City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening. Our invocation will be offered by Chaplain Joe Hassler. And after that, we will have the Pledge of Allegiance.

Will you join me in prayer? Gracious God, we are thankful for the opportunity to come together to help lead your people and your community. We ask that as we look to figure out how to lead that community, We also accept and understand the challenges that come as we do. We ask that you are with the families of those who are going through struggles and different seasons right now. We ask that you provide peace and comfort to them. We thank you for the opportunity to lead and to serve each and every day. In your son's name we say, amen.

I will pledge allegiance to the flag. It is now 4 o'clock on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and this meeting of the Ocala City Council is called to order. Clerk, please call the roll.

Mr. Marciano?

Here.

Mr. Musley?

Here.

Ms. Dreyer? Here. Mr. Hilty?

Here.

Mr. Mansfield?

Here.

Mr. Bethea?

Here. The clerk will now provide the public notice for this evening's meeting.

THE SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS PUBLICLY NOTICED ON AUGUST 18, 2026 ON THE CITY OF OCALA'S WEBSITE. AS A REMINDER, PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES UNLESS AUTHORIZED TO STAND BEYOND THIS TIME BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT OR MAJORITY OF COUNCIL. ALL MATERIALS FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MUST BE GIVEN TO THE ATTENDANT'S STAFF FOR DISTRIBUTION. PRIOR TO SPEAKING AT THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. AND TO MAINTAIN ORDER, SPEAKERS MUST BE RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT. Please silence your cell phones and all electronic devices for the duration of this meeting. Thank you.

We are at item 4A on the agenda, and it is the presentation of the Mayor's Citizen Recognition Award to Ms. Kimberly Wilkerson.

Yes, sir. Well, every month we recognize someone who's doing outstanding work in the community, and we've recognized some amazing citizens, and we get to recognize another amazing citizen for the work that she's doing. And I know Kim personally, and she has a tenacity to make a difference in this community. Her heart to serve is huge, and we are so grateful for the work you do. So I want to read your nomination. For more than a decade, Kimberly Wilkerson has been a steadfast advocate for children, families, and communities affected by gun violence. Through her vision, compassion, and unwavering commitment, she transformed a cry of pain into a movement of peace. As a founder and executive director of War Cry for Peace. She continues to restore hope, promote healing, empower youth, families, and unite communities in the belief that every life matters and every child deserves a brighter future. Her leadership inspires countless volunteers, community partners, youth, and families to become active participants in building a culture of peace. Under her leadership, War Cry for Peace continues to stand as a beacon of hope, healing and resilience and restoration. Ms. Wilkerson serves as a voice for families whose loved ones have been lost to gun violence, ensuring their stories are remembered and their loved ones are never forgotten. 33 years as an educator and a coach, Ms. Wilkerson provided a performing arts program, athletic programs such as soccer, track and field, basketball, cheerleading, and many others. She is the founder of GAP Productions, Performing Arts, Diamond Girls Volleyball and Empowerment, sports mentoring program. What haven't you done? I guess. And, and from my understanding, you were an amazing basketball player. So, all right. All right. She's done it all. We are so thankful for the work that you do for this community is my honor to recognize you as a citizen of the month. All right. I'd like to have you say a few words.

Good afternoon, everyone. First, I give honor to God, who has guided and strengthened me through this journey. I sincerely thank our mayor, Ben Marciano, the city councilman, and the city of Ocala for this incredible honor. Receiving the mayor's award is deeply humbling, and I accept it on behalf of every person who believes that peace, healing, and change are possible. For the past 12 years, War Cry for Peace has worked to prevent gun violence, support grieving families, empower our youth, and help build safer communities. This work has never been mine alone. Never. That's why they're up here. To our War Cry families, thank you for trusting us with your stories, your pain, your healing. Your strength inspires the mission every single day. To our community partners, volunteers, supporters, and the entire Ocala community, thank you for standing with us and helping turn compassion into action. To my family, my husband, my mom, my daughters, my aunt, my immersed church family, all of you, my daughters, you're the wind beneath my wings. Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, your sacrifices, your unwavering support. You have carried me through difficult moments. This award belongs to not just me, but it belongs to all of us. Together, we will continue to build stronger families, safer communities, and brighter tomorrows. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you to Ocala.

All right. So I wish I had a bigger gift card to bring. All right. You have a mayor challenge point and a little key to the city.

And then everybody stand around her. Okay.

Item 4B is the presentation of the National Arts and Humanities Month Proclamation to Jay Bailey, Executive Director for Marion County Cultural Alliance at Brick City Center of the Arts.

Anybody that's representing arts, culture, heritage, come on up here and join me.

Thank you so much. Hey, how are you? I just saw your dad the other day. Yeah, good to see you. A proclamation to recognize National Arts and Humanities Month, whereas October is recognized throughout the United States as National Arts and Humanities Month, a time to celebrate the vital role of arts, culture, and humanities play in enriching our communities, strengthening our economy and educating our citizens and enhancing the quality of life. Whereas the city of Ocala recognizes that arts inspire creativity, encourage dialogue, preserve our history and heritage, foster understanding, and create meaningful connections among people of all ages and backgrounds. Whereas Ocala has grown into a vibrant cultural destination where visual arts, music, theater, dance, Literature, history, public art, and other creative expressions contribute to the unique character of our community. Whereas artists, arts, and cultural organizations, educators, businesses, donors, volunteers, and community partners work together to make art accessible and to ensure that our creativity continues to thrive throughout Ocala-Marion County. Whereas the Marion Cultural Alliance, founded in 2001, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026 and has served the cultural engine for Ocala and Marion County by championing artists and art organizations, investing in the creative community, advancing public art, and connecting residents and visitors with meaningful cultural experiences. Whereas the City of Ocala values its partnership with the Marion County Cultural Alliance, and the many organizations, artists, and cultural leaders who collective efforts continue to contribute to the dynamic, welcoming, and creative community we have here in Ocala. Now, therefore, I, Ben Marciano, by the virtue of authority vested in me as the mayor of City of Ocala, Florida, do hereby proclaim the month of October, 2026, National Arts and Humanities Month. In the City of Ocala, I encourage all citizens to celebrate and participate and support humanities cultural organizations, educators, volunteers, and advocates who enrich our community throughout the creativity of this expression. I'm realizing that should not have been October there. So we're going to say in witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Ocala, Florida to be affixed this 15th day of September, 2026. Congratulations. I'm sure you'd like to say.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Thank you, city council members. I've lived in Ocala since I was two years old, and there was just a handful of organizations, and FAFO being one of them, established a long time ago. And it's wonderful to see over 50 arts, culture, heritage, and history organizations that are operating today and growing. The galleries are growing. Public art is growing thanks to the city. And our horse fever herd is growing. And it's just wonderful to live in a community that understands not only the importance of art for quality of life, but for its economic impact. Here in Marion County, it's a $56 million economic impact per year just from our nonprofits. So our friends at FAFO, we've got a big event coming up soon, and would you like to say anything about it, Emily? Sure, yes.

Hello, thank you all for having us. I'm Emily Andrews. I'm the president of Fine Arts for Ocala, one of the arts organizations in our community. And we're looking forward to welcoming all of y'all to downtown Ocala on October 24th and 25th to celebrate our Downtown Arts Festival. So that is our big event coming up at the end of October. And yes, Veronica, do you want to say anything?

No.

Oh, wait, hold on. I do want to say, I just want to recognize Jay Bailey. There's other arts organizations in this community, and she leads MCA, Marion Cultural Alliance, as well as our board, Ocala Municipal Arts Commission. And we're just grateful for your leadership and how you've led us in furthering our arts culture in Marion County. So I want to recognize you for that.

As a former art teacher, just continue to support the arts. Thank you. Sister, thank you so much.

Item 4C is the presentation of the Give for Marion Proclamation to the Community Foundation for Ocala Marion County, CEO Lauren D'Orio. I hope she don't get mad at me. I know that's...

Thank you.

I've heard from Suzette.

Yes. Very good. Yeah, they can come. Hey. No, come on. You're all right. Are you sure? I'm okay with that. I might keep you there all night if you say that.

How are you? Okay.

Okay.

All right, guys.

This is by far, I think, the largest group we've ever had. So congratulations. I love it. I love it. This is just such a great time of year. So grateful for the Community Foundation putting this on in this event. So I'm going to read the proclamation for today, and then we're going to let you say a few words. So proclamation for Give for Marion Day. Whereas the Community Foundation of Ocala Marion Services serves as a trusted leader and resource for charitable giving throughout Marion County, connecting generosity and community needs and strengthening the quality of life for all of our residents. Whereas Give for Marian Day is an annual community-wide event hosted by the Community Foundation for Ocala Marian, inspiring individuals, businesses, and organizations to support local nonprofits through charitable giving, increased awareness, and meaningful community engagement. Whereas Give for Marian Day demonstrates the extraordinary spirit of generosity, compassion, collaboration found throughout our community, bringing community together to support organizations and address local community needs. Over the past six years, Give for Marian has raised $8.5 million. Thank you. That is unbelievable. Unbelievable. Whereas Give for Marion Day has become an important tradition throughout our community, creating opportunities for nonprofits, businesses, donors, and residents to work together, strengthening charitable organizations, and positively impact the lives of individuals and families across our community. Whereas the City of Ocala, Florida recognizes the invaluable work the Community Foundation for Ocala and the importance of the role Forgive for Marion plays in strengthening our local nonprofits. inspiring philanthropy, addressing community needs, and encouraging residents to make a difference. Now, therefore, I, Ben Marciano, by the virtue of authority vested in me as the mayor of the city of Ocala, Florida, do hereby declare September 15th, 2026 as Give for Marian Day. In Ocala, Florida, I urge all citizens to participate in Give for Marion Day by supporting local nonprofits, making charitable contributions, sharing your time and talents, and encouraging others to participate in this important community event. Together, we can strengthen our community and create a brighter future for all who call Marion County home. And witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Ocala, Florida, to be affixed this 15th day, September 2026. you I just got to say, you know, the nonprofits are the heart of our community. The work that you do every day does not go unnoticed. I know I work with a lot of you. A lot of citizens are reaching out to me for help. I think that there's more need than ever. And I know that your jobs are not easy. And I just want to thank you for the work that you're doing. And I encourage, I love this day. It gets people giving and focused, not on themselves, but giving back. And I think we need more of that. So thank you for putting this day together. And let's support them as Give for Marion over this next, I guess, a little bit more than 24 hours. Yeah. All right. All right. All right. All right.

So I, I love the fact that you guys are really the heroes in all of this, each and every one of you, because we know what you're doing every single day. You get up every morning, you do things that other people don't want to do for the sake of our community and you're making a big difference. So it's really, even though the community foundation puts it on, it's really an honor for us. It's not one person putting it on. It's the entire community coming together. And I feel honored that I get to serve each and every one of you every day. So, you know, you can call me anytime, and most of you do. So I'm here. I've heard a lot of tears. We've had a lot of anger. But we're here to support you because without you, I'm not sure what this community would look like. Yeah. Thank you.

Awesome. All right.

Three, two, one. All right, guys. Thank you so much. Thank you for all that you do.

You too. Thanks.

How are you doing? Good, thank you. I got you. Got it? Yes, ma'am. Thank you for everything. Thank you.

Thank you.

Item 4D is the presentation of the Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation to representatives of the Ocala Chamber and Economic Partnership.

Great to see you, Tony. Thank you for being here. Good to see you, as always. Absolutely. Hey, how are you? Good to see you. Great to see you. Hey, how are you? Good to see you. How are we doing? Thanks for being here. Good to see you.

Thank you so much for being here.

All right. Well, it is my honor to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, whereas the National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15th through October 15th to celebrate the histories, cultures, and countless contributions of Hispanics and Latino Americans whose leadership, entrepreneurship, and service has enriched communities throughout our nation. Whereas Hispanic-owned businesses, professionals, educators, skilled workers, and community leaders are an integral part of our community. cultural vitality, helping to create jobs, strengthen industries, and enrich the quality of life for all of our residents. Whereas the city of Ocala recognizes that entrepreneurship, innovation, and a skilled workforce are essential to a thriving local economy and is committed to fostering an environment where businesses and individuals of all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed. Whereas through partnerships with organizations, including the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, educational institutions, business leaders, and community organizations, our communities, to support workforce development, small business growth, and economic opportunity throughout the Ocala Metro region, whereas Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to recognize the achievements and enduring contributions of Hispanic Americans while celebrating the diversity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that continues to shape the city of Ocala, Florida. Now, therefore, I've been Marciano by the virtue of authority vested me as the mayor of the city of Ocala, Florida, do hereby declare September 15th, 2026 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the city of Ocala, Florida. I encourage all residents, businesses, schools and community organizations to celebrate the history, cultural achievements, and contributions of the Hispanic American while supporting businesses and organizations that strengthen our community and witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Ocala, Florida to be affixed this 15th day, September 2026.

Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. The Power Plant Business Incubator and the Chamber of Commerce are very pleased to receive this recognition. The American business owners are doing very well, but the Hispanic community are doing well, too. And we are very happy to stay here to celebrate that. Thank you very much for your confidence in us. Gracias por confiar en nosotros. Thank you very much.

Three, two, one.

Item 4E is the presentation of a service award to Captain Jason Craig for 25 years of service with Ocala Fire Rescue.

Captain Jason Craig, a Williston native, was hired by Ocala Fire Rescue in September 2001. During his 25 years of service with Ocala Fire Rescue, he has worked his way through the ranks from firefighter EMT paramedic to captain paramedic two. Jason currently serves as captain at station number six. He is also a founding member of the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Team, the ARF, and serves as the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Program. Thank you for all that you've contributed and all that you bring to Ocala Fire Rescue. And for 25 years, please join me in congratulating and thanking Captain Craig.

Agenda item number five, presentations. 5A is a presentation of the State of Downtown by Ocala Main Street Executive Director, Sarah Lambert.

Great.

Hi, just want to make sure we had a clicker. Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. Council President, council members, Mr. Mayor, city leadership. Ocala Main Street is very appreciative of the opportunity to discuss all of this with you this evening and how downtown Ocala continues to serve as the strongest economic engine in the city, cultural anchor and long term investment strategy. So let's go ahead and dove in. OK, so we remain as the highest performing geography in the entirety of city limits as the report states here on the coming slide downtown ocala generates the highest economic return per acre driving local tax revenue small business growth and overall fiscal help for the entire county and community this is not an abstract concept it is measurable you are already familiar with a lot of these numbers these were presented to you when the city did do its 2050 study and a lot of it comes from the urban free analysis so this level of productivity does demonstrate why downtown investment consistently yields the greatest return for public dollars drives private capital and community vitality so I do have some of my board members here this evening in support of this presentation give it a wave everybody thank you so much And our goal is to generate dense, walkable development that makes downtown the most cost-effective area to serve with infrastructure and public services. We do believe that dense development makes downtown the most cost-effective area by maximizing public investment. Every mile of roadway, every foot of water line, every patrol hour goes further downtown than anywhere else in the city. This efficiency is a structural advantage that strengthens Ocala's long-term fiscal health. So let's talk about some investment dollars. So downtown is independent. We're independent businesses, restaurants, entertainment, and the arts collide, creating identity, energy, and destination appeal. So in our capacity to serve as a connector, liaison, and advocate, we do have to report numbers to the state of Florida. And most of those do have to deal with some of the economic development that we see here in the downtown core. So this slide here shows strong investment activity for both public and private sectors, with millions flowing into downtown each quarter. It should be noted that Florida Main Street's quarterly reporting schedule follows the calendar year. So this is going to show Q1 and Q2, so it's January through July. I know that a presentation was given last year around this time that would have been your Q1, our Q4. So we also track business openings, job creation, relocations, and closures. These metrics help us understand the health of the district and respond proactively to emerging needs. So, some of the big ones that we've had include HELP, the Midtown Master Plan that was adopted in 2017, expanding downtown's footprint and encouraging infill and connectivity. Our support of the catalytic hotel projects, bringing multi-million dollar investments, strengthening hospitality and tourism.

Obviously, we are here to help support CRA.

So the $2.195 million allocated for downtown redevelopment for this fiscal year and the $800,000 annually in CRA revenue reflecting rising property values. These outcomes demonstrate that downtown is not only performing well, it is accelerating. We're very proud of that. All right, this is where it's going to get a little nitty gritty. Let's talk challenges and opportunities and some of the successes that we hope to see in the future. Some of the stuff that we've acquired through the reporting that we do shows several areas that require what we're considering coordinated action. Small business changes. We are all familiar that there have been some recent closures in what we might consider flagship institutions in the downtown core. These are affecting thoughts and feelings of people in this area. Midtown and Tuscawilla's activation. We obviously operate out of the heart of the park building, which is part of Tuscawilla's activation. And we want to continue ensuring businesses and public spaces reach their full potential in those areas. With the Forge being open now, with Midtown Station becoming a flagship institution in Midtown, with the Hotel Marion coming online soon, we do feel like Midtown is entering a strong new chapter. Our focus is transforming this area into a dynamic extension of the downtown core, elevating its identity, improving infrastructure, and attracting the kinds of businesses and experiences that make a district feel alive. We will continue to work towards completion and full activation of Heart of the Park, seeking donor funds to alleviate our $250,000 shortfall that is always in the back of our minds. vacant spaces and aesthetics. So addressing street level vacancies and improving continuity and building appearance. Our team is in the process of considering a program where we want to activate vacant spaces through art installations, showcasing them as windows of opportunity. Aesthetics and vacancies are two of our most pressing challenges, and a leading example would be the Hilton. We know we're not the first to bring this to y'all's attention, but this is an example that we feel echoes the comments of our neighbors, business owners, and members of the public. infrastructure upgrades, enhancing mobility, connectivity, and overall downtown experience. We couldn't be more excited about the O-line trolley coming online and the launch of Parking Garage 2. We're very excited about both of them.

We appreciate how they sort of dovetailed into one another.

Alongside that, Ocala Main Street will continue to advocate for golf carts north of 40, believing strongly in what this increased mobility will do for Midtown and Tuscawilla, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with city staff on this endeavor.

These challenges are not burdens.

They present real opportunities for all of us. Each one a chance to strengthen the district and improve the experience for residents, businesses, and visitors. So let's talk about the impact that Ocala Main Street believes that we provide. We are advocates for change, from the CRA protection to district improvements. We believe in investment in the future. We want businesses to continue to choose downtown as their home. We do believe that this is the economic hub for this community. We create experiences. We want to support retailers, restaurateurs, and event partners that shape this district's vibrancy. And we want to help maintain culture, the organizations and nonprofits that preserve Ocala's unique identity. Because downtown thrives when community invests in it, not just financially, but emotionally and culturally. In closing... Downtown Ocala is delivering an exceptional economic value, cultural identity, and long-term fiscal return. It is efficient, productive, and deeply connected to the community's sense of place. We are deeply invested in downtown, midtown, and Tuscawilla. Wow. So we believe that this demonstrates the continued investment in not just our 99 block district as more than just desirable, but strategic. It strengthens the city's tax base. It supports small businesses. It enhances quality of life. And it preserves the historic and cultural heart of Ocala. Thank you.

You finished?

I am. I wanted to keep it short for y'all. I know we get hungry and tired.

You did a great job. Thank you. Is there any questions from anyone out in the audience in regards to her presentation? Council?

I got a couple. So what are we doing to, like, talk to all the businesses downtown? How are we going to try to market that?

So I operate in a two-fold way. So a lot of it's email communication. But when I first started back in June, I've only been in this position for three months, just so you all know. So a lot of it was getting down there and introducing myself in person. So I did want to try to develop face-to-face relational sort of contact with these people so they knew who I was.

Okay. Are we working with CEP on any of this?

We are in some degree, so I am trying to build new partnerships that maybe my predecessor didn't have. This is a whole new person in this role, so we're kind of starting from scratch there.

Okay. And a whole new person in that role, too. Okay. So a lot of it's incumbent upon the city and the CEP and the Main Street all working together and working in collaboration on the same, really the same goals, but it's different aspects of it.

THAT'S CORRECT.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MA'AM.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE COME TO OUR CONSIDERED AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS WHICH THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO BE REMOVED FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSIONS OR CONSIDERATIONS? HAVING NONE, HEARING NONE, I ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSIDERED AGENDA.

So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Any comments from the public on this matter? Clerk, call the roll.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Hilty? Aye. Mr. Bethea?

Aye. We're on agenda item 8, introduction, first reading of ordinances. Item 8A is the introduction and first reading of ordinances. 2026-35. Is there a member of the City Council who will introduce this item? I will. Thank you, sir.

An ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Ocala, Florida, changing the zoning from PUDRO, Office Plant Unit Development, to PD, Plant Development District, for a certain property located at 325 Southeast 24th Street, parcel 30576-000-00, approximately 4.26 acres, case number PD26-0002, providing direction to staff repealing inconsistent and or conflicting provisions, providing for salvability of ordinance provisions, providing for modifications arising from consideration at a public hearing, providing direction to the codifier, and providing for an effective date.

IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE CONSIDER THE FULL MILLAGE AND BUDGET ITEMS AFTER 5 PM, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA LAW, WE WILL CONSIDER AGENDA ITEMS 10A THROUGH 10K NOW AND COME BACK TO AGENDA ITEMS 9 AFTER THAT TIME. SO ITEM 10A IS THE ADOPTION OF BUDGET RESOLUTION 2026-174. Do I hear a motion to approve this item?

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second.

Planning Director Aubrey Hale is recognized for his presentation.

Good afternoon, Aubrey Hale, Planning Director for the record. So this item supports SoCal's strategic goals of quality of place and economic hub. And this is based on the city established a housing incentive fund under Chapter 106 to help offset development charges related to affordable housing projects. The City Council has supported Madison Oaks East LLC since 2019 as part of their FHFC, which is the Florida Housing Finance Corporation's 9% tax credit program, which requires a local... some local assistance. So as part of that initial approval in 2019, the city has earmarked funds out of the housing incentive reserves in the total of $460,000. At this time, the project is ready to move forward. Staff recommends approval, and there is sufficient funds in the housing incentive fund to move forward. So staff does recommend approval.

Are there any comments from the public? Any questions from the council? Call the roll.

Mr. Yolte. Aye. Mr. Mansfield.

Aye.

Mr. Musling.

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Bethea.

Aye. Item 10B is the approval of the purchase of Trip Saver 2 reclosures. Do I hear a motion to approve this item?

So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Utility Director Doug Peebles is recognized for presentation.

Thank you. Doug Peebles, Director of Ocala Electric Utility. This item supports council's strategic goal of operational excellence. The trip saver reclosers improve system reliability, reduce customer outage time, and reduce unnecessary crew and vehicle responses to physical locations. This is a recurring purchase for operational inventory to support OEU's ongoing maintenance and reliability needs. I request your approval, and I'm here to answer any questions.

Any questions from the public? Council? Call the roll.

Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Hilty? Aye. Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. Thank you. Item 10C is the approval of utility service expenditures for Duke Energy for fiscal year 2026-27. Do I hear a motion to approve? So moved.

Second.

Water Resource Director Brian Heller is recognized for a presentation.

Hi, I'm Brian Heller. I'm the Water Resources Director. this expenditure for utility services provided by duke energy fiscal year twenty six twenty seven in the amount of a hundred forty thousand dollars supports the uh... cities relevant strategic goals for fiscal sustainability uh... and operational excellence uh... the city of ocala water resources department utilizes duke energy for electric services at various lift stations and the perry spray field i'm here to answer any questions council there was a sheet on your

in front of your dais explaining where those were. I think that the checks and requisitions might have been in there, but the property addresses weren't, so we added them.

Are there any questions from the public on this item?

Council?

Call the roll.

Ms. DeHolte. Aye. Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. 10D, the adoption of Resolution 2026-56. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Transportation Director Tom Duncan is recognized for his presentation.

Good afternoon, Transit Administrator Tom Duncan. This item for your consideration this evening meets Ocala's strategic goals of fiscally sustainable and operational excellence. What I have before you is the public transit grant agreement with Florida Department of Transportation. This is the first step of several steps to secure federal funding and matches associated with that. Upon your approval of this, Suntran will be submitting the final application for $837,458, which will be matched, and those combined roughly $1.6 million will leverage a total of just over $3.3 million state, local, and federal funds supporting the operation of Suntran. I'm here to answer any questions you may have, and, of course, staff recommends approval.

Any questions from the public? Council. Call the roll.

Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Musley.

Aye.

Mr. Hilty. Aye. Mr. Mansfield. Aye. Mr. Bethea.

Aye. Item 10E is the approval of a contract for construction services for the O'Kellar Fiber Network Administration Building. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved.

Second.

Facilities Director Gary Cruz.

is recognized for staff presentation. Good evening, City Council, Mayor. I'm Gary Cruz, the Facilities Division Head for the City of Ocala. This evening, I'm requesting your approval of this agenda item relevant to Ocala's strategic goal for quality of place. The approval of the Ward for Construction Services will provide improvements to make it a dependable and efficient operating facility at the Ocala Fiber Network building. Staff recommends approval. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. Any questions from the public?

Comments, questions from council? Call the roll.

Mr. Holti?

Aye.

Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. Item 10F is the approval of additional expenditures under the Florida Department of Management service contract. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Fleet Management Division Head Liza Walmart. Did I say that correct? No.

It's okay. It's the way it's spelled. Lisa.

Okay. Lisa, what about your last name, ma'am?

Warmoth.

Okay. It's recognized for staff presentation.

Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Good evening, council members, mayor. Lisa Wormuth, Fleet and Facilities Management, Fleet Division Head, requesting your approval of this agenda item relevant to ACALA's strategic goal of operational excellence. The citywide cost for tires and related services has increased due to higher prices of tires, prolonged operational use of vehicles and equipment, and incident-related tire failures. Staff recommends approval of this item, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Questions from the audience? Council, questions or comments?

Call the roll.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Hilty?

Aye.

Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. Thank you. Item 10G is the approval of a five-year agreement with Premise Health Employer Solutions, LLC. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved. Is there a second? Second. HR and Risk Management Director Todd Swanson is recognized for the staff presentation.

Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council. Todd Swanson, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management. This item supports the city's goal of being fiscally sustainable. The city recently completed a competitive RFP process for the management and operation of the employee clinic. Of the eight firms responding, three firms advanced through the final process. Premise Health received the highest overall score of 95, followed by Concentra at 93.2 and Care ATC at 90.4. Premise was awarded the contract. THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT IS FOR AN INITIAL FIVE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026. BREMIS WILL CONTINUE PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY AND PREVENTIVE CARE, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES, LABORATORY AND PHARMACY SERVICES, AND OTHER SERVICES THROUGH THE CITY CLINIC. THE SELECTED STAFFING MODEL INCLUDES A PHYSICIAN ON SITE FOR 20 HOURS PER WEEK. For fiscal year 26-27, expenditures under this agreement will not exceed $1,876,566. Funding is available in the health insurance fund. No budget amendment is required. Staff recommends approval of the five-year agreement with Premise Health. I'm available to answer any questions. Any questions from the public?

Council comments, questions? Call the roll.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Hilty? Aye. Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. Items 10H through 10K concern the renewal of the employment contract for the four chartered officers, the city clerk, the police chief, the city manager, and the city attorney. I will accept motion for each one. Then we will hear a single staff presentation for all four. And finally, we will vote on each one separately. Item 10H.

Motion to approve.

Okay. Second.

Okay.

All right. So you have been approved and second, right? Yes, sir. All right. Item 10-H. 10-I. 10-I? You sure?

We've done 10-H. All right.

I is the renewal of the employment agreement for Police Chief Michael Balkan. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Okay. Item 10-J. It's the renewal of the employment agreement for City Manager Peter Lee. Do I hear a motion to approve this item? So moved. Is there a second? Item 10K is the renewal of the employment agreement for City Attorney William Saxton. Do I hear a motion to approve this item?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Chief of Staff Chris Watt is recognized for staff presentation.

Good afternoon, Council Mayor. These agenda items support Council's strategic goal of fiscally sustainable. The Ocala City Clerk, Angel Jacobs, Police Chief Michael Balkan, City Manager Peter Lee, and City Attorney William Sexton are all parties to employment agreements that expire on October 31st. In accordance with the City's Code of Ordinances, the appointment of City officials made by the City Council as authorized by the Charter shall be made at the second meeting in October of even-numbered years and shall be for a term of two years. In addition to the appointment requirement, the parties desire to formalize the rights and responsibilities of each by entering into employment agreements. Those agreements are before you now for your consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about any of them.

So are there any comments from the public? All right. Any comments?

I think you have one public comment.

That's Jay. Yeah, that's on... H-I-J. On J. We're doing these individually.

Yeah. In just a moment. All right. So item H-A, city clerk. If there's no comment, call the roll.

Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Musley.

Aye.

Mr. Hilty.

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield.

Aye.

Mr. Bethea.

Aye. Well, item 10-I, police chief. If there are any comment from the public, council, call the roll.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Hilty?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. All right. For item 10J, city manager, if there are any comment from the public, I have one. Mr. Clay Albright? Aye. Members of the board. Yes, sir.

Clay Albright, PO Box 3718 Ocala. Thank you so much for your time today. There's a little bit of a sermon today. It has to do with leadership. And the leadership, as you all may or may not have heard from football fans up at FSU, that there has been a call for the firing of the football coach, Mr. Norvell. And apparently this has been going on for quite some time and it just wasn't happening to the satisfaction of the boosters. So he was being protected by Mike Alford, who was athletic director. As of Monday morning, the dissatisfaction of the boosters fired Mike Alford because of lack of leadership. This board right now, I would ask you to question what is happening within the city of Ocala leadership. And by that I mean, I came in here fuming a few weeks ago about your code enforcement board. The code enforcement department apparently has got such a embedded cancerous culture that it has frightened everybody in the business community. Since I came in here a few weeks ago, I have been flooded with phone calls and I have told everybody in the business community, I am not going to carry the water jug for you. You guys are going to have to stand up and speak your mind to your representatives. Well, that's how it was left until I got another code enforcement letter today that has to be nothing but more than retaliation. And as Mr. Mansfield said a few weeks ago, most of these things can be handled, probably 80% of them, with a phone call. This particular item... I have a ground lease that I have zero control over my tenant on the corner of 17th and pine on a CVS drugstore. I got cited again today for nothing more than weeds growing up a little bit. Well, you all live in Ocala, you know, it's raining every afternoon. That store is a corporately run, corporately owned store that now, to complicate things, has been sublet to another drug store. So, that being said, when I have to call up corporate and say, listen, we got this issue from code enforcement. The problem is, when I talk to code enforcement, Here's where the problem begins. I have to find out and get a return phone call from somebody at Racetrack or CVS or wherever. They have a guy that's in charge of all their facilities. That guy has some regional guy that he has to get in contact with that's in charge of maybe 75 stores. then he has a guy that's the mowing contractor. And that conversation bleeds down. Well, you know how long it takes to get back to that guy that actually rides the mower? It takes a while. Well, I now, because of a lack of a phone call and a little bit of rain, I now have got a clock ticking on me for about 30 days until the fines start. This has got to stop. You all have got a city manager sitting here that's up for renewal. This issue, they're now moving people around within that department. And if you're moving the culture out of the code enforcement department and you're moving it somewhere else, all you're doing is transferring the problem around. You're playing a chess game and it's whack-a-mole. If the guy or the gal wasn't doing their job at code enforcement, why do you move them to another department? This seems to be nothing but a problem that's a complete lack of planning leadership within the city. you have a city manager that every single one of these departments is underneath his watch my comment to this board would be you have a contract and why reward somebody for bad behavior if they're not representing the city and doing what they're supposed to be doing i would urge you to delay this contract renewal for sixty to ninety days you have multiple issues going on underneath Your city managers watch right now. And I would urge you to get these matters cleared up before you reward him with an extension of a contract. And I reflect that conversation with dozens of people in your business community that are scared to come up here and address this issue.

Thank you for your coming up. Okay. So, Pete, you don't have no.

All right. I DO HAVE A COMMENT, IF YOU'RE READY FOR COUNCIL COMMENTS. YES. BECAUSE I CAME PREPARED WITH A NOTE AND IT KIND OF LENDS INTO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HE IS SAYING. BUT, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF LOOKED AT THE REVIEW AND A LITTLE BIT ASTOUNDED THAT HE GOT SUCH AN EXCEEDING REPORT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN WE SAT HERE MULTIPLE TIMES TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED, EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER MAYBE REQUESTED SOMETHING. And they didn't get the answer. We had to wait and wait and ask again. So if you look at my reviews, they reflect my feeling of the lack of leadership and management that we have. My feeling is just as Clay Albright says, and I won't go into more details because we had a report from downtown, but eight businesses closed over the last two years. Light has not gone off in his office to go down and see what's going on. We had eight, they happened to be eight women businesses. That's maybe a point or not a point, but we had the businesses that were threatened down with the parking garage. It took them to come up here and still he never went down to see them. So if the downtown is the hub and that's the leadership, we're not seeing it at all. So I agree, and that was part of my comments, is that I am voting no against the contract. I'm saying let's go out and find out and see if there's somebody that has the division and the leadership because Ocala is growing, and we need to make a change to keep up with the growth.

Any other comments?

I have one. So I totally disagree with that, but I do agree with Clay's on some of the stuff in that division. So we have been talking, and I've been working with Pete on this, And it's harder than, you know, it's easy to say that guy did something bad. And I agree that, you know, as somebody running a company, you've got a lot of employees. I've got a lot of employees responsible. And sometimes they'd screw up. I mean, let's face it. Now, on Clay's deal, I actually, I'm sort of in the middle now. I think he's doing a great job. I'm just point blank telling you. There are some divisions that I don't like. I've complained about code enforcement before because I've been on the other side of that. We need to make a change, 100%. Pete and I have been talking about that change. Matter of fact, and I'm giving him some of, you know, as an end user and as one who gets these things just because of a construction, you know, I'm trying to tell him, hey, this is what I see in the field. This is, you know, we've got to rearrange. We have to do a better job. He agrees. So again, I know something's been happening because I've been dealing with them and we've been going through that. There are maybe some bad apples that we need to maybe make some changes. We've talked about that too. But as far as he's doing a good job. 100% behind them. I've always thought this is, you've got 1,000 employees. You can't say that one person screwing up is going to affect the whole ship and that it's bad management. It's not. I've got guys that screw up all the time. Does that mean I'm a bad contractor? No, it's just I've got guys that screw up. So you go in and you fix it. That's the goal. That's the real leader is somebody who will actually go in and say, you know what, I've got a problem there. I'm going to walk up to that problem and I'm going to fix it. I know I got a problem, and I think we have, I'm backing that conversation up. I know I have the right person in the position. I 100% agree with that, and that's just how I feel. I will get passionate on that.

But when you have constant people, as Clay talks about, making calls, emails, and they get no response.

That's in that department.

That ain't him. No, no, no, from him. I'm not talking about from departments. I'm talking about from him.

Well, then that's something we'll have to take up with those people. But, you know, as far as the other people.

As Clay said, a lot of them are afraid of retribution by coming up here.

did they know i can't explain why i say from now we'll take a step well now i'll back up there i will tell you this i hear from them to on the first one the fricking calls him not calm for clay you know i say hey we've got this problem here now i didn't know about this latest one to the day and now we'll say you know people talk about this But as far as, you know, I get contractors call me all the time, say, hey, we got a problem here. So I always call and I always, you know, help them work through the problem. I think, and we have done tremendous amount of, unless you're in the business, I don't, it's hard to see. The positive that we have done and we have turned, we've got some great guys out there, you know, that we have turned the building department. As a matter of fact, I was sitting in a meeting the other day with Moneer and all the other guys, and guess what everybody in that room said? They go, they looked at me and they go, Barry, we love working with the city of Ocala. These are contractors. Contractors don't like anybody. So for them to say that, that's a compliment. I mean, let's think about it. That's a compliment that they say that, hey, we like working with City of Ocala. We've done tremendous amount of work. Are there things that we need cleaned up, including enforcement? Yes, I agree with you, just for the act of, but we've got to clean them up. Firing him ain't going to do it. I'm just saying we have a good, we've got good leadership. I know we have good leadership. There are some changes that we need to make.

So there's lots of changes. You know, I hear this. I don't think there's a lot of changes. Again, I'd like to talk with these guys.

But I'll leave it at that. Thank you.

I'm not talking about any department or anything like that. I'm talking about this department here. I cannot agree with the performance. I would like to talk. Mr. Muzzle, go ahead.

Thank you. I wholeheartedly support Pete. Having served on the Code Enforcement Board for numerous years, both serving on the board and being a code enforcement employee can be a very thankless job. Very rarely are you making somebody happy. But I've had numerous people throughout the year complain to me about somebody who's not doing their job, either at their business or at their home, and keeping up with grass, weeds, other unsightly material. And then that's what it's called, other unsightly material. It is a thankless job. Did we have the wrong man in the job? I think Pete's addressed that. I've also had conversations with Pete about code enforcement. And, you know, I think he's going to get that ship moved in the right direction. But through the number of years I worked on code enforcement and the number of years I've been up here, it seems like code enforcement rotates every now and then to where they're not liked. And this is a time when they're not liked. I have not had anyone reach out to me and say, I don't think your city manager is doing a good job. I've had people complain about the vacant first story on the downtown Hilton, and I've addressed that with Pete, and I think it's high time that when that amendment comes up that we do not renew it and we enforce some type of default on the property owner. I'm in favor of retaining the current city manager, Pete Lee. I think he's done a good job. If you don't forget, it was a few short years ago that we terminated the last city manager. I like Clay's reference to Florida State. College football is a poor reference, though, because it's a very, very short-sighted thing. And I don't want us to be so short-sighted that we're turning over city managers every two to three years. Pete deserves a contract extension. I will vote to support him.

I will also. So is there any other comments?

I'm just going to say – I'm a big believer in when you have complaints, and I'm talking about us, I like to go directly to the person that my complaint is with and discuss it with them, right? And so anything that I think I should have had to hash out with you, I didn't need to write it down in my report, in my evaluation, because I've already talked to you about this. There's nothing that would have been a surprise, and a lot of it's been addressed. Now, it's really simple, and I think a lot of us do this in personal relationships that we have. And our relationship is a personal relationship. It's a business relationship, but there's a lot of, I mean, we all see each other a lot. We're doing some important things all the time, right? And so it's very common to focus on the bad. I think. And that's what gets us all in a lot of trouble sometimes. It causes divorces. It causes breakups. It's kind of what's happening here. It's really easy to focus on the few bad things because it's what is the most prominent. But in the meantime, we've got a lot of great things happening in this city. This is one department. The growth management, growth services department is always the problem child department. And it doesn't matter who the leader is. It doesn't matter how busy we are, how busy we're not. It's where the majority of everything is going through all the time. It's so many personalities coming in and out of that department. Like the contractors that you say are never happy, never like anyone. I hear the same feedback that there's never been a better time to do business with the city of Ocala than right now. So it's easy to focus on the bad. Am I saying to ignore it? Absolutely not. But you can't lose sight of all the good things that everybody else in this room, including you. I'm not saying that you're not doing good things. But there's so many great things happening. Code enforcement is one small portion that needs refining. We all agree, but don't lose sight of everything else. That's just what I have to add.

I'd like to just say a few words. As far as some of the businesses in Ocala with the grass grow, and I've been one of the biggest sticklers on that, is I think it's important that we keep our community looking good. So I'm calling code enforcement on a lot of these things. Maybe I should be taking the blame on that. But also, I just say, show me someone who doesn't have some faults. I think about the faults that I have. Overall, I think Pete's job is to lead the city and lead the staff and create a good culture. I think that's what we want, right? And I get to see day in and day out the culture and the leadership and the team and how hard these employees work for Pete. Again, I know he has some faults, but I think he's working on them. As far as moving the code enforcement, he made the decision. That's what you want to see. You want to see movement. But he works hard. People love working for him. He cares about the city, and I think that's one of the attributes. You know, it would be easy to Monday morning quarterback this and say, hey, the grass is always greener on the other side, and it never turns out that way. It never turns out that way. I think we have a good leader in Pete, and, again, I look at our team and how much they love working for him, and I think he deserves to be our city manager.

I do just want to add that Jeff Shrum is doing a great job over growth services, so please do not take that the wrong way wherever you are. Okay.

Jeff is.

He does a great job. Thank you, Jeff.

Thank you. We are ready to vote. Clerk, call the roll.

Mr. Hilty?

No.

Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Musley? Aye. Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Bethea?

Aye. For item 10K, city attorney, the clerk will call the, wait, is there any questions, comments on the city attorney from the public, from the council?

I have a comment. Yes, sir.

Will, I remember when we hired you several years ago, and having worked with an outside attorney for so long on council, I was questioning how this was really going to work. You have made a seamless transaction to become now our city attorney. You give very thoughtful advice, and that's accurate. And I appreciate everything that you've done. You've come in here. You're part of the Ocala family, and I want to say thank you for doing a good job. I want you here for another two years at least.

Me too.

All right.

I just have a comment, too, is basically I've come to know Will through, you know, obviously all the stuff we deal with. He's the only attorney that I've ever had that actually sits down and has common sense. I'm sorry.

Whoa.

We sit down, we go through, and he has common sense. And then number two is Chris. We really do appreciate what you bring to the table and what you have done for the city. And, again, I'm positive.

Where's Fred Roberts?

Do we vote on him? No, Chris. We don't vote on you, do we? Why? He can fire me any time. We need to talk about him. Okay.

Call the roll, please.

Mr. Musley.

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield. Aye. Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Hilty. Aye. Mr. Bethea.

Thank you.

Aye. All right. Resolution 2026-170 is adopted. We don't do that yet, do we? All right. I got to ask questions because we're moving around today a little bit. All right, so it's after 5.01. So we are ready to go back to 9.08. I will now open a public hearing for the Downtown Development District's millage rate and budget. The clerk will now announce the millage information for the districts.

The name of the taxing authority is the City of Ocala Downtown Development Districts A, B, and C. The fiscal year 2026-27 operating millage rate for Downtown District A is 1.7185, which is greater than the rollback rate of 1.6466. by 4.37%. The fiscal year 2026-27 operating millage rate for the downtown District B is 1.6332, which is greater than the rollback rate of 1.5463 by 5.62%. The fiscal year 2026-2027 operating millage rate for downtown District C is 1.4699, which is greater than the rollback rate of 1.3600 by 8.08%. Ad valorem tax revenues are increasing to support increased operating expenditures in the districts.

Do I hear a motion to adopt Revolution 2026-170, establishing the fiscal year 2026-2027 millage rate for downtown development districts? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Our presentation will be provided by Chief Financial Officer Janice Mitchell.

Good evening, Council and Mayor. I'm here in place of Tammy. She's feeling under the weather today. This presentation will cover both 9A and 9B. These items support council's strategic priority of fiscally sustainable. Per Florida statutes, the city of Ocala must hold two public hearings to adopt the millage rates and budget for the three taxing districts. The first public hearing was held on Wednesday, September 9th. This final hearing, which is publicly noticed in the newspaper on Friday, September 11th. The proposed millage rates and budget are consistent with the information presented to the city council and mayor during the workshop. on August 11th, 2026. Staff recommends the adoption of both resolution and I'm available to answer any questions.

Are there any public comments on this matter? Any questions or comments from the council? The clerk will call the roll.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Mr. Hilty?

Aye.

Mr. Mansfield? Aye. Mr. Bethea?

Yes. It is 5.14 p.m. The clerk will now announce the total fiscal year 2026-27 budget for the Downtown Development Fund.

The total fiscal year 2026-27 budget for the Downtown Development Fund is $856,159.

Do I hear a motion to adopt budget resolution 2026-171 to adopt the fiscal year 2026-27 budget for the downtown development fund?

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second.

Are there any public comment on this matter? Any questions from council? The clerk will call the roll.

Mr. Musley? Aye. Mr. Hilty? Aye. Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Bethea?

Aye. Budget Resolution 2026-171 is adopted at 5.15 p.m. Thank you. This public hearing is closed. Next, I will open a public hearing for the basic city millage rate and budget. The clerk will now announce the millage information for the city of Ocala.

Name of the taxing authority is the city of Ocala. The fiscal year 2026-27 operating millage rate is 6.6177, which is greater than the rollback rate of 6.3727 by 3.84%. Ad valorem tax revenues are increasing to support the addition of critical employees and assist with increasing cost pressures related to salary, benefits, and operating costs.

Do I hear a motion to adopt Resolution 2026-172, establishing the fiscal year 2026-27, millage rate for all taxable property within the City of Ocala. So moved. Is there a second? Second.

Second.

This presentation will also be by Chief Financial Officer Janice Mitchell.

Hi again, Janice Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer. This presentation will cover items 9C and 9D. These items support the council's strategic priority of fiscally sustainable. Again, per Florida statutes, the city of Ocala must hold two public hearings to adopt the proposed millage rates and budget for the city of Ocala. The first public hearing was held on Wednesday, September 9th. This is the final hearing, which is publicly noticed in the newspaper on Friday, September 11th. The proposed millage rates, budget, and revised fee schedule were presented to the city council and the mayor at a workshop on August 11th, 2026. The final budget incorporates the change to the community sponsorships as directed in the tentative budget hearing. The staff recommends the adoption of both resolutions, and I'm available to answer any questions.

Are there any questions from the public? Are there any questions or comments from counsel?

Council President, can I just say quickly that one of the local online news outlets was reporting that we were raising millage, and I just want to go on record as saying this is not a raise to the millage rate. This is the same rate we've had now for 11 or 12 years. Twelve years.

Twelve years, yeah. Technically, it's a tax increase because we didn't use the rollback rate, but it is not a raise to the millage rate. It's not a raise to the millage. That's clickbait.

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you for that comment. All right. The city clerk will call the roll.

Mr. Musley.

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer. Aye. Mr. Hilty. Aye. Mr. Mansfield. Aye. Mr. Bethea.

Aye. It is 518. The clerk will now announce the fiscal year 2026-27 general fund budget and total budget for the city of Ocala.

The fiscal year 2026-27 general fund budget total is $207,375,596. The city's total fiscal year 2026-27 budget is $1,269,750. $705,929. Sorry, I got told.

Do I hear a motion to adopt budget resolution 2026-173 to adopt a fiscal year 2026-27 budget for the city of Ocala? So moved. Second?

Second.

Are there any public comments on this matter? Any comments or questions from the council? The clerk will call the roll.

Mr. Hilty? Aye. Mr. Mansfield?

Aye.

Mr. Musley?

Aye.

Ms. Dreyer? Aye. Mr. Bethea?

Aye. This budget resolution was adopted at 5.19 p.m. This public hearing is closed. Did we cover everything? Yes, sir.

You got it.

All right. So... We got to go back to nine, don't we?

No, sir, that was nine. That was nine.

Going to. All right, agenda item 11, internal auditor report. Mr. Vincent Ovino.

Good afternoon. Vincent Ovino, internal city auditor. Tonight's presentation on the investigation of the supply chain cybersecurity incident IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE INTERNAL AUDIT CHARTER, NUMBER THREE, DUTY TO REPORT RESULTS OF AUDIT ENGAGEMENTS, AND ALSO NUMBER EIGHT, SCOPE OF INTERNAL AUDIT ACTIVITIES, WHICH INCLUDES ENSURING THAT THE ACTIONS OF THE CITY OF OCALA EMPLOYERS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND GOVERNANCE STANDARDS. To conform with the Institute of Internal Auditors standard 13.4 evaluation criteria, internal audit conducted its testing using the risk matrix control objectives from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This engagement was both an advisory and an investigation. The advisory provided guidance on improving EFT risk management processes, and the investigation determined how the incident happened and who was responsible. Just in summary, on April 22nd, procurement had reached out to one of our established vendors to set up their first EFT payment. The vendor's user account was compromised at the onset of communications. The threat actor spoofed a city email address and successfully directed the vendor to send an updated EFT information to the attacker. That compromised information was then sent to and entered by the former vendor relationship manager without proper verification, bypassing intended controls. The incident occurred because of some key safeguards that were not followed. The required callback verification was skipped, and procurement only confirmed that the EFT information was entered into the accounts payable system rather than validating the authenticity of the information. These control gaps create an environment where the social engineering EFT fraud was able to succeed. The investigation highlights five inflection points over an 80-day period of the events surrounding the identification and escalation of the cyber incident. Repeatedly, the former fiscal operations manager downplayed the situation and conveyed the belief of anticipated impact as low versus the real-time impact as high. His actions delayed the escalation and the activation of the incident response plan from May 5th until July 23rd, when the city learned that only 214,000, approximately of the 492,000, had been recovered. Internal audit has referred the matter concerning the former fiscal operation manager's actions to the city attorney for further review. As far as the advisory portion of the engagement, internal audit recommended that the city implement a periodic tabletop exercise to ensure the personnel understand their responsibilities during a potential EFT fraud event. Management agreed with the recommendation and has partnered with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to develop and conduct EFT-focused tabletop exercises. This concludes my presentation. I'm here to answer any of your questions. Thank you.

Any questions from the public? Counsel?

Yes. Vince. Yes. We do a lot of cybersecurity training here. even up here amongst council members. We do a lot of it. With a long-time career in banking, I was subject to a lot of it. So I know the red flags. I know how these criminals try to infiltrate your systems, and they always try to come up with another way. But would you agree with me that had the procedures been followed initially, this incident would have never have occurred?

That's a great point. Had they followed that... callback, it would not have occurred.

We did have and we have now sufficient training to ensure that compliance. This employee, for whatever reason, just chose not to do that step.

Well, I think part of it was also new to the position and also there was a trust because we reached out to the vendor versus typically the vendor would reach out to us and that would kind of cause us to perhaps look at it more closely. So one of the real things that happened here, unfortunately, right at the onset, the vendor's email account, which is the most hardest thing for us to detect, was compromised. So, yes, definitely. My concern is, as time goes on, that's why I recommend the tabletop to keep everybody informed and alert.

Well, I think you're... recommendation for the tabletop which i'm assuming is just reinforcing the current training and adding these are the additional tricks that we're seeing scamsters and fraudsters try to pull and i wholeheartedly agree you got to do that and i know chris's department is is on top of that and i think every employees that handles uh this type of sensitive stuff their eyes are probably wide open as to we've got to follow these policies and procedures. I think your report's well written, well done. The bottom line is had the employee followed the procedures, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

Just a curiosity, how many transactions do we do a day or a week?

Well, as far as on the EFT changes, they actually looked at that and I believe it's, that time period was roughly 47, 47 within the period of May 5th through,

47 for just that one vendor? No, no.

47. That vendor was actually the initial.

We had been paying them via check.

How much? About 11 on average, sir.

11 on average, what, a day?

A month. A month?

A month. So we've got one time full. This is only doing 11.

You've lost me on that. That is incorrect. You're asking two different things. We do probably hundreds of EFT transactions, but you specifically asked for how many times is it being changed. No, no, no. I'm sorry.

Then how many – that person or that department, how many transactions do they do a day or how many payments? What is – Mr. Burns?

Roughly 11 EFT slash vendor update.

No. You're not understanding. Janice?

How many do we do a day? Hold on. Barry, Pete, I think can ask the question.

You want to know how many transfers by EFT the city is engaging on an everyday basis citywide? Yes.

Hi, Peter Brill, Director of Finance. Our AP department, it's a big number, sir. And 98% of our vendors are on EFT. So we do ask all vendors that we're going to pay over a certain dollar value to be on EFT. That exact number, I have it in my presentation. I get it updated annually that I do for Citizens and Employee Academy. I do not have it right off the top of my head, but I can pull it and email you all that exact number. But it is weekly. And I mean, we could pay anywhere between 100 vendors annually. and 1,000 vendors in a week just depending on the week and how many invoices have come across to the city.

If we do 1,000 a week, then we've done what? How many a year? A bunch.

Well, then 52 weeks in a year, so then we would do 52,000.

So 52,000. And have we had this problem before? I know, again, so I guess what I'm saying is when I'm looking at it, we have systems set in place. And yes, somebody made a mistake, that's for sure. However, are our systems good enough that we've now done 52,000, well, 52, I'm sorry, 51,999 transactions, okay. But we had that one transaction.

Barry, you can't, when somebody does not follow the established procedures, then you're opening yourself wide open to fraud. And that's what happened here. And that's why the employees need to know this is 100% compliance, not 99.99. It's 100% compliance. If you comply with the policies and procedures 100% of the time, you will not – this type of scam will not occur. And they're getting smarter every day. But, again, what I'm saying is we – If you're speaking to a known person on the other end of the phone at a known phone number, at a known way to contact, then that assures that any updates that were made. Now, as you've heard before, they're only doing about 10 updates a week. So the vast majority of EFT transfers have happened over and over and over and over and over again. It's the ones where you have an update where you – That's when there's a problem? That's when there's the potential of a problem.

This one was we were paying by paper check prior and finance said, look, this is the way fraud occurs most often, really should do an EFT. Okay. And when they did the EFT, that's when they got spoofed from the other side.

Okay. And then the final thing is the supervisory employee who got a call from a receiving bank on an EFT called to say that the names don't appear. That is a red flag that's so big and so bright because the receiving bank very rarely ever does that, especially Bank of America. So they're calling you up, wink, wink, maybe you need to request this one to come back. We didn't do that.

Okay.

And so two huge mistakes made that gave us the opportunity to thwart this crime in the very beginning. I've had, and I'm sure you all have had too, I've had a lot of people question me, why isn't anybody being arrested? And I would say to them, the employees did a poor job. You don't arrest employees for doing a poor job. The real crime was on the other end when somebody imitated a potential vendor. Okay. Thank you.

Any other questions? Okay. Thank you, sir. City Manager Pete Lee. Thank you, sir.

I'm going to pass this map around, not that it's perfect, but we just got it and I wanted to make sure that you all got it.

Sorry. There you go.

I should have taken the first one out.

So a couple of things before that. As you all know, I believe garage number two is open. Soft open, go take a ride around. Looks great. Thanks to the contractor. Thanks to all the staff that worked on it. They did a great job at getting it open under budget and on time. So we're happy about that. The city hall elevator will be out of service from September 16th to October 16th. So there will be one council meeting in that. We'll make sure that we have set up for ADA and people who can't make it up the steps on the first floor for the next meeting. We will carry you. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET UP HERE. SO THAT WILL BE ONE MEETING AND THEN IT WILL GO OUT AGAIN IN DECEMBER BUT WON'T INTERFERE WITH ANY MEETINGS IN DECEMBER. WHAT I SENT AROUND TO YOU IS THE GREEN IS THE EXISTING I KNOW THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS UP LAST WEEK TO TALK ABOUT IT. NEITHER GARAGE IS IN THE ZONE. SO WE TOOK THE FIRST GARAGE OUT I THINK BY ORDINANCE. THE SECOND GARAGE WE'D ACTUALLY HAVE TO AMEND.

So I just brought this up like privately between me, you, Will, and Aubrey, so maybe we just give a back story for everybody.

Yeah, I thought that we brought it up up here.

No, sorry.

I brought it up too. Yeah, I've heard it from several of you. So there was a question last week about whether golf carts could park in parking garages, and the answer is no. They can't get to garage number two, and garage number one, Will, I believe, was left out by the ordinance.

Am I correct? This map was attached to the resolution that adopted the zone and this map excludes it from the zone.

From the zone, okay. So if it's the desire council to amend this map to include both parking garages and to be able to get there and make any other amendments, we're also working to cross State Road 40 and hope to bring that back relatively quickly. But we can make those amendments separately. We can amend the garages if we... council so directs us, we can amend it to include the area on the west and to make sure that both parking garages are available to golf carts.

I think it makes the most sense. I don't know why we wouldn't want to do that. We've had the golf carts long enough now. We know that it's not like of disaster all the time, right? So I think I would say yes. I was honestly, I was surprised that we did not include the parking garage to begin with until somebody brought it up to me the other day. I'm like, what are you talking about? And then lo and behold, it was not in the map. So I know that I have heard feedback from some of the people in my district that they want to park in the parking garage. So I don't know why we would not have that.

Um, and I'm okay with that. I, I originally remember us excluding it. And at that time I was against the golf carts going, um, West of main street. I think it was. Um, but I've since seen that the compliance with local traffic is much more improved, um, with golf cart drivers and to some of council's other comments about, you know, trying to promote, um, retail downtown, I think a lot of your customers for that probably are coming from an area that is served by a golf cart. So let's make it retail friendly.

There's no safety issues down there. I'm not really with them driving that. There's no obstacle or anything like that at all.

Nothing that's been brought to my attention that makes it any more dangerous than anywhere else in the city. You know, a lot of it is, again, it's on the driver. It's on, do you have lights? Do you have taillights? Are you safely in your vehicle? And they seem to go, knock on wood, relatively seamless. And we haven't had much of an issue. Like I said, you know, we're working with Main Street and some of the other groups and working with DOT to get across 40. That will be the next thing that we bring you. And then we can have a discussion from there. I think on the back end of this, when we reopen Broadway after the hotel opens and the streets, we redo the street, I think that we're going to have to come back and we're going to have to discuss parking generally. What's paid for, what's not paid for, how we do it, do we want to keep the meters, do we not want to keep the meters, do we want to move meters around, what we want the meter footprint to look like. We're going to work with Main Street on some of those issues. We will have regular meetings. In November, we're going to schedule a town hall with the state of Main Street and the state of the downtown for a large group of merchants and people that are interested. The parking is something that I think is going to be really on the radar as we move forward.

The only thing I can see, and we'd have to kind of look at this, is downtown you can park two golf carts when you're parallel. You won't be able to do that, I don't think, in the parking garage. And I don't see that as a problem to us. I see that as a problem with people complaining, oh, now you've got golf carts taking up one whole spot. We've got to figure out is there something that can be done as far as, you know, putting two in one or whatever.

You could designate a golf cart area and just have the spot smaller. I agree with that. Then people get frustrated. They come in there and see it. you know, a golf cart parked in a big spot. And if we're interested in getting a bunch of golf carts in there, just have a designated area.

I would not do that. Then you take away, look, if I'm going downtown and I can't bring my golf cart, I'm going to bring my car. What's the difference, right? Like I'm parking a car in the car spot. Let me take up a whole entire parking spot for a golf cart. I think that's fine. But when you start having golf cart specific spots, you've literally taken away spots from cars. I don't know.

Some golf carts, we do have some big golf carts also. We have some golf carts that are maybe someone on our staff or someone maybe sitting up here has one that's pretty large. Yeah, I do. It's in a pickup or parking space.

I don't live in a golf cart area.

No, I know.

I think it's just paint, right? Like we can just restripe things as we go. So at this point, I think it's an observation of what the needs are. And if it winds up being what you're saying, then we just adapt to it.

Yeah, it's always going to be something moving. We have to make moves with it if it does. We still have some, you know, we have small items in the parking garage to complete. You know, there are little things that we need to complete. We can complete them. And we really wouldn't want to go paint a bunch of spaces on it. Different sizes right now. I would urge that we wait and see how it works and then make the moves that we have to make as we move forward. And then we'll do the same in this parking garage. We have had discussions with Mr. Guyquad on the hotel and on the parking garage. I know that we're in process and I believe Aubrey can shake your head. He's gotten a letter from us. Yes. So we'll have to continue to move on that also.

And that came up a couple of times.

Sounds good. Do you have anything else?

No, that's all I have, sir. Thank you.

Yep. Police chief. Chief Balkan.

Mike Balkin, Police Chief. Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks again for your continued vote of confidence. I appreciate it and look forward to the next two years. For your public safety report for this period, the department worked nearly 7,600 total incidents with dispatch calls dropping by 3% when compared to last year's numbers. Of those 7,600, we worked 297 reported crimes, which is up by 11%. Officers were also able to make 256 arrests, which is up by an astounding 51%. They conducted nearly 1200 traffic stops while also investigating 148 vehicle crashes. Here you can see our current Crime trends, you'll notice that all three crime categories have trended up slightly this year with property crime rising the most by about 11%. So we continue to our efforts to bring those numbers down throughout the rest of this year. As you know, we focus heavily on our response times, particularly in regard to our priority one calls for service. That's our code two or lights and siren responses. Our average response times to those this period was one minute and eight seconds, well under the two minutes that I've asked for. while our priority two calls or a normal response was at five minutes and 48 seconds. Quick update on personnel. We're down to only one vacancy on the sworn side of the house, four vacancies on the non-sworn side. We also have four of our recruits in the academy right now with an October graduation date. Nine of our rookies just graduated from the field training program and have been assigned to their respective squads. Another nine trainees just began field training with a potential or projected completion date in late December. And then lastly, we had nine of our employees recognized last week at the Hometown Heroes Gala. They're doing some incredible work out there for all of us. And that's all I have. Thank you. Chief. Yes, sir.

Anybody else have a question? All right. At one time we was having issues getting offices.

Yes, sir.

Okay. And right now you're about full except for one vacancy, right? What do you attribute that to?

You know, I've heard from some of the new officers that we've interviewed coming in the door. You know, we've garnered or recruited officers from as far away as Washington State, NYPD. I've got two coming in from New York City here in the next couple weeks. The resounding response to that question is the culture. And that's just not me. That's you all. That's the support that cops get from their mayor, from city council, from the governor, from their police chief, and more importantly, from the citizens that they serve right here in Florida. So I would say the culture that's presented by this community.

Would you also say that the increase that we have been able to give in the last few years helped recruit You know, I know we're not paying a million dollars, but I'm just saying. We was paying $5, so now we're paying $8. So you understand what I'm saying?

No, listen, the last contractual work that we did with Mr. Watt resulted in what I would think is an extremely competitive contract with competitive pay as it relates to other agencies across the state for agencies our size. And I couldn't be happier with the results of that contract. I certainly think it helps. And I think it helps with the bonuses that the governor seems to keep giving out to new cops that are coming in from out of state.

Good, good. Thank you. I appreciate it. I would like to just say, you know, I have an opportunity to meet with all the new officers when they come on. And I do ask the question. And, you know, one of the things that they say is they want to work for Chief Balkan. He's created a great job with the culture there. One of the things that I truly believe, we have one of the best police departments in the country. And it's just the expectation that you're going to do a good job. And if you don't do a good job, you're going to be held accountable. Sometimes I have to pull Chief off a little bit because he does expect the best. And people want to work for the best. They do a really good job. And like you said, I know last year we were able to do some things. The community supports our officers at such a high level, and then you guys support at such a high level. And they really do appreciate that. You don't see that in a lot of other cities when I talk to them. You don't see that for police departments. So that's why they want to work for the Ocala Police Department.

They only have one vacancy. I think that's commendable. Unbelievable. There's always going to be some turnover some way, somehow retiring or whatever, you know.

The state average is about a 10% vacancy rate, and you see where we're at now. We're doing incredibly well.

When was the last time you were this full? Ever?

You know, I remember under Chief Graham, Mr. Musley, that we were full for about a day. I think that literally it was about less than a couple days, and it started going back down. You know, we had to fight through that huge anti-police sentiment, you know, a few years back that hit. not just us hard, it hit the profession hard around the country. And that pendulum has swung back the other way. You know, you talk to young kids again, and once again, they're saying they want to be police officers when they grow up. So it's great to hear in the schools too.

Very good. Good job. Thank you. Fire Chief Claiborne, Will Bourne.

Good evening, Clint Wellborn, Fire Chief. For your two-week department update from OFR, the unit responses are on the screen. They're Rescue 4 again leading the way at 188 on the rescue side and Engine 4 at 140 on the engine side. We had 79 vehicle accidents responded to by OFR. There was 155 across the city. Two fires and 24 community paramedicine and court calls. Total calls for this period was 1,156, bringing the call load right now to 19,815. Obviously, last week we did honor the memories of those who perished in the attacks of September 11th. We had several memorials. We had a stair climb, several community commemorative events. We closed the 25th anniversary of that fateful day with the best reminder of all, which is the resilience and unity are the traits that define and carry us on as a nation.

Thank you.

Also on our employment side, we are currently processing eight new employees, getting ready to staff and open station eight, hopefully within the next month.

How is our vacancy for Ocala Fire? Are we pretty full?

So yes, historically we've been fortunate and blessed that we've always pretty much maintained close to full status. The problem came in when we were trying to add units and stuff like that. That's when we'd have to fall behind just a little bit, but we've always been able to catch back up. So as we sit right now, we are three vacancies. due to Station 8, but Station 8 is not open, so we are full. Once it opens, if we have those eight people in place, we'll be right where we need to be at.

Yeah. And how was the contract received by the firefighters? Oh, very well.

Yeah. That contract has changed. Definitely a game changer. Yeah. That's awesome. You know, it brings us back to where we need to be and compete here in this county and basically become a destination department. Awesome.

Thank you, Chief. Thank you. City Attorney.

No report, sir, but thank you very much.

Information or items? Everybody, you can find that.

Public comments, anybody?

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that was.

No, we already did that.

No, we have not done general public comments.

There you go. So is there any public comments?

Since you asked.

Come on down. Ted Shop, 1425 Southeast 11th Avenue, Ocala, Florida. Since you asked, first for the record, I've never represented Mr. Mansfield in any of his companies, so if we could put that in the record that I'm not included in the list of attorneys that don't have common sense. I don't know. It's a pretty broad list.

You have just made some enemies with that comment.

I looked around the room to see who else might want to get up here and speak, and I think I might be the only one, so. Um, but the, the real reason I got up, uh, is to talk briefly about golf carts. If you are going to look at the map, I would encourage you, um, look at Midtown, not as a, can we get FDOT to give us access across 40? Look at it as its own. Hey, we should have access. Uh, if you look at residential listings downtown in the Woodfields area, it always says golf cart access to downtown. The reason for that is your economic engine of downtown Ocala is fueling your property values outside of downtown. We would like to see the same thing on the north side of 40 where the property values on the north side of 40 get fueled by the access to midtown. The expansion across 40 makes sense. I also think it will help staff sell it to FDOT that there's already use of golf carts north of 40. The city wants it. The city has it south. 40 separates it. Let's have an access. So when you look at that, don't just, oh, at some point we may get across 40. Look at it as its own thing. When we look at Tuscawilla Park, the access to the park from the residential area, the access to the restaurants that are up there, the hotels that are up there, the stuff that we want to bring, it leads to consider it on its own merits. Don't just wait for FDOT to give us permission. I thank you very much.

We can develop that map north of 40 without the connection and then continue to work on the connection. Bring it all back at once.

Yeah, and I know some of the neighbors over there have tried to overcome that by getting street legal golf carts, right? So they cross anyway because they can. But I think we've talked about that in the past, but I think we talked about incorporating West Ocala into that as well.

Yeah, we can do that. Actually, probably bring it back in three phases. This one on the south is easier, so we'll just do that one. We can bring the others back.

Yeah, especially with the Forge open now. I mean, it's a pretty busy place. It is. During the weekends and at night.

Very good. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.

Keep me straight.

All right. Yes, sir. Number 17, all of you can read the information there, the different meetings and stuff that we need to attend. All right. 18 comments by mayor.

No comments tonight.

Thank you. What? Yeah. City council members. We'll start with you, Mr. Manfield. I'm good. Mayor. I'm good.

I'm going to end on a high note. We have a business here in the Ocala Professional Park by the airport who is owned by two young ladies named Becca Dahlman and Jenna Butler. It's called Fun Delivered, and it's basically like blind bags of returned FedEx and UPS packages. So you order a box from them. You do not know what you're getting, and that's what makes it fun. Oh, my gosh. But they will be on Shark Tank on September 30th at 9 p.m. So I just wanted to give them a shout out because I think that's super cool for Ocala to make the map like that.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, I got just one comment about the budget. When Kristen brought up the incorrect headline on raising our millage rate, it reminded me that the story written in the Gazette during the last week on how our taxes are calculated and how the whole thing works was probably the best story I've ever seen on really truth and you know, and how this budget is really presented. And we're not spending $1.2 million. We're moving our $1.2 billion. We're moving $1.2 billion around in and out of reserve accounts. And I think the general fund is probably a little bit more accurate description of what we really pay of the taxpayers. And then the little laminated sheet we got would really – police and fire take up all the ad valorem and then some. That's it. Thank you.

All right. I don't have no comments. I supported all of you that we that we hire and we supervise because of the exemplary job that you all have done. Now, we know that in an operation this size, there's going to be some glitches. And somebody's going to be held accountable. I think on most fronts, we make sure that those people are held accountable. So I supported each one of you and continue to do a great job. If there is no other business before this council, meeting is adjourned.

Did you have an opportunity to meet with Angie today? I did.