City Council Regular Meeting - Regular Meeting

What's up, man? All right, let's do it. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this regular meeting of the city council of the city of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Thank you all very much for being here tonight in attendance in public and caring about the proceedings in your city. It uh truly means a lot to us. We do appreciate it. We'll call this meeting to order. We'll begin with an invocation and we'll stand continue standing if you're able for the pledge of allegiance afterwards. Please welcome Dr. Roger Pedro, the chaplain of HCA Hospitals Fort Walton Beach and Twin Cities.

May we pray? Loving God, we pause and really we give thanks for the uh the quality and the composition of life that we have here. And we pray that as this assembly gathers that uh you would be with us. Your presence would be with us and as our uh elected leaders that they would have uh a spirit of wisdom and discernment um collaboration in their uh discussions and dialogues and decisions. Thank you for always being with us. We pray in Jesus' name. 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. All right, council will need approval of tonight's agenda. So move tonight's agenda. Second motion by Councilman Schmid, seconded by Council Jer to approve tonight's agenda. Any additional comments? Council? Yes, sir. Council, please vote.

Tonight's agenda is approved unanimously. Brings us to item five on our agenda tonight, proclamations. And we have one here for Omega side. If you guys can uh step on up to the to the podium there. We'll make it side five. Oh, my bad. I'm sorry. Yeah. [laughter] Good lord. I got I was trying to go so fast. My my fault.

Don't hold it against me. There's a lot of it. All right. Um, the city of Fort Walden Beach proudly recognizes Omega Sci-Fi Fraternity Incorporated. Founded in 1911 at Howard University for its longstanding dedication to brotherhood, community uplift, and public service. During the month of November, the fraternity will celebrate its many accomplishments under the theme impactful service through international friendship. Locally, Sai the Sai Iota IOTA chapter will host its Founders Day appreciation celebration November 22nd, 2025, honoring individuals for their outstanding achievements and recognizing recipients of their 2025 scholarships and n national essay contest awards. In recognition of their commitment to education, leadership, and community service, I proclaim November 16th through the 22nd, 2025 as achievement week in Fort Walton Beach and extend best wishes for a successful celebration and reflection. Congratulations, guys, on all you do. [applause] [applause]

Anything you'd like to add, please do. Yes. Good afternoon, Mayor. Um, I'm Cliff Harnesses. I'm the uh soon to be outgoing boss, you may say, president [laughter] of the local chapter. And quite frankly, last year I was here and uh for the proclamation and I was not prepared, but I think I spoke well. I hope uh this year I was prepared and then you said about 80% of what I plan to say. [laughter] So

just forget what I said. Go ahead. But but I will add uh Omega Sci-Fi Fraternity Incorporated was founded uh in on November 17th, 1911, 114 years ago by four courageous, very intelligent and quite quite uh frankly very uh strong willed, strong opinioned individuals. founded the organization on the cardinal principles of manhood and that's Christian manhood uh scholarship or scholarly endeavors, perseverance and uplift. And through those cardinal principles again we have served uh 114 years beginning in Washington DC and then spreading south and west to cover the entire United States. And at this point we are international. We have chapters and we serve in Africa, Europe and Asia as well as the Caribbean. So the organization continues to grow, continues to serve, and we do this on behalf of God. Um, other than that, again, you took took most of what I wanted to say, but I do want to thank the uh city of uh Fort Walton for this proclamation.

Thank you, sir. If you guys want to come up here and get a picture with our council tonight, that would be awesome. Is he going to know us? He [laughter] will. He will. After all the nice words, it'll be fine. There we go.

Think so. All right. Excellent. Thanks. Thank you guys. Appcate. All right, we also do have uh two excellent students in our mist tonight as well. Let's hope that I will pronounce everyone's name correctly. Make your bets now. We'll first call up from Chalkall High School, AJ Bernick. Ah, see.

All right. Fair enough. If your parents, if mom and dad or whomever you brought with you want to come up as well, that would be fantastic. AJ, I'm going to tell everybody about you. Mr. AJ Bernitch, there you go.

exemplifies civic excellence through his exceptional academic performance, youth leadership, athletics, and community service. Ranked second in his class with a 4.72 GPA, AJ is described by his teachers as intelligent and committed to education and willing to help everyone and is liked by all. Mr. Bernitch touts an impressive record as a student of the IB, AP and honors programs with awards including the ANT Mitchell award and recognitions as an AP and Indian scholar. As captain of the golf and academic teams, what's your average? What's your handicap? Uh, plus seven.

Nice. Beat me all day long. [laughter] Uh, as captain of the golf and academic teams, as an active member of the National Honor Society, and through employment as an Okaloosa County beach scout, he inspires peers through his kindness, intelligence, and service to the community. Congratulations, AJ. [applause]

And AJ, what uh where are you planning to go to school? I'm planning to go to Embry Riddle Aeronautical in University in order to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. Wow. Wow. That's fantastic. If you and mom and dad want to come up here and get a picture with all of us as well and be sure to hold up your We'll stand up as Phil Catholic Church. [laughter] All right. Thank you. Perfect. Thanks y'all so much. Appreciate you being here.

That's pretty cool, man. That's pretty cool. Nice. All right. And our Fort Walton Beach High School award winner, Anthony Fam. Correct on the name? Yes, ma'am. Yes, sir.

Awesome. Mom and dad want to stand up with you, please. We'd love to have them as well. Mr. Anthony Fam demonstrates civic excellence through outstanding academic achievement, robust extracurriculars, impressive certifications, and various awards. With a weighted GPA of 4.69 in a class rank of four, he has excelled in numerous AP courses while also being recognized as a Viking scholar and an AP scholar with honor and distinction. As a member of the academic team HOSA, National Honor Society and Beta Club, Anthony has contributed to the development of healthy academic community in the area. Additionally, he's certified in WordPress, very nice, very smart,

and has four years of career and technical experience in biomed sciences through Project Lead the Way. His dedication, intellect, and commitment to enriching his school and community exemplify the highest standards of civic responsibility. Congratulations, Anthony. Thank you, sir. [applause] And sir, please share with us your future plans. Oh, I want to go to UF. I want to be a biomedical engineer. Fantastic. You got a Gator fan right there.

That's very, very cool, man. Y'all come up here and get a picture with us. Fantastic. Thanks y'all. Appreciate you being here.

One more round of applause for our star students tonight. [applause] All right, that brings us uh to the meat of the meeting, if you will. Um, actually, no, I'm sorry. First, we have employee recognitions. Mr. Davis, you got it. 10 years of service. Excuse me. Oh, you can't hear me? Round two.

Uh, for 10 years of dedicated service from our police department, Donald Green. [applause] [applause] a little bit there.

Thanks. Thank you, sir. Chief Hig Fort Walton Beach Police Department officer of the third quarter. A big one tonight.

Thank you, Mayor. Our officer of the the quarter is Lindsay Twitter. Lindsay has a unique story with us here at Fort Walton. He joined us for a little while. Thought there might have been a better department to go to, but realized he was wrong and he came back to the city of Fort Walton Beach. And he has been an outstanding officer his first round and even better his second round with us. So, he's being recognized tonight for an incident that took place several months ago. Any of you that lived on the south side of the city of Fort Walm Beach or out on Okaloosa Island may have lost power for several hours. There was a person that went to the substation out on Hollywood and did an act of felony criminal mischief. And the power company does not know how they did not electrocute themselves. But somehow they messed around just enough with the wiring to cut off the power for about 6,000 people. There was some trace evidence left behind that the detective was able to process at the state lab in Pensacola and get back a possible identification and then through his investigation it led to a confession and ultimately arrest of the subject. So we're able to make an arrest in that that case. So for that case and his dedication to the citizens of Fort Wal Beach, we'd like to present you detective officer of the quarter.

Thank you, sir. [applause]

Thanks. And then mayor, I just wanted to make one other quick announcement. We have Heather Callaway back here who's one of our school crossing guards. And as many of you know, Jim Walsh passed away a few weeks ago. He worked with the sheriff's office and was also an outstanding employee for us. Councilman Jeter had made several comments about how even his son dressed up as a school crossing guard. He truly had a mark on our community as a whole and I just wanted to recognize him. He didn't want anything formally done for him. It was one of his wishes, but I wanted just to announce it to the council and the impact that he's had on our community. Thank you, sir. [applause]

Council, that moves us to tonight's consent agenda. Motion to approve. Motion to approve the consent agenda made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilwoman Debury. Additional comments, no. Council, please vote. The consent agenda does pass unanimously. That brings us to uh mayor and council comments. We start tonight with Miss Riley. Uh

I just wanted to uh congratulate uh our Buccaneers. I had the honor of being president um over this past weekend at the game and it was so amazing. It was [clears throat] just wonderful, wonderful to see the children bring home the uh trophy to the city of Foron Beach. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Councilman Schmidt.

Yes. Uh FDOT's going to hold a public hearing concerning the around the mound on December the 9th at 5:30. It's going to be here at the convention center, the Destin for Walton Beach Convention Center. So want to encourage as much of our board as well as those that are listening and those in the audience to be there. Also to just to highlight the most important component of that project advancing FOT must budget both right away and construction anticipated to be in excess of $250 million. and the timeline of getting that by 2028 is is critical. So, we have a long way to go. The momentum is is is there. Uh we just need to keep our our gas on the pedal. Some of y'all may have seen there's going to be a recommendation on, you know, a grade, but also too a lot of us voiced on this board. There's also a recommendation to do or or there could be an option to do nothing. And I think that would be missionritical in a bad way. We don't want nothing to happen. So, as we gather input from our residents that want option A or want option B, uh we will continue to listen and go through that due process. But I just want to encourage our board here as we continue to decide whether or not to support that or not. We don't want nothing. So, that's all I got, Mr. Mayor, for today.

Fantastic. Thank you for bringing that up. Councilman Walker, nothing at this time. All right. Councilman Browning, I'll save my for the end. Mayor, you got it. Councilwoman Deberry. Uh I also was at um the Buccaneers Championship uh game and also Mr. Davis was uh there. But I want to tell you there was only 13 players the whole year and look what they did. They played well with each other. They just blew it out the out the park. I'm so proud and I'm surprised Lewitz doesn't have them here. [laughter] But thank you. I wish you guys have been there. Thank you, ma'am. Councilman Jeter, save for the end. Councilman Merill,

I will also save mine for the end. Let's move now to public comments. Anyone from the public wishing to comment on something that is not on tonight's agenda, please just step forward, state your name and address, and we'll gladly hear you out. Anything not on the agenda tonight? Yes, sir. for the recording.

Okay. Uh mayor and esteemed council members, my name is Sirill Stubs Jr. I'm a project manager with Bundl Life Ministries Hope House Incorporated. Uh we're an organization with Deep Roots and Service uh housing stability and community community empowerment. We are currently in a partnership agency with the United Way, Emerald Coast, Okaloosa, Walton continue with care and a member of the Ochip and I personally serve on Okaloosa County Ahack. A Bunlight Ministries Hope House began as a journey began its journey as a group home established with a simple mission to provide a safe supportive environment for boys in crisis. Over the years, that mission has grew grown as we've recognized a broader needs within our community, particularly the shortage of stable, attainable housing for families and individuals working to build a better future. Today, ALM HHI has evolved into not only a provider of essential social and supportive services, but also an affordable housing developer committed to creating long-term solutions. We are proud to be at the final stages of becoming a certified community land trust. This means we have the ability to ensure permanent affordability, preserve community assets, and help residents build generational stability through secure home home ownership opportunities. Our work includes permanent supportive housing and case management for vulnerable residents, development of affordable rental and home ownership units, long-term stewardship and properties to guarantee affordability in perpetuity, partnerships with local agencies to expand services and housing options. As Fort Walton Beach continues to grow, we know the challenges of providing attainable housing for workers, families, seniors, and those on fixed incomes are increasing. This is where partnership between local government and and ALM HHI can create real lasting impact. Through the community land trust model, we can collaborate with government officials to develop permanently affordable homes on city-owned or donated land, leverage federal, state, and local funding more effectively. preserve affordable

affordability for generations and not just a few years. Create stable neighborhoods that reflect the heart of this community. Provide pathways for residents to achieve and sustain home ownership. We believe that Fort Walton Beach has the opportunity to become a model for innovative housing solutions in Northwest Florida. ALM HHI is ready to bring our experience, certification, and community commitment to the table. We look forward to working handinhand with the city council, staff, and local partners to ensure that everyone, teachers, service workers, veterans, seniors, and young families can afford to call Fort Walton Beach home. Thank you for your time and your dedication to strengthening this community. I welcome any questions and look forward to the possibility of building a meaningful partnership together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Stubs. Any anyone with a question for Mr. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Appreciate you being here and thanks for what you do. Awesome. Absolutely. Anyone else from the public wish to comment tonight? Anything that's not on the agenda? Give you a good full five minutes. Seeing none, we will move on to our resolutions. Quite a few of them tonight. Resolution 2025-26, a resolution to accept the FDLE grant funding for Armor P. Chief Paige, I saw this on the news this year. You saw our grant on the news? Yeah.

Wow. So, in brief, this grant is [laughter] this grant was residual funding left over from the burn grant that we already were awarded previously. FDA had called us up and asked us if we had any other projects that we'd like funded by the state. Coincidentally, about this same time, we also see received an email from a citizen that asked if we had hard body armor for our officers. We currently provide our officers with soft body armor. Unless they're in a high-risisk assignment, then we also purchase them the hard armor. The soft armor is designed for handgun rounds mainly. The hard armor stops rifle rounds. So, this grant will allow us to buy hard armor for our officers. So, we're asking that the city council approve the drag grant in the amount of $12,26.25 to buy hard armor for our officers. And the mayor, if there's any questions, be happy to answer them.

Thank you, sir. Questions from the council for Chief Beige on this JAG grant. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this? Council, do you wish to take any action? Staff recommendation. Second. Motion made by Councilman Schmidt and seconded by Councilman Jeter to accept the U. Edward Burn Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for the purchase of hard body armor. Any additional comments? Add it to another uh [clears throat] grant list. Staff is working hard to get grants. Anyone else?

Yeah, I would like to just say thank you. I know this is a number and this is a line item on the agenda, but this is actually body armor that's going to protect somebody's life. Just like the crossing guard you spoke about, that was a retired sher who's no longer with us. Thank you for you guys putting your life on the line every day for us. Thank you. Well said. Council, please vote.

The motion does pass unanimously, which brings us to resolution 2025-27, a resolution amending the fiscal year 2526 comprehensive fee schedule. Miss Neighbors. Thank you, mayor. This is just an administrative um agenda item. Council approved this I think it was about a month ago and it's talking about the um the addition of the fees with the athletic field fees. Um you will see it on page 115 of your packet. There's only one item that was amended on here and if you have any questions um the rec director is here to answer them.

Questions for Miss or the rec director? Councilman Schmid. the the comps where I saw the rate $30 without life with life. How does that compare to other fees, other municipalities do [clears throat] parks and recreation, you're talking about the increase here, right? Yes, sir.

Okay. We we've looked at the various cities around us and stuff and most cities are doing resident non-resident. We thought it was time for us to look at something like that as well. We have a I did a study on this. We're somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 60% of our participants are non-residents and our sports programs primarily. So, we looked at trying to change that fee just a little bit, giving our residents a difference and then uh adjust it for the lights and add that to both uses where the res Where does that rate stand with the other comps in the market? I I'd have to pull that information and get that back to you. Okay. Yeah, but we did do a study on it.

Okay. Um yeah, just as we continue to add cost to that complex that we're all I say all majority support in this expensive um program that we're going to be expanding. As optimistic as I am about that program and that that environment and that complex um as we continue to study this new budget cycle and things like that, just want to make sure we're not leaving anybody out on the table. uh it's a sought-after place for people to come to and besides Foley and Panama City, I don't know if there's a better environment, you know, for that kind of scope. So, just I don't I don't know the the comps. Just curious what the comps are. We'll take a good look at that.

Especially the out of town or the non-resident rates. That's that's kind of more specifically what I'm looking at because I you know, the amount that they're making off the gate, that's where a lot of the cash is at. You know what I mean? That's where a lot of the money is at. and will they go to other places? I don't know because I don't know if the rates are are different, but um yeah, just curious on what we could do to offset some of that cost that we're about to spend to the taxpayers and if we can get that through these out of town folks that are making good money and I want business people to make money, it's it's good, but I'd like for us to to get some of that as well for our taxpayers. We'll take a good look at it. Yeah, Mr. Barry,

uh when whenever you say you're going uh you were asking uh out of town people versus residents here, is this the pickle ball area or is it the tournaments or what are we what are we talking about here

specifically? Is it sports, but we also looked at how many people are coming to the rec center? We membership people in every day at the rec center. We looked at our special events and took an eye at kind of a view of that. That's hard to determine who's in city out of city at special events. But in the programs where we have registration, whether it's Tai Chi or it's the senior programs or it's the youth programs, the child care services, we've actually are able to look at our registration and we can tell through the different fee that's charged who's in city, who's out of city, and that's where we get our numbers from. Well, I I'm at all those pickle ball courts that's not indoor pickle ball.

Yeah. So, I can tell you that uh there's a little more out of out of town people than there are uh residents plans at all the aoney uh a jet ferry and all that and they say they all say thank you, thank you, thank you, you know, and so when they start complaining about something, I said, "Well, tell me where do you live?" [laughter] So, and so, you know, they said, "Are you going to charge us more? Is it going to uh if we play that new uh uh pickle ball on Hollywood? I says, I don't know. We might, you know. So, I don't know. Currently, there are no fees for pickle ball because there's no way to to regulate it. Yeah.

Um I I just tell you, I drive by Jet Park every morning on the way to work and about 6:30 in the morning, it is packed. Well, I live right in that area, so I know I hear ping. I hear them pinging all the time. Yeah, it's stink. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, ma'am. Councilman. Yeah. Real quick before we get too far away from this, the the modifi or the update in the comprehensive fee schedule is that athletic fields per hour and we're talking about lights and not not lights. Correct. Yes. More specifically, I guess where I was geared towards, Mr. Barry, was just that cost that the the amount that a lot of people are doing to host their tournaments. Yeah, that's what I

that complex. And I know you're very familiar with the lights and the noise and things like that. But those people that are coming regularly in the sports tourism business. I think the Field of Dreams that we're continuing to build, they're going to continue to pay. And I want those out of town folks that are keeping the lights on and and and charging a very nice gate fee for us to go and watch these kids play that uh that we get compensated so that we can offset that cost to taxpayers. Anyone else with a question on this?

Yes. Just just real quick. Yes, sir. The only reason this is on here now is because rookie mistake on me should have been on the last one, but Kim Barnes caught us with it. This is circling back 2 or 3 weeks ago where we were tasked with putting that. So Wendy and David called all over the state, right, to see what several, not just locals, destined to apparently what we do, but we called around several markets to see what what they're doing. We were still not the highest, not the lowest, kind of middle of the road, right? And that that we just kind of followed that business model. Nice. So, it just made it here because we had to.

Anyone else questions? Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Council, do you wish to take any action tonight? Mayor M's recommendation.

Motion made by Councilman Schmidt, seconded by Councilman Jeter to amend and approve the fiscal year 2526 comprehensive fee schedule. Any additional comments? All right, council, please vote. And it does pass unanimously, which brings us to item 10.3, resolution 2025-28, the resolution to amend the fiscal year 2425 budget. Miss Neighbors, again,

thank you, mayor. Um, this again is another administrative item. This is the last and final budget amendment to the fiscal year 2425 budget. Um, if you look in the backup on packet page 138 through 140, these are all items that this council has already approved. This is just an accounting measure on our end that we have to do for the audit. Um, just to go over in high level, I'll just go through some of the funds really quick and kind of the amounts that are being adjusted. In the general fund, we're actually gaining $559,591, but don't get too excited. That was for a grant that we didn't get for the Restore Act. Um, so it's not it's not funding that we would be reimbursed from. Uh, the law enforcement trust fund, we are amending it for $4,766. The CRA fund, it's a an amendment of a 3,44,115. A lot of that is so you see the negative or the going back into the general fund. It's going into the CRA fund because we didn't get the restore act money because the treasury wouldn't approve on time and we had to get the landing moving on the stage. Um so it took it out of the general fund and made it so it goes into the CRA fund. So the CRA is is paying for it now. Um the utilities fund we are amending by $427,000 7 $427,788 and for the sanitation fund $420389,000. So in the end, our final total budget for fiscal year 2425 with the original approved budget of $60,558,326 including carryovers from grants and uh projects and including uh incumbrance carryovers which are POS that hadn't been paid for from the prior year and the first budget amendment including this budget amendment. We are at a final budget of $80,855,023.

Thank you ma'am. questions for Miss Neighbors on this. Councilman Schmidt, if the state does grant our uh request for funding for the around the mound, uh would that offset or would that go back into that CRA fund where that around the mound design is where we've I think got about two 2.25 million. So yeah, that one is in this fiscal year or no, not that last fiscal year, but yes, it if if they grant it, then it will re like replenish that that part of the fund balance. Yes, accounting standpoint, then we could Yes. discuss or you make a recommendation on what to do with the funds. Yeah. I mean, anywhere that we're going to take it out of, if they give it back to us, we're going to put it back wherever we took it out of. Awesome. Thank you.

Mr. Thanks for bringing that up, David. Um, so with the option $250 million, that was the first time I've heard the number on the around the estimation. I'm assuming that comes from transportation committee f. [clears throat] So that's a big big number. Um, and so there's definitely a chance that it wouldn't be funded. And so if it's not funded, approved, the auction is nothing. What do you have an estimate on how much we have spent on around the mound planning, designing, engineering, any of that type stuff set aside?

So, so actual spend, I'm not sure. Daniel Ping can probably ask answer that, but what like what's in here is a it's like a committed fund that I'm just holding aside. We didn't we haven't spent it yet. So we're just holding it. So we make sure whatever is unassigned or unrestricted on certain funds that we make sure we don't spend that because we know we've already committed to them for that. So it's not actually spent yet. But if there's I'm not sure if there's something that we've actually spent on around the mail like physically. I know there hasn't been when I've been here. [clears throat]

I know we've had a Thank you, Mr. Payne. I know we've had a couple of studies, design studies, and that group out of Tallahassee. We've paid a couple of different times. And what now? What would you just ballpark uh we've spent as far as investing into around the mound? We committed money for the feasibility study, which is completed and then we committed money for the for the PDN. Mhm. but no design, engineering, any of that all those front end things that go on the state level for roads. I think we committed and I'm shooting off the hip over here, but I think the feasibility study was

Yeah, man. You know, I'm going to say something that's incorrect. You shoot it to me afterwards. I'd love and thank you, Jason, for sending There was commitment, but did we actually pay? because there was like a hundred thousand like a year ago and then there was like a million at something or Yeah, I'm not to see the commitments. I don't I think honestly that councilman Schmidt was probably pretty close. You said two and a quart million or roughly in that. I know that we have a million one time and a million, but that's for the design, right? But these were I think there was two separate other commitments, but I don't think we've paid and that PD& and that's and Danny, please correct me if I'm going off on this, but those are things that are required through this due process.

Yes. like we got to have a PD& study. We got to have a feasibility study. And just like any other big project, there's going to be funed investment in the project could not come or could come. But like I was mentioning during my council comments, this isn't just critical for our city and the vibrancy or things like that, but also to just mission critical. I mean, our military folks that are that are having to move around in a certain period of time and traffic management. Not to dig in too much of those weeds, but keep pushing. I know the the cost is is a very important conversation, but uh it's it's it's required for this due process. Yeah, it it looks like commitments wise it's it's too you know over 2 million.

Great. Thank you. And that maybe since he brought it up, it reminded me of the story out of um Harlbert/Navar Bridge. I saw that I believe a commander out there had mentioned mission critical traffic and somehow it looks like the Navar B bridge replacement has been fasttracked uh under the um statement that it would help relieve traffic and he was looking forward to that. Are you familiar with the Navar Beach bridge replacement no efforts? Is that anything you're familiar with? I had to study that scope.

Okay. I was just I just saw it and you know with the things going on in Destin and now that and to to hear that others have gotten something like that and we're you know 25 years 30 years in the making on around the mound and we still don't get any fasttracking. I was looking for some fasttracking discussions. I will say the design and [clears throat] I will say the design and the engineering for for around the mound is in the tentative work schedule

and up close to the front. So that was good news that we got um I what was it I think a few weeks ago you guys went to Chipley. So it is in that tenative work program. It's not adopted yet but it's it's there with money allocation. So I mean that's is it's a pretty good thing concept. Thank you. Thank you. You got it. All right. Back to anyone else with a question on the resolution to amend the 2425 budget. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this? Council, do you wish to make any action?

Mr. Mayor, so move to adopt resolution 2025-28 to amend the fiscal year 2425 budget. The new amended budget total will be 80,855,23. Second. Motion made by Councilman Jeter, second by uh Councilman Brown to approve the the uh I scroll too far. 2528. Anyone uh else with a comment? Just to clarify, Nicole, this is no new money spends. This is just solidifying and putting it into audit form of what we've done in the past year. Yes, that's correct.

Those spins there. Thank you, council, please. And it does pass unanimously, which brings us to ordinances on first reading. Ordinance 2194 amending the land development code. Um, Mr. and I'll start with the title first.

Ordinance 2194, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Fort Long Beach, Florida, amending section 5.04. 04.11 of the land development code to update procedures for the review and approval of certified recovery res residence requests to comply with Florida statutes provide for authority provide for severability and provide for effective date. This is a quasi legislative hearing and Mr. Gibson is presenting on that staff. Good evening mayor, council members Tim Gibson the growth management director. Uh so this is fairly straightforward one. Um uh in the last legislative cycle uh the legislature did pass a bill uh amending section 397.487 of the Florida statutes uh that requires municipalities to adopt an ordinance that addresses um the certified recovery residences and it has to be adopted by January 1st, 2026. Um in that statute now it outlines very specifically what has to be in that ordinance. So essentially they almost wrote it for us. Um if you look at what we actually wrote in the in in our ordinance for going in the land development code, it does mirror very closely with what was required in um the actual statute there. Um it did require us to establish a written application process um establishing timelines for acknowledging the request in there, requesting more information, uh responding to timeless in there, um and as well as giving us um certain application requirements in there as well. Um, the statute does, like I said, it broke it down as as to multiple different things in there. The minimum requirements was that it be consistent with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, multiple US codes. Uh, there has to be an established written application process and requirement for the local government to date the stamp. Uh, as well as to issue the final written determination uh, within 60 days. And we have to approve or the request in whole or in

part with or without conditions or deny the request stating uh with with a specific objective um evidence-based reason for denial and then provide that in a written documentation. So what we did is basically take our land development code that was already established for the community residential homes um which is there's a lot of different terms that will be thrown around for these things. Um, a lot of that is governed by even um, federal law and what we did is just kind of change that to comply with this statute. There was very little in there, but we just take the took the section that was community residential homes, essentially deleted that entire section and created a new section there that was certified recovery residences with all those requirements in the statute listed in there. U, this doesn't really change too much with our code as it's written currently or with the procedures on these things. um they're still established where they're allowed to be and everything else in there. Uh this is just to bring us into compliance with that Florida statute. And with that, staff respectfully recommend the local planning agency recommend the city or I'm sorry, the city council adopt ordinance 2194, which amends the land development code regarding certified recovery residents to be consistent with amended section 397.487 of Florida statutes.

Thank you, Mr. Gibson. It does look a little goofy there on the recommendation for sure. Sorry, I'm sure that's probably not. Yeah, just a copy and paste error, it seems. Uh, anyone on council wish to ask Mr. Gibson a question? Mr. Walker, do we have any of these? We do. Um, and how is is this going to affect them in any way? Uh, this won't have any effect on those in any way. So, we're talking about new applications for someone that wants to open another one.

That's correct. any essential this is basically so there are a lot of communities out there that do um forbidities in multiple locations and and have a lot of rules and stuff with them. This is basically Florida's statue saying this you have to allow them to apply for basically a variance um to those requirements in there for that um we allow them um in a multitude of locations already. So, if they wanted to basically come in and be in a location that wasn't allowed in our code, then they would have to have the written procedures in there for them to basically get a waiver for what our code requirements are. Council member Schmidt, I may have missed it, but the allowable spaces moving forward with this ordinance, is it going to be more restricted on where they're allowed?

The way it's currently written, no.

Okay. I guess cuz my only rub is is I mean there's a lot of I say a lot a few of these in the neighborhood I live in there where you know there's these people trying to do good things and get people back up and going again but it's in that neighborhood environment you know where it's you got your kids and grandk kids and folks running around and playing it's just not the most cohesive environment to be in. So just didn't know if there was a a step or a play with staff as we continue. I know we got to do these things by January 2026, but as we evolve this, you know, I don't know if there's an appetite on this board, but restricting them if we can by law on where in the city that they're allowed to be for new applicants. I don't know what the grandfather rule is for folks already here, but again, my only rub is is just the the [snorts] broadness of where they're allowed to be currently.

That is a very difficult path, and Mr. Burns can probably speak better than me on this. uh they've been challenged in court many many times when they've been uh restricted from being in like single family residential areas and they've won every single time. Um so it gets very difficult um especially the smaller homes uh six or fewer residents in those homes uh they're very protected for where they're allowed to be and they're they're basically considered a single family residential unit um with the recovery homes of six or fewer.

And to kind of build on what Mr. Pearson saying I actually think this strengthens things a little bit for the city because the previous uh ordinance kind of it defined what the community residential homes were. Didn't really get much of a standard for them to do any sort of application whatsoever. They kind of would just pop up typically and and people would complain about them. The city would find out about them and then as he did indicate there was a lot of federal law that kind of hamstrings you what you can't do about them. uh you can limit like their like the number and the density like you can have like distance restrictions like they can't uh a neighborhood won't be full of them you can have and I think we're leaving that part in the code right the distance requirements between the community residential

there's I don't think there's currently anything in there and and if there if there's not I know the Oxford houses have within 1,000 ft we did actually take that out but I can so I would actually recommend if if if that's being taken out then uh we bring this back to you at the next reading for another first reading, leaving that provision in there. But I do think the remainder of the changes actually set up a process which did not exist before. So the city will actually be aware of what these are in the front end and can actually crack down on them if they open one up without going through this process cuz they kind of they'll do that a couple of times.

I like that recommendation. I don't know how the rest of the board feels about it, but you know, making it harder for I don't know on the quality control side of enforcing it because once they're in, they get their application and the investor has people renting a house and they're living in a house, they're there. But I don't know enough about the quality control of the enforcement on making sure they're meeting certain standards and if they don't meet certain standards, they're no longer to continue to reside or be able to have their Oxford House program and all those things. So, I don't know again what we can do to make it very challenging in in inside those R1 type of communities to make sure that the enforcement side they're meeting all the standards that the federal law, the state law, and the city law allows. And if they're not meeting those standards, then we can get with legal to figure out what we need to do to discontinue them because ideally it's not the best place to have inside of an R1 type of type of neighborhood. But again, I know we're up against state and federal law and those kinds of things. So,

anyone else with a question? Mr. Barry and Mr. W. Yes, I'm going to stick my hand out there. Bring it down very basic. Does this include HUD housing? Is this what we're talking about also? No, this is completely separate from any kind of HUD housing. Uh-huh. But it's more for the low income. No, this is for rec recovery houses. Oh, it's like congregate living facilities for people who, you know, it can be a variety of different things that they're coming from. Whether it's a like some people call like silver houses, some things like that that can be there. Silver houses. I'm not familiar with silver. Silver good intentions. I'm trying to get people back on their feet, but they're living across the street from people that, you know,

aren't Well, sometimes I need to have it dumb dumb it down for me so that I understand it. and so that the people that are listening will understand what we're talking about. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Mr. Walker. Right. And along that line there and for the public watching cuz I did speak with Mr. Burns before uh the meeting and got some ask some questions and clarifications regarding this. This is not Oxford House related. Correct. So this is Oxford House related. You think? Because so there's been some back and forth over the last couple years. I know Mr. for Zetti and I and Mr. Cop go back and forth with him on what is and was not an at Oxford House.

Gotcha. Uh we can we can either uh I think I would say actually if we're taking all the stuff out which is currently has to be taken out that actually pertains more to the Oxford houses whereas the certified recovery residences is almost a separate kind of animal of a Oxford but it's not the same thing as an Oxford house cuz Oxford house really is the whole concept of a boarding house. They used to call in the 50s and 60s. You see on like TV shows and uh what they are is like maybe six, five or six men, it's typically men, sometimes all women. They never do co-ed. They live under one house. They pay one landlord and they all have individual rents and they can rent out for a long-term period of time while they get back on their feet. Gotcha. and they had their own bylaws, but those are actually uh when he was getting the federal law, the they're we're federally required under Supreme Court, US Supreme Court president to actually allow those in the city limits, but we can uh have limits on the density of them, which we did leave that in. If we do leave that in here, we'll be protected from that. the certified recovery residence is is is probably assumes Oxford houses, but it goes a little bit broader into what he's saying like the sober houses and and there are variations of those two.

Gotcha. And then the and then looking at page three um uh C2 um it removes the um P on-site supervision which um is that was that a requirement of the state that the 24 hours a day 7 days a week supervisor no longer has to be there cuz you know and I guess it's it's interesting during times when residents are at the residence So that is theoretically 24/7, but I don't know who's going to be checking to see if that onsite supervisor is there. Probably one of the person living putting in the house,

but it looks like they have to have some form of certification and that's residence administrator certification. They watch one of those videos, you know, check boxes. You maybe I just That's not in the ordinance, is it? I I I'm looking at chapter uh of a state the state statutory recovery residence administrator certification and then you know and again I'm in the same neighborhood and and I see people riding down the street and helped one his cart turned over in front of my house the other day. But anyway, you just you know that's where they're going to or coming from. And Oxford House is not a recovery house.

It's not a recovery house. So this is not applicable to Oxford House. This almost uh is removing the small bit that would pertain to an Oxford house and replacing it with the certified recovery residences. So that's why I think we need Mr. Gibson need to go back and take this back through the LPA. I'm good with that. Mr. Yeah, Mr. Um I will direct this to attorney Burns. Is the um recovery residence is that very similar to like the Jada house? Is that what the similarity? The which kind of house? the Jac House that's located downtown. Is it not exactly downtown, but you know, over near that area?

I know the Oxford houses have different names. I don't know if that's Oxford House or not, cuz they'll they'll adopt names for the house, so I don't know if that's whether they're men that that is all men living in the house. Yes, it's all men. It's like a men shelter, but it's multiple men living in, you know, different I can't say yes or no cuz I don't know exactly where the houses are. I'm not familiar with that one at all. So, you're not familiar with the J House? It's in the city. I can look it up. Oxford actually has like a list of all their houses on their national database. While y'all are debating, I'll look it up. So, all right. Anyone else with a question on this for Mr. Gibson, Mr. Burns? Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Council, do you wish to take any action?

Mr. Mayor, motion to postpone ordinance 2194. Sir, yeah, that that'll work. We'll bring it back with the instructions to bring it back to you with changes. Okay. Motion made by Councilman Jeter, second by was it M. Riley or Mr. Mr. Schmidt to uh postpone this uh ordinance and bring it back to council at a later date. Mr. G. And along with everything we discussed, I totally agree with Council Member Schmidt uh Mr. Burns to make this as strict as possible.

And we will do that. We'll make sure to we we we're kind of limited on what we can do on the certified recovered residences because there is that state statute, but those are a little bit different from the what was already in here that would pertain more to the Oxford houses. I'll leave it short and sweet as strict as possible. Legally, [laughter] can you not only do I second the motion, but I second what he said. I mean, in the in the context of what we're legally allowed to do. Let's make this as restricted as possible. And if we [snorts] want to put him on the north end or we're, you know, away from a lot of our R1 density, that'd be nice. So yeah, whatever we can legally. Anyone else? All right, council please vote. Acronym.

Where's my All right. And it does pass unanimously. And I do actually have an answer for Miss Riley's question on the Jada House. Okay. And so the Crusader, Okaloosa, and Copperhead are the names of the three Oxford houses in the city limits. So I'm not sure what the Jada houses. Yeah, it's on Windom Windom Avenue, which is in the city.

All right, that brings us to item 11.295, referendum ordinance amended charter moving city elections to November general election date. Mr. Ordinance 2195, an ordinance of the city of Portal Beach, Florida, amending the charter of the city of Portal Beach, adding a new section 8 titled city election dates without deleting any other provisions of the charter and renumbering the remainder of the charter if approved by the voters. Provide for codification, provide for ballot question and summary. Provide for effective date. This is first reading. If it passes tonight, it'll go to second reading then to the referendum. And I can answer any questions. I know y'all discussed this extensively in the past, so I won't go over the presentation again.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. Questions on this particular ordinance for Mr. Bricks. Seeing none, anyone from the public wish to speak on this ordinance? Council, do you wish to take any action? Mayor move staff's recommendation this presentation.

Second. Motion by Councilman Schmidt, seconded by Councilman Jeter to approve ordinance 2195 amending a referendum rather amending the charter moving the city elections to the November general election date and letting the voters decide. Any additional comments? Council, please vote. It does pass 61. That moves us to item 20 or excuse me, item 11.3, ordinance 2196. Mr. Brown,

Ordinance 2196, an ordinance of the city of Fort Long Beach, Florida, amending sections 3, 45, 5,7, and 25 of the city charter providing for a referendum referendum on the charter amendment provide for a ballot question. Provide for a vote at the March 11th, 2026 election on whether to amend sections 3 through 5, 7, and 25 of the city charter to clarify the nonpartisan nature of council seats. Update term limit provisions, establish consistent procedures for fulfilling council and mayoral vacancies, and provide flexibility in the establishment of filing fees for city elections, provide for coordination with the supervisor of elections, provide for conflict, severability, and an effective date. This is first reading. If it passes tonight, I'll give a second reading, then uh passes on second reading to the referendum.

Thank you, sir. Questions on ordinance 2196 for Mr. Burns? Anyone from the public wish to speak on ordinance 2196? Council, do you wish to take any action tonight? Mr. Mayor, so move to adopt ordinance 2196.

Motion by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Brownie to approve ordinance 2196. Any additional comments, council, please vote. And it does pass 6 to one. I move this to item 11.4, ordinance 2197, Mr. Burns.

Ordinance 2197, an ordinance the city of Portal Beach, Florida, amending section 68, and 9 of the city charter. Provide for a referendum on the charter amendment. Provide for a ballot question. to for a vote at the March 11, 2026 election on whether to amend section 689 in the city charter to clarify the council meeting schedules are set by resolution and to strengthen certain disciplinary provisions for council members. Provide for coordination with the supervisor of elections. Provide for conflict conservability and an effective date. This is first reading. If it passes tonight, it'll go second reading. If it passes then, it'll go to referendum.

Thank you, sir. Questions on ordinance 2197 for Mr. Burns, our city attorney. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this word council, do you wish to take any action? Mr. Mayor, I move st recommendation to adopt ordinance 2197.

Second motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Browning to approve ordinance 2197. Any additional comments? Seeing none, council, please vote. And it does pass forth. That moves us to item 11.5, ordinance 2198. Mr. Burns.

Ordinance 2198, an ordinance of the city of Port Long Beach, Florida, amending sections 11,12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of the city charter. Provide for a referendum on the charter amendment. Provide for a ballot question. provide for a vote of the March 11th, 2026 election on whether to amend sections 11- 14 and 16 through 22 of the city charter to remove outdated verbiage and amend the charter to facilitate more efficient daily operations of the city of Port Long Beach. Provide for coordination with the supervisor elections. Provide for conflicts, severability, and effective date. And this is first reading. If it passes, I'll give a second reading. Then passes, then we'll go on to a vote of the voters.

Thank you, sir. Questions on ordinance 2198 for Mr. Burns from the council. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this council, do you wish to take any action tonight? Mr. Mayor, so move st recommendation to adopt ordinance 2198. Second.

Motion made by Councilman Jeter and seconded once again by Councilman Browning to approve ordinance 2198. Any additional comments? Seeing none, council, please vote. The ordinance does pass 5 to2. That brings us to item 11.6 and ordinance 2199. Mr. Williams.

Ordinance 2199. An ordinance of the city of Coral Beach, Florida amending section 33 of the city charter provide for a referendum on the charter amendment. Provide for a ballot question provide for a vote for the March 11, 2026 election on whether to mend section 33 of the city charter to authorize compensation to all city elected officials. Provide for coordination with the supervisor elections, provide for conflicts, severability, and effective date. This is first reading. If it passes nine, it'll go to second reading. If it passes, then it'll go to a referendum of the voters. Thank you, sir. Questions on ordinance 2199 from Mr. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Council, do you wish to take any action?

Mr. Mayor so moves staff's recommendation to adopt ordinance 2199. Second.

Motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Browning to approve ordinance 2199. Any additional comments? Council, please vote. And it does pass 4 to 3. That brings us to item 11.7, Ordinance 2200. Mr. Burns. Ordinance 2200, an ordinance of the city of Oral Beach, Florida, a meeting section 35 of the city charter, providing for a referendum on the charter amendment providing a ballot question providing for a vote at the March 11th, 2026 election on whether to remove section 35 of the city charter relating to limitation on annual budget expenditures. Provide for coordination with the supervisor elections provide for conflict, severability, and effective date. This is first reading. If passes deny, it will go to second reading. If passes then, it will go to the referendum in March.

Thank you, sir. Questions on ordinance 2200 for Mr. Williams? See none. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Yes, ma'am. Billy Chappelle, city resident. Um just concerned about the limitation on annual budgets because I think that it handicaps us council members to get quality employees and other items that we need for our city. So I'm concerned about that cap that's on the budget itself. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. And this uh this amendment if passed tonight would be able to be voted on on March 11th, 2026 and would remove the cap that you spoke against. Anyone else from the public wish to speak about this? Seeing none, council, please vote. Oh, I'm sorry. My bad. My may as well. You threw We threw off all the the rhythm that time. I move to adopt SAS recommendation of ordinance 2200. Second.

All right. We have a motion by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Miss Riley to approve uh ordinance 2200. Any additional comments? Council, please vote. and does pass four to three which moves us to shockingly fast item 12.1. Is that correct? It's correct.

Beautiful. A request for code enforcement lean release at 20 Windham Avenue Southeast. Who's got this one? Chief Pageige. Hi K. Come on down.

Good evening Mayor and council. The police department received a request for a lean waiver of the property. The property had two code cases, one for prohibited accumulation and the other for outside storage of an unlicensed non-operated motor vehicle. This property had some unique circumstances at it is where the property owner had passed away. One of the heirs started living at the property and that heir suffered from several different medical conditions. At this time, that property has been cleaned up and staff is requesting that the city council authorize the mayor to execute a release of all leans for code enforcement case un22-03000, including all accumulated fines, administrative fees to be waved in their entirety as outlined in section 1058 of the code of ordinances. All right. Questions from council on this item for Chief Beige. Anyone with a question for Chief Beige? No. Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Seeing none. Council, do you wish to take any action?

Mayor, move staff's recommendation. There's like a staff recommendation on. I thought I heard Chief Ba just say something that he recommendation. Oh, there wasn't. My bad. My bad. I see it now. Having a real scrolling problem here tonight. Second. Sorry about that. The intention is to remove these. So, we have a motion made by Councilman Schmidt, seconded by Councilman Jeter to accept the existing staff recommendation to wave the fees. Additional comments. Councilman Schmidt. I'm sorry. Uh, Councilman Jeter. The property is now in compliance. Correct, Chief B? Yes, it is. And that is the intention of code enforcement is to bring properties into compliance 100%.

Thank you. Anyone else comments? Council, please vote.

And it does pass unanimously, which moves us to item 12.2, the extinguished code enforcement lean release of 702 Anchor Street and Mr. Burns. Okay, this is a little bit different than the typical police lane killer has to do. Uh this is actually kind of more of a a kind of a an accommodation request to the parties requesting it. But uh the property at 702 Anker Street Northwest is getting ready to be sold. And to give you a little history on the property back in 2002, a mortgage was recorded on the property. 5 years later, the city uh had a code enforcement proceeding against the property and recorded a lean on the property. And then the mortgage itself uh went into foreclosure. And on uh February 3rd of 2015, the the summary judgement of foreclosure was entered and the sale happened a few months later. Uh the legal effect of that foreclosure was to actually extinguish the city's code enforcement lean at that point in time because the mortgage predated and was primed to the city's junior lean. And so since 2015, legally, there's really been no lean present. But apparently the title insurance company for the uh prospective purchasers of this property uh flagged it and so they have asked us if we would just uh formally uh enter a release of the lean and uh so really it's an accommodation uh then effectively uh because there's no real process in the city code uh to allow Mr. Davis or anyone that to do that for the individuals and so it has to come before we all to release the lean even though it's a lean that technically really doesn't exist anymore. And so uh I think though if you don't if you say no to it then I get the impression that this property won't be able to be sold. And so uh if y'all have any questions uh y'all aren't going to be releasing anything that actually exists for the city like a legal right at this point in time. It's more kind of like a quick claim deed. I know you're familiar with those Mr. Walker and Mr. Merrell. I know you're into real estate too and everyone up here. Uh it's it's kind of like you're doing a quick claim deed in

essence by just saying, "All right, we're releasing a lean that doesn't exist." Thank you, sir. Questions on this for Mr. Burns? Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Council, you wish to take any action? Mr. Mayor, I'd like to move to approve item 4.1 of agenda item 12.2, staff's recommendation.

Second. Motion made by uh Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Browning to uh approve staff's recommendation on this item. Any additional comments? Council, please vote. Again, it does pass unanimously, which brings us to item 12.3, the waiver of first right purchase of property at 702 Anker Street Northwest. Mr. Gibson, good evening.

And Mr. Gibson and I agreed. I would take a first stab at it and then if I say something wrong, he he'll fill in in in the blanks. But this is that same property. Uh there uh the folks also their title company addressed very correctly that the deed uh that the city I guess deed to these folks many many decades ago. uh the original owners of the property contained a right of first refusal for the city to purchase the property and the title company will not provide clean or will ensure the title unless the city releases that right of first refusal prior to the closing and so that's what these owners are now asking the city to do there's actually three restrictions on that that we've put in there to remove from there um the first one is that it's restricted to manufacturing fabricating and wholesale nature and precluding retail sales from being made from the premises. This is out in the CTP. We already have our established uh zoning stuff and what's allowed out the CTP, so which is rather redundant to have that in there. Um in addition, there was some restrictions in there about them making certain improvements within certain timelines on the property. That was technically still in there. Um obviously this was sold back in 1975. Those timelines have long since come and gone. So this is really to uh the primary one is the right of first refusal but those other two are also lumped in there.

Thanks sir. Questions for Mr. Goodson on this side or Mr. Burns? Just out of curiosity. We we talked on that a little bit but um just curious when it I guess the the foreclosure happened and then it went to a another buyer that held it for a period of time up until now. Is that correct?

That's with the uh Yeah. online. Just curious how you know if you have any inklings on how it was abled. Was it because of the foreclosure that our right of first refusal was not triggered? I.e. they didn't come to us and go, "Hey guys, we're about to foreclose. Do you want the right to purchase it?" Or would it have been at the time from the bank transferring it to the new owner, which is now the seller? Then it should have come to us for our right of first refusal to purchase. Well, whoever takes the certificate of title uh doesn't get like a clean title. Typically, they usually need to go then do a quiet title action afterwards if they have an encumbrance like this on the property. Uh that individual clear clearly did not do that. Uh it actually looks like it was handled by a local law firm who either provided a title insurance policy or maybe accepted out those conditions when they transferred it. So, I don't know. I didn't call it the law firm mask.

Yeah, I got you. It's just Yeah. Thank you. Anyone else for the question? Anyone from the public wish to speak on this item? Council, do you wish to take any action tonight? Mr. Mayor, so moved to accept staff's recommendation to remove the first ride refusal and other deed restrictions.

Second. Motion made by Councilman Jeter, seconded by Councilman Browning to accept staff's recommendation and formally wave the first right of refusal to purchase a property at 702 Anchor Street Northwest and other deed restrictions. Any additional comments, please vote. It does pass unanimously, which brings us to item 12.4, for the recommended charter review changes not set for March 2026 referendum. City attorney Mr. Burns

and council all felt it was only appropriate uh not to let these just fall through the cracks because the count or the charter review commission did a lot of work and uh did provide that report to you originally and uh y'all put it upon me to kind of lump a lot of the amendments together in a logical fashion which you all now set for referendum or halfway there. uh these other sections which are which are section 1 2 24 26 27 and 2930 where they had recommended changes which are not going to be going to referendum uh I felt do need to be addressed and uh so in in doing so I I realized I needed to figure out which ones could either would have to be sent to an additional referendum if y'all really do want to make those changes or which items y'all can maybe make changes to by an ordinance alone. And there are limited ways that a council can change its charter without going to referendum and doing it by ordinance alone. And I provided a a a memo in the staff report that kind of goes through all the various types of changes. One is to remove anything unconstitutional. Second one is to correct any clerical or typographical errors such as misnaming the city. Uh it's named Fort Walton Beach or Fort Walton at certain times. Uh you can renumber it or reletter items by ordinance alone. You can update municipal boundaries anytime there's an annexation or contraction. Uh you can also change election dates or qualifying periods. Y'all discussed that in the past. And then you can also remove or amend obsolete provisions. And uh but that's only if the uh obsolete provisions were in the charter prior to 1973 because if they were in added to a charter after 1973, they have to be removed by referendum and and not by ordinance. After with all that in mind, I uh came to the conclusion that uh with by ordinance alone, uh y'all can delete section 27 and section 30, which were were two recommendations by the charter

review commission. And you can make some of the changes to sections 1 and two that they recommended, not the full set of changes. Uh name namely they added the word beach to Fort Walton, but they also did make some other extensive changes to those sections. So, but the only uh so you can make partial changes to sections 1 and two for the recommendations and you could adopt the recommendations for 27 and 30 by ordinance. And so, if y'all do want to do that, I can set those up to go to an ordinance maybe in in January or even uh I'll probably logically just bring back in January since y'all already have quite a few items on the December agenda. But if y'all do want to make those changes, we can do those by ordinance.

Thank you, sir. Questions for Mr. concerns on this item. Mr. Mayor, these just fall under the ones that we like you said, clerical errors. This was the bundle of those that don't have to go to referendum.

They're not. So, they didn't logically match up when when y'all went through all the uh recommendations at the September was it 30th or 30 31st meeting that we came and just dealt with this alone. Y'all were very clear that y'all wanted to try to cut out as many items uh off the ref referendum that weren't really what we say substantive. And that's what these items are. I mean, they are substantive to an extent, but they're really uh honestly they don't do much in the way like if you read them, they're they're more just kind of filler ultimately. Uh you don't gain anything like any additional legal rights or lose legal rights by changing them or leaving them leaving them in there. And I think the whole that was one reason why they deleted some of them and then they made some extensive changes to some of them to kind of shorten it down to make the charter more readable. And so that's why the because they made so many recommendations and y'all kind of asked me to try to remove as much as possible. These are the ones I made the decision to remove. And they so they kind of for example one of them just says the like the effective date of the charter will be the date that uh I'm paraphrasing like the date that it's uh become goes voted in the law and the way it's worded it was clearly a provision that was in when the city first originally was formed. It it must have been the effective date of the legislation when the state legislature uh formed the city. And honestly I've never seen or I've seen it a couple times but most charters don't ever leave that in there. And so y'all could remove something like that by ordinance alone and send that to referendum. So So the reason it didn't go to referendum was uh y'all didn't want to confuse the voters I think with a bunch of these type of ministerial type of changes. And so just for a little more clarity for me when you go in and break them down like section 24 deletion requires referendum it is a substantial if that's the explan just to me it sounds like that I I get what you're saying. But why is it?

So, uh, it probably was, uh, let me go back down. It probably was one that was in existence after 1973. Okay, so that's the other caveat to a total ministerial change to remove something, uh, has to, unless it's changing the name of the city, like if the city's misnamed like I had mentioned, like you can change Fort Wall to Fort Walton Beach at any time, whether or not that it was in there before after 1973. uh is something that's unconstitutional, which nothing in here is unconstitutional. You can remove that at any time as well. Uh all these other changes, the ones that I said are okay to remove are ones that were uh uh in existence prior to 1973.

All right. Anyone else? So really only two of the sections. So the rest of the stuff will be unchanged ultimately. And I mean which I the way I look at is they made a lot of recommendations to y'all and y'all adopted most of them. And so rejecting them, you know, those few minor changes by not doing anything with them really won't hurt things too much. So Mr. Walker,

may Miss Barnes, just maybe more for you, just thinking back to when this body um um activated the charter review committee, decided to go down that route. Do you recall the the that date of that meeting? The reason I ask I will go I mean I'll go back and look for it if you don't know it. I wasn't sure if in the, you know, the preparation of the minutes or whatever you could recall that because when it started and got kicked off or activated, it was under the the premise that there just needed some cleanup. Um, and there was no substantive substantive substantive I can't even say it a substantive substantive substantive um issues at hand publicly discussed and it was just clerical. It was going to be it. now to see the clerical or uh substantive um provisions being delayed [clears throat] and not been put on there. I just found it interesting. But do you by chance know the date that this body activated the charter review committee off the top of your head?

I don't. Our first meeting was like June the 2nd or 3rd. June. So I think it was April. I think it would have could have been in April. End of April. I'll go back and look at that. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I will remind y'all when we had that workshop on it, y'all were very clear section by section like this seems like a ministerial one and that can maybe not be sent to referendum. So, got it. Anyone else with a question on this?

Anyone from the public wish to speak on this? Council, you wish to take any action? Mr. Mayor, so move to allow Mr. Burns to bring us back any clerical changes that we can approve up here in a January meeting. I can by January. So the four changes make. Okay. Yeah. Half of one and two and 27 and 30. Second. Motion made by Councilman Jeter, second by Councilman Browning to uh have Mr. Burns bring the council back the uh recommended changes that he has suggested. Any additional comments?

This will come back at the first reading. We can still kick back anything that we at that time don't think is that's correct and it'll have to go through two readings as well, but the big difference is it won't then go to a referendum after it passes on second reading. We'd love to see it. Anyone else, Mr. Walker? Just to make sure. So the motion was to bring back language to amend sections 1 27 and 30. Is that correct? And that means that um 24 26 29 referenced above. Um those will just be put in the hopper for a future discussion about a charter amendment referendums if y'all decide point to later point in time or they'll just remain unchanged.

Gotcha. Okay. Yep. That's what I want. Thank you. Anyone [clears throat] else? Council, please vote. It does pass 6 to1, which brings us to item 12.5 and Chief Beij's photo speed enforcement update in schools zones. Chief Beige,

good evening, Mayor. We just had our annual report a few meetings ago, so I'll keep this very brief. As you know, in May 31st of 2023, the governor signed into law photo speed enforcement. Since that point, we've had seven public meetings on photo enforcement, and we've seen about a 95% reduction in speeding through around the schools. So, I can take any questions the council may have on photo speed enforcement. Questions? Mr. Schmidt,

progress in getting our friends off Love Joy and this program. That's something we're still working on because that's we really got to determine if we can get a school zone there and it's something that will continue to work with public works both at the city level and county level. How much would it help if one of us approached the owners of the school? I don't think so much approaching the owners of the school. I mean that's something me and Daniel Payne can really work into looking to expand it to the Love Joy area. It's just something that has not rose with a lot of traction, but we'll go back and put a little bit more traction on it.

Yeah. Because several residents in that area have asked me to they want the the the cameras and the speed. I mean, I think if this charter school made a formal request to us, that would probably ease the process a little bit. There we go. That that's what I need to hear. Well, I thought there was this action or discussion of the consensus last time we had this conversation that the board wanted our staff to go and do that. So, we looked at it very cursory and we did some historical research on it and we were trying to figure out and Daniel, I don't remember how we determined that the school zone got taken out from that location. Well, I heard excuse me, may I speak?

Well, answer. I can go with your question. I heard you were in the middle of the I'm fine with that unless it was sold uh I was told it was sold the property was sold to the school. I I don't know the unless you know Councilman Smith the actual ownership of that. Is it still maintained by Kloosa County or did the charter school actually buy the property? No, I just know with last time we brought up this discussion, there was multiple board members that wanted us to make progress in getting with the school district public work from the county, city, whatever we needed to do. I mean, I know we've taken we've done a lot of things with the county school district that's much bigger than this, and I'm really confident we can get that to be a school zone. We'll get it done.

Yeah. Mr. R. Do you have any um any um idea of uh because there is a for sale sign that's near the property when passing the school still on the school grounds but over on the Freedom Way area there there's a for sale sign over there. So do you have any knowledge? I believe the school board and somebody else may be able to comment better on this that the school board surplus some of the back portion of the property. So the back portion of the property was actually sold. I don't know about the front portion of the on the love joy.

So I I can the owner if the school property where the school's actually located is the Okaloos Academy Inc. which is not the school board. So so the it looks like that happened back in 2014. So it is a private entity that owns it. And that property behind the school that the school districts looks like that's the school board like school board does own like uh it's like an L-shaped kind of but they own Yeah. the rest of the property and surplus that I think the buyer was a home builder that will be

correct on building some homes. But yeah, just more concerned I I we'll get more into this when there's a motion and making comments, but it's a school and that that road does a lot of cutting through a commerce technology park to Mary Cutoff and a lot of the residents and and kids and buses there. So, I just would would like to see as we evaluate this program moving forward, that there's some more efforts on making that a school zone, whether it's with the charter school, if they need to formally request it or if it's us knocking on their door, cuz I know they're extremely busy, just like how we are doing administrative things. And if if they don't know there's a possibility of even making it a school zone, I don't think we'll hear from them on requesting it being in a school zone. My understanding it was more just action from this board that wanted our staff to go approach and whether it's a county school district or the school to make it a school zone ultimately because we believe in this program, right? And we ultimately want to change the behaviors and all this great data that it's showing us. I want that data to be impacted on Love Joy right there where all those kids are going to school every day. M

I wanted to ask chief um do you have any um is there any data available data and in in terms of you know tickets or speeding or because you know I'm from that neighborhood and and live I see it all all the time with you know the vehicles come through there and they they are going relatively fast you know um um on love joy and even cutting off on burn street. So I'm just curious is there any data has any data been compiled in in terms of how many tickets or what is the speed limit doing the school hours or any type of data there would be available we'd have to go research it. We could also do a speed study out there. We put our trailer out there and capture the amount of both the volume and speed

on Love Joy.

Okay. Okay. Well, would you say um would it be correct for me to say if that data was compounded and it shows that it is well needed in that area to go ahead and you know and get to you know get to the school zone you know zone a school or whatever whatever it takes to you know because I I think that residents would be very very pleased me for one to see something of that nature happen because we do get you know there are children there's people that are walking and it's just you know it it sometimes it is very frustrating because you get speeders. You really do. And doing the hours that this, you know, the school is in, there are speeders that come through there a lot. And so I was just wanting to see what the data was there, you know, to validate. I would just add that, you know, I think from what Councilman Schmidt just said and Miss Deary has added and you certainly as well, Miss Riley, that there does seem to be an appetite amongst the council to put a school zone in there and add the school camera speed zone enforcement situation. A traffic study is really only going to complicate that situation because a traffic study the standards are much higher to lower a speed limit to make any additional road changes etc etc as having been a part of like three of those. It really complicates the process and you guys do have the authority to do everything that you guys are talking about here without having that done.

I would just think that that would really complicate the situation. Go ahead, Mayor. Um I I guess I'm I'm not asking um pretty much for a traffic study, but I was just curious to know has any data been collected? Sure. You know, just like you have a call time for wherever, you know, when you get calls, I mean is data being has any data historically speaking historically data collected out there and we can collect that out there again. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Chief, Mr. Hey, uh I spoke with Marcus Chamber of School Board uh recently and he said that that school bought that property. Okay. So, we would need to approach the school

and we'll figure that out. Are we far enough along to see the comparison where the presentation a year ago showed just a tremendous amount of compliance within the first 90 days? Yes, we we and that's how we got the 99 and I don't have them in front of me, but that's how we got the approximately 95% reduction in speed. When we looked at our initial data set and then we looked at the data set at the beginning of this fiscal year and compared the two data sets, we saw a 95% reduction within the school zones. So, it's working. Yes. Second question, what about the funding for the crossing guards? I know we talked about last time there was about 6700 [snorts] $6,800 in

So, there's about $17,000 that have been collected for the school crossing guard program. And that was one of the things that Jim Walsh was always trying to encourage us to get it done. We ran into a little bit of a conundrum with the charter amendments and figuring out how to actually expend that $17,000 from the school crossing guard program, but I think we've come to somewhat of a resolution in that aspect. So, we're going to go forward with a proposal to start expending funds from that $17,000 to the school crossing arts. And if there's any way we could do that respectfully on his behalf or him being included in some way possible, I'll leave it just very restricted.

I mean, we can make it the James Welsh School Crossing Guard Retention Incentive Program or some something like that. And we can ding ding ding as long as it's something that we can see. I know it's I know it's restricted funds, so we can't just But something like that would be great. A good old 100%.

I have a question for you as well in regard to the flashing lights that are out front of the the school zone. I know that it does change the enforcement situation if those lights are not functioning properly. And I text you specifically about two separate ones that I didn't see working within one day. They were repaired. But, you know, if Joe Sixpack drives through there and doesn't see those lights flashing and wants to contact someone, is that a police department phone call or is that?

They can call the police department. That means they're more than welcome to call the police department for it. We immediately work with public works to get them fixed and routinely we do also inspect them to make sure they're up and running as they should be. But yes, every once in a while there could be an issue with one of the flashing lights. Okay. And then so non-emergency police line is the best. Correct. Yeah. Councilman Walker.

Thank you, Chief. Um, this got probably the most contact, citizen contact as a as a city business issue that I've had in in my years is these traffic lights. I know you mentioned um, you know, the the the many classes, the conferences and all that's been to. So, I know it's been making national news about and this is not the flock system, correct? flock is license plate readers. License plate readers. So that's been making the news and constitutional um issue related issues and and then these come up and you know they are these this third party that's managing it for us. They're capturing tags of speeders. Correct.

Correct. And that information um is public information. Correct. One can go and get a copy of all drive all tags that were I don't believe you can. Okay. So, it's not just not I don't have any you can get. No, if they did a public records request, uh, Miss Barnes and her staff would redact out all the stuff they're required to redact. So, they would they could probably get portions of stuff. They wouldn't get the information uh through that means that they can't get through another.

Gotcha. So, that clarifies on that. Um the question that I have regarding I it at the end of this as I've I've looked at it I've felt that by speaking to the concerned citizens about it they they're they're who gets the ticket the car or the person the car the registered owner they get sent a ticket and so that's what at the end of it no one specifically has brought it up to me but it it's kind of like it's where it was shocked to me it's really a state of so a person a car gets the owner gets a something mailed to them it's not certified correct just comes in their mail

the first notice of violation comes in the mail the second notice which is in the UTC is sent through certified mail so it's sent by certified mail and they show up at the magistrate hearing I think there's one tomorrow correct yes and um they in in sense are if if you have an officer on the side of the road using a radar are and they they why why can't your officers on the side of the road using a radar capturing and and seeing the tag? Why can't you mail a ticket to that owner? Or can you?

Uh the legislature sets the rules for issuing tickets and the legislature allows for tickets for red light violations and photo speed enforcement to be sent to the registered owner for other traffic violations according to the driver. So, and and then tomorrow, I know with that magistrate, I think there's one or more uh tickets that will be uh in front of the magistrate then, but [snorts] it unfortunately it seems as though a person who shows up there is guilty until proven innocent. I don't think that's and that's what and that's what I that's what I want to find out from you is so you know the car is they're going to be issued a ticket. They're going to be issued a ticket. the the owner of the car

notice a notice of violation notice of violation and they may or may not show up here at the hearing but they get a second notice that's certified so if they receive it they're going to show up here and they're going to say I wasn't driving the car second notice they actually go to county court okay the second notice they go to county court and when you pull a when one of your officers pulls someone over on the side of the you know for speeding they can attest to who they saw driving the car correct

but in this instance is irrelevant because the state statute allows it to be written to the registered owner and not to the driver. The same thing as a parking ticket. So, if you get a parking ticket, it's if you parked in the handicap, over the sidewalk, in front of a fire hydrant, it goes to the registered owner of the car. If you like your car to somebody, they crashed it into something, you'd still be responsible for the damage of that vehicle as the registered owner and not the driver. And and I can also interject too that the the line of thinking you're going down, the state statute also has a built-in defense actually expressly stated in the statute that if you're contesting that you weren't the driver of the car, right?

You are the owner of the car, then you can either produce the person who was driving the car at the hearing or you can get affidavit and they spell out what the aid has to say in the statute. you can get an affidavit filled out by that person and notorized and then uh presum presumptively that person then then will get a ticket that but there is a built-in defense

well and that and thank you for that but it and it kind of un unfortunately it feels like it does feel guilty until innocent. You have to come in here and prove you're innocent that someone else was driving your car, not you. And that's that we are innocent until proven guilty. But in this case it does feel like we're guilty. Not me. I've not gotten one. not going to uh we are guilty until proven innocent until proven guilty because the the city still has to provide a case in front of the special magistrate and unfortunately if you don't show then it's found in default many of times just like there would be on any other court case or code case.

So we still have to prove our case in front of a special magistrate whether you show or not. So if they if they don't show up, that's interesting. If they don't show up, the default entry will be guilty. Correct. That court, but they've not been notified by certified mail at that time. And this in the magistrate hearing that'll be here tomorrow. They've done

so if on the first one and just to give everybody a very high level how the process works once the violation is captured by the camera it is approved by a local officer here in Fort Walt Beach a notice of violation is sent to Payne Walker. If Payne Walker does not choose to do anything with that violation does not choose to pay the violation show the special magistrate throws the violation in the trash. Payne Walker then is issued a UTC and then you go to county court. If you choose not to show up in county court with the UTC, then you get the same ramifications as if you did not show for any other traffic citation that is written. Josh,

and just to let you know, there have been folks that have won their cases. And I'm not trying to throw the media that they there have been people have shown up who have won in front of the master, right? And and then I think you and I chatted about that. [clears throat] I believe there were three that were

thrown out to by the magistrate at the last hearing and it was not on any of those grounds that I just discussed. But you mentioned pain longer receiving but but sometimes mail doesn't get to the um the owner of the vehicle period. Just it does if it does it makes it months later or it's just completely lost. So to think that someone's sitting at home unaware that they've been cited and that they have a hearing date in here and they don't show up for it and then they get a UTC that they have to go to the county about it. It just it just again back to that guilty until proven innocent is is where I where it feels to me. I know the state legislature got you guys on it. It's just it's just something from a layman's terms. That's how I feel. Uh that sometimes um it appears that uh those people who not received notice uh until they do and then they've got to go prove their innocence. So appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.

Anyone else with questions on further enforcement for Chief Page?

All right, that was it. That's just a discussion. No action needed. Thank you, Chief D, for the update. Brings us to item 13, city manager reports. Mr. Vegas type weather. All right. Uh I'll go through these as quick as I can here. So, Hollywood was uh the paving be done and open on Friday. Don't hold me to it. [laughter] That's my report for that. Uh we saw the Gulf View appraisal came back at 1.1. Typically what I do there is I'll get two appraisals. Uh Mr. Bethea emailed me and said the other company um that individual unfortunately died. He asked if I wanted to move forward with the second one. I said I'd bring it up tonight to see if there's appetite to move towards a sale. I don't want to 3500 bucks. If we're not going to move towards a sale bother getting the other appraisal, but if we decide we want to move forward, I'll get the other appraisal and we'll go about the process. So, just wanted to throw that out there for input.

So, sounds like you need some clarity on one way or the other. I didn't hear you. Sorry. Sounds like you need some clarity one way or another to go. Yep. If you want to move forward with that, I need to I will, but I just see what the appetite is. Makes sense. Well, I'll throw something out there. We'll see where this board goes and give you the clarity, our staff clarity that we need. Uh so move for staff to put out a solicitation uh to see what the market is for bids on the Gy Motel. for the solicitation to include the Gulf Motel has to be preserved and has to stay. [snorts]

Second. All right. Motion by Councilman Schmidt. Second by Councilwoman Deal comments.

Yeah, the the goal is to preserve that historic building that has already been a lot of taxpayers dollars on getting it there. Don't want to demolish the building. don't want to get rid of it, but want to see if there's an appetite in the marketplace for somebody to maybe open a bed and breakfast or to manage other offices like how we're currently doing. I just want us to try to get out of being a property manager and competing as the most cheapest price per square foot in the downtown market with other vendors, but not just to be clear, not to get rid of the GU Motel. That's my comment, Mr.

I like your com. In the meantime, uh, can we head to Buffet's power wash? It's been scheduled supposedly. He's told me 34 times it has been. So, I'm trying to follow up with that. Yes, the appliances have been replaced. The flags have been replaced. They owe a training on the elevator cuz it works. I just don't know how. And pressure washing has supposedly been scheduled. So, I don't need to talk to you. feel free to uh just thinking through some of those thoughts. Um Repy's office reached out and said, "Hey, if you're looking to sell this, we're probably going to bail cuz it's

like a sixmon turnaround for us to find another property and we don't know what this new owner is going to do." So maybe keeping it as is, they would be so inclined to stay. I don't know if their rent would change, whatever. I think we know somebody else that has rent in there. Well, the the goal of my understanding of this motion and and not to is we still would need after a solicitation, if this action were approved, solicitation goes out there, we do or do not get bids. The bids come back if it's two or three people that put a bid on there and then the board would ultimately decide to accept the bid. So my understanding is and however you want to relay that the information back to to Miss Representative Main staff is we still got a few steps to go to whether or not we're deciding to sell it. You know the the buyer who or the alleged buyer that could have an appetite might want to keep all the current tenants in there for the next 5 years. I we don't know what the appetite of the market is. That's just that I just trying to as we're going through this kind of articulate this with the board whether it's Representative Manny or any other tenants that are in there. We got some steps to go to. The goal is to see if there's an appetite and marketplace for it to preserve the building.

And just for clarification, too, we're talking about selling the building itself and the land. That's right. Okay. Um, first, Mr. Brown. Yeah. I'm not going to support it. We we, you know, we try to say or we we asked if it was losing money. It's not. We asked if we were managing the property. We're not. I don't really understand. and we haven't had much conversation about it other than, you know, end of end of council meeting motions thrown in about it. So, I'm not I'm I'm not going to support the motion. Thank you, sir. Mr. Jeter,

I will support the motion just because it continues the communication of the market value of any property. And because the motion includes keeping the structure and the future buyer maintaining the structure, it could come back to where there is no appetite for it and we have to lower rent. It could come back to where there is an appetite for it and they lower rent. So you never know what your options are until you see them on the table. So I'm all for seeing our options. I'm not for taking any action on those options and obviously we're not doing that tonight, but I would certainly love to explore and see the options. So I was fourth motion. Mr. Davis, question for Mr. Burns. Can we require an entity to hold that forever in that uh you could be like restriction on that?

Is this okay in that room? Yeah. Sure, Mr. Walker. Um yeah, I just um you know this um we're this building this land that we sit on now. I know that some time ago we sold off a piece of portion of this property down here on the end and didn't sell it. the city didn't sell.

They released it back to the trust. The trust sold it. We no longer own it. Um and so um you know that in in our considerations of what we're talking about a new city hall and looks like there's the appetite and and whatnot, but you know that probably has a greater value to us today than than it did back then. And that's one kind of question and I think Mr. Brownie brought up some good points. um if it's not costing us anything, it's not losing any money with the around the mound, the PD&E and all that kind of stuff. Um I'm I'm a big hold real estate hold. And so to be thinking and considering releasing that property at a time that in the next 5 to 7 years, there may be major transformation in the downtown uh for the city to [snorts] not hold that property for the pure intention of possibly selling it later at a greater return. and it's you know profit um kind of stuff is is I I don't think I'll be supporting it either but but at the same time um I know that we have a process for surplus property or if not that property is not on the surplus property list right and so how does that come into play on so I think right now the motion is just in do an investig [clears throat] investigation and so you still would have to go through the surplus property process process to actually sell the property if y'all do get to that step

in that investigation and I think I saw it in an email from you. It may be attached here, but um there was an appraisal one appraisal. Is that correct? Correct. And what was that? 1.1 million.

So 1.1 million. And whether a buyer shows up for it or not is especially if they're going to be quote restricted to what they may do with it seems like a good building to keep, but I'm not that investor. But um we've got a number at least one person's opinion [clears throat] of a number is $1.1 million. You know, we could almost go back to the council and say, would we sell this building for if there was a buyer for 1.1 million? That would be a, you know, so we could talk about the aftert because otherwise we would be expecting a buyer to show up that was willing to pay more than an appraised value. And that's only one appraisal. So maybe a second one could reveal some other ones. And I'm not saying that we go get one now. I'm suggesting we hold on to it. And that would be my primary reason for not supporting the motion is cuz I think it'll be more valuable in the future. Gota, Mr. Mayor,

I think, Mr. Walker, the way you frame that. So for me, I I am invested in downtown. I think that the time I think we're we're selling low if we did it. And like you said, we sell for 1.1 right now. So, if we go and do the investigation, we put in the work and we do that. But if you just ask a question, would you sell for 1.1 now versus I'm not opposed to looking into selling it, but I'd like to sell it for much more if in 5 years after this project and this money comes in. So, I think uh for that reason, the way you frame that, I'd like to I wouldn't sell for one today, I guess. So, I'll be holding off as well. Anyone else wish to speak on the motion? Councilman Schm,

you know, also too some factors I think we need to consider is, you know, what's the role of the government, you know, and if we don't support this, we're we're going to continue to be a landlord. We're going to continue to compete with the private marketplace that is also renting out per square footage in our downtown. And I don't I don't think that's the role the role that we need to be in as well. So, I know y'all are real estate people. Um, and y'all also very passionate about downtown. I know this is in the spirit of the debate, but just to try to to nudge a little bit more the spirit of the debate before we go to this. Again, we're just going to be seeing through this this [clears throat] motion what the appetite or if any at all, like Councilman Jeter mentioned, if there's any appetite at all, what the marketplace would give that it has just been one appraisal, but is there competition where somebody wants it for 2 million? It's all hypothetical. We don't know anything right now. So this action is not that then they would have to go through the surplus process. So a lot of steps but the role of the government question mark and I think the current role of what we have there again this motion includes preserving and keeping the historic building. But I just don't think our park and rec staff and our staff as well as the role of the government needs to be in the property management business competing against the private owners downtown at the cheapest per square foot in our downtown marketplace.

Well, and and that would you know I I know I've worked with Mr. Beth and his firm [clears throat] and they're outstanding in all regards and you know I would say that um our real estate um professional that we've contracted with should be getting us market rates and if they're not we've got to question why. So um I know I looked at space in there when I was looking at just renting an office and I was like my goodness what a great deal this is. So I don't know what it is and sometimes that's the case. we may think it's worth a whole lot more and we put it out in the market and there's empty offices sitting in there and it's like why are empty offices sitting in there and it's like well the market's not demanding them. So you know it would be for a buyer that would buy it for themselves um to be in one location there would most likely be an enduser not an investor to rent out the rooms. So, uh, it could be worth more money to a single investor that wants to buy it for themselves, but I think it will be worth more 5 years from now and be good for taxpayers cuz again, I it's not costing us. And I know we're not theoretically in the property management business, but we are. We manage the the tennis center property over there and the gym that's in there and just renewed their lease and we've got leases over there with the uh Bolex Legs Group and stuff. So we do it. We just hold land and I like holding land for the city and for the residents. At some point when it's time to unload it, there'll be people fighting over it and the taxpayers will be the benefactor. So I like that holding it idea. So C.

Yeah. I'll say one of the things on the roles [snorts] of the government is for the people. I've not had one citizen come to me and ask me to sell the golf. Not one. So just for that. And then back to Mr. Walker's comment on the property. I mean, that's one of the main reasons why we can't build a city hall right now. We don't own any property. We sold it all. So, this is like another piece of property. Obviously, we can't fit a city hall on it, but we're just trying to sell. So, just additional reasons as to why I'm still not supporting the motion. Thank you, sir. Mr. Jeter.

Yeah, a lot of great comments up here. Um, certainly support all of them and I like what Mr. Barl and Mr. Walker said. I think it's going to be worth more. I'm glad to see council walkers. I think that around the mount is actually going to happen now and downtown Fort Walton is going to be vibrant and things are going to be worth more down there. I think a lot of us own property downtown and we're looking forward to that. But at the same time, it's it's still just a game. I know it's a taxpayers's dollar, but it's a real estate game. If you want a piece of property, you get calls every day of somebody wanting to buy a property that you have. Sure, make me an offer. You never know what you're going to get until you get an offer. I'm not supporting selling it. Uh, and I I I certainly support your thoughts on Mr. Manning, but at the same time, you can go back and forth with that, too, and say you've asked Mr. Mania for money for Hollywood Boulevard for 3 or 4 years, and haven't seen it. So, I don't think we have anybody free rent in this community. I would certainly like to see us get the most for this building, whether we sell it tomorrow or 5 years from now. But, we're not making a motion to sell a building. We're just seeing that. There might be a tenant in that building that's willing to give us a 1.1. You'll only find out if you ask and you don't know until you ask. So, I don't support selling it. We're not taking any action tonight, but I certainly support playing the game. Let's see what our options are out there. All right. Everybody certainly had plenty of opportunity to speak. Please vote on the motion. And the motion does carry 4 to three. Mr. Davis, you were in the middle of the uh city manager reports. Anything else to add?

Uh yes, unfortunately we have bouncers. So code workshop tomorrow night uh 6:00 to 7:30 at uh Daniel's public works building. So take some input from the community kind of explain that the role and talk about Mr. Walker's uh property bill of rights, those sorts of things. So that's tomorrow night. So kind of turn out we get there. Ashley Lane, we have enough response now saying, you know, uh working with Mr. burns. We do not need a certain percentage to move forward with that project. So, we have enough people now saying, "Please, please do it." So, we're at the point where uh we're ready to [cough] [clears throat] probably go get a rough order of magnitude from somebody that you have on contract or something along those lines and then it's just going to go on their their their trim notice. Um, so if we're ready to go with that, we'll we'll start the process. I don't know if we're going to have to bond it up front, but Carolyn Ketchel has reached out to John Meade and has offered potentially uh using some of her discretionary funds to help with it. So, it takes some off that tax burden. But unless there's uh any heartburn on that, we'll move forward with in that regard. But uh thoughts, comments, questions on that.

All right. Ready to roll. Good. Good there. All right. historic marker for Sarah Francis Brooks Prior, Auntie Francis. Um, so I explained that we we can do this easy. They've offered to do the heavy lifting. I have no problem reaching out. But, uh, unless there's any heartburn on that, I'll start that process with them tomorrow. I only had one response, I think, from Councilman Schmidt. But, uh, support sold. What is it we're talking about? Um, Miss Prior. Oh. Oh, okay. P. No. Prior. No. Prior.

Uh, Florida Women's Historical Marker Initiative, Postmaster of Fort Walton Beach from 1917 to 1943. Founded the Women's Club. All kinds of stuff here. She was a rock star. Yeah.

Okay. We'll get it. Um, Colonel Hamilton will be speaking at the January uh, League of Cities that we're hosting. So, kind of cool there. He's he was supposed to speak last month with the shutdown, so he'll be our speaker. Fun to announce that. Um, Miss Mitsy, who came to council requesting money for America 250, Daughters of the American Revolution. We elected to move some monies around to support that. Now it has grown substantially. She would like to move it from the landing to the fairgrounds. And I I said I needed to speak with the council because now we're kind of going out of the city proper into the fairgrounds with that drone show potentially. Um I feel like it's taking some business from downtown that would depend on that money. But that being said, there's some cool caveats. They want to do it on June 12th. So, not July 4. So, you could get a cool drone show there and still have the the 4th of July, right? And not take the business from downtown. Unfortunately, with those drones, you have to have a backup day because, let's just say it's, you know, silly windy or rainy or whatever. So, the backup day would be July 3rd. So, if we did a drone show on July 3rd and July 4th, there probably might not be a lot of people interested in that. and I feel we like we take some money potentially from the landing um operations the the restaurants and that sort of drive. So, it's a bit of a risk. Additionally, that it's outside of the city proper, but we spoke yesterday, yesterday, day before, I don't remember. Um, potentially partnering with the golf course so it would drive some revenue there on their June 12th day. But, so kind of looking for some feedback on what the thoughts are there since we're kind of she's pitching it as uh the J ODM Foundation, the Shoe Foundation, all the foundations want to

throw some money in as well. So, we might have a lower cost for the drone show. Drone show sounds pretty cool, right? Just 200 drones. Um, it's kind of the flavor of the moment, but again, just looking for some feedback since we're kind of moving out of the city proper. So really what you're looking for is council's direction on whether they want the city to contribute $10,000 to this particular show that's being organized with that group that spoke to us before about having it at the landing but now moving it to the fairgrounds and do we want to contribute the 10 grand? I did ask Miss Mity to if you have all these foundations, let's just say council is amenable to still going with the 10,000. If you can recoup that and we can do an inkind, you know, let let people park at the golf course, let people park at the fire station, giant training pad where the tower is. There's things that we might be able to donate in kind if she can get that money back as well.

Gotcha. Council, did you want to be tased? I I didn't hear you. Sorry. [laughter] All it takes. Oh man. So today's been a day. Our dunking booth. A donking booth. You can do a doning booth. They're in the 250. We're not getting away from that. Yeah. Let's before we get back to the TA you guys, anybody with recommendations on this situation, that money was already budgeted for Yeah. or Okay. We're moving money around to to try to support this 250 America 250 celebration. The question is whether or not it's at the landing or at the fairgrounds. Well, she's moving forward full speed at the fairgrounds and we can still have an event at the landing on the 4th of July. Correct. As we always do.

Correct. And that price tag we're looking at is 10,000. That's what she's asked. Well, she's asked for 20. And I've asked her to shoot for 10 since she has all these other people and then hopefully return that 10 and we'll do inind. But we have to give the 10,000 up front to reserve the day. So, she's got to do the hustling on the back end to get the other money. Gotcha. Mr. Walker, do you know if the county's contributing? I don't know. I don't know who all is contributing what. She said she's chasing various entities, but she has a uh huge like she's Jod may just fund the whole thing. Yeah, potentially. Right. I like that. A lot of moving parts. I'm all about it. Sorry. I like that a lot.

Yeah. So, she's she's working on it, but there's nothing in concrete yet. And there is a firm date to book the show if you will. Gotcha. Mr. Jeter, what is that date? When does she have to know about? I think it's next week. Anyone else?

I mean, I would support moving forward. It's America's 250th birthday and even though it's at the fairgrounds, it's still going to benefit the community as a whole. So, mayor can not. I think we should still support it somehow someway. I have faith in her getting with the neighbor Jay or other people to help offset. I certainly would not go more than 10. She's asking for 20. 10 certainly has a limit, but like council member Schmidt said, this money was already budgeted, already approved. She created, she dressed up and gave great presentation and came back out now. She really did. And the neighbors in the city, too. Let's not forget that. Right next door to the fairgrounds.

Beautiful neighbor. You mentioned you mentioned uh several times it's been mentioned it was already funded. Was it funded for that event? It was just that it was going to be at the fair. It was going to be at the landing or how was whatever the and again I don't know all your cool things here. It's the annual Fourth of July event that's typical. They wanted to beef it up because it's the Daughters of the American Revolution and America 250. So this is all money that's already been allocated. We have suggested that the Marty Gro parade was not trending well. So we moved that money into this to the drones are substantially more expensive than just regular old fireworks. So that's going to pay for that.

That's what I wanted to hear. So we're exchanging D activity or the Mardigra for the D. The Mardigra is not going to happen. Correct. So logic was again [clears throat] I haven't I've never personally witnessed it but I'm told the Marty Gro attendance has trended down substantially every year. Navar Destin they all have a Marty Gro you can go 4 hours. So if you want to do a Marty Gro, there's still options. And we felt it was more Americaner to beef this guy up. Anybody else? Mayor. So moved. We need some clarity is what we're looking for. Yeah. We just need a head knob. What do you need from us?

I need you to tell Midsy I'm writing a check next week for 10 grand. Can you make a motion? actually says you're approving of him moving the So move to move the funds from Marty Gril to America 250. Second motion by Councilman Schmidt, seconded by Councilman Jeter to move the $10,000 uh to move forward with the 250th birthday of America celebration. Any additional comments? Yes, sir.

Council, please vote. America. So America Okay. Um I I'm not even going to touch on school zones. That's no fun. Um I I got to give super props to Kyle Oler and his crew in the public works. If you haven't seen the property next door, they started Monday. Uh that was voted in the CRA to clean it up because of unfortunately some homeless encampments or whatever is in there. There's enough trash to fill this room over there. Uh but in 2 days, the difference has been substantial. Uh, super impressive. Um, so just want to throw that out there. What's the property?

It's right next door. Like No, that's behind us. I'm There's a a vacant lot in the hotel park. Oh, okay. Okay. So, this vacant lot right here. Yeah. Crazy overgrown. Yeah. Uh, they just cleared the brush out and drained all down the trash.

Yeah. They just started yesterday. So if you get if you're bored incredible um I did get an incredibly nice note from Mr. Dantis, Governor Dantis. Um I I got to read it cuz it's amazing. State employees have worked hard throughout the year. Um they've done incredible work this and that. So they have shut down the state government two more days than we have. So, I'm looking to see if there's any heartburn. If we mimic what Governor Vantis has done for the state as part of the city, there will be no overtime, there will be no nothing. But we're going to mimic their holiday schedule that they've added. It's two extra days. It's the November 26 and January 2. So, unless there's heartburn there, I will mimic that.

What the does, right? That's what I'm thinking. Same team. We're forgetting it there. You will have a bunch of happy staff members tomorrow. They will high-five you randomly. High five. My notes. All right. Uh the last thing I was going to go over is the rec center debt, but I'm going to turn that over to Nicole cuz she'll say it substantially more intelligently than I will.

Uh I emailed all of you guys earlier uh today, this afternoon, just to let you guys know that PFM has put out the RFP. to handle the RFP for it. Um, so we're really grateful that they've put in a lot of the work. So, it's a $7.5 million bank loan for 15 years and they're asking for a fixed rate. Um, I reached out to as many local banks as I possibly could to to just to see if they had any appetite to be able to bid on it because we always went local to be able to get the business. Um, a few of them took the bite and they really wanted to be in on it. So, I gave them PFM's information. And so, PFM reaches out to them um and and introduces themselves and tells them the whole thing, but it's out there and it's public and um it'll be out there for about a month. I think it's December 16th is the day that they decide. They have to have everything in by the 12th. Um and then they will make a decision. I think it's the 18th and it will come back in January for final decision. Um uh and then we will go from there and approve it. Uh, I did make negotiations with them because they wanted first payment to be July of 2026. I told them that we uh paid off the irrigation loan this year, which was a $300,000, and we didn't really budget for it this year. Uh, so they pushed it off to starting payment in January of 2027 and splitting it January of 2027 and July of 2027. So,

question, Mrs. Barry, what's the rate, the fixed rate? Uh, I don't know yet. We'll find out when it comes back. It's got to come back in January. We're hoping it's around four and a half, but we just got to see what what comes in. Anyone else questions? Questions, but thanks for reaching out to local banks. It's awesome. [clears throat] Local business. Woo.

Also started a similar process with Derek uh leading the way on the insurance being rebid next year. So, we've met with two vendors that want to potentially bid on that or one and the other one's coming in shortly. So, we putting together that package probably go out in Marchish. Does that sound right? There's still he fell asleep. There he is. Marchish. Yeah. So, um insurance and all that jazz will go back out. And the weekly update on how the 3% cap is actually impacting us. Our fire team is recognized as being super cool throughout the community. We had an agency reach out wanting to get CPR certified, right? Super awesome. But just the CPR cards alone were $1,000. So, we had to turn them down. They're going to have to go somewhere else because we didn't put it in the budget and not something that we want to look on in this climate, not understanding where it's going to be at the end of the year. So, kind of kind of sad, but at the same time, it is what it is. And then, you know, some of the conversations we're having, I think I'm more concerned about how the actuals are going to play out future, right? So, if I have vacancies, we have a tough time filling the engineer. they finally filled the engineer, but from October to January, that was vacant. So, we didn't actually spend that money. So, my concern is, you know, thinking through that that it's going to trigger that use it or lose it mentality. So, now I have to potentially open up the overtime and then potentially hire people that we wouldn't normally hire and just sort of things we're still navigating through. So, I just want to throw that out there for food for thought.

Mr. Mayor. Yes, sir. Can I ask a question follow to that? Um, if we were to issue, you know, performance bonuses at the end of the year to get us to that 3% cap, would that keep that baseline? Bonuses are statutoily allowed. So, performance funds, whatever we need to do with legal to not drop that baseline low to your concerns. I'm just trying to to whiteboard with you to not lower that baseline. My strategy right now in my back of my head is I'm going to look at the people that are not making $20 an hour and if there's a a means to move them up just so they're with the AMI that's going to be my strategy towards the end of the year. I just don't know where where we're going to fall as we navigate through the rest of the year. So I mean as we go through the end of the year

open suggestion that was going to be my strategy really to kind of bring those people up to what I would consider the working rate. That's right. And I know rates, we're stuck with those or those are baked in rates for future years. I guess where I'm going with this is we get to the end of the budget year if we're way below the the 3%. Obviously, we got to honor the law. I'm not I'm not going to get that late in the game. Probably in March after I know how this is going to shake out. That [clears throat] there's going to be an aggressive strategy starting in March, April to get it close to correct.

Yeah. And that was the objective of bringing up bonuses or call it whatever you want because that 3% cap whether it passes or not in March. If it does pass and we stick to that 3% it's still a very conservative threshold of no more than 3%. Not wanting the baseline to go any lower. Whatever we can do in August or September is we know what the actuals are to keep that baseline at the 3% as high as we possibly can. That that that was the objective of that. A different way to phrase it is we had x amount of dollars for payroll. I'm going to spend it just because I got to be creative. Right. Yeah, that's it. All right. Thank you. City attorney reports. Uh, unless you have any questions about the report, um, I have nothing else. Anyone questions?

Do did you have you received any response or communication from the AG on those opinions you submitted? No, in fact, I just made a note. [laughter] I want to follow up with them tomorrow just to see because that might uh obviously if the uh as charter amendment number 35 is not repealed then the AG opinions will be uh extremely important. So that will be another factor. Uh but clearly uh he's got I'm sure we'll have to answer about March before we go. But they haven't even acknowledged that they received it as they acknowledge they received it. They acknowledge they received it. Okay. Gotcha.

That's the cat and mouse scheme. Anyone else? All right. Uh, M. I think we had a really really um really good meeting um today and I'm um really really happy that we were a able to get the employees out of here a little bit cuz I I tend to kind of look out in in the um in the chamber and look at the employees and again you know I can't tell you how much I I do appreciate the things that you all do for the u for your divisions for the city of Fort Walton Beach and You know, I'm pretty happy that we got we're getting out a little bit early for the sake of you guys cuz you know, you're working all day and then late meeting. So, [snorts] thank you all for the work that you do.

Thank you, ma'am. Mr. Schmidt. Yeah, we I didn't get to put too many comments during the um during the school zone speed enforcement supporting that for a lot of reasons, but the objective data I want to highlight in there is that 88% of violators have not received a second violation. And that's just something that I think we need to look at from I don't know who says it all the time, but educate, encourage, enforce. [laughter] You say it all the time. I say it all.

Um, but that objective data is is kind of the goal is to change behaviors where during a portion of the year they got some education and then there was some encouragement, there was some enforcement, but 88% of the violators have not received a second violation. There's some other objective data as far as where the baseline survey evaluation data was at to compared to where it's at now. 95% of the speeding has decreased. The cost of putting a human FTE out there to to get to that objective data. Whether we had the 3% cap or not would be unnecessary. It would be way too expensive. So, you know, I know there was no action taken on that, but I just wanted to highlight. I know we had I spent probably a lot of time on the lovejoy conversation, but fully supporting that and and understanding the objective data is going in the right direction to keep our our city and our our travelers safer. Also want to continue to support the cleanest city coast. You know, piggybacking off what Mr. Davis said, whether it's the parcel next door, every single meeting we get here, we see something substantiated on us making huge strides to be a cleaner city. You know, we were at a a meeting this morning at Career Source, Mr. Davis and I were, and you know, the the the audience was students and trying to attract talent and keep talent here. You know, higher paying and higher wage jobs is a huge factor, but a lot of those families are going to want to either stay here or not, contingent on how clean our environment is. not just our water quality and those kind of things, but whether or not there's homeless encampments right next door to our city hall or not, those kind of things. So, shout out to Troy and and Chief Beige and and Mr. Davis and our team to continue to strive to be the cleanest city of the Coast.

Thank you, sir. Uh Mr. Walker.

Yeah. U want to thank Mr. Davis uh for your weekly uh emails. That's just I know we've we've all thanked you before. I want to thank you again. It just really helps. There's a lot going on up here. There's a lot going on in our lives individually and to receive such good clear communications from you about all those different moving parts and pieces kind of helps me keep it all together as well. Mr. Burns always taking my call and um and answering questions I have on the agenda or topics and and helping so much there. And Miss Barnes, same for you for for helping um responding to my many requests to you and emails. Thank you. And Nicole, thank you for your work uh there in the finance department and keeping us up to date. I know it's been a tricky transition from what the voters have told us and where we were and where we are. So, thank you for for doing all of that. Um I I am I'm obviously disappointed in the um body up here moving forward with um the first reading and and and expecting those uh charter amendments to to make it back out to the to the ballot. So, I'm disappointed in that, but everything else I'm very happy and pleased for all the work you guys do for us.

Thank you, sir. Mr. Brown,

yeah, I'll jump on the congrats to the Bucks bandwagon. I didn't say it this morning or this earlier in this meeting, but congrats to them and hopefully there's another Buccaneer Super Bowl um coming soon. Um, and then I want to, I guess, task staff to, I guess, work with Chalkaw High School and Form Beach High School and developing a plan for youth council coming up at the beginning. We can wait till after holiday season, start working with those guys, come bring something back to council for us to talk about on that. And then, uh, just to kind of echo council member Schmidt on the clean a city initiative. I love the cleanest city initiative. I kind of want to challenge staff to find unique ways to make it not just the cleanest but the most beautiful city on the Emerald Coast cuz we know that or well I feel that clean isn't always beautiful and beautiful is not always clean. So to find unique ways to kind of initiate different different paths to try to initiate ways to beautify the city not just clean it all. And then also u thanks to all the staff and I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Thank you, sir. Mr. Deberry. Uh,

yes. I have a few um statements here. Uh, code enforcement. Uh, Chief Beige, uh, with Troy, I've had a couple of calls or texts and calls from people, uh, that don't know where to go to get someone to come and look at their property, you know. Um, this one person in particular, she's up an age. She has some rentals and she's putting in new windows, you know, and she wants to make sure she does it right so she doesn't get a ticket. So, so if it's building issues, she would have to go back to growth management. So, any type of permitting issue, windows, doors, structural issues, all go to growth management. So, so

if it's aesthetics, grass height, trash cans out, you can send her to the police department and we'll deal with it from code enforcement. Okay. And I'll get with you. Thank you. And uh again, I really enjoyed the Buccaneers game and and that was that was cool. That was I had some good pictures. That was really really good. I appreciate that. And what else did I say? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Dear. Mr. Jeter.

Yes, sir. I'd like to jump on the clean and city bandwagon as well. So, thank you, Mr. Davis, for bringing that along. And I agree with uh Council Member Schmidt and Browning. Let's be clean and let's be beautiful. But let's also not take our eyes off the ball that I think started us down this road years ago. So the ebikes chief, are we out on those? Are we are we riding those on the path with Carolyn or we riding those around downtown eliminate vagrants, too? I mean, we try to do it all, but like everything else that comes down to capacity, we're down a few positions and Chris Carter, one of the officers that went to Niceville, was probably our most prolific ebike rider. So, as soon as we get a few more people hired, we're going to try and beef back up our ebike. I just love to see them back out there. I don't want to take our eyes off the ball that we've made so much progress in the last two or three years on that 98 Perry corner. It's like every time you really like celebrate inside like, man, it's been like 30 days and then all a sudden it's like 5 days in a row like we forgot about it. So, let's just not take our eyes off the off the small things. And then, uh, coupled with that, the cleanest city, uh, Mr. Burns, if it's possible to bring back maybe January, February, what are our options maybe inside just the CRA district alone to prohibit outdoor feeding? Cuz I know I've heard there's other churches now, not just on First Street, that are now doing different feedings at different times. And I've seen pictures of just 30 and 40 bikes and shopping carts lined up. And just if you could I won't elaborate any further on that, but if you could bring us back any and all of our options on specifically just the CRA district, what we can do to prevent outside public feeding.

So you think maybe the Do we have a January CRA meeting? We do, right? We do monthly. So I'll I'll by then I'll have the answer for it. So did you say December? I can have it December if you want. February. We got But if you can have it December, that'd be great, too. We do have a CRA meeting in December. But then I then then I think do you want to be the person who's not feeding people around Christmas? So it doesn't matter matter what time of year for me. It could be Christmas day. You go to work Christmas Eve. You know Christmas day.

To follow up on that. It's more for me. You know the feeding's nice, right? It's a good thing to do from a human perspective. The to-go boxes. There's enough to go boxes in that vacant lot next door to fill us for the to-go boxes and the cups and stuff. That's what's I I'll have the answer by December. Other than that, happy Thanksgiving. Thank you, sir. Mr. Merrell, that's fine. You don't have to, Miss Bars. Just um Council Member Walker asked, I looked up the um resolution on that charter committee and it was approved April the 8th. April 8th, and I sent the resolution to all council. Great. Thank you.

There you go. That's been answered. Um, I would just like to say a couple things. Obviously, happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We all see you again before Thanksgiving, but I hope everyone on this board and everyone that lives in the city has a wonderful Thanksgiving and does remember the less fortunate around us, whether it's uh, you know, bringing your neighbors something to eat or helping the guy next door um, with with something. It it truly does mean a lot to people. I would also like to thank Mr. Tom Rice, uh, who does a lot around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, certainly for the community, but also does so much for our veterans in the area, and he put on a fantastic Veterans Day celebration um, at Be Memorial Cemetery. So, was very pleased to be a part of that. I would also add congratulations to the Buccaneers. They did provide me with this championship ring.

As you can see, it's worth several hundred,000. I believe.

So, I will be getting with Mr. Burns to make sure this gift is not too expensive. But man, congratulations. As Mr. Barry said, you know, on that age group team and and that's the toughest age group team for them to field because you got 13 kids that all, you know, can also play middle school football. So, now they're of that age. So, for them to play basically both ways all season is really an incredible feat. and to win the the championship in that age group is it makes uh our city proud. So, Mr. Leowitz and and Randy and all those guys, congratulations. Um want to also say before we go as to the the speeding thing, you know, I don't I know I don't get a lot of opinion time as the mayor, but I definitely do have a strong opinion on that because I've been contacted, like Mr. Walker said, by residents about this as well, and my answer is always the same. If you don't want to get a ticket for speeding in the school zone, don't speed in the school zone. We're talking 11 miles an hour over here is when it triggers a ticket. That is some serious speeding through a school zone. You're going 5 miles an hour over. Oops, I forgot. You're not going to get a ticket. 11 miles an hour or more over. I've had contact with as much as 15, as much as 20, as much as 25 miles an hour over the speed limit and saying, "Well, this is not fair and this is whatever." It's not fair that you speed through that school zone. It is absolutely not fair to any of the kids, any of the parents, anybody participating in that. So, we're trying to change the behavior. The behavior is being changed. The program is working. Be aware because it's not going away. And happy Thanksgiving. We're Oh, Miss Riley, did you

Oh, no. No. Ben said he had nothing. Didn't say he had nothing. So, we are