City Council Regular Meeting - Special Meeting

You need some water for those flowers. Water. All right. Good evening everyone and welcome to this special meeting of the city council of Portal Beach. We do apologize that it is taking place 1 hour and 1 minute later than we had anticipated, but sometimes quality discussions ensue. We've called this meeting to order. We will now rise for the pledge of allegiance if you're able. [Applause] I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Just a quick reminder, please put your electronic devices on vibrate silence if you would. Uh, we need approval of the agenda. Council motion by Councilman Jeter, second by Councilwoman Deberry to approve tonight's agenda. Additional comments? Seeing none, council, please vote. [Applause] Just approval of the agenda. Councilman Walker,

trust but verify, right? And the motion does pass unanimously, which brings us to item four, resolutions. Uh resolution 2025-9,

Mr. Burns, resolution of city council, city boarding the conference be scheduled for fiscal year 2526 and provide for an effective date

and and I believe either Nicole or Um good evening council. Um as you all know every year um during the budget process uh staff updates the comprehensive fee schedule. We do update it sometimes throughout the year for for small things but this is the big change that we all do. So all the directors change uh or turned in their their changes and it was in the backup. Um everything that is highlighted yellow are the things that are being changed. If you see um a strike through that is being removed and if it's underlined it's being added. Um, and if you have specific questions, um, that that that department director will come up and answer those questions for you. I know Chief Beige had one edit that he wanted to put in there, and I don't know if you want to add one more thing. So, um, oh, there he is.

So, the one change I have is that if you look at the fee schedule for the police department, you'll see that for federal holidays,

packet page 11. uh package page 11. So you can see for federal holidays that amount did not get changed. So it's police services special events federal holiday remained at $60. We'd request that go up to $70 because that just corresponds with the other increases. And on the second line below that where it says police services for special events less than 48 hours, that's a duplicate to the one above it. They're both the exact same language, the exact same everything. That should actually read police services for special for supervisors. So it say police services for supervisors special events $40 or less. And that should also be the $70 rate. So those would be our two changes that we'd recommend from the police department. Thank you, sir. Miss

I'm sorry. Are you finished? Uh yeah. So if council has any specific questions for any of the departments, uh the directors are here to answer your questions.

Thank you, ma'am. Questions for any direct or miss neighbors on this? resolution about having a thinking about our earlier conversation with sporting costs and there seemed to be some alb raised regarding the little leagues fees that they were looking at and and I just looking here 18 um junior rates public junior rates pines course has gone from $7 to 16 that's more than doubling um member junior nine holes went from 5 to 12. Um why?

So we've uh changed our complete structure on all of our fees. Uh with the recent renovation of the pines course, we've moved to more of a two-tiered uh pricing structure. So the pines will be more expensive than the oaks. Um the oaks stayed very similar. um from what I understand that rate none of those rates had really changed in the past 10 years. So they had to go up a little bit. Um and I saw non-resident single that was previously not even a there wasn't a rate for non-resident single.

Yes sir. So in the past um didn't really make any sense but the we had a city resident and a county resident rate. Mhm. And the understanding in the past the way the course was run before is anybody outside the county also got the county rate. Uhhuh. So we're trying to track especially when we just used um county TDC money to better our golf course. We're trying to track the city residents um county residents and then non-residents as well. So that would be somebody um from outside of our county. Sure. Wants to come use our golf course.

Makes sense. I just, you know, I think we're all all of us up here have and probably you too have mentioned the importance of um athletics for our youth and you know I see you know a $480 rates been added a $240 all those additional ones and you know then I look down here at these juniors I mean I just see it more than doubling for those kids that are wanting to get out there and play and how important it is. It just seems like we could have spared the children. No, I I agree. The um the oaks is still very similar to what it's been in the past. The only one that went up is the Pine scores.

Now, that being said, um high school practices, high school matches, stuff like that, when they're um organized team activity, they don't pay to use the courses while they're with their school teams. Gotcha. And I'm assuming there's junior rates on here and I don't see it, but I was just thinking about that little league group that came in here and they were talking about sponsorships or scholarships for those who can't afford it. Does the city offer anything like that for

There's currently not anything. There is a program I would like to look at that I've used at other clubs in the past. Um it's called Youth on Course. Um I just haven't gotten that far in the first year. Um it's a subsidized program where um it's a charity basically where you sign on to be a youth on course you charge a very minimal fee and the youth on course actually matches the fee that you charge and a monthly check to the club. So that's something I am looking at in the future. Okay. And just out of curiosity, why we just we just don't want them on the pines or is it

not necessarily? The pines um had a pretty tremendous investment in it. We're trying to make the pines the more premier course to draw people to the area. So drawing people on vacation from Destin, bringing them into the city and we want that to be the the premium product. Great. Okay. Thank you. That's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Anyone else? Council, one question. How many new members have you signed up in the last month? Uh, as of noon today, we were at 202 this month. New member. Since September 1st. 45 grand. Wow.

That's awesome. I'm going to steal one of your favorite words. Dag on. Dag on.

That's good, man. That's really good. Council Smith, to piggy back off that and to continue to support and advocate the user fee approach advocating for continually to increment increasing those membership rates as the years go on. You know, I know we can't just get it up to comp and market right away, but why the red lights on while we're here? um you know, whether it's the juniors and or whether it's the the u non city resident memberships or the city resident memberships, it's uh it sounds like the demand's pretty high with those new members, which is awesome. We're glad we got new members. Um, but back to funding those maintenance of the courses or whether we get ball. I know we don't have anything right now in the comprehensive fee schedule for pickle ball, but there's going to be a board up here one day that's going to have to try to figure out how to come up with the money to fund the golf course or to fund pickle ball. uh continue wanting to support not only this this fee that's presented in front of us with the comprehensive fee but keep increasing them because the demand's high and if the user doesn't want to go play golf then they don't have to.

And the other thing to take into account on this too at the top of that page is in the past all the fees at the golf course have included sales tax. Um starting October 1st we will not be including sales tax. So some of those rates are even it's a little bit different than even what it shows on paper. Not including Gotcha. Looks great out there. What you're doing is awesome and it's staying in the black and not the red which is a great thing and um very optimistic. Thank you. Anyone else with questions for any of the directors or Mr. Hill up here?

Seeing none. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this resolution? [Applause] Seeing none, council, do you have a motion? Mr. Mayor, so move to adopt resolution 2025-9 to update the comprehensive fee schedule for fiscal year 202526. [Applause] Motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Browning to accept and approve resolution 2025-9. Additional comments? Yes, sir. Okay. Seeing none, council, please vote. [Applause]

It does pass unanimously. And Mr. Hill, I would just like to also mention uh my appreciation for what you do for all of our local schools and letting them use the course at no charge during their their time out there. It's really admirable. That moves us to item 4.2. 2 resolution 2025-20 to adopt the fiscal year 2025-26 final millage rate. Mr. Burns.

Thanks, Mayor. A resolution of the city council of the city of Fort Long Beach, Florida adopting the millillage rate for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026 and providing for an effective date. And I believe Miss Neighbors is going to present or maybe it's Mr. Davis. Sorry.

Thank you. There's something on the halfway with uh this barn. But it's a seven slide presentation here. Just chopped out the flop from last time. It's pretty much all the same stuff. Got Okay, good. So again, 2.83 kept us under 3%. And the operating expenditures decreased 2.35. There's your millage rate history from 57 down to 432. You see the the incremental drop there. It's a little over one a.5 million that would have been used for projects and whatnot over the last 5 years. Taxpayers, you know, saved $274 a month with that approach at the uh $100,000 rate, right? So, for the $300,000 average median home, say $6 a month. Anyway, there's our midpoint and our roll back rate. Those are the numbers we would have to cut out of the current budget if you want to get to either one. I will say that we can easily play with the CRA fund. Unfortunately, that works against your strategic plan of the beautifification and the general fund is pretty tight as it is. Uh these are the projects that are not in the budget request that council has requested. It just doesn't fit. So maybe they'll go in budgets next year or I'm out here. Uh do not have the scenarios from the tax collector yet. They're waiting on our final budget. I I may have misunderstood when we originally spoke. I thought he was going to give you that beforehand so we could discuss what could potentially happen should Tallahassee pivot, but I won't have that until we send in our final numbers. So, you know, quick thank you, but uh Nicole and Carol, you know, Carol came in sick. Carol had another issue

and they came in in all these crazy hours. We have reached out to the Doge people, right? I haven't they they called me back, but they haven't scheduled a day. Our audit starts next week or the week after. The um entrance interview is on October 2nd, I think. October second.

Yep. So, they're coming in. Um, I've sat down with that uh clan group, watchclan watch groups, and I I've offered for them to come in, anybody in the community come in. So, if they want to sit down, I'm getting a lot of emails from people that do not understand modified acrual, but if they want to come in and sit down with us, it's not like a cash basis. So, offer stands for anybody to come in. And that's kind of all I have unless you have questions. Thank you, sir. Questions for Mr. Davis? Good. See none. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this? I guess actually do I need to do this statement or after the motion? You do for the motion.

Okay. The mill rate for the city of Fort Walden Beach. See, I I had it last year or last week. I didn't know they asked. Now I'm off my game. The millage rate for the city of Fort Balden Beach, Florida for fiscal year 2025-26 is 4.3282 MS which is 6.62% above the rolled back rate of 4.0596 mills. The rolled back rate is the millage rate that will provide the same adorum tax revenue as was levied during the prior year. The reason for setting the military at 4.3282 mills is to provide sufficient revenues to balance the general fund budget. We will now open the public hearing and ask for comments on the military. Seeing no, we will now close the public hearing and ask for a motion and a second for resolution 2025-20.

Mr. Mayor, I make a motion to adopt resolution 2025-20 to set the millage rate for the city of Coral Beach at 4.3282 mills for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. Second of a motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Brown to accept the resolution 2025-20 to set the millage rate for the city of Fort Walton Beach at 4.3282 mills for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. Additional comments, there [Applause] council.

Yeah, at last meeting I had a couple of questions. Um, regarding um the the tax increase that will be effectively put in place by adopting this, the 4.32A, did did we determine what that rate of tax increase was? What what tax increase? Well, well, it's a it's a tax increase based on leaving the millage rate the same. Are you talking about the amount of adorum the city would get? Did the increased ad the increased ad valorum from the property tax 6.62% or was it 9.65

that's the bud uh it is no the 6.62 is above the roll back rate. Are you looking for the dollar amount? It's not I'll take either or both. Okay. So for the property values went up 9.65%. Um then Carol can pull last year's adorum and then we can get a difference to let you know. I don't have that offh hand. Yeah, I think it was about $600,000. I'm sorry. She's going to have to go to our office and the current rate roll back rates about what $600,000 of revenue. So roughly a

$600,000 tax increase. And that's just on that's not including new properties added, right? new properties added. Um it it does not include uh improvements that may be made either to the land or to a home. Those will come online. Those will increase revenue. Right. The reason I ask is as you know you and I had an email exchange and every one of those years that you presented those millage rates and I I was curious when we did those roll back back rates the la the last two uh each one of those years or every one of those years where the roll back rate was in effect the revenue still exceeded um the budgeted amount and I know you've used the 95% but when you budget 95% and say we can operate on this amount now this is what we need to operate on and you fund it and then an extra $165,000 comes in from taxpayers it just goes and sets in the general fund or gets spent otherwise. So, I just wanted to to confirm we are if this body passes this motion um that it will be a tax increase of somewhere of a minimum of $600,000 additional expected revenue from Ad Balorum and up and and then it and then up depending on um improvements and new properties added to the ROS. Um and and and to um m Mr. Davis, I appreciate, you know, your observation of what it does to a homeowner. Um it's only one expense to a homeowner that, you know, whether it's $2 or $20 or $16 is, you know, there their taxes at the county have gone up. I think the county is somewhere in the 9% range is same question. They're they're increased because we pay county and city of course. So we're getting it from a tax

increase from the city, a tax increase from the county and homeowners insurance is through the roof, pun intended. So every little bit helps. Um and so I mean I'm hearing from from people all of the time talking about their insurance and it's just a disaster. I mean it is an absolute disaster. And uh um you know, I know it may seem small, but it's it's big to those that it really hurts and impacts. So, I'll not be um supporting the motion to raise taxes on. I dig on all that, right? And I think the easiest way for me to explain it is the math is the math. Sure.

And what I mean by that is the revenues are trending down based on what we have. So, we're going to make less, right? in addition to our costs for everything are going up. So the math is the math. What we get out of that number is the project. What what I've asked the team to do is present projects one that they can actually do in this fiscal year, two that are necessary, not nice to haves. So they're necessary. So whether we pay for them now or we pay for them later, and they're just going to keep trending up in cost. So, your your $2 increase this year might be a $3 increase next year if we still have to get to these if we punt on some of those projects. If that makes sense.

It does. And and I that was interesting. Revenue trending down. What is I mean I was we got a $212 million increase in the city property values. What what what revenues trending down? We have a couple different lines. Yeah. The it's mostly a lot coming from the the municipal uh revenues. like half cent sales tax came in $300,000 lower than last year. Um there's a communication service tax and all of those different ones have just been trending either flat or they're coming in underneath what they were before.

Are there are there um revenue sources that are trending up? I know the FPL, the Florida franchise fee that this municipality puts on every utility bill in the city. I know electric rates seem I think it's a $9 billion increase FPL is looking for in this um I think our tax on the utility bills is somewhere in this 15% range. Have do you know those numbers? When I did the annualization of that one it came in slightly higher but not anything material. Gotcha. Okay. Yep. Thank you. Anyone else wish to comment from council with council

with some of those trends. Thanks for sharing that. If not this budget process, maybe next year, what's the play in looking at direct cost or expenses that we can decrease? Not just capital projects. No, I got you. I mean, loaded directly, right? A lot of it might be driven by what tax collector comes back from one of those scenarios. Gotcha. So, I don't know that I can answer that until I have some of those scenarios in hand. Okay. And at least give you a responsible answer. tracking and projecting out as we develop into the next budget cycle and I know we're just a few months into this uh together. But I'd like to think with our beautifification process, the property value is going to go up.

There you go. There you go. I'm a big fan of that that that program, but also a big fan of as we know trends are coming down and I know we're on the second reading and and not much is there's been a lot of hard work getting us to this point, but as we develop into next budget cycle, if we know the trends are going to continue to decrease just like most other business owners that Mayor Aligretta mentioned by name a little while ago, we look at or they look at those other expenses where to cut and where to help shore up some of those trends. that are projecting down. Um so yeah, just wanted to suggest that as we develop cuz the capital projects is one thing, but that reoccurring direct labor cost and personnel is is extremely expensive and we're going to look at a few options potentially that you know people are going to freak out but I have been asked by a few of the council to look at the sanitation and see if it makes sense to outsource that potentially. Right? So everybody's going to wig thinking that's where we're going. But I I we're going to start working. If it makes sense, then we will. If it doesn't, we won't. So on and so forth. But some of those and as I dive more into this budget process, a little foreign to me, right? So I'm for sure learning it. But at the same time, poor Nicole stuck with me starting in October instead of January cuz by this time next year, I'd like to have a much better firm grasp.

That's awesome. Good stuff.

Thank you, sir. Anyone else wish to comment? Council vote. [Applause] The motion does pass 4 to three. The millage rate for the city of Fort Walton Beach is 4.3282 mills for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026, which is 6.62% above the roll back rate of 4.0596. 0596 mills. That brings us on to our next item under resolutions 4.3. It's resolution 2025-21. Mr. Burns.

Thank you, Mayor. A resolution of the city council of the city of Fort W Beach, Florida, adopting the budget for certain expenditures, expenses, capital improvements, and certain indebtedness for the city of Fort Wal Beach, Florida for the year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. and provide an effective date. Uh, Mr. Davis or Miss Neighbors, one of the two will present. So, sorry, I was reading a note from it. I missed what you said. Can you uh Yeah, I I read the title and it's time to present resolution 2521. And either you or Nicole are going to present. So, I mean, it's it's already been presented, so I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

I think just the mayor should read the script. Okay, then let's do that and then we can have discussion.

Um, the budget for the city of Fort Balden Beach for fiscal year 2025-26 is 65,247,932 which is 4,689,66 or 7.74% more than the adopted fiscal year 2024-2025 budget. We will now open the public hearing and ask for comments from the public on the budget. Would anyone from the public care to comment on the budget? [Applause] Seeing none, we will now close the public hearing and ask for a motion and second for resolution 2025-21 to adopt the budget for the city of Fort Walton Beach for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. Mr. Mayor,

can we have a couple questions before we go into the motion? I think because this is this kind of hearing and I have to read the script. Exactly. We'll just take a motion and if you want to ask questions I'm done with that if you're cool with it. Mr. Mayor move staff's recommendation for resolution 2025-21 to adopt the budget for the city of Wal for the fiscal year being October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026.

Second. Motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Schmidt, to adopt the budget for the city of Fort Walton Beach for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. Um at 65,247,932. Additional comments or questions at this point? We'll start with Councilman Schmid.

Yes. the the Liza Jackson parking lot or that whole deal. Have we awarded out that project or is it still pending? I'm just trying to the uh now that the rec center stuff's done, the Liza Jackson stuff is there, but we don't but we don't have a permit from the core for the water improvements. Not that beyond our control on that end. So once we got the permit from the core the structural people for the dock stuff since it could change horizontally unless you proceeded at your own risk. We don't have that far.

Yeah. Now could it go out and you get creative in the bidding? Yeah, probably. But we were also I do believe trying to find some direction on the rec center stuff too. For sure. So what I'm here to say is right now it's not funded in the budget. Is that that program? Okay. the the landing parking lot, the expansion of the landing parking lot and understand the parking theme. When is that period of performance supposed to? So So the notice received you'd have is October 6th or October 13th based on a couple things with the homeowner. Okay. All right. That should be finalized this week. So with one of those capital projects in that restricted account being the parking lot next to Florida Place is

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about the landing park. I was Yeah, I was going down different parking programs that we I was trying to better understand where the Liza Jackson where where it stood on the the shoot and then the parking lot with the landing and then there's the capital project if I understood the budget correctly that the Florida place parking lot next to the museum in that restricted account. Of course, we're all advantageous or all aggressively want, you know, expecting it to be done if it's in the budget, but do we have the bandwidth to do that parking lot this budget year next to the museum? Um, I do believe we do. So, there's 500,000 in there. Mhm.

Okay. Um and and if if that project were not to get funded in that that restricted account, Nicole, it goes back to where the restricted sales tax fund the restricted fund or how's that sales tax

where staff could do other things with inside of that restricted sales tax world because obviously statutoily from what I understand is we're still restricted on what we can do with that sales tax. So it's not like we could use that to offset the millillage or anything like that. But where I'm going with this is with a lot of parking projects that we have in the shootute and I'm still not convinced the permissible parking lot we have right now isn't the best approach currently where it sits. Um, you know, it there's already a motion on the on the table to to approve the budget, but I'd like to try to get that project back to that sales tax restricted account for staff to do other things with or other priorities with inside of that qualified restricted sales tax world.

And and we could do that like if council decides that they don't want to do that project, we can just reallocate that funding without having to put it back in funds back. We could just reallocate it to another project. That's not that that's not a big deal

and that would be the desire if the board has an appetite where there's a lot of parking programs that we got my understanding our last meeting that we had the CRA meeting there's some great discussions the staff is having with the five property owners on work street parking lot so a lot of parking questions uh I know on Friday nights the parking lot is used next to Florida place I'd just like to see other priorities that that staff has to use that sales tax money for to do other things other things with and seeing if there's an appetite on the board before that. Just some thoughts to consider there. I I dig either way. I don't know that I care which which way we end up going, but it is being advertised as parking. It's not really a good standard parking lot, right? I'm worried somebody is going to get hurt, whatever, in that dirt parking lot cuz it is used. It's dark. So, there there was just uh I I don't think we'll be able to put that garage there, you know, anytime soon. So the fact that it's being advertised as a parking lot that is city- owned property, that's some logic there to consider.

Jar Morgan's coming is what you're saying

potentially. I watch out for so and again every budget item that's got to this point obviously has some strong support of why it needs to be in the budget. Uh so definitely don't want to question whether or not it's a priority. It's just um there's yeah there's I think some upgrades that could be done. I don't know the cost and the impacts with lighting, other permissible products, rocks or things like that. Uh just not convinced right now that $500,000 is the best use for that project. And I'm sure staff and and y'all have other uses y'all could use for that $500,000. So, it's not a board, it's not a question of let's get rid of the $500,000 and lower the budget. It's a a business conversation about is do we want a paved parking lot right there off Florida Place and is that the $500,000 is is the question. All good. And then if it's not going to go towards a parking lot, I almost feel like there's a liability concern that we should block it off from parking so people aren't using it. I I am concerned about, you know, I Palm Beach, they sued me just for walking down the street, so I just have that sue everything in my mind. What would be a a rough estimate on lighting?

The whole project was 500,000. Not the paving side of the house and getting it all up to code and parking lots and handicap parking and and the pavement and all that, but from a lighting impact without looking at the quote to do the $500,000 project. But to do just lighting, is that what you're asking? Right. From a safety standpoint, is that is that necessarily been a good idea to do just lighting? Yeah. It was street lighting. So it would be conversion and it might already be taken care of in our street light for CR.

Yeah. I mean again this $500,000 parking lot it'll beautify make it look better but there's uh I have some concerns about it. I think I express it lay there no appetite for no discredit on trusting staff or anything like that. I just know that the $500,000 could be used for other things as well.

I think some of the previous conversation was parking was already at a premium down there. We just don't have any cuz I I don't know cuz how many parking spots do we currently have at that place? How would they jam themselves in? And what would it what would it go to if we paid it? Now I need to get a a code based on square footage and all that drive. So I don't know unless you've already done that math. We conceptually done. I can't say how many would fit on there have to be designed. Yeah. I just didn't know if there was a delta increase or decrease by paving it. If we get more parking or less parking probably get more they just jam themselves on there. Right. You'll have proper lines and whatnot. Got it. There we go.

Anyone else wish to comment on the motion or ask a question? I'd like to ask questions. Go ahead, Mr. Mr. Davis. Um early charge for parking,000. You trying to get me stabbed? Joe thinking if you're going to do the $500,000, you might maybe I'm all about paid parking and then put putting that that money back into paying for the maintenance of the the lot. Right. It's a restricted.

I'm just talking Yeah. just for that particular parking lot. Maybe a paid parking you know way but just that parking lot you put a new parking lot maybe just to prove I'm down with it but just to ask probably something that's got to come up for public since you start charging people but yes specifically just thinking about that isolated parking lot. Thank you ma'am Councilman Walker. Yeah. Um, Miss Riley, I I think some taxpayers would argue that they're already paying for parking. Um, downtown.

Well, it's just it's just all out there. I mean, it's part of a $65 million budget. So, that there taxpayers are supporting, you know, and that's part of our business down there. But, um, some would, not all would, some would. Um, but yeah, I was

Yeah, I was looking at the numbers. I believe I asked it in the first meeting and I think I'm getting a little more clarity here. I'm not sure if the it looks like the the tax the the the tax increase is defined by the um by the authorities that do it. A 6.62 tax increase was was what was passed there. Um um Nicole just andor Carol uh I know that we're wrapping up um the end of the other the 2025 budget. Do you just to date do you know what the amended budget total is? I know we started I mean the approved 65 so it was about $61 million was the adopted budget last year. Do you know where we've ended up on?

No, we're still waiting to to um after September 30 to do the last budget amendment. So, that'll be like a couple of these these few months of meetings when you guys approve things that weren't in the budget that we have to add, but we do that after September 30. Let's just check your best guessing abilities. Oh gosh. She can go full. I would love to see that. And while you're back there, if if we I know that one's recent, but the 24 as well. I'd like to see what the adopted budget was and the amended budget total. You know, those two deltas, the delta, I'd love to know that. And that's all I have. And wait till she gets I mean, y'all carry on. That's the only two questions I had at this time. Mr. Mayor,

thank you, sir. Anyone else questions or comments on the motion that has been Mr. Mayor? Yes, sir. the the the rec center. I appreciate that email, but what's the play on once we get these bids and if we decide to award it, what direction are we going staff to to get that funding?

Um, so I've been in I've been in talks with Charlotte over at the TDC, TDD, whatever you want to call it. Um, and we have a meeting with her uh on October 9th and we've talked about um we can't afford it, first of all. we have to do a bank loan or or a bond um to be able to do it. But we have about a million dollars in our fund balance, our TDC fund balance that I would like reallocated towards the the the rec center um expansion and then we can figure out what our payments would be and then the TDC would commit the funding to help fund and pay those bank the bank loan uh payments each year. That's that's what we're hoping.

Good. Good. Gives me a lot of comfort to hear that and encouragement to hear that cuz Yeah. Awesome. So those those are getting ready to be awarded here pretty soon or or back to the board to consider awarding them for what first meeting in October. So we have the bid tab. We had the the bids. I mean we knew what what they're on. We know have an idea about how much that bond or that note would be. And um I mean it's it's substantial. You're looking at 600 700,000 a year. Yeah. So, and the play is with that TDC funding that would help offset that. Yeah. Gotcha.

What else do we have coming off of death loans? That uh so October one, our irrigation loan, the 1.5 million for the golf course, we're going to pay the last 300,000. So, that is coming off the books in 26. I think that's the only one that I can off the top of my head that I know of. The balloon payment that's coming up here pretty soon in 28 I think the 3 million. Okay. That's the rec center. The old rec center. Yeah. Anyone else? Uh, I'm sorry. That's it. I just wanted to keep that on the radar of the rec center expansion. Absolutely. Anyone else comments or questions?

Council, please. [Music] [Applause] And the motion does pass 6 to1. The budget for the city of Fort Walden Beach for fiscal year 2025-26 is 65,247,932 with a millage rate of 4.3282 MS which is 6.62% above the roll back rate of 4.0 5962. [Applause] Yeah,

we are. We got to find this address and get