Town Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, it's six o'clock. We'll call the meeting to order. It is April 15, 2026. This is our regular commission meeting. Uh if Mrs. Brown, town clerk, will call the role. Mayor Allison Dennington here. Vice Mayor Terry Cronin here. Commissioner Anna Butler here. Commissioner Tim Reed here. Commissioner Sher Corey here. Town Manager A. Marie Smith here. Town Attorney Ryan Knight here. Police Chief Tim Xander here. Fire Chief Gavin Brown here. Public Works Director Tom Davis here. Town Clerk Amber Brown is also present. All right, we'll stand and say the pledge of

allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, we'll have we'll have a moment of silence.

Okay. All right. I will read the civility pledge. The commission and staff of the town of Melbourne Beach pledge to conduct all public discourse in a civil manner. The mayor and all members of the commission will treat one another with courtesy and respect and ask the public to do the same towards the commission, towards each other, and towards staff. We will be respectful of one another even when we disagree. We will direct all comments toward the issues and we will avoid personal attacks. Okay, with that said, um are there any additions, deletions or changes that anyone has to make? I do there is was one sheet up here when we walked in and it looks like the public works director's report. So we will add that to the um packet that Mrs. Brown will be able to add later.

Okay. So and it's just um one pa actually it's two pages because it's front and back. So public works March 2026 for anyone following along. This will be on the website later. There is one deletion. We are not going to have the uh basin six I mean the basin 10 presentation today. Item number six. Okay.

Uh we are going to ask that it be held at the next workshop which would be May 6. Um and I don't know if you want to, you know, we can vote on it now or later in the meeting. Um but we wanted people to have more time. We were going to post it on the website so that residents can have more time to educate themselves on the study and the maps. So uh we will move it to that date for a workshop. I don't think we need to um since it's just a presentation technically and they're probably not here to do it. So I don't think we have to have a vote on it. Okay. Yeah, I think it would just get pulled and would get moved to the workshop. Okay. Unless there's any objection from anyone. Yeah. So no, that's fine. That will happen. Well, we'll work on the schedule at the end here.

Yeah. So item six will be removed. Um is there any other additions, any walk-ons or anyone wants to propose a change around of anything? Otherwise, we'll move on to um well, I will need I will need a um with that change, I'll need a motion to accept the agenda as otherwise presented unless someone else wants to make any changes. So moved. Okay. Is there a second? Second. Okay, we have a motion and uh second. All in favor say I. I. I. Okay. So then um we have five. Then we would go to seven public comment um town announcements and upcoming events. So Mrs. Brown. I'll turn that over to you. Page four of the packet.

May May I May I make a suggestion first? Sure. Go right ahead. Um I'd like to uh have the commission vote on uh ending the meeting at 9:00. And I'd also like the commission to entertain the um three minute time clock for each commissioner on the subjects in in the agenda if the commission would like to vote on that. Yep. So that would be regular order which we would assume that we would go unless it people break out of it but um and that would include everyone. Yes. So that would be you'd have three minutes when you originally speak and then everybody has I believe it's what is it one minute or two minutes the second time they speak? I believe it's two.

Yeah. So two minutes the second time they speak. Um and that is it. So what about everyone like to vote on that? Yes. I have no problem with that. I'm I'm not in favor of the hard stop at 9 p.m. I'd like to make a motion to stop the meeting at 9:00. A second. Okay, we have a motion in a second. Is there any discussion? What is there a a reason we're doing that? Would you like to state the reason? Um I have a job

and I know Terry has a job and it doesn't work well to go longer than that. You also have you also have a commitment to the uh serving the commission and doing the town's business. Excuse me, but I don't want to be here till midnight like I was a year or so ago. So 9:00 is fine. Well, the last several meetings we've been quite well. We've been running and getting out at 10 o'clock before. But um and I think that that was what we had was that we would end at 10:00, but we do have a motion and a second to end at 9ine. So

any further debate? Would this be something? I mean we technically have a motion to second that we go to public comment but I feel like this is procedural. This is ours. It's not a substantive issue. So I don't believe we do go to public comment. Mr. Knight, do you have a opinion? You and I have to since it is procedural procedural things I believe that we don't go to comment on that. Okay. If there is no further debate I'll call the vote. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. All opposed? Nay.

Okay. That carries 41. All right. Um, we had a vote to accept the agenda. Yes. Or did we get Yes. No, we we Yes, we did. Sorry, I got a little tripped off because we were about to go to Amber and then we had a sort of out of the out of the blue motion, but I'll turn it over to you, Miss Brown.

Okay. Um, so upcoming events this weekend is the Springfest Kids Business Fair on April 18th from 11 to 3:00 p.m. And then in a couple weeks, the first Saturday of May, so May 2nd is Founders Day from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. And then after that, we also have our weekly um classes that we offer in the park. So, there's the exercise class, there's a my musical tree class, which is for children, yoga, and also taichi. Wonderful. Thank you. Madame Mayor, um, Commissioner Reid sent us all an email about something with the Florida League of Cities. It should be on our agenda.

Okay. I'm still not in my email, so would you care to share that then? Commissioner Reid, that you said that we're hosting something for the Florida League of Cities. Yeah, I was going to talk about that in the um commissioner reports at the end. Do do we need to add that to the upcoming events is what I'm getting. Uh that's up to staff.

I mean it's something I I believe what it is is every May Indie Atlantic and Melbourne Beach we share it's like each city has a different one and that's what it is in May. So we've I've been twice before. Um uh this this time around Commissioner Reid is the sort of delegate um for the for the that space coast because that had been the last time. Um my I would love because normally the mayor speaks but usually the Indie Atlantic mayor he's pretty dry. He doesn't really speak for very long and it's kind of but this year I'd love to have the our new manager introduce herself and kind of talk about it but I if she's not comfortable it um if not I would love to have instead of myself do it to have Mr. Reid do it. He is the delegate. He's been going to those meetings and I haven't um but anyway to be the speaker for the town. Could I maybe make a recommendation because the Melby thing was so new and interesting to people maybe uh uh one of the commissioners can speak about that and uh you know with some photos about that uh event and how that all occurred. Yeah.

And about uh you know the collegiate spirit of uh of Revard County. I think that would be in the past when I've gone to these a lot of cities they have their staff they put together like you know a nice little presentation. I've in the past have asked and we've just I've been told we don't have the staff to do that. You've got to do whatever on your own. But I do think like if somebody was willing in staff to put together something on that that would be great. We'd be able to play it. Um I'm just not technically savvy enough to do that kind of thing myself. But anyway, so we could talk about that if y'all want now or later. Thank you. Well, I don't want to steal Commissioner Reed's thunder if he's got a presentation that we're going to do later. Let's let's save it. Let's save save up for that.

Okay. What if we get to nine o'clock and we haven't gotten to commissioner reports then would would Mrs. um since we have sort of started to talk about it would Mrs. C I mean potentially if Miss Corey wanted to go somebody could make a motion at that point to extend it so we could at least discuss that. So I think we'll we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Okay. All right. Anything else? Um okay then we are on number seven public comment. Um anyone would like to come up and speak you can come on up for three minutes. you can speak about anything that is not on the agenda. So, if you do have something that you'd like to discuss that's on the agenda, then wait because you'll have a public opportunity to speak at that point. I mean, assuming we have a a motion on it because sometimes it does happen that something um doesn't. But now would be your opportunity to come and speak for three minutes. Please address the commission and um not individual commissioners. That is sort of one of our rule. If you have questions, try to get them all out because we there's a one minute I believe we can allow answers, but beyond that, so we're not going to stop time for questions, but come on up. Come on up. Second, I want to thank town manager Marie Smith and town director of works Tom Davis for coming out and really spending time looking at our intersection safety and the flooding concerns that we have that that I have talked about for 10 years. Um, Commissioner Corey, you are you are well aware, you've heard me many many times and we together sat with BSE in the MASNY room and they said yes. They confirmed it goes uphill one foot. So the whole basin of eight comes to Second Avenue and then goes into narrower pipes at two 90° angles and then goes uphill. Water don't work that way. If you had a sink that was not draining, you would not sit for 10 minutes for 10 years

hoping that the the plumber would get it right next time. Um I asked the town attorney to to write a letter. Nothing happened. that it could have been fixed. It hasn't been, but I I should be on the list. Uh the tree streets, the town manager said, "You're next. You're next. You're next." It was always the tree streets. And now I see Basin 10, one of the tree streets is needing to be Yes, they have ponding. I'm well aware, but that is not water in your home. So, there's that. And then also um three of you up there are accepting the support of an LLC that really slanders people that like myself that have just volunteered to um apply for boards. Um I seated one time. Um I lost an election. I was outspent 10 to one. But that's really no reason to slander someone mercilessly. I'm really not a public figure. I come up here. I'd rather not be here. I'm leaving right now to go home. Um, but I did volunteer many, many times to do the hard work that you guys and now you want to end early at nine and stop working so hard. You have worked hard. I have seen it. I've seen it. So, um, please, I appreciate the hard work that you do. You are such a gift, Commissioner Reid. I hope that you don't get worn out by it.

All I am running around here. I got a lot Commissioner Cy. No, she addressed M. Commissioner Corey prior to that directly with her name and now we're and so it can't be okay sometimes and not okay sometimes. Okay. Saying something uh mean in a nice way is still mean and you know what I'm talking about. You were given the support of you were on the same Well, I'm just saying you were on the same ticket as a murder. Okay. because you're installing her time and give her fair. All right. Um, don't hold on. Hold on. Say whatever you want. Um, I just I hope that you're the rules.

I I believe the rule is that you're not supposed to sort of attack people. However, you know, the public they come up here and attack me all the time and I just let them do it because it's their three minutes. Really? I just said you have the support rules. You said you do not. So I hope that you are going to call point of order when your people from the truth and accuracy get up here and and and do the same thing. People only I have are my children.

I got to go. This is a this is a nice town that kind of became a mean town and thank goodness we did save the manity. Of course we saved the manatee. You know this used to be a really nice town and yeah it gets feisty. Democracy is messy but an LLC slandering residents that just tried to volunteer to that's just wrong. So anyways, thank you.

Um, officer, please don't laugh or make and you're not supposed to clap, especially when somebody is talking. Um, I, you know, clapping I have, as long as someone's not talking, but please don't interrupt or laugh when people are talking on the end. She's had a warning. So that's her warning. Um, okay. Because you you have get up for your three minutes and say whatever you want, but then please try to be quiet so that you don't interrupt not only what people are saying, but their train of thought. Okay. Next, public comment. Seeing none, we will close public comment. Come on up.

Joyce Barton, 322 Third Avenue. I will be mentioning names, but I'm not directing it. I'm just commenting. Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue. the most recent lawsuit initiated by Mayor Dennington through her LLC Feno. As the commission is aware, the trial for this lawsuit, which was set for one day, began on April 8th. I say began because it did not conclude. A second trial date is now set for Wednesday, May 20th, which I hope that more residents will attend. Just two days prior to the trial, mediation was called in good faith to reach a resolution. After a full day of mediation that went late into the evening, no resolution was reached other than to go to trial. I was at the trial. The trial itself began two hours late due to what was described as additional mediation efforts, efforts that seemed more like a facade than genuine attempts to compromise. All indications suggest that the mayor had no intention of true mediation. Her focus was solely on moving forward with the trial.

Point of order.

It's not point of order. At the trial, it was interesting to note that our mayor sat in the audience while her husband, Lefu Dennington, joined their team of attorneys at the front of the courtroom. I'm only stating fact. Our town manager sat with our town attorney and his colleague on the other side. Witnesses were called, including the town clerk, the former town manager, the former police chief, a digital forensic witness, and Feno LLC member, Lefu Dennington. The former police chief's testimony was delayed because she had a protection order against Dennington. Additional witnesses were held all day, but not called due to going overtime. The volume of evidence presented by Feno's attorney was staggering. Stacks upon stacks consisting of five-inch binders filled with materials in a case that had no clear boundaries seemed designed to create more confusion than clarity. What stands out most in this situation is how cleverly and cunningly Mayor Dennington has exploited what should be a tool for transparency, the right to make public records requests just to create a stalemate within our town's processes. It's not a point of order. Sorry, I had to uh Lefu Dennington described the reason for making such public records requests as we are entitled to them. Entitled. Maybe that's the whole impetus behind all of this. Let's remember where this all began. It stemmed from a code violation case concerning one of their properties. you know, the one on the corner near that side street. It was a case she lost as a resident and in an effort to prove herself right after losing those battles, she resorted to using the system as leverage, going so

far as to weaponize her rights to public records requests against our town time. Thank you. Griswell did not have a protection order against me. You're clearly not an attorney and you state false facts on that. She requested a protection order so that her testimony could not become public as she was concerned about some prior convictions.

Jan Pence, 200 Riverside Drive. And I find it totally offensive that the mayor is allowed to respond to people with whatever she wants to. Where's the point of order on her? I want to say a compliment to Ryan. Great job. I actually was also there representing not only the town but Truth and Accuracy Matter, the LLC that was just slammed by one of our residents. I'm here tonight. I didn't write anything. I have one thing, two things I want to say. My question is this. I get, and I'm sure y'all are getting them, too. So many complaints from residents by email through Truth and Accuracy Matter because they know that we care about this town. Can someone please tell me, can we provide some information to our town attorney so that this town can actually draft an ordinance where groups that want to protest using their first amendment rights actually have to have to get a permit. We do not have an ordinance that addresses that. If you want to go speak in the park, if you want to do something in the park, there's actually an ordinance to do that. So, I think it would be really wise, even the city of Orlando, you can chat GPT it, do whatever you want. There are municipalities and local governments throughout the state that have ordinances that address these type of groups that want to protest. Let them say what they want, but if you're going to come on a regular basis and and and we're not going to charge them and they're going to affect everybody else in our small town, then that's something we need to look at. I'm not suggesting we stop it. I'm suggesting let's make sure they have liability insurance. Let's make sure they're paying a fee. Let's make sure they're following correctly what they should be correct be following. And ending it with the library and I would ask if the commission would also direct Ryan. People are not allowed to park in that in that parking lot of the library. They come here because they can park there and they think they're allowed to do that. There are very specific rules

for county parking on a library there. Uh and I can give you I can give you the code. There's a Bvard County Library System code LSO3 which does not allow people just to park there for protest or for any other reason even when it's closed except for to use the library. So, I would ask our town manager, perhaps you could direct her, our town attorney, our chief of police, whoever it is that we need to ask at the county to stop them from parking there because if they couldn't park there, they wouldn't be here and they would move on to some other corner. Thank you. Uh, you have 30. Uh, so you do know that the issue has been raised by several people behind the scenes and there has been some look into it. I've discussed it with the manager.

How would I know that, mayor? I'm not a commissioner. How would I know that? What I know is what I said. I can I answer the question you just asked me and you could stop my I just want I wanted to give you information that hope I don't need discuss it. Whatever information. Okay. All right. That was that was nice. Want to do that again. I'll get a picture. Trying to help you. You're not helping me. You are not you have never helped me or anyone else in this town. I'm asking this commission, not you specifically, to direct our town attorney, which would not be you, to look into the situation. And yes, I would not be surprised that they've contacted you. My point was as the chairman, as the president of Truth and Accuracy Matter in this town, I'm going to finish because you asked me a question.

I'm sorry. I have been asked to look into it as well. And that's down so your time actually was we actually you asked me a question so I came back up. Oh, please. I'm not leaving. Next.

Hi, I'm asking for your help. My name is David Drake. I live at 604 I forgot where I live. I live at 604 Alden Place. I'm trying to get a light removed from outside my house. Really, I'm trying to get the wire that supplies the power to the light removed. FPL will finally do that after four months of trying to figure out who to ask if they get this form which is called a charm a karm form and they get a letter from the town saying that the light can be removed. I'm asking you to help me get that done so that the wire does not suspend over my pool.

I I mean I feel like this has been going on and I'm officially right here and right now I'm gonna call a special meeting. Any one of us can call a special meeting. I'm going to call a special meeting for Friday for the purpose of you being able to have a hearing on this. Would you be available? If not, you have a day next week that you would like. I can call a special meeting and we can deal with this issue. Maybe we could do it. I can't do it Friday. Maybe we could do it before your special meeting on the 6th. Okay. Okay. And I'll make myself available. I don't want any of the details. Okay. That way we'd have the same day. Okay. So, I will I will try I will get with you to try to get available, but I'm going to call a special meeting so that we can you can have the opportunity to have a public hearing on this and you can get a decision so we can move it forward because I I feel like it's unfair. You keep coming. And is that what we need to do?

Excuse me. I'm sorry, but we have to notice for two weeks before before the hearing and there has to be a sign that's put up on your property. Okay. Uh so we have to we have to wait at least two weeks for that. Okay. So, I will get with you. I will stop by tomorrow and get your availability past two weeks and then I will call a special meeting for that date and then get the notice out. That's okay. We I got two minutes.

What do you want to do? I've already notified all the neighbors. I've got FPL ready to go. All they need is a letter from the town saying it's okay and we can do that. Is that is that all that we're waiting for? The process seems a little backwards because normally we would receive a letter from FPL giving consent to that that we would then use for the hearing. That's the way it works in every other municipality. Not according to FPL. I apologize, but what I've been told is they need the letter

to go forward. They did give us a quote $600 $660.93 to remove the wire and that would unpower the light which would render the light unusable. Mhm. Now, if that's an issue, we can discuss that. But I'm more than happy to replace the light with a solar light at my expense. I would save the town 9 $11 a month in their rental fee of the light. However, it would it would achieve my goal and it would get the electrical line away from my pool. Um, can I ask you to do me a favor and can you do you have any correspondence with FPL regarding that? Yes. Yes. More than you want to read. Okay. We do have that

more than you want to read. I can Okay. So, I'll ask the town manager to forward that to me and I will be in touch with FPL um on that issue and clarify what exactly they're looking for. If they do need a letter from the town and they're not going to sign off on it before then, then I'll make arrangements with Marie to send out the proper notices that we have and we can schedule a hearing on that. Can you give him a time frame like you'll be able to get to that within a week, two weeks? I can't. Okay. just because it's going to require staff mailings to the No, no, no. When you're going to be able to reach out to FBL so he can just kind of have a time frame as soon as I get the emails. Okay. Yeah. And I'll I'll provide that to you right after this meeting. Yes. Come on up.

This is the letter that they need from me because I'm going to pay the bill. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And they have to just vote on it. And so to vote on it, they have to have two weeks notice on the So it's the whole process, but we just got this yesterday from them. So Right. Yes. Yeah. So that's why that's why uh we couldn't notice anything till we understood. I was that from Florida Power. Yeah. Okay. So that's what the process will be, but we'll be in touch with you again. Great. You Tom, we're good. Yeah, sure. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Dragon. Sorry.

Okay. Next. Seeing none, we will close public comment. All right. We will move on. Um, where are we at? Make sure I get my stuff in order. I'd like to make a motion to accept the consent agenda. I think that's what you were asking for. Oh. Um, that has two houses on it, correct? Um, I look I don't have any problem with houses and I think rather than hold them up, what I'm just going to do is uh is there anyone in the audience who would like to make any public comment whatsoever on either one of the two houses that are on the agenda for approval? Are we on the consent agenda now? Well, that's what she was

I believe after uh we're at the tow manager report. Oh, okay. Well, we we have Corey wanting to do the consent agenda. So, I'm just reading the agenda of order. Okay. All right. So, um, manager, town manager report.

All right. Well, I just wanted to tell you that, uh, so far Easter had, I mean, so far, April has been really a wonderful month for the town. Uh, April 4th, we had our Easter, uh, scavenger hunt and there were more than a couple hundred people there uh, for that. And they had, you know, the face painting, they had the, uh, hair braiding as well. And we had a surprise Easter bunny show up who was really who is uh whose last name is Smith. So, uh I just wanted to say it was really it was really wonderful. The weather was beautiful and uh we have some we have some photographs which we're going to put up on our social media feed for that. That was followed three days later with the release of Melby the Manatee. And that was a spectacular event if people hadn't seen it. Uh I thought we had some pictures on the website. If it's not, we will put it on there. But um as you know, uh February 9th, we found Melby. He was rescued uh thanks to the commission who quickly jumped into action to vote for funding to get uh Melbby out of the road and get him to SeaWorld safely. And um there was just I mean there was a huge amount. I a number of you were there. I don't know how many people you would say were there, but there were like at least I don't know hundred or so people there to watch his release even though it was raining and it was just really amazing. Um, and it was a special moment for everybody. And then last Saturday we had nature day and this was uh brought to us by the environmental advisory board and uh there were quite a few people at that event as well. uh they had yoga in the park which is something we'll talk about in another issue uh later on but um it also was very successful. So um I just wanted to remind people of just some of the amazing and wonderful things that a

lot of these groups put on uh and they do that at their own time and even some of their own expense as well. So we should celebrate those things as well. And uh I think uh clerk Brown has also mentioned what some other events coming up including uh the springfest which will be this Saturday with the children's uh entrepreneurship uh and businesses and then after that we'll have uh founders day. So we hope to see you there. Uh secondly, I wanted to give you an update on uh lifeguard situation. Um, so we had heard from Bvard County that they were not able to um recruit as many lifeguards as they would need to cover all the beaches and as you know we've signed a contract with them. Uh, I got in touch and um, I do cruise the beaches. Um, actually last sa last Friday I was at Paradise Beach. They had a um, surf contest. I was off that day so I went to go see that. Um they had a lifeguard there and there was always going to be one, but they said that uh they are really sparse uh on lifeguards. They are they have a plan that they're going to work to try to get more, but in the meantime, we're going to work with our police department and our fire department. And I've talked to Chief Xander and Chief Brown about this to see if we can make sure we have um you know, more patrols or if uh Chief Xander can get his volunteers out uh to do patrols on the beach. uh just to make sure now they're not trained lifeguards uh but it is um you know a safety issue. So they just told us to hang tight. They're working on that issue and we're working with them to make sure there is at least some sort of coverage there. Um thirdly, I just wanted to give you a really nice update on the code enforcement officer situation. So, we have a new code enforcement officer that is going to be

starting April 21st. And his last job was with the town of Melbourne Beach as a um public works um um department um employee, maintenance employee. So, we had advertised the job. Um, the HR director, uh, Tom, myself, uh, we didn't really see folks. We we talked to a few folks. Um, I believe that a few were, um, interviewed as well, uh, by the HR director and, uh, Dave Micah. Um, and they just were substandard. So we decided um you know this is like se seven um code enforcement officers who have quit and it's because of pay. So uh Jacob Lopez came up to us and said hey you know what I've been here for almost two years. I love this town. And he said I would really like to take up this job. He said you know I'm a quick learner. I know this town. I know the geography of the town. um you know I know a lot of the maintenance uh he has a background in engineering and HVAC so he knows a lot of the trades kinds of issues that you need to look at so for the ta past two months we said all right well you know what we're not sure but we're going to give you a chance so he has been training with Dave Micah and with Jennifer Kerr and he has picked up the decert system on his own very quickly we're gonna and if we offered him the job we were going to get him the official training but he has picking up he's picked up very quickly on the computer system and we think he is going to be a really good asset. He's very eager to learn and uh like I said he loves this town so I don't think he's going to go anywhere anytime soon.

Great. So we do have a new code enforcement officer as of uh April 21st. That's great. Best news. Congratulations Jacob. That's awesome.

Yeah, I know that is uh some something came out by one of the former code enforcement officers. He had mentioned that when he was using the Decard software, there was some issues where it was spitting out addresses like I mean for instance we got one with an address of a property we've never even owned saying um and he had said like there was some disconnect in the system and he had tried to tell the former manager and she just said we'll deal with it later just send them out. But he had said if he thought he'd be able to explain it to the company but they he wasn't allowed to have contact. So, I guess I would just say before they send out any for the Airbnb, like if there is a disconnect, like to please not send those out and maybe consider allowing the code enforcement person who's actually using the software to be able to reach out to them to sort of troubleshoot because he the former code officer wasn't enabled to be able to do that troubleshooting. It had to like run up the chain. So, go through someone else and it never went through. So, because we had a bunch of angry people coming in saying, "We're getting letters. I don't even own this address." But um that would just be just a recommendation or whatever.

Okay. Duly noted. Thank you. Okay, that's it. All right. Um madam, could I make a comment? Please do.

Uh Miss Smith, thank you for that report. I just wanted to highlight uh the Melbby uh um rehabilitation and and the release. It really was an amazing event. It was at Ballard Park. I know a lot of you in the audience and here were were there. But one of the things that the public uh should know is that uh Melby uh was uh infected and injured and and when he was at SeaWorld, they had to treat him with antibiotics and and wound care uh to get him back. And they told us that he was going to be released at 11:00. And on that day, we had such terrible weather, they kept saying, "Oh, no, it's going to be at 10:30. It's going to be at 10:15." So, everybody rushed there to get there at like 10:15. But then they must have had traffic coming from SeaWorld and there was there was tons of people there and they were all very excited and we're standing by the wateride and everything's great and then the truck from SeaWorld pulls up and they open up the back and all of a sudden a bunch of manatees come from the water over to the wateride to kind of welcome the manity and it was those it was it was the one of the most magical moments and and it was you know we truly don't understand if there's communication going on or what but then After they brought Melby out and and and measured him and made sure that all his wounds were good and they brought him into the water, Melbby went into the water, swam away, but then came back and interacted with people on on the shoreline. So, it was really magical. It really was something.

So, I thank you, Marie. Oh, sure. No, thank thank you so much. And thank you and uh Commissioner Butler and Commissioner Reid for being out there. It it was a wonderful moment to share. Okay. Town attorney report. I had a couple questions. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Before. So, just to kind of follow up on the lifeguard thing. So, have we had a lifeguard for at all this this spring?

I have seen a lifeguard there once during spring break on a Saturday when they have the big uh pipes out there for the dredging. Um, I have not seen any since then. I know that uh Chief Brown has put out the no lifeguard on duty signs just in case. Um so I've seen I've seen them out there once. I don't know if they've been out there more than that. So typically that's just for a short period of time that we have the lifeguards in place. What is the end date for that period of time? Yeah, it was just the week of spring break. So it's it's we don't have lifeguards until summer now. Okay. So then the next period was during the summer, correct?

For how long? the entire summer when Bvard schools are off. Okay. There was a terrible drowning in Cocoa Beach a couple days ago. Uh the rip currents are are pretty bad. So, it's concerning. Mr. Mr. Reed, so I had a couple more questions if I could continue. Yes, please do. Then, um I had a question. I wanted to wait till you're done. the um um the status of the uh the two RFPs that we had um voted to uh have sent out. Where where are we at with having those RFPs ready to uh to go out? Um I'm trying to remember. So one of them was for the

one of them was for the nonadalorum um right stuff and then the other one was for grant writer. But the nonad valorum one we have a draft I think I've forwarded to you. I've seen the draft and I commented back. Yeah. So I think that one is uh ready to go. Um and the other one was for a grants writer. Right. Yes. And both of those have timeliness aspects to them um in terms of if to be able to take advantage of that in this fiscal year. Okay. So, so if there's any if there's something holding them up other than just, you know, time, then if you could please highlight that to us and to resolve it. But

yeah, um I think the grant writer one is one that uh we're we're still drafting. Um and I'll get with our attorney to see if we can get a final uh draft for you. Um and then after that, I think we can launch it.

Okay. Very very good. Um so basin basin one um the uh the storm water work that's going on there. So that's been going on for three three months now. That's you know it's a $2 million investment or something the town is making up there. Um where do we have any kind of status on on that? I couldn't find anything in the in the package. Um is there an expected completion date? Um where are we at dollar-wise expenditure wise on that? Um I I'm going to um ask public works director Tom Davis if he can give us an update, please.

We're right on schedule, Commissioner. We only had one weather delay or we would have already uh been on the next phase, which is the one that ties over with Flamingo. Uh I think we had what 180 day on that contract, I believe, if I'm correct. And we're we're right on point. We're happy right now. I I anticipate it'll be done prior to that 180 days provided we don't hit any major obstacle which you know don't foresee but but hurricane season starts soon. Yeah. Okay. Um big task is tying that in between. Uh

can you please make sure in your going forward that your report includes something uh Oh, okay. on that then. Yeah, sure. Um it's probably the largest thing we have going on in town projectwise. So, okay. Seems reasonable to have a an update of the large amount of money the town is spending there. Um yeah, I will do. So then uh I guess for uh the fin last question here would be then um have we received a bill from the county yet um for the um the manity related aspect?

Uh no we have not. I have uh talked to uh county manager Jim Lysenfeld about that um but he has not provided that. He says that there were some other areas that he could shave off um and I have not followed up with him as yet but I'm happy to do so. Okay. Well, this is kind of one of those questions you don't sometimes you don't want to ask, but I guess keep shaving. Yeah. Yeah. Keep shaving. Um, shave all you want. All right. Yeah. So, I I Yeah, it's a little bit delicate there, but uh keep shaving until the the last we left it is that he would he would get back in touch with me and he has not as yet.

Okay. So, um actually I do have one more thing. So in previously in the in the meetings we had um an action item list that was as a part of the u the agenda and as a tracking item for keeping track of uh things that the town the staff was being tasked with for doing um as a result of of the meetings. So that's a pretty standard, you know, thing to do for any kind of uh ongoing meeting is you keep track of actions and staff. So, I'd like to ask that we reimplement reimplement that in the going forward and uh if you need help with what that looks like. I mean, I think um Clerk Brown can help you and I'd be happy to show you the other ones as well. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

I just had one question and it was brought by his questions, but about the lifeguard contract is so I remember this from last year, the year before they were going to jack up the rates for everyone. sort of all the count all the cities kind of were like whoa you know because uh they ended up keeping the same rate and I can't I mean I'm assuming that we then approved the contract because they were keeping at the same rate I can't remember my yes we did okay so but when does that contract expire because is it something that runs with the fiscal year but are we going to be presented with another contract and are we basically paying though on a contract where we're not getting the services or is it that it is just during spring break and summer anyway so and you don't need to answer now but if you could get look into that, find out when the contract is going to expire. And if they're having a shortage and so maybe they're not covering what they normally would, well then are we getting a discount on what we're paying? Because I I recall we pay it in four um like four payments.

Yeah. The the contract expires this year. This is the fifth year of a five-year contract. Okay. And um my conversations with uh Eisen Witcher who's the ocean rescue chief uh was focused on trying to make sure we have as much coverage and I think we will figure out the payment on the back end.

Yeah. I mean because if it's fine I mean I get it if there's shortages but we are under a contract. So if we're getting less than we're actually paying for then we shouldn't be paying for you know that's that's just what I wanted to know. And then also is this going to be something that we need to be presented with again in the future? If so, when and what would be the terms? But you can get, you know, back to us on that. We also do have an RF another RFP I thought that's out, but perhaps the town attorney may be able to talk about that one because I think that was his arena and I think your report's next. So, I'm not aware of another RFP that zoning official plan. Um, or y'all are working on that. You were working on with interim manager. Yes. So, that um that will need to be finalized and sent out.

Okay. Um, not really a whole lot of updates. As you all are aware, the first day of trial was last Wednesday. It did not finish. Um, the second day is scheduled for May 20th, uh, which we will also discuss later on about moving the May 20th regular commission meeting when we get there. Um, mayor, you had asked me about the computer experts contract. That contract was executed in March of 2023 and it was for a five-year term. A fiveyear term. Okay. Yes. So that does not expire until March 2028. So we do not need an RF for that. But the planner one is expired. The planner one

zoning official is expired. So that's the one where the previous town manager um had had executed an extension to that. The agreement specifically said uh subject to commission approval. Um, so it was a void extension. Yes. And the commission the commission did vote to send that out to RFP. Okay. And that RFP was something that I believe the interim manager was working on but then it didn't get finalized and then of course her first day we have the manity issue but and the auditors then like that yes second week. So that is on your right now. We're basically we are paying a planner and a zoning official without a contract. Uh well we do have an agreement. It was signed by the town manager.

I mean, it's almost like maybe a month a month, but the thought process was we wanted to get that RFP out before um before termination of the current zoning official if they are in fact going to be terminated. Yeah.

Um so that way when if she hadn't that so basically that contract would have expired, but the manager just signed an extension even though the contract itself required commission approval. So the argument is well she signed something and they've been running a reliance even though it was void usually but is should we to clean it up authorized just like that we approve a limited ex like that we're paying so that we're paying on something that's valid pending the RFP would that be legally a better cleanup method we could um essentially what we have now is a meeting of the minds between what we're paying him and the services he's providing at this point okay I mean I feel like as long as we're working on getting that out quickly

so we could But yeah, the conversation did involve we wanted to make sure that RFP went out so there's not a gap where the town does not have a zoning official. So right now I have the grant writing RFP um to finalize with Marie and then the zoning official. Okay, cool. Thanks. All right. Um, any other I feel like I kind of you started your report probably maybe where you didn't necessarily mean to because there was a question that rolled over, but did you have any other No, not unless you have any questions for me.

For what it's worth, I I believe that someone from Fenu has been sharing all of the transcripts with the town free of charge because otherwise they have to pay for them. So, if anyone is interested in any of the transcripts or depositions, you can get them from the clerk because the town does have them and without paying. Anything else? Okay. Well, we will move on um to the consent agenda. So, these will pass as long as there's no objection. But what I'm I I I I tend to pull these just because I never feel like it's fair that there's not an opportunity, you know, people have questions, but I don't want to do that. If there's anyone in the audience who would like to speak to or has a question about the um the uh 608 Shannon Avenue, which is pages 7 to 26, or 209 SURF, which is page 27 to 60, raise your hand because they could be pulled from the agenda. Okay. Did you both or

20? Oh, okay. So, I will pull 209. Um, is there anyone who would like to speak? Um, as to 608 Shannon, it's actually not a guest. Oh, okay. Oh, you're four. Are you I think are you Mr. Parker or No. Am I What? What's that? Oh, sorry. Sorry. I I thought um because the Parker is the Okay. and mayor. Um, you y'all actually already approved the agenda, but you as it was. So, no, no, when you get to the if you just want to let him comment.

When you get to the consent agenda, you still have to go. You approve the agenda itself, the order of the agenda. You're not approving the full agenda. When you get to the consent, this is how we've always done it, Mr. Knight. When you get to the consent, you you have a vote. Is there any objection if there's no objection? But that's when you pull it. Yeah. I what I was going to do is as long as nobody raised their hand, I was going to say if there's no objection that it's approved by consent. That's what I was going to say. Say it. If there is no objection to um 608 or 209, they will be approved by consent. Seeing no objection, they are approved and we will move on to public hearings and special orders, which I do not believe we have any. So, we will move on to unfinished.

Do you want to make a comment? Um would the commission be okay with having the gentleman come up to people to speak about 209 surf even though we didn't need to have a vote on it but yes yes okay see no objection come on up sir and we will not comment unless you want us to procedure

my name is Bob Deal 219 Surf Road I'm the contractor on 209 Surf Road um and I guess first of all propose to move the consent agenda to the front of the agenda so that people can come and leave Number two, I propose that um you know, Melbourne Beach is the only town that actually you have to go before a planning and zoning board and a commission in the whole area. So, everybody, you know, it goes to the town planner and the town engineer. They approve it and it's a rubber stamp. Best I know, there's nothing you can there's nobody that can say no to it because it we're not changing the zoning. We're not changing anything. It meets all the parameters. You you can't stop it. So I don't understand why you have a planning a plan a zoning commission and then you have to come before this commission in order to get approval which is a rubber stamp because even if somebody's against it they can't stop it is my understanding anyway. So I would propose that we do away with these whole commission thing and just to accept the town planner and the town commission I mean the town planner and the town engineer their proposal and move on with the process. So we don't have to wait 30 60 days to get through this process. It's also in in conflict with the permitting process because you your permitting department has 30 days to approve or explain or give reasons why uh they're not and and then they have 20 days after that. So if I turn a plan around tomorrow, if they give me a comment and I turn around tomorrow, they got 20 days to now give me more comments or approve it. So that's all in conflict with the building department.

I would tend to agree and they sometimes don't even get their minutes out before we have ours and so the decision is actually not even final. If they don't have their minutes out, it's a bit of a mess. I will say though, it would require substantial reddrafting of a number of our ordinances as well as a part of our charter. How does that work though with since it's in conflict with the state law?

I don't know that it is in conflict state law. I'd defer to the town attorney on that. But but maybe you guys could get together and if you if you're I mean you're a builder and you're you have a lot of experience, you're interested in it. I would love maybe to authorize if the commission wanted to letting him sit down with the town attorney for an hour to kind of talk through some of it so that maybe he could bring back something to us, but I can't authorize that. But if anyone wants to make that motion, I do know you're you're local and I believe you build quite a bit in town. So, not a lot yet. We're getting there. But if nobody wants, but anyway, I would be I'd love that because I think there's a bunch of wacky stuff in there.

All right. Um Okay. Uh we unfinished business, but doesn't look like we have any. So, we move on to new business. Um 13A. Consider painting the fire hydrants along Ocean Avenue, celebrating our nation's 250th birthday. Woohoo. Parks board, page 61 to 63. Welcome. Hi there.

Thank you, Janette Susi. 21 to 116th Avenue, Melbourne Beach. Um, the town of Melbourne Beach is inviting local artists to submit designs and bid proposals for its upcoming patriotic fire hydrant painting project along Ocean Avenue. The project is a public art initiative to commemorate the nation's 250th birthday and enhance our city streets by repainting seven fire hydrants in designs that reflect our community's patriotic spirit. Um I do have some responsibilities which has already been listed for you. The only re the only reason why I'm coming to you now is because we are myself and um town manager uh Miss Smith is trying to get approval from the city of Melbourne utility works as well as from the town manager of Melbourne. Um but I wanted to see if you guys would approve it. If they say yes, then we can go ahead and move forward with it.

I'm I'm a yes. I think it's great. I love it. It's beautiful. But if there's any discussion or somebody wants to make a motion, I think it's a great idea. Okay. Do you want to make a motion? I make a motion to approve uh painting the fire hydrants for the commemoration of the 250th year. All right. Pretty cool. 250 years. I I would suggest you modifi we modify the um the motion to be Is there a second? No.

Okay. Well, we have a first, but somebody is requesting maybe a suggestion for modification because they very well then might second it. So, go ahead, Mr. Reed. No. Would you like to make a suggestion to um to the to the motion so that perhaps you would Yeah, I'm but if we're I go ahead. We're stepping out of balance and I'll So, I I'll second it now. You now we can have discussion. Very. Okay. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Uh I was just going to ask that we make it contingent on the uh the two approvals from the uh Melbourne. Mhm. Oh, yeah. Cuz if they don't approve it, I don't think we'd be doing it anyway. Yeah. But yeah, of course. Okay. Um Okay. I I think that there's no objection to that modification. I accept that friendly amendment.

Okay. So, we have a motion in a second. Is there any uh discussion or debate on it? If not, I'll go to public comment. I have some questions. Go ahead. So, um, so we're how how are you going to solicit inputs for for that? Well, we actually could come up with an actual, uh, application for them. So, in other words, we would solicit our local artists here, just, you know, word of mouth and seeing who would come forward. If we get seven different artists, that would be great. If we get four, we take seven the seven best designs and they get to Yeah. So, who's who's making that decision then? Who's who's who's the judges? Who's the judges or

who's who's the I mean there has to be for this thing there has to be some person who's the central belly button for uh you know making the decisions and dealing with uh any any items that come up in the course of executing it.

I have a suggestion. It could be the parks board and we could make for that board meeting either one member of the commission as an exeicio to be on that board for that meeting or the manager. So that they when they have that meeting we'd have a either a member of this body that is exeicio a member of the parks board for that meeting or the manager. So there is some sort of oversight and then allow the parks board to go ahead and do it because we don't really have a lot of time to either. My only other thing would be I would say there has to be some limited standards you know like that they it has to be red and white and blue. I would that that would be my one thing. Absolutely. Absolutely. Um but if somebody

it does say the project is a public initiative to commemorate um by re rep by repainting seven fire hydrants in designs that reflect our community's patriotic spirit. Yeah. And I think I mean you you actually have some examples in here. So that sort of almost the examples are the guidelines to start off with. my my so what I think we could do we have a motion to second we could approve it and then we could say okay now who's going to make the decision that then we quickly can sort of decide on those parameters if we'd like okay so I I guess my last last question that would be is then so um is the town funding this or are the the artists artist the artist would take care of everything in other words they would be prepping the hydrants

I heard I heard you all that well funded that's great Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Have a motion and a second. Is there any public comment on the item? Come on up.

Nothing negative. Um Jan Pence, 200 Riverside Drive. I totally agree with Commissioner Reid that there needs to be some type of approval process because all we need or all any town needs is to have some conflict. I mean, what everybody thinks is God bless America is not necessarily God bless America, if you know what I'm talking about without me saying it. So, thank you, Commissioner Reid, for bringing that up. I hope this commission I love the pictures. I love the idea, and I hope this commission will figure out a way to have everything approved. Perhaps needs to be sent to Ryan as well. Thank you. That's a good idea to Ryan possibly. Ryan's probably like, I don't want to touch that, but no, it's busy.

No. So, what they can do, the submissions can be um presented to the parks board, then the parks board can make a recommendation to you for approval with the designs at some point. Yeah, that's a good process. Yeah, because really I mean July we do have a bit of a little bit of time. So, all right. So, do we want to have a decision to allow it and then and then make a followup and have a discussion decide who who and how. So, are we done with public comment then on this? Uh yeah. Is there any more public comment on the measure? Seeing none, we'll close that. I'm going to call a vote on on the we're going to do it then next week and entertain motions on how we're going to decide or who's going to decide. All in favor say I. I.

All opposed. Okay, that carries 50. So, um, uh, okay. Now, who would like to discuss or potentially propose an idea for who's going to be the decision maker? I mean, I I like parks board doing it. Yeah, I'd like I'll make a motion um that this uh goes through the parks board and then is presented to the commission for for approval. Yeah. Just just like uh our attorney kind of drew out there. I second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Is there any

I have comment? Go ahead. Um I I if we're parks board is a can we they have a name can we name people that we have a specific design and and I thought the the town manager should also be in in that uh in that relationship. So I really think it I'd like to hear two names is what I was hoping for. And if it's a parks board person and they are willing then that's that's fine. But I think it needs to be very specific.

I mean, I I think I would like to propose that it be done at a parks board meeting. Parks board meetings, they I've been to them before. They're public meetings just like this. They post it on so if like they when they go to have the decision or whatever or designs like it would be online their agenda people could look at it. So some people wanted to come and comment they could. It is public. So that's so I mean I think we could it would be decided or provisionally decided if it's not finally decided by the parks board at a one of their public meetings and I do think having potentially the directing the manager be part of that and make a either vote on it or or be part of that discussion so that she could report back to us if it could either be a final decision or it could come to us for a final decision. It is up to y'all. I'm fine either way on it.

Just a just a question for the commission. I wonder if we're creating too much work for too many people, you know? I don't I I don't know. I I mean, would it be and I I I direct this to Miss Smith. Would it be easier to have the It would be my delight. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Well, and I think that it would also be the parks board. They they brought, you know, they've worked on this. I I I don't think that we would be giving them extra work to have them actually be the deciders. I think it's kind of a bit of respect for the parks board themselves to say you guys decide. Fantastic. That may just be me. Smith, what did you say? It would be your delight to do it or not. It would be my delight to participate. That's why he said thank you. This is the sesquentennial anniversary of our country. It would be my pleasure. Yeah. Sadly, I'm not going to.

So, she could be present for the meeting. She just can't actually vote on anything since she's not a member of the board. Okay. But you can sometimes make people an ex official member of the board. You to dust off your don't think there's a need to any reason to. Yeah. Yeah, that's fine. Um Okay. I I actually attend a fair amount of the parks uh advisory board meetings and their events and um I think we can work it out. We have a we have a good working relationship. Yeah.

Okay. Uh would you just make sure though whenever that does come out that that maybe because you know that maybe we've got the thing on the website but may um where people can go and look but maybe also put like a notice on the Facebook that hey there's going to be a public meeting you know so that if people were interested in the designs they could actually come. Um I don't know a lot of people go to the parks board meetings but you might wind up getting a little crowd at that one. So yeah I mean there are public meetings so um All right. Okay. Next up then um oh yeah we actually do we are we going to have a vote? Would somebody like to make a motion to motion and it was seconded and now we just voted on. Okay. Oh we did. Okay. Um so the motion is to have them be the final decider

the the parks board. I guess a friendly amendment was to include the town manager that she will participate but not vote not vote at with the parks board making the decision to be presented to the commission. So it's not a final decision then is that we would approve the design. Okay. Perfect. Got it. Okay. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. I.

All opposed. Okay. That carries 50. Thank you so much, ma'am, and thank you to your board for this. I think it'll be great. Can't wait. I hope we get some Okay. Um, all right. Next up is um I item 13B, pages 64 to 75, consideration of harmonizing the amounts of acred annual leave and compensatory time caps. And I will turn this over to uh manager Brown or M manager Smith. Sorry, excuse me. Sorry, Brown Smith. Sorry.

Um yeah, so um let me just give you some background. So right now there are different uh caps. And what I mean by a cap so that people understand is that we're not giving people that amount of hours. It's how much they can acrue year after year. And uh because a lot of times we're not able because we're a very small staff, we're not able to take leave or there is just a lot of work um that is occurring. Um and I gave some examples. Right now there's just an excessive amount of work um including responses to the employee survey uh the digitization of records um you know the responses to court proceedings as long as you know as well as the regular audit our budget and FEMA work as well. So there is a lot going on. Um, and just to kind of simplif simplify and harmonize, we just wanted to move the annual leave cap and the compensation leave cap to 240 hours for everybody except for our police officers because they are on a different system. And this was something I discussed with Chief Xander. He agrees. Uh, one thing we did leave off though is to include um, so Chief Xander and Deputy Chief Matt Smith are exempt employees. They are not part of uh, the same system, but we would like to include them in this particular system of leave time. And the big difference is that you would only be getting straight time that you can acrewue. It's not going to be time and a half. So it would just provide a way for um employees who um and I must say are very diligent and do work hard uh to acrewue more time especially when we have a lot more work than we have um than we have employees to do the work. Um so I'll leave it at that and see if you have any questions.

I I have a question. You just said that chief deputy Smith is in the exempt. But when there was created the position of chief deputy, we were told that it was there was no change in any policies, benefits or anything. It was basically just a name change. But it does appear then that there actually does implement a substantive benefit change then if you're saying that chief deputy is with chief because it used to just be it's deputy chief. Um, but he was already considered more or less an exemp employee as a lieutenant. More or less or not? He was he over before there's no change there. But it wasn't in the policy. Well, so then he wasn't

when he got promoted to lieutenant. Well, before I got here, he was given a contract by the uh town manager and he she put him on the same the same list as the fire chief, myself, and other people. But in our policies, so our policy says you can't do something. The policy was approved by the commission, but the former manager just on her own signed a contract that violated our pol our written policy. Is what you're saying? I have no idea. As two chief deputy, I wasn't there. I have no idea. But that does sound like what you're kind of saying. Well, I'm saying I'm wasn't there, so I don't know. I'm just saying that as of right now today, as of right now today, status. Would you let me finish? Well, as of today, he's considered a hung employee. It's not It's not covered in there. So, all I ask for her is that she covers him in there.

How is he considered an exempt employee if our policy says he's not? Uh because he can't get overtime because you said that Mascara signed a contract with him. I I wasn't here then. Did you see that contract? I can't I I wasn't here then. I can't. But is So there is a like a written contract that exists. That's what I was That's what I was told. I wasn't here then. I wasn't even employed then. Okay. So I'm I'm just trying to get information because this is literally the first time I've ever heard this. So is there a contract or not? Have you seen this contract? I have not. My understanding though is that he's an exempt employee. And what that means is that he does not get the ex he does not get the overtime at time and a half that the other officers get.

Kind of like me. Like I don't get overtime. So I'm a 80 hour employee. Whether if I work 100 hours or 120 hours, I get paid for 80 hours. So it's more of a hit on him than anything else. But did that happen before he became chief chief deputy? We don't have a chief deputy or deputy chief. I'm sorry. Deputy chief chief deputy deputy chief. Yeah. And well, they're two different things, but um when he changed from a lieutenant to deputy chief, it was just a name. Just a name. So everything that he was currently considered as a lieutenant back then, he took with him to his new position of deputy chief.

So lieutenants are also exempt employees. Is that what So lieutenants, if you're a lieutenant, you're also an exempt employee? Do how many do we have other lieutenants? No, we don't. We only have one lieutenant. We don't have a lieutenant anymore. We don't have a lieutenant anymore. Is a lieutenant still a position though that could be filled? We we have it on our books if we ever wanted to have a lieutenant in the future there. But it So we have we created the Okay. So then we could potentially if anyone got moved to a lieutenant then we'd have even more exempt employees. Correct. Okay. Yeah. This is which which isn't a benefit to the employee. It's a benefit to the town. Yeah. It's a huge benefit to the town. depends on because I mean both him and I put in many hours and we get paid for 80.

So that's the benefit to the town. You get paid quite well I believe. Yep. But I get paid 80 whether if I put in 120 or 180 I get paid 80. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that's what it is. So it's not necessarily a benefit to the employee.

So So I have a question u Miss Smith just uh looking looking over all the the rules and regulations. I just I I found some of it a little bit confusing. On page 72 of of the packet, we have something about payment for unused leave and it says payment of annual leave time in lie of actually taking vacation shall not be permitted except in case of emergency or hardship. Does that mean that um if you that you have to take a vacation or do you are can you acrew um can you acrew that those annual leave for later uh year later years later like could you you know because some of my friends who are uh teachers you know never take any vacation and then when they retire they've accured so much time off that they almost have a a year that they get paid because they of course they they didn't take the time off you know so it it adds up but that seems like It's It's forbidding that in that statement. Am I Am I misreading that?

I I think it would I think he's addressing We paid75,000 to Griswald for just that provision. He's addressing the manager. Yeah. Well, Jesus, what what it would do? Excuse me. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Only so much of this you can handle. Is the Lord's name of vain in vain again? Thank you. If I could please. Thank you. Um what it's saying is that in an emergency or hardship, okay, I can approve payment of annual leave um uh a vacation time in lie of actually taking the vacation time.

So there is an op option that uh again if it's an emergency hardship that we can pay out that vacation time. However, you can only acrue annual leave up until and what I'm proposing is the 24 uh 40 hours and that is the maximum you can acrue and carry over. That's the most that you could carry over. Yes. So, you can't acrue years and years and years of vacation time. So, it's like 10 days. Well, um what 20? 200 240 hours. Yeah. Yeah. 240 hours is like 30 days.

30 days. I got you. One problem though we did this was raised when Mascara was here and it was voted down like 50-0 just FYI because one it's a huge fiscal impact but two the thing is somebody could be at one pay scale and they acrew it and then they carry it over from job to job or whatever that gets paid out though at at later on at the end at very much higher and it it we're not it in the past we're not carrying it as a liability sort of a number liability on our books. We've got the numbers. So if we if we had to go what if these five people left today and had to get paid out like we can figure the numbers but we're not carrying it as a current sort of liability where we're like every month knowing what because it could hit us big time which is a big problem. Um the the fact is right now I did sit down I was able to sit down and look over some records. Um, we've got several employees, four or five that are currently over what is essentially in our policy for the comp time part. A red line, you don't go over 96. For whatever reason, we are going over. And I do have a idea I would like to present on that part. Um, on the annual leave, you know, I just I feel like we've got a bunch of issues with our tracking our policies and procedures themselves. I believe that we need to pay down our comp time and get it down below legal limit with a buffer right now. Just go ahead pay that out so we get in compliance right now. Figure out the ambiguities so people can understand even what their benefits are or what they are because I feel like they're confusing. they conflict and then if we need to raise it somewhat but track better when it gets approved and how it gets tracked because right now I mean bless Jennifer Kurr's heart everybody every employee has to like write these things out and then she has to sit there every two week pay period and type all of this in.

So are are we ready for a motion on on this? No, we're still talking. We're having questions. You had questions. You had questions. I'm having questions. I mean Well, we could we we could hear a motion if you have a motion. Are you done presenting or or Yes, I'm I'm waiting for any questions to answer them. Okay, that's we had already started. I think three there's been three different questions. So, may I ask a quick question? Yes. Um, is there a difference between acred time off and comp time? And if so, what would you state is the difference?

Um, the time off is the vacation time. That's your vacation time. that's a different um you know acrruel and I put in the memo that it has like this uh you know by years it has different acrruel rates which kind of gets confusing so um that's different and then comp time is when you are working and you are working over your 40 hours a week we can't make you work and not pay you. So that's when we give you comp time that you can use instead at a later date uh to be able to finish the work that is needed or necessary at the time.

Thank you. So to so it's time not money. So comp time is not money that we're paying out. It turns into money. It is not it is not at at the time that the comp time is uh acred. It is not money. It is something that employees can use. It is only if they retire or leave that they can cash out the comp time. Thank you. And it's so it's not a liability right now to the budget. It would be in future years. And that's something that we could in reserves make sure we have some money there to make sure that it is covered should somebody um decide to leave or wins the lottery and decides they're going to leave their job. Yeah.

Thank you. Um, we talked about this about the how comp time gets tracked and you you are a little bit that you do feel like it's it could be a lot better and that there are some holes and maybe some not following all all of the policies as they exist. Like the you're only allowed to you can acrue it in any increment because it's time work but when you take it you're only allowed to take it in in um increments of 0.5 but it's being that's not being followed. people are going over. But even the standard, it has to be for actual work and work deadlines. However, sometimes maybe like somebody goes to a fire chief's, you know, monthly meeting or something that is being added to comp time and and if we were able to get it back down, those would be things that they have to be approved before they they you know, you could go to that meeting, we'll pay for the lunch, but we're not approving it as a comp time. like

we we could we could have some policies on what we are what we would what you would approve or what you wouldn't approve and and and an actual record that it has been approved by the manager before it's just typed in.

I believe that um we could do some training on how to fill out the time cards and for supervisors to approve it and that's something I could do at uh this month's uh all staff meeting. Um, that's something I I think that we would welcome to do. Um, as far as whether or not it falls in line with uh the expectations of the work program, I think that should be left up to the supervisors and then up to me as the town manager whether or not that applies. And uh, you know, training is just as important with our employees as doing you know, whatever the work may be that they need to do. And I think because the staff has had so much work that they've had to do that they've missed some really good opportunities for training and improving their skill sets. And so I do think that it's just as valuable in in a lot of ways as as doing the actual work. Um, do you happen to know what like for some of the people that I know that are over and have had to do a lot of work, do we have any idea of well, if we didn't raise it or we didn't raise it that high, what would the like what is an amount like for I know that um Chief Brown has a lot over. If we were to say, okay, but can we we could we authorize an amount right now where we could pay that down so that we're like literally within the within the allowable 96 limit. Did you have those numbers?

We we don't have the funds right now. Our budget is so tight, it would not allow for us to pay down uh Chief Brown because But if we raised it across the board to everyone and then everyone got to that limit, that actually increases our liability substantially. And from what I've heard there, people might want to leave. It's like if you're maxed out on your credit card and not paying it, the credit card doesn't say, you know, you've been going over, I'm going to raise your limit so you can go even higher. It's usually it's like, let's keep it at the limit. But

that's very unlikely to happen. Um I think it's because it's usually the supervisors. Um not everybody that is going over and the supervisors manage their employees very well and their work programs. Um, and then you have a secondary and you have myself that will take a look at that. We will talk to our employees. I know that the finance director when people are close to that limit, let people know and they manage that and I'm sure they give you notices. You were okay. So, she has been letting people know because you weren't sure if she had or had. Yeah, I did check. She actually had there's a trail. She She's letting

Yeah. And I asked, you know, Tom and I asked him here and they said, "Oh, yeah. She definitely lets us know when people are getting close." So, that's already been that's already occurring. So it's unlikely that uh everybody will uh get to the maximum limit and then put off. This has actually been an ongoing issue for four plus years. I mean we just looked at the two years, but I know that it's it was a it's been a four plus year issue of people going over the max.

Well, Mayor, this is an attempt to solve a challenge that we as a town have right now. We have an immense amount of work that needs to be done that is not going to be done in a few months. This is an ongoing thing. I've listed just some of the items as I said digitizing the records, you know, dealing with um the after effects of that employee survey. Um um a lot of the court proceedings and the work that needs to be produced there, the regular audits, the budget, um you know, uh pursuing the FEMA grants. All this is in addition to what I've written here.

I know you have a lot of work. You're trying to clean up the eight-year mess that was left for you. Well, I don't know if it's I don't think it's necessarily that. I think um since I've been here, a lot of these have been added to uh the work program and I just want to make sure that people are fairly compensated for the work that we're asking them to do. You are very fortunate to have a workforce who is so dedicated to want to work extra hours and it is only right and fair that you compensate them for the work that they do. Go ahead.

Okay. So, I'm just going to make a motion and then we can uh if we get second then we can have a discussion on it. But I I want to make a motion that we work to harmonize the amounts of acred annual leave and compensatory time caps as suggested. I second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Shall we go to public comment or does anyone have any other questions or comments? So, you're proposing the changes, accepting the changes as she has them outlined in the on the uh in this presentation here, like fiscal conservative is sometimes just something you put on your campaign. I I would I would prefer Well, we have the motion. So, so we have a discussion now. So, Commissioner Reed, if you have a point, you could recognize him.

I would I would just say if you don't know what it would even cost to pay out one employee right now who is at that limit, which is already violating our red line rule that's been trampled so much you can't see the line anymore. You don't know the fiscal impact of that one. But without even knowing that fiscal impact, we're going to raise it for everyone to 240 so that everyone could hit a fiscal limit that we don't we can't afford one to even pay down one, but we're going to raise everyone. I'm just saying that's a fiscal disaster waiting to happen. That's But that's my piece. I know that this is going to pass 32, y'all, but I had to say my piece. I think it's important given the results of the survey, the effects of the survey on the staff, what we know about how the staff is feeling and the work level. Obviously, that has increased in the last few months. Um that we show them that we support them. And this is one way right now that we can say, you know what, we know, we understand, and we will compensate you in the way that we believe is the right way. This is not an uncommon thing to do in business. And it is the right thing to do before we lose incredibly talented and dedicated staff

in the tax business, the government spending business. You're right. It's probably not an I would like to speak if the mayor wants to go ahead.

Um I think that we owe our staff the compensation that they have earned. We owe it to pay them and they work hard for us. And actually, we probably need more people. And we need to be able to be sure that we're not violating any laws and and we need to we need to pay our people and we need to take care of them. And the best way to take care of them is to make sure that they are paid appropriately. And and I agree with with what our town manager has put together and I support it. Okay. If anyone else has anything, we'll go to public comment. Public comment.

Carrie Ross, 206 Flamingo Lane. Um, I would just first of all like to remind everybody of the civility pledge that we have at the beginning of our meeting because there are some people on the commission right now. They are absolutely not observing it. They are being rude and condescending to others on the commission and to those in the audience. And I, for one, don't appreciate it. And I believe that nobody else here on the commission does either. What I want to say, Miss Smith, is that I very much appreciate you putting on this on the agenda tonight because I reached out to you today when I saw it on the agenda. I do believe that the people that we have working here are incredibly dedicated. They are our most important asset. They're our most expensive asset. I understand that there are people on the commission that don't agree with increasing or or standardizing this comp time, but given the workload that we have here in town hall, what is the other solution that someone would propose? Are we not going to respond to the JAC? Are we not going to respond to your millions of pages of public record? I don't understand. Are we trying to put our town in a position once again where we have another lawsuit because they don't have the time, we don't have the staff, we don't have the opportunity to reply to produce these public records? I don't get it. Does anybody on the commission and and this is the last thing and I'll say, does anybody on the commission have or or Miss Smith as well, is there another alternative than to standardizing the comp time cap that you can think of that would be workable?

Yes. I well the only other thing would be to pay down people for the time that they have work right now so that they could be um lower down and not at the cap but right now we don't have the funding to be exactly right. So when we're talking about fiscal responsibility and we're talking about paying people down to their cap, how does that how does that work to be I don't need you to respond. I don't need you to respond. We don't have the money to

I don't need you to respond and I'm asking you not to. Furthermore, I I know that Sher made a motion at the beginning to limit comment from the commission to 3 minutes. I don't know when that three minute timer is supposed to start, but I I really would encourage that timer to start when the mayor speaks specifically. We have a filibuster situation and the back and forth. I just attended an Indyantic meeting last week and let me tell you, it is wildly different than our meetings. The back and forth that happens on this commission by one person on the commission, the constant back and forth. We're over three minutes all the time. We interrupt people consistently. It's disrespectful. It's unprofessional. We're over it. That's why we had to have a 900 p.m. hard stop. It's because of one person. Hush. And for you to tell anybody else to hush is wild to me. Thank you very much. Next,

Bruce Picket, 1501 church uh church 1501 Oak. Sometimes I forget where I live, I guess. Um thank you, ma'am, for bringing this forward. But I think that uh um I would venture to say that you cannot find a person that's employed by our town that does not work over the hours of that they're supposed to work. Um perfect example is some of the things that Manager Smith talked about things that happen in a park. you have public works employees that are out there that's not their normal everyday hours and so that person is out there could be three hours could be 12 hours depending on how long things go out here. Um all of those things police officers work overtime past their standard hours because they believe in this town and they keep us safe. Fire chief works over because he believes in this town and he keeps us safe. All those people spend a ton of time to make our town look the way it looks, to make our people happy, to put on all of those things that make Melbourne Beach the town that it is. All of those extra parties, uh, events, all of those things is extra time that our people put in. And I think this goes a long way to showing them that they are appreciated. I also think that it will help them to get over the trauma that they've experienced over the last several years of not feeling appreciated, which is borne out by the survey. I encourage you all to vote for it. Thank you.

Next. Seeing no comment, we have a motion and a second to approve the agenda item as presented. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say nay. Nay. Did you vote four or against? Four. Okay. So, that passed three to just Yeah. All right. You're going to be bankrupt when this property tax goes through. Okay. Next up, um after we pay the um fees. Yeah. Because we probably are going to have to pay them. Um uh consider the May regular town commission town manager. Uh U Marie Smith. Here you go.

Okay. Um okay. As town attorney uh Knight had mentioned, we have a second day of the court case with Fenu and that has been scheduled on May 20th, 2026, which is the same day we had the May regular town commission meeting. So, we are asking that that be moved to um I think uh we said May 16th, which is the Thursday before um or it could be the Thursday after, which would be May 21st, but I would recommend the Thursday before May 16th. So, we wanted May 16th is a Saturday. I'm Mike Helen. Mine, too. Oh, is it? Yeah.

I think I won't be able to attend that day, but y'all in April it was, but in May. Oh, you know what? We've got the wrong date. I'm sorry. So, the Thursday before the 20th is the uh the 14th. Okay. Apologies for that. Uh it would be May 14th. It would be the recommended date. Thank you so much, Commissioner. I would put out a I would prefer the 21st.

Okay. Um, it it's really up to the commissioners what what you all would would prefer and what you would like to do. I I would like to see it in the same week. Uh, so either the 21st or the 22nd. Yeah. Okay. The 22nd is a Friday. I don't know if you'll want to be here Friday night. I don't think I'll be around after. I wouldn't be around on the 16th. I might be around on the 14th, but I don't know. But y'all don't need me. You can handle that one. if it's a different day. I mean, I'm I'm always scheduled for the third Wednesday, but I do have other things that I schedule and it gets crazy in May. When you have kids in May, April, May, let's So, are we deciding? So,

so any day other than the regular day for me, I can't promise I would be here, but you guys have I'm just saying if y'all need me for a quorum, you might not have it. Busy lives. Can we should we vote on it or are those dates good for you? I think me and Commissioner Reed are good for this. They're talking. That sounds great. 21st is good. 21st is good for everybody. No, not good for you. But y'all don't need me. As long as you have four people, you have a quorum. So, okay. Oh, we just didn't want to put it uh before the court date that week before just in case there were last minute things that we needed to put together. So, that was the only that was the only request from uh from uh town attorney night we had.

I'm I'm okay either way. 14th or the or the 21st. I I think if the staff needs it to be before the court date that we should comply and do it on the 14th if it helps. I won't be here. I will not be around. Oh, we just didn't want it the any of the days that week before. But the you know, so either that or after is fine. You know, we we're fine. What is your preference? I don't have a preference. Town attorney with this you you probably do or don't. I don't know.

I don't have a preference as long as it's not Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of that week of the trial week. So May 18th, 19th, or the 20th?

Someone make a motion? I'm just I'm just texting my wife because I I have a have a wedding that weekend. I'm not sure if I trying to figure I'm trying to figure out if I can be there on the 14th, but uh I definitely can be there on the I'll make a motion that we have move the meeting to uh the Thursday uh May 21st. I second. Okay, have a motion in a second. Any discussion? Public comment. I don't think we do take public comment on that because it's a procedural thing and a date unless people want to allow there be public comment. Okay. Uh, all in favor say I. I. I. I. All opposed. That carries. 5. Thank you.

All right. Because it's just moving the date. Okay. Next up would be um uh 13D. Consideration of adding a yoga class. I'm a Yes. Go ahead. Okay. I'm just I'm leave it at that. Um the quickest. I'll talk on that. All right. Um

Beth, go ahead. I I know that uh Commissioner Cronin had approached me because he has been approached by a number of uh residents who are very enthusiastic about adding a second yoga class uh before the new fiscal year and um she wanted um I guess Tuesday was the date that was preferred and we've gotten a number of requests. I think uh some of the other commissioners too have gotten requests from the residents. So, we wanted to bring that up. Um, I did talk to the lady who offers the yoga classes. She said she'd be happy to do it. Um, and that would and she could be able to start in May with the new classes on Tuesdays. That would be 21 more classes, $65 per class. So, that'd be an extra $1,365 until the new fiscal year, which begins in October. Um, I did talk to our finance director and we can get some of that money out of the park fund, which is how we fund the class. So, we do have uh capacity for that class.

Sounds good. So, we fund the we fund the class or do the the students fund the class? We have we have to because of the arrangement of how the park land was donated by the original owners. We cannot okay make money or charge. So, we have to fund it and make it be open. I if the the lease could potentially revert back and we'd lose the entire park if we did it otherwise. That that's exactly correct. Well, that's interesting. That's correct. So, you you learn something new every day. And it came up once, so it was a possibility apparently. So, it's a small price to pay. So, I'll make a motion if everyone is done with the comments.

Yep. Who was a question? make a motion to um add an additional Tuesday evening yoga class with the um cost of the additional classes coming out of the parking fund, which is what it was made for. I second. Well, without the commentary necessarily, but um Okay. So, we will fund it out of the parking money and have a Tuesday night class. Yep. So, we have a motion in a second. Any public comment? Seeing none. All in favor. Any questions or discussion before we go to a vote?

All in favor say I. I. All opposed. That carries 5. All righty. Cruising right along. Uh 13E, consideration of funding ways to address the results for employee survey. I will turn this also over to you, Miss Smith. All right.

And that's 78 to 93 for people following along. In October of uh 2025 uh before I was here, there was a uh employee survey that was conducted and um I have attached it here just so for your reference. Um and what was really stunning about that was the lack of trust that staff has with their commission here. And um it's for many reasons um that we don't need to go over right now, but that still is pretty much the sentiment. It still exists uh with town staff. And since then, um I believe that the commission has said that they wanted to do something, but nothing has been done. So, I have um you know, and I want to thank uh Commissioner Butler and Commissioner Reid for providing me some references to uh some uh staff coaching uh firms. And I did reach out to them as well as the Florida League of Cities. And um I I have attached a couple quotes. Um I'm asking for $10,000 to begin um this training. um seminars for our staff to address some of their needs or their um um to build trust again with town leadership to also build skills for them to be resilient to know how to um how to handle tough situations, tough people. Um, but also for them to uh be able to talk about, you know, what their experience is, how they're feeling, and where they want to go. I think I I had mentioned to the commission in an email that um, you know, my motto has been

focus forward and that we're moving forward and that, you know, a lot of the negativity, gossip, everything, we need to leave that behind and we need to focus on what we need to do at work. And um this is an this is one way to move this forward. Uh to also give people the skills so that they can we can develop a professional um work workplace and atmosphere and I think this is a you know this is an initial uh cost you know next year you will see additional cost for training but I think this is essential. Um, I just want to share one comment somebody made to me uh from the town. They said, um, you know, it's it's interesting how uh the commission could vote for $60,000 to free Melby, but you know, we still haven't addressed um our employees. And that really hit home to me. And that's why I wanted to persist. uh you know with everything else I wanted to persist in getting some estimates so I can get a general idea of what these costs are going to be. Um and I wanted to start uh this kind of training and I want to start this uh trust building uh right away. Um I'm open for any questions if you have any questions about what I've proposed.

Anybody has the floor? Go ahead.

Thank you for that. Um, I'm glad that they were viable options that Commissioner Reid and I brought to you. Um, I think I've made it clear that I think I agree with Miss Ross that the staff is our biggest asset and um, we do need to invest in them and also for them to hear that we get it. We understand, we read this, we understand the impact and what they've been through. However, um I have concerns that, you know, I've I've been a therapist. I I I know how to u how sometimes you can give tools to people and and um there has to be accountability taken and the commission and anyone responsible for what has happened in the past few years have to all be accountable and take responsibility and want change or none of those dollars will be well spent. Yes, they will give the staff some tools on how to deal with it. But the point in my mind and my feelings is the problem may not be going away and that's that's the concern. Yes, they will, but why should they have to deal with it? And so I just don't know that um you know I'm torn because I want to invest in the employees and I think I've made that very clear but I I am concerned that it could be money thrown down a drain if if all five of us don't take responsibility and buy into it.

I'm not sure it included us though. I have talked to the by our behavior and how we treat the staff is if I wasn't clear. I mean by our behavior and how we treat the staff. Okay. I I had questions here. Go ahead. Yep. Anybody got the floor? So you have the you contacted the two the group of consultants there. So, have you have a a single one in mind or some blend across them or No, I think that um are you still looking or?

No, I think we we need to have uh different speakers for different elements. Um and I don't think that there is, you know, a one-sizefitsall, at least not not with these. Um but these have some good elements to it. uh we really need to stabilize the workplace and the staff and that's the first thing I would be looking for is first providing that stability to staff to know that they are free to speak and to talk to uh me to talk to their supervisors about what some of the challenges are um and for us to be able to address them. Uh we also um will have some training on um how we can improve skills, how we can improve resiliency in dealing with a lot of tough situations. Um that was like another workshop. I think we also need to just um the staff just needs to breathe. um they need to just say okay you know it's okay if I can just exhale and take some time to do my work and do it right because I think that there is such a frenetic pace going on that sometimes things are missed or sometimes they're not able to do things completely accurately and you see sometimes that with the work product but it's not because they are not good at what they do it's because there is just so much of it. And I will tell you all right now, you have got the greatest gift you could imagine in your staff. You've got a very competent and capable staff. They just have too much to handle and too much um if I will say so um abuse that they've had to deal with that they've um confided in me about and that needs to be dealt with. Um, I want to

first deal with uh the staff and what they're going through and um I've talked to Florida League of Cities and ICMA and they do have training for the commission as well, but I want to be able to start with the staff and I want them to uh I want to stabilize um your workforce right now. Is there a way of breaking this out into separate components to where maybe somebody that might be willing to vote for part of a component and funding for a part of a component? Um, and then you know like and then maybe they might not be willing to vote for another part of the component, but we could break it out in some way because I do

I think that there is training that staff would benefit from various different kinds of training and even even just some like software and some sort of technical IT training to help them use some of the Well, no, I know but I think that they I think a lot of times they are really busy and we have things available but we don't have any in-house IT and my experience and that like I don't know that they've been able to just like get the IT help that they need or somebody sitting with them and so they've tried to figure things out on their own. It might take them longer but I mean I'm what I'm just saying is maybe there's some IT training that some people could get that builds their skills and lets them be more efficient and they just have never even had time or thought to ask, you know, or just other types of training. I would be all in favor of funding if it were training based and sort of efficiency based to help them with tools to do what they do now faster and better. I I'm all I would be all about that. The kind of retreat stuff and the kind of in my mind a little bit of handholding in my mind and just it's my own personal opinion. I believe it will make the whatever the problem is worse because I feel like if you if you let people complain, they're going to complain more. That is just my personal opinion. But mayor, I would be happy to take any suggestions that you have, but you all have hired me to manage the staff and to decide what is best for them. And right now I see that they are having a very difficult time. And I am requesting you all respectfully to vote in favor of this so that I can get the help that I need to get them back on track. And I ask you to please rely on my judgment in this situation to be able to get them

what they need at the right time. I have checked with the finance manager and we do have the money uh to be able to do this that would come out of the laps from hiring firefighters. So we do have some money for the training that we can allocate.

Question. So why did we not have that same money if it was talking about paying people down rather than increasing? Because it's basically that's not money allocated for that but you're saying we have that money you could pull. Well, but then then the other issue is we don't have the money. And I'm like, yeah, but we do because exactly that situation. You're basically using unallocated money that was allocated to another purpose, pulling it for this purpose to say we have money for this. We don't actually have money for this. If we didn't have money for the payown in order to get us under, we don't have money for this. Basically, it's a we're going to pull money from an from allocated source somewhere else to be able to say we have money. That would have been the same thing for the other option, which is the conservative option. Let's pay people and get them down below the 96 rather than just raise it to 240 for everyone. But that's my piece. I know this is going to pass anyway. I'm just trying to be

Mayor. You had asked me if we had enough money to pay down the excess of the current employees right now. And there is one particular employee because he's the only one um manning that department that you know is is extremely high 244. We do not at I believe 244 around there.

Correct. We do not have the funds uh to pay for everybody who is up that high to bring it down. And that was the question that I answered. If we had the funds to pay down everyone who is that high instead of picking and choosing if you're pulling unallocated funds from the fire, you actually have more than 10,000. this ask is 10,000. So you don't even know the number though is my thing. What if it's 12,000? But like if you're pulling f like the thing is we didn't have money for that. We don't have money for this either. You're pulling funds from somewhere else to say we have money. But that same pulling from somewhere else would have solved that situation. It's fine. It was voted against. I'm just trying to make sure people do understand exactly what is happening when it happens. When somebody says we have money for this, we don't have money for this. Mayor, I would be happy to take any suggestions you have on training and I will incorporate them in what we do for staff.

If I may go ahead. Um, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't believe that, mayor, that you've ever trained anyone. Is that correct? I have worked in HR departments for an entire state agency as an attorney. You were in training. So, well, have you I just wanted to know I know you try to train me up here on things you don't really know about, but are we are we is this part of the oath? Oh, is because if if that's a new line in the oath, I got a couple zingers back.

I know you always like to get your zingers in and then sort of turn around and and kind of be hypocritical. Nobody has time. Go ahead. What I was going to say is um I I believe that everything that the staff has gone through um that that they do need help and I believe that uh we have asked our new town manager to figure out how best to help our staff and and I want to support her in this. Um, I believe that the the manatee thing that that she spoke about, it kind of hit me hard to think that yeah, we were willing to spend that money to to save that manity and and I believe that um $7,000 is is not a lot to spend. and and maybe it can be changed up so that um maybe we don't have to do every single part of of this, but that's at your discretion. Y

we've hired you to do this and I trust that um what you've put together for us is is what the employees need and I support you. Thank you. I'm I'm ready to make a motion if we're ready for a motion. All right. Y.

So, I'm I'm going to This is going to be a uh a multi-part um motion here. So, first I uh motion make a motion that we um approve uh up to $10,000 for the town manager to um engage in uh services and to address the um the employee survey outfall. Um, I'd also ask that for the when we did the employee survey, I don't remember. I was trying to find where we carried that in the budget. Um, but I it seems like that would be the proper line item if we're going to add in there. It would be in that area. It might be department 11 under legislative or whatever. But when that that employee survey was done, that that was carried in the in the budget there. And then the last part of the of the uh the motion is is that I'd also like to make a motion that then we add in a survey in our uh fiscal year 27 uh budget.

Okay. I don't Well, oh yeah. Well, I guess she could put that in there because then it would be subject later to the vote. Okay. You said multiart. I was writing down. Is that So that's it. Those those parts. So, I said we appro we approve going up to $10,000 for the uh the the uh the services. Um find the right place in the the budget to carry that expense. I suggest where we carry the expense for the survey. Uh and then um add she's going to bring us some budget to add a survey add another employee survey in the fiscal year 27 budget. Okay. All right. We have a motion. I did take notes if anybody but if does someone want to second or second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. We have a motion by Reed and a Yeah, go ahead.

Comment and question for Commissioner Reed. Um are you are you proposing a a second um survey just to see that this uh this retreat and workshops that we were doing are effective or to show that there's been improvement in the culture? Yeah, I mean if that's the standard way you do it annually or semianually and so you implement something try to make changes measure that's the process. Right on. Right on. Yeah. So I mean essentially you're just like that we we part of the vote and you'd have guidance then that you're going to put some funds in that are not part of that 10,000 but because you're going to be doing the budget the proposed budget soon. Yeah. So I feel like budget approval is a separate thing. I just bring bring it forward so we see that.

So we have a Are you good with that part of the motion as well? Okay. We have a motion and a second. Um, and is there any discussion or public comment? Should we do you want to discuss first or shall we? Public comment. Come on up. Bruce Picket 1501. Actually remembered where I live now. Um, I think that the process has already started to help the employees because manager Smith has their backs and is looking after them and wanting to improve them. Um, I'm not convinced that it should be a technical training retreat. I think it should be focused around um dealing with the past that they've had to deal with and how to go forward and deal with that in a manner that um makes it more um makes them more able to deal with issues as they pop up. My fear is that the employees will get the training, the employees will feel better about things, but nothing will change because there's two sides to everything. And if the commission does not have the employees backs across the board and if the commission's treatment and/or appreciation of the employees does not change, then the employees are not going to be happy. Again, I 100% agree with uh evaluating every year because that's the only way you're going to find out if anything you're doing is working. The other thing that you can find out by evaluating every year is

which pieces did work and which pieces didn't work. So, I 100% uh ask you all to approve this for the good of our employees and to show them that they are appreciated. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any other public comment? Come on up. Please don't make any threats. You just can't stop. Jason Judge 206 Flamingo. I can't threaten my kids again. Point of order. I'm going to say it every time this man comes up. Don't threaten my children. Call FD again. See how that works out for you. Maybe we need to read that and refresh ourselves. Don't threaten my children. I'll say it every time. I didn't threaten him last time. I would never do that.

Will say it. Don't threaten me again because I'm pretty sure I have that in writing where you threaten me with a gun against you because you threaten my kids. I have it in writing where you threaten me with a gun, but we won't go there. Anyhow, don't threaten my kids. Don't do it.

This is enjoyable. Anyhow, Miss Smith, thank you so much for sticking up for the people of this town, for the employees. And I believe that we are selling themsel them short by calling them employees or staff members where I truly believe that they are more than that. They are members of our community. They are as ingrained in the tapestry of Melbourne Beach as any of us. probably more because they put more of their life into this than most of us do and they do it for more than just a paycheck. They do it because they love our town. So, thank you for what you've done and what you're standing up for them for. I initially didn't know that I thought this was a good idea to spend this kind of money, but after hearing you speak, I truly believe it is because you cannot train certain people to change their behaviors. However, you can train people to understand how to deal with that. And I believe that's what you're trying to do is to create an atmosphere where these people can understand how to deal with these things. Come November, hopefully we have a different change up here and some of these things we've had to deal with are no longer. The fact that we can't sacrifice $10,000 even though we're willing to sacrifice how much money to lawsuit is obscene to me. But you know, what am I to say? Thank you again for what you've done and what you're trying to do for our employees and truly members of our town that are standing here every day working with you. Members of the commission, I implore you to really listen to what she has to say. She knows what these people go through every day. She is with them in and out. And if she's saying this is what she thinks they need, I would say that this is what they need. So I'm convinced and I'm not usually quick to change my mind, but you have and I really appreciate it. So thank you very much. I do.

Thank you. Next.

Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Any other discussion or I'll call the vote. All in favor say I. I. I. I. All opposed? Nay. That carries 41. And so you have your marching orders and your budget amount. Yes. And I believe part of that was though um that you would I guess put something in the line item for the budget when you're preparing it. But also that you're going to carry this $10,000 in whatever whatever fund or department it the the prior amount was. That was part of the motion that then asked. We we'll look to redirect. Okay. All right. Okay. We now are down to department reports, I believe. Budget. Budget. Finance. Budget. Oh, yeah. Which is department reports. Finance.

I know, but it's a report. Um, so finance manager is not here, so you're going to handle it.

Yeah. Just wanted to see if you had any questions. I did want to draw your attention that we did get back a final payment of $58,7.50 from the state of Florida for Hurricane Milton. Uh right now we are still working with um with Florida uh emergency and also with FEMA uh to get back the Irma money. Uh we have provided them all the information that they have requested and um we're we're waiting for that and I know the joint legislative audit they've been looking at that too and they've contacted uh the state as well as FEMA about that as well.

Man, I wonder how many hours the staff has tried to had to put in to get that 587. I know they have worked on that a while. All right, any questions? We'll just go down the line. Mr. Commissioner Reid. Yeah, I have a couple go ahead couple comments, couple questions. So, in the in the first paragraph there, which the uh they always put out the the general fund expenditure rate yearto date. So, the number that uh it's entered in there is uh incorrect. Um the correct number is on page 105 of the of the package. Um so that that that correction needs to be made. Okay.

Um maybe it's a typo. Um but uh I I I'm big on accuracy. Yes. So she has the target rate at 50%. But the what is the target rate? You said it's on page 104, but 105. Sorry. 105. So it's she has the expenditure rate of 57.52. It's you look on page 105, it has the correct one in the spreadsheet. Oh, so not the the target rate of 50% is correct, but you're saying what we're at year to date with the 5752 is wrong because it's 5725. Yes. So they just switched the numbers maybe. I don't know.

That's weird. So does that mean that these are not being automatically calculated in the Excel or in the BSNA? These are being manually typed in. Well, this is a the memo is Oh, okay. Yeah. Memo is She probably just switched it. Switched it. I get dyslexic. Get my numbers, too. Thank you.

So, I had another one here if you bear with me for a minute to um find it. Um finance manager is not really here, so I'll skip that one. um the building department. I'll talk about when we get to building department. There was a um an overrun occurring in the um planner planner area which is like department 14 or 15. Yeah, it's because they underfunded that big time.

Yeah. Um I mean I remember voting against that because it got slashed, but that's why we're over by the mascara. Yeah. Planning on page um 99.

So it's it's department 15 the planning. So the budgeted was nine grand in there. Um and uh so we've already spent all that plus another 1600 $1,600. And um in if you look in the in the budget, the uh you look at previous budgets, we had the the previous year's budget that amount was in the 2025 $30,000 um allocation. So um we that this is a severe under valuation I think here um and but otherwise or maybe it's maybe it's because the the profess the planner is being pulled more into the um the building department um activities. So, that's something that I think we kind of need to understand and make sure that we um address in the FY27 stuff going forward. I I would like to speak to that because when interim manager Lisa came on and we had the the new building official, I mean the build they were like y'all are like basically our code says we have a zoning official and the zoning official determines these things all these chapters building official and the former manager was basically using it never used the zoning official for anything unless it was only a planning and zoning meeting but just had the building official interpret everything. At a certain point, even bit good was like, "Yeah, I'm not supposed to actually be doing that. You need to use the zoning official." And then when then she totally underfunded it, mascara, but then when came in, it was an actual issue because that the new building official was like, "Yeah, no, we don't do that. You your zoning official planner does that. It's right there in your code." And Mrs. Frasier was smart, capable lady and was like, "Yeah." So, there was a whole memo about we need to make sure that we're the zoning officials doing zoning stuff,

building officials doing building stuff, but it it was it it was way underfunded and we need to fund it more. Plus, our comp plan, we're supposed to be working on that. We're behind. That's going to be a big cost. We don't even have an official zoning map. We don't know where it is. So, we kind of need to fix these things. Yes, we do. Nope, we don't. I've got a copy of it. Well, a copy is not the official zoning map. It's been in the It's been in town hall.

Well, I had a town discussion with the town attorney and the and and they there is a there's a little looking for the official zoning map and as well as there was a meeting where it was discussed that apparently there's two different versions. We're not sure and they or they and they had to be corrected. We have to do an official we have to republish our official zoning map. It was at a public meeting can you weigh? So I said I recall that discussion probably about a year ago maybe and I don't know the answer. ever got resolved do that. Um, and it's something I can't sit here and say yes or no at this point.

Yeah, it's in the meetings though, trust me. I mean, anyway, so we kind of do need to fund a planning official as the zoning and planning official and use them for all the things they're supposed to this year. But that is why we are way under and we're going to keep being under, but I mean, we're keeping over. It's just we're going to be in budget soon. So when that issue comes up, y'all, we need to fund the planning. So we're I'm done with my comments. So thank you. Go ahead.

Thank you so much, M. I got a couple questions and and and forgive me if I don't know the the answers to this, but it looks like we're we're bringing in a lot more revenue from parking from 2024 to 2025. Is that Did we raise the prices of parking and is that what is that basically what did it? Yeah, we raised it a dollar. We've also increased more people coming in. Yeah, it's remark it's a remarkable change particularly for Rickman when you look at uh

you know October to October. Wow. It's quite a it's quite a quite a lot of people coming in. All right. And then the other question I have really is is uh toward uh Mr. Knight. you know, I'm looking at your uh your legal fees and everything and and you know, normally I go through this and it's pretty interesting, but sometimes, you know, like when we're in the middle of litigation uh and and we're we're actually uh in conflict in litigation, some of this stuff looks like you're you're giving away some of your strategy like you're talking about improper purpose and things like this in your billing records. And I wonder how how detailed do you have to be in these in these billing records or you know do you have to give a stri I mean there's even something where it says you're thinking of running for mayor and I I think you'd be a great mayor but I didn't know that you were thinking about it.

I got a lot of questions about that one. No. So that would have been just in the subject line and it was a question I believe was posed by a board member. I want to say okay there would be a conflict of interest regarding that. Um so that was a question. As far as the improper purpose, I saw no um no reason to redact it just because it's we talked about it. It's something I mentioned in my opening. You mentioned it internally. Um so, but I mean, are you required? What I'm getting at? No. How how granular do you have to be in these? So, if there's anything that would disclose strategy or anything like that, I would redact it. Okay. Um

Well, I don't think you can redact it. You just wouldn't put it in there because whether you're in litigation or not, attorney's bills are public records. So he can't redact it, but I think he probably already does, I would imagine, to somewhat limit what he put. We we we never used to get these invoices as a part of the finance report. Oh, really? Um they were one of the commissioners requested that they be start being in in the report. And since that time, they've been showing up in the report. They've been in there three years now or as as long as he's been the attorney because actually if you look at most cities packets, their attorney's bill is in the packet. We were the one of the only ones where it wasn't.

So my my my question is just what are you required to you're not really required to get too granular is what you're telling me. That's correct. But I also want to make it so um you know what you're talking description there so you guys can see that I am doing that work and not just like block billing where I put five hours. Gotcha. But if there is anything that would give away strategy or anything like that, it would not be on there. Right on. Okay. Thank you so much. Those are my questions. Any other questions? We do have to approve the finance report as per our charter. It's the only report we have to approve. So there's no other questions. I would need a motion to approve the finance report. I make a motion to approve the finance report as is. Second.

We have a motion to second. All in favor say I. I. I. All oppose. Nay. That carries 41. Okay. So we move on to the next department reports which is there in order because I already put away my agenda. No, here we go. Is technology advisory board. Um do we have a report from technology advisory board? I don't think so. So we will go ahead and move on. Uh building department page 135 to 144. Who will be giving that? Um yeah I just wanted to you all had any questions you want to take a look at it?

I have questions. Yes. Well more of a kind of a interpretation. So um so the the bottom line here my comment here is this I feel like um in the budget the fiscal year 26 budget we significantly overestimated the uh the revenue that we thought was going to be coming in for the uh for the building fil building department and I think we're at the beginning of of a risk of being negative at uh at the year end. So the the as as you all know goal of is to have the building department basically support itself and not have to dip into taxpayer funds to keep the um the uh the building department um going um

we need to raise our

So for the fiscal 26 budget you know the the building department fund 125 planned for a total revenue of um 239,4 $450. So if you extrapolate that over the year, it it says we we should have earned 119 grand uh at this this point in in in the year. Um and the uh if you go and look at the finance report and look at the actuals, it's it's it's um 78K. So we're down $41,000 at this point in the year from where we expected to be. So, um if if all stays the same, um uh expect I expect that, you know, the actual amount at the year end is going to be significantly less, probably in the $150,000 range, which is, you know, significantly less than what was budgeted. Um, and then looking at the expenses that were um in the finance report. Um, I I I think um we're looking at uh what did I have here? So, yeah, right now it says we've spent around 80 80 grand 83 and a half grand um expenses for the building department. And then if all stays the same, I I I I my extrapolation says we're going to be at like 167k um in expenses. So um you know 167k in expenses against 156 in in income. So that means we would could could potentially end up in as a um $10,000 um um in in the hole there. Um, and the budget says we were going to end up at being six grand in the in the black, but so we're looking at being going from six potentially six grand to Deb being 10

grand in in the red. Um, yeah. And so and there's there's some balance in that fund that car carried perhaps carries over, but we would be depleting that um if we if we experience that. So, uh, I'm just want to highlight this. I think we need because this is this is the first year the building department has operated in this third-party mode that we have right now. So, that's why I've been paying attention to it to see how well that model is working um, dollar-wise. And I guess the the out outcome is I would I propose we ask CAP um the third party our our building official and build to uh evaluate our our building department fees and and perhaps propose any revisions they think are are merited in that that area. I know when they came and were presenting to us um for the job that they that offered that that was um a service that they a fun function they they could perform and to do so they could you could evaluate what what our fees are looking like are in context to other municipalities of our size the state or whatever and see if we should be looking at at um making a change there.

Thank you so much. Yes. Well, when we weren't here, but when we did the RFP and we had several companies, I mean, like one guy was like, "Your fees are just too low. Like, I think you need to raise your fees." I've been thinking we needed to raise our fees. We have always been in the red, whether we had a company or an employee. So, the building the but saying we've always been in the red so we can just keep always being in the red is not good. We And with the property tax stuff, which by the way y'all, it's not dead. They're having special session. They're bringing it up at the end of the month. And there's also now apparently going to be potentially a constitutional initiative amendment on the constitution that's being led by some Florida legislators there. So even if they don't get an especi so the tax thing is not dead but fees we can still raise we need to raise our building fees. So I love the suggestion of just going to the cap. They've been working at us now for a little while. They've got experience with a bunch of other cities and just saying hey we think we need to raise our our fees potentially to be able to fund self to fund the department. Can you give us some recommendations? And so I love that, Commissioner Reid.

So to Would you like me to make a motion to ask the manager to to do that? Yeah. And and come back because I think we need to raise the fees soon to to All right. So, I'll make a I'll make I'll make a motion that we um uh task the tow manager to um propo uh approach our cap our build our building services provider to to evaluate our building department fees and provo proposed revisions. Yeah. And and by the way, so y'all know those fees we changed by resolution. So, it's not the whole ordinance process. So, we could get this department kind of better in the green. Uh is there a second? I'll pass the gabble if I have to, but I'd love to have Thank you.

Happy to. And this is just to evaluate and make a proposal, correct? Yeah, that's great. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. We have a motion and a second. Is there any public comment? Seeing none, any questions or discussion? Okay. All in favor say I. I. I.

All opposed. That carries. 50. Thank you, Commissioner Reid. Any other questions on the building department for anyone before we move on? Okay. Um, I do have one question. I'm just going to ask it, but maybe somebody could get back to me. There was in um impervious in one of the things that we just approved, there was a mention I'd read about the impervious when we're like on building that they're counting the they don't count the sidewalks in their impervious, but our definition of impervious literally says sidewalks. So, I'm are we doing that correctly or not? It's building. It's building and zoning. But just if somebody maybe could look into that, Mr. Knight. Okay.

It just And where was that coming from? Was that coming from CAP? Well, it Well, no, it was coming from actually the planner and the engineer. It was from their engineering report. It said that basically they were within the impervious that's allowed and they said they're not counting the sidewalks, but our definition of impervious does include sidewalks. Was that even rightway sidewalks? That was on the site plans tonight.

Yeah. And I wasn't going to pull it for that because I think that's probably what they've been doing for everything. And I thought I'm not going to make anyone feel nervous that I happened to catch that. But we probably need to know and if we need to I don't really think we should count a sidewalk a public sidewalk in someone's property per as the impervious. I don't really think that's fair. It is what it says if and when we ever do make any changes we might want to eat that out. But anyway, um so I don't know if that's I kind of building because it's building plans, but uh okay. Any uh we're going to go to public works department. Thank you for the report. It was windy. Yeah.

I mean I had some some stuff Yeah. fall down. So yeah. So I have a a question.

Okay. Go ahead. So, um there was the uh a couple weeks ago there was the crash the cra the automobile collision at Avenue um Avenue A and A1A there that knocked out the um the the power pole and it also um wiped out our street sign there on on the corner. So my question is, do has the town filed a claim with uh the um the the the vehicle insurance companies to be compensated for the um replacement or repair of our um of our sign?

Yeah. Like has our insurance filed a subregation claim to go after their insurance to rec the uh typically and chief correct me if I'm wrong. Historically, many many years, the police come to us and say, "Give me an estimate of your property damage." And the insured contacts us. And have we contacted either our insurance company or the other insurance companies to file the claim? It goes to the vehicle offender. Correct me if I'm wrong, Chief. Is that going?

So basically kind of what you're saying is you get the amounts together, but you hand them over to the police. Police sort of work with filing the claim on behalf of the town in order to get us rec our money. Yes, ma'am. No, we don't file a claim for anybody. We put it in the report and we submit it to the state. Any any vehicle accident I've been involved in, it's the onus is on you to go approach the insurance companies to file a claim. And they're not going to come to you and ask you and say, "Hey, how much do we owe you? You haven't filed a claim for it, but

I can't cite the two dates, but I certainly would wish I could because that in the past is exactly what has happened. The insured of the vehicle has called on a couple occasions over the years, mayor, and we Yeah. Well, I've never

Yeah. For what it's worth, I don't think that that is a job that should be either public works or the police. I think that is a manager job. But I do think it would be helpful if we had a policy that just said to the when when there's property damage that is maybe over a certain amount because there might just be just time for you guys to even do what you need to do might not be worth it. But anything where we have property damage over a certain amount here's the process you f public works gets together their estimates and fees. They add it to the police report between the two of those goes to the manager and the manager files the claim. Then that'd be a great policy. We probably get that out in like two paragraphs. And I do think for this one we should Okay, that sounds good. And I will follow up uh Commissioner Reed, I'll follow up on that.

Yeah, my my concern is it just gets forgotten and uh the town ends up eating it, which is not fair to the uh the taxpayers. No, it's not. So, um typically filing claims is a very simple process anymore. It's all done online. So, do you do we have any idea what the the dollar amount would be? Yeah. Is that including labor to to do the Okay. Yeah. And are you counting though the labor even though we're not paying somebody out house like we've got time and if it's a twoman operation I have an accepted hour that

can we factor in the time for when our police officers had to be for shut down on the road? That's that's all. That's all. All right. It's just the property damage aspect. But okay. All I've ever been asked for on their accident report was what's the Okay. Yeah. Just like when my car gets hit. Yeah. My insurance company. Yeah. I I don't think that I you you wouldn't I don't think it would ever be right for I wouldn't expect you to be filing the claim or you chief. I hope I did. Anyway, but I do think it would be something that the manager would have the authority to do and would be the proper party. I'll follow up.

Yeah. just like to say on that, thank goodness both parties were relatively uninjured. I did meet the I happened to be in the town hall and he was looking for the police department to get his police report and I kind of saw it all right after because I live on that street. So, thank goodness injuries were very minimal. Just wanted to say that.

Any other any other questions for public works before we move on? I had a question but I forgot it. I'll try to think. It wasn't important but just a followup. Um has anyone gotten with um have you had a chance to meet with Miss Mrs. Lorie Adler by chance? Uh yes actually we did. We walked out uh to um the crossing of A1A and Oak Street and she um she's vision impaired

and she um you know said uh yeah I'm pressing the button and I hear this beep and there's no beeps afterwards and she's like do you want to close your eyes and cross the street? And I was like no I don't. And and I mentioned this to Commissioner Reid and Commissioner Reid, maybe you could explain. You had contacted uh

Yeah, I wrote an email to the Florida Department of Transportation um and said that we had an issue there and that uh my understanding is that the public works had filed some kind of a report for that. And then I also highlighted the fact that that signal is planned to be updated here later this this summer and that that we wanted to make sure that any um the the the greatest the the latest and greatest a aids for visually aided people are part of the upgrade that we're going to we're going to get. So I got a response back. I I for forward it to you that I got a response back saying that from from them actually very promptly um and that they were the person was going to reach out to the act to uh on both matters whether it's the current operation and then uh making sure that the the project um is is addressing those things as well.

Good. Yeah. Because I know the interim manager did meet and they reached out when she was here but then of course whatever happened but hopefully they can put something in. I mean, I think we should pressure pressure pressure pressure because they they they do have the money they could. It needs to be put in, but for whatever reason, if they don't, I I would like to propose that we put in our budget for next year to put it in oursel and get approved. Like, if if we cannot get the FDOT to do it, we need to put the money in and do it ourselves. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're not allowed to add anything to their equipment. If you get their permission, they just don't have funding for it or don't, but I hope I believe that they should find the funding and we'll be able to. There is there is some grant money on that, but they haven't finalized the budget for the state yet.

But our funds are locked in, mayor, for that. And I have reviewed way back the plans for that intersection because it's always been a point of contingent. It will be fully currently ADA compliant if you read the plans on there. Okay. You mean when DOT comes through? June. Okay. When Yeah. I don't think they're putting one of the noise or the for the blind for for I don't think they're putting that on there unless we push them to. Okay, I'll double check, but audio according Okay. Well, maybe I Yeah. And by the way, that's engineering. She's now our representative. She's come to my office. Good.

And says if there's any problems, we we recruited her to Okay, good. Because I do I really want that to be fixed and you know, people don't want me bed meddling. the interim manager was working on it and you guys were doing a great job so I was like I don't need to get involved but then I you know we had to change and then I thought there's so much going on I don't want it to get lost. No, we we did pick it up and I I um know Commissioner Reid like sometimes when elected officials contact the departments you know I would but I just they highlighted so Commissioner Reid was kind enough to put in that request and I know he is going to bird dog that. Yeah, I think he's the best one for it. He's very technical that way. I know he's he's he's going to follow that up, I'm sure.

Okay. All right. So, nothing else for public works. Thank you, Mr. Davis. Um I think you probably want to go home. I mean, if he wants Oh, okay. Thank you. code enforcement. Any questions? We're coming. We got 34 minutes. We might even make it without we might not get to commission reports, but any question on code enforcement? We have a new code enforcement that's going to start April 21st. That's great. Yes. Okay. All right. Um, no questions. We'll move on then to fire department page 145 to 152. Thank you, Bram.

Yep. I'll just, um, so most of the stuff's in my report. I'll just highlight a couple things real quick. So, we've had our deputy chief um, after 25 years decide to retire and step down from his operational role. So, thank you to him for all of his years of service to the town. That's a long time um to volunteer, especially in a capacity such as that takes a lot more um time and effort. So, thank you to him. We're working on um getting the job postings out. I've been working with town manager Smith um for the paid firefighters. They should be out hopefully this week um to start collecting applications. So, that will be good. and assist the fire department with a bunch of things that we've been struggling to complete timely. Um, so that'll be helpful. Um, I want to highlight the so the police department, we've been teaching CPR um to the police department, which is something we've always done, but I just want to also um say kudos to them for um all of their officers obtaining their first aid certifications this year. So that's something above and beyond what a lot of other law enforcement officers do. It's not required, but it just shows their commitment again to our residents and providing the best service they can. So they again, they're out on the road. They get to those medical calls quicker because they're out there. And so this just, you know, shows that they're committed to providing the the highest level of service possible. So good on them for for obtaining that certification. Um, other than that, that's pretty much it. We've um, you know, we're working on updating a bunch of things. Um, but it's all in my report. So, the only other thing I wanted to bring up quickly was that I would request that we you consider having a special meeting. Um, maybe before or after the workshop that's scheduled for the 6th. Um, and that would be for two items. One, um,

there's a meeting tomorrow with Indantic. um they're looking at their dispatching services agreement and if they're going to retain a dispatch um center, which is who we currently use. So, if they decide to discontinue that, we would have to switch who does our dispatching for the fire department. So, preemptively, we've already um been in communication with Bard County, which is who our police department uses. We've already um gotten a proposal from them. Um but we want to see how this plays out with Indantic first tomorrow. So, I've been tracking that, but just know that we've we've been working on that, but potentially we'll need to make a vote um in the near term to change who's doing our dispatching. So,

you and I have had a bunch of conversations about this and no disrespect at all to Indie Atlantic because they do a great job, but every single call will go down anywhere from 1 to three minutes if we switch to Bvard and it's a very nominal increase in cost. So public safety wise, I don't understand why this has not ever been brought to the commission to pay a very tiny small change and have every single call's response time be one to three minutes faster.

I think that so in in my experience um working with them and you know we were previously dispatched with the county. They're they're both great dispatch centers and I would just say that there's nuance to all of this and nothing's in black and white. If you know, if it were something that we could guarantee a a quicker response time in every single call, I'd say that'd be great. I would just say that um each each service has their challenges, you know, no matter who it is, the fire department has its challenges, but all the calls go through Bvard, I mean, out of the 53 you had on that sheet, I think almost 100% went through Bard.

I don't want to get bogged down. in this right now and we can talk about that at the workshop or at the special meeting on the 6th if you guys are open to that. What would be the effective date of if if they decide to change what would be the effective date? Uh it's probably going to be somewhere in June. They have to provide us with a 45day notice um as per our contract with them. Um and so I mean it's kind of an issue we need to decide anyway to renew the contract or not. It's going to be it's going to be June 15th. June 15th is the effective date according to

but if you are open to having a special meeting that date where I can bring you some of that documentation we can talk about that you know in more detail I think that that would be appropriate then and I can have those dollar costs for you and kind of the the breakdown on so we're we're pretty certain that in the Atlantic is going to bail right on it they're going to uh that's what they thought initially um in our last commission meeting kind of turned around and so they're having a special meeting tomorrow that I'll be attending just so I'm up on it. But I would say nothing's nothing's for sure yet and I'd like to see where that goes before we

make a decision so that we can make the best informed decision for you all and I can bring you both options at that point before we jump into something. Um the second reason for that special meeting um we need to pass an ordinance um in order to hire these paid firefighters establishing their pension system through the Florida retirement system. So, I've been working with the town manager on that. Um, it's just paperwork, but basically it would just u be an ordinance that would say that we would allow the firefighters to have their retirement through the Florida retirement system. Um, Tom, is it or you've got something on your tablet there? You're turning it off.

Oh, okay. Looks like like there's a lot of whispering and stuff. I didn't know like what's texting or what was going on. I didn't know what was you guys were whispered and you're on there so I was curious. Okay. So, taking your

That would be the second reason why. So, as you all know with an ordinance, you need to properly advertise it. There has to be two readings. Um, so this is really the only thing holding us up at this point from being able to hire those firefighters and bring them on today or tomorrow is we just have to pass this first. Um, the state has an ordinance that they provide, the municipality. all we do is fill in the name and fill in the blanks. Um and so it's nothing that would take substantial time on attorney Knight's um effort. Um you know, he'd obviously review it, but it's something standard that um all the agencies that use the state retirement system go through. So just since we're establishing it for the first time, we just got to go through that process. So if you're open, I would request a special meeting um that you'd all be able to vote at before or after the workshop on the 6th. Do we have to have two special meetings because there's two issues or

Yeah, you only have one item on a special. Yes, I guess. So, we have two special meetings. Two special meetings. I mean, I got no problem with I know it's weird. They go back to back. I guess we have two. I think it's because they're special. They're intended to be just for one thing. Yeah. And so, that and that would allow us um to, you know, make that dispatch determination. And also, it would put us um with our first reading that date so that we could have our second reading at the regular town commission meeting um following that in May. and we'd be able to officially hire the firefighters, you know, the day after that May commission meeting so long as all this passes. A couple questions.

Yep. First one is uh so congratulations to uh Chief Chief Miller on his uh retirement and his his long-standing career and willingness to uh still continue to to volunteer. Um, but my question is is then is is that an an empty role now going forward and and who is who's filling that role? What's the plan for that? It's an empty role and I currently don't have anybody um for that role. So, it'll stay empty for a time until I can find somebody that's willing um and technically capable of filling that role, but as of right now, it's just going to remain vacant. So, the hiring process that you're thinking we're going to be entering into soon, would would they encompass doing that? Is that that's a fourth role we're trying to we would staff then or

No. So, that's always been a volunteer role. So, the the deputy chief role is it a 1099 role though. Don't we have like six 1099s that get that stipened? There all the volunteers get a stipend. Um they only get $1099 if their amount goes over $600 a year. So every So it's not a paid It's not a paid position. It's not a paid position, but it's the same as the commission. So it's it's a paid position, but it's, you know, a couple thousand dollars a year is what it is. So it's okay. It's not uh all right. Salaried or hourly position. It's just a stipened. Well, okay. Very good. Thank you for that. There are expenses that are like they all they all have business cards. There's six different people and they have um Microsoft licenses and things. They

get stipen and they get business cards. So yes. Um but like I said, we don't have anybody to fill that role. All right. Currently, it's something we're looking at, but um at this time, it's just going to remain open.

So, I had another question regarding the uh the the decision to move forward with with perhaps decision to move forward with the hiring um the paid the paid firefighters. So, um you know, so we're we're in April, so we're six months into the year. this you know so what is what happened that now after 6 months we're we're ready to start that versus at the sometime earlier was there some kind of a trade that was done you know pros versus cons that led to the decision that were you going with the Florida state retirement system or yes there's been a bunch of evaluations I've been ready to hire these people since October 1st and If I had it my way, we would have hired them day one.

But you were waiting on the safer grant, which they didn't get. Right. Right. So we Could you please let him answer my question?

I know, but we were waiting on the the the safer grant. The Homeland Security is still shut down. They've never officially notified us that we have not been awarded, but I'm pretty sure we've not been awarded, but we haven't received official notification. That was part of the reason. The other bigger reason was that um we've had you know obviously a few town managers since then with the um Elizabeth the initial thought was we were we would be able to just hire these people on. She said it wouldn't be a big deal. We'd just throw them in the police pension and that would be their retirement and we'd be good to go you know bing bang boom. It turned out it was not that simple. Um, and so we had to do a bunch of invest in investigating on how the pension system works for firefighters, how that would work to establish our own city fire pension the same way the police have theirs. Um, and that's a big long process. If we were to go through that process, we wouldn't be able to hire the firefighters till probably next fiscal year and we need them quicker. Um, so I went through all this with our interim town manager. We were ready to go. She sent me an email and said, "Go ahead and post these positions. We're going with F FRS." You know, after her analysis of it out of courtesy for Marie, I held off until Marie started or town manager Smith, sorry. And um same thing, she wanted to do her own analysis. So, she's gone through, she's met with pension experts, um and she's come to the same conclusion. So, you know, all all of us are in alignment that while the pension the police department has is is a great pension and it's, you know, it's a little better than the state system. Um, to be honest, the state retirement system is quicker and it's easier to manage. It doesn't require a pension board. It's all hands-off. We pay them money. They provide pension to the firefighters. Um, and there's no ongoing maintenance with it as far as, you know, actuarial reports and, you know, having to have people attend meetings and things like that. So that's part of the reason we we elected for that. The other reason um is that it's a recruitment

tool. So a lot of other firefighters have Florida retirement system retirement already that transfers. So, if there's any firefighters with another agency that want to come here because we're attractive and they want to finish out their career here at a safer, you know, slower call volume department, that's a recruitment tool that they could take their, you know, 10 or 15 years from Bvard County, for example, and come over here with their experience and we could their retirement would transfer seamlessly right over. They just continue their years of service here with Melbourne Beach. So, that that was another reason to make us attractive in our recruitment of paid firefighters. Thank you. That that is a very good explanation. Thank you for not listening to Elizabeth.

Uh uh that would be for attorney knight. The the we need to the big thing is that resolution or the ordinance. Um I think the sixth would give us enough time to advertise if we do a special meeting that day. Everybody was already planning on being here that day anyways. I think for the workshop, correct? On the 6th. So you're talking about May 6th. Yeah. Yes. Yep. So May 6th, we'd have first reading and then we'd do our second reading at the regular town commission meeting on the Thursday that you all determined earlier.

Thank you for not listening to the just throw it in there, we'll figure it out advice of Mrs. Mascara. So would that be um workshop with the commission. Want to start that at 5:30? What time? I would prefer 5:30 rather than five. Okay. Okay. Do I want to have a vote or do we need a vote on that or is it just resetting it? Which which workshop are we talking about? I have no idea.

So, so many different dates thrown around. So we want what we're recommending is having two special meetings on May 6 before before the workshop starting at 5:30 and the workshop topic is the basin 10 report. I would think that you know probably 15 minutes for each of these would be sufficient. So we could probably knock one out at 5:30, one at 5:45 and have you guys ready for your um workshop at six o'clock. It's up to y'all. I think just tell the clerk and chill.

I'm I'm okay with it. I'm just um I had previously scheduled a workshop in April that um uh got got pushed um you know to accommodate the the launch and then there I asked for a rescheduling in in the April and um was the feedback I got was people wanted to punt to May and so now what's where do we want to do the financial uh the budget workshop or I mean because yeah because May basically we're not really in like pre-budget we're Can we add it to the workshop? Like, can we can we do two things at once at a workshop? One at the other. Well, I mean, you might hear be here after nine o'clock.

Yeah, I I would suggest doing I would suggest doing it as a separate day, a separate workshop. Um I mean, I don't know if you because you're going to have two special meetings now, you know, and then you're going to have your workshop on basin 10, which which I know you're going to have um you know, a number of people from and there were some people who didn't get the message that it was taken off the agenda. So, there was going to be some public input. I mean, if you want, we can schedule it and see how it goes. Um, but I would not I don't know if you want to have it on the same day. Well, I'm just asking you, um, Miss Smith and and and Mr. Reid, do you think it would that that discussion would last more than three hours? I I I would rather it had its own um Okay.

focus. I think it deserves it. You might have to do the May 6 meeting on 5050. I don't know if Anyway, no worries. You ready for No worries. I I'm flex. I mean, I'd like to get feedback from the commission. Do you want to have a budget workshop? Yes. Yes. I thought I thought it was a great idea. Yeah. But I don't want I don't want to I don't want to shoehorn it in if you think it's going to take, you know, I was think I think it needs to it deserves the time it needs. So, we had it's a a fluid discussion. So, the other commissioners, do you have an opinion? I think it should be separate.

So, maybe we could say the June workshop will be the budget. I think that's too late to wait. I mean, it's probably around when the preliminary is going to come out from the audit. Might be a good time. We'll be still busy until then. But I mean, yeah, I think we definitely need to have it sooner, but I think that we have I know y'all don't hear it, but we have had eight years of just a mess. It's all converging right now.

But I I have a I have a suggestion. Um I know that we get um the estimate from our property appraisers sometime in May. And let me find out when that's going to be and then I can um you know, let you all know. Maybe we can schedule that or do you have to schedule it now?

Also, we will know at the end at the end of April they are going to be having a special session. They might even have to have another one, the property tax. So, like things are going to start moving really fast. We might find out if there winds up being a bill as well as there's been paperwork that's been filed for this um constitutional amendment, the citizens initiative. So, we might start to know more things in the beginning of May whether something's going to actually have happened or not. If it doesn't make it through in the special session, the constitutional amendment time frame is tight, too. So, we might kind of we might by miday know whether or not this property tax thing is going to be dead or not. But our our budget is still going to be our budget no matter what happens. Well, I know, but it's going to make a big difference if it goes one way or the other.

Big difference. Commissioner Reid, would you recommend maybe the second Wednesday in in May? Like we do. I guess I'm trying to gauge whether you're the willingness to do another meeting, another workshop in May in addition to the the the BAS and 10 and the two special meetings. Well, I don't think the two special meetings will be difficult at all, but I mean I'm I'm okay uh this the second Tuesday. I mean the second Wednesday. I'm okay with that date if you want to do it then. I'm definitely not on that one. So you're talking about the 13th. I'm 50/50 on the May 6th, but I'm definitely not the very next week. I have there's a fa I don't want to say what it is but fa family stuff. Would you rather wait?

I mean 22nd. Yeah. Like for me April and May with the kids with school and some family stuff there's some dates but it's it it's impossible. So, um, but once it they're out of like once they're out of school, it gets a lot easier with the exception of one week when I'm going to be gone. Um, what about um to Jackson Hole? About April 29th. So, your recommendation was the second Wednesday or I was thinking of the 13th, May 13th. Yeah, that's that works. But y'all don't need me. I mean, you only need at least three to have a quorum. Well, you you only need one, I understand, to have a workshop. Well, yeah, you only need one to have a workshop, too. Just

I would rather voting. I mean, this is the only time we get to talk to each other. So, I do want I do want to talk to each other voting parts, you know, to be able to vote. Yeah. You would have to have a quorum to be able, but there's no voting at a work. Exactly. So, you only need one anyway on a workshop. But I know I'm just I'm trying to give y'all a heads up. If it comes down to it, somebody isn't going to be able to come or not. Y'all be aware that um I'm looking don't miss a lot of meetings, but there's some change the dates. No, May 13th is Ben. So, what about a Tuesday the 12th? Tuesday the 12th.

I say somebody just set a few dates that or set the date and then set an alternate date. That way that they can fall back. We don't have to call a meeting to change the date. The 12th is set a date and then an alternate date. fine with me. Yeah. That way the clerk has if it's Is the 12th fine with everyone? Yeah. Not me, but y'all. But if you have four, then you're good. Okay. Let's do the 12. Well, it doesn't matter. Yeah. How many? All right, then. Okay. All right. So, maybe we should go on to the police. Okay. All right. Okay. Is there a particular time you wanted to start? I think that's him because he's does 5:30 or 6 is fine. I just want to start at 5. I mean, okay. It's 5:30 or 6. Doesn't matter.

She's like, I don't want to choose for you. Say 5:30 because 5:30. 5:30. All right. She's got what she needs. All right. Next up, what are we next? Police report. Chief Sandra, hit it. Any questions? Yes. So, I was actually hoping to see um some update on where you are with the uh 287G funding in terms of uh do when we can expect to see new vehicles and uh you're going to get your new equipment.

Everything's been purchased. I think I have $800 left to spend of the $167,500. Um, we have the vehicles in. We have our computers are in. There's a couple more things that are still on order and I don't remember offh hand. Maybe is what they said for for delivery. I can't be exact, but something like that. But everything's been ordered. Uh, some of the stuff's in and we're still getting some of it in. So, when when do you get delivery of your vehicles? We already got them. You have them? I'm surprised we didn't see a public media or social media post. So,

although I'm not ashamed of using the 287g money, I don't necessarily want to put it out there all that great stuff. Okay. All right.

I did want to raise one thing. Somebody did comment and I know there has been some discussion about it and some discussion with some of the property owners, the businesses about the um the protesting on the corner which the first amendment right we absolutely respect you know I don't think historically it's really been a problem that much and I don't know that it's a problem but I do think there have been some complaints about noise and what can we do and um I would like I would like for the commission maybe just to even have to t if we I would propose that we task the town attorney to to maybe just do a certain you know a short amount of research maybe and come back to us with what we could do if we decided to um I mean I' I've done a little research on my own or whatever, but just you know you time you do time, place and manner restrictions and particularly I do think I mean there is a safety issue with that corner, you know, and um there what I have read is that you can sometimes you can have permits and it can even be a same day permit and a free permit, but it basically they're agreeing to some some small sort of you'll stay on the sidewalk, you'll be two to three feet apart. That way it's not a lot of people congregated together blocking traffic and it's not people slowing down to read a bunch of signs right there on the corner and you know and you could maybe even use the 25 vision clearance so people can protest on the sidewalk but maybe they need to be 25 ft from the corner so people going this way can see them or not. I'm not saying that we necessarily should do it or shouldn't, but I do think there have been some complaints from people that live close in the businesses that at the very least maybe we should consider what legally could we do if we were going to do something. Plus, if for whatever reason it escalated, it got worse, we maybe at least started that. That's my my just what I would like to say or proposal. Um, and I do think if we had something like that, it does give you then if somebody is violating the permit, you know, like somebody's got a permit, but they keep stepping into the grass

towards the cars, you know, or they're congregating together and somebody's walking their dog and they're not able to get by and they have to go around in the grass and god forbid they then get hit. I mean, I think that, you know, if if if stuff is happening, it actually gives our police the legal authority to be able to go and listen, say, "You got a permit, but remember, you got to stay on the grass. Here's your warning. you violate again, we're going to have to revoke your permit, you know. But anyway, it's just something I would like potentially for us to at least be briefed on and I would I would like to be able to have the town attorney look at that and come back to us. I agree. I have had people complain to me as well. So, and I don't, you know, I'm I I think it's I mean, go ahead.

So, just a comment about activists and activism. Um, a lot of times activists like to have engagement with police. They like to have uh people pay attention to them and they want to ramp up this kind of thing. Um, and if we are seen as preventing their freedom of speech or anything, now they're getting traction. Uh, and now people are paying attention to them. So sometimes it's it's they call it like the Barbara Stryand effect where if you talk about something enough uh now people are paying attention who may not have been paying attention to it before. So the more you talk about it, the more people pay attention. So, it's a very it it's like anonymous survey,

right? It's not it's not really it's not really news what I'm saying. I mean, this happens all across America. And I don't know that Melbourne Beach wants to be in this in this situation where all of a sudden we we're having uh you know, police interactions with with protesters in Melbourne Beach. I think I think uh you know, let these let these people enjoy themselves. Melbourne Beach is great. Um, I I've heard the complaints and I've also heard people think it's funny and or people who are supportive of it. So, you hear all you hear all views, but I just I just wanted want everyone to be careful.

Well, no, I agree and I don't want our police having to get involved in all especially if we don't have any rules, regulations or guidelines because I feel like they are under maybe pressure from residents or citizens to do something. And if they do try to do something without us having something, I worry about our officers. I know feel like they might be under pressure but then so and ultimately to the truth is I probably wouldn't want to eventually initiate a permit scheme. I don't know that I I probably because I don't think it's that big of an issue or big of a problem but you know things can change quickly and we are a slow you know as a government body that has to meet in public we are slow we're not able always to adjust quickly and I do think in respect of the businesses on the corner and some of the residents who have complained we at least owe it to them perhaps to say what might we do what could we do what what are the things we could do if we chose to and within that and what are the things we definitely couldn't do. And I also it would be an opportunity for a little bit of citizen sort of education on what we could do if we were going to because I think sometimes maybe they think that we could do more than we can and it might take a little bit of pressure off of our officers that they might might be like pressured to them from residents because they don't know what you people talk to the officers all the time. It's a educational opportunity. So that's just sort of what I'm proposing and having the town attorney lead that.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But I think we would need a vote to sort of authorize him to, you know, for some amount of money on that topic. So that's what I would propose. I'm not going to make a motion, but if somebody would like to and then maybe set a limit like a, you know, so that the town attorney could come back with just some guidance on that. Would you like to weigh in, Mr. Knight, or No, I can certainly do that. You know, I can tell you generally speaking, permits usually not required if they're in a public's right of way or something like that. But, you know, if it is a case where they are blocking traffic or there's street closures or they're using amplifying devices, then you can generally um have them apply for a permit and issue a permit in that case. So,

my my thing would be we would identify there's probably one or two spots in town that are hightraic corner areas or maybe just one. And I do think that's the hight traffic corner area. So, it wouldn't apply to every sidewalk anywhere. It would apply to sort of hight traffic areas that maybe have a a higher sort of traffic and safety exposure risk. Chief Chief Xander, the problem is is it's the public right away. So, they can be wherever they want in the public. Um they can stand right there at that intersection every day if they want to and there's not a whole lot that we can do about it.

Um and we do get quite a few complaints um about every Monday, Tuesday, we field complaints that come in. Um the majority of it is for honking horns. Um some people do complain about people just protesting period and um some people want the constit. Yes. Um and so it so it's both sides and and so we we constantly tell them, you know, that's their constitutional right to be there. It's conscious right to have the signs. It's their constitutional right to write any vulgar thing they want on the signs because that's what they're allowed to do. As sad as it is. Um I saw that they had taken down some of the vulgar stuff. They were they had covered up some of there was some vulgar stuff and then I went by the next week and they had covered up. I didn't see both. I thought that was nice.

I think there was a parent that stepped out with them and and they had kids. They were reasonable. And they were reasonable. That's great. That's a good step. What about the the parking aspect? Oh, yes. Yeah. Someone did mention the parking. The parking is is different. So, uh the two businesses to the south on the south corners um there that's private property. Well, I'm talking about the library. Yeah, somebody did mention library. I wasn't aware of that. So, the two businesses on the south are private property and uh the business owners complain about people there all the time, but they have the right to come out there and have those vehicles towed anytime they want and they don't do it. Okay.

The library is another thing. Um the library is county property, so obviously we would have to get the sheriff's department involved. I spoke with Commissioner Cory earlier today and uh we'll give them a call to see if they'll jump in and and um like the mayor said or or um Vice Mayor Cronin said as well is uh we don't necessarily want to stir the hornets nest either. Yeah. You know, so we kind of want to be careful what we do, how how we do it um because it can spiral out of control real fast. Even something as small and as nonviolent and as friendly as this is, it can spur out of control pretty fast, right? Well, I mean, maybe even just having a short drafted PSA to residents like

on our website like look, you know, this is I mean, we're about to have our 250 year anniversary. This country was founded on free speech and a revolution against an oppressive government. So, I really don't want to have oppressive regulations on the 200, you know, but maybe just putting that out there so people realize, look, it's not that we're not doing something. It's that we can't or shouldn't. And here's why. I don't know. So, it's the sheriff's department that would have to enforce the parking. It's county property, so we would get with the sheriff's department and ask them to go up there and enforce that. Yes. And that's if the library doesn't want them there. So, the sheriff's department is going to have to get with the library, find out if they don't want them there. And I believe the library is closed Sunday mornings and or perhaps. Yeah.

And then the problem too is I know for a fact that our EAB has had different events and they park. I mean there's other people that park there too. So then you're getting into a little selective enforcement which Yeah. Not good. Yeah. But we will tackle that. We will get with the SO and and see if they're willing to help us out. I think you're probably right. You have two minutes. I just want to let you know. I know. Thank you. I I wanted to be able to just address maybe some of the businesses and citizens, but I'm I I I'm going to have to defer to the vice mayor who really did say it well that I think that we should just move on and not, you know, cross the bridge when it comes to it if we need to, but we're not there.

Okay. So, I think the uh town clerk report is next then. All right. Any questions? Oh. Um, how come that this seems like they don't go in order? Like, so there's some that are missing and that are unfulfilled but are missing. So, how do you decide which ones you put on here or not? Because there's some from commissioners from when they were I mean regular citizen. So, I'm always know which ones are missing because this is ran directly from the software. So,

yeah. Well, the one for all of the fire data, there's there's two public records requests that were made a year ago. One of them was for the risk assess assessment. The other one was for a whole another it had that's on there. It's on page one. Okay. Which one is it? What's the number? Um 2025-155. Um no, that's the risk assessment. That's that's there's another one that was made that Yes. in an email. I do not have that. All right. Okay. All right. Was it to me? Yes. When?

Well, I requested stuff as mayor for six weeks and then I put in two public records requests. The risk assessment is one of them. Yes, I know. And then you you said we hadn't agree. It was addressed to Matt. No, no, no. You didn't let me finish. Okay. You said that you would allow us to put them in obeyance and then if you wanted to reopen them, you were able to. And I told you months ago as well as the town of because this one was reopened. They were both reopened. It was never told to me. Yes, it was Amber. When? The same day that one was. I reopened this because of an email.

I have text messages from the and messages with the town attorney saying, "I told Amber that they were reopened and she's not reopening them repeatedly on the on the on the thing." Which public records request are you talking about? Because there's Well, it's been like now I don't know over a year. I don't know, but which specific one? It's related to the fire data when I it was before the budget vote when I wanted to have access to the the nearest stuff and and she was specifically instructed by Mascara not to respond to me at all. And so I said, "Fine, I'm going to have to make a public records list." Then I contacted Doge and said, "We're about to vote on a million dollar budget and they won't let me have access to the records." It's 90 minute you get the actual record and

Oh, so I had to make a public records request for the public records request that I made. Look up what the number was. But that's what I'm trying to say is I didn't enter into FOYA because I wasn't even it was it started off as a request for information as mayor related to the budget. Mascara told her I'm directing you not to respond. That's in an email. And eventually it got put in as a public records request. She decides to put things into just foyer, not me. Mayor, let me uh take this offline with you and we'll figure out what request it is. All right. And I'll work with you on that. Give me Give me a computer at Townar so I can get my email and I'll print it out for you. All right. We'll we'll figure out It was over a year ago.

We'll figure out something that Thank you. I make a motion to adjourn. What? Before we go, did M Commissioner Reid have a commissioner report? So, there was already a motion. I know. I know discussion discussed to say what's what's No, I know. Yeah, you can say let's hold on for commission. Um, could we hold on at least just for a moment for Commissioner Reid to get to because it was it was partially discussed before but not finalized. Yes. On the Space Coast. Is that all right, Commissioners? And then and yeah, about the Space Coast and then after that. Yeah. As long as we stay quiet and listen. Yes, Commissioner Re.

All right. So the the email I was sent out to everyone just was the email I sent sent out to the commission regarding the Space Coast League of Cities meeting next month. Uh it's the Monday the 11th I believe is the date. Anyway, so that's a that's a meeting that the town of Melbourne Beach is going to be co-hosting with the town of Indie Atlantic um at um Hilton something or another. Anyway, so um typically the the commission and uh staff um attend those um that meeting uh the dinner the dinner portion of the meeting and the uh mayor or the vice mayor does gets up at the beginning of the meeting and does the uh does a welcome. Um then there's someone who can sometimes do off do a prayer and then there's someone leads the uh the pledge of allegiance. So those typically are within the the town uh to that does that does those those things that then typically the mayor or the vice mayor um will continue to speak

or the manager sometimes it's the manager in a lot of cities but in most of this a lot of excuse so someone will then get up and and continue to speak after the pledge of allegiance typically they um acknowledge the staff they acknowledge the commission Um, and then they'll continue on to give some brief synopsis or overview of the the town going on and and stuff. And then after that, then they turn it over to uh the the uh the league to to run. So in this case, both the town of Melbourne Beach and Indie Atlantic would both stand up and and do those those things. So

I I would like the vice mayor go in my place. I'm not sure I will be able to attend. Would you like to go and do that? That would be wonderful. I'll have to check. But it sounds like if not, I think Tim could so much fun. Commissioner Reid would do a great job, too, because he's been going to the Oh, I have to think. Absolutely. Absolutely. So,

we I think you're missing the purpose of of it, but the uh the idea is that to basically it's to to um uh it's an opportunity to present the town in a in a good light and a cohesive thing. and it's opportunity to have offer to the staff uh an opportunity to to uh listen to the speaker, enjoy dinner um and and be an opportunity for the town to acknowledge the staff in in in a positive way.

I know I've been to these and actually spoken to them, Tim. So, I have I do know exactly what it is, but I also think, you know, and I've been there with the staff have been there at a table, but I just I I feel like probably they might have a better time even being able to enjoy it if the vice mayor or or yourself were able to do it. I I mean, I might I don't even know if I'm confused. If you're confused, if you're confused that I'm asking you to be there, um then you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I I don't really ask and I don't I I've not been in my email literally for months. So, I haven't read the email, but I I am confused what it is that you're asking.

Are you just trying to make me feel guilty that I might not be there? I don't know. I don't know why you're making it about you. No, I don't understand what it what it is that you want. How about to get us engaged that we all attend cuz it's a really lovely event. I've been to one as well. I know. I mean, nobody ever wanted to go before when I went, but I've been to these. So, it's I have too. Madame, could I ask? I disagree with your with your analysis. Nobody Well, you didn't go in 2023 when you were on the commission. The previous year's um staff when I spoke in 2023, you sat to my right and you did not attend. But, okay.

So, just just a question. Um I I think if if we all attend this event, we have to notify the public that we will be there if we're going to interact socially. Is that correct, Amber? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, just want to make sure that and uh and uh I you know, I thought uh Miss Smith had made a great recommendation that we could if we have a chance, Commissioner Reid, to give a presentation, if we told the story of Melbby, I think it might be heartwarming. you you know I've been to these before where they actually had somebody from their public works department because there was some issue like sometimes they have more than one person speak now because we share it with Indie Atlantic there's not as much time but you know

how much Davis is a really great speaker sometimes especially when it's I mean he's a real engaging likable guy and we had the Melby and I know that he had a lot of experience in that if he I mean he might be somebody that could give a great Melby presentation I if he would wanted to do it but

so we just just want You know, there is a motion on the floor, but if if you get grant me just a moment, I I I'd like to put that motion on hold and make a motion that Commissioner Reid uh reach out to the leaders at India Atlantic so that we could coordinate something and maybe come up with a program that we could all be a part of. Commissioner Reid, if you're interested, I think I think it sounds like a great idea. I I'm just in in in asking uh I'm informing that reminding the the staff and the commission that this meeting is going to occur and um if the level of support that was provided is is uh you know whatever you you decide is you want to commit to. So I'm not trying to assign any

any roles to anyone at this point. Well, I think actually there does have to be a vote because I know in 2026 when I went to this meeting, I contacted the clerk and the town manager and asked, "Hey, could I get a little help with a little PowerPoint together and they basically said, "No, we don't have staff to do that. We don't know how and you have to figure it out on your own or you can get the commission to vote for it and approve, but otherwise we're not going to do staff time." So unless that rule only applies to me, you if you actually want to get staff time, you might have to get a commission vote because the rule has been you if you're going to use staff time to do any kind of presentation, you have to have a commission vote. So So I've done

related to that. Can I please add You were going to say that that didn't happen. No, every other year it is our turn to host. So yes, we co-host with Indantic, but we trade off whose responsibility it is. This year it is not ours. Oh, if we want to do anything, we have to get permission from Indantic. Oh, thank you. As far as we still have the ability to do a brief welcome speech, Space Coast League of Cities has always told me we do not get to use the audiovisisual equipment. That's not true. That is Space Coast League of Cities. is what Sheila has told me in the past.

Any city can use it because all the cities do give presentations. It's just that ours doesn't because the staff of the city has to put something together. Yes. And I have contacted the Space Coast League of Cities in the past and they have said that we only get one to two minutes and that we are not to use the audiovisisual equipment because it is already set up for the speaker to use. Okay. But if that has changed, every single one of these I've gone to in three years, the city does anywhere from 5 to 10 minute meetings, uses the equipment. And I'm only telling you what they have relayed to me. When did they what year did they tell you that?

Every single year that you have asked me to do it. I contact Sheila. That's what she has told me. So when I ask for some kind of staff assistance to be able to do some kind of speech, that's why I don't want to go, Tim, because it's like I'm on my own and I'm, you know, Mr. Reed, have you finished with Are you Yeah, I Yeah, I didn't mean to create such a cloud of dust. Um, we're going to I was just trying to highlight the fact that this is coming up and I'll I'll I'm happy to uh work with the the town manager and the clerk through the town manager to uh to formulate um a plan. Okay. Call the question. Motion to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn. All in favor say I. I. I. We'rejourned. Thank you. Thank God.