City Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. At this time, we're going to go ahead and get started with the regular commission meeting for Monday, September 21st, 2026. If I can please have the city clerk call the roll.

This time I'm gonna turn it over to Commissioner Colwell of District 5 for the invocation and the honoring of the veterans.

Please join me in a moment of silence. Thank you. We'll now go to the pledge. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mayor, they're not allowed, or they're not here to attend, so we'll go down and I'll speak and then... Hello, we're here to honor Hello. We're here to honor Army Staff Sergeant Jessica Vazquez, who is unable to attend tonight. Staff Sergeant Vazquez honorably served in the United States Army from March 23, 2001 through June 30, 2010, completing ne

It's my understanding Commissioner Caldwell will personally hand those over to both of our veterans. This time we're going to go to additions and deletions. There are no presentations for tonight from staff. And then we do have presentations on behalf of Fire Chief Steven Cousins. So we're going to invite Chief Cousins to come up. And once he's done, the commission will go back down.

All right. So can we please have you guys over here facing that way? And please, the commission is more than welcome to approach Aria, who is obviously one of our youngest superheroes here in the city. So on behalf of the whole commission, city staff, and the city manager, Aria, we wanted to give you this medal for being a superhero. Right? So now you get to be amongst people like Wonder Woman, Superman, Spider-Man, all those people with special powers. And it's a Citizen's Life-Saving Award on behalf of the Delta Fire Department, and as I said, the commission and staff and the city manager, s

Sorry, as a dad, I get a little, I can't even imagine when those two parents had to go through witnessing that, so. All right, we're gonna move to consent agenda. At this time, Commissioner Howington? I'd like to pull E. E as in Edward? E. Seven E. All right, this time I'll entertain a motion for approval of the rest. Commissioner Santiago.

I move to approve consent agenda A through D. All right, there's a motion by Commissioner Santiago.

Commissioner Nabic. Second. There's a motion and a second. Is there any public comment on the consent agenda?

All right, since no one else is locked in, can I please go with the vote? Motion passes seven to zero. Commissioner Howington, you are up next for seven E as in Edward.

Thank you. I had recently got a list of the promotional expenses and revenue for the current year, and I was just curious if the $11,000 donation that was a capital contribution for the Harris-Saxon Park had been added to the capital funds, because it looks like it's still sitting in promotional revenue. And I would think if that's been earmarked as part of the donation to be for a capital project, we need to recognize it within capital contributions as opposed to promotional revenue.

It's the $11,000 from the Mayor's Ball that was received as a donation from the Hispanic organization. And it was earmarked specifically for Harris-Saxon Capital Projects.

And I didn't see it on this list, and I did still see it in the actual expenditures, or sorry, the actual revenue.

Thank you. That was the only thing I had.

All right. This time I will entertain a motion and a second. Commissioner Santiago.

I move to approve consent agenda item number E. All right.

Commissioner Harriot. Second. There's a motion by Commissioner Santiago, second by Commissioner Harriot. Can we please vote? Motion passes six to one. All right, this time we're gonna go into eight ordinance and public hearings. If the city attorney can please read section A.

This time I'll entertain a motion. Commissioner Harriot.

Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to make a motion to approve ordinance number 19-2026, the temporary moratorium for data centers at first reading.

All right. This time I'll entertain a second. Commissioner Howington.

Commissioner Knabik, and then Commissioner Howington.

Thank you, Mayor. My first question, Zach, this doesn't affect us on SB 180 at all?

And for zoning, do we even have a zoning classification that would permit this? No, so there's no zoning classification that would permit this all right and what is the commission's intent on the timeline for this i i'm in favor of six months only only because in six months there'll be a new commission up here they might want to revisit that issue and technology changes rapidly So what's the wish from the motion maker?

My preference would be a year, but I would default to staff to find out what reasonable amount of time they would need in order to put the safeguards in place for our community.

What Mr. Blodgett said is true. There are data centers now that use an extremely less amount of electricity and a less amount of water already. They know that's an issue. Okay.

Thank you. And I believe other communities are using one year as well. So that seems to be kind of typical for Volusia County. And I was also gonna speak to the 180 because we had asked that question previously and we had received confirmation. While there is no verbiage in the bill that says that it supersedes SB 180, the fact that we didn't have the zoning in place prior to August of 2025, I believe,

24 but yeah there you go we are still okay with that with the zoning portion thank you all right Commissioner Harry unless we're gonna add something different to the support we're gonna go ahead and go with the vote I just like to ask legal since that is data centers are not all currently unallowable use for any of our zoning classifications then that would make Amazon ineligible to be converted to or be used as a data center?

So they cannot just, you know, laterally on their own decide that they want to be a data center and do it on their own?

Thank you, Mayor. Jordan, do you know that the one over by Spectrum, is that considered a data center over by Graves? Is it Graves or Howland?

No, I'm talking about Spectrum. They're over by the milk company.

I'm sorry? Catherine, do you mind giving them the microphone?

So I know they have a large area where all their data machines are stored.

So what that area, it's a huge area building where they keep all their data?

All right, we're going to go ahead and go vote, please. They're doing, they're on their way. Motion passes seven to zero. All right, at this time we're gonna go to action items. City attorney, do you wanna do it? And then we'll do, Mr. McKinney, you do have to do the legal reading. All right, after you do the legal reading, then I'll ask for the motion and we'll move forward then with public comment and then from the commission.

All right. At this time, I'll entertain a motion for action items 9A. And I see Commissioner Santiago, you're on.

Thank you, Mayor. I move to approve resolution number 2026-87. All right.

Is there a second? Commissioner Howington? I'll do that. Okay. Commissioner Nobick?

All right, we have a motion by Commissioner Santiago and a second by Commissioner Norton.

Yes, I know. He has to read the motion. I get it. Go ahead.

So moved by Commissioner Santiago. Commissioner Naubeck, you want to just re-verify your second?

To the residents coming up to the podium, I am sorry if I don't look directly at you. The sun is literally glaring right there. If you can click on, there you go. Public comment, we usually, for these two, we do them together.

Is the commission okay with us doing it how we always do it? Please.

You turned it off. No, click, hold on. There you go.

crap we might be able to have a better city budget here too thank you thank you mayor that closes public comments all right commissioner howington you're up next uh this is right now currently only on the millage we'll get to the budget next

Thank you, Mayor. It's always perplexed me this entire process. I was prepared tonight to come in and make a motion at 6.4500, which is much lower than the rollback rate. I believe it is absolutely doable, and if the rest of the commissioners have the guts to go through and pick out fluff this evening, I think we can make that happen. The millage rate always comes before the budget. If you vote no on the millage and yes on the budget, that's a problem. If you vote yes on the millage and no on the budget, that's even worse because then you're creating unencumbered funds that you're collecting f

Okay, because we just paid, I think, another $10,000 on the Celtic Fest here in September that was on that list?

Okay, and that's what I thought. I also saw $10,000 come through for a Latin Fest in August.

So how many Latin Fests are we funding? Because there's one in next year's budget, too.

So is that funding an event that's after January 1st? Because I believe we were told by the city manager that that event was taking place in October.

No, and I understand that. That wasn't my question. I'm curious how many Latin Fests we're funding.

Okay, I remember seeing some things come out from city officials and commissioners saying that they were in October and November. But I guess we'll hash that out.

I don't know. I'm just wondering why there's one in the budget for an event that took place in September.

Okay, I think that we all have some disconnect as to what our legal team may feel is acceptable versus what other people's interpretation of the bill is.

In which case, the name... Ms. Blodgett, please, this is the third time. We're trying to hear. Appreciate it. Thank you.

latin fest would be very questionable and we should probably make sure that we are in compliance if that is the case as the budget is written today it is not in compliance in my opinion as well as many of our residents and as we know from the bill it only takes one resident to sue us so if one resident deems that this does not meet the requirements of the bill they can bring a lawsuit or i don't know a class action lawsuit so that that is a concern i think that we definitely have the opportunity we have other communities getting rid of their fourth of july celebrations i think there's ways tha

Before we start getting into the budget, we're going to go ahead and do the vote on the millage, please. Motion was made by Commissioner Santiago and seconded by Commissioner Novick. Yes, for the millage. Motion passes five to two. This time we're gonna get into the budget. This time we'll entertain a motion. You already read the necessary.

We'll let the city attorney start and then he'll hand it over to you.

All right, at this time, I'll entertain the motion. Commissioner Santiago, you're on the board first.

Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to approve resolution 2026-88, adopting the final budget for the fiscal year 2026-2027.

Okay, is there any discussion? All right, seeing none, can we please vote? Motion fails, three to four. Commissioner Herriot.

Thank you, Mayor. So after hearing all the political pandering that's gone on tonight, I'm looking at this list of community events and I'm kind of wondering where we'd like to draw the line. There's definitely a list of, you know, definitely some events on this list that I haven't taken any part of. I know that there's some of these that my neighbors haven't taken part of, but I know that a lot of these, if not all of these, with the exception of the new ones, have had neighbors at them. So, there are a couple other things that I would like to point out. The notion that the city hasn't prepar

I'm not making any recommendations because anybody who voted yes on the millage rate has already accepted the budget because you accepted what we're charging the residents. And so any changes to the budget at this point is disingenuous because you are creating unencumbered funds for the city manager to spend however he so chooses.

Whatever we cut, we can address where those funds can go. Let's stop with the political shenanigans. We're adults. We need to stop this. Then people wonder why the residents are so discouraged with us up here. Finish your statement, please. If we have to go down item per item, we're gonna go down item per item.

So that's an incorrect representation, because we could allocate that money towards stormwater, towards capital projects, or even towards reserves. But I don't think that anybody actually wants to make that cut. You have the opportunity, Commissioner, make the motion.

Commissioner Nobby, you're up first, and then Commissioner Howington.

The millage has already been set. There is no changing that. It's already been voted on. I never once said anything about deleting all of Parks and Rec. Please tell me where I said that.

Are you done? I didn't say that you said anything about deleting parks and rec. I said, where do we draw the line? I said, I have neighbors that use the events that participate in the events that use the parks. I said, if you're asking me to alienate only my residents that use, that go to the events without making adjustments and reductions towards the parks, then again, where do we draw the line?

There were a lot of opportunities. If you look at the expenses, I believe you had made a comment at some point about the revenue and how it should offset the expenses. I saw those numbers. And if we're gonna be doing events like this, we need to handle them better. That is my concern. I have a list of things. However, I'm not going to bring them forward because millage is already approved. You have already accepted keeping that tax rate, which increases the coffers by almost $700,000. That's about exactly how much is in events. I would never say cut all the events. But we could scale back. The

You can shift it however you want. But we gave the manager the ability.

I'm going to take a point of privilege. Point of privilege. I'm going to turn everybody's mic off. Commissioner Nobick, you're up.

Thank you, Mayor. So is it about the events or is it about the dollar amount? They say it's about dollar amount. So I'm gonna make a motion that we transfer 1.5 million from parks and rec to road resurfacing. It's in the budget. We passed the millage. The roads need fixing. You don't want it in parks and rec? Let's transfer 1.5 million from parks and rec to fix infrastructure, to fix roads. I make that motion. Is there a second? Commissioner Herriot? Where would you pull that 1.5 million from? Not my decision. That's his decision. Let staff make it. It's about the budget. It's about money. It'

Let's stop really quick. Mr. McKinney, there are 26 events that I'm looking at right now. With all those events combined, how much money is that?

That's travel, $38,000. How much is it for each altogether for the community events for each commissioner or for the whole commission?

Here's what we're going to do, because I'm not going to sit here and embarrass this city with a back and forth. We passed the millage rate, which is full rollback, which means no tax increase. Obviously, revenue increases because people move into the city. That's not going to change. All right? There are 26 items right here. We're going to go down every single one of these items, and we're going to vote them up or down. And then what we come up with... which whatever we decide to remove from this list, we'll add that up with the travel and with the commissioner expense for their community, and

Thank you. First of all, I'd like to find out I don't think all these funds for these activities come from parks and recs. So why are we suggesting it comes out of parks and recs? It's my understanding that it comes out from another budget, right?

You are 100% right. And let me just, to your point, the Mayor's Fitness Challenge, which at one point others on this dais had no issue with, is budgeted for 25,000, is that correct? Folks, this is the political BS that screws up our city. Right here, I'm going to explain to you. I will give you your time. What is it budgeted for?

It was $1,500, give or take. Why is it that we have offsetting revenue?

What happens to the money that does not get used from the $10,000 that was allocated?

I can start with the mayor's fitness challenge. When the next mayor comes into place, whether it's the vice mayor or the other gentleman, they can decide if they want to put it back in. But instead of having these arguments back and forth, and I'll cede the time back to you, let's get this done and stop with the silly infighting because we need to grow up like a city. So vice mayor, please finish.

I just want to know where the funds for all these entertainments come from, because I know it doesn't come from Parks and Recs. So let's stop picking on Parks and Recs. Parks and Recs gives a lot to our children and our community. Can we cut back a little bit? Yes, maybe we can. But right now we don't even have enough. in the city of Deltona to give back to the residents, children in the community, even those residents that are paying tax. So let's stop picking on parks and recs for a change. We can work with parks and recs and see what we can cut back on, because it's not just activities for

Mr. McKinney, can you please answer the Vice Mayor's question?

Thank you, thank you Mayor. So the events funds come from the general funds that come from parks and recs, is that what you're saying?

Parks and rec does not- So is that all the Avalon information?

So the parks and recs, sports and stuff that we do for the children of the city of Deltona, That comes also from the general funds.

So then maybe we should look at that part in the Parks and Rec's budget, but not cutting the children's funds out for their sports and stuff like that. Thank you, ma'am.

I'm going to go to Commissioner Caldwell first because he was on, and then Commissioner Santiago, and then Commissioner Harriot. Then you would be next.

I think with the uncertainty of the Amendment 3 passing or not passing, I think we should pull all these items out, including the one that the mayor has mentioned. Any additional vehicles that we're already not working towards, we're unsure whether we're going to need more employees. I think we have enough vehicles in stock. These always can be amended back into the budget after November 3rd. Is that correct?

You're talking about all the events or vehicles? That's just one part of it. I think all the events, the additional spending by the commissioners, all should be pulled out until after the November 3rd vote. That's my opinion.

So my point, Vice Mayor, was not to take money away from the children's programs. My point was to settle on a dollar figure. rather than a specific event or line item. Let's decide how much, fluff is the word that's been used tonight. Let's decide on what that dollar figure is and then let staff go back and figure out where to call that out. That is unacceptable.

Residents want to see us be accountable. We're not going to put that burden on city staff.

Mayor, point of order to you, sir. Excuse me, let me finish my point. Point of order to you, sir. City staff is the one that compiled the budget, not you and I.

This is correct, but we're the ones that are approving it. I'm hearing from the residents, not about trucks. I'm hearing about events. I'm hearing from some on this dais about events. Let's go down the events. And then if you still want to, we're still short, then we can tackle that other part of it.

I'm not saying let's not do it. Let's start on a dollar figure first and then look where to cut. Let's settle on a dollar figure.

Commissioner Naubeck, I was not attacking your comment. I was just making a comment, you know, as a whole. Yes.

Correct, and I was talking about some specific events, not taking away from the children.

Commissioner Harriot, and then I'll go to the city manager.

Thank you, Mayor. So I want to clarify my comment. My comment wasn't, actually, more specifically, it was I'm not going down a list of events and picking and choosing because that alienates some of my neighbor's and not others. That proves my point. Some people don't go to the events. Others go to the events. Some people that don't go to the events use the parks. And Vice Mayor, I am absolutely not advocating for taking away from Parks and Rec's budget or anything for our youth. That is the opposite of everything that I have done for the last two years and change. I was trying to make a point

There's a motion by Commissioner Harriot. Is there a second? Just yell it out at this point because there's too many people on this.

The original way. He was on the winning side, so he's able to make the same motion again, per Robert's rules. So can we please go for a vote? We're voting for the same exact thing we voted for a little while ago. Do you want to? That's the motion and that's the second. Can you please just read it again?

Under all right. Under Robert's Rules of Orders. Hold on. Hold on. Zach, do you want to?

All right, we're voting. Motion passes four to three. We're going to go to request for approval for proportion of fair share agreement for Howland Marketplace. The city attorney can please read it.

All right, at this time, I'll entertain a motion and then a second before we go to public comment and discussion. Commissioner Santiago.

Thank you, Mayor. I move to approve the proportionate fair share agreement for Howland Marketplace.

There's a motion by Commissioner Santiago. Commissioner Novick. Second. There's a second. Is there any public comment? All right. Commissioner Harriot.

I don't have any comments. I was to second it. Thank you, Mayor.

Nobody else is on the board, can we please vote? Motion passes seven to zero. All right, this time we're going to go into Section D. City Attorney.

Commissioner Caldwell, do you need to add anything to it? Okay. There's no vote there. City Attorney, do you have any comments?

Okay. Uh, commissioner Harriet, are we doing commission comments, comments, requests and reports?

Thank you, mayor. The only commission request commissioner requests that I have today is for a consensus for staff to update the letter of support for D ranch to their current, um, echo grant for the property.

Aye. All those opposed. Commissioner Santiago.

Thank you, Mayor. Since the last meeting, I wanted to say thank you to the City of Deltona for the two wonderful events that they put together with other organizations in the City of Deltona, the Festival of Nations and the Latin Festival. It was an amazing, both events were actually wonderful, greatly put together. A big shout out to our City of Deltona Parks and Rec Department for their assistance. The Latin Festival was greatly, lots of lots of people. I didn't get count, but there were over thousands and thousands of people at the event. Wonderful event. Great shout out to Doc. Thank you s

Commissioner Colwell? I had asked for an update on fines and through code enforcement, and I haven't received those yet. For liens and fines.

Make sure the whole commission gets it, please.

Vice Mayor Villavazquez, or sorry, Commissioner Krasnovic.

There we go. I'd like to get us to move forward on a particular section of the parking ordinance. There is an extreme public safety issue and an issue for Waste Pro, particularly in these subdivisions where we have parking on the roads because we've designed these subdivisions in such a way that people that have three or four vehicles have no place to park in a driveway. So what occurs is, at least in District 6, several of our subdivisions on garbage pickup day, there's vehicles parked on both sides of the road, and the garbage truck can't get through, and then I get phone calls that the garb

If we could, because per the conversation of Commissioner Novick, it is a public safety issue. I think everybody on this dais can agree on that. We're not restricting people from parking on the street, just on one side for public safety issues. So all those in favor? Aye. Others? Can you say that one more time? Remember your time. Go ahead.

So how long till it goes through the ordinance committee?

you know what has just been directed so that's which is just a little piece well well this was a point of contention because when you guys got on the board you voted to repeal the original parking ordinance and now you want to alter it for a temporary period of time until i know i want to i don't want to make it a temporary period of time i want to put it into into effect we can't have people parking on both sides of the street in these subdivisions that's why we had it where it was and and uh

We've suspended it, and then I'm not even sure where Danny's at with the thing right now. But it's an issue for emergency services, and it's an issue for WastePro continually. So the quicker we can address it, the better it is.

I would like to see it come through the ordinance review committee myself and put in worded or verbiage.

All right, we're not having a discussion. All those opposed? Can you please do a roll call?

My request is to have... The parking ordinance amended to allow for parking on the non-fire hydrant side of the road in our subdivisions. They can only park on the non-fire hydrant side, so they're not blocking hydrants.

Vice Mayor? Was that it, Commissioner? Vice Mayor, go ahead.

Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I just want to let everybody know that this Saturday, September 26, there's going to be an event with VEMA in the city of Deltona. It's a car, bike, and food truck festival on Deltona Boulevard in Deltona Plaza. And this is funded by VEMA and sponsors. And the proceeds of this event is going to go towards our PTSD foundation that we partner with the fire department and UCF Restores. So everyone is welcome to go out. It's from 5 to 9 and it's free to the public. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE FESTIVAL OF NATIONS PARKS AND

Hope everybody has a good night. The meeting is adjourned.