Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

She started.

Okay. I will uh be calling this meeting to order. At this time, we got some special guests here that is going to uh do the pledge and thereafter will do the invocation. So, if y'all would I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Okay, if y'all would uh they've got a little special presentation if take the podium and

Yeah, Kevin's going to do it while y'all get set up. Go ahead, Kevin. Lord, I want to thank you guys for Thank you for letting us come here today to conduct county business. Want to say thank you to our first responders. Thank you to all our firefighters and forestry department. They're doing a great job. Lord, we ask that you send us a little rain if possible. Um in your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Go ahead, sir.

Hey, good morning. Uh, my name's uh, Lieutenant Colonel Acres. I'm a retired instructor over at Columbia High School. I'm the senior army instructor and I'm partner of Trina Demer. She's been there for about 13 years. And we just appreciate the invite, an opportunity this morning to just give you a little bit about our program and kind of let the cadets present who we are and what we're doing currently and just ask for some support from the community. So, I'll turn it over to Commander Major Perry. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Cadet Command Sergeant Major Perry and I am a senior at Columbia High School. I will be attending FAMU in the fall where I'll be studying biology and joining the senior ROC program to earn a commission in the United States Army. I am proud to represent the Army JRTC program at Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida. Our fighter, our fighting tiger battalion has been over 50 years of excellence, consistently earning honor unit with distinction, an award given to programs ranked at the top of 10% nationwide. But more important than the awards is our mission developing young people to confidence disciplined citizens with a clear path for their life after high school. stated as to motivate young people to be better citizens. Our cadets are involved in a wide range of competitive and leadership teams including the raider team, drill team, archery team, rifle team, academic team, leadership team, and our color guard. These programs challenge students physically, mentally, academically, and leadership, helping them grow in teamwork, resilience, and responsibility. This year, the Raiders and drill team both made it to state championships, as well as the archery team that goes to North Florida championship this Friday to defend their title from last season. Good morning. I'm a sophomore in the JD JDC program. My name is Cadet First Sergeant Eric Del Castillo. Beyond the school, our cadets proudly serve the community. Each year, they complete hundreds of hours of community service.

We maintain strong partnerships with organizations like the American Legion, and our cadets help place veteran crosses and flags to honor those who have served. Service and respect are at the core of everything that we do. This fall, we will host our 25th anniversary 911 memorial march and flag ceremony at the Columbia High School. We would be honored to have members of the county commission attend. We also respectfully request support in involving our local emergency services, fire, EMS, and police to help make this event even more meaningful for our students and the community.

Good morning. I'm a freshman and my name is Cadet Corpal Kinley. Finally, as our program grows, we are seeking support from the form of an enclosed trailer and our placement golf cart to help transport equipment and support our teams. Any assistance, whether through funding, partnerships, or community connections would make a signific significant difference for our cadets. Thank you for your time, your service to our community, and your continued support of the young people we are working to develop into the next generation of leaders. want to thank y'all for what you do and uh future leaders of the country right there and appreciate your effort coming up here and tell Trina we missed her.

Thank you. You guys are a good one. Thank you. Back to school.

Okay. be uh before we get started, I was asked uh there's some uh participants in the uh uh crowd that uh if you're here to speak to something on the agenda, we'll have an opportunity to do it as we touch on the agenda items, but uh the young lady asked me that some of you are here to speak about something that's not on it. So, you will be have an opportunity during uh public comments at towards the end of the meeting. And so I just wanted to there were some people here that wasn't familiar with the process. So we'll do what we can to accommodate you. So uh David staff is there any additional?

We would um it's kind of an addition when they're up here to talk about the solid waste assessment. We request the board's uh leniency to allow them to talk also about the fire assessment. Okay. Okay. So fire. Okay. All right. I'll seek a motion approval of the agenda. Motion to approve agenda. Second.

Got a motion and a second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay, this is pretty small, but I'll try the uh proclamation number 2026P-16, National Travel and Tourism Week 2026 proclamation. Okay. Whereas the travel industry is essential to the success of every industry and will continue to be a critical part of Columbia County's economy development and workforce. Whereas travel is economic powerhouse for every state and destination across the country with an economic output of three trillion dollars supporting 15 million American jobs. Whereas travel spending supports vibrant and safe communication in Columbia County and across the United States by generating 92 billion dollars in state and local tax revenue in 2025 to support essential services such as education, emergency response, public safety, and more. Whereas travel enables success for all industries including manufacturing, agriculture and defense, healthcare and more by driving sales growth, innovation, education and operations that power our economy or nation in Columbia County. Whereas Columbia County tourism generates 22.3 million in state and local taxes, $200.5 million in visitor spending, 227.2 2 million in total business spending and support over 2,300 jobs in our county, further demonstrating the positive impact that visitation makes in our communities. Whereas America's travel industry cannot be globally competitive without maximizing the growth in domestic leisure, business, and international inbound travelers. Increasing travel to with the United States drives our economy to more prosperous future and connects America.

Whereas in every US jobs depend on travel making it critical driver of America's economy and force for connection and opportunity. Whereas travel is essential industry and we must continue to communicate growing travel leads to economic growth, benefits business, foster mutual understanding and connects the nation. Therefore, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim May 3rd through the 9th, 2026 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Columbia County and urge the citizens of Columbia County to join me in recognizing the essential role that this industry plays. Signed, James M. Swisser, Tim Murphy, chairman, board of county commissioners. And I believe the A team's here to come accept this. There's a motion to approve 2026-16.

Got a motion. Second. Second. All in favor say I.

I. I don't care much. Cody, you got anything you

Okay, I'm sorry. So, you're good.

So, good morning everybody. Uh, board of county commissioners, county staff. Good morning. My name is Cody Gray. I am your new executive director of the Columbia County Tourist Development Council. I'm very excited to return home after six years in the great state of Louisiana and of course not as great as Florida and the Louisiana tourism industry. Look forward to applying my knowledge and skill set here at home to continue growing our tourism economy. As you just heard in your proclamation, tourism is a major economic engine here in Colombia County, generating 200.5 million in visitor spending. 22.3 million in uh state and local taxes and 227.2 million in total business spending and supports a direct 2,355 jobs right here at home. The visitor is what funds the tourist development council or known as the TDC through a 5% occupancy tax which is not paid for by the residents. In fact, tourism here in Columbia County saves each household $300 per year in taxes. Our mission at the TDC is very simple. It is to promote Colombia County as a year-round regional, national, and international tourism destination through marketing, sales, outreach, public relations, sports, and also supporting our tourism partners in our area businesses. This work is carried out by our very talented and dedicated team who is here with us today. You just saw Miss Michelle Moore who is our marketing manager, Connie Matthysse, who is our office manager, uh, and Mr. Christopher Coleman who is our sports and small group sales manager. They work behind the scenes every day to ensure that we are telling our destination story and achieving these incredible figures which you heard about earlier. I would also like to recognize our tourist development council members, our chair, Commissioner Parnell, and who volunteer their time and work handinhand with our team to oversee and guide the tourist development council into the future. So, on behalf of the TDC and our team, we sincerely appreciate the board of county commissioners and all of the county

support that we receive uh for tourism and for recognizing the importance of our travel industry here at home. Thank you. Thanks, J. Okay. Any moving on here? Uh, presentation for county manager evaluation. Do we have anything here? It's just for presentation to the public. All right. Uh, seek a motion. Motion approve the consent agenda. Second. Motion. Got a second. All in favor say I.

Motion to adopt. Motion to adopt. Second. Got a second. All in favor say I. I. Okay. Mr. Joel. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh briefly this morning, uh the board's aware of the passing of uh Mr. Pete Gabby some time ago. Uh his estate has been probated and through that probate process, his heirs have disclaimed several u retention ponds that were in Mr. Gaby's name when he died. Those disclaimers have been recorded. They are now going to essentially be unclaimed real property. Um, we do have a situation with these particular parcels where the county's identified as the operation and maintenance entity for these permitted ponds. And so to sort of get ahead of this, they reached out to us to contact public works and the county attorney's office that they were going to do this. And so we're asking the board's permission to go ahead and accept the ponds for maintenance purposes. I want to encourage the board to keep in mind this is a very narrow limited circumstance, right? the developer has died, left uh the properties in him in his name individually so that they pass through his estate. A very unusual set of circumstances here. You don't have to accept them. They'll just go on to the public record eventually. I mean, they'll go on to the uh tax roles as unclaimed property. Eventually, they'll they'll back to the county in about seven years. Uh because nobody's going to claim them. Um so, it's just getting ahead of it. If you guys want to, that's why we're bringing them to you because it was brought to us. We are recommending to go ahead and accept them because they'll they'll eventually become our issue either now or seven years from now.

And up until now, what maintenances have been done on them? Peaches done.

So, yeah. So, the other thing I want to talk about real quick is when we talk about retention pond maintenance, we get this all the time. I know Commissioner Hollingsworth gets a lot of calls. The public is concerned about aesthetics. The water management district is not concerned about how they look. The water management district is concerned about how they perform. So when you sign on saying I'll be the operation maintenance entity, you're going to make sure they perform right so they hold the right amount of water. They don't get filled up. U they're doing the correct attenuation and retention that they're designed to do. That's all the water management district cares about. So when you see the overgrown reads and the and the debris and things like that, those are all aesthetic issues. Those don't come into play. So when we talk about accepting for maintenance, it's just to make sure they work, right? Not to make them pretty. I move that we disclaim pawns. Any further discussion?

You got something, Kevin? No. Okay. Okay. Okay. Got a motion. Second. Got a second. All in favor say I. I. All. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Okay, Kevin. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. The first item is yard debris fee. As you know, and you're about to discuss again, we are currently under a burn ban. their local residents are reaching out saying, "Look, we can't burn. What do we do with our yard debris?" So, I'm requesting a motion to approve disposal of yard debris only at the landfield as long as we're under a burn ban.

So, moved. Okay. Got a motion. I have a question. So, that is during the burn ban, people can put little piles of trash out by the road. No, sir. the little you this is not for commercial use at all. This is for the guy that loads the little 6x12 utility trailer and hauls it to the landfill. He can dump it for free. And I I'm going to be honest with y'all. We probably need the PO to explain that very explicitly because we'll get calls with trees thousand foot long people's ditches. I mean, people will start cutting trees. I was twice yesterday.

You're gonna have somebody show up with a dump trailer and say, "Hey, I want to dump this. It's my personal use, but somebody's gonna show up with a dump trailer and want to dump and that's just not where we're at. Yes, sir. That's why I residential yard debris. So, so what is the problem? We're having trouble with space to dump it or No, sir. People just simply do not want to pay the fees. They say, "Well, I'm going to burn it. I'm not paying to dump this yard debris." So, we're just trying to stay ahead of it all these fires. And I thought the faresty was still given burn permits for control burn.

Once again, commissioner, this is my answer that we tell people they cannot burn a trash pile. We got fires all over Mallerie swamps on fire right now. I'm simply saying make it easy on folks while you're under a burn ban. So I think this is just for like at your individual house at my individual house if we had a little small pile of trash want to burn little limbs. I think that's what he's referring to. Correct. Yeah. It's just it's just home use. Yeah, Lance, I think I seen your head nod. They're not issuing purpose. Correct. Even for commercial guard. Well, I know this. Okay. I cuz I know we got rejected here a couple there. There was somebody burning in a barrel in one of my neighborhoods. Lady complained and they told her he is not allowed to burn in a barrel. That's right.

That tell you anything. And that seems you you can you can cook steak on a grill. You can't burn in a barrel. I've gotten several calls about the same people burning and it's just like it's not right now. Please not strike a match. It's just it's not good. And then we'll come back and publicly once the burn ban's lifted, we'll resend this. Correct. Yes, sir. I could even put a caveat. This is implemented during the burn ban and goes away when the burn ban's lifted. Dennis, you got a big job because we're going to refer them all to you when they go to say complaining because they left by the curb. So, it's your fault. Got you. All right. We got a motion. and I'll do a second on that. Okay, got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose.

Okay, we all know we're in the political season. So, campaign signs in the rideway. Our contract mowing crews remove them. FOT reached out. Ironically, they want to do a motorcycle campaign. They're going to put them all in the M Bay in their rideway. They're requesting permission to put them in our rideway. One reason I'm up here today talking about that, we don't want to get the two coingled. So I'm request a motion to allow DOT watch for motorcycle sign in our rideway for the month update. So move. Got a motion. Second. Got a second. Any discussion?

I'm trying to figure out what he's talking about. He's talking about the motorcycle people are allowed to put a sign in. The DOT is doing a campaign where they're putting up safety for motorcycing a motion award 2026G hauling and disposal services to Liberty Tire Recycling LLC and to approve the service agreement.

So move got a motion. Got a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Kevin, out of curiosity, how many loads a year do we generate? You have a clue. It's 15 tons per load for the price and it it's all over the place. Some years is real busy, some years not. I don't know who's on the board at this time, but if y'all recall, this become a big problem back in the day. And D got involved, private folks not want to get rid of tires. So, we implemented this tire program and it's it's really going through the roof and cost 3,600 bucks for 15 tons.

Kevin, I don't see it on the agenda, but are you going to present any kind of plan for dirt pave conversion? I thought the meeting was going to discuss that. Last meeting we said you'd have us a plan at the next meeting. I'll I'll refer to the chairman on that. Yeah. On the as you come on down here, we're gonna Yeah. Brock cover as soon as it gets done with the resolution on the tip fees. Yeah. We'll have we we'll discuss that. Sure. Okay. Go ahead.

The next item over on 100 A what I call BaskinR from 441 over towards US 90 East. FDOT has issued a new version of the contract requires adoption of resolution execution of revised contract. So basically this is on the grant side of things. DOT's handling it or just kind of the pass through. So I'm requesting a motion adopt resolution 2026R08 and execute FDOT contract. So move got a motion second. All in favor say I. Okay, I'll tell you.

Okay. At the last meeting, we discussed the rates. You guys approved all the rates. I have to follow up with a resolution. That's what this is. Request to adopt resolution 2026R20 tip fees at the landfield. So move. Got a motion. Second. Got a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. today. Okay. Thanks, Kevin.

Okay. Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. And, uh, Mr. Ford, uh, myself, David, and Kevin, and of course, we all got the information that you you sended all of us, some of the update information that you found. And with the budget, I I decided, and uh, it's it's all relevant, I guess, that with the budget coming up, because I guess the money part is what we're all concerned about. how do we continue to fund whatever you projects may got going on like Mayo Road as an example and I just said well with this information because it was overwhelming that we're definitely outdoing all of our surrounding counties you know and performance as far as dirt paving period and uh so with that being said you know I just thought it would be better off we had discussion that we'll just take it to the bud you know budget hearing start when's our first budget hearing today

will be before the next meeting before the next meeting so you know budget's right here on top because it's going to be a budget impact I would assume. So I think if we come into the fact of which we'll all have to decide if we're going to allocate money towards it, you know, it' be through the budget process, you know. So I guess we'll just have a plan. As far as a plan, you know, I I I understand what you're saying, but the uh I mean the information that I received on I know you did too. All of us got it. You know, I I I was a little bit overwhelmed that we we're doing so much I don't want to word this wrong, but better than most counties are. But go ahead. As overwhelmed, we're doing better than most counties in what way? In total paving period?

Resurfacing roads. Yeah. Resurface. We are the only county that puts $4 million a year in a budget to resurface roads. But that has nothing to do with dirt pave conversions. Well, you and I guess we'd had that discussion, but I I I'd say it's not so because asphalt's asphalt and you know, we're we're we spent five years lower 200 million and everybody else is at 20 and 30. So I mean dirt or repave either one that's not that's all paving inclusive you know the that that encompassed in five years that encompass cypress lake project that encompass uh hydra uh that was the CDBG grant

that's right and and the now the but even the cypress road was a scrap right sc so uh so but and and likewise in Swany County uh uh Hamilton County and stuff like that we I was personally a a little bit surprised that Hamilton County they may have got a nice scrop scop job or scrap job whatever but you know they actually put more asphalt on the ground than Swany County did and uh I thought that was a little bit unique. I had to question that but it was uh it was true. It's true. And uh so I mean that that I just, you know, because I feel like the question was uh anybody can chime in if they want to, but the question was simply that okay, so you're at this point as an example on the Mayo road. Where's the money come from to go forth? You know what I'm saying? and uh on I guess you'd say acquisitions or whatever because I I'm not speaking for anybody else, but I got called here last meeting whenever it was we were all talking about it that I don't know that this board's open to imminent domain on dirt roads, but

we've done imminent domain on dirt roads before. I mean, you this board you even made the comment that B road was all donated property. Well, that's not that's No, no, no, no, no. It was not. Yeah, we done image domain on bail road. Yeah, but a little bit different now. That's commerce road. Commerce road. It was a dirt road. Need to be paid. No, not for dirt road. It was dirt for commerce.

A little bit. You know, I think all of us argue that. You know, you would too. The uh I mean that come on. That's a that's a major financial impact to the community versus, you know, uh uh gainer road, you know, like I I get one call a week, one call a week. when you gonna pay gain of road and I I just hate to tell them it's not gonna happen. Well, I get 30 calls. I understand. I understand because I have a 100 miles more dirt road then I have paid road in my district. Yep. And I know that's not y'all's concern. That's my concern because that's my district. But one commissioner cannot fund that. It has to be a board decision to fund that.

So I think y'all need to look at this and we need to come up with a plan. That's all I'm asking for is a plan. That's all I'm asking for is a plan. I'm in the same and I haven't seen a plan. I'm in the same boaty. You know, I got 115 miles of dirt road and I mean I mean miles they got they don't have you got something. But but you know like I say this black rock say one commissioner if he has to support that he can't afford that. So, you know, like I say, we in the budget, we need to discuss that, get all of us on the same page.

And then we and and I think you're right, and that's why I was saying it seems like it's more of a budgetary issue where it's more suitable to have that type of conversation rather than come in here and try to have a 20-minut workshop, you know, whatever. But but but I challenge you because this is and I'm not this is just something I've done but you know being a member of fact vice president of course soldier and what have you. I just reached out to other counties up to 12 I think it was 125,000 and uh asking for their plan and uh and I be be quite frank with you there the plan is scrap funds. That's that's what they do.

You know that that's their plan. I I haven't seen in the of course but now from five years ago it changed because now we got to have all the rightway purchased. That's why I'm working on what I've been working on. Yeah. And that's what I got my hands slap for at the last meeting. The uh that's where that's kind of trying to go by the rules. I'm trying to go by the rules of getting ready. That's all I'm trying to do. I will Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will tell you this just

Yeah, Rob. So Greg touched on it in his uh email to Mr. Kirby that Swany County has had found some success. They bought a pavement their own paving machine and they found some doing success. Well, I inquired about that. Swany County did buy a paving machine. So they paid almost four miles of dirt to pay conversion with their paving machine at a cost of under $330,000 a mile. Now what they what they're doing, they're not buying right away. They're going in there and finding the center line of their dirt road. They're marking the center line and they're paving 18 to 20 foot according what they can get on their ement. No permit, no engineering. just going in there and paving them. Now, the director at the road department in Swan County told me it would be more closer to nine miles if the hurricanes had to hit last year. He said that the hurricanes messed them up last year trying to do paving because of flooding and everything up, but they have done almost four miles of dirt pave conversion since they've had the machine at less than $330,000 a mile. and they've done almost 10 miles of resurfacing at less than $200,000 a month. So, what I'm getting at, that's what we need to be looking at.

I mean, there's that's I mean, that's a plan. You know what I'm saying? That they they they come up with a plan. They have a plan. Now they're doing it in house, but uh I've got all the numbers and uh I'll be glad to share it with you. Compile it if you would. Seriously. And then to get it to David and that way mean you don't get in trouble for sending stuff back and forth and then that way when the workshop comes up it's it's a legitimate conversation.

I mean the paving machine was like $350,000. what they told me they're doing with in-house uh labor and like say they're figuring he said I figured all the labor the cost for the material for hauling fuel everything we're less than $330,000 a mile paving dirt road from dirt to pave version that's something we can live with folks right there we don't have to depend on dot to do that if we do three to four miles every four years you're only talking about a million million half dollars every four years. We do $4 million a year just on resurfacing.

Yep. Would you say three three what? 330 a mile. Less than 330 a mile. Yep. Okay. And I've got I've got some pictures here. I'd be glad to share with y'all of some of the roads that they've done. Mr. Chair, can you make sure the clerk gives a copy? Yeah. Thank you. Mr. Chair, if I take Sure.

Oh, I'm sorry. Don't fell stealing my picture. Me and Rocky can't get Okay, go ahead.

Mr. Chairman, members of the board, I don't know about a whole lot, but I know a lot about asphalt. What we're referring to here is a dusty roads permit does not require if you do not alter the center line of an existing dirt road. You do not have to build retention ponds. That's what that eliminates. You still have to do some minimal engineering. You still have to do some permitting. It's called a dusty roads permit. I've heard this argument before when we say it cost x amount of dollars to pay per mile you still have to make I say you do if you want it to stay there you have to mix the stabilized subgrade you have to put the proper amount of rock so forth and so on no doubt about it on local roads you got major arterial or you got arterial major collector minor collector all the way down to local roads Florida's got a green book that allows you to Use the 18 ft pavement design. Do not alter center line. It's there. The fry roads of the world. That's not applicable. Commissioner Murphy, the little dirt road we did.

Um, help me. 47. 447 from here to there. That is that route. Okay. So, we definitely need a workshop. So, we compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges. Okay. Asphalt at the plant is asphalt at the plant to haul it and lay it. I've definitely got all those numbers. I'll put them on a nice spreadsheet. Contractually, if you do not buy property, if you do not do all that exactly right, you got to do a lower number. You've got to pick the category of the road. I did not know we was going to have a workshop today, but I will be ready for the workshop. Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you. All right. Okay. But compile it for I've got his letter that he sent me. I can just give you the letter.

There you go. There. Okay. Uh, Dave Crawford. Oh, here we go. I'm sorry, G. We're so fired up by the burn, man. We ignored you.

You need me to wait a second? Uh, I'm here to request that we do extend the burn ban again. Uh, so I'm requesting that you uh approve resolution 2026R-9. So move it. Second. I went out. You're going to have to twist our arm. Jeff, I went out. Kev, I'm gonna tell you something. I went out there and looked at that Mallerie fire and I was around at the bugaboo and all that, but I went out and looked at Mallalerie fire and son that's up, man. Y'all y'all crazy. Y'all go out there and get close in flames. There's something wrong with y'all now. It got away from I love y'all and I I appreciate y'all, but I couldn't even I stayed quarter mile from it. It scared me so bad. That joker is going to be burned till November.

Absolutely. Uh, also I wanted to address the firework show. Hold on. We need to take a I'm sorry. Got a motion and a second. A motion. Got a second. Okay. All in favor say I. I. All. Okay. I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, no, go ahead. Uh, I want to address the fireworks shows and all, but there's been a lot of questions about that. uh the Fourth of July fireworks, that's that's too far out to predict. I pray that we get a lot of rain between now and then. That's that's that's too far out to predict, but the uh fireworks shows that that typically they have some at graduations and all. I'm requesting that we don't don't allow that during graduation at all. I don't think we have a request so far, have you?

No, we haven't had one yet so far, but just in case we do, you know, I would request that we we don't approve those. Uh there's been some request uh asking about the allowing the the tents to do all the fireworks selling and stuff like that. That's really uh I wouldn't recommend it, but that's not up to us because all of those are set up within the city limits. So that the city would be the one having to do the permitting and all on them. But as as far as our concern is, we've got to wait a little bit longer. Uh there there's some weather predicted because of the El Nino, the super El Nino, the weather patterns and all that that they're hoping mid June we we're going to start getting a lot more of the summer weather and the weather patterns. So it's a little bit too far out to predict right now. So I just is wanted to kind of clear that up a little bit. Jeff, all the years you've been here, have you ever has the county ever did a ban on county sales of fireworks to your knowledge?

Not that I know of. Have you ever heard of it done? I have heard of it done before, but it it I haven't seen it done here. Mr. Chairman, is forestry doing anything with the fireworks season coming up? Are they planning to do anything statewide? To my knowledge right now, forestry is not going to permit anything. Okay. I just wondering if they if they maybe the tip of the spe there there's got to be a change before before but like you like you said earlier ferment forcery is not even permitting uh burns and all four registered burners right now. I've had a couple of store owners call me and just say look we're not selling them. So you know but he he even said he said there ought to be

we've already had two fires basically from fireworks. We had the one up on double round road which ended up being close to 15 acres that was started from fireworks and the one the gun range fire they're saying that they think it started from a tracer bullet. So that's typically sort of a firework type thing. So it's we've already had those that have been because of that. I think if there was a way that we could put a a a ban or a hold on southern fireworks maybe that would slow it down. I mean, it's not it's not bad for going out of town and buying fireworks, coming back here. But if you can't just pass by your local tent and pick up fireworks, go home and set them off. I think that'll at least slow it down. Yeah.

If you got to go out of town to purchase it, then so be it. But if it's just readily available, I think we're going to have people shooting fireworks. And I think Chief Crawford said those are all inside the city right now as far as they typically the ones that are set up here are set up within the city. So it' be the city that would have to maybe start with some kind of way. And you know, I don't know how it is around y'all's house, but I live close to 90 over there, and there's I bet 30 different people shooting fireworks off around my house. So, you're talking about the whole count. There must be thousand a thousand people do. A couple thousand people doing it. That that's that's a lot of woods out there, you know. It's It's scary. Any questions?

Do we uh I don't think we need to But we got to do we need to take a vote on the ban. fireworks for graduation or just No, I I think it's just he was just looking for guidance from you. Correct. No, I was just looking for guidance at your if if we actually get a permit too, right? If if we get a request, then I want to be able to deny per. All right. Thank you. Appreciate what y'all doing, Jeff. I know it's you'll probably be maled before it's over with. I agree with Chief Crawford. It's just to uh basically let us know uh not to approve permits.

If you don't mind, David, maybe in some of your conversation with Mr. Rosenthal, maybe I'll start having that conversation. We'll be set to go if it comes to that far banning asking for a ban of sales in the city limits. We will definitely write it and put it in a letter for this be conversation. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, the next item is a solid waste assessment study. Um, that was weird.

All right, Patrick. I don't know what's going on, but at this point in time anyway, I'm going to re recognize Jeff Ratliff Ratley with Stantech who did the fire assessment and the solid waste assessment. He's going to go over the solid waste assessment and then also the fire assessment. And Patrick's going to flip this flip the side to the assessment.

Good morning. Thanks for having me today. Jeff Rackley, manager with Stantech. So, last year and this year, uh, we've been assisting the county on the, um, solid waste, uh, assessment study, and we're going to go over the updated results for that based on the contract changes. We're also going to talk about the fire assessment study from last year and kind of where you're at this year. And then we'll talk about um, implementation and kind of next steps moving forward and some of the things to to consider. So just a reminder about non-avalorm assessments in general. As you can see, it's a charge imposed against real property to pay for the cost of providing certain services or or capital uh facilities. The courts have said certain things are eligible for non-evalor assessments. You can see a few examples there. The important ones here, fire protection and solid waste. So that's what we're focused on. Storm water capital, um, road paving, canal dredging, mosquito control. There's some other odds and ends out there as well. So number of things you can use non-avalorm assessments for, but there's also a lot of things you can't use non-aval assessments for. The um key there is that all revenue raised through the nonavalorm assessment has to be used solely for that stated purpose. So the solid waste assessment can only be used for solid waste services. The fire assessment can only be used for fire services. You can't use those funds for parks and recreation. You can't use them for for road paving or anything else. So they are dedicated funding source that that has to be used for that purpose.

So, the legal requirements, the courts have said there's there's two basic legal requirements or what we call the two-prong test. The properties uh that are part of the assessment must receive a special benefit. So, there must be a benefit to property and not people. And it must be a special benefit. So, not just a general benefit to the general public. And then the assessments must be fairly and reasonably aortioned. The courts have given the board here a lot of latitude in terms of the methodology and meeting these requirements, but these are the two main requirements that that you do have to meet and that we base the studies on. So, the solid waste assessment and this is is very similar to what you saw last year. We're using the same methodology. We're basically just going in and updating the numbers that that go into the study to account for the changes in contract costs as well as any um proposed or budgeted cost changes from the prior year. Um we're looking at uh billable units and we're using the tax collectors um database that they maintain in terms of the billable units for for the solid waste assessment. It's residential only. So, we're looking at single family and mobile home type properties primarily. Um, it does not include commercial or non-residential properties at all or vacant land. And we calculate rates for a 5-year period as well as a 5-year average. So, the cost of service, once again, this is the same thing you saw last year. We just moved this out a year. And then the contractual services line you see there is really the the main difference. And that's just based on the cost for service of the new service provider. We escalate this out over a

5-year period using some escalation factors. We add in all of your your budgeted costs including your tipping fees, administrative services, professional services. We gross up the budget to account for your statutory discount and under collections at 5% you see there. That's basically anyone that's since you're collecting this on the tax bill, everyone's eligible for an early payment discount. So, we assume everyone pays early there so that you don't lose any revenue in the event that happens. We also include the tax collector's costs, the cost of the assessment study, and the cost of noticing those properties. So, all those costs are collectible under the assessment program. So, they're included in in the costs here. So you can see at the bottom there the total assessment funding requirement about $5.6 million and you can see how that escalates over time. And as said these numbers were based on the 26 adopted budget escalated for 27 and then the the new contractual services costs. So the property data that that second piece of the puzzle once again this comes from the tax collector's office. Same process as last year. We're we're looking at the number of residential dwelling units that are subject to the assessment and there's approximately 23,000 dwelling units. So basically at that point it's it's just you're you're doing the math to get to the assessment rate per dwelling unit. You can see there for FY27 the $5.6 million allocated budget roughly the 23,000 units you get a rate of 24336 per unit. You can see the net there after the um cost for the tax collector, the early payment discount, the cost of the study, everything coming out. So you

can see there the the comparison at 24336 to your current rate of 2105 and the difference in revenue generation there. And that's primarily just driven by the difference in the cost of the service from the old contract to the new contract. And that's if you wanted to fully fund solid waste services, that's the the rate you would be looking at for fiscal year 27 is that 24336. This is just the same information for 27 through the 5-year period and a 5-year average rate if that's something you wanted to look at. But you can see that that each year these costs are going to increase slightly with your contract costs and then you know your your other labor costs and operating costs are included as well. So this is an annual decision and we'll talk about this with the with the fire assessment as well. These assessments are an annual decision. So this comes back to the board each year. So you can kind of think about that strategy of how you want to fund these services each year. If you have some other revenue sources somewhere you can tap into or if not and this needs to be fully funded through the assessment. Basically the the board has the ability each year to fund anywhere from zero to 100% of the assessable cost through through the assessment. So that's the board's decision each year. So that's kind of it on the on the solid waste. Before we we kind of review the fire from last year, are there any questions or concerns about solid waste? And we'll at the end talk about kind of the process and the next steps for both fire and solid waste. But just in terms of the the study itself, are there any questions or concerns? the uh we've since uh hired a gentleman

that's uh going in and doing studies and finding uh people that's not paying trash or fire assessment. Okay, so myself and Lisa was talking about this the other day. Uh okay, we dock budget at 101. We go into the next fiscal year. Okay, he finds 150. Okay. Am I correct to say, David, that we're not going to collect anything from them people once he finds them after we adopt what say the next budget as an example? So my point is is that we have no way of retrieving that money until property trims and stuff go out the following year. Correct. We basically use a year, lose a year.

For the most part, you only get collect your assessments one time a year and that's with your tax bill. Mhm. Um there are a few minor exceptions like when you're transacting property, you know, you prorate taxes and that kind of stuff, but overall as a general rule, you only collect your assessments one time a year. Is that something that we need to do? Have you ever been a part of this where is that something we need to adopt David that once we find we'll let's say as example he finds we'll just say 20 in November after we adopt budget this year that not on the tax roll basically and he's finding a pretty good bit as me and you well know right

so my point is is that is there is that something we have to do is that have any effect on this whatsoever as far as I know it doesn't have effect on your study but basically our general budget is funed than people for a whole another year before they can go on the road, you know, and I mean that's a loss on our side. No doubt. We've seen that numerous numerous times. And you're right, he's finding a lot

because I would assume that, you know, the if I remember when we were in negotiations with the trash company that they're going to actually be counting doors, you know, the new guys coming in and, you know, we're at I think he had a number here 225, whatever it was here. you know, I mean, their first couple of rounds, they could determine they may have 24,000 houses. And I I know that's extreme, but you know, it's it's possible. So, I I think we need to put some type of mechanism in place. And I don't know how that works with a legal assessment that there's got to be a way for us to recover that money. I mean, because it could get quite substantial with the amount that he's finding, you know.

So, we will bring up Ernesto does um monthly reports. Okay. Uh we now have four monthly reports from Ernesto and we'll put those on the workshop next uh for the workshop next time which would be an afternoon workshop for the evening meeting. Um and we'll address that question. To my knowledge there's no way to collect a tax assessment except through the tax collector which does it annually. However, I'll research it. I I can I can I can speak to that a little bit. And and David, the way you're currently set up, you're using the tax bill as a collection method.

Theoretically, you could um send a separate bill to those properties that we're talking about here at at any time theoretically throughout the year and charge them for that assessment. Chances are they're going to tear it up, throw it away, and not pay it. What you could do at that point is enroll that assessment for this year onto next year's tax bill along with their assessment next year. There is some legal maneuvering you'd have to do and you'd have to address that in your uh resolutions where where you're adopting everything. I don't think it would require change to the ordinance, but that's probably something to talk to Heather about. um Heather Insinosa with Neighbors Giblin,

she would be very familiar with the legal process on that. Also, we we could if we know, you know, within the next 30 days or so there's an extra 150 dwelling units, we can include those and adjust these calculations a little bit or at least, you know, add those in. It's not going to change it that that much, you know, this year, but like you said, it may if if they do find a thousand new units. That's definitely going to to to change things. So, it's kind of a do you want to wait and see what you find out over the next year or do you want to go through this process, which is going to be a little bit labor intensive. You'd have to set it up internally and not really know if if there's only 100 units out there, maybe it's not worth it. So I I you know that's kind of the decision I think you you have there

and really that's the big question is legally what can we do and I don't really want to answer that without talking to Heather. Um but your big issue would be like he says the subdivisions that come in how fast are they going to sell out their houses you know like Hunter's Crossing I don't that's in the city limit so it doesn't really apply to this case but that's a large subdivision but they're not going to sell that many properties at one time. Got it. So, it's something we definitely should look at, but without talking to the attorneys, I really can't give you an answer.

Okay. But, but if you I heard you say that you don't if you send them a bill for that, they'll just throw it in the trash. Okay. How do you lawfully get that money from those people? I mean, it's there got to be a way to get

Yeah. I mean, and that's what I'm saying. There are processes. You'd have to set up those processes and decide which path you would want to take, whether you want to send separate bills and then if you want to collect on that separate bill or if your mechanism to collect is the tax bill the following year. I mean, there's a whole you you can send them a bill. You can put a lean on their property. You know, I don't know if it's worth it for a $200 solid waste assessment when you're when it's going to hit the tax bill the next year anyways and every year after that. Yeah. But I also don't know the the the size of the the the issue here that that we're talking about. So it

I don't think I don't think the extra bill I think I think you hit it on the tax bill and you know it's almost you might spend more money you'll start spending more money than it's worth trying to collect. You know what I'm saying? There's a point where you're just you know but it is isn't fair for everybody else to pay it and some people not to. So, you know, but but I think you do it on the tax bill, then you have record of it. You know what you you know, I think you get into a into a you're going to hire some more people. You know what I mean? If you're It's just So, David, this the property appraiser don't cover this. They they don't look at this. I mean, why are we paying somebody to do this?

We've paid somebody as far back as when Bob Bostic was here. um they work with the property appraiser and the tax collector to go out and do it, but they actually go out and search just for this and solid waste assessments and any other fees that residents should be paying or not. And I guess the best example is when you have somebody that has a property and they have extra residents out there that aren't permitted and so suddenly there's two or three houses dumping garbage and they're only paying one assessment. he can catch that and say, "No, you need to pay multiple assessments." So, there's a lot of areas where he can catch people that the property assessor who only goes out once a year, maybe wouldn't catch, the property appraiser. So, it works really well that you have somebody always going out there versus, you know, the annual cycle of property appraising and tax collection. We've been doing it, like I said, since when we had Bob Bachnner working here. I came to work for the county I think in 2010 and Bob was here before I was. So it's been over 20 years that this program been going and it's been very successful.

Okay. Fire assessment.

Okay. So we'll move on to the fire assessment. And this is all the exact same information you saw last year. So this is more of just a refresher and then we'll kind of talk about what your options are with the fire assessment. But just to be clear, there's no updates here to the to the fire assessment. Um so basically fire assessment similar to solid waste we talked about you you in this case the services that that they've said you can't fund is the EMS services. So the the the thought there is that EMS benefits people and not property. Therefore it's not accessible. It can't be included in the fire assessment. So basically we go through this process as a part of the study to split out those EMS costs from this consolidated department as best we can to to determine what is the appropriate accessible amount just for fire services. Um government property you can see they're generally not charged agricultural property not charged due to to to statute. Um they said you can basically only build residential buildings on agricultural properties. Optional exemptions you see there and this is just some of the things we see around the state. Churches, nonprofits, um charitable, lowincome, disabled veterans, a lot of the stuff you see on the Avalor side in some places will carry over to the non-avalorm side as well for assessments, but all of those are optional. It's it's a board decision. It's an annual decision. So it's it's not something you don't have to exempt those entities. Most of our clients around the state do exempt you know churches, nonprofits, institutional taxexempt type properties. So the methodology is a historic demand methodology and what that just means is it's based on calls for service. So we're looking at actual fire calls for service to the subject properties and

that's what drives the methodology. Um the methodology has been upheld by the Florida court systems. It's been tested over the last 25 almost 30 years held up. So it's a very solid methodology most commonly used around the state and it just allocates the fire protection services to the classes of property based on those calls for service to each category of property. The assessment rates what we get is a residential per dwelling unit or equivalent dwelling unit and we'll talk about that. non-residential per square foot and then vacant per parcel and or per acre charges. Okay, the wrong button. Oh, there we go. So, as I said, we're looking at those calls for service. We're looking at the budget. We're looking at the billable units. Same same thing there on the billable units that we're looking at the tax collectors database that they maintain there and using those billable units. In this case, it also pulls in the non-residential properties and the land where the solid waste assessment was just residential. And then we calculated last year the fiscal year 26 through 30 and 5-year average rates. Um this is just the the call allocations from the study last year. You can just see in the chart there, well on the left and right, it's the same information. Residential is 77%, you can see the call percentages for the other categories there. And um we used three years of call data last year when we were updating the the study

if we can get on the right slide here. So the the cost for service and this is the same thing you saw for solid waste where we're we're just taking all of the actual cost for providing the services once we split out the EMS cost. We which you can see there is that ALS adjustment that we made about halfway down in that top section there. We then add in all those same types of miscellaneous costs, the cost to collect the assessment, the early payment discount, the notice costs, etc. to get to the total funding cost or the accessible budget to provide fire services. And this was at 100% of the accessible cost for fire services. So you can see there for for 26 what we were at last year and then the escalation each year. So the theoretically if you kept the same rate for this year for fire services, you would be under collecting by a greater portion than when you were last year. That's not to say you need to increase it. That's strictly a board decision. This is one of the options you you have here is to to adjust these fire assessment rates from last year. That could be up, it could be down. It it it kind of depends on the the situation the board's in, but the cost to provide the services is going up each year. So, as we said, that budget, we're just taking that budget, we're allocating it to the property categories based on their proportion of the calls for service. So, residential properties account for 77% of the calls. They were allocated 77% of that assessable budget. So on and so forth for the other property categories you see here, the one thing I'll point out is agricultural. There you can see the allocation agricultural is about 10% of your budget. As we said earlier, those properties by statute are exempt. So that's money you lose off the top already. You can't charge those properties for the fire assessment.

So the the other piece of the data there is the the units. As we said, we get these from the tax collector. For for fire, we're talking about a little bit of a different service area. So you'll see there are some some additional dwelling units there. You can see the square footage for your commercial, industrial, warehouse, and institutional categories as well as the number of vacant parcels and the a acreage that is assessed. Uh this is just a slight adjustment that we make for the um single family versus multif family properties. We we look at an edu assignment there based on their average square feet. This was something that was carried over from the existing methodology that the county had. So we kept that in place there. So you can see the differential between the single family rate of 30166 and the multif family rate for 16567. Then this is last year's numbers as well. And then next we can get there. is just an adjustment for the agricultural properties where we get a rate per parcel as well as a rate per acre for the larger parcels. So this is just a calculation to address that to get the 390 per parcel and then the 0387 per acre for the larger parcels. And then this is just the same thing we saw for solidways. Pull putting that all together and doing the math. You can see the the allocations there. And you can see the calculated rates on the right hand side there. The net revenue at the bottom after all of your your already approved exemptions. And this was basically your maximum rates for last year.

Not sure why that's not There we go. So, these just shows your 26 adopted rates, your 27 maximum rates, and your 5-year average maximum rate. So, this was just to show you where you're at, what it actually costs to provide the services for for this next fiscal year, the difference in those two, and then also a five-year average number. And and the thought here is if you wanted to adjust the rates to keep up with the cost of service, you're you're going to make that decision annually. So, you know, you could make that this year. If you want to increase it next year, you could decrease it. You could decrease it this year. It's really up to the board in terms of of what you want to do. But we just wanted to bring this back in front of you to show you what you adopted last year, where you're at, and then kind of think about what you want to do for for this year as a part of your your budget process. So, in terms of implementation, just kind of pulling this all together, basically what we said, you have the option to adopt updated rates for this fiscal year for both solid waste and fire if if you want to. and um and also to adopt future maximum rate. So, one of the things to keep in mind when not have alarm assessments is there's an extraordinary notice requirement. So, you have to send a first class notice to all property owners if their assessment amount for their parcel is going to go above what was previously noticed. So, what what they were sent last year in terms of the notice. So, if you do want to increase either of those rates or both the solid waste and fire rates for this year, you are going to have to send notices to all those property owners. And something to think about is in future fiscal years, do you want to

include a maximum rate in those notices if you do end up having to send notices so you could avoid the cost of sending notices in the next few fiscal years potentially? it it's there's a trade-off there with putting a higher amount on the notices of course worries your your citizens that you're going to adopt that higher amount. You know, you can spell it out pretty clear in the notice, but sometimes that that's kind of lost um and everybody just hits on that higher number. So, I I would be careful if you do want to look at sending notices with a current year and a maximum amount to not make that maximum amount, you know, for solid waste. You don't want that maximum amount to be $500 or something you, you know, crazy. you probably want to keep it fairly reasonable and and something that at least for the next couple years maybe you don't have the cost of sending notices if you need to bump that rate up by you know 510 $15 from from year to year. You know if you're going to increase that rate by 60 70 $100 in any particular year if you know something happens and your costs escalate that much you're probably going to want to send notices for something like that anyways. So just just some of the things to think about there with with your strategy moving forward in the event you want to increase either of these assessments. If you're decreasing them, then there there is no additional notice requirement for all properties. So in terms of the the timeline, it's it's the same as last year. We're we're we're here now kind of talking about this. So so it's so it's on your mind. Your initial resolution that sets your preliminary rates and the rates that would go on on the notices and the maximum rates if you wanted is generally done in that June July time frame. You send the notices, you have a public hearing generally in late August, early

September and then the the role is submitted to the tax collector by September 15th for the November tax bill. And that's all right.

Yes, sir. Question. Go ahead. So, we all know that we're spending quite a bit of money rescue right now. I've had conversation about how much it would cost to bring that bring rescue back in house contracting it out and whether or not we would have a better rescue service. We brought it back in house. How how hard would it be to incorporate this study with fire and add rescue to that to see what

Mr. Chair? Uh respectfully, um we cannot assess for rescue. That's why we're talking about the MSTU for rescue and that is something we've talked about. Uh Heather is working on she's preparing the ordinances. She's working with Joel on them. And that's really the way you would have to do EMS is through an MST. You can't do it through a assessment. You have to do it through a taxing unit. It's like a legal issue or something. Right. Again, the MSB use the assessments have to benefit property and the courts have decided that EMS benefits people, not property. Therefore, you'd have to do it through a tax, not through a assessment.

So, are we going to do a study like this? Yes. That's currently under It's currently being done. Yes. Uh that's being done by Besh being done now. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. And also on the law enforcement also. Correct. Yeah. They're doing uh law enforcement and uh EMS. And the biggest question there is do the city and the town of Fort White participate or not?

Any further questions for the gentleman? It's a lot of information. All right. Thanks, sir. Appreciate you coming. Thank you very much. And again, this isn't for a vote. This is for discussion so that when we get into the budget workshop,

at the next meeting or the meeting next, if you have questions, we can add that to the agenda. Any topics you want to discuss at the workshop, please let me know so we can add it to the agenda. Um, as he said, we will actually adopt the resolutions in I believe middle of July is what we're targeting, right, Lisa? And um but we want to have these discussions early. Typically you adopt a maximum as he had said, but when the budget comes in, you usually adopt something less. I know a philosophy that you've had in the past is if you know there's a big increase, you try and do it incrementally over the years rather than hit everybody up all at one time. Of course, landfill and solid waste is different than fire because it's a an enterprise fund and it's got to be self supporting. Um but definitely on the fire side, you've always chosen to do an incremental approach.

Okay. All right. Uh

so Patrick is flipping over to the other set of slides, but we can start without Patrick. Uh this is the land development regulations on borrow pits versus storm water. Uh this was something that uh Councilman uh Phillips brought up uh with uh Kinley Horn and Blair Niding about you know is there a way we can clarify this. Now it may be a bigger issue and I think he wants to speak about that. But this is basically trying to say if it is a storm water pond, if it is a permitted storm water pot, in other words, they went through the water management district, they got the permits, the permits say this is for storm water, then it cannot be defined or it would not be defined as a borrow pit. So if you are digging dirt for storm water pond, you're not creating a borrow pit, you're creating a storm water pond. is try and clarify that.

Well, yes, there is. I mean, I understand what you're doing now. I mean, that's clarified in this, but there is some things that I question like a bond on all of the property that you got there. If you if you furnish that bond, you're furnishing the bond on every square foot of that property. Am I right?

The attorney's giving me a strange look. Yeah, the bond is a performance bond to make sure that the property gets put back the way it's supposed to be put back in accordance with the plan that's filed by the by the permit. So when you come in and say I want to build a borrow pit, one of the requirements we have is okay, when you're done with it, you got to put it back a certain way. So the reason for the bond is in case that person doesn't put it back a certain way, the county can go in perform. That's the only reason for that bond.

Okay. Yeah. Well, but what I'm concerned about is is if you got a 20 acre bar and you cannot utilize 50 ft of that bar, that 20 acres, why should you have to pay a bond on that whole area? The bond's not really relative to the size of the parcel. It's to the work that has to be performed to put the property back. Bond isn't an incumbrance on land.

I know, but yes, you're bonding this. We're bonding whatever we're digging. So therefore, you shouldn't be bonded on what's on the outside of what we're digging because I know what you're doing. You're trying to get money to repl and and bar pits is getting so fine and so hard to get right now as we speak. It's hard to even get a bar pit because you got all these things and then people don't want a barbecue. Mhm.

So, and I know I know people right now are doing bar pits and there's no permit on them and I'm not mentioning no names, whatever. But am I saying I know you can't say yes, I'm going to go do one and not worry about a permit, but that's some cases that may be having to happen in the near future. So, I do know from recent experience that there have been a couple of illegal barists that were reported. My understanding is they were shut down.

And so, if if it's it's an enforcement issue, what you're talking about is is is what I would call the deficient breach, right? I can make more money breaking the rules and hope I don't get caught and then if I get caught, I'll just pay for it, right? Pretty pricey proposition when you're building a barn. I know. Um, so the bond requirement again I think what you're talking about is the way it's calculated is based on acreage and you think that should be reduced down to just the the acreage that's covered by

I think the issue with that commissioner is we get a site plan that shows what the size of the pond's going to be but like you said on enforcement you don't necessarily go out there. So, one thing we can look at is what's the size of the parcel. That's an objective data we can find on and then we can use that to assess. Again, it's y'all's policy. So, if you want to modify the way that bond is calculated, if you want to wave, if you want to take the bond requirement out, you can. I just know the rationale for the bond was, well, we just saw Mr. Gabby passed away, right?

And so, if he'd been the the borrow pit operator and his estate had just claimed the barit said, we're not going to have anything to do with it. The bond would allow the county to mobilize forces to go in there and put it back the way it's supposed to be. That's all it's for. If you want to have a different way to calculate it, we can do that. Well, one one other concern I had in there was it says you're supposed to be reclaiming every week and seating every week in that in that the backloss. Yeah. Yeah. I think you shore them up. Yeah. So they don't I think I think that should be thrown out here. That's y'all's policy.

Well, I mean you as as a barit person I know all about bar but if you go out there and you digging on a bar pit and you only get 30 ft down there you don't want to go back and reclaim a piece that you're going to go dig on the other side all that kind of. So that's that's my concern on that. But as far as uh changing and I mean I guess we can go back and change that later. Am I right or wrong?

You're in the pro all those provisions are contained in your land development regulations. Those are currently under review by Kimley Horn. So what's on the agenda today is just for y'all to review what they've done so far which and it makes sense, right? When I'm digging a retention pond, I'm doing that pursuant to a permit has been engineered. what we've because of the way the code's written, it's like, well, you can't sell that dirt. You can't do anything with that dirt because of our borrow pit ordinance, right? This is just separating those two, which makes total sense, right? You got to get rid of that dirt. You got to take it somewhere if you can pay an operator to take it away. So, that's all y'all are doing here. In terms of an overhaul of the LDRs as to borrow pits, that's a conversation I would encourage you as a legislator to have with our Kimley Horn people to make sure they're aware of what your requirements are because they're working on that right now. Right.

And so you can get with David. He can get you with what's her name? The coordinator. Blair Nighting. You can get with Blair and discuss these issues. He can walk you through that. Right. So, and to echo what Joel was saying, the purpose of this is they prepared this language with Chad and with our with Seth and our planning staff, but rather than just automatically stick it into the revised LDRs, we wanted to make sure it met what the board wanted. So what you tell us today, we're going to go back to Blair and say change this wording the way the board wants it change. This is additional feedback from the board on this specific issue.

Move to approve the revised bar pits water up pond language to be added to the LDR updates. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. All the next one's a relatively easy item. uh fire station 51. We got a legislative appropriation to construct it. We've constructed it, but there was not enough money to add a generator. So, you approved us additional funds to pay for the generator. Uh we went out to bid uh using the local preference, which is 5%. Uh we're recommending awarding it to Graham and Suns for $72,000.

So, moved. Second. Have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose.

So the next one is the North Florida Water Utility Authority. I was asked to give a brief update on the North Florida Water Utility Authority. So real quickly, um the Ellisville legislative appropriation for the lift station and force means that they received. They're currently working with Arcadus to design and size it. Arcadus is looking at the pumps and the wet wells to make sure it can handle the capacity needed for us to service the busybe at that point. Then they'll make a decision on whether we need to have two force mains or one force man that we currently have. Right now we have one force man with a manifold. So all that's in engineering right now. So they are moving forward on that. uh they are purchasing technology in Swany County that basically takes the influence and kind of balances it out because they had an issue with consent order that there was too much nutrients in some of the affluent. So this turns on the blowers turns off the blowers automatically so they can kind of balance the chemistry and kind of bring that plan into compliance. Uh they're preparing a proposal for the town of Fort White. They're working with Mr. Hellenberger on that to uh give the town a proposal for the utility authority to operate the Fort White water plant instead of going through the county. Uh they're reviewing the water use permits in general to make sure we have enough capacity to serve the customers that need to be served or they have enough capacity to serve the customers to be served. Uh they have received the bypass pumps. So, you've budgeted previously in a capital project to have bypass pumps for the the pump stations in Ellisville. What that means is if the electricity fails, rather than overflowing the wet well, overflowing the pump because it's pump not pumping anymore, it would just bypass it and pump it straight to the uh thing. Those pumps have come in. Now, they need to be installed. Uh they are starting inspections of the water tanks. They're going to start with Ellisville and then they're go to Swany County. This is

where they are hiring divers to go in, inspect the condition of the water tank, and pump out any sediment or sand that's in the bottom. There is sediment and sand that naturally happens. Um, and this is something you have to do by permit every five years, I believe. So, they're going to do Columbia County, Ellisville first, and then they're going to move to Swany County and do the Swany County water storage tanks. Uh, they're negotiating with their emergency response firms. They um I think got it down to two or three. I don't know. I refer back to

two um and now they're negotiating the contracts with those and we talked to them about when are you going to submit your budget to the two counties. And so their budget process right now is planned to be done in July with their board so that they can submit it to the counties in late July or early August so they can get included in the county budgets. At that point, I'd like to defer to the two commissioners that are on the utility authority or anything else they feel needs to be added.

I think that covers let me ask something. You know, when we first started the water related board, and y'all know better than me, you know, I haven't I haven't been at all those board meetings. I watched some of them. When when do we propose and I propose we do it now, but when do we depoliticize the board where we just remember we always said we need to let the commissioners do it a while and then us go to appointing citizen and I think the guys to appoint them or you know that should be working on that is the board but I haven't heard another word about that and I wish we could do that because because always you know we always have differences as board members we got a board here they got a board over there then you got the board there you And I know that we, you know, I think we when we did the sewer plant, it upset some people. And I just think that that is the way to go. And and and to get this thing depicized, it wouldn't take 30 days to do it. You get good people on there, educated people that can that can handle that that are educated about stuff like this or at least people that can learn. You know, I don't know there's a whole lot of people sitting around Lake City that know how to do this. Y'all might know some people, but but I just feel like that's a big move for us. So that that's not no longer a part of county commissioners having to do it where we're just good appointed people are doing it and and we're not we're not having any politics involved in it. You know

M go ahead. I'm sorry. Right.

That was discussed not the last meeting but the meeting before last and the consensus of the utility authority board at that time was they wanted to keep the board like it was until asset transfers had completed. So that's kind of where the majority of the board members were at at that meeting. Um now we are working on that right now. Uh Shannon is working on that now. We've been uh figuring out what assets, you know, we everybody has and when that transfer should take place and how it should take place. Uh once the asset transfer does take place, I agree with you 100%. It needs to be needed for that.

That way there's no Lake City, Swany County, you know, no argon, you know what I mean? It's all easy and that was exactly the way it was going to be set up from the beginning. Yeah. Uh but like I say, it was brought up at the meeting before last and Swany County and other other members of the board. Basically, the consensus was that once the asset transfer took place, that's when we would appoint an independent board. Is there a time frame on that asset transfer? I say we're working on that now. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know the time frame exactly but hopefully by the end of this year I would think.

Okay. And you guys are doing a good job. I was just just wondering. So the I'm sorry M for correct. Uh the uh the last meeting I I uh reached out to Grady who is the board's attorney and uh it's the responsibility of this board

to appoint your your your board members. And uh because I I I let the board know that I was going to be bring I didn't know you was going to say that. I mean I'm sorry Robbie, but uh I was going to bring it to the board that we it is our responsibility to go and I know that Carrie has prepared the application form as far as that goes. And Rocky is right. The consensus of the uh I I didn't agree with it but that that's fine. That's when you got consensuality. the consensus of it was uh you know about the asset what would you call it the asset uh transfers because you know it's all kind of pending on uh Shannon can't do a whole lot right now because you know we got what assets we got but then again the four white however that happens out I guess it's still up full whether or not they're going to come on with a utility come on do it ourself or whatever it is so that's kind of a but the uh uh But like Miss Hollerswood just stated, uh, this is, uh, it it's it's it's a time frame to get these people involved. You got to do the advertising, what have you. I mean, I would assume it's probably a 60day process to even get applications out there and get people interested, what have you.

I think I think we do that six months ahead. I mean, you know, you want to find the best qualified people you get. And we we do have we do have

people down that are interested in getting some some people interested now that are are wanting to apply. Um but like I say at the meeting it was discussed and I I you know uh the way I understood it was the board would send out application or you know people and they would recommend to the different commissioners you know counties what which ones they think are the best qualified for that position because you like you said a while ago you definitely want good qualified people. You don't want to just go and snatch up somebody just you know

but but as Grady said it's the responsibility of this board to do the appointing right you would have to appoint them right but we was trying to I think way we was talking about it was uh we would send you know four or five applicants to this board and send four or five or three whatever we have to Swany County and then Swany County would do two of them you know. Yeah. And then just before we do two of them. So the interlocal agreement states that Swany County appoints two, Colombia County appoints two, and then those four appoint how you appoint those two is strictly a decision that you guys make.

That's right. And that's where you know because it's going to take it's going to take some research to get interested people. And then of course there's also I'm not going to say a learning curve, but there's a lot that goes into this process, you know. behind the scenes. They're going to need to go to a few meetings before they say I agree with you 100%. They they need to be at some meeting before they actually watch them. At least watch it. And we could put out we we could literally put out the applications now not further because this board has got to appoint them and then spark the interest if you want to call it and these people start attending these meetings to where they get acclimated on what the process is what you know what's going on because it's a building board I mean it's a building utility so nothing's in granite right now you know so I I would highly emphasize to the board I mean I would make the recommendation let's go ahead and put out, you know, not we do not have to appoint them now, but let's see if we spark the interest that's out there, you know, and go ahead and get the process started. that we'll be sitting on go when the time comes, you know, because I mean I, you know, me as I could, I could theoretically myself to speak for myself, I could say, you know, Lord, I I don't want to serve no more than this person sitting and appointing that person, you know,

and and and I I'll be honest with you, I I'd like for him at least to be I'm not saying they take power and we got to wait on that situation, but I think that they you're probably going to get some people that aren't going to understand what they're getting into if they could sit and watch those meetings on Zoom and go, I think I'm going back because you don't want to point people and then have to keep appointing people. You want somebody to go, look, these are when the meetings are. They're on Zoom, right? You can watch them. No, they are not. They're not. They're not. And I agree with you what I'm saying. The whole the whole theory behind this was to take the politics out of the

if we if we appoint four people let's say 90 or 120 days before y'all are ready to do what you want to do. They they sit and watch those meetings and go I ain't up for this. You know we want to do it where they they know what they're getting into because a lot of times we don't know what we're getting into, you know. So that's my opinion on it because I don't want to have to keep a point and fail every six months and then we have a board that's there's new people every six months. You know,

one of the things that we talk about and we're going to have to decide if is do these people have to live in Columbia or Swank County. There was a discussion amongst the utility authority board of do we want to require membership in the county which was the original thought or do we want somebody who has interest in the county like they may own businesses in the county but not live in the county.

Again ultimately the decision of how you fill those positions is your decision. Uh typically I think the terms typically are supposed to expire in May or June in terms of the annual thing but we typically appoint in December but again that is your call as a board on how you wish to fill the positions and that's your decision. I'd rather have people in Clinton County but it's the fact to find and qualified you know and it's just like people now working for counties and in places everybody thinks everybody has anymore it's hard to find help. It's going to be hard to find people to volunteer, too. I think the effort should be made. Yes. Capital County, but I don't think it should be

for sure. Yeah. Because we don't even you can't even do that with people working anymore either

because one day the way to look at it, it's it's still an advisory board to the two governor boards. you know, they they don't they they make decisions within their own budget and their own self, but at the end of the day, you know, the two governor sworn in Columbia County or the governing boards or, you know, financial boards, if you want to call that the uh so I mean that that's where that's like David said, things could change in between now and then. None of us at this table has a clue what full watch decision. You know, they went ahead and hired their clerk/c city manager, whatever they call Joe. And uh you know, they could be making decisions that they're totally on their own. I don't know. Nobody knows. And uh so that would change the whole demographics of the utility at this point in time because that's that's basically the nucleus of the utility, you know, as far as customer base goes, you know, and uh assetwise, you know, we are. And then of course, we're looking at the USDA. We're fixing to spend money in Ellisville in a major way. So uh I I think it's just uh like you said, David, the appointments could take place as early as June or July. Correct. And but if I understood greatly right,

we we can this board Columbia County Board of Commissioners can appoint as we see needed. Absolutely.

So, you know, we're not held to a, you know, and that could be December, January, February, March, who knows, you know, how that plays out. I just think it's just like Rocky said, uh we would have to have if somebody does come up and shows a lot of interest that may live in High Springs, Jacksonville, whatever, you know, but but that carries some knowledge of uh past board members. We'll just say as an example, a clay utility over there. Uh that would be an asset way I look at it, you know. So I I think the uh I think we owe it to oursel to go ahead and put the and we can put that in the advertisement. I would assume that you know looking for future board members, you know, to go ahead and kind of feel the field out, see, you know, who's actually out there interested in because uh irregardless whether Fort White comes in or not, the utility is in a growing mode. So they're going to have to make some very crucial decisions in the next 12 18 years. Right now, Fort White has the biggest customer base as you said.

That's it. But revenue could shift pretty quick. It could overnight. Exactly. And so, uh, you know, everybody's sitting there on the hopes of the next deal, you know, and like Rocky said, the next deal could change. I think I think we go ahead and advertise for them, tell them the time frame, and then let them go to those meetings, ask questions, step, and then you might have someone and go say, "I ain't doing this." you know that that'll call those out. We'll have people that really are interested in and then Shannon's propos not speaking for Shannon but in Shannon's proposed budget I would assume because we've had discussions of possibly even not that it's going to be a deal maker but $100 $200 was it meeting or a month or something.

Yeah. It's to cover the cost of driving back and forth between the two counties members a couple hundred dollar a month. Yeah. So if you you know if somebody did come from a lote county just pay for the gas gas that's about it. I guess the other thing longterm that's been brought up at different utility authority board meetings is at some point the basic structure of the agreement we have may have to change.

The current structure that we have which is just an interlocal agreement does not allow them to borrow money for instance. If it there is a point where they have to own assets they're probably going to want to borrow money. So at some point there will be a discussion with this board of changing the structure of the utility store. point the board would be independent of him. That's the whole goal. That's the whole goal. Yeah. So at some point you have to agree to that changing of they borrow that money. They got to have a they got to have a funding source there. Be independent. We might as well be done. You know what I mean? Well, that's the long-term goal is that they be an independent.

Uh Joel, we need to ask that about you direction. It's already out there. Just give Carrie and I believe Carrie's already got she's right over there prepared to she probably already got it done already sending them out stamps typing right now

and uh and David also you know I know you work closely with Shannon and and the uh utility but uh in the future if you would this uh for our my our purposes of course I'm on the board I got it you know I know what's going on kind of behind the scenes but when we do these utility updates you know I probably maybe do them every other month you because it's it's a moving target and I have Shannon available to uh you know participate but I think you hit everything here dead on the head. I think you did it. You sure you ain't a utility operator? I am not. I called Shannon said Shannon what are you up to? I am definitely not. I I rely on Shannon for the authority stuff.

Okay. No other questions. Go ahead David. So the next one is the economic development update. Patrick, if you would switch the slide deck. Um, call Jennifer up here and she's prepared an economic development update for you.

Good morning board. Morning.

All right, just a couple of uh slides this morning. First, just wanted to give you a quick review of the the projects and companies that have landed and built out here since 2022. You'll remember 2022 was um about the year that I was economic development specialist and started kind of work in the office. Um was promoted mid23 to director. So, kind of wanted to just bookmark back from that time frame. Um, if we look north in the Bell Road area, working with the uh planning department to expand the Duda, that's going to trigger other development, future development. So, that's why this is included here. Um, creating some commercial corridors, that kind of thing. Um, Florida Power and Light Project illumination that they built out on 25A. That project kind of took a couple of different turns. started out at a little bit smaller dollar amount, but they're coming in well above what their anticipated $35 million investment was. Um, if you'll you'll go by there now, you'll see a very large parking lot. Um, they are still planning on putting several stores, warehouses, and buildings there. So, we do have those plans. Um, and we could talk about that a little bit later. I didn't want to get in the weeds today, but um, we do have their update as far as what that site will look like when they're finished. And uh you may have noticed Sunstop on 441 and I 10 on uh that side of the interchange completely rebuilding that location. It's a larger site. They're going to incorporate a Wendy's. They'll have some EV charging out front and uh also have um their internal deli. So not not only are they building the site, but they're building it better, bigger, um a lot more uh amenities for that that interchange. Um, if we look east, Robins Manufacturing, you'll remember that's

our our treated timber pole company out on Okinawa Street. They've uh actually finished construction on their new kiln that um we gave them a tax abatement for that process. Um so they finished that, added a few more jobs and and their productivity out there. US Cold Storage went through two separate expansions over this time. one the building itself and then they added rail into the back. Equipment share we can see out on 90 across from the airport. They're open doing business now and um doing very well. Southeast Milk Co-op, that's the group that moved into the old Budweiser building um down on 441 South uh Talman Enterprises small group on same street main streets 441. They uh provide um specific electrical components to like uh FPL and and energy companies line um for transmission lines, distribution lines, that kind of thing. Uh North Florida Industrial Railroad. This is our rail partner at the industrial park. This was uh this is a subset of Pensley, which was Florida Gulf and Atlantic. They actually created an industrial rail switcher to manage the park. So that's that group. Agro Liquid. We um we've been talking about them quite a bit lately. They are almost ready to flip the switch and go live. Talking with Steve Brown at the city. They have sewer now. There was a hiccup with some pumps, but they got that taken care of, it seems. So, moving uh moving along there. And then the Price Creek Solar Energy Center. This is going to be a combination of both solar and uh battery storage for um power here. And it's immediately behind the industrial park out on on 100. So they're um moving moving along with that on the west side. Rushmore subdivision. These are the duplexes that we have going out um on Turner Road. Clear Sky Health

Rehabilitation Hospital. Um open doing well and fantastic uh facility here in Lake City. Road Rangers supports our FDOT District 2 um interstate system. They're located out on the west side of town and Recoil Trampoline Park is well underway with their buildout and uh south. So we have our infrastructure and utility improvements in Ellisville and in State Road 47. Um I think we've all talked about that a lot lately. So we know the the growth that's about to happen in those areas because that infrastructure is in place now. Ava Crest subdivision, another duplex project on 47 and Busybe Travel Center. So that project, you know, initially started out as a little bit of a a smaller um project. They've grown probably six or seven times since that point. So um huge investment on the the south end. So just want to kind of show you what all of that means. Um so since 2022, 10 different companies have created a total of about 180 jobs in this community. Um that's about $180 or $180 million in capital investment. So that's money that they put back into the ground, into the building, into our local site prep folks, and to our local construction firms, all of the above. That $180 million in capital investment uh created another hundred jobs like I just mentioned in vendors, contractors, service providers which increased the uh retail, healthc care, those induced workers is what we call it um by at least 35 resulting in $10 million worth of spending in this this community since then. So that's what the impact of each of these businesses coming to our community can have. So let's talk about what's coming next. So I just wanted to share um 2025 the state updated their target sector or target industry sectors and um

specifically the eight sectors below or the the second section of this that that I wanted to highlight aerospace and aviation atte um energy security. So previously this was kind of in the gle in the the clean energy sector. So they've they've updated this to include some semiconductor projects and uh things along that line that contribute to the energy sector. Um financial services, information technology, life sciences, maritime is a new one that has been added in there. With maritime comes everything along with that. So not just the ports um or the ships that are there, but what goes into making those ships. So when we talk about the projects that we're we're entertaining now, that'll come into play. military and defense is another one that they've added in there. Industry and projects that were currently active um that were working in the department. Now, these are conversations that we're having. This is not every single company that calls. This is um projects that have gotten to the point where they've asked for more information or they're looking really digging down to see if this is a place that they want to go. So, um in our world, we talk about we go on a lot of dates, but we only marry like one or two people. This is the dating section of my job. So, this is where we get to know who the company is, what they're doing, what they need, and in return, is it something that the county can support and is supportive of. So, right now, we're talking to building material supply distribution folks. um happy to announce that we have a signed purchase and sales agreement for um 60 acres at the industrial park for a company who uh distributes building materials of all sort um wood rebar anything in between. Um he's got two facilities here in Florida already, one down south and one kind of just outside of Jacksonville. Was looking for another location. This will be a rail served project, so it's

going to drive a lot of traffic into the park. um building manufactur or building material manufacturer. So, not only are we going to be shipping it, but we're actually going to be making it um at some point. We're in really good negotiations with a um I won't even say negotiations, conversation with a company who who manufactures certain type of roofing materials and uh they're very interested in coming here. robotics manufacturers. Recently, the state reached out and said, "Hey, I've got somebody that we know very well from the state of Florida that wants to build robots, and uh you're the only site in the state that has what they need plus the time to get it done." So, we've recently submitted um a response for that. Critical minerals, um tungsten, graphite, things along that nature are um hot projects right now. There's a lot of those coming coming through the pipeline that we've submit for. Um, but I'd also say there's several that we don't. Recently I had a proposal come across that required 13 million gallons a day of water. Um, that's not even something we can consider. Not even I I I wouldn't even waste my time with drafting a response to that. So projects that again, if they make sense and we can support, then yes, we'll we'll reply back and start that conversation. But if it's if it's outside of, you know, what normal capacities could be, 13 million gallons a day is is unreasonable in anybody's opinion in Florida right now. Um, steel manufacturers, we got two steel companies currently looking at us. Hopefully, we'll have a site visit later this month. They say it may be 1 of June, but we will have a site visit coming up from a pretty big one. Um, ammunition manufacturing, everything from small caliber to the big battles. um that they're they're looking all over the place for places to to make ammo now. And this actually goes back to the critical minerals. Tungsten is something that's used in a lot of that ammo. So, these two kind of go side by side. Aquaculture, this is kind of new. Um we've got some interest in some folks

that uh want to do some fish farming, if you will. So, we're uh exploring that that aspect to see if that's something that falls within our land development regulations and where it could go. Semiconductors, energy storage systems. I bring this up because FPL is considering batteries at at several of our sites. The battery storage system is an infrastructure improvement that that creates redundancy for the the entire state, especially this community. So, there's two types of batteries. one that the solar feeds directly to and then there's larger batteries that store excess power off the grid have no connection to anything else. But those times like a couple of months ago in January when we had cold weather and it was very close to having brown outs because all of a sudden Florida is freezing and we're turning our heater on. Um these battery storage systems come into play there. They provide excess power so we don't go into those potential burnout situations. um collocation and edge data centers. This is kind of a hot topic around the state right now. These are not the hypers scale. These are not the big Amazon web services or Google services. These are smaller um square buildings, a little less um noisy than what you know they they used to be less uh water, less power requirements. And again, these are potentials that we're talking to. doesn't necessarily mean that they're they're coming here. There's still some question about where that fits into our land development regulations and uh planning and zoning are working that on that as well. um retail, mobile sales and service as in uh cell phone services. Have had some conversations lately with some folks and entertainment attractions. Actually have uh in addition to the trampoline park have a couple of other projects um specifically local folks who are looking to um create entertainment or amenities in the community that again not a targeted sector but it it adds to the

appeal of the community. So it helps attract those larger industries. And that's really all the update that I have for you today. I'm gonna leave it on that slide before just in case there are any questions. But any Oops, too far. Any questions that I can answer for you? Jennifer, you mentioned the uh on the 60 acre purchase. You said that was a letter of intent.

Nope, that is a signed purchase and sales agreement. So, as of Friday last week, um, so it's actually two 30 acre parcels. It'll be the 30 acres that Pinsley owns, um, and then the 30 acres next to that. Um, so the second 30 acres, we're waiting on Warehouser to execute. So, they've recently had a change in, um, the vice president who is above the land development group. Um, he's waiting to get his signature ready to go. So, he literally just took over maybe a week or two ago. So, as soon as he gets his feet wet and and can sign that contract, it'll be signed on both 30 acre parcels. But right now, it is definitely the first 30. The intent is that he's going to the company owner is going to go ahead and get started on the uh the 30 acres that's kind of the western 30 of the of the two. Um and then close by December on the second 30. Um he's not going to build into that just yet. That's going to be his expansion. So um warehousers engineer the rail and this company owner have all been working together on his rail design into that parcel. Uh the other thing that this is going to do is encourage the um what they call a runaround track to be built behind that parcel between that and Agro Liquid. So there'll be two additional tracks. So when cars come across 90 into the park, they'll have two tracks that they can kind of pull those cars into to get them off the main line. Um, so that'll kind of ease some of those concerns about rail traffic backing up on across 90.

Good. The uh and as some may know the uh construction has started. A little bit of a glitch with a fire band. They are Jody Grub and what have you on the main entrance out there is going along pretty well what I see. Yes. And uh Okay. Any questions for Jennifer? Yeah. So on this uh the data center here, can you give us any more information on that as to because I I mean I just throughout the states throughout the United States, I haven't heard anything good about data centers. So have we done any more research on that to see exactly what it is they're trying to do?

So we um we've talked to a couple of different developers that are interested in in building some of the smaller versions of data centers, not the really large ones. Um, where they're at now is they are doing their due diligence on a couple of different parcels. Um, and what this entails is they have to work very closely with the power company, whoever supports it in that area. Um, and they have to write a pretty hefty check to start what's called a transmission study. This study takes about 6 to9 months. the power company looks at the entire grid that supports it to make sure that if they offer this this one customer that much power that it's not going to um take anything away from the the area and if it is what do they have to do to build it up. So it there's two different things there. One, they're looking at the redundancy in the grid and the upgrades that are necessary to support it as well as a time frame that it's going to take for them to get to the wattage that the customer wants. Um, and when they get to the end of that, if they have a yes from the power company, then they'll have a plan in place as far as what requirements are needed or what upgrades are required. Um, at this point, the the one particular developer is in that process with the power company. Where they're at beyond that, I I I don't know. Um, we don't have a site plan in place. we don't have any sort of this is what we want to build just yet because they need to make sure that they can even build it period. Um the other thing too I I want to bring up is it's not taking existing power away. The state of Florida's recently passed legislation that large load customers have to be built into the future growth. So if a um 100 megawatt or more actually I think it's 50 megawws um user or more is coming in then the power company has to look at their perform and figure out how they build that in not allocate current capacities. So we're not taking power away from what we currently have. They're planning it for the future. Um that's one of the

things that the state's done to kind of safeguard one of the concerns about generating power. That's been an issue for the state for a couple of years now is we don't really have enough outside the uh not to cut you off but outside of the the power use. Is there any benefit for this in our community

tax base alone? Um one small 300,000 square foot data center would pay probably five times more property tax than even target uh distribution up there on on 441. um the size of the building is not as big, but the um equipment inside is much more valuable. So, it's appraised at a higher rate. Um this day and age when we're talking about the possible elimination of homestead property tax and and eliminating, you know, that it's it's a huge asset. Now, is there is there a handoff or is there a trade-off with um you know, the the water that it uses and the power? Yes, it's not as restrictive as it used to be. Um that technology's gotten better. They've gotten better about reusing water and um requiring less. So, it really is about the type of data center that's looking in the location as opposed to is it, you know, is it a data center or not? Um the large scale, yes, they they use a lot of resources. They take up a lot of space. They cause a lot of issues. The jobs that come along with these are not as numerous as as they, you know, a lot of the data center companies make it seem, but the jobs that they do have are good paying jobs. Um, and they cover the spectrum from the guy who sweeps the floor and checks the HVAC system because they're their cooling system is probably the most important piece of those buildings. Um, to, you know, the the white collar guy who's doing all the coding and who's who's doing all the information technology stuff. So, um, to answer your question, it really until we have a a proposed site plan, it's kind of hard to say anything beyond that. Um, but right now, you know, and again, our planning group is looking at where it fits into our our land development regulations, what zoning it's required across the state. It's it's considered industrial or heavy industrial because

of the power consumption. Um, so they're looking at where it makes sense and what zoning it makes sense to have those in. Um, so I mean it's fairly early on and this is something that's coming across every rural economic developer in Florida right now because we have a lot of land and they're running out of places to go. Um, so we we all have to do a really good job of vetting these companies. A lot of it is is uh, you know, the middleman that's coming in and trying to secure the site and lock up the site and then flip it later. Um, we we you know turn down a lot of those. So, um, and it's just really hard to say until they get a further along in the process.

So, I've done little I've done brief research on data centers and I just I haven't come across anything that's been great about having data center communities. Community most communities don't like them. So, I would love to see this be and maybe it's in the right time for maybe a workshop on data centers or something so that we know what they're trying to get into here because if it's not a good fit for our community, then I don't believe we should have it here. It may pay a lot of money, but if it's not going to be a good a good fit for our community and for our constituents,

then I don't believe we ought to have it here. But that's just my opinion. I might be dead wrong. I don't know. But in my opinion, if it's not going to be a good fit for our community, then that's no go. Um I we need more information on the data centers. Everything Austin sounds legit to me. We need more information on data centers and the benefit is going to have to community before we try to get them in here and do any move forward anything else with them in my opinion.

Mr. Barnell, it's ironic. Uh I've been doing a little bit of checking, I'm sure, just like every other board member has. But it's uh one of the things I noted that it is like Jennifer said, it's a substantial investment and it is a big uh but what you're finding I believe it's in Louisiana where I was reading the caption u they're also coming after a major major tax incentive which Jennifer and Jennifer just hit the nail on the head. There are jobs. They're relatively substantial, you know, 70 to 100,000, whatever, 150,000. But my point is not enough of them. But when you look at the tax rebate that they're asking for in some of these situations, it doesn't make sense to me. And I'm not saying that would happen here, you know, because you you can't continue to give away the, you know, without the, you know, but but like Jennifer said, I did see where there are major, you know, that and that's one of their quote selling points. But uh but I I uh does anybody have any more question for Jennifer relevant to this?

Well, I wanted not do that. I just wanted to ask a question about has B andB pulled a program I don't know David do you B&B has been working with Troy Cruz and the building and zoning department on the permits. Uh there was some discussion of fee schedules and fee structures. Um but yes, they're working on that. Everybody's asking me when BNB gonna be moved up. I don't know. I think they said 14month construction. 14month construction. They have permit hopefully starting very soon. Like I said, they're in the process. Good permit people. They're in the process of pulling permits.

They're negotiating process for the uh if I may just add one more thing about the data center since you you brought up the incentive side of it. Um, so one thing I I will make clear is the state of Florida has made it abundantly clear that they are not incentivizing data centers. I thought

um and and we're on the same page as that, right? So part of the incentive is to make us competitive with other communities. A lot of the projects that that I deal with, um I'm one of five or one of, you know, by the time they get to the end, I'm maybe one of three sites that they're looking at. and they've done um a huge funnel from a a large um RFI down to just a few sites. Um data centers are a little different. They're they're more like commercial and retail. They go where their business plan or where they can go, if that makes sense. So, um like we mentioned, they're they're looking in in all of these rural places because we have an abundance of land. they are are running out of places that they can build that they have both land and power available. Um, so again, these are all check boxes that say I don't need to incentivize you because you need to be here more than I need you to be here. So please understand that when it comes to these conversations and incentives really are not um even up for debate with with a data center type project.

Bold new that I think the legislature took. Absolutely. And the uh if I may, I've seen Mr. Dupree putting his hand in there, but uh but before he goes to speak, there's uh I don't know, Jody, maybe you want to speak to what the planning just did about the solar panel solar. Well, that and what she's talking about right now. So, we tried to have a workshop name Jod Dupri. I think you got her. Promise you she knows my name.

Okay. We tried to have a workshop about this very issue and others but people didn't want us to have a workshop with the plan and zoning board. So for whatever reason but one of the issues that come up was what you said. So if you take in North Florida our issue can no longer be nothing about incentives. That's crap. You don't want data centers. The problem was is that data centers you have the AI centers. The water consumption is enormous. That's why they want to come here because of our aquifer. So you have to at some point the board we tried to do it at planet zone and so when it did happen we could kill it or at least have grounds to make them follow some standard that didn't happen. So that probably should happen in the future I would suspect but with that said you better I would suggest that somebody start coming up with some kind of policy that would restrict them because there's there's nothing good comes from them

in South Florida today you can't get them permitted. That's why I come in here. And I've always said with our cup and all the things we deal with, we don't want a $10 million a day bottling company. We don't want a data center using 10 million gallon. You know what I mean? It it's just it's amazing what they use up in energy and no employees, no incentive to the community, but they take their resources and rape them. We want to keep our resources. Sorry to bother y'all. No, no, you're good. That's what I was getting at. And just as a reminder, we are in severe drought conditions. No doubt. No doubt. And like uh uh and if I may uh the planning and zoning board did something I felt like was pretty bor bold here at the last meeting. Uh as we all know on this board,

Solar Fields decide they want to come to Columbia County, any county in the state. They do not have to ask for that special use, right?

You know the special, they do not have to technically come to us, but they do as goodness of their part. And uh the planning and zoning board did something I thought was kind of unique. uh they said, you know, we're not going to hear it and uh we're not going to recommend the board to hear it because and I I I kind of like that because at the end of the day, uh as it was stated in that meeting, not exact word probably, but you know what they're doing is that when these solar fields for whatever reason may go south, are you planting and zoning in your board or county commissioners accepted? So Florida legislature has already forced it upon our you know us. So you know let Florida legislature do it.

It's me again. So to to speak to that because it's important you know what they did was is that they it's a it's a administrative actions all they required to do because the Senate and the House just gave them Carter Blanc. So what we did was we're not hearing them no more. So our position was we're going to turn you down if we have to hear it. Well, FPL says, "Well, you can't turn this down." Well, yeah, I can because if you're asking me to vote, then I'm gonna vote the way I feel and I don't want you here. So, long story short, they pulled it. We didn't hear it no more. But it's some of that's going to affect cell towers and stuff, too. Cuz they they they want to dump it on y'all. So, whenever the public's upset because our solar fields, it ain't them.

That's right. We That can't happen no more. We stopped all that. And the word currently is spread because there are surrounding communities. I was talking to somebody in Pton County the other day. It's so you know it's just part of us doing our diligence I think. But and and that is a big issue. The legislature is more and more taking away our ability to regulate our county and making it more administrative. Check the boxes. They decide what we can improve and not to prove rather than our planning and zoning board or this board. I will tell you we have all the u solar farms we need ag

the uh any other question. Thank you. Would you say that the when you're talking about the didn't have to use the special use permit? Were you saying the data centers didn't have to use that or were you saying the solar farms? the solar farms. No, solar farms. But but beware, you know, they'll do it. Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. Go to go to go there 27 right now and sit there at the inspection station. Go across the river. Yeah.

It's unbelievable how many of them bad boys are rolling across that thing every day. I mean, every day. It's uh you see where the roads tore up where the trailers are about the bridge right now. Go ahead. make sure that we have enough information out there everybody's data centers because it's I heard anything good at all. Okay, David.

Okay, waiting for Patrick to flip over. But the next item on the agenda is um request for grant applications for the sheriff's radios and veterans affairs. These are two separate grants the grants committee reviewed. Um, the sheriff's grant is for radio equipment, including the encryption that they've wanted for a long time, which is very expensive. Uh, radios that are going out of date that need to be updated. If you look at the new modern technology radios, they're a lot more expensive than the old ones. This is a grant with no match. It is like the JAG grant in that it has to go through the county books. So, that's why we applying for it for the sheriff. Uh Lawrence Wilson, our radio guy, our communications director, is recommending it. He went to the the committee. The committee is recommending it. And so we're asking you to allow us to apply for the grant. Second one is the Veterans Affairs. This was Ron Beasley that requested it. He really, really wants to create a sports therapy program in Columbia County for veterans rehab through activities. It is a federal grant that is offered annually. Well, it went to the utility. It went to the um grant committee grant grant committee felt that May 13th, the deadline for this year's applications is probably not realistic. So, they support the idea of the program but didn't support applying for it right now because to qualify you have to show a lot more expertise than we have. You have to have at least two years experience. So, we will have to partner with somebody, whether it be Special Olympics or somebody else in order to make this eligible. So, there's a lot of moving parts. It will take a time to develop, but Bron Beasley does want to pursue this program in future years. Like I said, the grants committee thinks it's a worthwhile project, but thinks we're just not ready for it right now.

So, we're asking for this board's approval to apply for the sheriff's um grant. And then the second one is to in future years apply for the sports therapy grant. Move to approve to apply for sheriff's office communication grant divide program for adapt sports for future grand. Got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I.

All right. So the next item that I was have on the agenda go back too far. I'll get there maybe. There we go. All right. So I was asked to put this on the agenda. Uh we want to talk about it. Many college, let's be honest, most of the county policies that we have in our personnel policy were drafted a long time ago under previous administrations and really don't apply anymore. They're just old antiquated language. As part of the evaluations that you gave me, you said we need to have policies that are enforceable on a consistent uniform basis. So part of my plan then is to create a committee structure, a formal structure where we can systematically review all of our policies so that they achieve the intended goals are enforcable and are consistent across bases. In doing so, we're recommending HR take the lead on this because they're the logical person that should do it. uh they would form a committee structure comprised of foremans comprised of uh supervisors uh key administrative personnels uh from the big departments like Charelle uh who deal with the policies every day. It's got to be people who deal with the policies and know what's working, what's not working because what we have is we have policies and we have practices and our practices don't match our policies because our policies really aren't enforceable. To give you an example, we have a policy um chapter where is it 16 uh which is the use of vehicles that talks about you can't leave the county boundaries without getting authorization from the county manager or department head.

Every day we have people that go to Swany County for water man for water management district meetings or for utility authority meetings. We have people go to Tallahassee to lobby the legislature to meet with departments in Tallahassee. We go to Jacksonville to meet with Jack's court. Economic development travels all the time. Uh our extension office works the threeount area. They were filling out forms all the time to get permission to go just to Hamilton County or Swany County. Our maintenance people may have to go pick up a part in Gainesville. The policy as written does not work in today's environment. And so other things as it talks about, you can't use your telephone while you're driving. Well, that makes sense. But now you have hands-free driving. So you just tell people even though your truck will handle hands-free driving, so you don't have to look up phone numbers, do you just say, "Hey Siri, call so and so and don't do it, Siri." Um, or do you let your car do it? or do you just say, "Nope, sorry. We got to turn that feature off." That's the types of policies we have to do and enforce. And it's really hard to enforce people using their phones if they're using the hands-free driving. Now, if they're not using the hands-free driving, of course, the patrol can pull them over and give them a ticket. So, what I'm suggesting is we set up the structured policy, the structured program under the direction of HR to review all of our policies and to make them applicable to why we did it in the first place and enforceable on a consistent even basis and I wanted to let the board know that and see if you had any comments. Uh we do intend to go ahead and do this. Dave, you said y'all are going to I mean HR I guess is going to head this you're going to form a committee for you're saying a committee is going to be formed to look at all these

right Carrie and I have been talking about it and she's created a structured structured way of doing it.

The committee will do this without management and then they'll present it to management for comment and review and then ultimately to this board for approval. But the people dealing daytoday are the ones that need to help form it so that it's workable and it works in the field. Additionally, that means there's an element of this that kicks in once it's drafted where we roll it out, we communicate it, we train people, and we start holding supervisors accountable for enforcing policy rather than leave it as, well, you know, the policy doesn't really work in real life, so therefore we're not enforcing. Makes sense. I mean, they're the ones dealing with it. Put a process in place everybody can work with because, you know, it's definitely antiquated. There's no doubt. It sounds like

David, are you also going to look at the drug free workplace policy? Every policy requirement county vehicle. Every policy. We're not we're not we're not abiding by those either.

There are issues with those policies. Yes. We have to figure out what those are. So, for instance, in traffic wrecks, we typically don't do drug screens if there's no bodily injury, if there's no significant damage, if there's no insurance claim. That's been the practice. Now, I know what the policy is. That's been the practice. What makes sense? Are we going to just drug screen every county employee? Well, then you run into issues legally of unlawful search and seizures. So, what is a practical way of doing? Obviously, they'll have to talk to their insurance agent and they have policies they can give us to start with. Um, but every policy in the book, the whole set of policies. And this is going to have to end up being a permanent solution because you're never going to stop reviewing your policies. You always want to make them current. You always want to make them usable. Got to keep up with technology. There's something in here that talks about GPS units. Well, nobody uses GPS units, but you can track people on your phone. So, again, every single policy in the book.

Good. Sounds good. Okay. Uh, no other questions for uh we need that in the uh that's just an informative. That's what y'all going to do. I mean, we don't have to. Okay. That move to approve developing. Oh, no. You don't need to do that. It's based on your input in your evaluations. See it on there. Yeah, there's a recommended motion for approval here. Oh, okay. Then vote on it. But yeah, it's based on your evaluations. Move. Move to approve updating the policy. Second. Got a motion. Second. All in favor say I. I. I. Thank you.

I guess the blurred screen causes this is problem of using other people's technologies. It doesn't always work when you want it to. All right. So, one of those policies happens to be the purchasing limits that require signatures. Right now, if you talk to the finance people over in the clerk's office, they'll tell you any single purchase $1,000 and more have to be signed by the county manager or the assistant county manager. Your purchasing policy says you can do FPOS's up to $2,500. At that point, then you have to get quotes and go through the whole process. So, we're asking to clarify this once and for all and to require signatures only on those purchases $2,500 or greater.

Got a motion. Got a second. Any further questions? All in favor say I. I. Okay. Next one is RFP 2026E, Small City CDBG Grant Administration. This was one you guys looked at before and we talked about throwing it all out because they didn't have any field work. So, we went out and reissued the RFP. We now have new results. The selection committee narrowed it down to two groups, uh, public consulting group and metric consulting. We're asking approval to approve the ranking and authorize us to negotiate with those two companies. Motion to approve. Second.

Got a motion and a second. Any further questions? All in favor say I. I. And for the sake of clarity, this is only for the housing grant,

the CDBG housing grant. This isn't any of the other CD CDBG programs. Sorry about that. Got a lot of CDBG projects. Um, the next one is resolution 202618, amend and reinstate regulations for parks. All your park fees and rules are in a resolution. We ran into a problem. Uh the cost for replacing a Rum Island pass in the policy is $5. The cost of replacing a card is $10. So we're asking you to increase the cost in the resolution. This is to amend and restate the resolution to $10. And then also to eliminate the section in there that they give out free passes to the friends of Rome Island. They just haven't been used. And when they have been used, it hasn't been correctly

properly properly properly used. So, we're asking for those two things. Is that enough of an increase? Uh, it covers the cost. You want to raise it more? It's It's not for the cost of entering the park. I want to make it clear to the public. We're not raising the cost to use Rome Island. We're saying if you lose your pass and have to we have to reissue it. It's the cost of reissuing that pass. So moved. Second. Got a motion in a second. All in favor say I. I. All post. Okay.

All right. And then the last item on the agenda. Maybe too far. There we go. Uh you have in your packet a request for a leave of absence from Clint Pitman. Clint Pitman. My mouth is dry. It's hard to speak today. Uh because it is in excess of 30 days. It can only be approved by the board of county commissioners. You've approved similar leaves in the past, but it's really your call. All right. What's the wishes of the board? Discussion.

When's the last time we approved absence? last meeting. I think it was the last meeting or the meeting before you approved of last a leave of absence for a building inspector. Oh, yeah. For what was that for? Uh he said he had family events he wanted to attend. Okay.

The uh question of the board. I'm going recuse myself from this vote. I think I might have accomplished permission to run for county commissioner by district. Okay. So, you got that goal?

Yes, sir. You just have to get that paper for Okay. I've got uh one card on this, Mr. L. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I don't know that that's a genuine conflict, Mr. Attorney. The current rules uh espoused by the ethics commission or if the person believes there's an appearance of impropriy created by their vote. They are permitted to recuse. They're not required to. There are certain circumstances where they're required to. It's a much more lenient position than they used to take.

But that's not the state reason. So if that's what I'm my only question is and I don't want to get sidetracked here. If our stuff is more lenient than the state but the state has certain requirements for recusal we can't be less lenient. We can be more it's the commission. It's the state sir. It's the commission on ethics. It's the state has articulated.

Thank you. I don't I don't understand but I'll just move forward. So Mr. Pitman is requesting a grant which has nothing to do for leave with the other person that got a grant for some sort of personal reasons to travel around the country visiting family members. Mr. Pitman is requesting a leave to run for public office. That's pretty obvious and none of the opinions are in the backup material as usual with this county. the relevant equip the re the relevant opinions. The county ethics policy is clear that you can't work for Columbia County and run for public or run be a county commissioner run for public be run to be a county commissioner. That's as clear as is as the nose on your faces. The policy does not say uh you have to qualify. It says if you're going to run for public office and be a candidate, you can't run and be employed at the same time. The policy is clear. The law is clear. The five uh issues that have to be met. Uh Mr. Pitman does not meet all those issues. He's a candidate. I drove past his sign here on the way to work on the way to this meeting, which is why I'm here. The rest I could watch on YouTube. Uh he's he's a candidate. He's registered with the supervisor for elections. The policy was clear when you guys approved it. If you wanted it to be a qualified candidate, the policy would have said that. So all this mumbo jumbo about he's not qualified and the state says this and the state says that. You folks said something else that if you're a candidate for public office, you can't be employed by the county. And I would just point this out to you, Mr. Chairman and county commissioners. If he takes a

leave of absence, he's still employed by the county. It's just that he's taken a leave of absence. So, he's still considered an employee. So, if you approve this, you're violating your own ethics rules and just basically the rules of common sense. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Uh, Mr. Can,

please. Thank you for your time. Um I'm helping Mr. Clintman um on this issue. You uh already have an opinion from Mr. foreman as to the issue of what is a candidate. The um section 2-517 that we're here about today just says a candidate for office. It doesn't define candidate. Um therefore uh it would be our position that you would look to other sources, similar type statutes, similar type situations to see if that term has been um otherwise quantified or explained. The closest I was able to come to it um relates to the resign to run law. Uh chapter 99 Florida statutes doesn't apply here. Um but in that statute it specifically says qualifying as a candidate is what triggers the uh the requirement to either depending on what type of officer or employee you are whether you have to resign or whether you can take a leave of absence. So that statute is the closest one I found that has language that if you're going to if you want to hold an office and you you want to run it's when you qualify. and we submit that that would be and would not begin until um June 8th and which is why his leave of absence indicated that day as a start date as an issue of um whether or not he is an employee. Um there's very little authority on that point. Um,

the closest I have come is a is a uh 1980 case decided by our district court of appeal that that governs uh Columbia County. Um, it was a school teacher with Broward County. Um, and a similar statute to chapter 99 required that she take a leave of absence. Um and that statute or that uh statute 1112.313 reads uh similar to your section 2-51 517. Um in that case the state argued um that she remained an employee of the school board. Um however and the ethics commission found that there was a violation. It was overturned by the court. Uh the court indicated the court being the first district court indicated that they would not be an employee during unpaid leave of absence. They perform no teaching services. They receive no compensation. While on leave, the school board does not and cannot exercise any control over that employee and that she had surrendered her employee status. Here your process or your rules are a little bit different in that you can't do things if you're on a leave of absence. If you do those certain things then then you can be terminated and we are certainly aware of those. Um the case the right case that I've just cited referred back to uh looking at what is an employee much like your your ethics rule doesn't doesn't define what is a candidate. Uh Florida statute did not define what an employee was. So the district court went back and looked at a a Supreme Court that's uh stood around for ages uh for guidance on what an employee was um and what are the

condition or what are the the reasons why we would have such a rule that that this commission has um and that court then came up and said well we those rules are are fine because it would place demand and energies on the uh campaigner while they're employed. It could potentially decrease job performance efficiency. It could cause conflicts of interest and could potentially involve the governmental entity at play uh in the political activities. I would submit to you that the unpaid leave of absence uh with its conditions on what Mr. Pitman could and couldn't do during that period of time eliminates all of those uh those concerns. Um in addition the um right case that I uh cited it relied on a a again aged Supreme Court case that stood the test of time. It was a court case but it had the definition of employee that the court found instructive um back in 1980 as to a definition of employee because 112 uh did not have a definition of employee. And that case said, "An employee is one who for consideration agrees to work subject to the orders and direction of another, usually for regular wages, but not necessarily so, and further agrees to subject himself at all times during the period of service to the lawful orders and directions of the other in respect to the work to be done." here an unpaid leave of absence. Uh you are um essentially separated except for the the additional considerations of what you can and can't do during the leave of absence. You are separated from your employment. Um and so for that reason um we believe that it would be appropriate to grant Mr. Pitman a leave of absence as indicated in his letter uh to this commission dated May 1 of 2026.

Is this a court? Well, I was about to say I don't really want to litigate a whole,

but but I do think uh uh Mr. Kennon is bringing up issues that are subsumed within the question. The only question before you today is whether or not you grant leave of absence. Um Mr. Locus, Mr. Pitman says in his letter, I'm asking for leave of absence to run in Rocky's district. So there's no beating around the bush here. There's no mystery about what's involved to the extent the questions about is he going to continue to be an employee, things like that way on the board's mind and you want to ask about that. I certainly have kind of pointed opinions on that. Um in large part because of the right case. Mr. Kennon actually brought that to my attention I guess sometime last week. The right case is interesting because we have a resign to run statute. We all know about that, right? um that kicks in on qualification. So for purposes of that statute, you're not a candidate till you qualify. If you look at the Florida election code, you're a candidate if you so much say you are. Right? If you say, "Hey, I'm thinking about running." There are cases the District Court of Appeal has decided where a highway patrolman handed out some brochures said, "Hey, I'm thinking about running." He was fired on the spot because it was FHP policy as soon as you announce. And that's what their policy said. Our policy just says if you're a candidate, it doesn't get tight, but it reads like a resigned to run. It also reads consistently with chapter 112, which says it's illegal illegal for you to hold an employment position for an agency where you sit on the board for that agency. Makes total sense, right? The right case is interesting because the district court of appeal overturned the ethics commission and said no, if she's on an unpaid leave of absence and if she has no uh responsibility, there's no oversight, there's no control, basically consistent with what our policy says, not only is she not an employee, but she can sit on the school board. So, she had a continuing contract as a Broward County teacher. She went on

an unpaid leave of absence for the entirety of her term as a sitting member of that Broward County School Board, which is fascinating to me. I would not have thought that was possible in a million years. But what the District Court of Appeals said, and again it's our District Court of Appeal, that so long as the person is not in a position, again, could be sitting on the county commission as long as they don't have control over their employment position because again, they're not even they're not really employed for purposes of 112, then that's fine. Again, that's the District Court of Appeal. That would not have been my impression before reading that case. Um, but I do want to to Commissioner Ford's point, the only question before you is do you want to grant the leave of absence? Whether you grant the leave of absence or not will not eliminate the issue of whether or not Mr. Pitman's candidacy could still be challenged. There are courts for all that, right? That's exactly Mr. Ford's point. There is a court where all these questions can be litigated. I'm sure Mr. Kennon would be there. I mercifully would not have to be at that case hearing. So, um, but the question is, do you want to do it? Now, your policy says, and I want to make sure that we're clear on this, too, because, um, the policy says, "Leave without pay shall be granted only when it is in the interest of the county to do so." That's the whole first sentence, right? So, you're going to grant it only if you determine the elected officials whether or not it's in the county's best interest to do that. The reason you granted the leave to the building official, you articulated it during the meeting. I don't know if y'all remember that, but it was like, "Hey, these guys are hard to replace. We better give him the leave because and Troy said by the time I advertised it everything, he'll be off leave anyway." That's y'all that's why y'all granted that leave. He had no compelling personal. He wanted to go do some family vacation stuff. So, it's a political question. It's for the four of y'all to decide. Is it in the

best county's interest? Is it in the county's best interest to give Mr. Pitman this leave or not? And it's an up and down decision based purely on y'all's opinions. Yeah. That was what I was thinking. Nobody's made a motion, right? No.

Okay. Um I don't We've got this question. Approve leave of absence or not. And if that's the if that is the the what we're looking at how important employee I think he's a pretty important employee. I mean I think he's probably as important as the last guy. So I don't know how we say no to one guy and yes to another guy a month or no to another guy a month later. We're not saying that there's not going to be a legal challenge to him running or anything of that nature. All we're saying is we approve a leave of absence. So I'll make a motion to approve leave absence. Motion Mr.

I'm not second right now but I just want to ask a question if he qualifies when he qualifies the day he qualifies what is going to happen to his employee his employee. What's going to happen to him if he qualifies the day he qualifies to be a candidate? What is it going to happen to his employment? Then I think that's when leave absences for the leave ability qualifies, right? No, it begins when he qualifies. Begin when he qualifies. That's the ask in the

That's the ask in the letter. Yeah. The letter says when he qualifies, his leave of absence would begin and his leave of absence would end either at the end of the election or if he withdraws, there was something else. election result certification. Oh, or the date of the election, I think it said or or certification. Certification. So, yeah, Commissioner, the the the the leave of absence with Stark when he qualifies because that's when the policy kicks in says he can't be an employee. So, he would he would kick off there and then um based on the request, he would come back when the election's over. Now, if he gets elected, he wouldn't come back.

Yes. But that's I mean I still ain't I'm still not figuring out if I'm employed by this council. I should not be running for office if I'm qualified to run for that office right now. I mean, I I know he's supposedly qualified or according to these voting, but I was under the assumption that the day he qualified be a candidate that he could he had to quit the job. David, I would like to hear your thoughts on all this. You're the county manager.

I am the step up and be a county manager. Okay, hold on. Ever wasn't even finished talking. So, hold that. That's okay. I didn't want to I mean, you got cut off. So, look, can I respond to that though because I I think

Please, I just want to make sure everyone comfortable with what he So, so qualification for candidacy is different from what you just said, right? So, we go down and we we're all elected officials up here. We go down, we file our paperwork with the supervisor to say, I want to run for this office. That's not qualification. Qualification happens during a very specific week in June. It's 67 to 71 days before the date of the first election. So, that we we have our election in late August. They back it up to 67 to 71 days. That's your qualification period. That's when you officially go on the ballot. That's when you have to turn in all your petitions. You have to turn in your candidate oath. All that stuff. That would be your qualification date. It's beginning of June. So everything that everybody does before that under the resign to run statute is prospective candidacy, right? It's I'm I'm working on becoming a candidate. You're not a candidate till you qualify with the supervisor's office. And that's true statewide, right? If I own state office, I've got to get qualified in there. The whole nine yards. So when you talk about qualifying, it doesn't happen until that weekend, that week at the beginning of June, which is set by statute.

I'm going to give you an answer that none of you will like. As a practice, I do not give discussion of personnel activities in a prospective manner. Once personal activities happen, I do report them to the board, but I do not discuss personnel things, especially on a prospective basis. Maybe I should have pulled my vote off this thing too because if I had somebody that was in my in that shoes and he wanted to run against me, I wouldn't feel comfortable saying yes yet. Give him the lead. I mean I mean that's the way I feel about it. So I'll pull my vote and let the other Well, now

think he's he's taken a recusal because he says that the person that issues run it against him for office. Clint's not running against you. No, I know that. But if if I had one in my district doing that, I would not. Well, then you just vote no. I don't think you can. That's what I'm saying. I think Rocky and I would agree with Mr. Looker. Rocky Rocky's right on the edge there in terms of whether he can or can't, but I think it's permissive in Rocky's situation. I don't know that he would get there and I don't want to see

but but then we get into the issue where we're not approving leave absence we approved somebody else a month ago because of why he wants you know what I'm saying? I but but there's no stopping us from hiring him back today. he puts an application, there's nothing stopping that. He wants to come back to work.

I mean, we're not voting on whether he's running or whether he gets a legal issue that he can't run. What all we're doing is leave absence and and it's not it's not a I mean, we gave one to a guy to go visit his family and we gave it because he was a you said because he was a very important part of the county's infrastructure. Well, I would think Clint is too. You just said he was. Well, that's what Troy said to you guys about his building official. So, the issue, but you just raised his illegal hard to replace. I would think he'd be hard to replace.

So, your policy basically these are case by case. So, so I I understand the thought process is always to look to precedent or what have we done before? These are case by case. So, I don't I think you you have to let each case stand on its own merit. So, you consider this one in a vacuum just like you consider the last one in a vacuum and the next one would be in a vacuum. Uh, Mr. Pippen, I seen you waving at me. You'd like to come up for a second. Mr. Chairman, thank you for recognizing me. Uh, Madame Clerk, Clint Pitman, 4143 Southwest Watson Street. Um, you know, for 26 and a half years, I've stood up here at this podium and represented the people in Columbia County. uh take pride in doing that. Um I stepped out and hired an attorney early on when I decided to make my next venture. Okay, a lot of people don't understand I retired several months ago and I'm currently working in drop. Made my decision 15 years ago that whenever I retired that I would run for office. Um back and forth. I mean let's just put the elephant in the room. This whole rule was written years and years ago for political reasons to keep good people from running against city commissioners. Uh that's why it's there. That's why it's written in there. I understand that. Again, that's why I hired an attorney because I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correct from the beginning. Obviously, there's a bunch of back and forth with this, but I have personally witnessed more argumentative and hostile workplace uh since all this started. Again, due to political issues, as recent as this past week, had to do an investigation with Mr. Krauss and HR uh for false allegations put out when I

was on vacation. This whole thing is nonsense. Uh, I'm trying to do what's right for Columbia County and what's best for Columbia County. Um, and again, people steady trying to find fault in in my dedication to Columbia County is a problem with me uh and shouldn't be allowed. Um, you know, this whole thing is is uh it's been a tough situation for me moving forward thinking I was going to continue to do what's right for Columbia County and obviously waste taxpayers time and this board's time to sit up here and go back and forth, you know, paying attorneys times to to try to look and see what's the right way and and still to cause more argument. Um, so it's with a sad heart but with pride that I stand here today and I resign from my position as landscape parks director for Columbia County effective immediately. Mr. Kirby, uh, I will get with you in the coming days and uh, give you my keys in my truck and I will see uh, Carrie and HR to make sure my paperwork's done properly. And uh, with that, commissioners, I'll see y'all at the polls. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Well, I'm going to tell you

I'm going to tell you something. I And I think most commissioners agree with this stuff and and I I I just I just think a rule that was created years ago and and this has nothing to do with Clint. It ain't got nothing and they ain't got to do nothing to one commissioner here. But a rule that's created by elected officials to keep a certain group of people from running against them unless they lo they quit their job to me is inherently wrong. now and may people might not agree with me, but I know that I want to take this up in the next six weeks or whatever we got to do and put it on the on this board to change that rule if they'll change it because I don't believe that any man or woman should have to quit her job to run against me. So, that's my feeling on it and um that that's the end of it. Mr. Hollworth, I I'll just, you know, that I this is something we need to address very very soon. You know, uh I I I understand the situation Rocky and Clint are in, you know, have worked together all these years, but at the end of the day, I do not ever want anybody willing to take the stand of coming here and serving in the public on advisory board, election board, whatever. I do not ever want to, you know, and and so one will sit here the other day sitting there talking to a group. Well, well, if it was you, it'd be a different story and and I totally understand that. But it's for me to prove when that time comes, if it does come, because at the end of the day, Mr. Pitman is a very valued employee. Everybody on this board, I think, has determined that. But at the end of the day, you know, there comes a time. This this is the antiquated. This is one of what we had discussion about earlier today. is antiquated uh rule that needs to be addressed. Like Robbie said, I don't want to put this on the back corner because there are good people there because we're coming up in a time in this life that it's getting harder and harder to find people to run.

I mean, just turn on Fox and CNN real quick and you'll find out real quick. You got some lunatics and cooks out there, you know, going to be running this country if people don't start standing up and doing this. And it's a uh it's not only a financial thing. and some it's moral thing and uh so that being said that's just my opinion. I think uh Joel uh I you know we may want to seek outside services I don't know we just got to get you know because you're you're elected off so you understand what I'm getting but but my point is that I think this is a very very s I've never heard of it but it's a serious matter but I understand exactly what Miss Holl was saying I agree

Mr. share one thing that I was u surprised by is is how widespread this is. This is we're not unusual in this regard. Um but I had a conversation with Commissioner Hollingsworth earlier this week. He says, "Well, if you say it's legal, I guess that's just the way it's got to be. That's not the way it's got to be. You have the ability to take that rule out of your code entirely." Now, it's in the ethics rules. So, you have to do a four You have to have a four vote majority to change those in ethics.

But, you know, that can be changed. You can also clarify it. You know, you could sharpen the pencil on it. One of the issues that I confronted was there is no definition of candidate, not the definition section, not in this particular section. You can, as you and I, you could define it the same way the election code does, the same way the FHP evidently does. You so much as mentioned again, you could take it out entirely, which is what you and Commissioner Pollinssworth are saying. I think Commissioner Phillips feels differently based on statements he made a little bit earlier. So, this is one where there's there's compelling arguments on both sides. There's a reason these rules are very prevalent. They're very widespread. Um, but you guys ultimately decide what goes in there.

Well, you know, you educated me this week on, you know, when I we had review and you got the supervisor election says this and as as Joel said, you know, it's like pulling one verse out of the Bible, but you don't read what's before and what's after. It's relevant and it it changes the definition of the whole show because I I uh I ain't gonna say me and Joel it but but we had a we had a logical conversation he educated that and it makes sense and and there's a lot of these tasks that happen that you've got to read before and afters just I mean that's on my so I just like to say please

I think anybody wants to run for public office should They're encouraged to run. Robbiey's right. There's not enough people that will step up and run for office. But at the end of the day, everybody knows the rules. There's rules when you qualify for a candidate that you have to abide by. You run. All y'all run. Y'all know what the rules are. Everybody knows what the rules are when they step into the arena. So, you can change the rules if you want to. And I'll be honest with you, I don't know why this rule was ever invoked. I wasn't doing anything. But but at the end of the day, it is a rule. We Florida sunshine law is a rule. Do I think everybody should abide by it? If one has to abide by it, everybody should have to abide by even in Tallahassee, even in Washington DC.

And they don't.

But they don't. So rules are rules. At the end of the day, everybody knows what the rules are when they step up to the plate. So they had you should make that decision knowing what the rules are. Don't try to come change the rules, bend the rules, or break the rules so they accommodate you. That's that's the only thing I'm saying. If Clint wants to run, I am 100% for him running. I think everybody wants to run should run and let the people decide. That's why we have the elections. That's what makes this country great. We the voters decide who the who represents us. But at the end of the day, when you wake up step up to the plate and make that decision to do it, you know what the rules are when you step up there. So, abide by the rules. As simple as that.

Okay. We don't change the rules, you know, procedurally. Madam clerk, I think there was a motion on the floor. So, whoever made it, if you want to wish the motion because he he's he doesn't need to leave absent. He just resigned so he can run. So, okay. I'm sorry, Rocky. Didn't mean to cut you off. Good. Uh, okay. At this time, open public comments. Three minute limit. All right. Not seeing none. Uh, staff commissioners. Uh, Kevin, go ahead.

Mr. chairman, based on the information that was threw at me earlier to prepare for this dirt and pave conversion workshop, it's going to take me a few minutes. So, I'm going to explain. I run some basic math of dirt to pay conversion at 18 ft per mile and I'm excluding permitting rightway, all cleared and grubbing paving with a dusty road permit. I heard a number of $330,000 a mile. We historically put an inch and a half of structural and an inch and a quarter of friction on all of our dirt pave diversions county that equates to 1,600 and tons of asphalt purchase of asphalt. So if I'm hearing the earth work, the drainage, the stabilization, the base work, the grassing when you're done, paint, the RPMs, the QC testing, the labor, trucking, the signs afterward, mowing it after it's paid. Leave all that away. 1,600 tons of asphalt bought at that asphalt plant is almost $200,000. So, I've got a lot of reason for per mile in purchase of asphalt. Match that buck 200,000. So, if I heard that math right for $130,000 a mile, you're going to do all that.

David, I sent that report to you. It's from Jean over at Swan County. Yes, sir. Like I said, Mr. Chairman, I got a lot of research to do. Okay. I look, I'm just giving you the information that I was providing. Chair, we about done here. our take a little recess. We're getting pretty close. We're real close. You good? Hold it for a while. You good, girl? All right. I don't think you need I don't think you need a You're good. I will summarize. You take off. We'll see you later. Okay. Uh David, anything else? No, sir. Thank you,

Mr. Phillips. No com where the head

yeah the uh rock anything else okay you can leave this doesn't have to be on the record you just go on uh board I'd like to make make a point uh Mr. Ler I'd like for you to pay real close attention to this from here on out I'd like I'm going to be enforced and after the meeting has started that I I'm sorry Mr. you got caught up and weren't able to get here on time. But if you would in the this side of Curtis, courtesy of all the other attendees, if you're going to come in here after the meeting and set up your stuff here, I'd like for you to go down here where you don't block other people, you know, with what you're doing there. You need clarity on that.

I'm talking about you. When you come in here tonight, while the meeting's already going on, you're sitting down, you're blocking people right behind you with cameras and stands and stuff. I would ask just if you don't mind please be courteous to move out of their way sir. section. No, no, I didn't say it was, but you be here on time. Be you're coming in here disrupted this. If you what I'm telling you, if you come in and disrupt my meeting again, I'll deal with it. Okay. Okay. I'll be there. All right. Bernie Me.