City Council - Regular Meeting

Heat. Heat. You may hear me up here every meeting. Hopefully I can break you down one day. Mhm.

But I find it interesting that planning and zoning is at 6:30 and when we leave it's dark and there are two women that are actually on the council and then a representative from the clerk's office. Three women that are leaving when it's dark which was one of the reasons or discussions that was had about the reason for council meeting being during the day. Also, when we come here for planning and zoning, we have no sign of law enforcement here. Nobody wands anybody in. Nobody checks purses. Nobody checks bags. You just come in and have a seat, and if you have an agenda, you come up before the thing. So, I would just like to understand why is it that we are not treated in the same manner and protected and concerned as members of the council. Just want to drop that in your think. And if you could please give me some justification. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else in the chamber? Yes, sir. Good afternoon. Afternoon, sir. Switch that screen for you, sir. Tell the mayor something real quick. Sure. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Can you pull out a little bit, please? Yes, sir. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Kurt Shu. I'm a resident of Claremont. I have a restricted address due to my previous work in the military. Um, I want to thank everybody here, the mayor, council members, distinguished singer silver, singer staff, um, and the people that gave me feedback for my last time I made comments about AI. Uh, coming back from a trip to Washington DC, and I was part of a conference that included AI and drawing the line around innocence this past week in Washington DC right next to the White House. Um, one of the senior speakers was Micah Mcraft, who was the senior policy adviser and speech writer to the executive office of the president of the United States. Um, there are literally hundreds of thousands of threats to children from AI of all ages. It's a serious problem. We had law enforcement come in speak about it, US Marshalss, and it is a serious thing. I focused initially on AI, how it impacts the city, uh, because I thought that would be the best wedged way to do it. And I guess I was wrong because I got some interesting feedback. I apologize for that. Um, AI will transform. What I'm going to read you here is Goldman Sachs, leading investment bank, and they said 300 million full-time jobs globally are exposed to be replaced by generative AI. 300 million globally. Twothirds of US occupations are exposed to some degree of AI automation and a quarter to a half of workloads can be replaced by AI. This is by 2035 or earlier. Um, some AI tasks automate 25% of everything you do. For example, I put in some forward requests, information request. AI currently, the current chip says computer current computing can do 50 years of human knowledge in one day, articulate it and tell you what's going on. They go through all your AI, all your flow requests, have them all done 24 to 48 hours completely, hundreds of them a day. um displacement there just going to be

some some surge and there's going to be a drop but in 10 years from frontloading we're going to have some major completely in the entire workforce in the world in America and the western is going to be completely redone currently just for an example 60% of US jobs that we have today did not exist in 1940 60% Goldman Sachs talks about how disruption especially in offices administrative legal, legal, financial and creative knowledge work will be replaced or and displaced. The biggest variable is the adoption of speed of the economies and this is warp speed today. Countries are going after this like nothing before. Trillions of dollars are being invested and so I hope I do something better for our citizens because this is a serious issue. is one of the top issues of the administration and businesses and investment banks around the world. That's Microoft. Um we establishes the contact. We're going to stay in touch. One of the key things that I talked to him about was sports athletes have name, image, and likeness protection. And I asked him why why all of our children, especially those that are under the age of 18, cannot have the same protection as athletes. Why do press why do social media? Why does this country and people that exploit children not provide our children with name, image, and likeness? If you're not a public figure, I think everyone should have it. That was my second point to him. We had a 30 minute breakout. I said children today to protect their information, to protect their childhood and their innocence should have their name and their image and their likeness legally protected. And I'm going to continue to do that in Washington DC. I go up there twice a

year. I'm going to Tallahassee next month. Thank you so much. God bless all of you. Thank you, sir. Anyone else? Anyone? Mr. Sue, sir, if any questions. Oh, that was pictureless. the uh that's uh I went to Ashley Moody's office and that's the uh outside the building. Had talk with her staff too. Yeah. Um anyone else in the chamber? This is public comment. Anyone in the chamber wish to address anything that's not on agenda may come to the microphone and state your name and our address and have three minutes. Anyone else? Seeing no one else, we do have um teams back online now. So is anyone on teams? Nobody's name.

Nobody's name. So if that case there's no one in in the uh streaming line so we will close public comments at this time. Uh Mr. Van Wagner do we have what I know we have some changes to the to the agenda. Can you please announce the changes? We we have a request to make a motion to table item 13 to April 28th 2026. Okay. And there's no other changes beyond that. I move to table item number 13 to April 28th, 2026. I second.

Okay. I have a motion and a second to table item number 13 to uh 28 April 26. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? Let it be known by saying I. I. I.

All oppose. And the chair vote I as well. Motion passes five I'm sorry 4. And the other thing Mr. Um, now that we at this portion of the agenda, was everybody that was on the agenda notified that we are what short one council in case they wanted to postpone? Okay, good. We can move on. And let me let me explain why I asked that because when it's just four up here for uh voters two to two, basically it fails. Okay. So, u we give uh people on the agenda opportunity to wait till we have a full council if they want to wait and everything on the agenda. So I just want to make sure we we did that and all before move. All right. The next portion of the meeting is the consent agenda which contain items that have been determined to be routine and non-controversial. If anyone in the audience wish to address a particular item on the consent agenda, now's the opportunity for you to do so. Additionally, if staff or members of the city council wish to speak to a consent item, they have the same opportunity. The consent items for consideration tonight is items 1 through 12. Are there anyone wishing to pull anything from the consent agenda?

Mr. Mayor, I'd like to pull item number 12, please. Number 12. Okay. Any other seeing and hearing? No other. Uh I will entertain a motion on item 1 through 11. I make a motion to approve consent agenda items 1 through 11. I second. Have a mo have a motion and a second for approval of consent agenda items items 1 through 11 as presented. Any further discussion? No. Hearing none. All in favor? Let it be known by saying I. I. All oppose. And the chair vote I as well. Motion carried four to one. Thank you. Yes sir. Item number tw

four to zero. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Four to zero. Okay. Item number 12. Do we want to open it up to public first or do you want me to? Well, why why did you pull it in?

Yeah, sure. Absolutely. I can I can explain why. Um, so this item is to fund three battalion chief positions um and approve a transfer of funds from an EMS transport division over to the uh general fire uh division. And this was an item that was uh discussed in a part of the budget conversations uh last year with the previous council. Um and I'm not opposed to the the the actual funding of these positions. My concern lies in that we're maybe not having a total full picture conversation about public safety and what it means for our next budget. And what I mean by that is is that we have these three positions here and it's my understanding that we have coming forward was on the agenda in January is coming forward uh I I think next month uh some additional uh police department positions and all of these decisions relate to public safety and all of them are going to have an effect not only this year but also where we start next year with that budget process. And I think it's just really important for us when we're talking about our public safety to talk about it from a uh a 30,000 foot view in terms of considering all big picture of public safety. Um but also too just to make sure we're having some conversations about um how we're funding positions and what those positions are in relative to frontline positions to supervisory positions and making sure that we're having that balance within all of the organizations related to public safety. Um, and quite frankly, I I I would I would like to hear I I know Council Member Peterson does speak uh pretty passionately about uh fire safety and fire safety issues and public safety in general. And I think his perspective and

input would be warranted and valued um in that conversation. And maybe by tableabling this to a future uh not distant future but future conversation where we can have a a more total picture to all of these things um and how they're going to affect not just this year but also next year um uh would be warranted for us as we move forward. So that's why I asked for it to be pulled so we could talk about it and and consider that. You want to talk about it or table it? Um, well, I my my motion would be to table it so that we can get some additional information as it relates to all of those things and also table to allow Mr. Peterson to be here for that conversation as well.

Well, that's why I say, do we want to talk about it? I think I heard a comment about you want Mr. Peterson to be able to give value back. So, yes. Do we want to really talk about it with him not being here or we just go ahead and table it until the next council meeting? Yeah, I'm happy to make that motion, but I I also want to make sure that the public has an opportunity to speak with that in mind before it comes back to us.

Okay. Well, we will go ahead and open up to the public. Anyone in the public wish to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Anyone in the public wish to address this item uh number 12 on the consent agenda and please come to the microphone, state your name and address and have three minutes. Seeing no one, I close chamber public comment. Any anyone online, Mr. Mr. Wink? No one online. So, I close public comment. Okay. and I'm bring it back to council. Chief, you're standing there. Yes, sir. I was just being on hand for any questions that you may have on this item. Okay. Well, I I think it was a motion, but I didn't hear.

Yeah. No, I I will move officially to table this. Um I think we have to put a date on here. Um so, I look to staff. I don't know where we're at with tableabling what we just already tabled and what's planned for the 28th. So, how are we looking for that meeting in or versus comparison to our first meeting in May? We we we have a decent amount of things for the 28th. So, I mean, it's what we'll do whatever you want to do with this.

Right. No, I'm just looking to also try to make sure that we're balancing the the the uh the agenda for that. So, I don't want to overload that. if if the first meeting in May does work better for us um scheduling wise, I'm happy to do that. Also asking for Yeah, sorry. Just also to make sure that we can get all of that information relative to this is the first I'm hearing your request. So, honestly, I don't know the full gamut of what you want. So, I can't answer your question until I fully know what you want cuz I didn't know until now.

Yeah. Um, so I think what I'm concerned about is um making these decisions in silos rather than with a big picture. So we're adding three positions here. We may be adding uh four or eight positions next month and we're doing that in a siloed way where we're not looking at the total impact of the overall budget and where those funding sources are coming from with relation to our public safety. And I think that we ought to be looking at this from a from a global perspective rather than fire today, police next month, and you know, whatever the next month. We we have to start looking at these things because we're already having a budget of 6 million that was in the deficit. And I'm concerned that we're keeping we're we're adding more and more positions and that's just going to put us in a in a in a pretty uh compromising position going into the budget cycle for fiscal year 27. uh adding these positions now without really truly understanding the effects long term. So that's what I'm trying to look at in terms of an overall picture.

Mr. Bane, if you're if you're willing to hold off on the motion um as you're trying to figure out a date, I may have some questions that could help us clarify and then it would help you pick a date perhaps that you want to make your motion to move it to. I I I welcome your comments. Um, Chief, it is my understanding that the funding of these battalion positions is already in the budget. It's just in department one 525 rather than 10522. Is my understanding correct? That is correct.

And it is my understanding that the EMS the idea of we need battalion chiefs regardless of whether we have EMS due to the ratio of firefighters to EM to battalian chiefs. Additional supervision has been something I've been asking for pretty much since I've been here. Uh we did get captains approved a couple years ago uh due to some other changes that took place. Uh those positions uh never actually got put into into place and this is this is actually tying in with Wellness Way. Uh today we are at the limit of our span of control. uh without these additional battalion chief positions, we will be exceeding that span of control, which is going to make it exceptionally challenging for our leadership in the field to be able to effectively manage the crews out on the uh that are doing the work.

And so my understanding uh Mr. Bane and Chief, if you need to correct, my understanding is that we are at a point where as we add these supervisors, we will be on that almost topheavy point as you go through the process of management. Um, but what we're looking at coming online is fire station 5 at Wellness Way, expanding fire station 2, and then fire station 6 at Verde Ridge. And would these three positions allow us to bring all three of those up to date, or would we need to add more battalion chiefs at that point? No, we'll have sufficient supervision to handle all those stations. So, it's an inefficient point that we are at. Yep.

But in my perspective, you almost have to go there in order to be able to expand into the other departments. And certainly I can't speak for Mr. Peterson. Yeah. Um

but my take on the conversations last year around EMS versus fire were that we had hoped at the time that the county would support our request to be able to be efficient in the provision of first response including transport capacity. So, as we look at provision of fire versus, and correct me at any point if I get out of line, chief, provision of fire versus EMS, if you have two departments providing emergency response, that costs X plus X.

If you have one department that can provide it, you have maybe one battalion chief that's overseeing two trucks. So, you have X plus.5X instead of X plus X. I'm I'm I I think I'm on I'm not opposed to adding the staffing. I I my concern comes from the process by which we're doing it in terms of we're looking at this very fragmented and we're not looking at it from a total perspective. And I do have I mean I I have some budgetary concern with the fact that the the the previous council allotted $3.3 million last year for EMS transport saying that we need EMS transport and then we're we're expending money out of that in a non-EMS transport way because we we don't have EMS transport and if those funds are allocated I want to my preference would be to look at that in a total sense of if they're already allocated can we look at them from a public safety standpoint from what other things do we need to add in this current fiscal year to make sure that we're in a position where we're not pulling more out of reserves if we don't have to going into the budget cycle of next year and um looking at that from a total perspective rather than just siloed with today fire police later etc etc

I share your concerns about um I I 100% agree with your concerns about addressing budgetary issues in a silo um on on the ISS issue of fire. The way I look at this one is that this isn't in my mind at least any sort of new or outlying request that it's something that we have a vision that we're moving towards that six minute response time. It's certainly more efficient to do it if we have EMS transport. There's no doubt about that from a monetary perspective. However, we don't have EMS transport and right now we have 15-minute response times in Wellness Way and 9-minute response times at the Verde Ridge region. Neither of which sit well with me. So, inefficient as the bringing on and you need three battalion chiefs because it's one position, 24-hour shifts, seven days a week. So, so it's not like you can do one, you have to do three. So, the inefficiency of it to me is how we move forward with the wellness way. um station which is coming online just about at the time that fire station 2 is expanding and hopefully that six comes on. So I think it's a short-term inefficiency that is in many ways the cost of doing business so that we can move forward. I continue to hope that we can work out something with Lake County relative to the MSTU and the funds that the citizens are paying for the the transport, but until such time as that happens, I think that this is something that we do in in my opinion that we need to do. Now, my my final question, then I will stop talking on this issue, is if we are to prolong this so that Mr. Peterson can weigh in, which you know, I thank you for doing that on his behalf, uh, Mr. Bane. Um, is that going to delay the opening of fire station 5 at all or do you need this now in order to move forward with opening fire station 5 by summer?

Well, just with the processes that are in place, we have the testing process for the these battalion chiefs taking place on April 29th. So, it would be the day after the next council meeting. Um, but as far as getting them on, you having them active, uh, that that what we're looking at is having that timed with the opening of fire station 5. So, was that a yes, you need this now or was that a it's okay to delay it? My recommendation would be to move forward with it so that we can keep everything in process. Uh it's going to leave a you know, just uncertainty. You know, the position is going to be funded, not funded. Uh what's that going to mean if we have to open the station without having the extra battalion chief and you know, just right,

you know, it just it just adds stress to our lives. I I think if I if M I I guess if Mr. Peterson was here, he would want us to move forward is my guess knowing the way he's talked about this. Um, so is there anything that you would need to be comfortable moving forward today or do you feel like the questions have been addressed?

No. Well, to to the questions that you're bringing up about fire station 5 if we're going to start talking about that. Um, then I guess I did not hear the chief say that we can't open station 5 without these positions. And if that was the case, why wasn't that shared with us from the get-go? because I that's the first I've heard that we have to have these positions to open station 5. So I I'm a little concerned that that if that's actually the case, why that hasn't been brought up before. And where what are we at timeline for station 5 in relation to actually having it the the temporary station 5? Because it sounds like they're still working on even an access road to that at this point.

I'm working on an alternative with with Integra. I've had conversations with them. Um I I think Olympus is probably 6 months out at a minimum to get for the permanent or for the for the temporary temporary site. Uh but I am working with Integra. They're running it through leadership for us to be able to take occupancy in one of their uh one of their apartment buildings for us to be able to operate the uh the station out of that location until the temp site is ready. Okay. So we're we're optimistic uh the latest time frame would be June, but there's a good possibility we may even have this up and operating in May. And would that be an additional cost to operate in a temporary temporary location uh with my ask? No, it would not. Okay.

So, they have to they're there they they haven't agreed yet, but they hopefully would agree to that with us is what you're asking for them to to do. Well, there's a mutual benefit there. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

They they they they want to get cos for their buildings. Uh currently the requirements we have we have to have two means of access into the uh into the the the complex and right now we only have one access via Broad Bradshaw Road. By having the station in there we can meet the intent of that by having a a apparatus that'll be positioned inside the complex. So that's kind of the thing you know if we have a place to stay then they can get their cos they can start charging rent generating revenue. And my understanding is with Olympus the uh the stadium and arena connector that's going to take it out to Wellness Way to give them their second means uh that's about 18 months out before it's going to be completed. And that affects our permanent location. That would not affect our permanent location. The permanent one is on Scoffield.

Okay. Well, I I heard something in there that really concerned me and of course I've expressed this concern u to you yesterday I think chief is the fact that I heard somebody uh I think it miss say these position was budgeted already. They are all right. So they budgeted why do we have to transfer funds from EMS into the fire department? Well the the reason that we're recommending that

we budgeted we should have put funds there to go ahead and hire these positions. We shouldn't be having to transfer funds. And I'm a Mr. W. You can correct me. I'm not sure. I feel a little uneasy about transferring funds from one department to another one. Okay? Because it seemed like we look like we all right, we put the fund in EMS, but of course, we're not going to do that now. So, let's take the funds and put it over here and do something else totally different with it. Like we trying to treat the system. And I think that's why I kind of expressed to you yesterday. I'm not real easy with that transferring the funds from one department to another. And if you tell me it was budgeted, we should have had money in that in the fire department uh budget already to fund these.

Yes, sir. And we were also given direction that uh before we expended any funding in that account to come back to council for permission to do so. Yeah. Well, that's still but I I was still I I just like I said, I still have a problem with transferring funds from EMS. Even though we don't have EMS, we're not moving forward with EMS right now. We put the money there. Now, do the c my question is do the council want to go back and refund these position and and do a budget amendment to fund these positions in in in the uh fire department budget at this point.

Well, if we did bring on EMS, these would actually be able to serve the EMS, which would be part of the fire department. So the the idea of being able to provide fire and transport is if we have seven stations in the city or six stations in the city right now for for anyone in the public who who might be following this for the first time, we might put two or three fire trucks at each one of those stations. Fire trucks cost anywhere from one to$2 million a piece and they require three to four firefighters per vehicle. That's to operate the apparatus. If we have EMS, what we can do is have a res uh rapid response rescue. Is that what we call them?

Correct.

Um and maybe one or two fire trucks. So instead of having a 2 million plus three or four staff, we can two million plus three or four staff, we can have one 2 million and one 350,000 with two staff so that when we have emergency response, we can do it more efficiently. So, when we went through this process at the time, and I I recall the same as you do, uh, Mayor Murray, that we wanted staff to come back because we had hoped that rather than funding all of this through the fire department at the time, that we would by now have been able to work out an agreement with the county so that we could have a more efficient and effective response for the citizens of Claremont, specifically a six-minute response or better, at a 1.5 cost instead of a 2.0 cost. But because we don't have that agreement in place right now and we're at a point where we need to choose whether to reduce the response time at wellness way or wait for the county to engage with us on EMS. My choice is to reduce the response time at wellness way. This is in the budget. So from an amendment standpoint, the amendment is moving from one department that doesn't technically exist right now to another department. So the dollars aren't changed. It's the the purpose and the use. Now I continue to hold on hope that we come up with a solution that still affords us the 1.5 multiplier on a six-minute response time rather than a 2.0 multiplier on a six-minute response time. But that's not where we're sitting today. So, I'm hoping that I can get council support to move forward today to be able to not put a band-aid on a bullet wound at the Wellness Way fire station. I would rather have a proper response capacity at that

fire station. And if you've ever talked to one of our battalion chiefs there, we have three. Well, correct, nine, right? We have three. We have three. Three.

We have three. So, three people are serving 95 firefighters, something some it's an extraordinary number that they're supervising and they're exhausted and they're working overtime and there's no time off. So, I do think it's something we need. It is inefficient. I acknowledge that. I don't think if we're going to be able to provide a lifesaving advanced life support response that we can that we can not move forward with this at this time given that we are otherwise ready to move forward with fire station 5 even if not a building with the response times and that's what really matters. It's not about a building it's about saving lives. So for me I'm hopeful that we can move forward. It may not be the prettiest process, but I think it's from a service perspective, uh, it's going to give us the best service. And I think if we don't, we're adding 15 firefighters with fire station 5.

Correct. So, we're now adding the battalion chiefs that are there to oversee 15 more people with and they're already overburdened. I'm really hopeful that we can

I'm sorry. Um, I don't disagree with the positions. My concern is the approach that we're taking with budgeting and funding positions in silos, especially at at at the cost of in this case for next year potentially up to 300 or 3/4 of a million dollars potentially just for one year. Um, Mr. Mr. City Manager, do we have an idea of when um the um the budget amendment or requests for the additional police officers that were talked about in the budget process um and were originally scheduled to come in January might come back to us. Which agenda?

I I just talked to Chief. He could have that ready for the next city council meeting

for the April 28th meeting. Okay. because I would prefer to have this conversation in a totality because we the same arguments we're making are all very valid and important and actually real arguments and conversations. I just think we need to have them in a context of everything. Are we really? I don't want us to get to a point where we approve something today because it's not in front of us today and then we get to the next meeting and we have equally important items, but now we've spent money and we don't have money and we wish we would have had all of this conversation at once to really look at what was in the best interest for the city from a public safety standpoint. And that's that's where I'm at with it.

Let me ask this question and and I I don't doubt we need to position everything, but let me ask this question. If we were to table this today or even disapprove it today, um let's stop the work on station five or station six that we're doing. We'd keep moving forward, sir. I'm just saying we we will be exceeding our span of control and that is going to impact the ability of our supervisors to take care of the people in the field.

Right. So we we would keep moving forward. So I that's why I I'm tend to agree and I can say my my concern is the fact that we saying we budget is in the in in the fire department budget but yet and still we having to move money from one one entity to another one. I always have a problem when we moving money like that and everything and trying to transfer money and all because when we sit down and do budgets and everything we just we just we put it in there for a specific reason. If we're not going to wait, hey, then the money go back in the pot. And that's why I'm sitting here saying Mr. Van Wagner. Um I don't see Scott here, but I'm quite sure we got enough money in in a general fund budget, right? Uh excess funds.

This is all in our general fund. So it it wouldn't go from one entity to another. It would just stay in the general fund. Well, this has been allocated. We talking about all taking funds, we allocate it to EMS, which is a whole different department and moving it to another department. We we don't have let's I would rather see it come back as as a bud a budget adjustment. Okay. And we can do that. I think we can probably go ahead and do a budget. I I guess that's how we looked at it. You know, just moving it. You know, the reason that we're recommending moving from moving it from one part to another part that that

Well, we just don't we don't know what the future of that of that, you know, that program's going to be, whether we're going to get into that line of work or or or not. So, that that that was the recommendation to move it over. Uh but if you recall during the workshops, we did talk about the importance of having the battalion chiefs regardless of whether we went into transport or not and the agreement with council during the workshops is we were going to wait until the implementation of station 5 to bring those positions online.

Well, we I mean I don't have no problem trying to bring the position online. I like I said to you yesterday uh you all yesterday, I just have a problem with why we moving it from one pot to another pot. Okay. to me I get a little a little afraid when we start doing these transferring funds like that. Um especially after it's been allocated for one thing and then okay we decide all at once we decide we're not going to do this so why don't we just make this a habit of you know we say hey we're going to put this money over here but now I'm not going to use it here and let's just take it and throw it over here and do something else. So, let's just to me my thing is, hey, why can't we just go back? We have the funds and everything. Just do a budget uh adjustment and and put the funds in. And I forget how much we talking about here.

What the total cost? I don't have it in front of me. I think it's uh if I'm not mistaken like 670,215. Yeah. But for for fiscal year 26, it would be 3358, right? For for this year. And and Mr. Mayor, I think that this I think that this is a budget adjustment request versus

Well, well, here's what I'm saying is the fact that we we do it at budget adjustment. We take it out of TR and do it and at the end of the year, if we don't use EMS fund, it goes back in the general fund and we haven't made a trans uh transfer from one department to another to try to circ. Okay? And I I have no problem approving this uh when as a budget adjustment, but as a transfer, as I said to you all yesterday, it's a little when it comes to these kind of things, I I stand on a little shaky ground with things like that.

Well, I think we're on the same page about this being an adjustment. Um because we're not, to your point, Mr. Bane, adding from the reserves. This isn't an amendment in the context of increasing the overall expenditures in the general fund or even as it relates to public safety. Um, Mr. Bane, you had started a motion, so I'm not going to I mean I if if I was and I'm not making a motion right now, but I I would move to make a budget adjustment in the sum of 335,18 to move from the EMS to the uh fire if I don't want to step on your toes. No, I I think the the the piece of it, the concern I have about the silo piece and and making this in in multiple meetings, looking at it from a from a bigger picture perspective of public safety. And it sounds like from the city manager, we could we could have a that type of conversation with all the information available to us and public safety positions midpoint this fiscal year and what that effect would be moving into the budget process in in a few short weeks really uh for fiscal year 27. I would make the motion to table this to the April 28th um council meeting. Okay. I have a motion.

Well, I have a question. Well, I guess I'm going to second for purposes of discussion. Okay. Because there are four of us. If we don't come to a consensus, does this die and can't come back or two votes on a motion means the motion fails? But conversely, if there's a motion to approve and it's only two votes, that's not enough either, right? So, um you're at a standstill if it's 22 on anything and it won't move forward. Stand still means back on the 28th. Well, tableabling also means that you'll have five people. I think you'll have five on the 28th. 28th. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, as as I say, as I asked before, this isn't going to stop everything, all the motions from going through. And uh and I think what did you did the 28th? Two weeks. Two weeks. It sounds like the city manager said that we could have the police information in front of us at that time, too. I don't I don't think that's going to slow the wheel down too much at that time and we can do that everything and like I say at that time for as I'm understand we come back instead of as a transfer we do do a budget amendment and other question I have how much is is the EMS we got 3.5 is we put in

I have a question I'd like to ask how does this impact our actual firemen by pushing this back two more weeks when they're already overworked well I I can share with It will create concern that they're not going to I'm sorry. I I I don't agree with that. Well, I guarantee they not going to be hired within two weeks and it's going to take a little bit of time down the road. I I agree, sir. But

we I don't think I don't think like I basically saying I think we all sitting here saying go ahead pace. We going to do this just the route we're going to do it and it's not going to stop the hiring process and all the other wheels from turning is what I was just I was just told. Everything going to continue. But but the chief is doing what he should do, which is come to us to ask for authority to go ahead and make those hires and start that process and and not be under the gun and and having stress. And if we're all pretty much there, I I I mean, I I I don't know why we wouldn't move forward today with getting this done. I think that the battalion chiefs need it. I think the chief needs it. I think the people in wellness way need it. I I think that we I I don't think that waiting on a budget amendment relative to police is going to impact unless unless you're thinking, Mr. Bane, that we would fund the police department with the balance of the EMS. If if that is what your thoughts are, because if we're pulling from reserves, it it it doesn't relate to this is an adjustment. It's going from one budgeted fund in the general fund, one department in the general fund to another department in the general fund. It's all in the general fund and these are what we have already planned for for the future because we thought we would have EMS in the future. I just don't I don't think that the police request necess and and and by the way that request I think is premature. So I'll put that one on the um because we haven't filled the department the positions that are empty in the police department. So the request to go get more I mean it's not in front of us but I think it's premature. So, I don't want something that I think is premature to cause us not to do the right thing right now.

And that's and and that is you you just actually made my point of why I'm asking to table this because I think these this is the type of conversation we need to have about our public safety expenditures that we're making in our police and fire, where they're funded from, how they're funded. Do we fund half of them now and and be full force in the in in the next fiscal year in terms of what we're going to have allocated in the budget? That's why I want to have that conversation in totality rather than a siloed fire department today, police department tomorrow, and we're not able to look at all of it together at once and make a decision based on public safety today versus fire today, police tomorrow, and we just keep separating them. Um, and we don't really look at it in totality because maybe we maybe we should have the conversation of where the funding comes from for these positions. I think that's a a good conversation to have. Um, but we can't do that necessarily when it's so siloed that we can't go back. So, we can't make can't make adjustments on at a meeting where we're making the decisions. If we've already made decision, it's moving forward. Like I said, I don't have a problem with the decision. I have or the positions. I have a problem with where we're going, how we're going about the process that it's so siloed and we're not talking about public safety from a from a a a a wider lens and looking at how we're funding these positions and what does it mean for our current budget today? Because some of it may come out that may be proposed to come out of reserve, some is being proposed to come out of general fund. um and what that means today for this fiscal year, but also what does that mean for moving forward next year because we're going to be starting that budget process and it's going to have an effect on the numbers, the baseline numbers going into that conversation and I think we ought to have all of that conversation together. That's the whole point of that. M

Mr. Mayor, just for clarity, I have a question. This is um this isn't a leading question. This is a sincere question for the chief's sake. He has testing on the 29th. Okay. Is it your intention, city council, to approve this request if it's written a different way? And if you're not comfortable with that, I'm fine with that. I'm just trying to give him

some clarity in communication with these applicants and people that are moving forward because to say we don't know, I don't know that that's good for those people to be coming on the 29th. So, I'm just looking for sincere clarity if you plan on doing that. And if you don't or you don't know, that's okay, too. But I just want to give him some clarity so we really understand what the 28th is going to look like if at all possible.

Mr. Benwagon here, as as I say, I think I said is um I don't think anybody up here on the council deny the fact that he need the position to be filled. It's just the way for me the way of going back, excuse me, and transferring the funds from one department to the other. Uh because here here's what I I'm looking at. Okay. Each year during the budget process, hey, I'm gonna throw money in this fund here and everything else knowing maybe in sometime during the year I'm not going to use that, but then something else that I don't want to ask for right now. Um but I know I got a need for it instead of budgeting. I'm I'mma leave it off to the side. Okay. And so at the end of the year, here we come right now. Um saying, "Okay, we need these positions." This didn't just happened yesterday. We've been knowing about station five. We've been knowing by station talking about doing station and we need these positions all this time.

I think I've got we authorize it in the budget. Why isn't the money there in that department now instead of over here? We have to Okay. So, is this a way uh when that's why I say I get a little concerned when we start trying to take money from one uh department to another area because then uh we going to say we going to fund it. Why didn't we give them the money? So, why are we having to move money? Did we automatically just put money over here knowing we're not going to be able we're not going to use it? So then we can ask for a lady to put it over here. See, I'm I'm happy to provide that for you, Mr. Mayor. I have no problem needing a position proof. It's just the way uh just the transfer from one department another.

So you're going to be comfortable, Mr. Mayor, if he has an amendment for that next. That's what I'm asking. And to answer your question directly, uh I would have no problem with the chief proceeding with a testing on the 29th. Um because I I don't think that there's an issue with the positions per se. I think it's talking about how we're funding, where we're funding, where those dollars are going, and what does that mean long term. Yeah. The concern is going to come up with my personnel is four years ago, we had the captain's positions appropriated in the budget, and almost three years ago to the month, uh the previous administration defunded those positions.

Okay. Well, like I say, you know, I keep hearing say we we we authorized a position, but how we authorized and and funding, we didn't put money in the budget for, but we did put money in the budget. We put it in the EMS department.

The county has not cooperated with us on providing six minute response times to the citizens of Claremont. That is why because of that we are having to increase our fire department budget so that we can have the personnel that are necessary. If we had ambulances at the existing four fire stations, we would actually have the firefighters that we need to be able to fund fire station 5 now because we do not. We have to add to our budget. It costs more money when you have two layers of government involved in something. That is the why. My concern tonight is that if I don't vote to table this because I know how to count to three, am I harming our fire department?

Yeah. Well, that's to my attorney. I I'm going to bring this back on the next agenda because I feel like I have consensus to do that irregardless how this vote's going to go. I'm going to bring this back on the 28th. Okay. Okay. Okay. And I don't think this is going to hinder our fire department in one way or another because as I asked the question before, if we don't approve this or disapprove it, will it stop the process that you into right now? I the answer I was given was no. So, it's going to still move forward, but it will move forward with uncertainty. Uncertainty is really important.

Well, I think like I say, I think everybody up here agree we going we going to fund it. It's just the process in the process of funding it. So, I don't think you have a problem. Of course, I like I say, I expressed this concern about the transfer yesterday. That that was my concern anyway. Um besid because like I say, well, here's another scenario. How much how much did we put in in EMS for this? 3.5 million was it? I believe the total budget was around 3.5

3.5 million for for EMS. Now, okay, we we gonna say we gonna fund this out of here. Three point 300 and somehat thousand dollars out of so you got another three million left in there. All right. So then we come back later and say, "Hey, we still got money in EMS fund. So can we get this now and move it over here?"

See, this is my concern with that. I rather leave that money sitting in EMS, go back to the fund, red, we do a budget adjustment, take it from uh reserve uh general fund, put it in there, and at the end of year, if nothing EMS do not come about, okay, it just go back to the general fund, okay? and rather than the transfer because now you see to me to me it looked like we put a fund over there for the rainy days that we can just go and rob Peter and keep doing

I I can appreciate that sir. We were just looking at it that that's where the actual line item exists and with us not knowing what the future of EMS is going to be. We were recommending transferring that line item from the transport budget over into the fire budget. That that was the reasoning that we came forward with was we're not trying to you know create slush funds that we can just go and rob you know when we come up with an idea. I mean, this this this was planned pretty, you know, this has been in planning for years. Well,

okay. Well, I I Yeah, I was going to say I that the intent of here was not to go off on tangents on whether or not we should have EMS or uh you know, building departments and and stations and and so forth. It was a matter of fiscal policy and how do we go about our fiscal policy and when do we make these decisions and do we make these decisions in silos or do we make them in totality and that is why I made the motion to have it uh tabled so that we could talk about it in totality rather than in a siloed position and I it's not the intent to go off on I would support saying no more budget amendments if you want and and police can wait until the budget workshop. I I well I call the question on the vote.

I have a I have a motion in a second to uh table item number 12 on the consent agenda until 28 April. Was it 28 April? Uh no is it? Yeah. 28th. Sorry. Sorry. Wrote down 29th. That's the test date. Is there any further further discussion? Hear none. All in favor let it be known by saying I. I. All oppose. Nay. And the chair vote I as well. So 22. So motion fails. All right. I move to approve item number 12. I second. Have a motion and a second to approve item number 12 as presented. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? Let it be known by saying I. I. I.

All oppose. And the chair vote nay. Motion carries three to one.

Thank you mayor councel. Yes. Thank you Mr. B. All right. I think I saw our our kids come in if I'm not mistaken. Are they all here? Mr. I saw a group of them. Is all all the young Mr. Sharp is where is where did he go? Oh, all of them didn't come.

Yeah. What I'm saying if they're not all here, we can we can go ahead and move on. Yeah. We're still waiting. Still waiting on a few. Okay, thank you. I just I know I saw a group come in. I wasn't sure if they Okay, so do we think we can get we item number 13 is uh item number 14 is uh because 13 was um tabled to the 28th. Uh we got an intro for Cole's annexation ordinance. Wait, hold on just a minute. Are we going to do all all three of these for co at one time? No, typically we'll just do one and then there'll be a motion to introduce. Okay.

Ordinance 2026 015, an ordinance under the code of ordinances of the city of Claremont, Lake County, Florida, providing for the annexation of a certain parcel of land contiguous to the present city boundaries, providing for conflict, severability, administrative correction of scrivener's error, recording, publication, and an effective date. Thank you. Yes. I I'll move to intro of ordinance number 2026-015. I second.

Have a motion and a second for the intro of um ordinance, excuse me. Ordinance number 2026-015. Let me ask this question. I I have to always ask. Do you all want public comment on this? Does anyone in the public wish to comment? I was going to say I just a yeah point of point of information. I my I know legally we're not required to I think that we have always given deference if a citizen out there said or a resident someone here online says I would like to speak even though it's intro we we allow it so I I think if we want to pause for that if no one does then we just take the vote okay are we comfortable if they just speak to the whole you know it all three items

well I guess that's why I asked if we're going to do all three at one time and everything so but this is a Public public forum. Anyone in the public wish to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. This is a public form. Anyone in the public wish to address this item number 14 may come to microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Seeing no one in the chamber, anyone online, sir?

Okay. I have a motion and a second for introduction of ordinance number 2026-015. Any further discussion? Hear none. All in favor, let it be known by saying I. I. All oppose. Chair vote. I as well. Motion passes 40. Do we want to go to the next one or we still waiting? I say we just Can we go through? Yeah. All right, let's go. Yeah.

Ordinance 2026 016. An ordinance of the city of Claremont, Lake County, Florida, adopting the small-scale comprehensive plan amendment for the city of Claremont, Florida, pursuant to the local government comprehensive planning act, chapter 163, part two, Florida statutes, setting forth the authority for adoption of the small-scale comprehensive plan amendment. Setting forth the purpose and intent of the small-cale comprehensive plan amendment. Providing for the adoption of the small-scale comprehensive plan amendment, establishing the legal status of the small-cale comprehensive plan amendment providing for conflict, severability, administrative correction of scrivener's error, publication, and effective date. Okay. I move the intro of ordinance number 2026-016.

I second. Have a motion. Sorry, this is a public form. Anyone in the public wish to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. This is a public forum. Anyone in the public want to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Seeing no one, I close chamber. Anything and so no one in public. Uh so I bring it back to council. I do have a motion and a second for introduction of ordinance number 2026-016. Any further discussion? Hear none. All in favor? Let it be known by saying I. I. All oppose. Chair vote as well. Motion passes 40. Ordinance number 2026-017,

an ordinance under the code of ordinances of the city of Claremont, Lake County, Florida, amending the official zoning map of the city of Claremont, referred to in chapter 122 of ordinance number 289 Code of Ordinances, reszoning the real properties described herein, as shown below, providing for conflict, severability, administrative correction of scrivener's error, recording, publication, and an effective date. Okay. I would move the intro of 20 ordinance number 2026-017. Second.

All right. This is a public forum. Anyone in the chamber wish to address this item may come to your microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Anyone in the chamber wish to address this item may come to microphone, state your name and address and have three minutes. Anyone online, sir? Seeing no one, I bring it back to ch and ch uh council. I do have a motion and a second for the approve the introduction of ordinance number 2026-017. Any further discussion? Hear none. All in favor? Let it be known by saying I. I. I.

All oppose. Chair vote I as well. Motion passes for item number 17. Ordinance number 2026-018. An ordinance of the city council of the city of Claremont, Florida, amending chapter 30, solid waste of the city of Claremont, city code, creating a new article 3, solid waste impact fee. Section 3033, fee imposition. Section 3034, adoption of technical report as basis of impact fees. Section 3035, definitions. Section 3036, determination of fee. Section 3037, collection of solid waste impact. Section 3038, solid waste impact fee schedule. Section 3039, use of funds collected. Section 3040, exemptions. Section 3041, interpretation of article and fee schedule. Section 3042, effect on other regulations and requirements. Section 3043, alternative calculation of solid waste impact fees. And section 3044, appeals. in section 3045 updating annual reporting and audits providing for conflict severability codification administrative correction of scrivener's error publication and effective date.

I move the intro of ordinance number 2026-018. I second.

Okay. This is a public forum. Anyone in the chamber wish to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Anyone in the chamber wish to address this item may come to the microphone and state your name and address and have three minutes. Seeing no one, anyone online, sir? Having no one online, I close public comment and bring it back to council. Um I do have a motion for approval of ordinance number 2026-018. Any further discussion? Uh can I just ask um before it comes back because I I don't know how much time to get the information will be if I could ask the city manager to to talk with uh public works and just to answer and give us some information as to why residential is more than commercial and what the actual anticipated revenue would be if they have like a forecast of a yearly forecast. It doesn't have to be information today because it'll probably be forgotten between now and the next meeting, but just to just if you could have that for us before we come to the next meeting or in the materials for us in the before the next meeting. I didn't want to ask it at the time.

Our plan is to have our consultant at the second reading. That's right. So all of those excellent detailed questions he's already got and Okay. So if there's a presentation, maybe if we can get the slides or something just to prepare for that, that'd be great. Absolutely. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. I believe we're prepared for the drop savers whenever. Okay, let let me just finish out this. I do have a motion and a second on the floor for approval of ordinance number 20, introduction of ordinance number 2026-018. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor, let it be known by saying I.

I. All oppose. And chair vote I as well. Motion carries forward. So before we go to reports, we going to do our drop savers. I think we have all all the young ones here. So uh we can go ahead. Wow. Good evening, Mr. Mayor, City Council, and members of city staff. Thank you for joining us as we recognize the winner of this year's Drop Savers Award contest. The Drops Saver program gives the students an opportunity to express the importance of water conservation through through art while helping educate our community on protecting one of our most valuable natural resources, water. At this time, I'm honored to introduce this year's winners. When I call your name, please come forward and receive your award and recognition. We'll start first with Division One kindergarten and first grade. For third place, we have Alejandro Pina Vanova from Real Real Life Christian Academy. If you're present, please come forward. Second place, we have Kyla Peters again from Real Life Christian Academy. And in first place, we have Lily Stoddard from Cypress Ridge Elementary. A pep in a step.

Lily has also received additional recognition at the state level where she came in second place for the state of Florida in her division.

All right, we'll move on to division two, second and third grade, third place. Who's that? How you doing? What's your name? What's your name? Alejandro. Yes. So, he got Here you go, bud. Division 2, second and third grade.

I promise you. I promise you she won't bite you. She won't bite you. Okay.

Third place, we have Bianca Rivera from Lost Lake Elementary. Second place, we have Luciana Flora, also from Lost Lake Elementary. And in first place, we have Nathan Roberts from Lost Lake Elementary as well. All right, division three, fourth and fifth grade. For third place, we have Kyler Blanchard from Real Life Christian Academy. Second place, we have Elizabeth Cooper from Aurelia Cole Academy. And in first place, we have Chelsea Ramperand from Aurelia Cole Academy as well. All right, division 4, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. For third place, we have Ariana Garcia Solis from Aurelia Cole Academy.

Second place, we have Rowan Forbes from Aurelia Cole Academy. Wow. And finally, in first place, we have Elena Roa from East Ridge Middle School. Congratulations to all our winners and thank you for the students, families, teachers, and schools for your support. At this time, I would like to invite the mayor, city council members, and our winners to join me in the middle for a picture. Just a minute, Mr. Sharp. I think we just had a couple come in. Any one of those are winners. This is one. Okay.

Okay. Let's go down. Congratulations. Good job. Congratulations. More gotch. Thank you.

Earth. Yes. Thank you all. Good job everybody.

It is tradition that winners. Yes. So, our overall uh first place winner, Elena Hoka, her art piece will be displayed on the second floor here at city council.

Thank you guys for coming. Thank you all. Good work. Congratulations to each one of you. I was thinking

All right. Uh let's move on for 1440. Let's uh think where we are of reports. Mr. Van Wagner, uh let's let's hold for a second while they they clear up, please. say he's at that age. Girls, girls are still scary at that age, you know.

Yeah. Hello. How are you? All right. Yes, sir. Just a few dates I want to make you aware of. On April, April 18th is our wine stroll in the downtown and it's going to be from 6:30 to 9:00. And then we're very excited about our first jazz festival on April 18th and 19th. I encourage anybody to get their tickets if they've not done that already. That's going to be 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Waterfront Park. And then April 25th is Earth Day at Lake Hayawa Preserve from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00. And just for the citizens and council to note, we have a uh council workshop on April 21st at 100 p.m. April 28th, we have our CR meet CRA meeting and that's going to be at 2 PM. and then schedule also our scheduled council meeting after that. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. War.

Thank you, mayor. A couple things to report on. Uh, one is is a matter of some, I know, public interest as well as interest to council members. And that regards the property located at 1919 Sunset Lane. I want to update you on what's going on. Um first is we have issued the notice to both the property owner and tenant that is a precondition to us filing a lawsuit to enjoin the nuisances on the property. In other words, we have to do two different notices just to be able to bring a lawsuit to enjoin the nuisances under Florida statute section 60.05. Those have been issued and since their issuance uh there has been a substantial cleanup effort at the property. Um, now that's not putting a brakes on anything necessarily yet. Um, but that is one thing. And I wanted to also update you on the code enforcement efforts which are ongoing. Just so you know, there is one actual code violation that has been found on the property in the past. So technically with any other code case, they will be a repeat violator. And that increased, some of you have been on the board, you know, um that increases the abilities uh that the city has and fines can start immediately anytime there's another violation. Well, there is a second violation in progress right now. It's an open case. It's currently scheduled for the May uh code board meeting, which I think is May 18thish, but uh we have talked about scheduling a special meeting to handle that case within the next one to two weeks. So, we're looking into the process. um seeing that if we can address that as fast as possible and it is the city's intent that if we can we will levy the full enforcement power available to us under the code including injunctive relief to compel our ability to clean up if they don't clean it up within a certain amount of time. Um let's see I now there is just another thing I wanted

to talk to you about with these cases. we do have limitations on our power uh you know and um but we have never fully explored what we can do and so we are doing that now and of course I'll keep you all updated and I welcome any questions that you may have on this um one question I have is uh I know our ordinance but uh uh is a little say the least is a little weak okay and I know I discussed with you before about going the state has an ordinance out there a law out there on the book that uh that's a little bit stronger that we can probably implement right away. So, what what would it take for us to adopt the state ordinance and go ahead and try to try to move this this thing forward a little bit?

That is, you know, thank you for bringing that up. Yes, we're also looking into how we're going to amend. We're going to amend our code to increase its power to be more in conformity with what's available from the state. um we're still talking about what we're going to change because for example, you know, one of the things that we have in our code is that it takes two different arrests within a six-month period. It's doesn't matter how bad the thing is, but if it's a year instead of six months, we don't have the ability. So, we're looking we're going to maximize that. That's in progress. I can't promise we're going to have an ordinance on that by the 28th. Okay. But I think by May for sure. Okay. Um,

and it just have to come back to the council for approval to set it in effect with so can once we once we approve it, can we go back and uh use that ordinance even though it's after the fact? No, we'll be able to do it. I mean, immediately, I think. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

Um, the second thing I wanted to report to you about is the dumpster project downtown. So, uh, we currently have two contracts that are almost fully negotiated. We we got the drafts last week, but for a permanent dumpster, uh, site as well as a temporary dumpster site pending a permanent location. And we've gone back and forth. I think we're going to have the final terms tomorrow. Okay. So, maybe we'll have them kind of agreed to and for further consideration by the end of the week. We did lose one of the sites that were was in other words, one of the owners did not want to make his property or sell a portion of his property for the dumpster location. That's that's done. But we now have identified a third site

and so we're going to get a contract draft. It's just the beginning of the negotiation on that. So I can't promise a final contract on that this week like I think I can the other two, but that third site has now been identified so that we can move on. Um that's just the legal side. Um finally we do have as you know may I ask just a question before you move on from there. So if that hap if we get that will will we wait for all three before they come to the council or if we have two will that come to the council so we can move forward with at least two or what would be the timeline or process once we have some things negotiated?

My hope is to bring them all three together for you at one time and I'm optimistic. Okay, we can do it sooner than later. Yeah, I'm optimistic as well that we should have them by the next meeting. And our public works thought this third location is actually better than the other one. So, it looks like it's working out in our favor.

Okay, great. Thank you. Uh, next you did approve actually I'll represent Tony Hubard is here and he had um kind of scared me a little bit because he mentioned that maybe we haven't approved that 8 acre contract yet that for uh public services. As you may recall, in February, we had it on our agenda. Uh eight there's a a property of 8 acres on old Highway 50 that was up for sale and um after some you know I forget a lot. It takes a couple weeks and then my brain goes but um we did approve the contract in February. So that's all approved. Um we're extending due diligence on it. We do have a phase one environmental survey, bless you, confirmed. And so we expect to close in early May, but we'll have until late May to be sure. Um, I don't think there's anything else to say on that except that it's going as we currently expect. Finally,

let me just Well, it probably has nothing to do, but do you know if the county is still pursuing other 30 acres out there? Was it I do not know the answer to that and everything. We doing eight. Is the county I had heard one time the county were looking at doing some more of it to turn it into a park or something like that. Oh wow. I don't know anything about that, mayor. Um um so yeah. Are you referring to the Sloan property? Possibly, Mr. Mayor. Uh there's some complications as some complication. Okay. Last I had a conversation with the county about it. So I'll let you know if something changes.

Okay. Thank you. And finally, um it's been maybe about a year since our last shade session regarding the FAON litigation, and we now have a new council member as well. It is coming time for another shade session. I'm not asking for it today, but I will be asking for it at the next meeting. And and the reason is that I have a meeting with the council on the case at the Dean Ringer Law Firm that I need to have that meeting first. we're going to coordinate and then ask you for a shade session on it. This is a case that started in 2015. Um, and he since our last conversation, there have been two more lawyers representing Mr. Fzone. So, it makes it difficult to know what terms can settle, what's going to happen, and the judge has been loathed to actually u allow us to go to trial. So, I want to be able to talk to you about it. I just want you to know it's coming. Feel free to ask me any questions in the meantime. That concludes my report.

You say it started I thought it started earlier than that. Uh the demands may have started earlier, but the lawsuit was filed in 2015. 2015. Okay. Yeah, it's been out there for over over well over 10 years now, I think. So, it's my intention to end it when it first started. Okay. So, we Yeah, we need to get it taken care of, but thank you. Appreciate it. Um just go back to 1919 Sunset Lane. I know we we've been in communication and everything. So, uh Mr. Van Wagner, I know I sent you a message asking to uh have new light installed out there. We got the work order in to have more lighting put on there. Work orders in and everything's in progress. Oh, they're in progress. Okay. And they asked for patrols more patrols on

chief is making an effort to show their face around there more often, too. So, we're making I still have the one question. I'm trying to get the answer to this one. There's a red tag on that house. So, how is people living in that house if it's had condemned? I'm still trying to figure out how that's happened. They're not supposed to be. So, we've been trying over and over and over to verify that information, Mr. Mayor. Yeah, that Eevee was just out there on Friday. We're the team is really being diligent to try to figure out these things. They're not

Well, I guess I'm trying to figure out why if if you drive past the house, you see a red tag, yet still people are still living in there. I was always under the impression once this red tag is condemned unlivable. So why is it we're having so much difficulty getting the people out if it's been been condemned? I just don't I I'm still trying to figure that one out. Okay. Would would you like Kirk to answer that for you? Somebody please. Part of it I can answer for you. The red tag does not prevent them from continuing to work to fix the issue. So can they do it at 12:00 at night? Yes. It's It's hard for us to identify if someone's actually sleeping in there or not.

Um, so just to be clear, they can enter the house to fix it. Continue to progress. I've asked for our police department to put eyes on that house at least 10 minutes every hour as well. Okay. So, if every hour or so they going through there and they seeing people in there, uh, can they verify that they actually doing work or living? I can work with them on that. Yes. Huh? I could work with them to see if they're if they're able to do that or not. Mr. W, am I overst my boundary or throwing something illegal here? I'm not sure. I I'd rather not discuss it in the public meeting.

Okay. Okay. But but that's just my thing. If you're saying they can be in there doing fixes and they in there around 24 I mean I don't know uh 24 or 24 hours a day or they working on it. So yet and still I haven't seen many improvements to the house with all this work supposedly work going on. Well the the current code case has to do with the interior not the exterior. They have actually cleared a lot of the exterior. In fact to the point where that's okay. The case right now is again on the interior. So they have been working on it just not as fast as we'd like.

Okay. All right. I'm just I just I don't know. Well, we had a lengthy meeting about it today and I I think there's a lot of things that are happening in the next few days. But I guess I guess one of my other concerns this is red tag that does still have utilities going to water and everything going. Yeah, that was not cut off. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, we have no no way we can just go ahead and turn it off even though it's ready condemn. As long as they paying the bill, we have to keep it going. Okay. So, that's that's why they can continue to live in there. Okay. Thank you. Uh, where are we at now? Uh, Mr. Wah, that concluded my report.

Okay. Thank you. Uh, Mr. War, I'm ask you to do me a favor and get ready for this because I'm going ask you about this in a little bit. HB 1329. If you can look that up for me real quick. When I get to my report, I'll ask you some questions on that. Uh, Council Member Myers, I have no report, but I have to leave in a few minutes. I just wanted you all to know. Okay. 165. All right, Council Member Strange.

Yes. I wanted to make sure everybody was aware that the Lake County Performing Arts Choir is going to have a concert on May 9th at 6 PM. I Hear America singing. It's a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a nation. So, I'll be there. Um, and I was excited to see the Claremont Shuffle Board Club. Maybe I I don't know. That excites me. I have learned that the Keeler Center is an a a facility that we have in this city that a lot of people aren't familiar with and that there's activities out there that a lot of people aren't aware of and I think it's a real hidden gem in our community. So, you might hear me talk about it a little bit more, but if you are interested in shuffleboard, uh, as you heard the gentleman say, there's activities out there on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings in the summertime. Um uh the tourist development council met last week. Um we are expecting the capital funding program from Lake County to open on May 1st. There is currently something to the tune of $7 million in the capital fund account at Lake County for tourism related facilities. So that is something that I encourage staff to start thinking about what we might need or want. I understand the American Bicycle Association is back in town again. Their report should be coming to us soon and so hopefully we can um just kind of be aware of that and maybe staff can go after some grants. We did have a grant writer approved today so hopefully that's something that we can take advantage of. Um I when the gentleman was speaking about AI and the impact on our business and our community um personally I have had chat DPT lie to me three times um oh yes and it acknowledged that it lied. It just made stuff up. It's kind of shocking

actually. I yelled at it um this way and so I don't trust it. Um but what more important than my own fear of technology is I think that the point that I took from the presentation was stressing really the importance of community and interpersonal relations that we know the people that we work with that we see the people that we work with the people in our community the people that are interacting with our children I think that's really important and it kind of hit me that way tonight um when the gentleman was speaking of it and super exciting news for members Members of the audience, um, the honorable mayor and council, city of Claremont, Florida. We have examined the city of Claremont, Florida compliance with the requirements of section 218.415 Florida statutes during the year ended September 30th, 2025. In our opinion, the city complied in all material respects with the requirements of section 218.415, Florida statutes for the year ended September 30th, 2025. It is April 14th and our audit is complete and I am so excited and I so applaud staff. What a difference. I couldn't be I I want to mic drop and walk out. I'm done. Thank you. I wish Mr. Bora was here. This is really wonderful. End of my report.

Thank you. Uh by the way, Miss Miss uh you mentioned the Kila building. Yes. Did you know it was considered a senior center? I know that seniors meet there frequently and do and do projects and classes and there's a chess club that meets there. There's all kind of activities goes there. It's a calendar on the wall but actually it's always been uh deemed now senior center here. Uh the old healer building

uh was torn down years ago uh couple years ago and we replaced it with this one. and uh uh I just I I I think we need to get more use out of out of the building and everything. So, uh um I've been trying to promote that as well, but a lot of people don't realize that is actually supposed to be our senior center. When residents out here ask about senior center, we need to start making sure they understand go to and look at the what the schedule is at the uh Highland at the Kila building and also they still have a lot of activity for the seniors going on. my understanding at the arts and recreation center as well. So,

yeah, there are well the I'll I'll go a little bit longer. The vice president and I talked about having a bring your grandparent to shuffleboard day to try to encourage some multi-generational activities out there maybe with the you know teens and their grandparents to come out and have some fun with shuffleboard. My kids wanted to play when we went out this weekend so that was fun. Shuffle board is very very have been very big in this area. I dread to say we lost one of the biggest chaff board promoters in the community, Mr. Marvin Jacobson back in 2020 and everything, but he used to uh always make sure them shuffle board was taken up and I think we renamed it after his past and we renamed it in his honor. So, well, it's a neat little gem, like I said. It is. So, thank you for that. Uh, Mr. Bane,

thank you, mayor. The one of the advantages of going last as a council member is most of the items are already checked off and announced. Um, and so the only one I didn't hear mentioned was just a reminder about the Lake County Fair. Uh, the Lake County Fair does go through uh, April 19th up in Eustace. Um, you can, uh, go to lakecoair.com for more info and and, uh, times and ticket prices and so forth. Um, and just take advantage of all of the fantastic events. I if you just look back at the last four weeks and you look at everything that's happening in Claremont, this is not just a community that's doing events. This is becoming a destination. This is a destination for events and activities um and promotion. People are looking at us internally and externally as the place to be and hold their events. And we heard that with the shuffle board tonight about how can we showcase this on a national level. Um, and we're we're just seeing it more and more throughout all of the venues and events and organizations, service and civic alike that we have in the community. I just think that's a fantastic thing and feather in our cap for Claremont. That's all.

Thank you, Mr. Matis. Mr. Mayor, I have nothing to report today.

All righty. Then in that case, let me go to my report here that All right. Just a couple of things. Of course, I want to thank everybody for coming out to my mayor's lunchon. I had a great uh talk with the uh I had a mayor's lunchon on the first and also I had a meeting with the women's club of Climouth and I think I related a couple uh concerns. One concern they had over there. I think I've already relayed that to Mr. Van Wagner um over there on their building and everything. So, we appreciate that. And by the way, they they appreciate all the help as well. um went to painting inside. They painted inside and everything. The city I was told the city helped paint the inside of the building and of course they did the work on the floors and everything looked good over there for what a 100 year old building or so I think it is. It really look it really look good inside been well maintained and we still try to help take care of that. But they appreciate everything. Mr. Van Wagon miss the arts and jazz festival. All I got to say on that, please, please people expect I'm expecting a lot of people in from out of town, all over the place. So, traffic going to be a little crazy. And I just heard he mention about uh Wy Stroll on Friday night as well at the same time we doing the jazz festival. But I'm getting comments of people coming all the way from Jacksonville, Okeella, Tampa, everywhere, all over. I understand it's also been advertised on 94.5, which is a big jazz station in Orlando, one of the radio stations. So, um, and I know they getting all kind of calls here in the city about about about the event. So, um, I commend the the city staff and everything, the park and rest staff for everything they've done, but I am concerned about the traffic because we've had a conversation about that, but I'm just asking people to help help the residents and everybody else just bear with it. It's the first time we'll probably have a lot of a lot of unknowns here uh being the first time event and especially of this magnitude and and knowing that people uh has been heard all over the all over the state pretty

much and people coming in from all over, you know. So, so just help us keep the people calm, the resident calm and everything. So, hopefully we can we can uh get the traffic and everything under control. Um, pig on the pun. I I truly enjoy pig on the pun. I thought attendance was a little bit down with pig on the pond this year, but um I found t Friday night when I was down there with so many kids down there was was it was like crazy Friday night with kids and everything. But overall, I think it was a success and I thank the uh staff uh pick on the pun committee for that as well. Um I guess she mentioned about cancer awareness and everything is April. I also like to bring together um can be biased selfish of me but autism is April is also all also autism month and um it's a lot a lot of our young people young kids being born with autism this day we they trying to figure out why and I I say it can be a little bias for me because I also have a grandson my first grandson is autistic and everything so I'm I'm very concerned with with these things and as I go around I'm seeing more and more um kids with autistic and the different phases of autistic. minds happen to be non-verb my grandson have to be n happen to be non-verbal so he doesn't really talk but um smart little thing most of them are but and I'm running into more and more kids with autism and I just hope we can bring awareness of this and try to figure out why this is going on or why we having so many more our kids born with autism these days and everything is it the fact that we're aware of it now I can spot it more than we did in the days in our years past or what but it is a serious concern along with cancer was just attended a funeral on Friday with uh one friend that did not win the

battle against cancer. So cancer is also a big big concern of mine. So I always don't support that. But let's let's do what we can to support those things as well. Uh you talked about the shuffle board and I don't think we need to bring that back to council, Mr. Van Wagner. I think we can just get with parks and get that done. I think that's what we've always done in fun. the parking sign. Uh, Miss Miss Hores mentioned the parking sign on Scott Street in Dotto. Um, I think they were put up there because of the lottery and everything going on there. Mr. W when she thought about that and I want to go back to ask you about this the parking sign and that area when we do this new ordinance for Newsome and everything. Can that all be part of it? Because that this is a 800 Scott Street is a problem. we of a problem house we've been having for years that one of the houses that I got started with for years ago back in 2007 was was somewhat where we dealing with on at 1919 okay and everything so but they've cleaned it up a lot but we still have a lot of problem out there with with the people gathering um I don't know whether the parking sign was taken down by them or police department removed and I've been trying to find that out nobody to answer that to me but uh let's take a look at uh I support Miss Paul on looking at that and maybe we start having a little bit more patrol police going through the area as well over there to see can't we prevent that I know we just had a big fight over there a couple of weeks ago uh um police had to show for a fight a couple weeks ago had a shooting in the area where they traced them even what a couple of council meeting though door I'm sitting here and all this activity going on right there in the neighborhood right and I actually happen to live there too as well so so I know all about it but um I'm just hoping that when we do the new ordinance We can tie that in and maybe do it. And I must admit when we did the news order two years ago here, we went and sat down with the owners over there and told them

about the order and they they cleaned the act up a little bit. It did make make a little bit difference with them, but we still have a problem. Okay. Um they Okay. Oh, let me mention financial. I see this we we're giving this financial report and I want to just thank our financial department. you know, when I when I came in as mayor, uh, say the least, our finances, well, we were doing things, they weren't at least up on order and, uh, I commend our past city manager. He had the insight to go out and get the the software to look at the software we're using now. And of course, we had to end up releasing some people. I was just upset with him because it took so long to get rid of our finance person at the time. Uh, finding out what I was finding out, what was going on with our finances and everything. But we finally did that. We got about Mr. Scott on. And I want to commend Mr. Scott because I think I said this before. Um, they had to kind of convince me that they can be able to pull this thing off and change it all up. And this product that we have now due to the new software and everything and his hard work and everything is tremendous. Um, and that's great. And the reason I say that is because Mr. War asked you about House Bill 1329. Can you do me a favor and brief the council on on what that's all about if you got it pulled up there. Just the general background and it has to do basically with a lot of finances.

Okay. Well, I'll just tell you a couple things. I mean, you didn't ask for this, mayor, but I'll just the preface is I got an email from the Florida League of Cities three days ago, okay, with 12 bills, including HD 1329 that are going to have affirmative requirements on us, things we're going to have to comply with, things we're going to have to change. One of them is this HD 1329, which

we already comply with some of it. So, it's going to require that municipalities post very detailed and exhaustive budget information on the city website, things that relate to um you know, not just what we take in, but what we spend, right? Um you know, spread out upon expenses. We're going to have to post uh an organizational chart of our staff um online. We're going to have to post um salaries and detailed employee information online. It's all technically public anyway, but it's all going to have to be on the city website. Um it creates a lot of new kind of hurdles, uh things that we have to keep track of for impact fees. If someone thinks that they've overpaid an impact fee and they make a request to the city manager, we're gonna have 30 days to deal with that or else.

Um, that's just a sample. It's a 32page bill. And those are some of the highlights. It's some of that. And one of the things is our intended budget, if I'm not mistaken, we have to have it posted on the website 5 days before it go public. That public meeting is it? It has to be 5 days before it's voted on. before voted on it has to be public and then another thing in there after it's there it has to remain what 30 45 days or so afterwards. Uh another big thing that I I think you I think is going to be a concern is it's also calling for a 10 10% reduction in spending.

Okay. So there's the the well here's what it does is it requires that we have in old in ma China they they there was a term for um gosh the red you know like I forget what they called it but the brainwash the indoctrinate whatever it is uh struggle session struggle session what the Florida legislature is now ah they're going to get so ticked at me in Tallahassee no they don't care what I say um every city has to have its own struggle session every budgetary cycle now over um at at a budget workshop, we will be required to figure out a way to cut 10%. Without cutting personnel, I'm sorry. I think it has

without cutting fundamental services. So, um well, fundamental services. So, they say while maintaining essential essential public services, you have to find a way, you're going to need to find a way every year now in a budget workshop to cut 10%. and to detail that. Now, it doesn't spell out what happens if, you know, the plan's not good enough or, you know, if we can only figure out 9.5. It doesn't really say what happens to us, but it is a requirement and we'll do it.

Is there an indicator of whether that's like cost per person. So, for example, right now the cost for resident is a roughly $538. It used to be 247. So, here we are growing, but the cost per person is twice as much. So, does it look at the fact that we're growing? No. Or or or do they even define that? No. So, it's not defined. So, that would be part of the analysis is if we could save each person money because we're growing, then if it works out to 10% of the budget, then yes. Yeah. Okay. So, it's it's it's going to change. I mean, from from my perspective, it increases staff work for sure and the preparation for the budget process, but you've already got

that train coming down the tracks. you've already you're already months ahead of where you were last year. So, um anyways, and that's what they like I say, it's it's there and it's actually my mistake understanding it's going to go in effect on the 1 of January next year. Correct.

And everything once the governor signed it basically been approved. The governor just has to sign it. But that's why I also reference this is the fact that a lot of this and the software we got can do a lot of that we already have. But in preference to to that coming out and one other requirement is coming at us and then we still don't know what's going to happen with the property tax legislator legislation. So you know these things we need to be really trying to get out of here and one of the things I think I mentioned to you before Mr. Van Wagner. We was in meeting before and I say one of the things concerned me is the fact that we all keep saying they're going to do something with property tax, eliminate property tax, but I don't hear anybody including ourselves um saying what we're going to do if they do are we what are our strategic plan for for what are we what steps we're going to take if they if they eliminate property tax and all this if we have to do this 10% cut. Well, I mean what steps are we going to take? I don't hear anybody talking about these and that's one of the conversations I've been trying to get generated here. Um, as you know in some of our meetings we've had with other city managers and everything is hey we need to start looking at these things.

So and I think that's one of the things we as a council because we really haven't discussed okay if they eliminate the property tax this property type how we going to replace what we going to do what steps we're going to take to do uh fix it uh make up for this statute will require us to think about that in a way. Yes. So, we need to do it. And I know my understanding each one of the property tax proposal, one of the things they say in every one of them is the fact that whatever they decide to do, but each one of them says we cannot cut police and fire. It should say water and sewer. Huh? It should say water and sewer.

Well, well, there's another whole thing on water and sewer coming down the pack. uh for especially when you talking about extra territory and everything else where they looking to put some uh clamps on us or there but I'm just saying hey we need to if you are not doing it you need to probably take keep a look at what's going on they passed this year 13929 and hardly nobody knew anything about it right but here it is going to hit us in the 1 of January it's going to uh take effect on the 1 of January gone to the Senate huh it's been approved yeah it's it's just waiting for governor the governor's signature and it's effective both be effective one January 27th. So,

uh just keep eye I'm just saying keep eye on on a lot of things that's happening out there. I'm concerned with the extra territory um where they basically saying when we when we providing services for residents or commercial outside our city limits and everything we not may not be able to charge them anymore as much as anymore and everything. So, I think that was one of the question I think you had before coming with uh sanitation fees. how can we um the charge we doing for commercial and residential and everything you mix that but then um that goes back into this extra territory uh bill that they trying to work on and what they trying to do there and reduce it. Okay. All right. And then that's it and goes back one because of the 1329 why I'm concerned about the transferring of funds and things like this because all these things have to be posted on your website. So now you putting all this out here and you start moving it and the people are able to see this stuff. So, what are they going to be thinking? Be careful. Okay, let's be careful.

Well, and just to be clear though, mayor, it's not it's not going to require us to cut the budget. It's going to require us to Yeah, that's it. Do do the quote exercise. Exercise, right? Well, they said, well, it say 10% reduction, but how would that go? We we can we can figure that out. I'm quite sure. Just general funding, huh? Yeah. I I the annual budget that you pass. Yeah. So, yeah, it'll include that enterprise funds. I'm not sure. What was that? Think they thought of that? I don't think so, but probably not. Well, she she asked about the enterprise fund. Well, first enterprise fund.

It didn't say first state enterprise fund, but they there's other bills. I think one of the ones that the list you talk about you got from uh League of Cities. I think enterprise funds were mentioned in one of those. I thought

they were last year. Um I don't remember seeing it in this year, but there's other, you know, you'll be hearing about the other. But anyway, I just I just wanted to make sure we we we kindware and get uh the council hear about this and know this is out there uh and everything and maybe give some thoughts. You may want to go back and read and see see what some of the stuff in it I don't know why the state all at once is trying to control municipalities and the counties, not just the cities, but the counties and everybody if uh funding and everything, but they they seem to be getting real deep into trying to control us and telling us how to how to handle our funding. Okay.

Do when do we have our um lobbyist um scheduled to come back? When does that typically I know they I I think they prefer to wait till the end of the session, but we don't who knows when the when the budget's going to be presented, but there's a lot of bills that did get passed that are waiting for the governor that he he's almost Chris Carv is almost communicating weekly with us. So, he's I see those emails, but yeah, I'll reach out to him again, but yeah, he's he's at the mercy of the process.

Sure. Okay. I just think that that those emails will really be helpful for us to to keep a keep track on where things stand with what the governor signs and um and then obviously what happens with the budget. It sounds as though what I read today it may be May at this point.

I don't expect nothing to happen final budget until August or so is what I'm maybe September and everything. Um, I know they going back up. They're now to supposedly work on on the budget, but is that their main reason going back? Is that the budget or the property tax uh they're going to be working on? See, and everything. But even if they do a budget, I I still don't anticipate the governor signing like every year. I think every year he waited to August, September before he actually signed the final budget and everything. So, so uh we won't we won't know exactly what's in the budget and if form hold true to what's been going on the last few years and everything. We won't know what budget but the biggest thing I think they going back not just the budget but the also the property tax is issue what they going back to look at.

Mr. Mayor, can I mention one thing real quick? You guys brought up the audit. I want to let you know that kudos to Scott and the finance team. I asked them last year. I said, "I don't want to file an extension again." They changed their processes internally and got this done 90 days early like I asked them to. They didn't complain. They just made it happen. And I think it's a big deal when you've been doing it for years for June and to change it to March. So again, they're not here, but I just want you all to know they were very flexible and more than willing to meet that goal we had and did it because I don't want to ask for extensions and hope for the best. I'd rather do it in a timely fashion and that's what they did.

And I agree with you on that and that's why I said earlier I I appreciate Mr. Scott when we put him in or we made some changes and put him in there. I think he had he was a little lary. I was a little leery about what we was doing at the time, but um he jumped right in there and did everything and he've done a fantastic job. Him and his team have done a fantastic job is getting us this product. And let me tell you, it I know it was a lot of work cuz I know where we was at when I first came in. Okay. And and he asked me for permission to be on a panel for Groveland to hire somebody. And I gave him my blessing to do that as long as it didn't interfere with his responsibilities and he felt like he could lend a hand and do that. So, I think that's pretty that speaks of volumes, right? So, steal him.

No, I already told him he can't go and he said he wasn't leaving. So, we've already had that conversation, Dan and I. No. Well, he he was he was the D blessing. He He's just been like, he's just been fantastic. And I know I know the apprehensions he had when he we first asked him about taking the position and everything, but he he stepped in and took over and done a fantastic job. And

and I I know the audit is done and thank God, you know, um I actually for the last couple years they've been been getting he been getting them done on time once they got caught up. I think they started in 2018 everything but he got them all caught up and I think last year they everything was on time but it was it was close to the wire. Yeah, he made it he made it by June. Yeah, it was close. We just wanted to get that GF OA award, right? And to his credit, you know, he got it and we don't anticipate a problem getting that again.

And I think another good move he made when he changed the auditing firm because I was m well, I was a little upset because it caused me a lot of work having to go back and do a lot of work to change the auditing firm. But that's being selfish, but he I think that was a great move as well.

Okay, so thank you. All right, that's all I have. Anybody else have anything for the good of order? here in N. I meeting Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey.