Village Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. We're going to call to order this meeting of the Wellington Village Council for Tuesday, September 8th. I'd ask you to please stand for the invocation by Deacon Payne from St. Therese, followed by the pledge.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you this evening with grateful hearts. Thank you for the blessings of our community and for the opportunity to serve one another in truth and love. Send your spirit upon the village of Wellington Council. Grant them wisdom to discern what is just, courage to do what is right, and compassion for all who call Wellington home. May their decisions promote peace, fairness, and the common good, reflecting your love for every person. Keep us mindful of the needs of the poor, the vulnerable, and the voiceless among us. Bless this meeting, O Lord, and bless all who labor for the well-being of our community. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

That brings us to the approval of the agenda. And the first item is adding item Western Ride Invitation to Council and to the presentations and proclamations is item 6C. And former item 6C will change to item 6D, respectively. And at the agenda review last Thursday, there was a discussion related to the agenda related to the PBSO budget and contract, as well as the law enforcement services plan for 27. We've addressed Mr. Meyer's questions with Captain Adazio, and I wanted to find out if there was still a desire to pull that off of consent or to keep it on consent.

I'd like to keep it on consent.

All right.

No polling yet. Mr. Barnes, can we switch item 6A and 6B? One of our presenters on 6A is running late, and I think we'd like to do the first responders first.

Okay. We can do that as well. And then the last item is an item that we discussed at agenda review, which is adding resolution number 2026-48, which is funding for the Wellington Water and Sewer Extension Project. We have a presentation on that specific appropriation this evening. It is in order to make sure that we comply with the timeframe set forth by FDEP for council to authorize the manager and staff to execute that agreement. when that arrives from fdep and we would add that as a consent item 7k with those modifications and the item that you also added that we would recommend approval as amended is there a motion to approve as amended to approve as amended second all in favor aye agenda is approved 5-0 takes us to All right, that brings us to presentations and proclamations. Some of the modifications we just made. We'll go ahead and start out with a presentation of the 2026 Wellington Top Cop and Top Firefighter Award. And Ms. Coates will step forward and get us started on this item.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council. I'm Nicole Coates. I'm the Village of Wellington's Public Safety Committee Liaison. And as the Village Council recognizes our first responders year-round for their brave and heroic actions each and every day, we're here tonight to present two outstanding individuals that were nominated through their ranks for this year's 2026 Wellington's Top Cop, Top Firefighter Award. The top cop and top firefighter receiving this award tonight were selected by the Wellington's Public Safety Committee members. I do believe we have some committee members here.

I saw Joseph Rosenberg, if you could stand up and be recognized.

And Kevin Kimberly was here earlier. There's Kevin. You can stand up and be recognized. Thank you. They probably have the hardest job in selecting the top cop and top firefighter every year, so thank you. Now, it is my pleasure to invite our Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office District 8 Commander, Captain Nicole Adazio, to present the 2026 Top Cop recipient, Deputy Jordan Camilleri.

Jordan, if you can step up with me, please. Good evening, mayor and council members. It is my privilege to recognize Deputy Sheriff Jordan Camilleri as our District 8 recipient of the Top Cop Award. Jordan represents exactly what we want in a law enforcement professional. He is dedicated, proactive, highly knowledgeable, and committed to making a lasting difference in the community that he serves. Jordan has more than seven years of law enforcement experience, including the past four years serving the village of Wellington, where he was raised and continues to live. Since being selected as our juvenile assessment and monitoring, or JAM, deputy in May of 2024, he has made a tremendous impact on our approach to juvenile crime and prevention. His results speak for themselves. In 2025, Jordan conducted 24 probation compliance checks, made five arrests for violations of probation, and made 14 juvenile arrests throughout the village of Wellington. He assisted in more than 80 investigations and completed over 200 reports. In 2026, he has already made 15 arrests, executed 16 search warrants, and conducted 100 probation compliance checks. A major part of Jordan's value to our district, however, is his invaluable assistance to our detective bureau. As everyone in law enforcement knows, investigations do not stop. The cases keep coming, and our detectives are constantly working to stay ahead of that workload. Jordan routinely steps up to assist with juvenile-related investigations, follow-up warrants, and investigative work. His willingness to take on additional responsibility provides tremendous support to our detectives and ultimately helps us provide a better level of service to the community. But what truly sets Jordan apart cannot be measured in numbers. He is one of the first people to come into work and one of the last people to leave. And he routinely works long hours and often has to be reminded that the job needs to be left behind so he can go home and enjoy his family and his time off. He holds himself to an exceptionally high standard. He has a strong moral and ethical compass and is committed to being available, doing the job the right way, and setting the example for those around him. And when we recognize someone in law enforcement, we should also recognize the person standing beside them. And that is Jordan's wife, Raven. Can you stand up, Raven? Raven deserves a share in this recognition. The hours worked, the time missed away from family, the phone calls, and the demand of this job, of this profession. They don't stop when a deputy walks out of the district. It definitely goes home with them. So we appreciate you and the family that sits behind him, beside her and behind him. Having an understanding and supportive spouse is incredibly important to this profession, and Raven's support has allowed Jordan to give as much of himself to the community that he has. So while Jordan is receiving this award tonight, Raven, the recognition is equally yours. Jordan, your work ethic, your integrity, your professionalism, and your commitment to your peers and to Wellington embody everything that the Top Cop Award represents. A huge congratulations to you. Thank you.

Trying to move out

Did you want to, yeah, step up, say something. It's not going to be as good as that, but I'll try. Read a little something I wrote here. First, I want to thank the Village of Wellington Council for selecting me for Top Cop. I'm truly grateful for the recognition. I was born and raised here in Wellington and have been a part of this community my entire life. So having the opportunity to serve the same community I grew up in is something that means a lot to me. I want to thank everyone throughout our district who I've had the opportunity to work with. Our road patrol deputies, community policing unit, street crimes unit, traffic division, and detective bureau all play an important role in what we do here in Wellington. I especially want to thank the members of the detective bureau who have shared years of knowledge and experience with me. I've learned a great deal from working alongside them, and their experience has helped me grow both professionally and personally. I also want to thank my Sergeant Donovan, as well as other sergeants in Wellington who I've had the opportunity to work for here. I've learned something from each of them, and I'm grateful for the support, guidance, and trust they've given me throughout my time in the district. I want to recognize our Captain, Captain Adazio, and Lieutenant, Lieutenant Stats. We're very fortunate to have the leadership we have here in Wellington. They lead by example, they support the people who work for them, and they set a high standard for our district. They've created an environment where people are encouraged to work hard, be proactive, and take pride in what we do. I also want to thank my wife and my family for always supporting me through my career. I'm extremely grateful to have them by my side. I'm especially proud of the work I get to do with the Jam Unit. I work with juveniles who may be struggling at home, at school, or making decisions that are leading them in the wrong direction. I make contact with them each month and work to build relationships, not only with the juveniles, but their families as well. One of the things I've learned doing this is that sometimes making a difference doesn't happen overnight. A lot of it comes down to being consistent, building trust, and showing these kids that there are people in their community who want to see them do better. My goal is to be someone they can talk to while also holding them accountable and helping them understand that the decisions they make now can have an impact on their future. Seeing some of these kids make positive changes and knowing that I may have played even a small role in helping them get there has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Receiving this award is a tremendous honor, but it also reminds me how fortunate I am to be in the position that I am. I get to serve the community where I grew up, work alongside people I respect, and hopefully make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve. I am very proud to represent the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, District 8, and the Village of Wellington. I'm extremely grateful for this recognition, and I look forward to continuing to serve this community for many years to come. Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Camilleri, for your service. We appreciate you. I love that you grew up in Wellington and you're back here serving. I love the impact you're having on our youth. Raven, thank you for sharing him with us. We appreciate it. We know how much that means to you as well. You know, you're the top cop. When you were outside, we had the plaque ceremony that recognized all the prior recipients. I mean, you were already on an all-star team. Now you're on the all-star team of the all-star team. Thank you for everything you do. We appreciate you. We appreciate all you in the back on both sides of the room. Thank you. We have the best public safety officers in the county and the state. So thank you all.

I'll just say a quick thing. Are we taking a picture?

I think we'll do the two of them first, then we'll come down separately. We don't get up and down that way.

Sounds good. I just want to thank you for your service. Thank you for everything you do. I love your mentality. We're lucky to have someone like you out on the streets helping our youth. So thank you so much and congratulations.

It's just such an honor to see you and to see what you have accomplished. And thank you to all of you in green here tonight. Thank you for all that all of you do. It's safety that counts. That's everyone knows. I ran on that, and that's just embedded in me that safety is top priority or one of the top priorities. And that's what each and every one of you here in District 8 do for us. You keep us safe. And for that, I really appreciate it. But I have to add that one of the moments that I really appreciated was watching your family. Is this your dad in the stripes? I saw a couple of you do this, and I'm like, oh, what a moment for you as a family. So congratulations to you, too.

Thank you.

I'm just very grateful that you're here, your energy, your enthusiasm, the support of your family, the rest of the department. It's really terrific to see. You grew up here, and then you're back here serving. It's really tremendous.

Congratulations, Jordan. You definitely deserve it. You're a stud amongst studs.

All right. Yeah, we'll take a group photo after we do the presentation of the top firefighter. So it is my pleasure now to introduce Division Chief Amanda Vamero to present this year's 2026 top firefighter, Lieutenant Jason Haythorne.

Thank you.

I'm going to read the nomination letter on behalf of Captain Mike Gruba. Dear Awards Committee, I would like to nominate Lieutenant Jason Haythorn as Top Firefighter for 2026. Anyone who knows Jason knows he is an exceptional firefighter, paramedic, leader, and mentor. He is intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, and unwaveringly dedicated to both the residents we serve and the firefighters he leads. Throughout the last six years serving at Station 30, one of our department's busiest rescue companies, Jason has consistently demonstrated commitment to excellence in patient care, fire suppression, and professional development. For years, Lieutenant Haythorn has played a pivotal role in training and mentoring Battalion 2 paramedics, EMTs, probationary firefighters, and future officers. He takes personal responsibility for developing those around him, for sharing the knowledge and experience he has gained throughout his career. His efforts have helped produce highly competent providers and has positively influenced countless members of our organization. Jason continuously strives to improve himself professionally. He has earned multiple certifications, including Fire Officer II, Instructor II, and has pursued additional specialized training that directly benefits our department and the community we serve. Beyond his normal duties, he serves as a drone operator, public information officer during disasters, member of the Southeast Florida Incident Management Team, inspector, aerial operator, and rope rescue operator. He willingly accepts these additional responsibilities without hesitation and consistently performs them at a high level. Despite his many accomplishments, Jason remains humble, approachable, and focused on serving others. He is calm under pressure, thoughtful in his decision making, and genuinely cares about the people he serves. He takes the time to comfort patients and their families, explain complex situations, and ensure they feel heard and respected. He treats every patient as if they were a family member of his own. Simply put, Lieutenant Haythorn embodies the very best of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. If my own family were experiencing a crisis, I could choose one person to respond. It would be Lieutenant Jason Haythorn. Thank you for your consideration. Mike Garuba, Captain, Station 30 C-Shift.

Without further ado, Lieutenant Haythorn.

Thank you.

You don't want to say anything? He says thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Like I said, as you can see, my little one, she's ready. I'm going to keep her busy.

She's excited. Thank you, guys. Thank you.

Thank you. This is the first time we had an award winner upstage by their children. They're so excited. They're adorable. Again, same as I said before, thank you for all you do. You're the best of the best. We appreciate all the work you do and the hard work of you keeping us all safe every day. Thank you for what you do, and congratulations on the recognition. And your beautiful family.

They're so cute. Congratulations. We can all just say the same thing. Congratulations and thank you for serving our community so well.

Congratulations to you again. It warms my heart to see your family. They're all just so excited. Daddy got something. But thank you for what you do every day. I know it's difficult for first responders on your side as well, too, because you're on the road. You see a lot. And for that, very appreciative. I know that you give up a lot of time with your family. But know that we appreciate you very much. Thank you.

Again, thanks very much for your dedication and your service and the support of your family. If we could have your daughter wave again, that'd be terrific. Both of you. Both daughters. Both daughters.

Thank you.

All three. All three.

Congratulations. What an amazing letter that Captain Gruber wrote for you. I was like, that's a hell of an accomplishment that you have. And just proud to have you in our community taking care of us. Thank you.

Now we'll do the photos, right?

All right, so now I welcome the council down and our top cop and top firefighter to join us for a group photo, and then we could take some family photos, too. So please join us here in the front. Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll keep moving to the end. Smile air. I did it. All right, we're going to look over here now.

Are you ready? One, two, three. One, two, three. Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Sorry. Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations. Good job. Good job. Thank you, Nicole. Thank you, Sandy. Thank you, Sandy.

I was trying to find a rescue first. Oh, yeah, there you go. So again, right in the middle. You'll be in the middle. Ready? One, two, three. Thank you. Sure, sure. All right. One, two, three.

Perfect.

unless we're trading seats

Once again, thank you all. And for those who don't know, we had a ceremony before this presentation, and there's now a plaque in the lobby or the grand atrium with all of the past winners of the Top Cop and Top Firefighters on permanent display in the building. So go check that out next time you're here.

All right. It brings us to our next item, which is a check presentation to the Village of Wellington by Senator McBernard and Representative Ann Gerwig. If I could ask them to join us.

Just bring the check, come on.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Mac Bernard, State Senator for District 24. I don't represent Wellington, which is different because I represent, I believe, 17 different municipalities in Palm Beach County. But it is a pleasure to work with Representative Gerwig on this important project. for the village, and I do see your clerk, and she had to deal with me when I was like a young city commissioner back in 2009. I'm not following you, so it's okay. But it's so great to see you. But we're happy that we're able to secure this funding, and so I'll let Representative Gerwig continue. Thank you.

So it's great to be on this side. I'll just tell you, it's a lot more relaxed on this side. And I'm enjoying it. But again, I want to say what a pleasure it is to work with you, Senator Bernard. You are an amazing leader in this community and have stood up for the principles that matter to Palm Beach County. And thank you so much, because you know, There's a couple of these I didn't get. They did not have your name on them. So it's our honor to bring back a portion of what goes up to Tallahassee. I don't know if you've looked at the numbers lately, but the main, yes, the generators of the taxes that get sent up there are Palm Beach, Broward, Miami. And it's our joy to bring a little bit back and make things a little bit easier for our local governments. And thank you so much for unlocking the door again for me. That was great.

We'll lock it when you go. I know you will.

I know you will. So we want to bring the check down and show off my penmanship. And that's really the main goal tonight. But again, thank you. It's our honor. It's my honor to represent you in Tallahassee and to work with great leaders. So thank you for giving me this opportunity.

We're lucky to have you. We appreciate both of you. We were hoping for two checks, but we'll take the one.

Yes.

I know. One is better than none. So we'll come down and do a photo with the giant check.

How much is it?

And what's the floor? $4.6 million.

For water and sewer extension.

Oh.

Yes.

Can we do that?

Yes, we do. Just turn to you.

I know. Okay. Yes.

Come on in.

Come on in. Otherwise, you'll have Christmas.

I know. Everybody loves Christmas.

All right. Here we go. You ready?

One, two, three.

can you do one on your iphone and send it to me my assistant was late

We should drive one back. All right, Mr. Barnes, while everyone's settling down, why don't you announce the next item?

All right, next item is the Western Riot Invitation to Council, and I'd like to call Mr. Stuart Geller up to present this item. He's hiding behind the firefighters. I didn't see him.

Good to see you again.

Mr. Mayor, Mr. Vice Mayor, or I should say Vice Mayor, council members, I want to thank you for allowing me to briefly speak this evening about domestic violence, an issue that impacts nearly one in three women and one in eight men, and of course, the Western right as well. Women in Distress, or WID, is the only nationally accredited and state-certified domestic violence center serving Florida with a mission to stop violence abuse for everyone, through intervention, education, and advocacy. As the percentage of police reports classified as high lethality increased from 30% to 66%, WID served and supported close to 2,500 survivors last year. To assist with that mission, Donna's Fund was established to help empower domestic violence victims to live safely and independently Donations made to Donna's fund help provide support for housing payments and deposits, furnishings, and other related items needed to help victims of domestic violence establish safe households for themselves and their children. The Western Ride was launched in 2022 benefiting Donna's fund and honoring Donna Wenger, who was tragically lost to domestic violence. This year's Western Ride will be held on October 18th and is for people of all fitness levels and cycling abilities, with the goal to increase awareness of domestic violence while raising funds for families starting their new violence-free lives. As the largest organized ride in the Western communities of Palm Beach County, this year we look forward to hosting over 300 riders. and will offer pre- and post-ride food with snacks along the way, raffles, prizes, and other activities. Sponsors this year include FPL, Comcast, Wellington Regional Medical Center. The ride will be escorted by none other than Wellington's finest, who I think have all checked out. We really appreciate having them on the ride. We'll make for a nice, smooth ride through Wellington. And we invite council members and members of the community at large to participate in this noble cause. And with that, I'll go ahead and issue some invitations.

Steve has money.

Thank you. And you'll start to see some of these through Wellington as well. These posters will be posted. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Stu. It's a great event, and it's a really important cause, and I think Mr. Levin might want to say something about it.

You spoke better than I ever did.

It's actually true.

Thank you, Steve. Thank you.

Before we get to the next item, which is the public hearing and presentation for the proposed fiscal year 26-27 budget, I'd like to call an audible and go back to a public safety item and call Chief Romero back up. And she has a brief announcement that she'll share with us

I was wondering why the firefighters were sticking around.

Welcome back.

Hello again. Thank you. As most of you know, Chief Kennedy has given me the opportunity to serve the community and the department in a little bit of a different role. And I've been promoted to Division Chief of Community Engagement. And I'm going to introduce to you your new District 28 who will be taking command of Battalion 2. And I'll read just a little bit about Chief Garcia before I let him say hello.

We all have to do that now. It's terrible.

Chief Garcia brings more than 22 years of experience, most recently serving as the battalion chief of facilities where he was responsible for facility-related maintenance, repair projects, and future expansions, ensuring our firefighters had a safe, effective, and efficient working space. Chief Garcia worked as a captain for many years in battalions 1, 3, 4, and 5 before serving the department as battalion chief at Station 42. down in Battalion 4. He is known for his ability to be a team leader and prides himself on keeping open lines of communication with everyone. He has a knack for active listening and empathetic decision making that will serve him well in his new role here serving your community. Chief Garcia has been married for 19 years and is a proud father of two children, one of whom aspires to follow in his father's footsteps. When not providing resources for operational personnel, he enjoys passing time with his family and strives to be the best role model for them. So without further ado, your new District Chief 28, Jose Garcia.

First of all, Chief Romero, thank you for that kind introduction. We could all agree on there's no replacing Chief Romero. What she's been able to do with this community, with the Western communities, the relationships she's been able to build, the work she's put in, the dedication, it's shown. And the council members even said the best of the best. She is one of the best of the best. And I just hope I strive to be as good as her. And what a great opportunity for her to still be involved in Wellington and, I guess, a lifeline, if you may. Anytime I may need advice or maybe that's not the best thing to do, it's going to be a great working relationship. And I look forward to working with each one of you council members. And seeing what we could do as an organization between public safety and seeing what we could do for our communities and strengthening this public safety that you guys are so passionate about. And what a welcoming group of individuals you guys are. Thank you for welcoming so much already in the first five minutes that I've been here. And I look forward to working with each one of you.

Well, welcome to Wellington, Chief Garcia. We look forward to working with you. Quite a welcome out there tonight for the event. So you see what we're used to in Wellington and how much we appreciate our first responders. And usually this is always a goodbye, but this is nice. It's not a goodbye this time. It's just that you're staying with us. You're just changing job titles. So it's a double win for us. So we're excited to keep you both. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes.

Welcome aboard.

Thank you.

Ms. Quiggle. So an oral announcer?

Do we need to read or just start the presentation? No? Wow, OK. All good. All right, good evening. No segue. We are here for the first public hearing in tentative millage and budget adoption for fiscal year 27. Thank you for the opportunity to present our 27 budget. The foundation of our budget begins with Wellington. Our budget process focuses on the five fundamentals, neighborhood renaissance, economic development, protecting our investment, responsive government, and respecting the environment. We then developed the budget using insights and information from the 26 Directions Workshop with Council to develop the budget priorities to support the fundamentals to deliver essential services efficiently, support community priorities, fund operations and maintenance of expanded facilities while minimizing tax impacts, and responsibly invest in Wellington's future. The 27 proposed budget continues Wellington's commitment to stable budgeting for sustainability. The total proposed fiscal year 27 budget is $150.4 million, which is $5.5 million, or 3.5% less than the current year budget of $155.9 million. The $5.5 million decrease is primarily due to reduced capital improvements, elimination of positions, leasing of major equipment, and no election expense. Detailed information regarding major capital projects was presented at the Capital Workshop on August 10, 2026. This is the first public hearing of two considering the Advalora millage rate budget. At this time, we propose no change in the millage rate of 2.47 mills, and this will require a two-thirds majority vote to adopt. And also please note that the 2.47 millage rate is the average for the past 17 years. The Acme Improvement District Budget, the Solid Waste Budget, the Saddle Trail Special Assessment, and the Utility Rates and Budget were adopted at the August 11, 26 Council meeting as shown. This slide shows the calculations behind the vote required to adopt tonight's millage rate, the numbers that Florida's Truth in Millage, or TRIM, law requires us to disclose. We start with what the village collected last year, $32.7 million in ad valorem property tax revenue. That figure is based on the final taxable value from last year, and it excludes any revenue generated by new construction because new construction isn't counted. It didn't exist when last year's rate was set. To calculate this year's rolled back rate, we compare two taxable value figures. Last year's final taxable value after Adjustment Board appeals of $13.2 billion, and this year's taxable value again excluding new construction of $13.9 billion. Dividing the prior year's revenue by this year's value gives us the rollback millage rate of 2.3587 mills. We round that to 2.36. This is the rate that would raise the same property tax dollars this year as last year on the same properties. The 2.36 mil rolled back rate is also, under Florida's new property tax law effective this year, the maximum majority millage rate, the highest rate this council can adopt with a simple majority vote. If council wishes to adopt a rate above that, up to 2.59 mils, State law requires a two-thirds vote of the full council membership. Any rate above 2.59 mils requires either a unanimous vote of the full council or approval by a voter referendum. Out of the proposed fiscal year 27 budget of $150.4 million, tax revenue provides $32.7 million in revenue using the 2.47 millage rate. With an estimated 5.3% increase in the 26 taxable value to $13.9 billion, the strength of Wellington's residential market provides ad valorem tax revenues of $1.49 million more than last year at the preliminary 2.47 millage rate. This is the 14th consecutive year of increased property values since 2013. The revenue value of each tenth of a mil is $1.3 million in 27 compared to $1.25 million in 26. And of the almost 23,000 properties in Wellington, 63% are residential properties with homestead exemptions and less than 1% are vacant properties. The impact on a homesteaded property valued at $450,000 is a $30 increase. The impact on a non-homesteaded property is a $111 increase. And this slide shows some other potential millage rate impacts that are presented as shown. It is important to remember that while the millage rate is unchanged, homeowners may still see an increase in their taxes if their property value increased. To expand upon the impact of real properties, we have included some comparative changes in taxes using various property types. Here we show changes for a variety of actual properties, both homesteaded and non-homesteaded. The two highlighted columns show actual taxes for last year compared to this upcoming year, and the last column shows the annual change. Please note, the last property shown reflects an overall 138% increase in Wellington tax, and this shows the impact from the property which was homesteaded previously. The budget is key to our municipal operations, setting our organizational goals, expressing our values to our stakeholders, and allowing our municipal operations to proceed from a financial perspective. Today, there are many hazards and situations needing attention, and as leaders of our community, you see those. We use resiliency-focused budgeting to consider residents' needs and wants, environmental concerns, safety and health concerns, and, of course, the regular cycles of weather-related emergencies. Our focus on budgetary resilience, which is the practice of planning, collecting, allocating, and distributing revenues and programmatic spending in support of long-term savings, sustainability in our municipality is in essence keeping wellington viable and ever improving council encounters effects from many demanding pressures that must be identified planned and provided for in our budget but more specifically impacts from hurricanes in the climate population growth and availability of water resources, and many other matters support our strategies of new revenue creation, cost savings, exploring in-kind opportunities, and utilizing partnerships of all kinds while providing value to the communities we manage. It is no small statement that we have maintained our high levels of service and remained financially sound, all while proposing a lower overall budget this year. Here we see various revenues included in the budget, leading with charges for services, which include water and wastewater charges and recreation and license fees. With the 14th consecutive year of increased property values, ad valorem property taxes represent the second highest revenue source, followed by transfers in and allocation of reserves third. Fourth is non-advalorum assessments for ACME and solid waste. Fifth is permits and fees. Sixth is utility, fuel, and communication services with sales and fuel taxes, grants, and intergovernmental revenue. Seventh, and lastly, road and recreation impact fees and fines and investment income. The 27 budget is about collaboration, resiliency, and sustainability. We are here to support Council as we all work to provide information for sound decisions. We listen very closely to each of you on Council and strive to incorporate the variety of challenges into this budget. We also listen closely to our residents. Maintaining services means focusing what our community wants and needs from us and how we can improve the services we provide the public day in and day out. We have worked to continue our overall outstanding customer service in all departments, and we strive to be responsive and to work through challenges. We are continuously evaluating efficiencies throughout the village's operations, and all of this with the overall filter of improving outreach, transparency, and accessibility for residents. Now looking at expenditures, we start with the highest areas of transfers, debt service, and non-departmental, with public works followed closely by utilities and solid waste. Capital projects and public safety are neck and neck. Then general government is sixth, with recreation and culture coming in seventh, and we close out eighth with planning, zoning, CDBG, and ship expenditures. 18.7% of the total tax bill goes to Wellington. The largest portion of the tax bill is paid to the school district followed by Palm Beach County. Wellington receives $0.12 per tax dollar for the typical homesteaded property with a $411,000 taxable value. ACME receives $0.03, and Wellington Solid Waste Collection receives $0.04. That leaves $0.81 for the other taxing authorities, which include the county, the school board, and fire rescue. Now we show a sample tax bill with the 18.7% of the total tax going to Wellington. Again, the largest portion of the tax bill is paid to the school district, followed by Palm Beach County. This sample homestead owner will pay $33 more to Wellington in ad valorem taxes and $5 more to Wellington solid waste. To further put all these dollars in perspective, Wellington's general fund budget of approximately $72 million provides an average $2,900 in spending for each of the 24,500 households in Wellington. That spending is supported by revenue from property taxes of approximately $1,173 per average home value of $475,000 or $98 per month. That is almost two and one-half times the services and programs expended per dollar of property tax revenue. Ad valorem tax revenue of $32.7 million represents 46% of the general fund revenues for fiscal year 27 and support the multiple expenditure categories used to support and maintain the Village of Wellington. The two top areas are public works and facilities and public safety, both of which are top areas of concern from the budget outreach. The fiscal year 27 tentative budget adoption presented includes the annual funding of $95.8 million, excluding increases or decreases to reserves and balances brought forward. This is a decrease from the fiscal year 26 adopted budget of $7.8 million, resulting from reduced capital improvements, elimination of positions, leasing of major equipment, and no election expense. The proposed fiscal year 27 budget objectives are to fund our exceptional level of facility and infrastructure maintenance for optimal condition, cleanliness, and appearance to reduce further cost, support safety and security through law enforcement, emergency management, code enforcement, and building and permitting, protect roads and properties from flooding through surface water management and drainage improvement projects, improve roadways, pathways, and roadsides for traffic safety, mobility, and appearance, provide parks and recreation programs, camps, events, and athletic facilities for our diverse and growing population, support our community through grants and community services, provide high-quality water and wastewater service and responsive solid waste collection, plan for revitalization of our aging commercial areas, maximize technology to continue improving efficiency and engagement, and fund capital projects that invest in Wellington's future. Now we're in the public hearing portion of the budget calendar with the second public hearing and final adoption scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026. This proposed fiscal year 27 budget is carefully formulated to help you guide the village of Wellington through the complexities of municipal management. Wellington is a healthy community because of your thoughtful approach to resource planning with long-term vision and short-term practicality. A fiscally responsible budget empowers you to keep Wellington safe, healthy, resilient, and sustainable. That has been the case for the past 30 years. We conclude with a summary overview of the largest revenue sources for the Village of Wellington. Charges for services at $43 million, ad valorem taxes at $33 million, local taxes, state revenue sharing, and franchise fees of $19 million, and permit fees and special assessments at $28 million. Then we add the expenditures these revenues provide. Drinking water, water used in your home and garbage pickup at $47 million. Expenditures for roads, facilities, parks and landscaping maintenance, surface water and flood protection, $38 million. Expenditures for major capital improvements involving traffic, roads, parks, pump stations and utility system improvements at $19 million. Law enforcement, emergency management, building permits, and code enforcement at $19 million, and athletics, aquatics, and community programs and events at $18 million. And before we close, I want to spend a moment on something that doesn't always get its own slide. That is what we cut. It is easy to talk about a budget in terms of what it funds, but it is just important to show what we trimmed to get there, because every dollar we don't spend is a dollar we don't have to ask you for. Council is committed to keeping Wellington's tax burden as low as possible, and this budget reflects that mandate. Staff didn't wait to be told to find savings. We built this process around finding savings. Across our governmental funds, this proposed budget is $7.81 million lower than where we started. That's not a rounding adjustment. That is staff going line by line through every request and asking whether it reflects what Wellington actually needs right now, not what would be nice to have. So where did the savings come from? First is capital funding, $4.6 million lower. The single biggest piece of this is good news dressed up as a cut. Several of our major capital projects are simply finished. We're not scaling back ambition here. We're not refunding work that's already done. And what remains is targeted at ongoing, already approved programs. Four vacant positions are eliminated. These are positions that were open, not layoffs, not cuts to anyone currently serving Wellington, and in several cases we turned opening into an opportunity. Our finance team absorbed the vacant accountant position by leaning further into automation, and technology does the work so a person doesn't have to. The other three, strategic planning, public information, and community events, mean a modest, deliberate scaling back in comprehensive planning activity, public communications, and the number of community events we run. These are real trade-offs, and we're being transparent about them rather than pretending there's no impact at all. And finally, major maintenance is right-sized rather than reduced across the board. Road and pathway overlay comes down by $1 million, six fewer lane miles this cycle. Every road remains on schedule. We're just pacing the work rather than cutting it. Building maintenance and neighborhood parks funding drops by over $400,000, largely because we're rolling forward funds already sitting in reserve from projects that carried over, not by shrinking what is getting fixed. Athletic facilities and field funding is down $600,000, focused now on village park repairs. The highest-use facility gets the priority dollar. Surface water management comes down $350,000 in inspection and swale canal work, a deliberate monitored reduction, not a walk away from flood protection. To bring this home, cuts in quality together, none of this required touching the services residents rely on every day. Public safety is fully funded. Our parks stay open. Our roads stay on schedule. Our water and sewer systems keep getting the investment they need. What changed is the pace and discipline behind the spending, not the commitment behind it. And that is what responsible budgeting looks like. Not a single dramatic gesture, but dozens of deliberate decisions, each one asking the same question. Does this dollar need to be spent this year? Where that answer was no, we said no. Where the answer was yes, we made sure it was funded well. And that is how we hold the line on our tax rate while keeping Wellington the community you've come to expect. Thank you. I'm happy to answer your questions.

You're going to tell me to open public hearing?

I knew that's why I looked over and you were going to say that.

Before we open public hearing, I want to say thank you to you and your team for putting together this budget. Every year, you guys do an amazing job. You've got sharp pencils, and you make cuts, and you make wise decisions. So we appreciate all the work that goes into this presentation that nobody comes out to watch.

And Ms. Wadley has joined us by Zoom. She's listening in as well.

Yes. So thank you. So want to open public hearing, someone?

I'll move to open public hearing.

Second. All in favor? Aye. Public hearing is now open. Madam Vice Mayor, I'm sure we have some cards.

Mr. Tillman, come on up. You know the drill.

Good evening. My name is Bruce Tooman and my primary and homesteaded zero lot line property at 752 Lake Wellington Drive in the Village of Wellington. Capital projects proposing using only $8 million of our $27 million available funds. Hmm. $100,000 for the village entrance sign program. How much did the sign cost us that it's blocking the driver's view? When you come in there, you're almost hitting the left turn lane. Stormwater pump station improvements. Boy, you've got a bunch of them out there. You budgeted $1.6 million and will have a total price of nearly $14 million. Is this costing us so much because we're replacing good diesel-driven water pumps and replace them with electric-driven pumps that needs an emergency diesel generator to supply it? Two pieces of equipment instead of one? Now, just because you agreed to it many years ago, you don't have to still do it. $14 million. Now, quote, the proposed millage rate of 4.72% above the rollback rate of 3.67 mills, but they're still increasing our taxes by $1.49 million to the $32.68. This sounds like they are increasing our taxes. Now, how much of our adverum tax revenue will the $32 million be reduced by by referendum three? And I reason why that may pass is because of wasteful spending by municipalities like you. Of course, I wonder what kind of games you're going to play to make up the difference. Maybe increase ACME revenue. And also, is Wellington going to pay to replace the AstroTurf over at the school board's high school? Thank you.

Thank you. Any other cards? That's all. Any other public comment? Come on up. You can fill out a card afterwards. Name and address, three minutes. Good evening.

Ivan, 783 Lake Wellington Drive. I'm just curious to what the investments that the, she was talking about, what does the city have as far as investments for income?

We don't do back and forth. It's just public comment, but we can get you a copy of all that information after the meeting. You can look at it yourself.

Is it online? I didn't even know.

I think it's probably online, but if not, we can get you a copy of it.

Okay, cool. Yeah, because there was something about investments. I'm like, oh, the guy's got investments? So, okay. Yeah, that's it. That's pretty much it. Cool. Thank you.

Thanks for coming, sir. Any other public comments? Seeing none, is there a motion to close public hearing? So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Mr. Tooman, please keep it down because we can hear you up here. We're having a meeting. All right. With that, any questions for Ms. Quickle or any of the voices that are in the ether listening to us from our team?

I have some. I'll start. So I know that we had lost two positions. Now it's four positions. That's correct?

Yes.

Is there a conversation or is there a decision for a hiring freeze so that we're not – re-backfill in those different positions, at least for 2027?

So for those four specific positions, we actually have cut those positions from the budget, so we wouldn't be able to necessarily, we're not just keeping them in reserve and then filling them later. Those are actually cut positions, but we have not instituted a hiring freeze at this point. And at that, anytime we would do anything like that, and I think we've done that maybe twice since I've been here for 23 years, they've been exempting specific positions, whether it be emergency related positions from public safety related surface water management, that type of thing. But at this point, we have not instituted a freeze.

I like the idea of a hiring freeze with the exception of the emergency services like you mentioned.

What we do do is when positions become vacant now, we look at those just like these to see if we can make alternate arrangements if there are opportunities for change that would help address potential changes coming forward. So we're very careful in evaluating if positions do become vacant through attrition and things like that.

Great. Okay, cool. How much do we have in reserves? Is it about $23 million? $23 million.

Hang on just one second. The unassigned reserves stand at approximately 16.3 I'm sorry, I'm looking at the waste water fund. Approximately Roughly $50.1 million for the unassigned reserves.

And out of curiosity, with the current proposal keeping the millage rate at 2.47 and the budget at $150 million or so, are we adding more to that reserves bucket?

No. The general fund reserve portion of that is almost $30 million, and we're not increasing that. There's a slight increase to the building fund reserves and to the solid waste, but not to the general fund.

And with the current proposal for 2027, we're not reducing or taking away from that reserve budget either?

This is a fully balanced budget without use of general fund reserves.

And just as an exercise, if you were to roll back to the 2.36, would that cause us to dip into the reserves?

You would have choices. You would either use reserves for that difference or you would make additional cuts in expenditures or a combination of both.

Okay.

That's all I have. Ms. Quigle, can you explain the importance of having reserves and what our policy is on setting our reserves?

So the council has a policy that has been adopted where we maintain between 25% to 30% of the upcoming year's expenditures in reserves. We slightly exceed that by $2 to $3 million from that. And that is provided so that primarily we have funds available to operate for approximately two to three months at a time, but more importantly during emergencies. When we have hurricanes and emergencies, even tornadoes, whatever the emergency is, FEMA usually supports us. But you're looking at a three to five year recovery rate of those expenditures for reimbursement. Having these types of reserves available, we can immediately go ahead with doing whatever we need to do. And just the most recent example, the tornadoes that passed, I think it's been two years now, We can burn through $3 to $5 million in a matter of days with the kind of work that you saw the recovery we did from that.

Sure. And I also want to mention, with respect to the FEMA claim, a portion of that FEMA claim was denied and we're repealing it. So it's not a guarantee.

Right. We hope to get it back, but we don't know that we will.

Correct. But that's one of the biggest drivers to have the funding for us to do what we need to do quickly, because immediately people are asking for help from that. So that's a huge driver of that.

Yeah, I think it's important to note the slide you put up when you show the homesteaded property values of 450 and 650, which is your assessed value, not your market value. And you see that at a homesteaded property assessed at 450, your taxes are going to increase by 30 bucks a year, which is $2.75 a month. And if your home is assessed at 650, your taxes are going to increase $43 a year, which is $3.50 a month. And if you look at your tax bill, I mean, your tax bill, my tax bill is big. Everyone's tax bill is very big. We would all like to pay less in taxes. But if you look at your tax bill and what you pay Wellington, on my tax bill, my house is assessed at like $600,000. It's worth far more because property guys went up. I pay Wellington $122 a month in taxes. And I get an awful lot for that $122 a month. I pay $600 a month to insure three cars. I get nothing for that, except to fight with my insurance company when I have to file a claim. So there's good ways to spend money, and there's bad ways to spend money. And I think what we have here is a very responsible budget, because we do all the things that make Wellington, Wellington that our residents enjoy. And sure, you can arbitrarily cut the millage rate to symbolically say we lowered taxes, but it doesn't really move the needle on England's World Tax Bill unless you do a drastic cut. And if you do a drastic cut to that bill, you're not living in Wellington anymore. I mean, you are, but it's not the Wellington that brought you here. So, you know, I'm in favor of this budget. I'm in favor of the 2.47 mill that we've had held steady for almost 12 years now, I think. And that's, you know, historic low millage rate for our village um so I think this is a sound responsible budget and I guess when the vice mayor comes back we can finish talking about it and maybe vote on it hopefully she's okay is it the case that it's 2.47 or you have to go to 237 236 or is there anything in between you can pick whatever any number lower than 2.47 understood those are the options

And I appreciate what you did. Amazing job. While everything is so expensive and everybody's feeling it at the pump, at the grocery store, I think if we could shave it a little bit, even if it is symbolic, it looks great for the people that we're working on their behalf. So I would personally like to see a reduction in it from 2.47 to some number, even if it's 2.40. I think that's a nice, round, even number.

Right. But when you cut the budget like that, it'll save someone $2 a month, but it'll drastically impact the overall total dollars the village takes in every year. So you're not really – you're really – you're cutting the – you'll be cutting the millage rate, and you'll be saving someone $2 a month, and then we'll cut services that they appreciate to afford a $2 savings. That's like, what, a fifth of a Starbucks to save $2 a month. So, you know, what would you cut from the budget? What would that be? What would a two-point – what would that millage rate reduce the ad valorem by?

If we went to 2.45?

If we went to the rollback rate from 2.47, because I'm sure you have that math already done.

He said 2.40. 2.40, okay. Okay, I'm not a human calculator. I know that.

That's why I picked the rollback rate.

I thought you might have that. If you went to the rollback rate, you're looking at about a $1.7 to $2 million cut addition from what you're seeing here.

Okay. So it's somewhere less than that.

Correct. Okay. Close to $2 million. Or use of reserves.

i think it's a step in the in the direction of i understand that it's a two dollar savings or what have you this year but if we can reduce it again next year and reduce again the following year i think it's the direction that i would like to see us go versus and don't get me wrong it's plausible it's uh i applaud everybody keeping a 2.47 for however long it's been 15 years or what have you that's great that it hasn't gone up but to see it go down i think that'd be a an incredible thing for us to be able to do is to start moving the needle the other direction.

I think based on what we have coming that we don't really know what we're looking at in the near future here. We kind of do, and it doesn't sound good. I know when Mr. Barnes gives his information at the meeting, it's very abysmal. Maybe that number is drastic. Maybe we look at something even smaller and consider that we could do that for the next year and the next year where it's not so drastic. I mean, it doesn't help the residents so much, but it also wouldn't hurt us so much. And if it was a smaller amount, just to lower it and then maybe we see how we have to adjust in the next coming years. We can maybe go smaller and smaller just to... get where we want to go, but not do it in a drastic way, because I don't want to do anything that is detrimental to what we have. I think it's been great at 2.47, but even if you went to 2.45, that's literally almost nothing for our residents, and I understand that, but if we looked at that, it was less of an effect for us, and then in the future years, maybe we could look at something very small to get down to maybe what a goal could be in the future. I understand.

If we want to cut the millage rate, what would you like to cut from the budget when we cut the money from the budget? What would you like to take out of the budget?

Well, that's something that we would have to come back on the next one and see. Honestly, the way we run Wellington is amazing. I love everything we have. When I talk to residents, they don't want to miss any of our shows. The seniors love their events. You know, our public safety is very important. There's really nothing that I want to see drastically cut. I don't want to see that at all. That's why I'm proposing something very, very, very tiny. Much tinier than what Mr. Meyer is saying. And it doesn't have to be a cut.

It could be just another revenue stream or a revenue source that we haven't collected on. Like we talked briefly about putting a fence around the amphitheater and charging non-residents. I know that some of my peers here don't like that idea, but I personally am a fan of having people that come to our village utilizing our services that we're the ones paying for have them pay something. If they're going to utilize our services, why is it not fair to have them pay for it? And so there's a lot of other things that we could do in order to earn some more capital, earn some more revenue that's fair across the board. And it doesn't have to be a cut. It can be just another revenue stream that offsets it. That's how business works.

So I would look to clarify what those additional revenue streams are, what they bring in as we're at first reading. And we've been through capital improvement plans, budget workshops, and so forth. Your department has been extremely diligent in committing to not replace these positions in sharpening your pencil on the pathways and roadways, millage, the maintenance for the parks, and so forth. in finding the savings as costs for everything are going up. The village is not exempt from rising costs. And managing those costs responsibly and adequately get us to a balanced budget while maintaining the reserves in the event of a natural disaster that we need to clean up from. So if we're looking to reduce, then we need to find a revenue stream that offsets that. Now, I can't sharpen a pencil and arbitrarily pick a number with reduced millage or reduced revenue without offsetting that.

And with Amendment 3 coming, I'm not comfortable cutting anything because we might get drastically cut and we have to make some major cuts. To do a symbolic cut this year to really not move the needle on anyone's property values or their property taxes with what we're potentially facing in November is a massive loss in revenue. I think it's irresponsible to cut the to cut the millage rate today when we don't know what's going to be happening in November. Do you want to talk about it for next year? That makes sense, because we have to make a lot, we have to potentially make a lot of cuts. But just to do a symbolic cut this year that doesn't move the needle for any specific resident, but does move the needle significantly for the village and doesn't have a source of replacement revenue, which is kind of what the state did. We're going to cut your taxes, but there's no way to replace it. And without really benefiting anyone or pointing things that we shouldn't spend money on that get you to that difference in millage rate, I think that's just irresponsible. It sounds great, but it's irresponsible.

I was under the impression you didn't think Amendment 3 would pass, so that was part of the reason I brought it up. Sorry, what? I didn't think you thought Amendment 3 was going to pass when we discussed it.

I don't have a crystal ball. If I had a crystal ball, I would do a lot of things differently. For sure.

The other side is that we can't assume anything. We don't know if it's going to pass or not pass, so we have to focus on the worst scenario and the best scenario because we don't know what's going to happen. Ms. Quigley. Am I reading correctly? And I'm trying to understand the conversation we're having here to cut the budget. It says the proposed 2026-27 budget is presented with an overall decrease of 7.81 million.

That's correct.

Haven't we sharpened the pencil already enough for that budget for next year? Because if I heard you correctly earlier that the departments all went through their line items and they did their own cutting. to the best that they could to maintain Wellington what it is today and what will be for the budget next year.

That's correct. This slide shows the areas that were specific cuts to come up with the $7.8 million from that.

It's different, and that leads to the decrease. $7.81 million is quite a bit of a decrease. Correct. And we all know where the decreases are coming from because you showed that to us. So at the end of the day, I don't know where the pencil can be sharpened anymore, at least for the budget next year. And I agree with the mayor that until we know what's going to happen in November, that's good. We have a decrease. We didn't increase.

Thank you.

And that's the word we got to look at, the decrease that we did already.

That was the challenge.

I'm going to pass the gavel to the vice mayor, and I'm going to make a motion to approve the budget as presented with a 2.47% millage rate. You're in charge. Second. That's what you asked for. Yes. You say there's a motion to second.

Yes, that's what I just said. Is there a motion to second? Seconded. Seconded. Okay.

All in favor. All in favor. All in favor. Aye. Aye.

Okay. Aye.

I say nay if they're all opposed. I say nay.

Okay. So four to one.

I'm sorry.

Did you vote for or against? Four. OK. OK. I have the mandatory to read statement.

Pass 4-1. Pass 4-1.

OK. So our mandatory to read statement, the 2.47 millage rate is 4.72% higher than the rollback rate of 2.3587 mills. The rollback rate is the rate that, when applied to this year's total assessed valuation of $13.93 billion, yields the same ad valorem tax revenues as the previous year, or $31.19 million adjusted for discounts. Adopting the proposed rate of 2.47 mills generates $32.68 million, and ad valorem revenues adjusted for discounts for an increase of approximately $1.4 million from last year. The proposed millage rate of 2.47 mills for the Village of Wellington governmental budget, including Acme Improvement District and increases to reserves, funds a 3.5% decrease in the operating budget over the prior year. The proposed millage rate of 2.47 mills for the Village of Wellington governmental budget, excluding Acme Improvement District and enterprise funds, a 7.2% decrease in the operating budget over the prior year.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms. Wheeler. Back to you, Jim.

That brings us to the end of the presentation's proclamations and brings us to the approval of the consent agenda. Staff recommends approval of the consent agenda as amended.

And I bet we have a significant number of cards in the consent agenda.

Okay.

Madam Vice Mayor.

Mr. Tooman.

Come on up.

Come on up.

Which item is he on? My name is Bruce Tooman. I'm not primary and homestead at zero lot line property at 752 Lake Wellington Drive in the village of Wellington. Again, I protest the mayor's failure to properly relocate this issue to the regular agenda to allow you all to comment and vote on it separately. He's not hurting me. He's hurting you guys because now you can't vote on this independently. I only have three minutes. You've got all the time you want. First, also, there is no item in the consent agenda approving the minutes of last meeting.

How come?

Now, the majority of, again, you know which item I'm talking about, right? Item J, your meetings. You didn't even do that. Majority of the months have only one meeting. October, December, February, May, June, and July. With no meetings, no meetings in the months of March, April, and August. You all voted to increase your salary at midnight. Without public comment. And now you are reducing the number of council meetings? It doesn't sound like you guys want to hear, or the staff wants to hear, public comment. Section 302249, item B, requires e-bikes and scooters only to designate multi-motor pathways. Has the staff told you what pathway sidewalks are the motor ones? I don't see any signs out there. And what about signage? Again, has staff informed you of where these mobile pathways are? So why did you vote for it?

Thank you. Mr. Toomey, you should read the agenda. We have meetings in March and April and May of next year. Well, you maybe need to work on your reading comprehension because you missed it. I run the meeting, sir. Sorry. Any other consent cards?

We're not there yet.

Okay. Is there a motion on the consent agenda?

What's that?

Move to approve consent agenda.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Hearing none, consent agenda passes 5-0. Mr. Barnes, what else we got?

That concludes our consent agenda. We have nothing on regular and nothing on public hearings. At this point, we would open it to public comment. Do we have a card on public comment?

We do.

Who might that be?

Mr. Tooman. Oh, he's raising his hand up there.

My name is Bruce Tooman. I'm a primary and homestead of zero lot line properties at 752 Lake Wellington Drive in the village of Wellington. Wellington's third guard lightning prediction system is used to warn the public. Wellington's website addresses village policy during a red alert when lightning strikes. It's not safe to be outside, it says, and strobe lights will remain flashing until threats of lightning have passed. I enjoy our concerts at the amphitheater, even though with some past issues. One of them is a continue of how the amphitheater deals with red alerts. The August 20th concert at our amphitheater was interrupted by lightning, with a strobe light flashing. Oh, by the way, the light solar panel is blocking the strobe light. Now, however, dozens of people, including employees and the BSO officer, did not take seat shelter, okay, and huddled underneath the big metal frame awning outside the stage. I overheard one employee saying, well, we made the announcement, so they can't blame us. Members of this council have expressed concerns about public safety. This needs to be a priority before somebody gets hurt or dies. Last month, three people got hit by lightning. Two died right down in Broward County. I have sheltered in the community center during the storm and informed others about it. Why can't staff inform others that we can use this community building as a shelter? Also, you know, we have additional bathrooms in the community center, too, including the port-a-potties. Mayor of Port-a-Pottyville in this town center at the Village of Wellington, I had employees telling me that I should not be informing people of the other bathrooms. I wonder why. Even the ADA port-a-potty, it's locked sometimes. Again, I request my counsel. to waive my liens, penalties, fines on my property, and accept my landscape plans. Staff doesn't always follow the policy. And when will this council come up with a definition of a front plan? You knew about it three years ago, and you don't want to do it. So what can I say? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil are poor characteristics traits for our elected officials. Last week, Miami-Dade County deputy in his car got hit by lightning. Apparently, public safety is not on the dais. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Any other public forum comments? Anyone else want to speak? Come on up. You can fill out your second card after this comment. Yes, sir.

Ivan, 783. That's my neighbor. What up? Just found out today. I get the budget. I see the numbers. I see the games with the numbers. She even said it herself. It's dressed up. When you say it's dressed up, it's dressed up. Like I said, I see the numbers. That's why I was asking about investments. You seem a little bit more open to adjusting the millage rate. And to compensate for that, maybe the village could make more investments. Obviously, you guys would have to weigh it out. It's just a suggestion. That's why I said it in the first place. Amendment 3 is not the only issue on the ballot coming up. DeSantis is leaving. And I love that guy. I really do. I used to be Democrat. I love that guy. I'm going to miss him. And our two candidates that are coming up now, I don't like either one. I don't trust either one. So that's not the only problem. I'm not the only person that feels that way. So that's another issue that's coming up with Amendment 3, this election cycle. I wrote some notes down here. I mean, deflation is going to come up. Inflation is going to go up. They can't stop it. The new Fed, I love the new Fed. Warsh, he's great. I love him. He's great. I really do. Everybody's giving him a hard time right now. I really like him. He's way better than Powell. President Trump is absolutely 100% right on him. Deflation is the problem. If you guys keep the millage, which you have, values will come down when it actually deflates. But if they can't stop inflation, prices aren't going to come down. The stock market's not going to crash. There's a lot of noise. It's not going to happen. It may after President Trump leaves, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. So I just wanted to say that. And if you're open to it, you guys can take a look at some investments. While he's in office, he's a great time to invest. Just saying. That's all.

Thank you. Thank you, sir. Any other public comment?

Seeing none, public forum is closed. Back to Mr. Barnes. That concludes our public comment and brings us to the attorney's report.

Just a reminder that we will have an attorney-client session on September 17th at 3.30 p.m. In the Wellington Athletics versus Village of Wellington matter.

Is that all you got?

That's all I've got.

Okay. Mr. Barnes? The only thing I have is to advise you that the next agenda review will be held on Thursday, September 17th at 4.30. And the next regular council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd here at 6.30. That's all I have.

And the reason that agenda review is on Thursday is because why? I'm sorry? The reason that agenda review is on Thursday?

Because of the holiday.

Thank you.

Or actually, there's a holiday. Okay.

With that, council comments? Vice Mayor?

I have none. Thank you. Perfect.

Mr. Meyer?

I love living in this village, and I love all the amenities and the things that it's provided for me and my family. I ran on a campaign to try to trim fat, try to be more efficient, and I'm sticking to my values and my campaign promises. Whether that happens or not, I'm only one vote, but I do think that there are ways that we can cut costs and there's ways that we can earn additional revenue, and I think that we need to explore those things. But I... want to say i appreciate everybody that's involved in everybody's hard work you know the staff and my my peers here uh takes takes a village and uh i think that we're hopefully moving in the right direction soon amen you want to go first go ahead um i'll wave okay thank you perfect mr mr levin just i wanted to reiterate um the incredible

performance and recognition for the top cop and top firefighter. They just, as I'm watching them and listening to them and the accolades that are being lauded on them, it's a result of their solid effort and all the things that they've done. Lastly, I just wanted to wish for those that celebrate. Happy New Year. May you be inscribed for another year in the Book of Life.

Thank you. Chief Garcia, welcome. Thank you for staying for the whole meeting. This was a short one, so this was not too bad. And with that, we are adjourned.