City Commission - Special Meeting

Everyone have their speakers on? Okay, we're calling this special meeting to order of June 18th, 2026. Sherry, can you take a roll, please? Yes, ma'am. Mayor Miller? Here. Vice Mayor Freitas? Here. Commissioner Carlos?

Here.

Commissioner Babinski?

Here.

And Commissioner Card is excused. Okay, thank you. All right, so we only have one item here today, and that's new business. That new business is the consideration of the purchase of 3046 South Atlantic Avenue. Who is presenting that today?

I will be.

Thank you. Go ahead and go, and then we do have one person that would like to speak about it.

Yes, ma'am. Over four years ago, what was at the time our council expressed an interest in purchasing the former Bank of America property located at 3046 South Atlantic Avenue. Minutes from those meetings reflect that the purchase of the 1.03 acre property would be in the best interest of the city owned the property due to the proximity of the bank and the pavilion. As noted then, the property is contiguous to McElroy Park and the Public Safety Complex, and its acquisition remains a priority of this commission. As announced at the last commission meeting, the city's entered into a contract to purchase the property for $1.8 million with a closing date of July 24th. A subsequent appraisal found the property valued at $1.82 million. We're closing out our due diligence period, and a staff report with those findings was included in your packet. I would like to note, however, that even though it is an as-is purchase, the property owner has made repairs to the main air conditioning system, which at the time of the inspection was not working. should Commission choose to move forward with the purchase. Our finance director, Lori Irwin, will present a resolution to move $1 million instead of the full $1.8 million from reserves. She's identified $800,000 in savings from our current fiscal year budget based upon the dramatic cuts made to the plan to design a new EOC and the Commission's recent decision to amend improvements to the park. So on that, we await your decision.

Okay, and we do have one person that would like to speak about this, and that is Richard, is it Fentner? Yes. Okay, if you want to come up, sir, we'll be glad to hear it.

All right, my purpose here today is, I think this is a terrible idea. As I drive up and down A1A, I've lived here, I've owned here for 25 years, been coming here for 35 years. There is nothing but empty properties and empty lots beachside begging to be used. That building, from your own reports, looks like it's got a ton of mold in it. The building you're talking about spending $1.8 million to buy full of mold. And nobody said what the purpose of that building is going to be. If it's going to be demolished, that's more money than 1.8. If it's going to be rebuilt, that's more money. Taking property, they pay, what, 20 grand a year in taxes. Taking that off of the tax roll at a time when tax money next year is going to be tough for you, probably. Maybe not a great time to spend. Corn Orange did this over at Riverwalk 35 years ago. They took properties that were making money, paying taxes, took them, bulldozed them, and you still have empty lots there. Doesn't make any sense to me to take taxpaying businesses, and turn them into, first of all, nothing that pays taxes, and maybe an excess building with issues. Has anybody, my question here today is, nobody talks about what is the use past the date that you write a check for $1.8 million. What happens the next day? Where is that thing going? The money obviously doesn't end there. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I don't have any other speakers, but is there anyone else that would like to speak on this subject? You can come forward, please. When you're through, can you fill out one of the forms and give it to our city clerk? Please identify yourself.

Don Ulrich, resident of Wilkinson. I agree with what this gentleman said. And not only that, the people that own the property bought it just two, three years ago for $1.3 million. I mean, that's a pretty big windfall for a couple of years. And I'm a commercial real estate appraiser by trade. And that seems like a big increase for just two, three years. And it really, what are you going to use the property for? I mean, is the use going to be worth $1.8 million plus, plus, plus? I mean, I heard something about food trucks being parked there. Well, I mean, sure, that may help the food trucks, but it certainly doesn't help the restaurants that are paying property taxes all along A1A. Um, so I think there's not enough information for, for the citizens to know, know why you're spending $1.8 million on this. Thank you.

Any other comments? If not, um, do I hear a motion to approve this, uh, consideration of purchase 3046 South out Atlantic Avenue?

I'd so move, but I have something to say as well. Let's just wait until I get a second.

Okay, and now we're open for discussion. Vice Mayor, what can we say?

Yeah, and gentlemen, you both make a very valid point. The property's been held by this owner for a little over four years, maybe five. The opportunities we may have had to purchase before were an exercise, but here's what we see because we receive a lot more information than you gentlemen do. Studies, surveys have all told us that we have to or we can maximize for the benefit of the citizens the park and the park area. If we allow this to stay in private hands, we can't control development. tattoo parlor, massage parlor, marijuana store, it could be a whole host of things. But if we acquire it for the benefit of the city, then we can determine its development. And if the building is not, or we have to repurpose it into something that's gonna be consistent with the city, then the acquisition of the land alone, being contiguous, I think is the big picture it is, it will benefit the citizens. I think we as stewards of the money for the city, yeah, nobody wants to pay one point, and we may be able to get it for that or a little bit less, but be that as it may, I think it's a wise investment for the future, and we have the ability to do so, and so that's why I feel confident in my decision that I think we should go forward.

Any other discussions? And thank you both for being here today. The only thing that I am going to say, and normally when you come up, it's just for comment, and we don't answer. That's one of our policies. But overwhelmingly, we've heard from so many residents that I wish were here today. Please buy Bank of America. Please buy Bank of America. And that would be a contiguous of what we have with McElroy Park, the pavilion. So it's a very, very strategic piece of property that we want to fit in. And to our vice mayor's point, I mean, there was other people that we heard, you know, might have been interested. I don't know if they were anymore, you know, still a rate, you know, something like that. So in order to have that piece of property and have it be contiguous with our McElroy Park and the pavilion, and from the comments of several different of our residents, we put it off a couple years, and people have said to me, How about Bank of America? How about Bank of America? So, you know, that's what I have to say for it right now. Mayor-elect Dubinsky, do you have anything to say?

No, I've heard the same things from many people, that we need to lock down that property because it is right where we have a tremendous amount of public events, and I think it's a great idea.

And previously, you know, at that location and here at the community center, too, we sometimes say the saying that we try to get 10 pounds of potatoes into a five-pound sack. So that's not saying that our director, Maddox, won't look at moving some programs that she currently has here to either that location or if we decide to take it down, whatever's there. But there's a lot of possibilities that we're looking into. So with that being said, I think we have a motion and a second. Cher, can you take the vote, please? and that passed 4-0 so now we're going to go on to the resolution 2026-07 attorney voice are you on the line

Yes, I am. This is resolution number 2026-07, a resolution of the city of Daytona Beach, Georgia, Volusia County, Florida, amending the general fund fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, appropriating $1 million from reserves and reallocating $800,000 Appropriations for the Emergency Operations Center EOC in the park at 2853 South Atlantic for the purchase of the Bank of America property in 3046. South Atlantic Avenue, also ID number 532706030160 for $1,800,000, providing for appropriations, providing for an effective date.

Thank you, Attorney. And Director, what do you have for us?

Madam Mayor, Gloria Irwin, Finance Director, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, Mayor-elect, With Commission's approval to purchase the property at 3046 South Atlantic for a $1.8 million budget amendment, we'll be required to fund the acquisition. As this expenditure was not included in the fiscal year 2526 budget, that is what Resolution 202607 is for, the current budget includes funding for improvements to the park at 2850 through South Atlantic and engineering costs associated with the proposed Emergency Operations Center. These projects were set aside by Commission for future evaluation at February 3rd, 2026 and May 5th, 2026 Commission meetings. The estimated cost of the EEOC increased to more than double the original projection at the time the city received the partial grant funding and residents expressed concerns regarding proposed changes to the existing park at 2853 South Atlantic. So staff is recommending reprioritizing $800,000 in funding from these two projects to help offset the funding required for the purchase of the property of 3046 South Atlantic. This reallocation, combined with the use of a million dollars which would come out of reserves, will provide the necessary funding to acquire the former Bank of America property, a strategic acquisition that supports the city's long-term vision for its future.

Thank you. Dr. Irwin, before we take this $1 million up, can you tell us what our current on-hand reserve is without the sewer, just the general reserves?

Well, it's a little hard to put it all together because there's many things that actually take up your reserves. So we can say that we have $25 million sitting there, but that also goes into effect, you know, we have to look at our capital, and that includes some of that. We have to look at... some unfunded liabilities like frs so you know those are things that take that into account so i mean i could say you have 17 million okay all right okay all right and that's and the sewer is a separate that's a separate one okay all right okay that's um any other questions for a director

Nothing else? Okay, so do you hear a motion to accept Resolution 2026-07? Also move. Thank you.

I'll second.

Okay. And can we take a vote on this, Sherry, please? And I don't see any other speakers for this. Is that correct, Sherry? Correct. And that passed 4-0. Thank you very much. before we adjourn I wanted to go over a meeting that we previously had scheduled for July 28th is that a workshop it is it's a workshop it was scheduled previously at 4 o'clock and I have another commitment that I cannot make that so I'd like to change that workshop to either 1130 or 12 you know hoping it can go into the lunch hours hours so I think if we give you a little over a month in advance, will that work out?

Yes, I'll make arrangements. Unless I'm in trial, which I doubt, I'll make arrangements.

Just to clarify, it's a workshop followed by a meeting.

Workshop followed by a meeting.

So we will be rescheduling both. No, go ahead.

I'll be able to make arrangements.

What time do you want to reschedule?

11.30 or 12. And, again, you know, I want to see what works best. Does either one of them work best for either of you two?

Can we make the meeting somewhat after that so we don't have to come back at 6 that night?

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it's going to be immediately following that. Yes, immediately following that. Would that work?

Oh, fine with me.

And that will work for you too? Yes, yes. All right, okay. So, Sherry, if you, 11.30 or 12, whichever time, It seems to work out best because I'm hoping you take your lunch at that time. So I think that was, you know, we're here meeting today, so we're in the sunshine. Is there anything else that we need to talk about? Nothing that we can vote on because it's not on the agenda, but any other questions or concerns we need to talk about? Hey, Nancy, am I missing any event? Well, yeah, let's talk about the July 1st event. because our meeting won't be until the 7th. So if you can tell us about July 1st.

July 1st, we are celebrating our 250th celebration, and we will have a playhouse. We're going to play about the signing of the Declaration, but in 1976, not 1776. It will be fun, and then we're going to be having a good old-fashioned picnic.

Great. And am I missing a concert in between here? 26th or not? 26th? Okay. Anyone else? Vice Mayor, do you have anything else? No.

All right.

And this is a small crowd, so I'm going to announce it again. So congratulations. We have Commissioner Chris Conamas for four more years. So he ran unopposed. We have, I'm proud to announce, our mayor-elect, Stefan Dubinsky, will be taking, is it November 10th? No, the third. The election's on the third, but our meeting's on the 10th. Right.

Correct.

All right. So anyone, you know, please tell everyone to come out and wish him well. And I'd love to say goodbye to people and also hello to our new mayor. It will be great. So anyway, if there's no other comments, anything from staff? If not, the meeting's adjourned. Thank you for coming in.