheduled to be operational approximately January 19th of this year.

Okay. I'm glad you have it of this year. [laughter]

In all in all fairness, Brad's been working very hard on this and uh he's been in constant contact with those folks. Uh Bsentennial Park boat access, that's hot topic. uh anticipated to be open sometime during the week of January 20th of this year. Um I will say again, January 20th, approximately that week, no bathrooms or showers will be in use and we'll announce it on CBNN. Also, uh from our water recck department, the sewer pipe replacements have been completed at 9inth Street South, Fourth Street South Crossing Orlando Avenue, and Second Street South Crossing Orlando. The next pipe repair will occur across A1A at Veterans Way alley. Work to commence on January 26th. This is going to cause some lane closures and expect that to last about a week. Brad's and our PD and FD and everybody's aware. Okay. Any issues?

Thank you. That's all I got. The attorney? Um, nothing else. Thank you. All right. Let's see. All right. Uh, city commission, I've got one. Yep.

Uh, wanted to, and this goes out to Tim as well, congratulate Bvard public schools for getting the highest graduation rate in Bvard history, 92.7%. Thank you to our schools and our teachers. [applause] Phenomenal. That includes Cocoa Beach Junior Senior High. Our school had a graduation rate even better at 98%. So, great job Bard Public Schools and especially CBHS. Thank you to the teachers coming there.

So, um 2026 is going to be good. Uh happy birthday year America. So, I know we've got some budget uh for our 250th birthday. I anxious to get those agenda items nailed down for uh how we're going to celebrate that. It's at least as important as the 100th anniversary last year. Um, the second thing, uh, to Miss Janice Scott, I agree with roll back. Uh, those that have watched any of these commissions, I've never voted for a budget, but I think this year might be the first one. I'm getting confidence from our CFO that we can achieve roll back, and it sounds like the mayor might support it in his current write up, so we may have a majority. And then lastly, I want to thank AJ um, for his service and giving us transition and stability. So, thanks AJ.

Okay, I'll pass. All right. All right. Um, yeah, I have Hello. Yeah, go ahead, Tim. Hey, thanks. Um, I'd just like to uh ask [clears throat] I don't have a person or anything uh other than what I just heard here earlier. Skip, you mentioned something about putting a some sort of either a decal or a license on um ebikes. I think that's a fantastic idea. Um Becky, is that something we can possibly do to register ebikes in Cocoa Beach? Is that a thing?

I would need to do the legal research on this, but there's a good possibility I can get back with you on that.

Yeah. So, thank you, Skip. That's a I think a fantastic idea. That way we can document every ebike. And you know, some of them, you know, they're um they're they're changing them kind of [clears throat] what do you call it? Um where they they make the bikes faster than they are generally built. So kind of budging it to make them instead of going 25 mph, they can get them up to 3540 mph by changing a couple of things on the on the back itself. And that's totally illegal and but uh it it's certainly happening. Um and and we've been talking about this for a long time. Fortunately, we do have an ordinance and thank you uh less for for pushing that through and and keeping your your police officers um um their diligence is is helping out. Um but they can't be everywhere all the time. So you're you're going to see people doing things they shouldn't be doing, but you know it to to cover every 100 ft of Cocoa Beach, we'd need about a thousand officers and that's just not a not a possibility. Uh but thank you. I look forward to hearing about that. I'm done. Thanks.

One more thing.

All right. Go ahead, Skip. So if we have a 15 mph speed limit on the on the minimum, I think we should definitely make that enforceable on the beaches also because you know people flying down the beach at 30 35 miles an hour on their ebikes, you know, just with little kids sitting on a blanket and they decide they want to run down and see they see a seagull or something and they just run toward the seagull and somebody's flying by at 30 mph. You know, if we can put 15 m an hour on Minute Man, we can put 15 m an hour on the beach. So, that's an option. And then the other thing is uh what happened to our Christmas banners that we used to hang on the light poles? [snorts] They disappeared this year for advertisements for the 250th and businesses and all that. And we never bothered to put the the Christmas banners up even for the we Christmas.

I agree. So, did they go missing or they didn't look like they're in that bad a shape the last time I saw them up? So, just questioning that. That's it. Okay. All right.

Hey, I got to go back. I have a go back on that. Thank you, Skip, for bringing that up as well. You know, are we advertising on those lines? In in my opinion, hey, this is this is the city, you know, promoting itself. if we're gonna put advertisement on those signs, we just I I just hate that. So, either we promote ourselves and say, "Hey, this is Cocoa Beach and this is a season." We put those those things up there and do that. That that that's my opinion. Um, as far as the the speed of the bikes, we talked about this and I was I pushed that the entire city should be under the same ordinance on speed limit on ebikes, not just Minute Man Causeway. And I'll leave it at that. Thanks.

Thank you, Tim. All right, let's let's move along here. All right. Um, we'll recess for uh the commission meeting and we will start convene our CRA meeting. All right, city attorney item one. Okay, item one under the CRA meeting request to approve commercial visual improvement grant for Slow and Low Barbecue in the amount of $25,000 located at 306 North Orlando Avenue, Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931. This is a budgeted item. Staff Representative Devin Thally, deputy finance director, CRA. Recommendation approve.

Move to approve as read. Second. motion in a second. Um, any public comment? By the way, it sounds like this is this is going to go through, so I wouldn't say you'd have to do public comment unless you Okay. Any any commission comment? You you want to say something? Go ahead. Less less is more sometimes. Yeah. What are they going to do for $25,000? I mean, can we at least know what what this is going to be applied to and know that it's a matching? I believe it's the parking lot rate. I believe so. It's I don't know if you can put that up there. Karen, is there a way to put that graphic up there? It's attached, but I believe it was the parking lot if I ever I'll have her come up real quick and just just tell you.

Can you give Melissa the link to the agenda so she can see all the info on that kind of stuff? Come on up. It's for the parking lot. Um we've got three quotes. It's about $60,000 to redo the whole parking lot. It's in a lot of disarray. We've tried patching it. We want to take it all the way down to nothing. And repave it, reripe it, put all the new arrows, lines so it looks brand new again. I agree. That's going to make a huge difference in the appearance of that place. Absolutely.

Any other public comment about this? Any any commission comment? All in favor? I I I motion passes 50. Number two. Okay. Item two, request to renew the lease agreement between the CRA and Cocoa Beach Main Street for usage of office space in the garage parking garage located at 25 South Orlando Avenue, Cocoa Beach, Florida, 32931. Staff representative Devin Tally, deputy finance director, CRA. Recommendation approve. Move to approve as read. Second. Motion and a second. Any public comment about this? Any commission comment? Oh, I'd like to say thank you. Okay. Uh, all all in favor?

I I Motion passes 5. Now's when you say thank you. That was a little premature, but we I know where you're going with that. All right. Um, [clears throat] all right. Let's reconvene with our commission meeting. Consent agenda.

Okay, this is the consent agenda. Item one, approve the December 4th, 2025 city commission meeting minutes, staff representative, city clerk department recommendation approved. Item two, adopt resolution 20261, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Cocoa Beach, Florida, adopting the Bvard County multi-jurisdictional local mitigation strategy. Staff representative Justin Grimes, fire chief. Recommendation approved. Move to approve the consent agenda as read. Second. Motion. Motion in a second. All in favor? I I I. Motion passes 50. Number two. Oh, wait.

J1. Okay. This is unfinished business. Item one, adopt ordinance 1707 on second reading, an ordinance of the city of Cocoa Beach, Florida, merging the sustainable land advisory committee with the planning board into a single board continuing to be known as the planning board, providing for members, providing for duties and responsibilities, providing for terms of office, providing for transition of existing members, providing for rules of procedure, providing for severability, providing for codification, and providing for an effective date. Staff Representative David Dicki, Development Services recommendation adopt and this was revised in accordance with the request at the first reading. Move to approve J1 as read.

Second motion second. Motion and a second. Uh roll call, please. Sorry. Public comment about this. Any commission comment? Uh roll call, please. Commissioner Jackson, I. Commissioner Hutcherson, I. Commissioner Tumulti. Hi, Vice Mayor Williams. Hi, Mayor Kapzy. Hi. New business. Okay. Um, passes 50.

Okay. New business. Item one, city manager discussion. Staff representative Becky VO, city attorney. Recommendation discuss. Um, I'd like to give this to Skip if you wouldn't mind. And I would like to make a motion for Skip's proposal, and I had a discussion with with Wes to revise the the number to uh 899 for the salary. Second. All right. Got a motion to second. Motion is to adopt the contract with that one modification. Right.

What's the basis of that 189 number? I mean, that was going to be my question. Number one, we're going to collect inputs from everybody behind the scenes. I think we got there. It sounds like I was the only one that had feedback. Um, but that was going to be I was going to ask where you got from the 185 where you got the 189 from and I also provided feedback. So, where did I get that from? Yeah. I mean, what's what's

So, uh, I I checked around. I called a few mayors. I checked around with different numbers in the area. Um, you know, some of the cities that have similar um, uh, employee count, stuff like that. Uh, for example, Coco is uh, 196. Um, you know, there's we we put in our in what we were looking for from 160 to uh 235. Uh, that's a that's a you know, that's towards the middle of the of the spectrum. I mean, I I think me and you were the only ones that voted Noah against the the the 235. I I think that's that's a lot. Um,

well, I mean, it's not I think it's it's I went with the recommendations of the professional firm we hired. That's my logic is they pay they get paid to do this, right? So, that's why I voted no against that original range and then I think we modified it from there. But yeah, and the the reason we went all the way to 235 was to hopefully and I wrote it in my memo that's part of the public record to attract stellar, you know, very experienced candidates, you know, at the top of the range and they didn't bite. Yeah. Didn't So now we're in the middle of I think we're in the in the middle of the range

and I think we're getting good value for the citizens of Koka Beach.

I want to say that I think also I think this is way more qualified than any of the people that we had seen in that uh that meeting. Um you know, speaking with him this week, uh I was very I was very happy. Um I was very impressed. Uh he's very smart. He's he's intuitive. Um he's receptive and uh I talked to the all a lot of the employees on the police side and on the uh the city side not not one complaint not one complaint and initially you know I had some reservations um but after talking to him and talking with them I think he's a he'd be a real asset to the city and I think um I think we'd be happy to have I I would be happy to have you. So,

um, you have any more comments? No, I I mean I'm I 100% support Wes. I think you're exactly right. I think he's got much better skill set than anyone we interviewed or have had short of AJ maybe. Um, my sticking point was just the the divergence from what the professionals recommended salary range. and professionals recommended a field of you know they got had 67 candidates they whittle it down to 12 they sent it to us to whittle it down some more we interviewed them all and that professional firm didn't give us anybody that we could agree on to be our city manager so take that what has it be may or however you say that

I'll add my two cents and and Wes is has been an absolutely stellar performer we we've had this similar discussion when we were talking about him for police chief. And I think looking back as as once we got the news from AJ and and starting to think through some of the key criteria of of looking ahead over the next few years, what do we need in a city manager and what and what would we expect from Wes in that context? And one, one of the best things AJ did for the city is stabilize, right? Stabilize and bring continuity. Wes has demonstrated that in space. So check uh in terms of fiscal responsibility and make progress. He's got a stellar team in our financial department, but he himself has led a department very well from a fiscal perspective that's fairly complex. Police deal with with quite quite a budget. And so the ability to manage complex fiscal situation check from a succession planning and one of the things that we were challenged with in terms of the the search for a city manager and the recognition that growing within is a is a real asset. It's a real value because you get known quantities. You have a long effective interview process over the years. um Wes has already been the the key spearhead along with our HR department in setting up and establishing that succession planning the staff management talent management and so I think not only has he been leading that but we have the implementation of that with this approach and I'd offer just the last piece that I think one of the best city managers we've ever had is AJ I think he is incredible and under the opaces of takes one to no one that's who AJ recommends so for me. Put those four things down and that's that's where my head's at.

I want to add a couple more things to real quick. The one thing that Wes is also is he's he's younger. Mhm.

And he has the ability to stick around for a long time. uh which is very important because we've had so much turnover lately that it's really hard on a commission to try to to get things done because every time you get a new city manager then you kind of get a reset and all this stuff that you're working on gets kind of put on the side burner and then a new set of stuff gets gets on the on the burner. So to have to have somebody that's that also knows the city and has been he's really the only constant that we've had um in management that you know that's been around that knows what's been going on. So it's it's a lot better too to have somebody in house that's seen the changes that knows the city. He knows the city very well. So if we brought somebody else in that wasn't from the city again we'd have to start from scratch. public any anybody

I have something to say. Go ahead, Tim.

Before we go, public, thank you. So, I I also agree. I think we have the consensus of the commission that that Wes is is the person for the job here. Um the issue at hand is how much we pay him. And I think that Jeremy, that's where you're coming from. So what Cocoa Beach has that a lot of other cities don't have um water treatment facility. We take care of Patrick. We take care of Cape Canaveral or or the port rather. Um we have a golf course. Not very many coastline cities have golf courses. We have a fire a full fire department. Our own police department. We have parks that's along with the golf course. Not just the How many parks do we have?

Oh, I'd say about 12. Yeah.

Okay. 12 parks. [clears throat] That doesn't include 6 milesi of beach front park that we have that we have to take care of. That's responsible of our city manager. We also have a river on the other side on the west side of of Cocoa Beach that we have to take care of. We have to communicate with uh Coast Guard, the federal government. We have to deal with the state government, county government, a lot of responsibilities on our city manager, much more than almost every other city in Bard County or the state of Florida for that matter. So the the salary we pay our city manager has to be justified and it is justified in that he's got to take care of a lot more things than any other city manager has to in just about every other city in Florida. Thank you.

Not to mention that the influx of tourists that we have here that add to the burden on the city. Thank you. literally millions of tourists per year to this city. Canal doesn't get the million tourists. I call the great beach doesn't get a million tourists. We do. All right. Thank you, Tim. So, we're good on public comment. You have one card on your Miss Scott. Oh, Janet Janice Scott. I almost missed you. Sorry about that.

Okay. Janice Scott, Coco Beach. Um, I spoke to Wes just before the meeting and I wanted to reassure him that anything I had to say about this in this discussion was not personal. I like Wes, he's been here a long time. I've been here a long time. AJ has been here a long time. And AJ, if you're listening, I want to tell you how much we are really going to miss you. Second time around. I mean, I thought you'd be here till I was gone, but hey, if you need anything, give me a call. So, as to the my biggest thing is looking at um the salary um it I really was cringing because I looked at the salary for Coco and I guess you all looked at some other figure but Coco's 15 square miles. They have a very diverse population. They have a myriad of issues that even though uh Commissioner Tamalty mentioned some uh that we do not have here. I noticed um and this is kind of about you all the commissioners. You do not seem to particularly engage with the county, with the state, with FDOT. Uh I got the impression you didn't particularly care for the Florida League of Cities. I didn't either. I didn't like them at all. However, whoever's in this job has to have some experience and I'm sure that uh your candidate has some experience dealing with other agencies and so forth, but I mean it's a very that in itself of never having worked outside of Cocoa Beach and you know you do have he had the backup of um mentors or people with more experience uh with Chuck Bilius and so on and so forth. with AJ, which he he's not going to have that ex those people to rely on right

now. And um anyway, we y all have spent so much money in the last four years with people leaving, retiring. It's almost a half a million dollars. That really upsets me a lot. So, I do hope that this works out well for you all, whatever you decide, and that um you will consider us with to revise the pension plan somehow. Um when you buy out people from their their retirement contributions because I feel like the resident taxpayers are always holding the bag. Thank you. Thank you, Janice. like to

close public comment and I'd like to head and call the vote and this is just a voice vote. Becky Irene Karen. Yes. Yes. Okay. All in favor signify by saying I. I. I. I. All right. Motion passes 5. I'll pass the gavl back to the mayor. Mayor, I do have a housekeeping. Go ahead. Piece of business. That's uh expedient now that Congratulations. Wes is our NEXT CITY MANAGER. [applause] [applause]

GET YOU TO COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE. We don't usually do a swear in for a city manager, correct? Okay. So, you're good as of now. No, right there. At that podium now, this is the Das. Sorry. Okay. It's early. Sorry. when you when if you ever become a commissioner, this is the DAS.

All right, I apologize. Okay. For uh expediency in in housekeeping, um our city uh rules and rags, I won't mention which one says that the city manager hires the police chief, chooses, hires, promotes the police chief, but it has that person uh male or female needs to be concurred with by this city commission. So, I would just ask ask Wes if your intentions are to promote officer or deputy chief Chris Cuan to be our police chief. Yes, sir.

Okay. And then I would ask consensus from the commission and if if I need to make it as formal motion I will that um the commission consent to the city manager's choice for police chief of uh the current deputy chief Chris Cohen. I I concur. Well, let's do a second and do an actual vote. Okay. So then I'll I'll call uh Is there any public comment? Public comment on that. All right. All in favor? I mean, I'll call it. You got it. You You mind if I I All right. All right. Let's bring Chris up. [applause]

[applause]

You're welcome to say a few words.

Okay. Um mic is on a little low. Uh mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, and city manager, I appreciate this opportunity and I thank you wholeheartedly. Um as many of you know, I'm a graduate of Cocoa Beach High School. I've been a member of the community since uh 1998. And uh this it's just an honor to stand in front of you and be voted in and uh as the next police chief. Uh to the men and women behind me, the the department, uh this is the highest honor of my career and I have your back. Um the residents of the community, I'll I have an open door policy and uh you can reach me anytime 247. I'll be available to you. So once again, I appreciate it and uh thank you for the opportunity and I will lead from a stance of humility.

Congratulations, Chief. Thank you. [applause] [applause] So, Wes, as your last halfway duty is police chief, next time you have an officer uh swearing in, can you make sure that he's included? But give him his four stars tomorrow. Yes, sir. Okay. Okay. It's exciting. It is.

I'm really I'm really excited about all this. Chris, I'm really excited to have you in there. Wes, I'm I'm really excited. Wes, I'm really excited though. All right. Uh, number two. Okay. Item two, adopt resolution 2026-2, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Cocoa Beach declaring and recognizing up the lagoon Cocoa Beach as an official community event providing for purpose and and intent and providing for an effective date. Staff representative Joshua Action Commissioner Recommendation adopt. Adopt K2 is read. Second motion and a second. Any public comment on this?

Uh would Josh, would you mind um just describing what this is about?

I'd love to. So I'm we don't get to discuss behind closed doors. So this is my first opportunity to really bring to you guys something I'm very excited about. This is an opportunity for us to one support our lo local education and students. Uh we've got a stu effectively a studentled project here uh that will showcase in February, but we've got students at Freedom 7 led by Principal Lot who are planning out the first annual Cocoa Beach Light up the lagoon festival that starts to take advantage of a relatively unique local phenomena in our lagoon. I believe it also happens in Puerto Rico, but that's maybe the only other place I'm aware of in the world that has the bioluminescence phenomena that we have. And so we've never leveraged it. We've never really had any type of formal celebration. And what the students are doing are planning out a schedule of events over this four-week period that tends to kick off our low season, right? But this is something that the local business have bought into and are excited about. And they'll be taking what the students plan and begin to implement in our local businesses as a bioluminescence festival. There'll be educational portions to it as well as activities and events. and we get the opportunity as the commission to kind of set it in motion and make it official.

I want to add too that is zero cost to the city. So just for you you penny pinchers. I I I just want I just want to add that um you need to get out more Josh because bioluminescence is a is a a phenomenon that can happen in any particular body of water with the right mixture of salt water and and fresh water and uh the biological uh makeup of that body of water. And I I've seen it on this river all my life. And the lights down helps, too. Yep. It's pretty wonderful. It's not just Cocoa Beach in Puerto Rico. I just thought I'd let you know. [laughter]

Regardless, I appreciate you bringing the forward. There's nothing like hands-on learning for kids because it is unique. I mean, there's nothing, you know, it's basically four weeks in the summer and, you know, standing on your dock if you can see the fish scatter. It's truly amazing. So, bringing the science that real hands-on science to it. I love it. I totally support it. You just got to harness that energy. All right. [laughter] Call Elon. I'm going to call it. All in favor? I I. All opposed. [clears throat] Tim, you are you in favor? Yes. I Sorry. All right. That's that's fine. Motion passes. 50. Number three.

Okay. Item three. Approve approve the proposal provided by automated logic in the amount of $79,360 to upgrade the heating and cooling control systems at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. This is a budgeted capital item. Staff representative Brad Cowzel, water reclamation public works director. Recommendation approved. Moved to approve K3 as read. Motion and a second. Um, city manager, you mind if I ask Brad, please? Yes. Yeah, I have a question. There you are. Hi. Uh, were you able to get three bids on this one? Okay. And who did you wind up in the contract to?

Automated logic. Oh, yeah. There you go. Okay. Um, you got So, do we have any experience with these automated logic? Have we used them before? City has never used them before to my knowledge. Okay. You think it's high risk using these guys? And maybe you interface with them. They're responsive. Um, I've been speaking with a couple of our AC companies. They they aged them at other entities in the past. Um, they're they're very confident in their abilities and, you know, the training that we'll get from them will allow our staff to better control that kind of flow. You don't think this is just a low low bid or its best value is the I believe I believe so. Yes.

And thank you for doing the quotes. You do a phenomenal job getting the quotes. Appreciate it. And Brad, I didn't see it in any of the write up, but the estimated um you know, return on investment cost savings due to being able to adjust things properly, not be over here and below there. Is it like 5% a year or

It could be. I mean, that's to be determined. We're going to have to monitor our bills for the next 6 12 months. But didn't they in their pitch didn't they say our experience has been that we've been able to reduce you know uh energy costs in these particular facilities maybe close to our scale by x amount. They did not tell me personally but I do have a rep here if you want him to speak on that behalf. Yeah I would like to

um generally you see 5 to 10% improvement. uh we we the the system that's in place now isn't working. So it's hard to tell, you know, we might see more than that, but the the system that's in place now is no longer fully functioning. So,

okay. So, that's what I was I was thinking five, it should be at least 5% to spend that kind of money because takes a lot of time to make up that 5%, but I I believe it'll be higher than that. Um I work with Andover systems and uh they you know really dial it down to humidity and temp within such such a degrees and it really has saved us a lot of energy. Thank you. Thank you. Uh thanks Brad. Oh you got another Go ahead. Oh okay. Yeah.

Uh any any public comment? Any comment? All in favor? I I I. Motion passes 50. Number four.

Okay. Item four, accept the engineers recommendation of award for bid CB26003 Dune Crossover South 7th Street and Flagger Lane. Submitted by Doug Wilson Enterprises, Inc. in the amount of $133,280 for South Seven Street and Johnson Amphibious Marine contractors doing business as Waterfront Solutions in the amount of $148,970 for Flaggler Lane. Allow staff to enter into contract with Doug Wilson Enterprises Inc. and Johnson Amphibious Marine Contractors DBA Waterfront Solutions. This is a budgeted capital project. Staff Representative Brao, public works and water reclamations director. Recommendation approved.

Move to approve as read. Second. Brad, my only question is I saw they were the lowest cost bidder. You're comfortable. We're not going out on a limb with the supplier. These guys are best value and can perform. Uh I will say that Johnson and Fibious Marine has done some crossovers for us in the past. Okay. Uh Doug Wilson, to my knowledge, has not. So this will be a fine with them. Okay. But he's he's a long time guy here. Got a lot of work. Yes. Okay. You see where I'm going? I'm just trying to make sure we build a good solid supply base so we're not getting next. But I appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Quick question. Yeah. Go ahead, Tim. Yeah. Have we uh researched on getting any state grants for this?

We have somewhat. Um we we'll continue to do so as well, but nothing. Thank you. Nothing for now. Yeah, I would think that that that's certainly a possibility. I mean, cuz it's uh is is our beach considered a park? Yes, ocean park. So, exactly. So, maybe TDC money could help with this as well. Might want to look into that. or I would think find as well. It's access to the water inland navigation. That's inland. Okay. Anyway, we'll look uh good point, Tim. We'll look into that because we're going to be doing more crossovers.

All right. We got a lot of them. Thank you. Yep. Um any other public comment? All right. All in favor? I I

motion passes 50. Number five. Okay. Item five, accept the engineers's recommendation of award for the bid submitted by JF Branden Company, Inc. in the amount of $33,499,900 for bid number CB25-010. Cocoa Beach Golf Muck Capping Project allow staff to enter into contract with JF Brennan Company, Inc. Staff Representative Brad Kelzo, public works and water reclamation director. Hannah Juman, finance director. Recommendation approved. Move to discuss. Second.

Um, mayor may go. So, um I know that the 33 million 33 and a half million it's not all going to be funded by the city and that there are grants that are applicable toward this project. And I just want to know how secure and you know guaranteed are those grants and what those amounts are and what is the projected amount of that 33 million 500,000 that would be the burden on the city.

There will be zero burden on the city. Uh there is $12 million from FD on this project and there's 29 and change from Sorrel and that's guaranteed money. Correct.

Darn. [laughter] Well, I'm glad it's not going to cost the city anything, but I I'll just tell you guys, you know, I [snorts] I think I've said this before. I've lived on this body of water behind us over the Indian River since I was 3 years old. every year except for three years out of my life and the dredging we did in the canals to take the muck out. I mean I can see 9 ft deep clear as a bell in my canal. Um my experience in the in the summertime especially when you go over areas that have muck or you're fishing and you're casting and stuff, you see bubbles coming up. That ain't the fishes. That's the degradation of the muck bubbling up through the muck. Okay. So now if you're going to go throw sand on top of the muck over time, maybe not in our lifetime, maybe not in my lifetime, some of you guys are young enough, maybe in your lifetime, that that's just going to keep percolating. And every time a bubble comes up, sand goes down. Bubble comes up, sand goes down. happens, you know, over and over and over and over again. Pretty soon, you're going to have a combination of muck and sand. So, you never really took the muck, which is the nutrients, they want to get out of the water, and all that gas, that degradational gas, is still bubbling up into the upper waters, which is the bad part. So, somebody in the future is going to be saddled with not only digging out the muck, which I think we could get all that out of there for $33 million with not only digging out the muck, but then they're going to have to dig out all the sand that we put on top of the muck in the future sometime. And put that in the record so somebody can pull it up 50 years from now. Skip says, you

know, not that I'll know there for you, [clears throat] Skip. I agree with you, but the the thing is we only have a permit to to cap. We don't have a permit to to to dig. If we had if we could do a permit to dig, I'd be I'd be 100%. We could have that was a study that was done before you guys were here. It was whether to remove the muck or do sand capping. And between the science and the cost of the muck removal and the getting rid of the muck and the estimate of how much muck there was, the recommendation was go with sand capping.

I'm I'm just saying we're just saddling the future with the same problem we have now at a later date at a phenomenonly uh orders of magnitude greater cost. I I agree with you, but it will be better than what we've got going on right now for the rest of our life. For the rest of our lives, and it's it's no no risk to the city, financial risk. That's what we just heard that.

Yeah. Well, and I had a similar question. Thank you for that, Brad. I see Mr. Mr. Faker here. Um I think you were the one that identified the in the budget workshop that um there was potential risk of the city having 12 million. So, I got that clarified that there is no financial risk to the city. It was worded such. My understanding is we scaled the scope back. Is that right, Brad? To match the grant amount. The 12 million was not. No, we we didn't scale the scope back. At the time of the budget hearings, we were anticipating budgets coming in around 50 plus million. Okay. But we're going to do $33 million. There's no financial risk. So, that addresses your question. Thank you for bringing that up at the budget workshop. Janice Janice

Janice Scott Coco Beach. Um, I've mentioned a couple of these topics before, but I think it's a good time to restate them. Number one, if they would rename the Banana River the estuary, maybe some different points of view would apply to it. Um, I've been here a long time. I've seen the water change. I remember back in around ' 89, the clammers came from the northeast and raped all of our canals of the clams. And um the waters at that time were reertified from class C to class B waters, which meant that the quality of the water had improved. I don't know if that's because they removed all those clam those old clamshells or something, but anyway, um, whenever I hear the word grant, I want people to remember that it's our money, however they got it through the IRS, the state, the sales tax, something. It's public money that's going into those grants. And my biggest disappointment with the IRL, the Indian River Lagoon, Hocus Pocus, is that the money should have been directed to improving the wastewater plants in Bvard because um even recently I had a lot of brown sludge floating all over the top of my canal and I believe it was from uh whatever that wastewater plant on 520 is from Merid Island. But it would have made a much greater improvement to the quality of the water here than these willy-nilly and mudcapping things. Thank you.

Thank you, Janice. Somebody want to uh make a motion. K is read. Any any other public comment by the way? Okay. You said motion in a second. Um all in favor? I I I likely. Motion passed libo. Um, looks like that's it. We are adjourned.