Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

flag. Thank you, Lord Helen, for this beautiful day. Thank you for all our many blessings. Lord, be with all the people here tonight. And Lord, we would like to uh give you to the Shepherd family and the Brazil family and do the best you can to make their lives better from their losses in their family. And we all be with them. [snorts] You guide them and direct them the best you can. Lord, be with all of the first responders in this country, out of this country. Make sure they all safe. And be with our president, please. We need him to be with us for a long time. Lord, be with all of our members here, board members, and we all make the best [snorts] decision we can tonight. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Ice flag of America to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all you shave it off. [clears throat] Okay. Okay. Staff, is there any additions or deletions?

Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman, we have looks like three additions. I thought there was only going to be two. Uh, one uh presented by Mr. Crawford, the Swany Valley Communications Tower. It's a timely, sensitive matter. Two, the Columbia County CDBG 22 DPOP 332201 HO4 modification request number three. And the third one was brought up at the economic development advisory board this morning and it's a recommendation to suspend the residential score sheet for tax incentives.

Okay. So, David, I think what we'll do is we'll just uh I don't think nothing's timesens as far as through this meeting. So, we'll just pick them up on into your Skype. Chairman. Yes, sir. If we could, I would like to add one to the agenda also. Speed bumps in Fort White. Speed bumps rock. Yeah. Okay. So, I would assume it would be proper to probably put that under Kevin. I mean, that'd be a time comments. You good with that? Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. All right. With that being said, uh I'll seek a motion for approval.

Motion to approve agenda. Second. Got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. All opposed. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Mr. Foreman, thank you for what you're fixing to do. I did the proclamation last year. I attempted on this anesthesiologist and I'm not going to mess it up this year. So, good luck.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This evening for the board's consideration is proclamation number 2026P-02, certified registered nurse anesthetist week. Whereas certified registered nurse anesthetists uh are CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses providing anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 150 years. CRNAs are among the nation's most trusted profession. And whereas legislation passed by Congress in 1986 made nurse anesthetists anesthesiologists the first nursing specialty to be accorded direct reimbursement rights by Medicare. And whereas CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in rural communities and continue to be the primary providers of anesthesia care to US military personnel. And whereas CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered from traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms to critical access hospitals from ambulatory surgical centers to the offices of dentists, podiatrists, opthalmologists, pain management specialists and more. Whereas CRNAs are qualified to make independent judgments regarding all aspects of anesthesia care based on their education, training and lensure. And whereas CRNAs are trusted anesthesia experts caring for patients safely and compassionately delivering specialized cost-effective care to all patients from newborns to seniors for every type of procedure and all types of facilities. And whereas CRNA's experience in critical care nursing in addition to anesthesia care provides the training and education to address unique health care challenges of some of our sickest patients including veterans. And whereas the period of January 18th through 24th, 2026 has been designated as National CRNA week. Now therefore, we the board of county commissioners of Columbia County, Florida, do hereby proclaim the week of January 18th

through 24th, 2026 as National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetus Week. Motion to approve 26 P2. Got a motion. Second. Got a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. And Bill Brian's here to accept it. [clears throat] Did I pronounce all the words correctly? Awesome. [laughter] Brian, what's your last name?

Thanks, Brian. much appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.

Go. The next proclamation for the board's consideration is proclamation number 2026P-01. [clears throat] A proclamation recognizing Mike Potter, TV20 chief meteorologist, for his dedicated service in protecting the citizens of Columbia County for more than 30 years. Whereas Mike Potter has dutifully and faithfully worked at TV20 for more than 30 years, providing life-saving information to the citizens of North Central Florida and Columbia County, serving most recently as chief meteorologists. Whereas families in Columbia County have come to depend on Mike's forecast to plan their day from early mornings to late evenings, he became a steady voice in times of uncertain weather, including guiding the county through many hurricane seasons. And whereas Mike Potter has provided exemplary and honorable community service from forecasting bright and sunny days to severe weather with watches and warnings with widespread impact, giving advanced notice of potential dangerous weather conditions and saving lives through his calm demeanor. Now therefore, in consideration of the above premises, be it proclaimed by the board of county commissioners of Columbia County, Florida, that Mike Potter is commended for his outstanding contributions and service to this county, and that he goes into retirement from his many years of service with TB20 with our deepest and sincerest gratitude, for all he has done to help make Columbia County a better place to live. and witness whereof we have here unto set my hand this 15th day of January 2026 and cause this field seal to be affixed.

Okay. Entertain a motion. Motion to approve 2026P-01. Second. Got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Is there anybody here to receive the proclamation other than the camera lady? We'll make sure that gets delivered. want you want to send a picture back to your boss man. Okay. SURE. [laughter] Now you want us to be on camera. But we before you leave, uh David, I would assume it'd be okay for her to take that with her. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Your committed delivery lady. Thank you.

Have a picture now. Thank you for coming. Okay. Uh moving on. Uh Mr. Seth Lane, you got the floor, sir. Thank Thank you.

Here we go. All right. So this is ordinance number 2025-26 via resolution from the planning and zoning board pursuant to zoning application Z2511 01. Uh this is for a requesting or an ordinance for a zoning change of the described parcel from commercial general to commercial intensive. As you can see on the map, it is the red outlined parcel there. Um, currently uh being used for the selling of sheds and trailers, which requires a designation of commercial intensive and this is in district five. Mr. Murphy, your district uh was done via Marisol Johnson agent for the applicant. uh board. This is right across from the uh what we all know is the old Berea Baptist Church where Papy's Restaurant used to be. It's simply from one commercial to another. I've had no cause of rejection here whatsoever. So, with that be said, uh I'd make a motion to adopt. I'm sorry, public hearing. Public hearing. I'm sorry, but uh but anyway, I'll just say that. Is there any at this time I'll open up the public hearing. Is there anybody here to speak for or against this ordinance? Not seeing none, uh, declare the public hearing close and I'll, uh, follow up with a motion to approve ordinance number 2025-26. Second.

Got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say I. All oppose. Thanks, Seth. Thank you. Okay. Uh before we I ask for an approval of the consent agenda, I'm going to ask uh we had discussion and uh review this week. Uh I want to pull number two for discussion on the consent agenda. Outside of that, I have no uh other ask on that. So I seek a motion. Motion to approve consent agenda. Second. Got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Motion to adopt. Motion to adopt.

Second. Joel, do we do that before we have discussion here? Well, no. Now that it sounds to me like you want to talk about it under David, correct? What you were doing. So, yeah, go ahead and adopt it as amended. Okay. Talk about it. It'll motion to adopt as amended. Got a motion. Got a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay. All right. Thank you. Moving on. Okay, Joel. You got four on this.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh resolution for consideration this evening is resolution 2026R-01. This is a res revised and restated resolution relating to the creation and uh characteristics of the economic development advisory board. Back in 2022 was the last time you amended and restated this ordinance or excuse me this resolution. Um, so I took that one and based on some requests made by Commissioner Murphy as he's moving into the chairmanship for the economic development advisory board. All I've done is reinserted the requirement that when the EDAB meets it must there must be council present. That was a requirement for many many years and that was one of the things that was taken out in 2022. So if this resolution is adopted, everything else about the EDAB stays the same. You're just adding back in the provision in section three subsection L that says the county manager shall ensure that the EDAB is always with council when meeting said council retained at the county's expense. As I indicated in my memo, there is no additional expense to have me attend those meetings and I'm happy to do so.

That was the punch line right there. I appreciate [laughter] that. But uh uh board we uh before we seek a motion one way or the other the uh uh we a couple weeks ago we had some uh incentives and what have you that had some uh questions and what have you and that's where me and Joel had conversation and that that's what led me just asking to do this and most especially when found out didn't cost us one way or another. It was uh it was money in the bank and we discussed it with uh the advisory board this morning. Had probably one of the best advisory meetings I've been to a long long time. But we got a lot accomplished. Uh I think collectively everybody working together, we're going to have a good year this year. So the uh that being said, I would make the motion to approve resolution number 2026R-01.

Second. I got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. All right. Thank you, sir. Thank you. And you can catch the speed bumps, I guess, at the end of your presentation there. Yes, sir. Good evening, Mr. Chairman. Um,

first item we have, as we're all aware, we're moving on our kennel construction. Here's the bid for the kennels themselves. We had two bids. requesting the motion to award bid number 2025 2026A of CAB contracting option two hot dip galvanizing amount 126,73076 due to longevity and lack of maintenance with the material. So move got a motion. Any further discussion? I'll second it.

What does this bring the total to to this building now? where we're we're getting multiple bids, but this was a little higher than what we expected because we went to galvanized, but all in all, it's somewhat on budget. We're still in budget barely, but I mean, it is what it is. I mean, we got to business and there's a lot of moving parts. For example, the city, they did the utilities free of charge for us. That helped us a lot. you know, the office, the slab, the building, the kennels, everything about it. But it's still within budget as we speak. But I do not look for it to stay in budget when it's all said and done. But it will not bust back.

But as we move along, we definitely need to keep an eye on it because I mean, we hate the unexpected as you well know. Oh, no doubt about it. But as it speaks right now, we are in budget and unless something jumps out there, it's not going to, you know, that that capital project fund on the county side is in totality. So, we're we're we're covered because we come in some better some other jobs.

And just for transparency, I've reached out to uh Kevin Kirby and uh because I I seen one of these pins, I say kennels, I guess you'd say. Uh pretty neat construction for the money. It was I felt like it being in that business for years, it was a good deal. But uh I I simply ask Kevin the when they're talking about this consider the hot dip galvanizing because uh the way these things are made and what little bit of paint they can put on them and of course the high use they're going to get and uh all I can say is in the business I feel like we'll uh we'll benefit twofold over for that that little bit of difference in money. Of course, it's money, but it's uh in the galvanizing world that in my opinion, that's well worth it. So, yeah.

Okay. Any further questions? So, what was the bid for the metal building? I'm trying to remember that. We did we uh did we vote on that last week or last meeting, I mean? Yeah, I think so.

I just don't recall the number. We we've got to bid on concrete the building, but we still lack a thing or two. But like I say, right now, I mean, we're we something you guys do not know. Tom reached out to me recently today. Lack of word, the Humane Society is not taking a whole lot of animals at all right now. So, he asked me, "What do I problem?" I said, "We're in the animal enforcement business." So, the contractor that we're working with right now, he's doing great. He's coming every Saturday. The process is working, but I feel very comfortable that we need to get these kennels built a lot sooner than later.

Uh Kevin, I could uh the points Mr. Ford bringing up is is very valid. So maybe next meeting if possible, let's get a current rundown on that and we'll kind of give us all a good feel and see where we're at. Sure. I I would feel good about it. And Okay. And we got a motion. I second it. All in favor say I. I. All opposed.

Okay. The next item on the annual resurfacing side of things. We received four bids for this job over in Mr. Murphy's district. The Norton [clears throat] home improvement was low. Request a motion to award bid number 202514 to Norton's home improvement for the total bid amount of 172857 and approve the agreement. So move. Second. Got a motion and a second, but Mr. Phillips got a question before before we vote on this. I work for this company all my life. Okay. And I do not get any proceed out of what comes out there. So, I just want everybody to know I'm going to pull my vote, let them take care of it, and I'm not voting on it because of that reason. Okay. Yes, sir.

Just give it Joel and sign the proper paperwork at the letter date. Okay. Okay. Uh, got a motion. I think we did. Did we have a motion? Yeah, we had a second. Okay. Motion in a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Thank the next one. 25 202510 Sky and Jordan from Tyrus US 27 sidewalk improvements. We received three bids. Low bid at Kurts Construction for 3337322. I've requested a motion to award bid number 202510 to Kurts for total bid amount of 33307322 and to approve agree got motion in the second.

Yes sir. Uh Kevin this is grant this paid for by grant right the sidewalk. That is correct. That's some tight bidding too. That was tight. Yeah. Tight as I've ever seen it. Okay.

No further questions. All in favor say I. Okay. It's that time of the year that we submit scrap, scop, sigpy, lap, tap, etc. So, back in the old days, we did two road projects for scrap, two for scop, two for sigi. Few years ago, they said, "Let's don't do it that way." Talking about the DOT, they said, "Submit three projects in totality." So, I want to kind of capture what we've actually got on the books today. You've got Baskamor sidewalk that goes from Voss Road over to US 90. That's design and construction in 2028. You've got Country Club Road at 133 from 252 to Bay Avenue design and construction in 2026. Arlington Drive over off Sisters Welcome, design and construction in 2027. County Road 18 from 41 to the Union County line design and construction in 2029. Tuscanooi Highway from 242 over US41 design and construction in 2029. So the smiddles you do right now is for 5 years down the road. There's a map of what I just described. What is proposed? County Road 18 [clears throat] from Fort White to 441, Gum Swamp Road from 441, Interstate 10, and Canon Creek Drive and Arrowhead from Kick Ladder to I uh 242 75. These three projects are the exact same three projects we put in for last year. We did not get any. So, it's just kind of common sense on my side. So I'm requesting a motion to approve submissions to F dot scrap scop CP tap for funding in 2030 for 250 East ahead

Canon Creek and County Road 18 from 27 to 41. Okay. Motion approve. Motion to approve. Second.

Got a motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay, Seth corrected me a while ago. He said a warning on the plat is called Turkey Creek, but back a while back there were some issues as it related to drainage at Turkey Creek or Woodbor North. At that time, this board suspended building permits. The developer has met compliance with Swany River Water Management District. Therefore, I'm requesting a motion to approve again issuance of building permits for Turkey Creek. Second. Got a motion and a second. All in favor say I. All oppose. Okay.

Okay. Added item. Uh I was asked to take a look at some town streets as it relate or a street as it relates to speed homes. I talked with our attorney. We have a process. We have a policy. Because it's a cutth through road. It simply is not applicable to our process. you you'd have to do a traffic study. You cannot capture everybody that uses road per our policy. You also have a policy that says a county commissioner can deem it unsafe conditions. I'm a little unclear. Has the town of Fort White. Did we ever figure that out? I've not heard anything. Has the town asked for this?

The town sent a request to David Krauss, the county manager, for this? They voted. They voted. Yes. At a meeting. Okay. Okay. So, so it it Yeah. This is the situation that Chad and I talked about yesterday, Kevin. I don't think we got a chance to circle back. This is wouldn't technically come under our speed hump policy, right? Because our speed hump policy affects our roads. This is more like an interlocal agreement. The town has requested the county construct the speed humps. It's up to you guys to say if you want to do it, and if you do, we'll do a short memorandum saying that we're going to do it. And and it's it's a little bit more like that. Makes sense. Chairman, if I can, what road is it? So it's at De's Park right [clears throat] there on 47.

They can they put playground equipment in. There's no fence around De's Park. There's no sidewalk on these three streets. There's a little board fence about kneeh high around the park. Sidewalk or playground equipment is on the back side of the park. Cullen Avenue runs right down beside it right there. And uh Whale Street runs right down beside it on other street. They're asking for a speed bump to be be put on Cullen Avenue and Well Street to slow the traffic down around the park because it's there's playground equipment in there now. Kids are going to be playing. So, this is definitely for safety is what they're asking for this. And saying that, I'll make a motion that we approve this speed bumps in Fort White on Well Street and Cullen Avenue.

Second. Got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay. Thank you. Much needed. When did they put that playground in [clears throat] there, Rocky? How How long ago they put that playground in there? They done it with that grant they just got. Oh, okay. The grants they had, they worked on the ball fields down off of uh uh Wilson Springs Road, right? And they put playground equipment in De Park. Gotcha. That's good. Okay, Mr. Kra.

Thank you very much. I'll try to be brief. Uh the first one is RFP 25 2025A uh solid waste assessment. It's really a request to uh extend last year's solid waste assessment to this year. As you know, we are going out to bid for a solid waste contract. We all anticipate it's going to come in at a different rate than with the last one, which means it'll be higher. For you to be able to implement an assessment that would be effective to cover it and be effective October one, you need to start now with doing the study so that when you award the contract, they can immediately work with that contractor, get the numbers because there are legal deadlines in terms of notifications of the public and sending out letters and those types of things. So, what we're doing is basically asking you or requesting you to modify it to allow us to take the contract from last year and use it again this year so that when we do get the bids in, we can do the assessment and then we can tell you what it will cost or could cost on next year's assessment. Stantech has agreed to honor the cost that they gave us last year, uh, which is $38,850. They did the mailing for us. They charge $150 a mailing. That's printing, stuffing, postage, everything. We estimate about 23,000 notices will have to go out because you have to notify every affected parcel. And that's another $34,500 for a grand total price of about $68,350. And we're asking you to approve the extension of this contract for another year so that we can give you the option to set the assessments in the fall. Otherwise, you keep your current assessment study could charge what was approved under the current assessment study. If there's a sign significant difference between the new costs and the old costs,

you have to figure out how you're going to make up the difference. Gotcha. Gotcha. Okay. Any questions before we make a motion? I'll make a motion we approve RFP 2025-8. Second. Got a motion and a second. No further discussion. All in favor say I. I. All oppos. Next option is um the donation of property uh to the city of Lake City, the uh 854 Southeast Monroe Street. We received a letter from code enforcement saying we're in trouble on this property. The city said, "hm, we kind of like this property. We'd like it." So, we're proposing that we declare it surplus and donate it to the city of Skip one, David. Oh, did I skip one? I'm sorry.

We'll come back to it, David. We already you can go back to it. Yeah, we'll come right back. Yeah. Okay. So, the donation of property. Yeah, we'll stick with that one and go back to the Oh, go back. Okay. We'll stick with the donation for right now and then go back to the AR. That's right. That's correct. That's correct. That's correct. So, what would the board like to do? Would you like I believe this is in your district, Mr. Po. This area behind Wilson's if I remember correctly. In that area, yes. Um there are um a lot of code enforcement problems there that if we don't donate the property, we will have to. So are we doing anything with this property? We didn't know we had it. We got it through tax achievement. So it's just been laying dormant.

It just has been sitting there and Joel's looked at it and talked about it. This is that one piece of property that Yeah. ejected people from that property year to this story. I thought we were selling it and I and we submitted it to purchasing to sale and like a lot of our real property it just never sold. Well, it sat so long. People moved back in. So that was when uh code enforcement outsighted them. So we would have to reject. So donating this property actually will save us money and the city's willing to do all that and the city's willing to take it. So they'll they'll take it as is. I I I highly recommend we donate it. Yeah. All right. So, I'll make a motion we approve the donation of uh was 854 Southeast Monroe Street.

I'll second that. Got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. All okay. So, going back to the one I skipped by accident.

2025 ARPA housing rehab group 10. This is the next set of housing projects. Um it's under the ARPA money. This should be helping us close out it. We've identified four contractors that were qualified. one however um was uh did not fall within the program recommendations of how much money needs to be done. So there were three remaining low biders that fell within the proposed guidelines of your housing assistance plan. So we are recommending that you approve an award one award to Cardinal LLC for 30 for 22,470 for Elliot which is at 1155 Southwest Fairfax. We're recommending you approve two projects to Florida Homes Inc. 19750 for 488 Northwest Dixie and 29950 for 659 North Broadway Northeast Broadway. And then the fourth project we would recommend you award to Patriot Response Group for 72,828 which is 428 Northeast Fairview as per the attached bid tabulations

and I see Cardium CRM is handling this uh grant issue correct? Yes, they've handled our entire housing project to date. the next project, the next grant, uh they will have to bid them, but from all the existing ones, they've been handling our housing. Okay. So, moved. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose.

Okay. Utility update. Um, basically at this point I'm going to uh turn it over to Commissioner Ford, Commissioner Murphy. Uh, if there's anything on the utilities you wish to update the board on that happened the, uh, authority meeting earlier this month. Additionally, there was a water leak, a major water leak in Fort White, which was repaired overnight at a one-day boil water notice. It was handled by both our crews and the utility authority. and then see uh the utility authorities here if you have any questions for them in terms of an update that you would like to know what's going on with that.

Mr. Ford, he chairs this and give him definitely an opportunity to bring us up to date with some of the stuff we're facing. Well, I think we did get the water line fixed in Fort White. Uh, Robert and Shannon and the county done a good job on it. Uh, Shannon, you want to come up and just give us give an update on the on the utility authority for what we where we're at and what we're doing and uh touch on also that we are expecting the bids in on the uh 16th or 26th I believe. Sure. For uh our contractors. So, yeah.

Sure thing.

Yeah. So, we'll just go back a couple of weeks. Um, we at the end of December, we got the engineering evaluation submitted to DP for the Ellisville wastewater plant consent order. That was the first step in the plan. That got submitted on time. Uh we're in the process of setting up some new discussions right now to have a uh another call with DP to talk about the next stage which would be the engineering design piece. We don't yet have cost information from new terra or H2O innovations. I'm being told we might have it in two weeks. What that'll do is put us in a position to take a look at the options that are in front of us. So the timing of the engineering uh portion uh that's part of the consent order is limited to 90 days. So what we want to do is take a look at which way are we going to go because it may require more time than that. So we'll pull those in pull those things together. Um and then we need to understand well what route will we take? We need to in my opinion we need to go back to D and ask them for additional time and I think they'll provide it. I think D is has a vested interest in assisting us to get the plant back into compliance. Um I don't think it does anybody good to say oh no we said 90 that's it you don't get anything. I I don't think they'll take that response or or that approach to it. So that's one piece. The second piece, we had the first call with D for the Swany County warning letters. Call went

well. They explained the process. Um they will receive a consent order. Um basically um the consent order is the tool that D uses to actually set up a plan to get you back into compliance. It's oftenimes I think people look at it as like kind of a you know a hand slap or or whatever it is or something to needle you but it's outside of that consent order. They don't really have a mechanism or a process. So I'm taking the view that that's a good thing. So yes it'll come out. It'll it'll list violations and then we'll really go through that to understand what does the county need to do? What is the timing of the plan? uh DP gives you an opportunity to customize the plan that they outline in the consent order. If you need to add more time, uh you know, add steps or whatever, you have a chance to request that and get that set up. So, that's already happened. Uh that initial call has happened. Um we did complete that water mane repair uh on January the 7th. That was a fairly large repair. It was a 10-in line that connected to another line. It was the actually the old line, the first line they put in for fire hydrants. U but it connected to another line. So we actually had to work, you know, remove a lot of sediment, soil to get down to the valves to be able to move them around. Essentially, one of the valves had leaned over and that's what caused the leak because the pipe uh slipped out and you know, water's leaking out the underside of that uh connection point. So, we got that done. Um Mr. Ford, you mentioned the engineering RFQ. Um the utilities

authorities RFQ for engineering service services closed on January the 12th. We had 12 respondents. Um, we're going to be working to select a team that will tabulate and score those. Um, we probably will bring back the tabulated responses or scoring for the responses to the utility board's February meeting. The emergency services RFP uh, for the utility authority that closes on January the 6th. Um, and then the last thing that I would throw out there is we finally received our grant paperwork from D on the $1.9 million legislative appropriation that'll be used for Ellisville wastewater improvements that are going to support the Busybe project. That's going to be on the our board's agenda for next Tuesday to sign off on and submit. So,

I got a question on that. Yes, sir.

So, it's 1.9 million We know that if we add another 25,000 gallons to that plant, we're looking around $2 million. What's more important at this time to do what we intended for that 1.9 million or try to work on the actual sewer plant? And I don't know the answer to that because I don't I don't really know where we're at. But that that might be a question for Chad or maybe even Kevin. I don't know. But I do know we have a we have some issues with with size and we and I know we're looking at other options, but that might be an option we need to look at too. I don't know because we have diverted those funds to something else in the past and I know they would agree to that probably if we if we said this is what we need to do. Now I don't know if that's what we need to do or not. I just thought about that the other day and I just thought something I would bring up to for us to have our people look at and think about it.

What was the scope of work, Rocky? I knew it was for a sewer line and a lift station if I believe right wasn't it right. There was there was money set aside for the design to uh upgrade two lift stations and put in about 6,000 ft of piping that would run back to uh the plant from where's the whereabouts of these from the intersection on the I'm going to say the west side of the intersection where it comes across it comes from the east to the west and then it runs down along 75 all the way down to the plane. Gotcha.

So, right now you have one for it has a manifold. They pumps from one pump station by the Burger King, one pump station down by the old gas station where the old sewer. This would have put in a second force main. So, Burger King would have its own force main and pump station have its own. Robert might give us more information on that. Well, I don't know. I and I know I'm surprising y'all with this. I haven't thought I haven't talked to y'all about this, but no, it's just something I thought about the other day actually and I I was down there this afternoon

and I was looking at it and I was thinking, you know, 1.9 million that might could fix our nitrogen problem and our size problem on our plant right now. You know what I'm saying? Potentially. And then it'd be interesting to find out when we get our cost back.

What What are they? And then the other piece is we're going to go to bid on this work. So we may find out that the work we actually need to get done. Now I don't know this, but I'm just speculating. We could find out that part of that 1.9 million isn't going to be used because the work just doesn't cost that much. We don't know that. Uh but you know we'll I I would absolutely be in favor of if we have anything left over how do we defer it divert it and include some of this in the scope of that but um Robert you give us your thoughts on that what's the most important thing right now then

well primarily the 1.9 million was to upgrade home garden station and add a 6 inch horse main to the plant to accommodate busy they're expecting 25 to 30,000 baseline gallons per day existing station force tied in we don't know the cost yet out if there's any left over we will be pleasing

so you're saying that the these improvements Robert is going to be intrical to the B&B proc that's that's what my question okay but I like Rocky's idea But I I think the our main focus right now is definitely I mean we're under contract. We got to we got to meet deadlines. Yeah. So so the existing force man we have won't handle that much. It's a 4 inch force man. We have two 13 horsepower pumps that generally push about 125 gallons each. That was just generally when it was first installed cover the original SNS

right company business. We now have TA down there. mess stuff and my designs the busy view has approximately 68 toilet sinks and showers and laundry

they're going to be pushing a lot more flow that lift station's already eight years old upgrading we're looking at a separate line if we ever lose the existing main line anywhere between there my understanding previously was primarily up the station up on side new 4 in separate 4 in low side north. Now, I know we talked about David previously today, I think it was in the economic development meeting. You know, you touched on the uh impact fees that we stalled back years ago and then been talking about bringing it back. At this point in time, it'd be uh be nice to have had them impact fees because it sound like that'd be a it sound like putting the laundry online that that's very expensive. But the uh I know that's not going to come into effect here, but for some of the the thought that Mr. for brought forth the other day at the water utility. Them impact fees for stuff like that will be helpful in the future, you know, for uh so that's that's probably something we need to put on our target and definitely readress here in the near future. Not to get off Robert's point here, but the uh you know, because the money is short down there, that's for sure.

And like I say, this is just a thought I had. I don't know, you know. Yeah. I just, you know, just thought I was thinking about today and I said, well, I'll bring it up. I don't know. You know what I'm saying? Whatever Whatever we need the most at this time is where we need to spend the money. Yeah. You know, we got several fish to fry down there and only so much money to to do it. So, okay. Thank you, Robert. Are you finished up? Are you finished there, Shannon? Yes, sir. I am.

Okay. Refresh. What did you say about the January 6 is due? the engineering services, excuse me, the emergency services RFP for the utility authority to get vendors under contract to do emergency work if we need it. That closes on the 26th. The 26th. 26th. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, the engineering closed on the 12th. That'll come back to our board in February and then if we have time we should be able to bring back the uh emergency services RFP uh tabulation of the bid at the same February meeting.

Now on our meeting on the 20th will we be discussing this uh group that you spoke of the uh ranking committee I guess you'd say? Uh what's what's our Didn't you say you're gonna we're gonna establish a a committee to rank the bids coming into engineering bids and what have you? Um I don't think the board has to establish a committee. I just need to find people to evaluate. I've already reached out to David from the Columbia County side, Jason from the Swany County side, and myself. Okay. The three of us can score the

R. I thought I understood you say you're gonna find a committee or something. Yeah, it would be way more complex to get you guys involved in. No, no, I don't want to [laughter] do that. Well, I'm not. And the reason we decided to do that, chair, if you remember, is because if we meet, it has to be in an advertised meeting, public meeting and everything. That's That's right. That's correct. That's correct. That's correct.

Okay. And then uh Okay. Uh okay. Me Shannine, you had a little bit of discussion early on. I see Mr. If that gets to this point, Mr. Bailey in the back. uh the waterline Fortwide status quo. Where where we at? We mean you had a little bit of discussion this week about that.

Yes, sir. Um we met a couple of weeks ago to talk about um we needed to get a renewed focus. We've got our valve the sensor valve fixed so that we could add treatment to the line. And once we got that work done, a few weeks after that, the altitude valve would not shut off the flow to fill the tanks. So, what we've done is we've reached out to uh the manufacturer. They've recommended a vendor and I believe that vendor is fluid control specialties. They'll be here on the January the 21st down in Fort White to take a look at that valve and to help us troubleshoot it to understand is it something as simple as there's sediment in there and it's clogging the valve and that's what's affecting its uh operation. Is it something else? Is it a warranty issue? We have no idea right now. So the first step is to get those guys here. They'll be here on the 21st. We'll take a look at it then and then understand what are we really dealing with.

Okay. Because in our discussion in our review Monday uh you know the question was you know where we at? We we're not selling water at this point. No sir. Yeah. And uh the uh the contractor uh that was awarded the job is under the understanding uh called them from the meeting that they're complete. Yes.

And uh of course I know there was a sub issue in that. Greg, if you don't mind, make your way up here, please. I got a question or two for you if you don't mind. Greg Bailey from North Florida Professional Service. Uh, you know, I hear I keep hearing warranty and I keep hearing this, but uh, who's paying for all this at this point? We're paid out. The the job's been paid out. Is that a two-part question? Well, you you Well, I'll I'll take the first stab at it. Uh, number one, we don't even know if it's going to cost us anything yet. Okay.

Okay. So, I don't even know how to answer that question. There's no information to lead us one way or the other. We'll have to see what happens on the 21st. Once they look at it, then we'll know more. If there's cost related to that, we'll have to see what it is. Um, there are funds that the utility authority could potentially use, but you know, it is a project that was started and run by the county. So, what do we do on that? I don't know. Um, well, I I just want to know what it is. What is the problem? And if it does cost something, how big is it? Is [clears throat] it a $1,500 problem? Is it a $15,000 problem? Don't know yet. We will hopefully soon enough. Um, my approach to this is if it is if it's a warranty item, then it should be done pro bono. Shouldn't cost us anything. U, if it's not a warranty item, then well, let's see what it is. Maybe it could be fixed for nothing. Maybe it's just clogged. I don't know. We need to get to that point first and then we can figure out, all right, what is this? What are we dealing with? How do we address it? but not putting you on the spot, but you are helping with this situation, right? Greg.

Yes, sir. Okay. Just give us a engineering view of it, please.

Um, well, I'm going back up and this was a 12-in line that was done with HDPE. Just kind of give you all a background of how that construction goes. But basically it's everybody's used to PVC pipe where you're using a hub and spot type attachment. HDPE is done by thermal joints. You have a machine there that has a hot plate on it. You you basically heat the ends of those pipe together and you run them together. Uh so when you do that, you create a little bit of a a lip. Okay? They back that and eliminate that. So you got a smooth joint on the inside. that material should be flushed out. I keep getting reports of from uh twofold. The water plant operators been down there. They had a bunch of that debris in those lines whenever they first come up. So, everything's been reported to me. I still feel like we've got a problem of that the line has not been flushed completely out and we keep getting debris that is fouling these uh valves and these uh switches

and I would assume twofold documenting all this. So uh they don't work for me, they work for you guys. So I I'm with you. I assume that too. Okay.

Uh I do know that I I went down there personally myself a couple of times. Uh they did have a bleed off line that they were utilizing and we were trying to get some information off of it and there they had a water meter on the end of it and the water meter was clogged brand new water meter they had on that line and they couldn't read they couldn't tell me what the flows they had coming out of a I think it was a 3 inch line that was two inch line so um those were some issues that that they were experiencing. Um I was told that they flushed cans out of fire hydrants down there. So I I I've heard all kind of statements about what was being flushed out of these lines. So it's my opinion right now uh based on the the the valve work. It's a simple valve as far as this is called an altitude valve. It's it probably used on 90% of the water systems around the country. Uh it doesn't use electricity. It works strictly on pressure. Uh and also it's very very simple to to to work. Um it. Like I said, it's just something that's not unheard of. It's not We're using old technology here. We're not even using new technology. So, this stuff's been around for a long time.

So, we're still not determined of whether it's the plastics, the f I guess you say the shavings that's causing this. I believe Robert has has gone into it as far as he felt was comfortable as far as trying to to verify all that. But there's that valve is very complex as far as when you start taking it apart. If you know what you're doing, no big deal. You know, um if you know, one of you guys go to work on a a piece of equipment, you know what you're doing. But, you know, you can go [clears throat] deeper or you can get, you know, a guy that knows a little bit more. So, I think that's the point of getting the vendor in here that can go in there and probably Well, sometimes if it's under warranty also, if you're not qualified to do it, they're gonna say you told me about something.

That's correct, too. So, when's this person due in China? 21st. Got you. Okay. All right. Well, hopefully you get there quick. Start showing [laughter] us some more. Thank you. Did you have any other questions, chairman? I personally didn't rock. Mr.

No, I'm good. I just wanted to I just want to reiterate. We know a procurement process takes a while. Time you get it together advertising all. So, we have been working on procuring uh contractors to repair stuff, but we just don't have them in place yet because of procurement process. But they, like I say, the 26th, we should have all the bids back and should be able to uh have contractors on on staff then if we have an emergency to call. So, and just for the record, we got a meeting the 20th in Live Oak. Yes. For anybody interested in attending 9:30, I believe it is. Correct. 9:30 in line. 9:30 this morning, right? Okay. All right. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Any more utility update, David? Um, just want to confirm that uh I did have this conversation with Joel with our interlocal agreement with the utility authority. They are our utility provider. [snorts] We aren't in the utility business per se. We are the owner of the facilities, but they are the operator. So that's why we defer to them and you know who's the contact in between county and twofold. It would be between them and twofold. It's Robert. Okay. Okay. Robert is okay. So I would just say so again they're our oper I hope they're documenting this these shavings issues as Greg alluded to.

Okay. Okay.

And one other thing just for background, uh, DP has sent uh letters to Kevin and myself and Chad about um portal that they have that closes tomorrow relating to the BMAPs. uh they are going to be tightening down on Colombia County and all the other areas for nitrogen reduction in the BMAPs. Not related to the utility itself, but just in general projects that we can do to help reduce nitrogen throughout the BMAP. We don't know what all that means yet. We're still trying to figure all that out. They dumped this on us in December. We're kind of trying to work through that. So, you may hear things about D. You may hear things about the BMAP and the nitrogen reductions that have nothing to do with the utility.

The And I know there's a lot of people trying to beat the date right there. They ain't going to get their permits in several prior turned in. What was that, Rocky? January 1st or something or was January 1st. Yeah, I know a lot of that's planning on building a home or something in, you know, 2.6. That was a big issue. And we can't figure out what they're expecting us to do about those privatelyowned septic tanks.

So, I mean, it may we may be at some point required to do a study to figure out what does all this mean to us, but they're going to hold our feet to the fire on that nitrogen reductions even though it's not related to a sewer plant. And uh not that is affects you David but and Shannon uh just for the record uh you know Shannon quizzed us give us a lot of good knowledge there of the uh consent orders uh but I don't want us as a board to consent orders. I talked to Mr. Bailey. He uh it's a plan going forth and you can work through it sounds worse than it is, but I don't want to water it down to the fact and let it know that but we have wrote one $10,000 fine check on that. So, you know, it's it's serious, but uh but we are on top of it and it's just uh I just didn't water and you weren't doing that, Shannon. I want you to be clear that when you drive home live tonight, the uh that we're not watering it down. It is a problem. But in defense of design and everything else, that plant in Ellisville was designed at a certain ratio and then the law changed their their way up. So it's not like we built it wrong or designed it wrong. The rules changed in the middle of the game, so to speak, or at the end of however you want to say it, and now we're held to a higher standard. We had that discussion with water utility the other day.

You're absolutely correct. Columbia County had the plant built when the old plant failed at the truck stop to the standards that we were required to build it to. Standards change significantly. Having to remove down to three is a very significant change. And they all the time with everything we have. They they change the game in the middle of like I said, we're not the only one. Oh, no. Absolutely not. There's several of these plants in Florida facing this right now. several several hundreds.

You can go online and it it'll blow your mind. Yeah. Yeah. And the ones that amaz the ones that amazed me, Rocky, is the ones that were just recently built like the one that Shannon alluded to right here in Swany County. Now, we had a little discussion about was it designed for residential or interstate? I don't know about all that. But but my point is that there's some uh I won't tell the town just but my little way of doing research. There's one less than three years old that's in consent right now just not very far south of us. You know the lady at the state that sends the consent [clears throat] orders out is uh having a lot to do Florida. [laughter] I like that. She got a job she'll never lose.

Yeah. She she got job security. Right. Okay. Okay, no further discussion on that. Go ahead, David. So, the next one is a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Financial Services. Basically, they gave us $40,141.70 to buy a bunker gear. They did not give us the money for the extrication. We're requesting that you approve and execute the grant agreement. So, move which one you reading? Skipped another one. Yeah, you skipped fireworks. Oh, I'm sorry. I hit the button too hard. I have a heavy thumb.

So, I apologize for that. RF 2025X, the 4th of July, 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is our 250th birthday. We are celebrating it this year

throughout the first six months of the year. Part of what we do is we want to have we we last year decided we would take over the fireworks. So, you budgeted $65,000 for the Fourth of July fireworks. We [clears throat] went out with the RFQS for the firework provider. We came up with this would be the low bidder. Um they had two options. One was a 20-minute firework display and a laser show for 50,000. Option two is a 25minute firework display. No laser show for 37,000. And staff of course would like to have the laser show. So, we're requesting approval to award the grant to um Master Pyro Displays LLC for the $50,000 for the fireworks and the laser show.

And then anything beyond the $65,000 budgeted will be from donations or what have you. Donations. You also got a second grant from the governor, $40,000. So, that's the flags that you'll see on the courouses and the celebrations you'll see in the school system. And that's all paid by that grant. Gotcha. From the governor. So move. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. All right. Now you Now we got the turnout gear. Bunker gear. So it's a grant for the bunker gear. We're asking you to approve the grant for the bunker.

Jeff, I see you standing up. You have anything you like to add to it or just you there in case we have a question? Okay, we came to y'all in September about this grant. Y'all approved us to apply for it for bunker gear and for extrication equipment. We were awarded the money for the bunker gear, not the extrication equipment. Uh we came back to you in I think it was November and told you that we were going to be awarded. Now we've got the actual contract and all. Now we're just asking you to approve the contract so we can use the money to buy education or buy the public. Okay. I'll make a motion we approve.

Got a motion and a second to approve bunker gear purchase of this grant. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay. And the thing I was on here for is uh what uh uh Mr. Krauss had said that we wanted to do a walk-on for the construction for the Swany Valley Communications Tower. Okay, we'll do that. Then David, come back with the uh consent order. I mean the consent item that we was going to add to the end of your discussion. Jeff's already here and I don't want him to have to. Go ahead, Jeff. We Okay. I'm sorry.

So on the addition, you're fine. On the additions, uh Mr. uh Croft Crawford is going to be we're talking about Swany Valley Communications Tower. And I see Lawrence right there. Lawrence there in case we have any questions. Go ahead.

All right. Uh couple years ago we got our uh state appropriations. It was uh 800,000 for the funding of the tower. A little bit of that has already been spent. Uh we have an existing contract with Omnicon uh that we can use for the actual construction of the tower. Uh the the contract was done under RFQ 2015-h. Uh so what I'm asking is that you approve the request to for the approval of the uh contract with Omnicon for $750,000. Uh this is within the budget. Uh so it is uh what we got from the state appropriations. So it will not be a budgetary con uh add-on for the county.

And you're going to be the grant manager on this uh Jeff. I will share it with with Lawrence. Yes. Lawrence be working it. Yes. Okay. And this was for the tower, no equipment, correct? This correct. This is tower itself. Uh the equipment, we have a separate appropriations money for that. Okay. Any questions? Do we have a time? Do we still have time for Yes. Uh we had to come actually had to come back to y'all. I think it was your last meeting and we got the extension. Uh the state did our extension till uh we've actually got to break ground by June of this year. That's that's why it is a uh kind of a timesensitive thing. We can meet all that requirement. Yes. Okay. We got a break ground by June.

Yes. So that's why it's most of the drawings and everything already completed online. Yes. All of the drawings and all of that's already done. Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. I'll make a motion we approve 2025-L. Second. Got a motion. Communication service. And a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay. Thank you, J. David, do you want to do the other add-ons? Yes, this is the add-on on the where I pulled I I would assume you don't have no more add-ons. Yes, we do. Okay. Okay. Go ahead with these two. We do we can handle the uh con consent agenda order last. That'd be fine.

Okay. Uh Columbia County CDBG 22 DPOP 3322. That is basically the housing grant. It is basically a six-month extension to allow us to finish up the housing grant that's out there and uh proceed. And this is all been approved by Tallahassee. Everything Yeah, this is the actual modification agreement giving you the six-month extension. And who is handling this? Uh uh this is Guardian CRM. Okay. All right. Any questions? Okay. I'll seek a motion. Motion to approve. Second. Got a motion to approve. No further discussion. All in favor say I. All

oppos. And then finally, this morning at the economic development advisory board, they made a recommendation. They would like to suspend using the residential incentive score until such time as they can revisit it and see if it's what they want. and uh you approved the scoreeet. So, they're asking you to suspend the use of that scoreeet at this time. It would not affect anything that's previously been approved, but would not be in use moving forward until something could be created to replace it. Is that correct?

Correct. And uh we had a discussion uh good discussion relevant to this and and uh we're also going to have a workshop and we'll be making sure we reach out to each and every board member and the public uh because we uh the advisory board recommended that we just look at uh industrial [clears throat] you know which way we're going to go on industrial development commercial development and let's just try to relook at it again. A lot of things changed like we talked about the last three five years and uh this resident we Mr. Ford brought up a good valid point. You know, we started this thing back in 21, I think it was, Rocky. And then, uh, we've only had two applications, which are the two the two current ones today. So, uh, definitely decided not to, uh, and there's a lot of guidelines and, uh, that they must adhere to. So, we'll we'll see where that goes. And, uh, but, uh, it was a consensus of the whole board, you know, just not killing nothing, not doing this. We're just looking at it in such a way that, you know, let's see what best fits Columbia County now. And I think it's just time for a good workshop. But, uh, Joey O'Harn, I believe his name is correct, from the chamber, uh, and, uh, Jennifer and we're going to be getting together and set forth this workshop. It's going to be probably a pretty lengthy workshop on the, uh, direction that the committee would maybe be in. And I urge all commissioners if all possible, please attend that there because it's you get a lot of work done. I think right now they're planning on having that done with a mediator out at the college. I think is what the discussion we'll finalize that. But uh I'd urge uh because you know it's time to bring some of the contractors in and what have you. We're hoping they'll attend where they can all participate and give their input and uh just uh basically uh looking at it again. It it was a very very very good meeting and Joel, you have anything you think you might need to tap on that?

No, sir. Because Joel directed us down the line of uh you know our restrictions of different statues and what have you that we must do when we're doing these procedures. So that's all well and good. So that's great. And uh so uh with that there I believe Joel we would have to have a motion on this. Correct. Yeah. It's your policy. So you need to suspend. Okay. So, I make the motion as the chair uh to suspend the residential score sheet until further notice. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor [clears throat] say I.

All oppose. Okay. So item two that was pulled from the consent agenda was a modification final modification for the old historic Richardson school building was to extend the grant through the last nail would have to be done by June and then you could do the paperwork to close it out. This would allow anything that's been expended so far to be reimbursed. Um assuming it's an eligible expenditure. Of course, the issue we have, plain and simple, we did not get 100% drawings until fairly recently based on Mr. Kirby's input, based on our procurement officer's input, based on Donnie DRE's input, we do not believe there's enough time to go out to bid and complete this project and we would need to turn in the grant money because we cannot cannot get it done at this point in time because we did not have a complete set of drawings.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We're blaming this whole thing on a set of drawings. I'm just saying we got that's the whole delay of this whole thing. That's not the whole delay, but we cannot we don't have time about it now. I'm being straight. Gonna be calm. No, you weren't. Go ahead. All right. Go ahead. Let me finish. We do not have time from today to the end of the grant to get it done because we don't have time to go out to bid the project. What Commissioner Murphy is referring to is there were delays in the project uh due to communication problems. And you know, like I said, one thing led to another and we got us to where we are today.

I just wanted to make that point. I didn't want Danny Kale to be get and Danny Kell is the gentleman that did the plans and it wasn't Danny's fault. I I Okay. I just want to make sure because that ain't the way it was being presented. And uh so with that being said, so in and I read the guidelines and what have you on the restriction or guidelines in order for this to be extended and as of and I was reading this afternoon is the report been turned in that was due today? Yes, it is. Okay. And uh because there there I think that was pretty specific guidelines that they put on it whenever y'all had this meeting. I think y'all had a phone meeting with them the other day. You told me

we did. Okay. And just for clarity, the up to 50 some I'm just let's call it 60,000. I don't think it's that. But the total funds expended on this project as of today with that extension just for clarity because I didn't understand that in there and I'm sure I didn't read it right. But uh then that 60,000 can be refunded with this extension. Sammy, is that your understanding as well? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Amy and I spent a lot of time on the phone with several grant managers today making sure quarterly reports got turned in onto them.

Okay. Chair m Williams is here. She had a big hand in this. Can I have her come down and maybe provide some clarity on the issue as far as communication or Sure. Sure. Absolutely. Absolutely. If you will, please. Thank you.

Good evening. I am Shannon Williams with Gateway Grant Writing and Administration. I wrote this grant um with the permission of uh Ron that was here before and everyone it was on the agenda. I wrote this grant with one fund $500,000. I wrote another grant with the permission of the county for $650 additional thousand. So no, Danny Kale isn't completely at fault. He was thinking he was going to have over a million dollars on his plans so that he could we could do the entire project. the $650,000 got taken back because we had a really bad hurricane season. So, all of that got reallocated. So, it we got the the county procured Danny Kale in March uh 2024 and he just did 100% in December of 25 and I could not do go out to bid without 100% plan. So, that's why this project is just not being very it's not successful. It's not going to be successful unless there was a caveat that the state would allow us to do uh three bids as long as the three bids were under $250,000 to get some work done because the $500,000 is ours. But I don't think Donnie Dri thought that was a good idea. So it hurts my feelings that we won't be able to do this. But that is basically the story of how this grant just kind of fell apart. Any questions? the uh the part about the hurricane taking the money back on the hurricane. I that's first I've heard that.

Yeah. I I wrote another grant um I wrote that grant in um spring of 2024. We were awarded an additional $650,000 for the Richardson building and you know we're ready to get started on that. But then all of that got reallocated after the storms that came through in 2024. So we lost that. Um so we were back down. Did they award the grant? Okay. Okay. No, we we we scored for the grant got and and we were, you know, you had to go through legislation and all that and that money wasn't awarded um that year for historical grants. So, we were back down to the 500,000. I'm sure

Mr. Kell had to make some adjustments. I I can't imagine, you know, he wouldn't thinking he was going to do 1.2 million versus 500,000. Mhm. And then you said the county uh hire who who hired you to do that part of the grant.

I'm not I I have been working as a vendor for the county for about two or three years. I've been asking to be put under contract. I've actually sent um information to uh Erica Jones for maybe piggybacking because I've been piggybacked from my contract with the Swany River Water Management District, with the city of Lake City, town of Fort White, um Bronson, Williston, everybody. So, a lot of this work that I do, I don't get paid well for maybe a tiny amount because I'm working as a vendor. So, Okay. So, but you got a contract with the county is what you're saying you've done right now.

I do not. I I have a sole source for Richardson. The money that I just won for the generators, the 1.7, no. The four million that the governor just gave out, I wrote no. So, no I don't questions. So, this this grant will not go through is what we're saying as of today. As of right now, we cannot get this done unless like I said the three bids, maybe we can get something done. Get the asbestos removed, get the lead removed as kind of piece it together instead of knocking out the whole project.

That's the only other option. So, and this might be a question for David, but have we ever lost any other grants before in the county? We have turned down grants before. We recently turned this board recently turned down a grant for uh the design of a public safety facility because we felt it was not the appropriate use of money. Well, turn down in terms of lost a grant.

Uh don't no, I honestly don't. So, I'm trying to figure out why this one is the one that fell through the cracks versus all the grants that we deal with and have, this is the one that fell through. Um, I do know that the uh representative in Tallahassee has indicated that their cycle will begin in April and that we would be eligible to reapply for up to a million dollars at that point.

And this this when did this grant originally originate from? What what time frame? I think the original grant was started by Commissioner Williams and then the second grant was uh started by Mario Copic. So this would have been around 2023. The county [clears throat] signed the grant on July 6 23. The state signed it on November 2023. So that was when that when they signed it that was also our notice. And this is as I I guess I don't understand how this one is the only one that fell through. We get

a ton of grants every year and this is one that fell through. It's a historic grant for a community that's needs it. It's vital to the community. It's a staple to our community and we have to have it and now the grant has fallen through. So I'm just not understanding or maybe comprehending. Maybe it's ignorance on my behalf but we got to do better here. So whatever whatever whatever we need to do here to correct this and get this grant either done or get it reapplied for so this doesn't happen again. We need to do that starting today because we can't have I mean this is this historic grant for a community that that needs it a safe community has been here for years before I even thought about it was here. So we have to continue that and I I want to see this grant or one very similar to it go through for Richardson because it's it's greatly needed. [clears throat]

So David the late We just approved the position for grant administration. Is she or he, whoever we hire, are they working on this? I mean, is that something they do or That is a position that was hired by the clerk. Say that again. That is a position that was hired by the clerk. So, what are they doing?

They hired Cheryl. They are they're right now in a learning curve to be honest. But to get back to your point, Commissioner There were a lot of things that happened. Miss Williams had to work with not only the Richardson Community Center, but with the Richardson alumni. There were a lot of changes back and forth with the design. One of the big issues was the windows. We wanted to go in with windows that were safe and the historic preservation. People came back and said that's not acceptable. You want to talk about that?

Yes, that was one of the delays. Also, um Mr. KO um designed the building because we did intend we told him that we'd like to use it for shelter reasons as well. So, he designed it with windows that were not um historically accurate to the original building. And because this is historical historical funding, they gave him some push back on that and made him go back and do a redesign for the windows to be as close to historic historically looking as possible for that building. So, Mr. scale did have to go back multiple times, right, to redesign the facility and all that took time. So, we have final plans for and it's all historically correct now. Is that what we have?

It's all ADA and historically acceptable from the state. So, if we reapply, it should be score even higher because it's shovel ready, you know, and so yeah, we at least do we at least have the plans from all of this. So, we do have 100% drawing now. Yes. And approved by state. Yes. So we can reapply when? How soon? If the board would want us to reapply, you would have to authorize us to reapply for the grant. Next cycle is in April. April. Yes. So be in April. And how long does that take at [clears throat] that time or you know if you got it?

The cycle is open uh for 60 days. It starts every year April 1st. They score sometime in around November uh maybe October, November. And then they send that list to um to the state for the legislation to approve. you know, whatever the amount of that list is. So, so we would know by the end of the year or something like that.

We'd know by the end of the year if we scored enough well enough to go over uh to receive funding. So, when it goes out, you know, to the legislature and all of that, if there's been some big thing and they don't um they don't fund historical grants that year, then we still don't get it. But if they do, last year, 2024 was the first time they didn't um fund the historical grants in probably over 10 years. So I think we could get it just you know we need permission to to um pursue this opportunity again. So but the the appropriation would be the 2027 legislative session. Correct. Correct. So it's far Mr. Chair. May I? Yes.

Qu So it does the board need to authorize this extension to still be eligible for the $60,000 reimbursement or Okay. If you want to be reimbured for what's been expended, this needs to be need to adopt this. Give us the time to submit invoices and Okay. Is that correct, Amy? Okay.

Okay. And [clears throat] every time I talk to somebody, you always, Miss Williams, I appreciate you coming up here because you brought a lot of light out here. But one thing I want to set straight, Mr. board the the the allocation that we did during budget for the clerk's position over there. Call it a learning curve. Absolutely. But I want to make it perfectly clear these issues with this grant is not the clerk's product. Oh, I wish we Okay. I just But it's not being alluded that way. I want to not you, Miss Williams. I just want to make sure I'm perfectly crystal clear here.

Okay. With that being said, but the reason why I started paying attention to this thing when I say this thing, this grant, because I sat in monthly capital projects reports, Donnie, I'm going to quote him. The man that supposedly been assigned to this, uh, but that's a story for another day, distinctly said, one month, no communication with your [clears throat] company. No communication with your company. Month two, no communication company. Month three. Am I correct, Kevin? Yes, sir. Okay. So, but in Shannon, Miss Shannon Williams defense from what I've learned that you have been having communication.

I have with the county manager. Yes. Who decided somewhere's along the line at a latter date or previous date to soul source this which was totally unfair to any other vendor that does what you do for a living. Okay. Okay. My opinion. Okay. But I think I approve that. But at the end of the day, uh with that being said, uh board, if you have no other question, I want to make the motion that we uh do what we have to to exain our monies that we've got expended and uh uh what do you want to talk? What would the motion be? Approve the extension. Approve the extension

modification. approve the extension modification or the grant modification to be able to [clears throat] file to get receive the monies that we have expended and then from that day on then we'll look at this grant to know because I support this grant. I voted for I think it's a good project. I mean I just had uh I asked you Mr. Kirby I had a gentleman reach out. He did some artwork inside the building. I went over there and experienced it and we went and protected it. So when the time comes to revamp this part of this the old school is protected and it's pretty cool. You got to one day everybody gets a chance to look at it. But you know I guess my motion is get y'all let me come through. I want to make a motion to accept the extension on this grant to give us the opportunity to get the refund on this and then at a later date we will bring this back up, do the proper procurement and do what we got to do to send this grant forth.

Yeah, I'm going to second that. And I just want to make sure everybody knows this is near and dear to Kevin's. I know Kevin and and everybody here, you know, we want to get this done and I'm sure that Kevin's ready for it to be done, too. So, yeah. Amy's trying to get your attention.

Come on up, Amy. Please. [cough and clears throat] So, so after the extension, the question I have is, do you not want to do you just want to cut it off and try to get reimbursement for the rest? I talked to Donnie earlier today and he does have a quote for the asbestous removal that is under where we don't have to go out to bid for that. It was less than the 35,000. So, can we continue to get that done on the asbesus aspect of it? Yes.

If it's a guarantee, we're out of this thing June 30th. Okay. Okay. Yes, sir. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, M. That would be my opinion. I'm only one to five, but that'd be my opinion. The uh that clear, Rob. So, as far as the I guess the miscommunications or whatever the case may be, let's make sure that we're all communicating on this because this is and this is rather we like each other, don't like each other, whatever. This is affecting a community.

So, when it comes to that, it doesn't matter what we look like, who we think we are, who we think we know. This is a community. So, we have to work together to get what's best done for our community. And that's what it's all about. So, let's make sure the communication is clear. Let's get the email chains going. Let's make sure all the appropriate parties are communicated when it comes down to this because this is affecting a community, not just me personally or just as board or just you, you know, it affects the community. So, we got to do what's right for the community. Well, it'll be a great finish to the Richardson community. You might want to be on the email chain. You might absolutely ad. I'll be more than happy. I'm sorry. You're welcome. This building is a county building, right? Building. Am I correct? That is correct. really need it to us.

That is correct. So I think the county should make all decision on this grant. We shouldn't be going through the Richardson Community Center board, anything else. This is county own building. County getting the grant. You just muddy up the water more when you add more people into this bill. I think that's my opinion.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off, but my my point exactly. I mean, just in this little discussion we've had, we've had involved one, two, there's a third one over there, and we're talking about Donnie over here. There's [clears throat] not one go-to person on any of these grants that we're dealing with. And that's why we're going to be looking at grants in 2026 because we we've uh we got to be better than what we are with the GR. And

well, and I thought that was the purpose of [laughter] hiring somebody. But for clarity, as we all voted on that, and I just want to be specifically clear on this, we allocated that money to the clerk's office for that person to help us do the reimbursements, not manage these grants to it's our job. When I say our job, the the the team that you put together, the Miss Williams, the uh help me out, what's the gentleman's name? Which one? The housing deal. Oh, uh Antonio.

Antonio. It's their job to bring all the information forth and meet all the timelines like I asked in the in the backup material here that meet you know there's a report due today that I'm sure you turned in and uh because you know spec but that's what's not happening here. So not this grant now that and I want to be specific on that if I could. This is not only Miss Williams grant that she's got in here. There's many more grants that were running through the same situation.

So Mr. Chair, I want to be real clear and defensive of my employees. We have a lot of employees that try very hard to do a very good job. Many of them do grant do the grant administration, do the grant paperwork, whether it's Jeff Crawford, Tom Brazil, Shane Morgan, Lisa that does the opioid stuff now that do does the opioid stuff. We have a lot of grants. There's a select few grants where the connection between the people in the field doing the work and the paperwork getting filed has fallen through the cracks. It's not all the grants. It's a select few grants and that's what we're trying to fix. And that's part of the reason we brought in the grant administrator or grant manager. She is a grant manager. You identified the problem and we are now trying to fix that problem. But there are a lot of grants where the county does keep up with the paperwork, files the paper. a lot of employees that do it. Katrina Evans, she has grants. She keeps up with her people. So, it's not every grant. It's a select few grants, but they're big grants. And that's the problem is you now have grants that are three million, four million, $5 million. That's a lot of money.

Agree with you. Won't argue that fact. Mr. Kirby proved that in our meeting Monday morning. Going live and calling people in the field. What do you do? It goes back to the administrative side of things. as I told you Monday and you know I wasn't gonna go here but but another person that's really good on grants it's your responsibility another person that's really good on grants is Chad Williams he does a lot of paper every one of Chad's grants he has to seal off on so it's a handful of grants that are really the issues I agree I agree and most of them are responsibility to you that I would disagree with but we can have that conversation disagree to agree but we'll debate that at a later date but I think I can prove different I think you're wrong

okay well We'll wait for that date and uh you know Miss Kirby put the icing on that cake just the other day but okay board I got a motion in a second but before we take a vote Mr. Warn I believe you said Sylvester on this item. Correct.

Okay. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Got a motion in a second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. Who did Who did a second on that motion? I did Robin. No, I made the motion. Robin M. Okay. Hold on just a second. Okay. Uh, okay. Sorry about that. Uh, okay. Uh, staff comments have uh, you want to do public comment?

Yeah, open public com. I'm sorry, Mr. Warren. For a minute. Sylvester Warren, the black community is my address. I want to be extremely clear to uh each and every one of you up here. I have a heart of a lion and I have the memory of a elephant. Let me be very concise and clear and I want you to hear me out. um with me saying this. Truth has never been safe and justice has never been convenient. What more can I say? God forgive me for my brash deliveries as I go back and forth with you guys over the years that I have. You're right. But I do remember vividly what each and one of you have done to me. So imagine me continue to allow you all clowns to nitpick at me, paint me like a picky. I will literally kiss my grandma and my baby sister toy in the forehead and tell them please forgive me and that I will squeeze who I am into your foreheads. I am not the one to score points off. In fact, I got something that would knock your points off. Sylvester Warren the third the guard blasphemy. Ask for me. I ain't never scared. I'm everywhere. You all ain't never there. And why would I ever care? Y'all sit here and call me riff ref. Let me get something straight and get something extremely clear. Pound

for pound, I'm the best that ever came around here, excluding nobody. As a matter of fact, look what I'VE EMBODIED. I'M THE soul of a hustle. I really ran the streets. That CEO mind and marketing and plan, that was me. The sacrifice and work I put in for my people in my community, I'm supposed to be number one on everybody list. But let's just see what happened when I no longer exist. And in closing, I would like to say congratulations to District One for electing the first undercover homosexuality person in Columbia County.

You're done. You're done. Okay. Okay.

Any more staff comments? I guess David, we didn't I guess what I had. Yes, I have a few updates from the manager. We need to make a motion to make a motion for us. The way did we approve the uh grant reapplying for the grant? Yeah, we did. We did. Okay. No, no, no. I let him. No, no, you're right. We did because he he turned it into a public comment. I think I remember approving the reimbursement. So, yeah. Okay. I just want to make sure we did make a motion to apply. Wait, Madam Cler, I think I understand Commissioner Ford's question. Did you want to make a motion to make sure we reapply? Yes, we did.

No, we didn't. I don't think we did. No, I said we in my motion I said we'll address it at a ladder. Exactly. He did say that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I guess that was the question, but I don't think we should make a motion to go ahead and apply for that. Reapply for that grant. Didn't they say you have to reapply? No. No. Okay. All right. And we got plenty of time to do that because you can't go forth the way you are because we failed to do procurement correctly. But that's for another day. But so could she piggy back like she said?

If I say anything wrong, please correct me, but I think this is the way I understand it. The grant that we currently have, because of the way it's been extended, it's kind of beyond redemption, the grant we have right now. So, we're extending it really to just try to bring it in for a landing and try to recover the 60,000 some odd dollars we have out. What Miss Williams indicated was we could reapply for the next cycle. and the deadline that'll open up in April and close after 60 days. And that the funding for that, the the appropriation schedule for that would be the 27 legislative term, but it'd be a whole new grant. And I think Commissioner Ford, that's what you're saying. You want to you want to make a motion to ensure we apply for that cycle. Yes. I want to make sure. So, I would want to make the motion. I'll make the motion that we reapply. Is that what it needs to be? Is that motion that we reapply for

the April 1st part? April 1 grant second. First okay got a motion and a second discussion. How are we going to do the procurement on this? We're not going to sold sources. We are in the process of doing an RFP for grant management and administration that would be open up just like the reoccurring grants for engineering that will fall within this timeline when we'll be able to make those chang I think Erica has it on our calendar for next month or the month after. Okay. So that is in the process. We are trying to rectify the problems that you have identified and address them as you have identified. Y'all clear on that? Yes sir.

Okay. Okay. So we still make the motion to reapply for the grant through the whoever gets the proper procurement. Correct. Correct. Okay. For the record if you want to do that for the if you want to do that Kevin. So we're going to make a motion to reapply for the grant. You was the proper procurement using proper procurement. Is that part of it or just reapply? You've already made the motion. Clerk already has it. Okay. I think what's what's the the administrative stuff that has to happen on the administrative side has to happen. So notwithstanding what your motion might be, the policies need to be followed and I think that's commissioner Murphy's point is whatever we do we have to do it by the book and that's going to happen at this point. So the motion on the second I'll second your motion.

Got a motion in second. All in favor say I. All oppose David a quarter study uh central work session all that you want. I can do them real quick. Okay.

So um we've had conversations with different commissioners. uh it affects district one, it affects Commissioner Murphy, could affect all of you. Uh that we have corridors coming in and out of the county that are just zoned. However, it was brought to us by Jo Phelps that, you know, maybe we need to do overlay studies of these corridors to get them zoned in a way that would make it more attractive to development. Uh, I plan to go to the zoning board and ask them to consider it and make a recommendation to you. The specific one of the specific ones that was talked about was from downtown to I 10. Yeah.

If you could change the zoning there, you can increase not only the property values for the current owners, but encourage quality development so that from the interstate to the town would look better. That may not be the only corridor you want to look at. But before I go to the planning board, I want to make this board aware that I am going to the planning and zoning board to ask them to ask you to do the study.

David, while we're dealing with Kimley Horn on this stuff, doing one of one of the one of the biggest problems we have in this county is speeding. We just got through with Hydra acres. I'm getting call after call already want speed bumps everywhere out there because of speed. [laughter] You paved the road, it's a straight line. They're going to drive fast. But let me finish. But I have talked to some different engineers. Talk to Greg Bailey for one of them. And there is traffic common devices you can do in subdivisions to slow traffic.

I think we need to look at some of that because number one, I I don't like speed bumps. I But I think there's other things you can do. You can there's other things you can do in these subdivisions to calm traffic. Hey, Greg, if you want to come up a minute and just kind of talk about some of the stuff me and you had talked about the other day. I know they do road designs somewhat sometimes at the turns and things have to slow down like basketball. But I can tell you I just want to put myself in here. I've had about 20 requests for speed bumps. We did the progress. Nobody wants to do it [laughter] and I understand but but nobody pays attention to a speed limit sign either.

No no no speed limit. They want a speed limit sign. I'm like you can put two miles an hour on there. They're going to go 80 m. I found out something the other day that a uh law enforcement officer for the most part cannot ride a ticket under 20 miles I mean 20 25 miles an hour under in the neighborhood. Is that right? That's a new one. I think um if I was told correctly,

go back to whenever you created your LDRs. That was in the late 80s, early 90s. Uh if you those of you that are around there was involved with this, they got created by the regional planning council. Region planning council did one for Columbia, they did one for Swany, they did one for Hamilton. every county that was in their in their region, they did them. They all looked about the same. What they did was is they took DOT standards and put them into your land development regulations. That's for your subdivision road. They work great for a county road 240 or 242 or something like that. But when you're inside a subdivision road using DOT standards, what is DOT's goal and objective on on their standard?

Move traffic. It's to move traffic.

You don't want that in your subdivision. your objective of the road at that point is access to the property inside each subdivision. So, our standards have really they really encourage that high speed. People are going to drive what they're comfortable driving it. You can post that sign whatever you want to post it. They're going to drive where they're comfortable at. And if if you get right down to it, the way you do a traffic study is you're supposed to go out there and determine what that speed is. Everybody's driving and you use 85 85th percentile to set that speed limit. If you arbitrarily go out there and you say, "Well, I want to make it 25." And people are driving 45, they take you to court and you could lose that all day long because you haven't done it in in correct manner kind of thing. So you're you're redoing your LDRs and your comp plan. Now, I think it's a great opportunity to go in there and look at these regulations and for these classes of roads for these subdivisions. And it probably going to be you probably need to stage it because if we're doing quarter acre lots, halfacre lots, you're going to have one set of criteria. If you're doing five or 10 acre lots, then you may [laughter] want a little bit different criteria in that uh and all. But, uh uh you can reduce pavement widths. Uh we we've got real wide pavements. Uh we've got real ride real wide rideways that that are in there as part of that. Uh you can limit your block lengths to where you create some intersections. Uh encourage the use of traffic circles at that intersection, get away from four-way stops or two-way stops. uh those can do a lot of things to improve the safety inside the subdivisions and then also eliminate these requests because speed bumps certainly that's that's a our speed tables are are are one component but then you've got to evaluate all right what does that do to my fire uh response time what does that do to my am response time and things like that uh

and if they're not done correctly I've seen I've seen fire trucks bottom out on these on these speed tables were not done correctly as well. So, uh those things you need to consider, but I think there's an opportunity here to to really uh eliminate a lot of that at least going forward. And you then you go to retrofitting some of these existing ones as well. And Lord, I just thought that was something we ought to at least look at while we're in the process of doing all this. Uh, if we can if we can slow people down without speed without speed bumps, I'm all for it. Whatever we can do to do that,

and and I think I think even DOT has realized that the roundabouts slow people down and keep traffic moving also. So that roundabout, I heard more about that. Everybody hated it. Everybody loves it. I'm going tell you what when they put that one in live oak over there. What they call five point years ago years ago. I fell in love with them right then. Yeah. Yeah. I was in I was in Rotary that time and and they were coming advertising people raise Kane that thing's going to be there. Now everybody knows they in Gainesville now when they do them over there they they don't need put stop signs in anymore. All of it round about every time I do fast pro shop I do it twice. [laughter]

Yeah. Mr. Kirby has already sent out an email as you were speaking uh to address that issue. Well, the uh correct me if I'm wrong, I don't we have some more public input on this LDR, what have you. Oh, we're not done with the process. They haven't even gone. I guess Greg, if he he slipped out, there he is. You know, Greg and people like him that's involved in designing these. Maybe a good thing for them to show up and kind of bring their thoughts and what have you to it because they see stuff we don't see. And we can certainly have Blair Nightingley from uh Kimberly Horn come back in. It's not a problem. Meet with her I think every month. Yes, sir.

One more thing I would like to talk about too. I think we need to have a workshop and I don't know how you want you can decide all that but we need to do a workshop and we need to figure out what direction this county is heading. What what what is our goals? Where are we headed? Because right now I feel like we're like Moses 40 years walking around the wilderness. We don't have a plan. We don't know where we're headed. We're just taking things from day to day, week to week. We need we need we need to find a clear direction for this county and the sooner we do it I think the better. I agree with that.

I like the point you made this morning at the economic development. You know we were talking about a fiveyear strategic plan and of course in your exact words we're you know I don't think I'd waste money on that. Could we change our our means of method? We don't stick to the plan. Exactly. And it's uh so I guess what I'm saying and your idea is a great idea. And what I would encourage is that we we I think we get bogged up trying to uh do what we say is the right thing. Let's start setting when we sit down and have a discussion about this. Let's set short-term goals that are accomplishable because we they get lost in the in in the rain. I say it all the time. You need short-term goals and you need long-term goals. this we'll do this in the short term

first then the long but it it'll get you to the long term eventually you know our perfect discussion just like in any business buy one truck then you buy four when we started that incentive program it was the greatest thing we thought it ever was and then then it went stagnant then all of a sudden we hear a couple but but then again it may not be it may not be cohesive to 2026 well and one thing I' I've said this I've said it before and I I'll say it again one thing we have got to look at is revenue coming into this county. Cuz I'm telling you, if it don't happen this year, it's going to happen. Homestead property, you're going to quit collecting taxes on Avalon tax on homestead property. You're going to vote it through in November. You going to I think it's going to happen this year. Yeah. Absolutely.

So, you're going to have to start concentrating on residential, commercial, rentals, and you're going to have to start concentrating and figure out how to promote commercial and industrial growth in this county for revenue. And impact fees is probably going to happen, too. I mean, and and be honest with you, we're probably the only county within 10 counties around here don't charge impact fees. What was that number you shared with us this morning? What county was that?

Lway County, six, seven years ago was at $5,000 for a double wide bump home. Gilchrist County was $1,600 across the board for any residential house. Uh now Lockway County has a formula they go by for so much per square footage but it you know it but other counties I mean Levy County they they charge one there were like $3,500 impact fee in Levy County. Uh, I pull permits all over all over the place around here and the only county didn't have an impact well at the time county had one too for a while but when I quit pulling permits county was the only county I dealt with that didn't have an impact fee other than Swany County.

Do you have a proposed month you would like to consider? Say that again. Do you have a proposed time frame you would like to consider for this workshop? I would say as soon as possible. I mean I would I would like to have it sometime first middle of February to me. Okay. You know that like I was saying this morning all the rule and all that stuff will be over with by we got a couple workshops coming up in February with the economic development thing and I say

we just we may be able to but the one's going to be quite lengthy. I think it's going to be at least a half day operation because but yeah, if I if you don't mind I guess I can get with David and Jennifer and what have you and then once we established it because them dates are not solid on the economic development workshop but once we set them and let's try to keep in mind we'll set it cohesively this and I think it'd be realistic we can probably get that resolved before the first meet February and bring it back to y'all you know kind of give the date I guess and the chairman's right they'll dovetail into each other very nicely. Yeah.

So, you took that one off my list, so that's good. The property tax reform working group. We're just getting with Jeff Hampton and getting some internal people and we're going to keep watching all the bills and trying to measure what are the impacts of each bill and trying to give you the most up-to-date information as we move forward on these property tax reforms. And then real easy, the commission schedule next week. You guys are very busy. Obviously, Monday there's a parade. Yeah, this month is rest of this month is pretty much

So Monday you have a parade uh for the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday. Tuesday you have a workshop at I believe 4 o'clock with the city on the fire study. Um Wednesday the first meeting with legislators is before 10 o'clock. So if you want to be in Tallahassee, by the way, that's also tourism day. So all the tourism people are going to be there. But if you want to be there for those meetings with the legislature, they're starting. We probably need to be in Tallahassee by nine o'clock a.m. on Wednesday. Thursday, of course, is rural county days. Thursday night is planning and zoning board where I'm going to talk about the corridor studies. So, next week is a very, very full week. I just want to make sure you and the public were aware of those.

Could you send out an email with that schedule? Yeah, absolutely. Send that to me. Yeah, I'm hearing something. It's just a lot. It's It is It's just a lot going on. I will tell you that parade is going to be 247 degrees that morning. I don't fish. [laughter] Hey, put your bing on. Three of y'all going to die in that parade if you don't watch out. [laughter] Us young boys. We have be all right. Boy, don't forget Tuesday. That's the workshop. We got North Florida Water Utility in Tallah I'm Oh, that's right. I forgot that live that morning. But we got the city county workshop at 7, I believe, tonight. Well, no, it's 4:30 and then 5:30. 5:30. It's 5:00. As soon as we end, they go into their city county meeting. It's here.

But it's here. It's going to be 5:30. It's our joint meeting with them about the uh But that's at 5:00, right? Five. Four o'clock. It's four or five. Five. Five o'clock. Five o'clock. And that's for the fire that's for the fire for us to talk at the workshop talk about the fire district and then uh we hear their part. Do we even know what they're talking about for a cost for that yet? I keep hearing they'll have it then. They'll have it. Okay. Mr. Rosenthal got good numbers and what have you.

Right. They have the one bid that was somewhere in the 70s. I don't remember the exact amount. The second bid has not gone out. when you voted last time you voted to do the first study which is just see if it's financially feasible before moving into the second study which is how would you actually carry it out right and that was based on your bid or your vote

I got one more thing I want to say that we need to just start thinking about I don't know what the answer to this is but so in our kennel stuff all we're addressing right now is dangerous dogs from what I understand. We're going to have to at some point figure out how we're going to deal with strays for people to turn dogs in stuff. No, they So, they're not they're any dog we pick up. Not just dangerous. See, I was I was understanding that you could people couldn't turn dogs in if they had a stray dog. You can't turn them in. You have to call animal control and we'll pick them up. Okay. So, if you got a stray in your yard or whatever, you can call them. They'll come get you.

That's correct. We'll still be doing I just want to clear. Okay. Commissioner, the the issue was that even if we had dangerous dogs, there was no room at the Humane Society. But we have always since we've gone into animal control uh or animal enforcement, sorry, animal enforcement. Yeah. Our guys will pick up a stray. If they cannot identify an owner, if they can't find a place to take that dog, we have to have a kennel for it to go to. And that's what these kennels. So if somebody's got a dog in their yard and they say, "We don't this dog wonder at my house. I don't want it." They can call them killed. They'll come get it. Yes. Okay. And should And should I agree then? Yeah, I agree. But I was I was under the understanding we're not doing that. We're just picking up dangerous dogs.

No, sir. This allows us to pick them up. Okay. All right. So, the new and when I say new challenge, I just learned of this today. The Humane Society. Now, you bring the little puppy up there or the stray dog or as Joe indicated, you know, we go pick up dogs, strays, problematic dogs. The newest change I was informed today is the Humane Society is no longer taking animals. Okay.

According to Tom's email that followed up with a phone call, basically he's getting phone calls from the general public about a puppy, a cat, all that. We are in the enforcement business for stray dogs, dangerous dogs, etc. But this this is what's happened today. and and your facilities and your capabilities do not lend themselves to a shelter. Correct. Right. Which you typically would drop a dog off at a shelter, an animal shelter. That's not really what the board had envisioned. You wanted a facility that would support your enforcement activities. Yeah. I had some people call me the other day and they would not take the dog. Yeah. I

And I And I called I called about them turning the dog into us and we didn't do that either. We do not do owner surrender, right? Uh we don't really do cats working with some I we we I got David to write a letter of support for a grant for we got some people in town that is working with cats. Yeah. Rescue. As Kevin pointed out, we are in the enforcement business, public safety business, not the animal control business. And that may need to be orchestrated, put together in a big notice on our website.

Exactly. I want to say Dennis needs to do a Mr. Chair. Make sure you specifically show the separation, [laughter] you know. So, we're constructing 40 kennels. We've got a contractor. He's coming every Saturday. It's working great. We based the numbers and the budget and the contract so forth on on our year of experience with what we were doing. If we change that business, he's already offered a a price. I forget what it was. We did not budget for that. Okay. So, if we change our bit, you know, if we change our business model, we're sure going to change the funding on it. And

and and just the the the facility that the countyy's building has no public facing. It's not an adoption facility. It's not intended for the public. It is for it's it's like the jail. It's intended for our enforcement officers use uh and you know for the animals to be kept safely, humanely, all those sorts of things. But this is not a public facility. It's not designed to be one. It's designed to fill a purpose. So you probably are going to see though after this is up and running for a couple years, there will start to be a push for us to go that way. That's just inevitable. And if the Humane Society continues to retreat from doing those kind of services, that may be a decision the board has to make in a couple years. But I think Kevin's right. What you guys set us off on

is nothing like that, right? And so just make sure that you're clear with your constituents when they're frustrated. You guys just have to call animal enforcement. That's exactly I'm just saying we're spending a lot of money. We need to make sure we're accommodating the citizens. That's right. And that's what I'm saying. We've got to find a way. And I think that that I think we're making it easier. All us. We don't come don't bring the dog. We'll come get I agree if that's the case. I I just need to know what to tell them. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, we just need to know what what answers to give them when we when they talk to us. So yes, no. They do [laughter] that. They do that. Yeah. Cats especially. So what we're saying no more animals can be took to the animal shelters.

We ain't going to say that. They can do what they want to. Not our That's not our doing is if you you have animal control issue, you need to go animal call animal control. We're not bothering you. I don't know. They can try. We're not going to speak for them. They they do their Yeah, we don't tell them the humane societies. We don't own the humane societ. But [laughter] we're an animal control. Yeah, but what what I mean I know we don't do nothing with cats. What? What is there any new do with cat? There's a cat rescue. There's a cat rescue down in Fort W.

We're well cats alive. I can't remember her name right now. She was doing it and she her mama's real sick. She's trying to take care of her mama. She's we got another lady that's formed a rescue for cats and she's we David they've just done a a support letter from the county for her for a grant that she's applied for to get some money to do with cats and stuff. So we're trying to help some people do help help them do cats. So my neighbors get drawing all over my car and making traps. Well, you know how to take care of that. Don't you EVER [laughter] LEAVE.

I'm leaving. I ain't talking about all that. [laughter] So I will say if we're going we're going that route, we do need something for chickens because I got a area in my apartment or my district over on Montro bunch of freerange chickens over there. I told the neighbors just start cooking some rice. They'll start going I got [laughter] I got a call about your chickens the other day over there and them chicken. Nobody wants to claim them. City takes ownership of that house. They going to get half of that plot. Tim [laughter] they riding their lots off of agriculture. Right. Right. Yeah. And we probably should we probably should pay attention to that annexation they're doing. All right. Good meeting, gentlemen. Good.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sitting there. Sit back down this Jeff Todd Galilee Luke. Well, we didn't have public. Go ahead. You really need to embrace impact fees. I mean that that's you need to get get going on that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. bar steak in the whole night. Both hands. Both hands. That's what he