Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Please stand with me as we have our invocation. I pledge to the allegiance and Polk County Fire Rescue Chaplain Mr. Hanley will lead us in invocation.

85 years, that's amazing, and congratulations to all, definitely. Now we will continue with public comments concerning agenda items. Amber, do we have any? Okay. Okay. Yes, we have Ms. Ann Clausen. There she is. Ann, if you would state your name and your address.

Well, thank you, and we hear all the wonderful things that you and your staff are doing for our community, so we greatly appreciate what you're doing with the money. Thank you. I appreciate it. Okay, now we move on to our county controller, Stacey Butterfield. Good morning. Good morning.

I have a motion and a second. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.

Motion and a second. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. And you have one more.

I have a first and a second. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Thank you, Stacey, and to the whole team that you've announced for your diligence in this. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Moving on, we'll have the approved consent agenda.

I have a motion and a second. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. And Attorney Randy Mead? I have nothing at this time. Thank you. And County Manager Bill Beasley? Aye.

I have a motion and a second. Any questions, discussion?

Yes, in a minute. Anyone else in the commission? I just want to say welcome, and I know that I know you're going to do a great job in this, so we appreciate your diligence and dedication, and we welcome you. So I have a motion and a second, no more further discussion. All in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Now it's your turn.

I have a motion and a second. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. That's it for me, Madam Chair. Okay. Let's go to commissioners now. Becky Troutman.

Yes, just one thing. Yesterday, I was able to attend a press conference where we learned about a $16 million archery course that is jointly funded between the Easton Foundation and Fish and Game. with the state of Florida, and that's going to be out at Tenoroc. So in a few years, we will have a wonderful venue. And with the help of our tourism and sports marketing team, I am sure we will have both national and international competitions soon at that venue. So we're glad to have that here in Polk County.

And if I'm not mistaken, the governor was here to present that? Okay. Anything else, Commissioner? Okay. Commissioner Wilson? No. Okay. Commissioner Braswell?

Okay, I have a motion and a second. Any questions or discussion? Yeah, I have a question.

So the state does not have a time limit or a certain time to respond to us? Okay, so we just accept until December that we have.

Madam Chair, Randy, for you, so again, as Commissioner Scott just stated, there are some actions to be done within 10 days, 20 days, and 30 days, so this will also go to the current career source, Polk Board, for them to understand as far as our expectations.

All right. Thank you. We will send it or? Yes, we will. Oh, we sent it.

Any other question, discussion? Okay, so we have a motion and a second. No more questions, discussion. Everybody, all in favor?

Okay, I have a motion. Second. It's second, questions and discussion. Yes.

My comment regarding the timing of this, when I look back at the information that was provided to us, the PIP was put in place after two consecutive program years of failure. And so unfortunately, I think You know, we are feeling somewhat rushed, but I believe it's been in the eyes of the state for them to have put her on this PIP that there were years where the performance was not where it should have been. And so I think even though Our actions are in a short time period. The actions and the oversight and the ask and the request to continue to bring those services up to par and to better per

Commissioner Wilson? Yeah, I'm going to kind of echo what Commissioner Troutman said. Once this came up, I'm just going to say a month ago when we started talking about it to the board, I got to doing a little investigating on my own, and just like she just said, there's been problems there for years, and I don't understand how it could have continued the way it did, but I will support this.

Well, what I'm going to say is that from the beginning, this has, I'm going to agree with Commissioner Braswell, this has kind of like spurred on us. And even though this has come, what I'm hearing has had problems for years, this is the first time I've heard about it within the last three weeks, I'm going to say. I don't even think it's been a month. And you're right, it's just going so fast that I can't even keep up with it. I agree that there are things that are going on, but I also say why not wait until we get all the things cleared before we make a decision such as this. So I'm not going

And I do remember when you brought that up to the board, and again, that was the first time I've heard of anything going on with CareerSource. And I'm not saying that the report and the letter that's gone out showing all the deficiencies that are going on with it. I'm not negating that. I'm just saying that I feel rushed into this also, and I want to make sure that all my T's are crossed and my I's are dotted before we make a decision. a permanent decision to remove somebody permanently. So that's my take. So I guess we'll go for a vote. Am I correct, Mr. Mandy? Okay, so all in the motion is t

Opposed? No. Okay. It carries. Thank you. Anything else? Yes.

Interim director, will she serve on the oversight committee? No. That would be a vacancy then.

Okay. So you're making that motion? Yes, ma'am, I'm making that motion. Okay, so you made a motion. Okay, so motion and a second. Any questions or discussion about that? Yes.

Anyone else? Okay, hearing no other questions or discussion, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Okay, anything else, Commissioner Scott?

Okay, thank you. And I don't have, oh, I do have. I have to reappoint Diana Welsh as a member, seat five of the Polk County Historical Commission for the three-year term October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029.

Oh, that's right. Okay. Okay, so there's a motion and a second. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. You want to make the next one too?

I have a motion and a second. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. And I have nothing else. We go to the expedited hearings.

Any question for staff? Hearing none, we'll open it up for public hearing. Amber, do we have anyone?

Okay, then I close it for public hearing and bring it back to the board. I have a motion and a second. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none, all in favor?

Any questions for staff? Yes, Commissioner.

Any other questions for staff? Okay, hearing none, I open it up for public hearing. Amber, do we have anyone for this one? Thank you. I close the public hearing and bring it back to the board. I have a motion and a second. Any question or discussion? Hearing none, all in favor?

Any questions for staff? Hearing none, I open it up for public hearing. Amber, do we have anyone? Thank you. I close the public hearing. Bring it back to the board. Second. I have a motion and a second. Any further questions or discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.

Any questions for staff? Okay. Hearing none. I'll open it up for public hearing. Amber, do we have anyone? Thank you. We close it for public hearing. And since this is a first reading, we'll wait until two weeks.

Great, thank you very much. We now open it up for public hearings. Amber, do we have any?

No hearing, comments. Public comments. We need to change that on the agenda. Okay, we will start with Eve Salambini. If you would state your name and your address, Eve, that would be great.

Mr. Butler, if you could speak into the mic, that would be better.

Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Jonathan Robertson.

Thank you. That's our last one. Amber, do we have anyone else? No, ma'am, we do not. Okay, well, thank you very much. And commissioners, anybody else that wants to? Yes, Madam Chair.

Just in response to Mr. Butler's statement and in regards to what I communicated to him and many others, there is no ordinance that pertains to the snipe signs. They are not allowed in the right-of-way. That is across the state of Florida. At Mr. Scott's urging and working through, we do have an ordinance that addresses the signs that are nine square feet or larger. But again, I did explain this in an email in regards to the questions after our last meeting, and there still seems to be some confusion. So as nicely as I can say it, there is no snipe sign ordinance in place. Thank you.

Any other commissioners? Okay, we're hearing none. We're adjourned. Thank you.