City Commission Regular Meeting - Regular Meeting

The shade onto the house, most likely helped them a little bit of cooling. Took a lot of effort and care into saving these trees and stuff on here. And as the second lot, as you look and all these oak trees and stuff that are sitting on here, you can see we have this great mixture between the palm trees there, we have the pine trees in here, we got the oak trees and stuff. And just as we look at these lots that we have, that mixture of trees and canopy that we have, we still continue with that. and you know it's just a beautiful thing i said you're not you don't just get this for a couple planted trees but the conservation and stuff of it it's not just about what gets built it's about what's allowed to stay so northport has a requirement on shrubs and that's just really give you more and makes it a nice aesthetics too so you don't just have this you know this building up there you're staring at these concrete walls but you actually have nice you know plants and stuff already there and going so you have this beautiful look

Sean's also here because he genuinely enjoys being outdoors and working with nature every day.

Well, I'm actually an outdoor person most of the time, so me and my mother go out camping or doing things, and I just like seeing some of the different nature. Before I came to the city, I landscaped. and stuff there and just enjoy doing a lot of that.

And it just kind of one of those things that just kind of fit right in. Thank you for joining me today to visit the Natural Resource Division. It was great to see parcel development from the beginning to the end. The thing I learned today was that there is a very deliberate and strategic calculation that can allow the home builder to save money and to save the trees at the same time. I think that's a great win-win. I will see you on the next job. Hi, Jerome Pletcher here, city manager of Northport. Today we're on the job with the Northport Police Department. Let's go. Before officers are ever sent out, it starts here in dispatch.

We're kind of the eyes and ears for the officers as they're out on patrol. We take all of the information that's coming in on any incoming calls, and we are information gatherers, so we're providing all the information, all the details. so the officers can formulate their appropriate response depending on the situation. Okay. While we're gathering all that information, as our call taker, our dispatcher, which is where Krista is sitting today, she is going to disseminate that information out to officers on the radio.

In many cases, the information dispatch provides is enough to help someone and guide the right response.

So we field a lot of phone calls, answer a lot of questions, and sometimes that's all they need. They don't necessarily need a police officer response. We provide a lot of information to the citizens. In addition to just answering phone calls and dispatching units, we monitor, this is our CAD system. where we can kind of monitor everything that we're doing here. This is where we input all the information that we gather over the phone, where we monitor all the calls that are actively going on. We monitor officer status, what they're doing, how long they've been on a call. We keep in constant contact with them.

Good afternoon. Today is Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. It's 4 p.m. We're in the city chambers and I call the city commission regular meeting to order. Commissioners present are Commissioner Duvall, Commissioner Stokes, Mayor Emmerich, Vice Mayor Langdon, and Commissioner Petro. There is a forum present for this meeting. Also present are City Manager Fletcher, City Attorney Foligno, City Clerk Faust, Board Specialist Linder, Police Chief Garrison, and Fire Chief Titus. I am requesting that all commissioners, public participants, and staff maintain order and decorum throughout this meeting. City Commission Policy 2021-03 states that attendees shall refrain from engaging in personal attacks and boisterous, immaterial, inflammatory, obscene, profane, and disorderly conduct. Additionally, meeting attendees must refrain from obscene, profane, or disorderly conduct, including hand clapping, yelling, and similar demonstrations, all of which deserves the peace and good order of the meeting. Thank you. I'm going to call on Commissioner Petro to lead us in the pledge today. Thank you, sir. Moving on to the approval of the agenda. I need a motion. So moved.

Second.

I have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stokes, seconded by Vice Mayor Langdon, to approve the agenda. Nothing to that. Please vote. And that passes 5-0. City Clerk, public comment?

Tamara Ring, if speeding tickets are going to be given out in school zones throughout the entire school day along with before and after school, the flashing school zone lights should also be flashing the entire time instead of only before and after school. If you are driving in a non-familiar area and don't know it is a school zone, the flashing lights really help notify you. If you are unaware that school is in session, the flashing lights will help notify you that school is in session. Please place this item for a vote on an upcoming commission meeting agenda. Yassine Ramonzi, I am a New York Port property owner and want to raise a general concern about fiscal responsibility across the city's FY2027 budget. The July 29 proposed budget totals $346,670,228. The city conducted a 5% reduction exercise this cycle, identifying $4,936,878 in potential cuts across all departments, but then restored $2,864,466 of those reductions leaving only $2,072,412 in actual net savings. In other words, the city identified what it could cut and then chose not to cut most of it. That is not fiscal discipline and residents are already paying the price in ways they will notice directly. The concern goes beyond this year. Citywide staffing has grown from 768 positions in FY21-22 to 978 in the FY2027 proposed budget. an increase of 210 positions or 27 percent in six years government has been getting bigger yet in the same budget yard waste and bulk pickups are being eliminated citywide park events are being canceled and community center and aquatic center hours are being reduced a government that grows its head count while cutting resident services and not moving in a sustainable direction the city owns five percent reduction exercise proves there is room to cut departments identified nearly five million in potential reductions. The answer is to actually make those cuts rather than restore them. Every position added to the paywall carries not just salary, but benefits, retirement contributions, and long-term obligations that compound over time. Before adding an account or raising assessments, this commission should ask whether existing resources are being deployed as efficiently as possible. If a household or a business were in this position, reserves nearly depleted, cutting basic services, and not meaningfully reducing overall spending, they would be forced to make hard choices, not defer them. The answer cannot always be to raise fees and assessments. At some point, the commission must ask not just how to divide the cost, but how to actually reduce it. In person, I have Samuel Terpenning.

And before you start this time, I'd like to address this gentleman. When this issue first brought up at our last meeting about the comments made, I honestly did not recall making those statements. And after over the last few days of listening to the recordings, I will take full ownership of those comments and those disparaging comments towards you. I would like to formally and publicly apologize to you at this time and for my comments and also I am sincerely, very sincerely sorry sir that that happened.

I appreciate it sir and for the record my name is Samuel Turpening and I'm here tonight to deliver a necessary reality check to this chamber. I stand in lockstep with Cullen Andrew, my friend Tim Ritchie, my friend, now that they're supporting this message, they don't know what the speech is. They've just taught me how to stand here and to be brave tonight. So I'm going to be brave and I'm going to speak to each and every one of you. Colin brought real integrity to this podium on August 31st. Mayor Emmerich, I accept your formal apology tonight. It takes accountability to stand before the public, and I appreciate the gesture. However, an apology for a hot mic insult does not erase the systematic administrative betrayal of public trust that occurred in this room. First, I want to formally thank Commissioner Demetrius Petro. He was the only person on this dais with the foresight to stand against a heavily compromised amended moratorium that quietly lets the developer review process slide forward behind closed doors while pretending to pause it for the public. To the rest of his dais, including Commissioner Stokes, your actions on August 31st went far beyond a slip of the tongue, a closing of the eye, or a playing of the phone. When confronted with raw audio evidence, there were initial denials, but the tape does not lie and the public record is permanent. Worshier administration actively sabotaged our democratic rights by hiding agenda announcements and letting physical comment cards magically vanish at 2 a.m. to silence the room. An apology, sir, cannot fix a broken process, which is why residents are officially requesting Governor Ron DeSantis to launch an immediate ethics review into the hostile behavior and procedural corruption of this leadership. The political gains end now. For anyone wondering what real representation looks like, the answer is not a lame question. Alan Emmerich, you will always protect your husband and we cannot have more of your husband up on that dais. I am sorry, but you should just go back ahead and sit down and stick with your word salad. Electing you would simply complete the circle of absolute capture in our city hall. Look at what's happening across our country. We are seeing a complete corporate oligarchy take over the United States. It has reached a point where it takes foreign-born candidates running for our local council to step up and remind us Americans who were born right here what our actual Constitution even says. If the people of Northport want real change and honest representation, we must back candidates who answer to the citizens. Let Mella Dunkshik for C4 and Oleg Listerin for C5. Northport is a solid no on this data center, and we are a solid no on this abusive leadership. And I yield my time. Thank you, sir.

Paul Holstrom, follow my crisp project. We don't have a projector for public comment, sir.

Well, that kind of takes away a little bit of what I had to say today. Thank you for the time. Paul Holmstrom, 1878, Calhoun Avenue. On August 16th, a follow-up letter was sent to Director Wray regarding a phone call and changes to the ULDA. Copies were also sent to all the commissioners, including Public Works and the Building Department. I first spoke at the Zoning Enforcement hearing on May 28th, and it has been acknowledged that the new ULDA has created significant problems for many. One of the changes now allows for the removal of all the sod and the soil, including the utility easement, without permit. This took place adjacent to my property. With no oversight, it led to damaged utilities, encroachment issues, and uncontrolled runoff. I was told these changes were to prevent parking on the grass and in culverts. We now have a campground complete with a mascot adjacent to a property line. I should really just pass the picture around so you guys could have an idea of what it is. January 31st, 2024, C case 2414 was filed concerning outdoor kennels. Cosmic Bengals, a home breeding cat business, has continued to add outdoor kennels and cages. This is creating a nuisance due to the fact that they're attracting feral cats to the area. Once again, a lack of oversight by the city. This kind of concerns some of the photos that I was going to show. But on Monday, August 24th, I went to the North Port Police Department, filed a complaint concerning harassment. They told me that they are unable to determine if the signage is directed at my property. I'm just going to put this in there. So the neighbors now, because no photos, have put some pretty vulgar signs because I filed a complaint. And this is kind of, you know, all complaints have a name with them now. You're not anonymous. And so now there's retaliation and harassment. If you were to see the pictures, you'd know outright that this is directed at my property and my family. I'm here today to ask, what are you doing to protect property values and quality of life issues? Anybody would like to respond? If you want, just pass the photos down. You guys can take a look at them. Never really had a problem before with parking trailers within a couple feet of the property line. Now, this whole issue comes about for all this removal.

Now, if the commissioners... Sir, your time is up. What I'm going to do is, City Manager, can you get staff to get with this gentleman and go over his concerns, please?

Most of you did get copies of these pictures.

Thank you, sir. Your time's up. They'll get with you, and you're welcome to email us your pictures at any time as well, too.

Good afternoon. My name is Chris Krajic. I'm a city resident and I'm a retired firefighter with Northport Fire Rescue Department, member of the pension plan. In September of 2012, the City Commission passed Ordinance 2012-18, which established a supplemental retirement benefit for the pension. This ordinance established a share plan using excess state tax money. In the ordinance, the share plan established a share account It established an initial allocation of funding, followed by the establishment of an annual crediting known as a 13th check. For reasons unknown, myself and five other members, all original members of the fire department, have been excluded from this share plan. This exclusion clearly contradicts the language in Ordinance 2012-18 as it relates to the establishment of share accounts and annual crediting. Of note is that the language in the ordinance does exclude us from the initial crediting based upon employment dates. The share plan was established in 2012, but we are unaware of this benefit and our exclusion until December of 2021. And we've been trying to resolve this for the past four years, yet we have not been able to do so. In April of 26, we received an analysis from the city legal team authored by Assistant City Attorney Caitlin Coughlin that determined that we should have been and should be included in the share plan as it relates to annual accrediting. This opinion mirrors what our attorney found as well as what the pension board attorney determined in his initial opinion. Again, of note is that the pension board attorney changed his determination after he spoke with former pension board members and the former actuary. In his reversal, he stated that it was in the intent to exclude us from this plan entirely. A couple of excerpts from Ms. Coughlin. In summary, the governing documents clearly limit eligibility for the one-time initial share plan allocation, but do not impose similar restrictions on the ongoing annual supplemental benefits. Because Florida law requires strict adherence to the terms of a ratified CBA and its implementing ordinance, any interpretation of the annual crediting provision that imports limitation not expressly stated in the governing documents presents legal risk. Because of the pension board's failure to file this ordinance as written, we have reached a point that in order for us to resolve this, it will become necessary to file a lawsuit against the pension board and the city. To resolve this, it won't cost the city any money. It won't cost the fire department any money. The funding will come entirely from the pension fund. I'm looking for, we are asking for assistance or direction from the city commission to figure out how we can get the pension board to follow an ordinance as written. The language in the ordinance, the enabling ordinance, and the CBA all indicate that we should be a part of the share plan and should be and should have been receiving annual crediting. We don't want to file a lawsuit

Well, good afternoon, everybody up on the dais in the chamber. I want to first say, Tiffany and Heather, you ladies do a phenomenal job running the chamber. You guys are so blessed and lucky to have these ladies. And so are we, all of us. 2 AM in the morning is a long meeting. Now I just want to give you an idea here. Manatee County uses about 48 million gallons daily, primarily self-supplied via the Lake Manatee Reservoir. But they've got plans to hook up to the Peace River in the very near future. Sarasota County They do 28 million gallons daily sourced via combination of its own well field wholesale purchases for Manatee County and heavy baseline allocation from the Peace River facility. Charlotte County is about 16 to 17 million gallons daily. The city of Punta Gorda is 78 million gallons daily. Northport's 4.5 to 5.5 million gallons daily, and DeSoto uses the less. They're under 1 million gallons daily. Now, if we take all of the water being used in Polk, Hardy, Manatee, Hillsborough, Charlotte County, DeSoto, and Lee County, I can assure you right now, it's a pretty overwhelming amount of water that's being drawn from the aquifer. But we go back to companies like Mosaic, because they're the prime example for me to use. One water use permit issued by Swift Mud. They're using every day, everyone, 70 million gallons a day. On a basketball court, we call that a ball hog. Well, this is a water hog. Same analogy. The aquifer below us serves all 67 counties. Now I didn't get to finish my analogy of when we put in a prompt and in two seconds what happens when we send it over the strand that is thinner than your hair, piece of glass. goes hundreds of miles to that big box. We're going to talk more about that big box later, because it's a big heat box. It's no longer about the servers. It's about the energy and the amount of bandwidth they can get crammed into it. And we don't have the water for this. Mayor, I appreciate that apology because it wasn't just to Samuel. It's to every resident that came and spoke that day. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you, sir. Thank you. All right. Moving on to welcoming the new employees. City Manager, this is your item.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I will turn it over to our HR Director, Christine McDade, to introduce the new employees to the City of North Portland. All right.

Hello, everyone. For the record, Christine McDade. I'm the Human Resources Director. It's my pleasure to formally introduce some of our newest team members today. So when I call your name, please stand. We have, for the city clerk, Justine Crawford. Justine, Board Specialist One. From Fire, we have Landon Brzeski, Firefighter EMT. Blaise Cochran, also a Firefighter EMT. Jeremy Goli, firefighter EMT. Carter Knight, firefighter EMT. Nolan Perez Cruz, firefighter EMT.

Jose Santiago.

And finally we also have Joseph Stanford, all firefighter EMTs. From Development Services, we have Kevin Lapointe, who's a Code Enforcement Inspector. Gavin O'Neill, Code Enforcement Inspector. Marcy Crum-Tinsley, a Planning and Zoning Manager. And finally, from Development Services, John Whistler, Project Manager. And from Parks and Recreation, we have Benjamin Hess, Recreation Supervisor. And Nicholas Gumbs, a groundskeeper, too. And this is sort of a lengthy list because we're going over a few months to catch up. But Public Works, we have Alexander Glazier, Equipment Operator 1. Anthony Talamini, Equipment Operator 2. Nicholas Lackey, an equipment operator one for Rhodes. William Rounds, contract specialist. And Rick Fresco, a security guard. Security guard also of Orlando Cinebria. And then finally a mechanic two, Eric Dallas. All right, quite a few from utilities. We have Keegan Plants, a water plant trainee. Rachel Hernandez, inventory warehouse specialist. Ashley Mabarino, utility engineer. Brian Romines, a wastewater chief operator. Joseph Stinton, collections and distribution tech trainee. Kirk Ramsey, plant maintenance electrician. Anthony Regan, business systems analyst. Kimberly Stevenson, customer care rep. Dena Brown, customer care rep. We have Joe Licurta, a maintenance and reliability manager. I have Aiden Morissette, wastewater treatment plant trainee. Megan Dague, compliance coordinator, excuse me. Cassandra Price, business services coordinator. Alexander Lafond, a meter services rep one. Mitchell Ramsey, also a meter services rep one. Eric Ernest, Plant Maintenance Mechanic One. Zachary Blackhurst, Collection and Distribution Tech Trainee. And Eric Bowles, Collection and Distribution Tech. And finally, from Human Resources, Will Diaz, a Risk Management Administrator. All right, so on behalf of the city, I welcome all of you and wish you the best.

All right, let's head down for the proclamations and awards. Do I have representatives from the Fire Rescue District to come down here please? Chief Titus. Chief Titus. Chief Titus and crew. I said that three times, sir. Come on up here, Chief. I'm hereby to award you with the 2026 Mission Lifeline Gold Achievement Award to the Fire District Department.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

So there's no I in team, and we have a great team that does all these things. I'm going to let our EMS Division Chief come up and talk a little bit about this. Chief Sedra. Thank you, Chief.

Appreciate it. Thank you. So just so everybody's aware what this award is, is essentially a multi-year process that validates from a third-party entity our ability to treat strokes, heart attacks, and cardiac arrest at the highest level possible in the nation. This is not a one-time thing. We had to achieve these metrics over the course of multiple years to be able to achieve this. So obviously the biggest thank you to our crews on the streets and to our city leadership and our commissioners for giving us support. We need to be able to accomplish this. But for the citizens, it's validation from outside entities that we are doing the best we can for you. And you should feel more safe than you already do when you call for our services. So thank you very much.

turn to do this.

Thank you, sir. Thank you for your service.

We so appreciate you all.

Now, is this for the police department? The checks, the forfeiture checks? Could I have Northport PD down here, please? With their forfeiture checks? And then he's got a few of them for our community. Since we got tall people.

Good to see you.

All right, good afternoon. On behalf of the North Port Police Department, we'd like to present a check in the amount of $2,500 to the North Port Parks and Recreation, DFI. I think you mentioned it, it was forfeiture funds? Yes. Yes. We look for continued partnership with our good friends over there. All good, I'll stay on the picture.

All right.

Next up, North Port Police Department would like to present a check in the amount of $5,000 to Team Court. Do we have a representative?

We need you, Dwayne. We need you. 3, 2, 1. 3, 2, 1. Yes.

The real one. All right, the final check we'll present today is from the Northport Police Department, the Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse in the amount of $2,000. Come on up.

Awesome. Three, two, one. One more. Three, two, one. Thank you. This is great. Thank you. Thank you.

there should be worth more. Thank you very much. That one's, what's that one for?

Oh, that's after this one.

And Commissioner Duvall gave you the extra shorter one. You're up next.

He's up.

All righty. I'm going to have to get, maybe I can make this without my old man glasses. Whereas forensic science is a vital public service and core duty of government, and whereas access to quality forensic analysis dramatically improves the investigation of criminal activity, leading to the exoneration of the innocent and the prosecution of the guilty, And whereas forensic science plays a critical role in public outreach and crime prevention and is evolving in its role as an important member of the criminal justice community. And whereas crime scene investigators, forensic examiners, and forensic scientists provide unbiased, accurate, and reliable analysis of evidence recovered from across the nation. And whereas numerous professional organizations have recognized September 20th through September 26th, 2026 as National Forensic Science Week. And whereas the hardworking people that compose our forensic science organizations deserve universal regard and appreciation for their commitment to proper scientific investigations for the cause of justice. Now, therefore, we, the City Commission of the City of North Port, Florida, do hereby proclaim September 20th through September 26th, 2026, as National Forensic Science Week.

They're coming. They're coming, Commissioner. They're coming.

You want to hand them to them.

Who's the boss? Step right over here. Thanks, Brian.

Alright, I just want to make a quick comment. This team, although it might seem like a small team, they are truly, the work that they do is huge for the city and for their profession. They are the true voice behind all the victims out there. The stuff that they see and the crime scenes and um the scenes they go to they put all the pieces together and the true voice for those victims um it's amazing they stand up here with smiling faces but i i really monitor what they do and how they um how they perform out in the field because they are such a crucial part to everything we do in the investigations bureau so please round of applause for

Three, two, one. And we'll do one more. Three, two, one. Thank you.

Thank you. Awesome. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Thank you for everything you do.

Thank you so much. Whereas crime and intelligence analysts play a critical role within their police agencies, and whereas crime and intelligence analysts support their agencies by working to identify criminals, solve crimes and investigations, and provide statistical information that helps their command staff, homeowners, and the city commissioners, And whereas crime and intelligence analysts are regularly overlooked and rarely receive the recognition and appreciation they deserve. And whereas September 20th of each year is dedicated to acknowledging the hard work and efforts of the crime and intelligence analysts. Now, therefore, we, the City Commission of the City of North Port Florida, do hereby proclaim September 20th, 2026, as National Crime and Intelligence Analyst Appreciation Day.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

It's such an honor to speak twice. Yet again, this unit is such a force multiplier with the police department. They're in the investigations bureau. You can imagine all of the intelligence that comes in to the department. They not only read every report that is taken in the city to see if there's a crime trend, but they also work really hard on trying to predict any crimes that's happening anywhere in the city. And they help out all the other jurisdictions around us. I'm telling you, a true force multiplier, they should get a full week instead of one day. Right, Casey? Or a month. Or a month. Their hard work saves the taxpayers a lot of dollars, saves the detectives a lot of time, and is really true. They're like the big brother for our patrol officers who are out there, so I couldn't thank them more. Big round of applause, please.

All right, we got economic development next. They're up here to spring out an award, I do believe.

This is their Quarterly Gem Award.

Mr. Duvall, I am gonna put my old man cheat glasses on. So I can't see anymore.

Just don't stick your eye out.

I'll try not to.

I just wanna thank everyone for being here. Thank you to the chamber. I mean, thank you to the chamber, but also thank you to the commissioners, to the city manager and to our staff, police and fire. Our Gem Award is given to businesses that are a true part of our city and they truly represent our city. They're also truly represent a deep, they're part of the DNA of the city of North Port. So I wanted to just talk about this. So from the humble beginnings in a garage, to becoming a respected cornerstone in our community, Jamie and DJ, the owners and operators of Lola Blue, truly embody the entrepreneurial spirit that defines our city. What began with a dream, I think for a better candle, Determination and willingness to take a chance has grown into a thriving business that has earned the trust and support of our community. Through their vision, perseverance, hard work, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Jamie and DJ have built far more than a successful business. Their dedication to quality and their passion for what they do have helped Lola Blue earn a place on the shelves of Whole Foods, Detweiler's, and that's just to say a few. bringing their products and story to an even wider audience while continuing to proudly represent our community. Their journey is a powerful example of what can happen when passion meets persistence and when local entrepreneurs believe in their vision. They have not only created something meaningful for themselves and their team, but have also contributed to the character, growth, and spirit of our city. Their success has become part of our community's story, and in many ways part of our city's DNA. Today we are proud to recognize Jamie and DJ for their remarkable journey, their entrepreneurial spirit, and the lasting impact they continue to make. Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to aspiring business owners and a reminder of the incredible things that can grow from humble beginnings. Congratulations, Jamie and DJ, on this well-deserved award, and thank you for your dedication, your perseverance, and helping shape both the legacy and future of our community. Thank you. And with that, I'd like to bring them up if they'd like to say a couple words.

Well, hello everyone. My name is Jamie Lovern and this is my husband, DJ. This is such an honor. First, I want to thank the City of Northport, the Economic Development Team, the Chamber, It's so surreal to me, you know, starting out of Garage and the grit and the grind and to where we are today is because of the support that I have had through the Chamber, the City, the Economic Development, City of Northport, as well as Sarasota County. I am very grateful, and this is such an honor, and we are just very grateful to be part of this amazing City of Northport. And on behalf of us and our team, thank you so much. It's such an honor. Thank you. Thank you.

No, you're fine. We'll scoot.

And just so you know, there's some samples that are up there of some of their soaps. So on the way out, if you want to grab a couple, please do.

And now we're on to Parks and Recreation.

All right, I'm Sandy Funhaler. I'm the Parks and Recreation Director, and I am honored to have this opportunity to celebrate North Port Parks and Recreation's achievements in the Florida Festival and Events Association Sensational Awards, and to recognize team members Kim Lenski, Community Partnership and Engagement Manager, and Whitney Bedard, Graphic Design Specialist, for the outstanding work that they do. Florida Festivals and Events Association represents more than 800 members in the special events industry in the state of Florida, and that membership represents over 5,500 events. Each year, FFEA Sensational Awards honor excellence in event marketing and communications. This year, North Port Parks and Recreation received first place for the 2025 Impact Report.

third place for the Poinsettia Parade and Festival social media campaign.

These awards showcase our team's creativity and highlight our commitment to keeping the community informed about the work that we do. Thanks to Kim's vision and Whitney's execution, in the past year, this team delivered 780 collateral marketing assets and more than 600 social posts as part of the department's initiative to elevate community awareness of Parks and Recreation Services. Thank you to FFEA for this honor and kudos to the entire team for their dedication and commitment to serving our community.

Such incredible work. Thank you so much. That's it. Let's go back up.

All right, city clerk, public comment.

Samuel Turpening, followed by Tim Ritchie.

All right, guys. Good evening again. My name is Samuel Turpening. I'm here for my second comment tonight to address the root disease paralyzing North Port's government, the absolute corrosion of unelected, unaccountable staff, gatekeeping, information from the public, and freezing out our representatives. City Manager Jerome Fletcher, you're an appointed, unelected bureaucrat. Yet under this current city structure, you wield immense power over our city's direction. our administrative staff, and our public records. The systematic administrative games we witnessed on August 31st, the unannounced agenda items, the intentional procedural delays, and the magic trick where our physical public comment cards vanished at 2 a.m., happened on your watch, sir. They happened because you answered to a small circle on this dais and not to the citizens who pay your salary. Gubernatorial candidate Scott Jewett recently laid out the exact diagnosis of this problem. He rightly stated that unelected staff gatekeeping records is toxic to a republic. While Jewett correctly notes that Tallahassee shouldn't dictate how local cities run, he threw his full support behind local communities using their charter authority to fix the disease. If a community wants to elect its manager, Jewett pledged to back that local charter reform 100%. That is exactly what Northport needs to do. We are going to bypass this captured dais and take our city back through a city charter amendment. We will organize, we will petition, and we will place a referendum on the ballot so citizens can vote to strip the city manager of this unelected immunity. We will make the city manager an elected position that answers directly to the voters of Northport at the ballot box. If a private developer wants to exploit our shared utilities and drain our water table, they shouldn't be able to quietly coordinate with appointed staff who hide behind secret agreements and curated summaries. They should have to face an administration that is terrified of the voters. Until we restructure this charter, we demand an ironclad right for our elected commissioners to have total unfiltered access to all staff records, stronger sunshine law enforcement, and raw data reporting. No more curated summaries, no more hidden applications. The people of Norfolk demand an elected ledger, honest representation, and an end to this unaccountable administrative oligarchy. I yield my time.

Pretty powerful stuff, huh, everybody? I'm a very intelligent man. You know, everybody's so worried about the R or the D. Should be worried about the letter A. American. America. You guys, you allowed all of these beautiful oak trees to be cut down. Just like my commission in Charlotte County, and in DeSoto, Lee, Holt, and Hardy, and Manatee, you're only worried about governing. You're not worried about the citizens' quality of life. You are concerned about being corporate captured and corporate cronyism. And because of all of your poor judgment, or should I say choosing poorly, not wisely, and just letting staff rubber stamp all of this development, you've taken away shade, You have all these homes that are for sale. We have shelves all over. And we're having discussions about putting a data center here that is going to tax the water like you have no idea, everybody. And when I talk to you about drinking toilet to tap water, It's a very real situation. And every one of you should be concerned because my grandfather didn't fight at Pearl Harbor or Midway or the Battle of Coral Sea or my uncle walked off Hamburger Hill or was at the Tet Offensive. I could go on. I could go back to the Civil War where the Ritchies were fighting. Scotland, the Crusade, Israel. You know, these hidden deals with the nondisclosure and not letting us know the truth is just unacceptable. And if we are attacked by China, God forbid it, or some foreign nation, and we all have to take arms in this room, do you think one of us are going to ask what political party you're affiliated with? Best thing that happened in our state in a while is Governor DeSantis is removing the flock cameras. It's not the criminals that are excited, it's the residents. Thank you.

That's all, Mayor. That's it. All right, it's 4.53, and I adjourn this meeting.

Top priority is officer and citizen safety, so that's something that we're very