Remarks by Stephen Gray
131 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 4 of 6
- Play at 1:00:57
“Thank you. And I was one of the people that leaned into this conversation just to declare my questions. It's a fair amount of money. I'm a big fan of Warren Buffett who says, price is what you pay, value is what you receive. I'm always trying to understand if there's real value here, we could fix the Winterberry ballpark with $82,000 or a big piece of it. So I'm just very conscious of where we should apply what our scarce resources are in the most productive ways we can. I don't know the history on the 10 million and whether we secured the 10 million and actually spent the 10 million or…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:12:45
“We needed this conversation, and so I really appreciate your joining us and having it. A little bit intimidating when you've been working on this that long, and then you profile a governor in his first year and a senator in his first year, and that actually the timing could be pretty effective – So I've only been here for just close to two years, and so my experience is a little different, it's a little narrower. And you're right, it does you a disservice over a 10-year period. My first reaction, I definitely want some input from my associates up here, is, Maybe one more year might do…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:28:17
“Well, I'm a little sheepish here, because I've been very serious about expense discipline. And I really appreciate, Councillor Schwan, your motion. I'll ask you that this is kind of a Las Vegas variation. I appreciate the gambling concept. My understanding is this contract can be canceled in seven days. Is that accurate? OK, the run rate on this is $6,833 a month. We've got them covered in the budget through 930. I'm not sure how I'm going to vote yet, just to give you that courtesy. I really appreciate this conversation. I needed it. But I'm sitting here thinking there's a new council in…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:33:44
“Just one quick question. Looking at the options, and I appreciate them, under Option one or slash option two, it talks about a 4% increase or the CPI, whichever is greater. Why couldn't that be the lesser of those two as opposed to the greater of those two or just the CPI? It could be either one. It's defined right now as 4% or the CPI, whichever is greater. So could we just strike that? Because that's actually the year two of this contract, or the concept about the next price increase of next year.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:34:26
“Right. So I welcome the input from my associates that option one looked pretty responsible, but I was trying to build the road ahead. and whether or not, I just didn't understand why it should be the greater of 4% of the CPI.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:34:59
“And then the other alternative for us is we just move forward with one of these options and then We both reevaluate where we're at a year from now.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:36:59
“Yes, it is. I could make a motion to that if that helps you, or we can wait for the concerns.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:37:13
“Well, I'll take a run on making a motion on option one at a fixed rate of 4%.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:37:22
“There's no percentage increase that would be negotiated in the future period. Is that correct, Alan? Yes, sir.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:43:29
“Thank you. I'm about to expose how sad my personal life is because I dove into the accounting here. And actually, this links to all three fire trucks. It's really straightforward. I'm very supportive of us doing this, but The three fire trucks, the payment of 184 on the one which I asked to pull from the consent agenda, the 350,000 for another one in the down payment, and the 250 all adds up to $782,000. And we've identified $703,000 in that capital improvement fund of 1609 5 I do understand there's a timing difference and this may not be fair to ask you or maybe it's for the accounting…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:46:02
“I thought the $250,000 was earmarked on the other truck to come from that capital fund as well.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:46:14
“So then the total usage... against that $703,000 would be the $184,000 plus the $350,000. Correct. And we're satisfied that there's sufficient funds remaining for whatever future purposes?”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:46:30
“I'm done with my questions. I just was haunted by the accounting.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:54:50
“I think we made great progress, and thank you for the work my fellow councillors put into this. Diana and I did have a chance to talk briefly that one of the things I was trying to figure out was where in this review do I address culture? I'm a big believer in the power of culture. I actually think culture is much more powerful than strategy. Diane did a good job, I think, of pointing out where I could address those comments in this review. So I think I was satisfied. I just want everybody to be aware that culture is such a powerful driver of the quality of an organization. And so I just…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 1:56:19
“Yeah, well, actually, I can limit the pain and suffering. I'd make a motion to approve. I just need to understand the funding mechanism from that ledger account, which was an excellent explanation tied to all three of those. Perfect.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 2:03:24
“Councillor Gray. Councillor Schwan, just for first, that was an excellent lighting presentation. I do know there are grants. Is that for exterior lighting only, so it would be on your balconies? I mean, this wouldn't address any of the interior lighting in those condos.”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 2:03:42
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 2:11:18
“Yeah, I was in the minority that was trying to hang on to the meeting time because we programmed people to come at 6 o'clock after work, but I respect the decision of the council. I'm very apprehensive about the Zoom strategy because that means any number of people that are not residents could get on Zoom and cloud the conversation, whether it was a national shark presentation and they all wanted to get in line, So the residents come in here and speak. And obviously we have people that are not residents that are welcome to come here and speak, but I think we're opening ourselves up to a lot…”
City Council · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 13:43
“Thank you. Counselor Gray. Well, he knocked off one of my questions. Comparative fiscal or the nine-month period, we don't show the last year comparative period. Is there the hope in future periods that we're going to show the nine-month that we could see how the prior year's comparative?”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 35:58
“I'm not going to forget anybody. Thank you.”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 39:18
“Councilor Gray? Thank you. I loved your report, and I believe there's a special place in heaven for hockey moms and people that save lives. So I loved seeing your report that Diana had actually pulled something off on a CPR, and there's a special place in heaven for you. Thank you for doing that.”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 49:52
“Councillor Gray. Thank you, I did have some questions on the management report, but since Councilor Goler mentioned my name in conjunction with this bond, I do have some comments. First, financing the city correctly is as serious as a heart attack. And getting the right information mapped out correctly is essential. I do have a, hopefully an opinion piece going into the paper this week, which now has been triggered. I've been asked by a number of Marco Island residents if the transportation bond referendum does not pass, how we will pay for the repairs that are needed. It is a fair and…”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 1:02:18
“I attended the planning board meeting, and I did two drive-bys. Thank you, Alan.”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 1:08:11
“Councillor Gray. Chief, thank you. Great work. I just wanted to compliment you on cleaning up two things in this ordinance. One, you're instituting payment deadlines. You're instituting an enforcement mechanism for unpaid fees. These are the types of disciplines that are in our best interest. Can we charge interest after the 45-day period? So you've got two windows there, but you have your enforcement and your execution, but I'd love to know if gets dragged out if we have the right to charge interest.”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026
- Play at 1:08:59
“So what would it take if, under fair conditions, we were allowed to charge interest on past due violations of a certain period?”
City Council · Aug 3, 2026