City Commission - Regular Meeting

What's wrong with you?

What do they do?

Right.

Madame Mayor, it is 603 and we are live. Good evening everyone and welcome to the city of Lakew Worth Beach regular city commission meeting of Tuesday a April 28th 2026. May I have the roll call please? Mayor Betty Rash here. Vice Mayor Mimi May present. Commissioner Sarah Moliga present. Commissioner Christopher McFoy here. Commissioner Anthony Segri present. Thank you. Uh Mr. Segridge will lead us in the invocation. I will lead the pledge.

Would just like to take a a moment of silence. Um this past weekend we we had our our victims walk in in Bryant Park. And so, you know, I would like us to just take a moment and remember um those individuals and families that have suffered um through crime, but also remember the men and women of law enforcement and our legal system that help protect us um from those incidents. And so, just bow our heads and have a moment of silence.

Thank you. Thank you. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Are there any additions delusions or Yes. I'm sorry madame mayor. Are you speaking into your mic? Yes, I was but it wasn't turned on. Ah okay. Um yes I have uh new business a the restrictive covenant um regarding for the children has been deleted from the agenda and will be on the May 19th meeting. Okay. Anything else? I don't have anything else. Okay. Then uh can I have a motion to approve the agenda? I had an item. Oh, I'm sorry. you later on.

Um, we received notice that one of our the CDBG grant funding failed and fell through. I'd like us to put um as an emergency discussion item to give staff direction to proceed with the alternate so that they have official direction. I will second that. But I didn't think that they needed direction because it was going to be part of our budget conversation. Right. That's what I was thinking was what I was understood. Yeah, maybe that Mr. Perry, Mr. Perry,

Madame Mayor, what we would like to get the commission just to uh discuss it openly and get commission's vote to say, you know, move forward with it. Yes. Either way, we wanted to move with the next item, but we wanted a commission support. I second that to put it on the agenda tonight or put it on the next agenda. I second that. Okay. Um, all in favor? Oh, anybody else?

Yeah, I did tell um I believe we received all received an email from um the Western Palm Beach Community Alliance asking for us to provide public support from our city commission. Um, I guess it's not urgent. So, um, well, I'll just finish my sentence, but asking for support for a a city resolution opposing the project Tango data center west of west of us somewhere over there. Um, so doesn't need to come on today's agenda. I I just saw that there it comes up for the Palm Beach County Commission July 15th. So, we should try to get that onto a agend.

So, you're making a motion to uh do that on the next agenda or Yes, I would. Thank you for the clarification. Do we need a vote on Anony's though first? I think didn't we? No, we didn't. All right. So, I'm sorry. Um just clarification, Madame Mayor. Yeah, go ahead. We can have one vote at the end. That's what I was going to do. Yes. to approve the agenda as amended. Everybody's Everybody I'm not clear. The CDBG is that being added as new business L. Which one? The CDBG. CDBG. The CDBG. Is that being added to the agenda tonight as new business L? Why don't we just add it as A so we don't have to reorder everything. Let's do it like that. Good idea. I [laughter] like that. Okay. Why not? Right.

Shouldn't take a Well, because A is still a but okay. Okay. So um so that's going to be a and Mr. um Mcpoy you have a motion to oppose the um data center is [clears throat] uh okay that's I don't know I I don't know whether it fits into this part but a motion to add or a request to add that to an upcoming agenda not too far out um for consideration. Can we talk about that on the pre-agenda meeting? We could consensus. Yeah, good idea. Okay, all for it. [clears throat] one ear. Oh, okay. Well, that was pretty good. Yeah, it was done now. The pressure's off the hook.

The pressure is off. Okay. So, anybody else? Okay. Um, so a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Motion by Mr. by Miss Mlea, second by Mr. McBoy. All in favor? I. Thank you very much. All right. Utility updates. Our big moment of the month. First, we're gonna have Ed Liberty, our utility electric utility director, give us an update. Good evening, everybody. Turned down.

Welcome to the meeting. Um, for the record, Ed Liberty electric utility director, uh, start out with some good news and then more good news. So, um, get you teed up correctly. Uh, first of all, we did place in the service last Wednesday, uh, our new 6th Avenue South substation that was, uh, discussed for many years. I think we started talking about it when I first arrived here in uh 2017, early 2018 when we talked about this possible property swap and all of that. We've completed all of that, built the new substation. Um the team did a wonderful job

and uh the training took place and uh the team threw the switch on it last week. So, it's now in service. Uh no longer at 6th Avenue South. There's actually a 7th Avenue South, but electrically we call it the 6th Avenue South substation.

It's completely enclosed. Everything's operated from either inside the station uh or outside the station if you want to or even as far away as system operations. Uh it can be operated that way uh not by phone but uh by radio and I was told a correction I I thought we had fiber to it already. Fiber is not quite there yet. It's radio communications but in the future fiber will be will be added to that station. It's built to a category 5 storm strength. Uh it can take bursts of up to 200 miles an hour of wind. would hope we would ever see. Um but uh fortunately it's also spacious enough that if if some crews needed to hunker down there when we need a reservation we're going to auction some spots really you have to bring your own cot

that's okay it's okay but uh jokingly of course but uh we can fit some trucks inside the fence roll the fence shut the gate it's not a fence it's actually gate so from the outside all you see is a is a wall uh cleanly painted hopefully it stays that way and then a single building inside and you have the ability to drive in and drive back out the other side. So, that's a good thing. Serves about 3,000 customers. It'll be even more reliable when some of the work that you approved in the last couple of months uh for some more undergrounding and overhead of strengthening about what we call our subtransmission loop. When that gets completed, we'll have multiple redundant paths of power in and and also out. So, that's a big step forward.

Um we were going to do a whole bunch of these, but the engineering department, you've heard me say this before, has uh come up with some really innovative concept. we should be able to remove probably three or more substations from our design uh for the city. So, what that means is that for each one that we remove, we save about $6 million plus in capital cost. So, we'll be coming soon to talk to you about some additional locations um as we turn our attention to the northeast part of the city. So, 4th, 11th, and 18th. Uh the added benefit there also uh southside 12th and 15th. uh what we can do then is consider uh getting rid of those properties and uh making them available for people to do something else with.

So that that would be important. More to come on that down the road. Reliability, we continue to do well on reliability. Uh we looked at the 2025 calendar year results uh that in our benchmark study which uh includes uh Big Blue Next Door. uh we're we're approaching them, but we haven't caught them yet. But we have a goal to catch them. Uh not because they're not doing well, but because they're doing so well that if we can approach them, we're doing even better than we've ever done. But I'm glad to report in our in our group of utilities statewide, which is what we call the large category, which includes beaches, electric, which is just on Jacksonville Beach. They're very similar size to us except they have big hotels and big load and very big houses but total they're not too far different than us but they're largely underground. They tend to do very well in these uh Key West Port Pierce and New Smyrna and Lakeworth Beach. When it comes to system average interruptions uh duration we're number two out of the five. Uh frequency of interruptions on average in the system we're number two. And then the customer average duration or interruption we're number two. So years ago, we were nowhere's near number two,

but now we're chasing number one. That's going to be hard to get to. It's often uh the underground utility except for which is beaches. Uh when you get into the duration of the outages, their durations can be much longer because the problems are underground. But all in all, they they do have a remarkable system. I've gotten to know their their director very closely. Um they're doing a great job up there. Uh but largely underground demographics entirely different, especially financial. They don't have any debt. They've been at this for many, many, many years, self-funding, but they've got, you know, massive hotels and resorts that they serve. So, right, they're in a different economic position than we are. I'm not suggesting we should go in that direction. Just saying that's how they have their territory.

Key performance indicators for us, energy send out to our customers, 4.6% growth year to date. So, we've had 4.6% more energy delivered to our customers this year, year to date, than we did last year.

Really? That's a good thing because we budget around 75. Our rates are based on 75% growth in load, 75% growth in customer count. To the extent that we exceed that, that means that we have more revenue than we expected and we're dividing it amongst more customers than we expected. So that should lead us to positive fund balances even more so than we expected. That's a good thing. So.9% growth on customers, 4.6% 6% growth on sendout. Degree days went up by about 6.8%. Give or take a tenth of a percent. So degree days are up a little bit. It follows that our load would go up because we follow air conditioning. It's not quite not quite that elastic, but it it tends to follow degree days. March was an interesting month. We went up by 15 16 15.7% on degree days, but the kilowatt hours went up by about 9.7%. So, for some reason, March was a a jump ahead month. Uh, a lot of electric got used. I think we have some latent growth out there that's not showing up in the numbers. A lot of new units being built that may still be not fully inhabited, maybe still be on minimum bills and as they people start to inhabit those, I think we'll see that load growth jump. I think we see a lot of turnover in real estate. My suspicion is that whoever bought the house is probably renovating it. Maybe adding more air conditioning or more appliances, maybe an electric heater, uh maybe a car charger, things like that. uh we don't know for sure but the numbers are leading towards saying that the customers that are coming are using more electricity than the customers that were here before which is helping our sales. The good news on the system hardening and reliability improvement program is we are of the opinion that had we not undertaken that project for the purpose of reliability improvement we would have had tough time delivering energy during peak load periods. So we're getting more ability to deliver energy. We didn't expect this

kind of growth necessarily, but it's coming. All good news, right? Even better. Uh the storm fund is continues to grow. It's up to 2.5 million. We have a goal of getting to 8 million. That's on track. Uh we will ask you likely to draw down on it by about $50,000. Not tonight. uh the cover expenses for Milton uh which were uh not our base salaries for our people during the storm but the overtime that we incurred and the uh cost of the mutual aid crews that came here from Homestead to help us. So that we'll be bringing that in another meeting. You won't have to worry about that tonight. Um what else? Our we got paid for the mutual aid that we sent our people to uh to South Carolina. Um that so that's in in hand and that'll be finding its way through the the budget process to the right budget line item. We're 6 months into the year uh at a high level. These are not accounting numbers but I can tell you how are we doing. Is there more money in the bank than we thought or less? So uh our revenues are higher than budget and they're higher than projection. So what's the difference between budget and projection? Budget assumes that you take the total revenue for the year and divide it by 12. Doesn't really do that, right? We know it follows a curve. The projection is what do we think we would do each month? So, we're ahead of the projection and we're ahead of budget on revenues. That's good because you say, well, we got more customers. They're using more energy. Yes, there's more revenue and it's showing up in the budget. Expenses, flip that. Still doing well. Expenses are running lower than budget and lower than we projected. Now, these are not gap numbers. They're not generally accepted accounting principles behind these. These are our analysis using what we see in Navaline. The official numbers of course come from finance, but the indication is that we're underbudget on expenses and overbudget on revenue. So, we're trending in the right direction. When we do that analysis, we don't count the PCA. We're just looking at base

revenues and we don't count things that we don't know yet. So, what what do we not know yet? Well, I don't know what the interest revenue is going to be on the money we have in the bank. So, I'm not counting that in that analysis. And we don't know how our gas capacity sales are going to come in at the end of the year. So, we don't count that. Uh, but we we know that they're probably doing better than budget, but that's not in that assumption yet. So, this is not a financial report, but it's just how are we feeling 6 months in? We're feeling pretty confident, subject to, of course, confirmation by finance and all of the work that they have to do to properly allocate expenses. Has the rise in gas not affected what we're paying with go that's going on out there? Ah, uh,

we're about to go into that in a PCA discussion. So, um, in the PCA discussion, and I think you might all have a copy now. Did we hand it out? Brian will hand it out and we could pull it up on the screen if it's helpful. Yes, we're selling copies. Helps the revenue budget. So, the good news on the PCA is that in March, we bent the curve. We we changed the trajectory remembering that as of March 1, you all voted to approve a $7 per month increase to the bill for the thousand kilowatt hour residential customer. And we'll put these on the screen. I I won't I can't flip back and forth between my readers and the screen. So, I ask a question real quick.

Director Liberty, um just for the people at home, it's really helpful. I know that you guys wait till the 9th hour to get this to us cuz you're waiting for everything to post, but I really want to make sure that this is included with the backup um for this item so people the community can see it. I believe we do provide it the clerk and she does build it into the backup. I I believe is that is that correct madam? Okay. But an hour and a half director Liberty, I'd be happy to include it with the backup, but I got it after 5:00 tonight. Correct. But normally you add it to the minutes though and it is included in to the extent that it's public knowledge. It is in the minutes, right? No, it's not in the minutes, but I will add it to the update.

I stand corrected. I thought it was being added. Yeah. So, I just for future reference, I think that that's important for transparency. Agree. That that this is part of the minutes and the details that are online because people who you can't see that on YouTube. Yep. Not Yep. No, I mean because it's not part of the regular backup that most people are used to reading and looking at before the meeting. I just want to make sure that as it's passed out to us that it is getting put on the backup online for future reference.

Right. I was mistaken. I I thought it was being added, but certainly we can make sure it gets added. The reason it's always late is because the invoices are not have not arrived. I just want the public to know that that's why it's the invoices have not come in before the deadline for the backup. typically we're finishing it up in the last few days before it's been my understanding that anything and I hope I'm right that anything that comes before us like this gets added to um the backup or the minutes. So um if I'm wrong about that then if I'm being told I'm wrong about that then I agree we need to do that. I thought it was so I really thought it was follow up and I know

I'm sorry madame mayor for clarification the minutes are completely separate um but it is added in fact I'm adding it right now and I will republish it will be available as part of the backup and that's what I do I add it to the backup and republish it when I receive it okay

okay so we gained on the PCA I'm Could could I ask a question before we go into the PCA? It was more on the previous part. Um, thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, you mentioned that that it's a good thing that we have growth because it increases revenue. So, we're selling more electricity. But presumably, if we have growth in usage, we're also buying more electricity. Probably by about the same amount. In fact, very close to exactly the same amount. And as a municipal utility, I would have thought that our goal is to provide a service, not to increase growth. And in theory the the practical part of that in theory our pricing is I don't know what the right economic fiscal word is but flat that it's neutral to how many cers customers have we charge the customers what we pay for the electricity plus our own costs of maintaining the system. So whether we in if we were priced that way then it wouldn't matter whether we grew customers or declined customers because they would affect both revenues and expenses and it would be a wash. And the reason that I ask about it is I had a call yesterday and I get them with, you know, not a huge lot of frequency, but certainly some um of somebody who was I rate that their bill was so high and that Lakeworth sculpts its customers and and is making money off of their customers. And when we say that it's good that we grew in customers, it reinforces that impression that our goal

is to make money whereas our goal should be to provide a service essentially at cost and so growth shouldn't make any difference. Could you comment on that? Because like I say it is one of our reputations. I think we've gotten a little better on the reputation. And of course, I pushed back heavily on the person who called me and said, "Actually, we're very competitive with Big Blue. Um, we're pretty much the same, if not sometimes cheaper." Um, that's a hard sell to sell still, but on top of it, if people get the impression that we are pricing in such a fashion that we're trying to make money off of the customers, that's that doesn't help that reputation. Okay.

Can I make I'm gonna make comment though. It's not just the service that we provide. We've also been in the past couple years building up the storm. You know, building up our reserves, building up our storm. So, it's not like we're going on Brazilian vacations. We're making a very secure electric utility. Right. Correct. And we can't take more. Yeah. We don't Yeah. Yeah. Right. Exactly. And um it cost those are expenses, right? But I'm saying so I um we have other expenses, other things we're trying to do besides just pay the bills. Mr. Mr. Seidge,

oh I was just going to say there's a difference between fixed expenses and expenses that are related to usage.

So as our customer base increases, the fixed expenses get divided across a greater amount which allows us to eventually lower rates. the tolling costs or the usagebased costs. You you are correct. It doesn't matter if it goes up or goes down. That's just a cost above. But by getting more customers, we're able to bring our fund balances back in line. And that's it's not that we're seeking to make money off this. We have fund balance goals for for all of this. And that is what the pricing is geared towards, getting our fund balances to a healthy level. Once we have that, that's when rate stabilization kicks in. And we've done that before and we buy down the rates.

Exactly my point. It's not just so my my concern is perception that if if we say look we are looking to grow then we are not talking like a municipal utility. We're talking like an investorowned utility and those have different objectives. An investorowned utility is seeking to make money for its investors as well as provide a service. We don't have any investors other than ourselves and we're not really seeking to make money. And that's where the language about, you know, it's great that we're growing feeds a perception that I don't think is helpful to us. Okay, so that's my concern.

The sound you don't hear in the back of the room is my staff cringing and say, "Okay, here goes it." So, let me try it this way. First of all, we are seeking to make money. We have to fuel the general fund. So 8% of our total revenues go over to the general fund. As a matter of fact, 8% of customers payments go to general fund and 8% of what the utility gets then goes on to the general fund. So the premise of the customer is incorrect because our our rates in fact have been equal to or lower than our neighbors for about five consecutive years now. And that's a very common misconception. As a matter of fact, we had a meeting with about a dozen 15 or 16 of my staff members today that they called it ed university or something. they wanted to learn more about the business and we talked about that that there is a perception out there that's hard to erase because for decades it was not the case right and in 5 years it's very hard to turn that story in a positive direction so the premise of the customer is incorrect however the sentiment is probably correct because they still believe that it's not the case uh just recently I was at a shop having some work done while I was waiting for that work to be done um people were talking you know who are you what do you do just chatting and I had to disclose oh you know on the electric utility and they said oh that place is terrible and I said why do you say that so I got my jersey up there why do you say that and they said oh the rates I said that's that's factually incorrect and they were like really so we had that discussion but to ratem um here's here's how it effectively works uh notwithstanding the perception let's I just use some very simple analogies let's say we had an organization here and it had um it had a 100 members And we divide those expenses evenly between the 100 members. And the bill is $500 a year. You divide that between five between 100 members. Everybody puts in $5. Next year we add 5 10 15 30 50 members. Same cost to operate the function. We

didn't add more staff on a fixed basis. We we sent more energy out. We adjust that through the PCA. But the base expenses really didn't change other than the cost of the labor of the staff that we had. So as you add more people onto your fixed expenses, you're now spreading those over more people. So what we do is when we set our rates, we look ahead and say, well, how many more members do we expect to add in a year? We use a number of 75. So we add 75. Our rates are designed to be a little bit lower because we're expecting that we're going to add a little bit more without a big jump in fixed cost. But then when we have a significant jump in fixed revenues that helps us lower people's rates in the future. It's no mystery that if you look back in time matter of fact in 2013 the folks who sat in this chair these five chairs passed the rate rate parity resolution to be at rate parity with FPL in 5 years. We achieved that around 2018 2019 and we did that for five consecutive years. Now, if you look at our cost of power, for example, in 2018, it was up around $72 a megawatt hour. In 2019, we lowered it to $52 a megawatt hour because of better contracts. And people's rates then came down. Where we are today, as a matter of fact, is is about 62. I'll give you a better number. Let me take a look. all sources of energy today is about 59 and our supplemental contracts are running at about 63. So by adding more customers without adding a lot of new infrastructure to go reach them. So let's say for example um we had to lay 10 miles of wire to go reach some customers through open territory. We're we're now we're adding a lot of new infrastructure to go get those customers. Lakeworth Beach is virtually fully built out. So, as we upgraded our systems to 26KV for better reliability,

customers along the way that plug in plug in at a very low cost. We didn't have to go get them. We already had power at the curve. So, I I understand that we're different the investor own utility because we don't make a return on equity or return on invested capital that's in the ground or up in the air. We make it based on the fixed charges that we recover to cover our contribution to general fund, our portion of shared expenses. is at city level a portion of the IT expenses the GIS expenses and things like that. So the money that we do make goes back into the general fund and we adjust our rates manually on the base and then as we need to on the PCA which is a pass through expense. So I I I think there's a difference in the premise that we're talking about. I understand where you're coming from that we're not saying we're charging more people for the sake of making more money. We're we're charging people what we need to cover our fixed expenses and make our share of the contribution to the general fund, which by your own policy is 8% of net revenue goes to the general fund, notwithstanding the utility taxes that are paid, which are also about 8%. I I don't know if that clarifies it. I I'm not trying to challenge the the concept, but the premise is an important one that everybody understand the difference between community owned power and investor owned power. And people often ask me, well, they share all disclosure. I worked for investor own utilities for many, many years. And people say, well, which one is better? Well, they're both very good. It depends what you're trying to achieve. Investor own utilities provide a great public service. They provide great reliability. They provide a great transmission system, which we benefit from, and a return for their investors who made that investment. Municipal power where we are today provides a great return for our owners which are the residents and customers who enjoy competitive electric rates. And the profits the if you will the

general fund contributions don't go to investors someplace around the world. They go right back into city services and spreading the lower cost and fixed rates. So it's it's a different focus. The end result is reliable electric service. Not sure if that gets to the point. And the only thing I'd add to that to help people understand is that 8% is similar, if not quite the same, as a franchise fee that the investor owned utilities are also paying to their communities. So even that part is not that different. Um it's actually in addition to because they pay the 8% tax and then we take 8% of the utility revenue after the 8% and send that over as well. So about 15% or so goes over to the general fund which is an important contribution to the city.

The reason I say it is that there also is the perception in the community that we use the electric utility to pay the rest of the city. And to some extent that's true but not to as big an extent as people think because of that franchise fee that if if we had FPL they would also be paying into our general fund. maybe not the same number and that's you know directionally very accurate. Thank you. Thank you.

In the uh PCA discussion uh what we were getting at was that we gained on the PCA. So we made that adjustment on March 1 of $7 per month on the residential account of 1,000 kilowatt hours. that has had the desire impact if we were to step ahead to um let me check the page here. One of the curves looking for the right one right now on page five. There we go. Bottom right hand corner, you'll see that that line was coming down. That meant we were getting deeper and deeper into the into the red. Go back. Yeah, we were getting deeper and deeper into the negative zone and then we increased the PCA and it had its desired effect in March and we began to, you know, come up from the bottom of the curve. So, we're trending in the right direction. What are the things that that helped us? We actually bent the curve a little faster than we thought. Well, how did it turn so fast? Well, you all approved $7. Uh, thank you. Uh, our customers may not say thank you, but they're building fund balance and and it'll come off eventually. Um, gas prices came down lower to a lower number than we expected them to. Natural gas prices came off. Remember, we predict natural gas costs based on what the natural gas futures markets tell us literally a few days before the meeting, right? We try to see where the market's going. That's our best proxy for where we think the market's going. We look at the futures prices. So the actual price though may or may not be related at all to what the futures contracts were selling at. They tend to follow each other, but it's not that close there. Things could happen in the month that had nothing to do with what people predicted when they bought and sold futures contracts, but we got it right and we gained ground. The other thing is we sold more kilowatt hours. So we sold more kilowatt hours at a price that was

at a cost that was lower than we expected to. So we gained more. So we gained more on our fund balance. Early indications are that that's continuing into April. We have a couple of more days in a month. These are not final financials. Um, but it appears that that trend is continuing into April. So, we've we've turned the curve. You've all seen these slides before, so we're not going to dwell on them. The public will will have them. Um, these are all we go to finance. They should all be subject to audit of course at the end of the year. But the next two slides, let's go to slide eight. Okay, what is this slide? This is a new slide um that we had assistant director Brian King uh pull together for us. We're going to start tracking where we are on solar megawatt hours and our total carbon-f free megawatt hours in our portfolio. So on slide eight, what we're doing is we're looking at each month. So I'm color blind, but I'm going to say that's a red line.

Sorry. I don't pick my own socks either, but uh you can see that in October of the of the fiscal year, uh solar made up about 5.35% of the energy that we brought into the system and total carbon free. Now, what's what's the difference to to solar and to carbon free? What's that? We add nuclear in there because nuclear is is carbon free from an emissions point of view. Total carbon free was 24% in October and of that 24% 5% 5.35% was attributed to solar and you can see as we go through the year that the nuclear component the total carbon free is growing solar and then December it's still 6.7 and 5.56 all of a sudden January it jumps up to 16%. Well what happened in January? Well, whistling duck

came up, right? So, that's beginning to you're beginning to see we're getting longer days into February and into March, longer hours of the day when the sun is shining because it only works when the sun is shin and clearer skies. And you can see that that's growing. Sometimes you'll see nuclear drop off. So, well, why would nuclear drop off? Well, occasionally they do a refueling outage or a maintenance outage and it'll it'll drop off uh a little bit and then come back strong. the following month. So, we're going to continue to track these numbers. This is great. And the big jump between October, November, and nuclear, was that really coal going off? So, the percentages changed or was there an actual increase?

Could use your light. Um, no. So, nuclear, our entitlement to nuclear is is 22 megawatts. And the 22 megawws runs whenever it's available. It it's always there. I say always there 95 to 98% of the time. it's there. It doesn't it's so cheap to run. Set aside the capital investment which is a sunk cost which is in our base expenses. Um the the the cost to run it is so low compared to the fix that it just runs and runs and runs. So if it's available it runs at it at its full rating. So what I'm wondering is the October to November is a big jump.

I'd have to check with the system director King that may they may have been coming out of an outage. I'm not sure. There was an outage in October. Okay. As you're saying, so what happens is when they have an outage, our 22 megawatts drops to 11 and we get 11. As soon as the outage is over, go back up to 22. So that's what you're probably seeing. Okay. And then on slide nine, we're tracking this on a uh year-to-ate basis. I assume you mean page website. Yeah, page nine of the slide deck

or this PDF. Uh you can see that for fiscal 26 we're currently at 52.2% of our energy year to date. So through the first 6 months of the year uh year to date it's come in at about 52% of our total energy. Uh the solar component is running at about 12%. If I were to look ahead to the end of the year, what do we what do we where do we think we'll be? We think that solar will be in the range of 14 to 15%, maybe 17 depending on how much sunlight we get. The units tend to overperform uh versus what what the predictions are. Uh nuclear will come in around 32 to 33% of our of our portfolio. So together we should be in a range of 55 to 57% I'm sorry 45 to to 47%ish in that range would be um carbonfree. The balance would be largely natural gas.

And look, [clears throat] madame may have one quick question. This is Miss Miss May has her light on. Trust me, it's on. Miss May has her light on. Um, I just have a question about the slide. So, is it that the blue line is inclusive of the orange? Yes, it is. Okay. So, it's not that we're at 64% of Okay. It's inclusive of It's inclusive of Okay, that makes more sense. So, it's basically 40% nuclear, 12% of it is solar. Correct. Got it. Thank you. Those numbers will change because each month, especially as we get to the summer, the days are longer, the energy use is much greater, but solar is producing more. So, there's multiple moving variables there.

Okay. But ultimately, solar kind of tops out. nuclear which is always running and we can then we continue to add more sales. The supplemental sales are coming in on natural gas. Okay, that makes sense. Thank you.

Top out on the carbon-f free and then the natural gas component will pick up the rest. The good news in all of that, what does all of this mean to us? Well, roughly 50% of our portfolio is natural gas fueled. That's good. If you look around the state and you say most of the states somewhere between 75 70 let's say 70 to 85% natural gas dependent. We have a lower dependency on natural gas than other people do. We did that partly because of the investment that was made in nuclear back in the 1980s but also recently greatly because of the commitment we made to these 20-year contracts for solar energy. Plus the rise and fall of the um cost of natural gas doesn't affect us as greatly as the other cities.

Correct. We have a little bit of a cushion, little insulator or hedge if you will. Could we Thank you, Mr. M. Miss Mill has her light on. All right. Go ahead, Mr. Boy. Could we This is wonderful to get these graphs. I'm I'm thrilled to have them. Could we if it's if it's possible to get it uh just a numeric comparison or some sort of comparison to our buddies next door who have committed to go to 100% solar, but I'll bet they're not as far along as we are. Any idea off the top of your head? I I've seen the numbers. I just don't recall what they are. Yeah, I

and they will probably I don't know how frequently they update those numbers, but I I know that they would report those numbers to the public service commission, so we can look for them to see where they're at. Uh they they have done a tremendous job of moving towards renewable energy. They're one of the leaders in North America in renewable energy, as a matter of fact, but um they're a major major player nationwide, but uh and here in Florida, of course, with their own portfolio, but we can take a look to see if we can find what their numbers are. be cool to see. You know, we're Yeah, we like of course they have a few very large nuclear plants instead. There's no small nuclear plant, but they have they have some nuclear in their portfolio and growing solar. So, I don't remember their percentages off the top of my head.

I I don't either, but that'd be cool to see. Great. These great Oh, one one little one on the on this graph, the page two one, we might it it starts at 20 uh October 24. We might think about restarting it just because the longer you go. Yeah, Brian's nodding at some point that you can't see anything anymore. Um, yep. We can just a thought. We can we can spread that. We'll obviously keep the data for public record, right? And we we also think that we look at these numbers closely over time. Anybody wants to audit them. Um, and we we do have the audit function in place with our contracts to make sure that we're paying what we're supposed to. So, and maybe the data we could use black ink instead of gray ink.

It's Yes, we can work in all that. What? Well, it seems reasonable. We have to bold the cells. Thank you. Um, oh, down the label.

We skipped grafter page two and I I'm confused on the two side by sides you have. And that is a horrible way for the community to see it. But on the far right, we have the two columns and one says PCA cumulative revenue and cumulative expenses. If I go all the way down, it shows that we should be $400,000 off those the difference between the last two. So how how do we explain those numbers don't add up compared to what the sky is falling conversation that we had a couple months ago with being in the red. Let me think about that. Revenues minus expense.

You're calling a friend, Mr.

So that so the transfer is hitting the number. Yeah. Right. So Brian has reminded me that we transferred money out of the PCA over to the storm fund to seed the storm fund. Well, then I don't think that that then then this should not be part of our presentation because this is not transparent data. And to me, it just raises a red flag on well, why are you raising my PCA if it shows that you guys are even pretty much washing even every month? Well, there's Well, well, first of all, the report is an evolution of what the commission wanted. So, we'll adjust it. You know, we've been I mean, does anybody else understand my confusion? If you could say it again, if you look at the last two, these two columns, right,

and you compare revenue for that month versus expenses, right? Cumulative, which is total on running total, right? The running total doesn't show that there that we're that far off. At the end, if you look at March 2026 and you go all the way across, it says 77,540,891 versus 77, 9115. That doesn't look like there's that a little bit in the hole. that doesn't look like the sky is falling. So, I don't know why we're even showing this cumulative if we're not showing the actual data of the transfers that are going in to offset it or the funding that came from the people next door that offset it. I just to me this is confusing if we're not showing all the data. It doesn't show the full picture.

Okay. So, as I said, this was an evolution of what that the city commission has wanted. So, we we can modify the Am I the only one that that sees what I'm saying? No. Well, it it is true that what you label the columns makes a big difference and cumulative revenue and cumulative expenses is is it is what it is. It doesn't specify or have a side note that says

42.4 million transferred from from rate stabilization fund. So to me, this since we're including this in backup and in the minutes, it's just not very clear for the people who are looking at this who are basically, you know, the stockholders, if you will, um the business owners and the residents. It just doesn't it doesn't paint the true picture. I think if anything, it would confuse people more because it doesn't look like we're in the hole as compared to the other slides. They're not marrying each other.

We can do that. But this this slide was this specific slide was asked uh by the commission because they wanted to see what are just the numbers of the PCA coming in and the PCA going out. Forget about what we're going to transfer. Forget about what we're going to move. I just want to see what does it look like with with all the ancillaries out of the out of the way. So that's why we if we looked at that it shows that we're 300 some thousand dollars in the hole. So how does that that math doesn't add up? Well, well, it is anybody else I need I'm not hearing anything from. We do have a negative fund balance on PCA. That's not 300. And I don't know. I'm not doing the math off the top of my head. Whatever this minimal number is.

I mean, according to this other chart, if I if I'm comparing chart to chart, data to data, it's shows that we drained our PCA fund balance and that we're still at 725. remember that we we had refunds of transmission costs after rate cases that were brought back in as revenues that had previously been expenses and we also then transferred a half a million dollars out of the PCA to create the storm fund to seed the storm fund. So there's been a number of ins and outs all approved by the commission. What I would suggest, Commissioner, is that we we can meet with you and and modify this to to be a better descriptor. And one of the things that that I've found is quite normal. The commission that sat and created this on day one and modified over time is different than the commission that sits today.

Well, no, most of us are still up here who were here when we created this. Well, I I think I would keep the the ones keep the ones that you have, but I I do agree with Commissioner Mlega that you may want to add a column that reflects other things that are going on and then think about what the whatever which one should be labeled. Does the expense one include all expenses and does the revenue one include all revenues? And if it doesn't, maybe label it. just doesn't it just doesn't paint the true picture I guess is what my point is and that is my concern. I think it's maybe not true picture but complete picture. There might be some things like $400 $400,000.

I I think I think one of the things Commissioner Mle is pointing out if we if we look at the left hand columns where it says total 7779 at the end it says the difference is 374,000. If you add up all of the red above it, it's about $5 to $6 million. If you add up all the black, it's about $1 million. Subtract the two, it would make mathematical sense that the difference at the bottom would be about -45 million. So, I think there's either a math error or where your totals there just aren't showing the totals of the columns above.

I think that's correct if I'm wrong. [clears throat] That's that's we'll go back and take another look at it and and if there was transfers that are coming in maybe like a little asterk that says this transfer came in or this was correct it because as like my colleague just said that you add up the red you add up the black you subtract the red where it doesn't make sense. Okay. Well, okay.

I I think that the the data that's presented the columns and stuff is is very helpful. I think it's just a a little bit of a math question going on. Well, we will we will modify it. We won't change the actual data because that's you know revenues are revenues expenses expenses but right we'll we'll work on the presentation and if we can if we can meet in oneonone as well to get it closer before we get to the meeting that would be helpful. Okay. Thank you very much. Thanks. Okay. Anything else from the electric? No, I think that's good and the good news is that we've turned the corner on the PCA and we're getting

Mr. Se has a question or comment. Um, so looking at our our carbon-f free and and so on, I know we've increased our solar. Um, are are there opportunities to increase our nuclear and are we exploring those?

Uh, there are no opportunities at the moment. There there are discussions at the state level uh that involve the investor owned utilities and how they might begin development on a on a on the a nuclear project in the in the future. Um, I'm not a part of those discussions and we'll see where that goes. And then some future commission will make decisions as to whether we want to try to be a part of that or not be a part of that. Uh and how that opportunity might evolve. Um there's some discussion statewide, but we're certainly not going to develop one. Um right. A little tiny one. Okay. Thank you. Good question. Thank you very much and thank you for everything that you and your staff do.

You're welcome. Okay. Water utilities you're up. It's a hard act to follow. Telling you.

Um Von Baker, water utilities. Um I just have a couple, you know, quick general things. Uh for the most part, we've been business as usual this month. We did have a significant rainfall event early in April. Um water was coming over seaw walls from the inter coastal. So, you know, when the tide combines with intense rainfall, we are totally out of luck. But I did want to give a, you know, thank you to our staff. We had employees from all of the divisions of our department working late on the night that it was, you know, really downpouring to ensure that the storm drains were clear and the system was functioning properly. um when that I mean perfect storm, no pun intended, happens, all we can really do is try to monitor, keep up with it, and then just wait for the water to recede. So, they really did a great job. Um with that mention of storm water and flooding, we have our two major outfall projects coming up on the golf course and directly north of the golf course. In the month of April, [clears throat] we've had both of those pre-construction kickoff meetings with our contractors. Um, and there are some items for construction on those projects that are going to have really long lead times. So, um, I think we actually have something on the agenda tonight for just extra time for one of those contractors because they just can't get the material here as fast as they originally anticipated. Um, but we are very much looking forward to getting those projects underway. I know that the golf course has still been experiencing flooding and hopefully this will alleviate some of that and in the residential areas upstream of these outfalls. Um [clears throat] we um this week particularly we're working with central square and our IT

department to get asset management. Um, this is something that I personally am extremely excited for and, you know, it will improve our workflow. It'll allow us to plan more effectively for both operational maintenance and capital projects just to be able to more effectively track the life cycle of all of our assets and, you know, what's problematic and what does well. That's a really huge upgrade. It's kind of like bringing us into the future, so to speak. Um, very much looking forward to that. And we have also been very hard at work on our budget, so we're staying super busy. Um, but other than that, there's questions.

Yeah. What's the update, if any, on the sewer smell at South Palm Park? The South Palm Park? Well, South Palm South Palm Way, the whole neighborhood. The We have our consultant working on the study. So we're going to have some field data taken which will be a couple of weeks of data collection and then they will continue that study provide some recommendations then we create a design a time frame for the end of this so we can start doing something to help the people

it's a process and every step of the process has to go through the subregional partners so I would anticipate a couple of months for this study maybe say in the fall we'll get started on a design. That's going to be a really um involved design. So, as far as getting a construction project started, I would say calendar year 207. Okay. Thank you. No, it's not. It's next year. Next year. Um but it is it is a process. So, I feel bad. You know, I know everybody wants updates on this, but we're we're going as fast as we can.

Keep us updated. that would be helpful so we know that something's happening. I think it was Mr. Segridge May and then Mr. McCoy. Uh thank you mayor. On that same topic um I know I know it's a process and involves a lot of moving parts and partners. Do they have a project plan that has any of these kind of dates outlined or is it just kind of when one thing finishes we move on to the next?

It's when one thing finishes. It's I mean everything is a critical path. We can't start the design without the study. We can't start the construction without the design. So this is going to be the studies finished. Um more than likely we would stick with the same consultant from our CCNA so that they can just you know roll straight into design without any type of lapse and then it will be put out to bid. So no no project plan. I don't understand what you mean by a project plan. Project plan timelines like outlines the critical path. That is the critical path. Study design construction. So, when when they do their study, do they just say it's a couple of weeks or do they say it's going to be four weeks starting here and then ending here?

We don't know until they study it. Okay. Um, I had a question come up from one of the neighborhoods about the storm water outflows [clears throat] and they were asking they they were saying that they they kind of recalled or some so I don't know if it's even happening or or not that there was some sort of project to put netting around some of the outflows to prevent trash getting into the inter coastal. Does that ring a bell as any kind of problem that we've even seen on the radar?

No. Um, the only thing maybe possibly related to that I can think of is when we did our 18th Avenue South storm water pump station, there's a manatee grate, but that's kind of the reverse problem. We don't want manatees coming into the system. As far as trash, um, the only other thing I can think of is we did receive a grant from Lake Work Lagoon Initiative. Um, it's not netting, it's going to be a living shoreline. So, actually native vegetation will do some of that filtration, keep the litter out of the Lakew Worth Lagoon. Um, netting is not something I've

Okay. Um, and then, um, any update on the the downtown issue, um, with the I guess drain or outflow that was improperly connected? Yes, FDOT plugged it. Okay. So, we hope that that's the end of that. Theory that that should be the end.

We hope so. Yes. Um, and then, um, I know we went back and forth a little bit about the Brian Park pump station. It's under maintenance and and so on. Um, some of the questions that came from the neighborhood association were, is that length of maintenance normal or is it, you know, is this something that they should be expecting yearly to to go through this or this kind of an anomaly that that we went through? the yearly. This particular issue was just troubleshooting one of the pumps that were we call it in the hole in in the wet well full of sewage. When you open that hatch for an extended period of time, the smell wafts um troubleshooting the pumps will not be a regular maintenance item, but for the next 2 years, we have in our capital plan to replace each of those. We've done two already and we have two left to go. So there will be at least one more annual event that the hatches will be open for longer than usual. Um I mean they are opened daily to be inspected but not for you know long enough to really cause an issue and the turbulence that you would experience but we also have an odor control system on the pump station. So I I would answer that with hopefully one more time per year would have that extended um you know emitting that odor.

Um and then for with some of the rainfall events um obviously the the major major one kind of excluded that was really an anomaly. Um, but down in the South Palm Park area, we've been having water flowing out of the grates 8 to 12 inches in into the air. Um, is that something that is kind of normal to be expected or is that something that we need to try to mitigate? Um, is it something you guys were even on your radar screen?

It happens when the tides back up into our storm water system. [clears throat] So, um, yes, we it's it's really unfortunate and a lot of the storm water mitigation projects that we can do don't even address situations where the tide and the rainfall hit at the same time because you'd be pumping water that's just going to come right back. So, um, yes, that that is something that we have a hard time addressing. I think this city is in particular in a constant battle with sea level rise. Um, a lot of property in Lakew Worth Beach is already below sea level. So when that happens, that is, you know, the tide backing up into our system. The outfall projects are meant to address that. Those storm water outfalls get check valves that essentially let water out and not back in. Um, but the problem that that kind of doesn't create, but it's also not resolving is if the tide is blocking the check valve at the same time as it's raining, the water can't get out either.

So, it it's going to happen sometime. Yeah. Um, but yes, to answer your question, when it backs up into the system, yeah, that is something that we encounter with the tides and we are working to address it as much as we can.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Miss May. Hi. Thank you. Um, my my one question is is about storm water. So, this is basic kindergarten level. So, when it rains and the water goes into the storm drains and garbage goes in with it, where does it all go? Most of the time you would see it settle out in storm structures within the system. um storm water doesn't necessarily go fast through these pipes unless it is you know really big rainfall events. So you'll see it settle out in our storm structures which would be the catch basins or you know just any kind of nodes where things meet each other speed drops

um [laughter] the underground structures that collect the water. Okay, those are always going to be points where your system can like the water can slow down. Okay. And so if say you're carrying a plastic bottle in the water that's flowing into the storm structure, it is going to slow down and that drop in velocity will have it settle out. So now you have the trash that kind of deposits to the bottom and sits in those the outflow situation in the pipe in in the structures that connect the pipes. Okay. So picture like big vaults kind of manholes essentially. They are they are manholes. Um but storm water ones can be large and Can we go see these things? Sure.

I would like to do that. Yeah. Um, so as far as the the trash goes, as far as the trash goes, typically we would see it settle out into our system and our storm water team does a great job of keeping those clean it typically with our vacuum truck filter and it then they go in and take the garbage out of the where it filtered out. So, I want to go down into the hole. Let me let me show you. very right. So you have like say this is the storm grate that's on the road. Okay, that's going to fall into a large basin and from this basin you very likely have a pipe that comes into it from this side and is leaving it from this side. Okay,

and that is way more slope than it would ever have in real life. But when the water comes in this way, it's going to have to slow down to hit the bottom of this structure. It'll probably flow around in circles a little bit before it keeps moving on out this way. And so that's how you get trash that kind of settles to the bottom and debris and you know especially with vegetation we get a lot of like dirt leaves and then those little containers get cleaned out. Yes. I see. By a vacuum truck. So and through the storm sewers themselves from the the manholes.

Yes. So um I'm sure some trash does make it into the Lakew Worth Lagoon but it's got a long way to travel if it does. So hopefully we're capturing majority of it. That um Mr. City Manager, can we set up a field trip? Okay. Um my other question is, and I don't know if you know this as the director because I don't know how aligned you are with billing, but I just want to know what the criteria is for a resident who's getting a new service hooked up to have to pay a deposit. Oh, I actually did some research on this recently. So, it's a credit check um for water. Is that what you're specific? So, for water, um

because I I have a customer or a resident who's just got a $1,200 deposit fee. Yes. Um so, it's a credit check. If you have good credit, that um doesn't signify a risk of going delinquent on your bill. You don't have to pay a deposit. If it's um a moderate risk, it is 1x multiplier of the average bill from the last I think 10 months. And if it's high-risk credit, it's 2.5x multiplier on the average bill from the last 10 months. So that can add up to a $1,200. Yeah. Okay. All right. I appreciate that. Thank you for explaining that. Of course,

because I and Yeah. Then what happens with it? So, as they pay as they're good customers and they pay their bills, does it go down or do we hang on to it until infinity? I would assume it's refunded, but let me look into that so I can verify. I think we did ask it does get refunded at some point when they show they're good customers, they get that back. It gets it's a credit that gets taken off their bill. Excellent. Yes. Okay. Yeah, I actually remember that part of it, but I So, okay. I just don't remember when. Mr. Mr. Liberty would like you know when

uh yes it it is given back to the customer after a certain amount of time and we're working on doing the same thing for commercial which you've approved but it's been that way for residential for many many many years. Exactly correct. It's based on a credit check. I think they got a color code red, green or yellow or something like that and that that sets deposit amount and that's collected and that's held and then it's eventually released back to to the customer. Okay. If you if one of you could let me know when just whatever the policy is 24 months. Okay. Well, let's see what see what Yeah, I appreciate that. Um I didn't realize because I was like, what are you talking about? I didn't pay a deposit, but now I know why. Okay. Thank you.

There there may be an exception um whether it's a tenant or a an owner occupied property. Well, this was owner occupied. Okay. And it would it would probably go back once they meet that. the tenants I think we hold a deposit until the account is closed um and then they we we zero it out and and give them any excess that's left over after last bill. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you. U Mr. Mcboy. Thank you. U one of them will be a a broken record one which is on the outalls the especially the 18th the one at the north end of the golf course 16th Avenue North. Yes.

Yeah. access for paddle boards and canoes and kayaks and all that stuff. Um, the other one is a a bigger one and Commissioner Segridge got started and you did as well. Um, I don't know of any evidence that sea level rise will go down. That's why they call it sea level rise and not sea level drop. Um, and our system is gravity based. It's there's no pump pumping out our storm water. At some point that's going to be a problem. We'll have a lot of other problems probably at the same time. But are we I remember that we're you're doing some sort of a system study. I think

we I'm still trying to figure out how to advertise to get somebody to come do exactly what we need. But yes, we we have that funded in the budget. So we do plan on doing like a holistic entire system study. um you know, maybe kind of a combination of condition assessment and master planning, but it it's really discouraging to think about sea level rise because it's not just the gravity system that's below sea level, it's grade ground. Um yeah,

so it it is it's it's kind of disheartening to think about that, you know, as sea level continues rising and do seaw walls continue getting higher? Is there a point where we have to, you know, raise land and then you get to a point where, you know, as the finished floor elevation and the building code comes up and then you have buildings that are higher than others and kind of adding to that problem. So, I do not have an answer to you

for a solution for that. But I I also don't think that just pumping it out into the inter coastal, which is just going to try to come right back is the answer. So, um, it that's what it feels like a lot of the time. So, uh, yeah, we we will commission that, like I said, kind of like combination condition assessment, master plan. Um, but it it feels kind of bleak. It It is. And it makes We have great water. We do have great water.

It we do have great water. It it does mean it puts for instance our carbonfree aspect on our electric in a different light. We at least obviously it's not going to fix our sea level rise because it's not local but everybody doing something to reduce carbon in the atmosphere is contributing to going the right direction sea level rise not the wrong direction. So it's not it's not just a choice for whatever reason it's actually helping in the big picture. Um the other thing that I hope we would include is not only the boundary condition change but some sort of scenario assessment of rainfall intensity and amounts. Um because there are certainly there are predictions now in the climate modeling of most of the predictions are increases in intensity which is not helpful to drainage.

Definitely not. Um, we've we've done quite a bit of drainage analysis and hydraologic modeling for some of these outfall projects just to make sure that we're on the right track. Um, I'm not sure how feasible it would be for a citywide one, but definitely in problem areas that's a tool we'll use. Yeah, good. I mean, not good, but you know, it it's kind of it is what it is. from at the water management district scale, which is obviously, you know, much bigger area, but they're thinking about their outfall structures and they're recognizing at some point they're going to have to all be pumped structures rather than gravity and the costs are going to be quite high. Mr. Seg,

thank you. U Thank you. Very very quickly that that just keyed on something. Um understand that you have a wealth of knowledge in in that area. Um, have we had any kind of cross analysis with our construction and development codes? Yes. Given given this and adjustments. Actually, most recently, FEMA updated their flood maps and then that informs the building code.

So, yeah, I know about like the the elevation, but specifically to like the the drainage. So for for example, I know the the town homes right where I am on on Sixth Avenue South have a French drain and that's one of the ones that every time it rains it shoots 12 in out of the French drain. So obviously it's not doesn't have enough to handle just their area. Compound that with what you're talking about with sea level rise and the gravity system and so on. Um, I don't know. May maybe it might be worthwhile to look at some of the things that we're allowing that that even though like Florida building code is a little bit more general, we've got somewhat of a more specific problem in in areas of our city where we may need um some of your guidance in in that. Um, we do have in um in our code and when we when my team is reviewing site plans and building permits, the applicant needs to provide drainage calculations for I think it's a 3-year 1-hour storm, which is not the, you know, biggest intensity, but it's pretty moderate. And I think currently that equates to like 3 in of water falling within an hour. um they have to maintain that on their own site. So basically they're submitting calculations to prove that if that storm happens, they're not having runoff go everywhere else and become somebody else's problem. We also ask on development of you know new sites that they show cross-sections of their property boundary so you're not way up here and all the rain water is going to go to your neighbor. um because we base it on a design storm and not necessarily a specific amount of water, that does kind of adjust with what our design storm is. Um but it may be worth looking into increasing the intensity of a storm that we have that requirement for. Um because it is tough and we we are seeing

some more exfiltration trenches which is considered a best management practice. um you know it provides storage and dissipation of the storm water. So when we're getting larger developments that can't meet that design criteria for the storm, they're installing these best management practices that are essentially letting them store the water until it kind of percolates on its own. Um you know we see people trying the pavers, the permeable pavers. Um those are slightly less efficient than the than the other best management practices, but people get creative to meet that requirement. So hopefully it's making a difference of

the building codes. When you go down to the Keys now, all the houses are up from 15 feet still. It's amazing. We're having to do that here now. Tries at an HRPB meeting and it's, you know, here's house house. But what you got to do? Uh Mr. McCoy,

um just to add to I think this is a good discussion. We're thinking of the reality of what is Oh. I think it's a good discussion that we're thinking of it. It's a reminder that one of the reasons we have a landscape code that says things about surface treatment and floor area ratios and so on is exactly for this reason that we want as much to infiltrate into the soil as possible. Anything that's impervious contributes to storm drain problems and so there's a reason for it that's important. Is that it? That is it. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Much appreciated. Okay. Public participation of non-aggenda items and consent agenda. Do we have any blue cards? Nope. Okay. Moving right along. Approval of the approval of the minutes. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second by Mr. Sri. All in favor? I I Thank you. Consent agenda. Do I have a motion? Motion by M. I have a conversation. You want to pull one? Um, yeah. I guess I'm going to have to pull B and C for conversation. Okay, we have to amend them the agenda. Sorry. Um, so you have a motion to amend the agenda to pull them.

Motion to amend the agenda again to pull consent agenda item B by Miss and item C by M. Do I have a second by Mr. McCoy? All in favor? I. Thank you. Sure. Motion to approve consent agenda A. Second. Have a second. Motion by Miss May, second by Mr. Segridge. All in favor? I. Okay. Resolution 15 2020 20 uh 15 and 16 2026. Thank you for indulging me, Madame Mayor. If I can pass this down to all of you to take a look at. Um I think I've heard it enough. One, two, three.

So um in going through Yeah, I just gave you mine. Um, in going through the background from staff, two of the items, um, and we'll go with we're on item B first. If you go to back up, item B, appreciate Charity, Inc. is on there twice at 700 South Dixie Highway. I had realized that multiple times we have gone through this with this organization, so I had asked staff to do a deep dive. It is a um vacant lot on com on on uh Dixie Highway. That's a end lot at 7th and and South Dixie. They are not good community players. There's nothing there. It's not on the vacant registry. Um I do believe that Miss Bryant is here. She can answer and so is Miss um Annie in regards to um or Christa in regards to they're not on the registry for the vacant registry. they are running high fines and unfortunately I feel as a commissioner that we continuously say yes let's put a lean on and we're not doing anything. I would like to see if we have consensus to give direction to legal to look into going after this property. Um I'm I'm just I'm I'm fed up. If you can look at the the fines that they're running, they're not abiding by the rules. We're consistently cleaning up that lot and it is on our major thoroughare.

It's 68. One is 68 and the other one is 38 on the same property. same property. Yes. I have I've been banging this drone for a long time. Let's foreclose. Let's get foreclosures going. We've been getting better on island. I know that. And I mean they're not even on the vacant. They're not abiding by any of the rules. Right. Right. Right. So, um so there's this will put the lean on, but that is the first step I think in getting the foreclosure started. So, we have to do this first and then there'll be a motion to uh authorization. The staff will ask for authorization to foreclose. It's on both a I think they're on both. They're on both of them. Yeah. That's this is part of that process. Yeah. So on B this is I don't know why I pulled C. I forgot what's pulled C. But but if we can come to a consensus on that for this first. Okay. But this is the first step. I understand. Yeah.

But I don't want this just to be rubber stamped and then it gets put on a shelf and we're running leans again. This is I don't want just a lean. I want us to go after the Christa Simmons compliance admin manager. just um this is to put the to levy the lean for the lot clearings, correct? Which is the first step for the tax bill. So these don't these go on the tax bill. These are different than the other leans which the other leans are old enough and are already in a status to pursue foreclosure. So that would be up to the city attorney's office. So that's what I wanted to bring to your attention as a as a body. Yeah. No, I I agree. Um but this will go on the tax deed. this will get paid. Um

maybe well or they or they get a tax sale. We couldn't tell if they had paid their taxes up to date or not. We tried to find it. I don't believe on this property that they have. Um if they did, I want to say maybe not this year, but they paid last year. Okay. And then we did notice that their address on file with um Papa is the vacant land. That's not they don't even have a real mailing address. Yeah. That's how they do deeds. It's obvious. That's one of the problems with code enforcement. You got the And this is one thing I want to talk about. Someday we'll have a cup of coffee. You found your light, Mr. Perry. I found a light. You found the light. Yeah.

He stole yours. That's not quite the same.

Madame Mayor, I did want to I had this conversation with um Commissioner Mlega today. We have a conversation a couple of days ago with the um community sustainability and finance. That foreclosure account is running very low and there's no money coming into us. So, we're depleting all the funds. So, one of the things we're going to have to take a look at, especially maybe during the budget session, how do we want to if we want to continue putting money in this account and maybe come up with some type of formula that that would determine whether or not it's feasible to go after this particular property, some type of SWAT analysis, something that says yes, the benefit, you know, if we go through put this money into it, we'll benefit from it. So, that's something that we're going to have to come up with. But we did have that have that conversation that this account's running very low and we're doing, you know, we're going through with this paying an attorney to go after these foreclosure, but we're not getting anything. So, like I said, just be aware. We're going to have to discuss that during the budget session.

That's one. The reason I brought it forward is because if there isn't anything, it's a vacant lot. And to me, that means there should not be I mean, if there is a mortgage, it's on the land, which we couldn't find, and there's no demo. There's I mean, to me, this should not be something that should cost us a lot of money. Um, but I again I just think that we should move this one forward. And the whole thing with forkl I don't want to go down a rabbit hole on foreclosures but um you know if we started doing them yes it's gonna it might cost us to get like it will up the fund to get started but once you get a couple you start selling I we don't necessarily you know we don't want to be landlords I know all that but once if we get a couple um that have and some of them have no mortgages or very low mortgages but we can sell them and number one we get the money and number two we get them out of the hands of the bad owners. So I'm I'm like I'll later on in my life I'll volunteer help to lowcost mortgage for lean foreclosures because it's such a tool and it's I know this there's always a stack of there's authorized but there's no money to do it. So I think we should look at that in budget time because that's really just a way to get them out. Um okay so um do you have a motion to approve?

Motion to approve item B. Do a second. I'm sorry. Yes. So, the way we have done this previously, okay, is the items are pulled for discussion and then you just approve the consent agenda. Oh, okay. Okay. So, they're on the consent agenda. We did have a motion by Vice Mayor May and Commissioner Segridge. Do you want to restate that motion to approve the entire consent agenda? Well, we have a couple questions first. We already voted on that one first of all. Yeah, we did vote on that one. So we can just I know but sometimes you go so fast that it's hard for me to Okay. Um let's there's a couple questions. Mr. Sean, Mr. McBoy.

Uh I was just going to say Commissioner Miller asked for consent um to give direction. I would consent to your direction. Yeah. Yeah. Me too, Mr. McBoy. And and my I'll probably consent too. My only question is I don't know anything about the property. I don't know anything about the owner. don't know really much about it at all except what I'm hearing. Is there any reason that from legal from code from anybody that we should be cautious about moving forward of this or is this you know there's no downside to moving on this and we should go this is a lean yeah go ahead madam sorry madam attorney

so anytime we get in the process of looking at a foreclosure uh if we're going to do code enforcement leans we can do a sort of a general check uh first obviously looking at a mortgage. So, we usually do an official title search just to see if there's anything out there, an encumbrance on the property. Um, we're not dealing with it in this case, it looks like, but we also, if it's a homestead, you can't foreclose a homestead. Uh, so you do a sort of general check. Um, we would also get with code enforcement and go through the leans, look through the files to make sure that we don't have any issues with due process, notice issues, or things like that. And then once you go through and look through those sort of legal checks, then you can say, "Okay, this one's ready to go to a foreclosure." And if we need to, sort of the last step code does is they take it to an authorization to foreclose.

And that's really to tell the property owner, this is your last chance. We're moving forward. Um, and even then, it's not necessarily the last chance because it t it's a process. You know, you got to draft a complaint, you got to serve the complaint, and then you go through that process. And every code enforcement foreclosure of leans is different because it depends on what kind of response you get from the property owner. But it doesn't hurt to start looking at the issue, looking at and make sure we can tee this up so that we're ready to go and file a foreclosure if that's what the commission desires and we mediate some of them. I mean some absolutely deliver.

Yeah. I wonder it's vacant. It appears to be a Delaware corporation. start pay their taxes. You can always find them. There's a way. That's right. Um, we have authorization for the older leans for the more current lean, right? We have to wait like a couple of more months for that one, but we do have authorization for the old for the 68,000. Okay. Okay. Thank Thank you. And and yes, I give consensus as well. Okay. So, we've already approved A. So, do I have a motion to approve B and C? Motion to approve B and C. Do I have a second? Second by Miss Mle. All in favor? I.

Sorry if that's a little raggedy, Miss Clerk. But it's the way we did it. House to separate it and have the conversation. I didn't want to keep it in consent. So, thank you for indulging. Oh, we will indulge you. CDBG. Um, no, it's taken now. We're on the CDBG, right? Oh, always interesting. A word. New A.

New A. Okay. CDGB funds. We learned that the CDB CDBG funds that we authorized for the compass building cannot happen because it happens to be against the policies of our of our state. I'm just going to say that. So, we have to look at number you know what what was all what was our number? I guess the question is, you know, do we just go to number two at that point? Uh, which the number two there's Mr. Brown. Um, and number two, I believe, was um the the lights at Memorial Field. The lights at Memorial Field. Mr. Brown, would you like to address the commission from your new seat? Good evening, everyone. Good evening.

Uh, yeah. So, per the uh email I sent to all of you uh yesterday evening. Obviously, we got the notification from the county that the project we had selected for the Compass building um is not going to be approved. So, we needed to select something else. and we had the memorial field lights um as our second. So, we wanted to make sure that that was okay with everyone. Now, I forget what the other ones were, but uh and we do have a tight deadline of May 15th to resubmit everything to the county uh which is why uh we want to discuss tonight. Okay. Does anyone want to make a motion? Motion to instruct staff to use our second choice of the memorial field lighting as our CDBG project.

Second, but I want to continue conversation. I'm Miss Mega, but I want to get something by me. So, um, okay, go ahead and what would you like to say, Miss Melea?

Um, so first I want to say how appalled I am. It shouldn't matter who our tenant is in a building. It's a city owned building and the fact that this deep dive was done into the fact of who was in the building. Um I'm a little appalled but not shocked unfortunately. I do not want to jeopardize the funding for the rest of the county or us in the future. Um, but I am thankful that staff in it and in their fortitude looked forward and said, "Okay, that means we need to have a conversation about putting this on the CIP for for our next budget conversation." That is our building. We made a commitment to Compass. They've already finalized their budget, and I I do not am hoping that the rest of the commission feels the same way. I do not feel that that they should be punished because of a law that's coming down on January 1st. And if if we would have approved this last year for this year's CDBG, it wouldn't be a conversation. But because of this new law with DEI and it taking effect on the same fiscal year as the funding, I I think it's sad and I think it's really unfortunate um because now I'm fearful of some of our our schools that are in some of our buildings and the fact that they hit a certain demographic and that demographic may fall under DEI. you know, does that mean that we're no longer going to be able to to help and rely on some of these funds to take care of our great nonprofits in our city and the nonforprofits who do the work in our city and who employ and who take care of and who do the things that the city cannot do and doesn't have the magnitude to to bring forward. So, I'm I will gladly move this CDBJ funds to the memorial park and finalize that park with the lighting. But I would also like to have consensus tonight that we support in the budget the improvements being done to the compass building through our budget process in CIP.

Thank you. Um Miss Migo, me.

Thank you. Um, is it possible that we could use funds from the FY26 budget um like some fund balance that we have in the general fund to make a budget amendment and pay for the um air conditioning this year and not have to wait for next year so that they don't die and they can do what they need to do cuz it it doesn't in my mind I don't want to punish our tenants for our lack of maintenance in the building a and b for something that is completely out of all of our control. And I do know that when we finish our budget year, we are going to have fund balance. So if is there a possibility to bring forward a budget amendment to to approve the funds for this year to go ahead and pay for um

budget transfer? Yeah. Yes. Uh for the record, Yanik with the finance. Yes, we we have that option. We just have to know what the amount is. Okay. And uh we'll revisit because part of the financial update was to give you where we are as far as the fund balance and uh based on that analysis, we'll be able to tell whether we could use some of those funds to um for that purpose. So I would ask the motion maker to maybe amend their motion so that it doesn't go necessarily on next year's CIP do whatever it I don't know the exact term wherever it has to go so that they get it this year. It wasn't a motion to amend. It was just a consensus for to give staff direction.

Okay. Well now I would like the motion was for the CDBG funds direct directly for Memorial Park. Right. I thought you had said secondly. No I said and to get consensus from us. So the motion was to do the Can we vote on that and then finish this conversation? Okay. So we have a motion and a second on the doing the the funds for the memorial park lights. Do I have a All in favor? I I Okay. So now, can we give direction to staff to go back and see if they can figure out a way for us to pay for it this year? Just the air conditioning. Air conditioning the elevator. Do you know that? Do you remember the total? 380. Yeah, it was 4,000 and change. I think close to 400,000.

Okay. Well, can we go back and look and see if we can do it this year? But u it was a improvements to the it's older elevator. So improvements. That's right. It was the elevator and the AC to to make it ADA compliant like the line of button. Some some regardless of the tenant, it needs to be done, right? And because of the tenant, I'm saying it needs to be done now. Well, and considering that's your technically your district, right? I know. Okay. Well, then you go, girl. That's why, you know, I mean, that's not why I'm fighting for it, but it is why I'm standing up harder, higher than I normally would, but yes. No, this needs to be done. I Oh, Mr. Mr.

Mr. Pegridge and Mr. Mco. Um, so we just got um some numbers back from you about the um unfilled positions from from this year. Um, Commissioner Mlega had brought that up at a previous meeting and um, looking at those numbers, it appears that pretty much all except for like 11,000 of that is still available. That could be a good source. Well, I think Mr. I think our finance director will look for the money.

Yeah, I'm I'm I'm just saying that there's a considerable amount there that that Commissioner Mlega had identified to come back to fund balance. That could be one area that that we could look at that and make that happen. That could be an option uh commissioner. But uh the general fund for instance this general fund we had a surplus uh in 25 um and we ended up not using fund balance as we had planned for 20. So we could uh that would be my first source of funds I would go to. But the last resource would be uh to go after the vacancies. Yes. But but yes that is an option if we're going to go that route. We look to our experts. Yes.

For those solutions. Uh [clears throat] Mr. McCoy.

Yeah. Um I I too feel it's important that we comment. Uh there's a general issue of um home rule and preeemption of the state telling cities how they can do things within their city boundaries. And there's been certainly a trend in the state legislature for a number of years now to increasingly take away home rule from cities and tell them you can't do this. And then this one is federal money that uh if I'm not mistaken CDBG money comes through starts federal comes through the state it's taxpayer money and it's allocated filters its way down to the different municipalities and DEI if I remember right stands for diversity equity and inclusion which in my book seemed like something that we as a city stand very much for that we want to welcome all different kinds of groups in our city and we want to not cook them because they don't have AC or you know whatever the other things are that need doing and it is really I feel like at at some levels we are in a period of a very smallminded approach to things that that I object to strongly that um it's not consistent with our values as a city. It's unfortunate that you know we can't do anything about it. It's state rule but

make sure who gets elected at the state level. Thank you. Okay. So um we have consensus consensus to look at it and come back to get mad. Yes ma'am. So, we previously had uh Commissioner Maliga had asked for consensus for the CIP. Are you withdrawing that request for consensus commissioner in favor of the budget amendment to use this year? Yes, sir. Does it have to get a budget amendment and move to the CIP for this year?

That we're going to do. Okay. So, I I amend my motion to approve the funding. I don't know what the total amount is and add it to the CIP for this year with a budget amendment coming forth hopefully in the next 45 days so we can give compass some breathing. I see finance shaking their heads. Yes. Thank you very much. That's a motion to have a second. I think it's consensus. That's an amended motion. Really? It was an amended consensus. Okay. All right. Consensus. So, do we have consensus on that? We do. Okay. We do. Thank you very much and thank you finance for always coming up and answering our questions. Motion for a comfort break. No.

Second. Do I have a sure? I mean I could go by myself. We're gonna have a comfort break. We're gonna have a 10-minute comfort [laughter] break. 10 minute comfort break. Thank you. Sure.

Did it get warm in here again? No. No.

I'm hot. Well, thank you, Peggy. Just a just a just a drop or two. Madame Mayor, it is 7:49 and we have reconvened. It's set at 70 now. All right. Okay. Sarah is hot. Um, okay. Yes, madam clerk. Thank you. What am I doing here? I'm at that stuff. All right. Where are we? New business be. Madame Mayor,

thank you. Okay, we're back on. We're back on. Okay, we're back on. New business is B agree. B or B. B as in boy. Yeah, that's one of the words you could use. budget would be another one is in better agreement with Stantech Consulting Services Inc. for comprehensive sustainability analysis for the city for the FY4 fiscal year 2027 budget. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second. All in favor? I

I uh C minor constru minor construction agreement with Donwood, Inc. for the master pump station day tank replacement. Do I have a motion? motion, but only if I find out what a day tank is. It sounds scary. It's different than a night tank. It's got sunlight in it. What's a day tank? Who cares? Well, do I have a second? Second. Okay. As long as it's a day tank. As long as we find out what the day tank is. Von Baker Water Utilities. Not sure why it's called that. Um, but it is very important for the generator at our master pump station, especially as we get into, you know, potential storms. So the fuel [clears throat] tank for the got it. Okay.

So uh we have a motion to second. All in favor? I much D. New business D. 10th Avenue South and Dixie Highway Storm Water Improvement Project to approve. Second. Just going to finish reading the whole fiscal year 26 state funding agreement LO236. Do I have a motion? We have it. Maliga Maliga as second by Mr. McCoy. All in favor? I I E. Dual zone monitoring well project Fiscal year 26 state funded initiative agreement L238. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second. All in favor? I.

Resolution number 17-2026 authorizing the sixth budget amendment for fiscal year 2026 capital budget companion item. Correct. Yes. So with the two previous items, this budget amendment is so that we can receive the revenue from our grant. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second by Miss May. All in favor? G construction service agreement with accurate. Hope they're accurate. Hope they're accurate drilling system. They're okay. Don't go with the other guys. They're kind of close. Approximation drilling. That would be my my business. um constructions with an accurate drilling systems inc to install power and telecommunication conduits from the mainland to the casino complex. Do I have a motion?

Motion to approve by Miss May. Second by Miss Mal. Can I just ask a quick question? Sure. Where'd she go? Back there. She's here. This is No, it's Ed. But Ed, does this remember we were talking about the the conduits that are going to go across and we were saying that water at this point didn't want to do it. Are these conduits any of them going to be big enough for us to do water at some point? Eight, eight and six. Not and you don't really I say that. Yeah. Not likely. But not likely. These conduits are just meant to hold wires in them. They're not built to carry pressure, for example, from water pressure at, you know, 70, 80, 100 pounds, whatever they operate at.

Okay. Do they go under the dirt or just under the water? Oh, about 15 ft below the bottom of the of the inter coastal watertest and in other areas but a little bit less but it's entirely under the under the dirt mud bottom. Um we have a motion and a second I believe. Yep. Do we all in favor? I thank you very much. Next up is H. Professional services agreement with Qualis LLC for grant compliance. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second, Mr. McCoy, I was just going to ask I think I know what this is for. Is this for the

roughly 24 million grant that we got from I want to say DOE the Department of Energy a while back and this is to make sure we're doing everything closer. That's correct. This is grant compliance related to that that grant. Okay. All in favor? I thank you very much. Uh, next up is I professional services agreement with Rep LLC to provide consulting services related to the design, construction, and completion of the mission critical electric utilities HU administrative building. Do I have a motion? That means new. Okay. I didn't I never heard who I'm literal. I'm literal. Well, there's exercise works, but I'm pretty sure we weren't building one of those. Yeah. Is this part of 1900?

Yes. Is is it part of that in It would be a part of that complex. It would be a new building at the back of the property. So would electric be would electric be pulling out of that entire 1900 building? No. No, we're not. We're we're vacating a portion of it which would then be backfilled with other city functions. For example, customer service would go to the new building, the what we call the back office of customer service. So we don't have to rent space in town. I love that. And then the front-facing or customerf facing aspects of customer service, the lobby would move to the front of the 1900 building. And is there room in your new building for leisure services?

Yes, there is. It's currently in the conceptual programming would include leisure leisure services back office operation. Their customer seracing function which is primarily a parking division would go to the front of the 1900 building. Okay. So all of those would be in the same. The goal is to accommodate in that new building any of the city functions that are currently in rental spaces. Love this. And stop paying rent and start using it to have our own structure. Love this. Motion to approve by May. By May. We have a second. I think we should approve it in April. Boom. Second by Mr. Seg. All in favor?

Thank you. J. Work order number six with the paving lady for South D Street from 12th Avenue South to 14th Avenue South. We have a motion approved by Miss Mlega, second by McBoy. McBoy. All in favor? I have a public comment, Madam Mayor, on this. Okay. Thank you. We have none here. Yeah. Go ahead. It's very short. Hannah Crawford, 130 Southeast Street. I would like to support the concrete work pave repaving of Southeast Street. That's the only comment for this. Thank you. Um, all in favor? I I work order number 10 with the paving lady for paving and concrete repair work at the N North A street roundabout. Do I have a motion? This is taking out the existing. Correct.

Yep. The roundabout A and first May May 1st. Oh my gosh, I wrote down May one on my thing. That's almost motion to approve. Uh by Miss May, seconded by McY. Mr. Mcboy. All in favor? I. Thank you very much. Last uh work order number 11 with the paving lady for paving and concrete repair work on South D Street, 3rd Avenue South to 6th Avenue South and D Street Lucern Avenue to Third Avenue North. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second. In favor. What happened to work orders 7, 8, and N for the lady? They don't come in same. Oh,

okay. So, now we have um Commission Land reports and comments. It's not even 8 o'clock. I don't know what to do. Let's start with Let's keep them brief and we can all go home. Yeah, let's watch hockey. British Murder Mysteries. Um let's start with MO tonight. Let's start with two can go from there.

I'm just going to Oh, wait. No, we decided to do that at the pre-aggenda. Okay. Somebody remind me so I don't forget the project tango. Um, Mike, um, I was glad to see the walk and a lot of people joined. I couldn't join, but I did a video and I'll post something about it. Um, I'm really glad that we did it. We're glad that we did that. This was the walk with um, the state attorney, Alexia Cox.

Um, and I'm glad that at least some of us could be there and and walk with it. And thank you, Commissioner Segridge, for the invocation. Thank you for the invocation to recognize that also. Is it short and brief? Hey, I'm not I mean, you want me? I can district. No, no, no, no, no. District three. You're You're done. District three. District three. Be you. Oh, Lord. I'm sorry. I Okay, full disclosure. I literally walked into my sliding glass door yesterday and I must have hit my head harder than I thought.

Harder than you thought. It was so loud. Um, okay. So, one of the things I do want to do and I I want to discuss with you guys putting it on an agenda um to discuss our policies for fines acred by um CRA developing entities.

So, for entities, so community land trust um Habitat for Humanity because it just seems it it seems silly for us to to donate land, which is what the CRA does, and then turn around and find the people that we've donated the land to. Now, I know that there is there sometimes are mitigating circumstances and and most of these are tree finds um and they're being assessed they're being assessed based on old pictures taken from Google Earth and compared to the day that we have the Chen Moore representative here which is random. So comparing Google Earth to this and then saying, "Oh, I think that that DBA DBH is about this and it's it's really not working." And so we need to have a discussion about that because the community sustainability department cannot not charge things unless we give that direction.

But if they're going to if they violate something, why wouldn't we find them? You're okay. You're talking about a very specific I'm talk No, because it's happened over and over again. And what's happening is we are donating this land. We know what's going to be built on it.

Okay. We know that some of that there's 70 I mean 25 by 125 lots. We know that they're putting the X amount of house. It's the same house they put on every single lot. So, we know what's going to happen. And then we go surprise, you cut down a tree. Well, we knew they were going to cut down that tree. So for the problem with that is is that it's it just seems oxymoronic to give them land and then charge them back a fee a fine. So, we either need to work with Habitat and and and the CRA, you know, to make sure that these that when they get this land that building goes out and they assess the property the day that we they make that deal so that there is a current assessment of what trees are there and which ones are allowed to be or maybe permitted then to be taken down. But the process that we have in place right now is not working because I know for one of the lands the Habitat did admit to cutting down a couple trees and they did pay those fines but then they got fined on other trees that they didn't touch. And I'm not going to stand up here and say that Habitat is lying. Okay. So for me, I think there needs to be a more um transparent policy where we're not depending on Google Earth views from 2020 um compared to a day halfway into construction.

It seems like a simple solution would be for everybody to take a picture of the land before they start building.

Well, whatever the simple solution is not working, but I mean that would be a possibility. I agree with you, but we've had so many of these situations now that we I feel we need to have a discussion and we need to have a policy. Now, maybe it's a CRA policy, maybe it needs to be discussed by the CRA, but whatever it is, it's becoming very problematic, at least for the CRA and then for the community sustainability department and the building department, because they're trying to have to justify this and go back and forth. And I don't know the exact story as for each and every problem, but I've heard it enough to know that we need to talk about it as a as a board.

Okay. Are you suggesting that we don't charge them because we just did fees for how many if you cut down? I'm not suggesting anything regarding a solution. I'm suggesting we talk about what we're doing and if it is if it is the best policy. That's all I'm saying. So I'd like to have it on the board a disc or on the agenda discussion regarding habitat or something that to along the point of um nonprofit home builder. Can we talk about it at the code workshop?

No, because I don't want it to focus that whole thing. I would prefer to have it be a separate discussion because I believe that these are separate situations. I know some people might disagree with me, but this is not a private owner who bought a house and started cutting down trees. These are It's like, you know, exactly what's going to happen on these lots. But wouldn't you know exactly what's going to happen on a privately owned lot, too? I I just would like consensus to discuss the policy. That's all I want today. I don't want to make any discussion or having and have the discussion. I don't know when we I don't have I don't know how the agendas are lining up. Well, we have no new business on the next one. Not literally not one item. So, I think there's room, but

it doesn't have to be on the next one, obviously, but I think there's there's plenty of room that we can discuss this. All right. Um um that's my first thing. My second thing is I wanted to um give a shout out for PBSO, but also a community um um what's what's it called? like when the commercial comes on and it's a public public service announcement. PSA.

So, I told you I hit I hit my head. A PSA for the app, the PBSO app. Um I was at Brian Park last night. There were a couple gentlemen who were um enjoying cocktails and um they had open containers and I went in and I put it into the app. And now granted the gentlemen had had moved on but PBSO did come and they were excellent. And then um later on in the evening there were um the kids on the ebikes and I know we're going to be talking about that but you know just sitting there for an hour. Yes, PBSO came but it really nailed home how we really need to look at how much we really do need the park rangers. Not necessarily gotcha but to say to say you know you can't you can't be doing that. Educate people and if they're continuing to then then they're going to be able to give citations. And I think that's really important. Um, I did talk to leisure services today because they came in at 7:00 and locked the bathroom doors and it wasn't even close to dark and the kids were still playing. So, they're going to look at that. Um, I did do the fire ops 101 experience on Saturday, um, which was awesome. We got to wear the fire outfits and we went in and we got to spray the hose and go into the building. It wasn't real smoke. It was Hollywood smoke, but you still couldn't see anything. and then learned how to clear a building and then and and repelled down a sixft tall building. So it was awesome.

It was very challenging. Six floor. I told you I hurt my head. Okay. Sixth floor tall building. All I want to say is that the fire rescue I am so grateful that that is who we contract with. They are professional. They are kind. They are really It was a very very very nice day. And um and it was actually more women than men, so it was kind of cool. Like it was serious girl power. Um I have a great picture of me and Emily Gregory and Erica Whitfield and Maria Marino um after we had all just repelled down the building. Cool.

The sixstory building. Um and that's what I have so far. Oh. Oh, one more thing. I did go to the um Impact 100 Palm Beach um county lunchon today and I was a voting member. Um and our own Ben Ziton went and they were up for a $100,000 um grant which they got. So it's amazing. They got $100,000 to work with veterans um who are experiencing PTSD and to um um to help them overcome PTSD through the arts. So it's was a fabulous program. Deborah Robert did a great job in her presentation. I wanted to thank her and um they they did a great job representing Lakeworth Beach. So, I was really proud of them and that's all I got.

Thank you very much. Yeah, I spoke with her this afternoon. They're just tickled. That's a great program. Minister Sbridge.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Um to address uh Commissioner May's consensus ask, I I would consent to that discussion. Um, I do fall into the camp where I think we're we're going to cover a good portion of that in the workshop. But if we don't if we don't cover it in the workshop, I I do think it warrants it its own discussion. Um, I I do think it's a little bit broader than just our um nonprofits that are doing the the construction. I think I think the um concept of the Google Earth imagery and um street view

as well as as well as um trees and and the lots and and the sizing um that whole discussion if we don't get through it I would consent to having a a separate discussion for that. Um I did want to give a um a compliment to our IT staff and the clerk. Um, I was halfway across the world. Um, and they made it possible for me to connect to all of the meetings I needed to connect to, get all of my emails, um, and all the documentation. Um, fun fact, you are not allowed to access any of our resources from halfway across the world. Um, and so it was good to see with cyber security and um, good coordination, um, it was like I was right down the street. Um, so, uh, thank you very much to the IT team and to the city clerk for making that happen. Um, I did want to, uh, just note I'm I'm excited about the upcoming workshop on on code compliance. Um, it is a workshop, so there is no public participation, but I would en encourage um, people to uh, send us emails and and and get us your your feedback. Um there are several business owner meetings that are occurring that that I'm attending and and others of up here are attending um to to garner some feedback prior to that. But um I wanted to thank staff for um organizing that and in the manner I think it's going to be a very productive um session for us and it's long overdue. Um, I attended the victim's walk. Um, it's a very special event. Um, and we're, um, you know, I think I speak for everyone. We're we're we're thankful that to be chosen and honored to be chosen as the location for that. Um, it was a very

moving event. Um, and um, I was I was happy to be a part of that. um Bryant Park Neighborhood Association meeting and some of the other association meetings. Uh since I've been back, um we actually had some very positive feedback on our decision um not to um move forward with the exercise

um court. Um, and I had made comments at that meeting that it was a great example of of how things should work in in our city where city staff was bringing forward something that was a a great idea um well thought out, well presented um but it it just didn't fit with what the community's needs were or the community's feedback and through collaboration um we came to the right decision. Um, and I think it's important for people to remember that just because something's on our agenda doesn't mean that it's what we're looking to push forward and and get done. A lot of times it is truly for discussion and um, feedback matters. Um, and I think uh, opinions were changed and and direction was changed based on public participation in that. And so I would really encourage everyone listening and and those not listening, you know, tell your friends and neighbors do participate because it does matter. Um it does help set the direction for how the the the city is going. Um and uh also wanted to give a a big thank you to our parking division. Um as well as the city manager's office. Um we had um new signage um implemented in the southeast coast and H area of the city, the artisal district. um early feedback from business owners there is that it's made a tremendous difference. Um I drove down um through there and I was amazed at how much available parking there was for for the daytime businesses and how much that area had cleaned up literally overnight. Um so you know that you know thank you to staff for that and thank you to our our our parking division for that. Um you guys should know that the the feedback from the the people there and the businesses there was very very positive um and they were very thankful um that we were able to implement that.

That's all I have. Thank you. Um last I just spent uh Friday and Saturday at the institute. What you don't have anything to say? I got very confused about district one. No, no, you go ahead, Miss May. Miss May, Miss Mill, No, go ahead. Hey, I'll be brief. Um, again, so quiet. Thank you to um to everybody for supporting Alexa Cox's office and and the victim's walk. It is something that's always near and dear. And they do put our logo on the back, City Lakeworth Beach logo on the back of the t-shirts. Um it's actually more of a stroll than a walk really that you don't really have like a sweat. Um, it's

so it's I encourage everyone because it's not really that much focused on exercise, but more of shining a light for the victims and the survivors and the families. Come stroll with us next year. Um, there's not even a a collection of money. It is just show up and walk and help be a voice. So, it's a great event. I do want to thank PBSO and Code. Um, I drive around often and take pictures of inoperable vehicles, cars with no plates, broke down cars, flat tires, you name it. And PBSO has been very effective in the last two weeks. We just did a sweep um down Railroad Avenue um between 12th Avenue and 14th Avenue and we're going to continue to keep hitting it hard. This is, you know, we have a parking problem and then when you have cars like this that are left on streets, I just reported one on South Sea Street today that tag expired in 2025 and when PE these people leave cars there, then people can't park on the street and then it just it snowballs, right? So, thank you to PBSO. They respond always within 24 hours. Send me a picture of the red tag. Code is alerted. Um, and I think that we all should be vigilant if we see something like that by helping PBSO. Thank you, Vice Mayor May, for bringing up the app. I still have not used it. Um, but I just put it on my phone when you said it. I was like

probably so much easier than calling 688 3400 option four. Wait on hold. [laughter] I literally wait on

I literally wait on hold. Um, again going back to PBSO, Whispering Palms had their neighborhood meeting and they are they cannot thank PBSO enough for the South G Street takedown and the only thing they wanted to hear from me is that it's going to continue. We're going to keep the hammer down. On my way to that meeting, PBSO was serving warrants off of 12th Avenue South and South B Street, I think. No, South D Street. And it's good to see PBSO out there really just keeping the community safe, being vigilant. This was at 6:00 in the afternoon, so people could see that they were out. There was a lot of questions. Why are they here? They're just serving warrants. They got the person they were after. And I think that we need to continue even though there's a lot of bad legislation that's happening. the partners that we do have like PBSO and Fire Rescue, we need to make sure that the community knows, stop by and say thank you. You know, take a box of cookies or donuts or whatever to the firehouse, to the to the police station, and just let them know that we hear them, we see them, and we appreciate them because they do help keep our city and our streets safe. Um staff did an amazing job on the volunteers lunchon. Um I I'm thankful that we did that. I think that next year I'm hoping that we can get more volunteers to come. We have to figure out the right time slot though because a lot of the volunteers work

and they can't show up at noon. So, but thank you to staff and the HR department for putting that together. It was um wellreceived. A lot of thank you and appreciation. Um the CRA's meeting was cancelled this month, I think, for lack of quorum. Um but lack of stuff stuff.

Um but they will be having one next month that should be a little heavy. I was sad that Joan's update got moved from May 5th, but that was by her request and that'll be on I forgot the date now, but same thing with Emily Gregory. She got she requested to be taken off the May 5th agenda and she'll be coming I think in June. Um, but I just I think that we had a really good week in the city and I'm grateful to be here.

We all I think we all are. Okay. I just spent um Friday and Saturday up in in Orlando at the Institute for Elected Municipal Officials. The second there's two classes. The one did I have had a conflict every year with this one, but this was the year I finally could go. And I really suggest everyone that gets elected go to those. I mean, it's not just it's it's really helpful in terms of leadership. It's not just looking at budgets and and that sort of thing. It's also a concept of leadership and communication and just an overall view of being a commissioner. And I I do really encourage everyone to go to those because they're just so helpful. Um and uh I I got so and it's very interesting because when I started talking, you know, there were only about 50 people there. It's really nice because and this time there were no there were no people from the same towns. So everyone could be really honest about it. There were no sunshine things and people got really honest. And you know when I start talking about seven square miles and electric company, water company, a sewer, golf course, a beach, what? Cemeteries, people like really like Yeah. And what time do your meetings go to? Oh, 8. Like we have a hard stop at 11:00. But it what it does, it points out to me that we are, you know, for for the size of the city that we are, we are very unusual that we have a downtown that we have we are a little like a little bubble um a little c cross-section of society from very wealthy people to very poor people and uh but I I strongly encourage my my fellow commissioners to go to those I can't talk about them more you a lot of networking you need a lot of um you meet a lot of people and you get to discuss stuff which we all find that no matter if it's a 1500 population or 150,000 population there are very many absolute parallels going through it um and I think that just helps us be better leaders. I was not able because of that I was not able to be um with Miss Cox's

victims walk. I was there last year and I will be there and again next year, but I'm very glad that she's and I think she's going to continue. She loves this city and she's going to continue to use this in terms of trees not being cut down. I would like to, you know, at some point, not right now, but to talk about, you know, if somebody gets a they they got approve a lot, I think it's North M Street, there were some big big trees on it. they got an approval, you know, for their HRPB or planning and zoning and they cut all the trees down and nothing has happened to that lot. It's been years. So, all those years that those trees could have been there, they've been gone. It just looks like this hard, this empty hot lot. And I would like to make it that we, you know, we don't let them cut the trees down because a lot of times you start out with a project and you don't get the funding, things don't happen. So, now you've got no trees. So, I would like to have it that we don't that the trees can't get cut down until the actual permit is approved. um because it's not it doesn't take a long time to cut a tree down as we all know. Um we are having the code workshop but I want people to know and I discussed this with our city manager. We're also going to have a special meeting because the workshops they can't talk but we're going to have a follow-up special meeting um a little later on hopefully in May and I'm meeting with the um that that group as well. We're going to have to work out Sunshine stuff if you want to also go Mr. um seg but um that's going to be an in that's an independent group although this we all do want also do want to talk about a city group and also um you know code uh looking at the codes in general in in the near future. Um we have new garbage cans downtown

and they're beautiful. Thank you Jamie. Thank you Jamie.

Thank you Jamie. Um, and one thing I want to do, um, Royal Palm Beach just did at the high school a rock the vote uh, event and I'm going to find out more about it and I want to bring that to Lakeworth High School because one thing we have to teach these kids is they've got to get out and vote and be a member of our society member and and how important voting is. So, that's one of the other little projects I'm working on and I want to get that done. Um, I want to thank Mr. Barry for stepping up and uh helping us out and um I think that's it. I'll be away for a week. I can't believe anniversary. Thank you very much. Birthday.

Yes. I'll wish Blue happy anniversary. It's also my birthday. So, we run away. We run away for a week. May 2nd. Thank you. Yeah. Every year we go away. So, I miss a lot of I miss um things that were here. So, Mr. I'm sorry, Madam Paco. Yeah, before we get to um Mr. Perry's report, so uh vice mayor may asked for consensus regarding a discussion. Commissioner Segridge gave consensus. I didn't hear from the other three on the deis and this was about uh this was the policy for nonprofit nonprofit. Okay. Yeah, I'll sure. We can talk about that. Yeah, I consent. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

I did forget one other thing, Madam Mayor. Yeah, I did send you guys an email. I'm sorry. I sent you guys an I totally I told you I sent you an email um asking if we could have a conversation and write a letter in support to the school board in honor of the teachers and supporting their raise. Um I didn't know if it was an open conversation that we could have um or if I should bring it up during the pre-aggenda meeting like I suggested Mr. Mcroy does. Um but I think that that's something that we should at least talk about and either say yay or nay. As a teacher, I'm going to refrain from voting on this. Well, that makes sense.

Yeah. And I think that it's I mean, I I completely agree. I love the teachers to get the raise, but I also think it's treading on somebody else's jurisdiction. I think we need to um you know, we it's slippery slope and uh we can all individually contact the members of the school board, but I think that for it's like them sending a resolution to us saying we think you should do something. So, I'm I would not support although I support the concept. I don't support doing a uh

I guess I would view that differently. I don't think there's any problem at all and we've certainly done it over the years where we've had resolutions where we encourage and there's use a little language at the bottom and this shall be transmitted to wherever as soon as it's passed. Um, so I I I don't see any problem with us expressing our opinion on, you know, we don't get to support education very directly here. It we have schools in our city, but we don't really have a lot of but that is one way that we can say, hey, be okay if you pay him a little more. So, I have no problem with that.

Miss May, you just not I'm not You can't support Are you asking for a resolution or just a letter? No, just a letter. Or I mean I would support a letter. Thank you. So then maybe it just needs to be three of us on the DAS that could write a letter and just sign off. I really think they if you want to support this, you should support it individually as a as a commissioner. But um you know we did once when when when the UK when Ukraine was that's different. No, let me finish. And I think it was a mistake to do that. Um, we've talked about different things about, you know, stepping into other people's lanes and I, you know, although I will absolutely contact schoolboard members about that, I just don't think we should as a body do it.

Is there a legal opinion on this, Miss Lawyer? There's not opinion on it. It's it's not a legal issue. It's a commission decision if you want to write a letter or do a resolution to support an initiative. Okay. So, I'll be writing one um on on city letterhead and signing it with my name as a city as a city commissioner supporting our teachers and our public schools. Um maybe we can each individually whoever wants to do it. I just think that we should show some support to our teachers especially since we're putting funding behind and we're doing this grant process and we have the educational task force. We already do things to promote education in our schools. I'm not arguing with No, I'm just saying that that's just so everyone knows that's what I I will do. Okay.

I think three of us voted to send a letter to So, do you want me to compose one and we all sign it or do you want That's fine with me. That's fine by me. Okay. Thank you. Um, right. That's different. I appreciate you guys now that you're leaving. [laughter] Um, did you make $14? Really? Um, okay. So,

Oh, yeah. No, on on Saturday, May 2nd from noon to 4:00, starting at the Ben Ziten, there will be a um taco crawl and I did this when they did it two years ago. And it's you go to a bunch of the businesses on the west side of um Dixie Highway and you get to go to the bakery and the and the um and some of the other restaurants and the one that makes the what are those called? the veg. No, the taco roller uppers. The tortillas. I'm I really hurt my head. Um I'm having a hard time. You know that tor you know that tortilla place where they like kind of crank them out and you get a whole stack of them. Yeah.

Yes. That's how they celebrate my birthday. I'm having a hard time. Anyway, it's from noon to 4 with an afterparty at Lelo's. It starts at the Ben Ziten. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. And Mr. City Manager. Yes, Madam Mayor. Just one reminder. Um May on Friday, the uh agenda review for the May 5th meeting. Just want to make sure you do that. But that's all I have. And I'll be on Zoom. Well, we're all on Zoom. Okay. Okay. We're on. That's it. Thank you. And thank you that madam that May 5th is a short meeting because it is Cinco de Mayo. Just saying. Yeah. Madam Attorney, no report. Thank you.

Thank you very Do I a little harder than you may have originally thought. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve to resign to to up. [laughter] I thought I could get a second for that. Motion to adjurnn. So second. Okay. All in favor? Hi. Hi. Thank you