City Council - Regular Meeting

That's your hot. change. March 2026 remind everybody to silence your cell phones. Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. Thank you for the beautiful weather for your watch protection and provision. Thank you for this time to come together make decisions and help the city make the right decisions and decisions of the for nation indivisible. Liberty and justice for all.

Johnson request. Is there anyone here to speak on anything that is not up? number six of resilience by design of Florida scholars learn action. necessary.

Hi, I'm Dr. James from the University of Florida. I'm a landscape architect and I met John Hart then he came to the university to talk a little bit about your city and program that I called our postal resilience design studio that's worked with me small towns and then rural towns mostly the state where this professor to help with resil in this hiring to talk to community members about anything that might be on their minds about where funding is occurring or what impacts economic impacts have come through that we could potentially help from a planning perspective. And our goal is to provide a resilience master plan with some real landscape architectural implements in prior projects. to um either green infrastructure orders to public. We've done economic development programs for small. what the main street programs to do the type of work that programs do and sweeping out stores that might vacant something that either community and doing anything we can to help out with you know the kind of that you have I brought my student Amaya Morgan who has just a few things to say about the program that gave us the money to make this possible for us to individ My name is Memphis and I'm participating in the business owners program which is an interdiciplinary program that supports students to work on projects related to environmental resilience, economic development and wellbeing. Um the program encourages students to apply what we're learning in

the classroom to real world challenges by partnering directly with the community and through this partnership with the city of F. We're hoping to learn from the community while contributing research and support. Thank you. Thank you very much to discuss opportunities if necessary. Okay. Good afternoon. What they are, how they work. They got started after 200 m to address the widening disparity

areas areas. So that opportunity opportunity to census tracks based on census data and also economic data they become eligible for zone local solicified by you got eligibility, we've got domination, and then we've got designation. So, what's the benefit of having an opportunity? So, it's really kind of a type of taxes for five years capital gain that someone pays by selling an asset deferral. You also get a five after five years you get a 10% step up in your basis that you can pay tax on and then pretty much the rule of the program is you also get tax on appreciation that occurs on the investments within opportunity zone. So you get deferral, you get reduction, you get exclusion. Now one of the big benefits of being an opportunity zone right now in the recommendation phase. So we're asking for local input as to which tracks are eligible to be nominated from the local point of view. So, I would just say that we believe that there will be that Taylor County has about eight

census tracks and seven of those look like they'll be eligible to be nominated and also all seven of those are classified as other words based on the definition,000. Why that's important is because in a rural track the investment advantage it's three times the step up instead of the 10% step you get a 30% step up. So it's a great bar it's a great story for rural small towns and rural areas to tell. There's also after the requirement pretty substantial improvement retirement base that's also so instead of making 100% improvement on the asset for the rural area only 50% is required. So the idea is to attract more long-term capital these are the opportunity zone program basically covers the whole country it's not it's not program it's a federal program it's tax policy so essentially it's federal tax policy guided by the state so where we are now recommendation the governor will nominate and the treasur will start our process. We're hoping to get recommendations by April 30th and then the governor will be nominated on July 1. about three months with a potential one month extension and then treasure will actually qualify.

Yes, that's what makes it interesting. Also, it's not a government man. It's private capital of which it's been estimated that maybe United States as much as 6 to10 trillion dollar. So, it's a totally different channel. But what they've done is they build a states in those recommendations and then we take the data. That's what Congress has been goes to the governor's office treasur. So it is it's really it's been federal tax policy if you will with the state guiding the state process and then ultimately too. We have a website.org. If people go to that, we have a link that goes directly to opportunity zones and so it's got a lot more information on this hand. There's two QR codes. The one on the right page and the one on the left and it's electronic form and there's

contact information in it or after the past is the private capital. So it's not the government the government will select the zones but we're not managing the project we're not overseeing the project the data collected by the IRS like I was telling people the IRS actually has to report back to us it's believed that the private capitalist hundreds of billions of dollars in private capital. Why it's interest time which is actually time to tell someone right Yeah. That's true. Yeah.

December 2026 and so forth. But now they come to your appointment and deferral I should say deferral. The reason that's important to you because that all of a sudden instead of just one shot now you've got this growing more steady screen. So they've also added some uh 10 appreciation. We've also got it used to be a hard date on the third by December 31st 2047 to get that 10 year point. Everything is rolling now which basically has to do with city Jackson to present and update on resolution. Thank you for this potential resolution. Over

the last several years, the council has been very supportive doing economic development and uh that side and also our adjacent side that qualifies potentially for hot zone 2.0 and the reason this is important is when we go out and market the property opportunity for businesses. One of the questions I ask is what kind of investment is it investment capital zone 2.0 know fact that you've got an adjustable basis makes great great news when they gain for a longer time and they get more tax benefits out and once they make that investment they get better tax benefits. So this makes investing in the city of county a big focus and that's why we like to have opportunity zone 3.0 available for our census track 953.01 everyone which is yeah because we feel that this is a good property location to have to businesses and this tool that's been offered to us by the good built is let's let's take advantage of it to encourage investment in our community and so that's what the resolution's about is basically to say two guys um support opportunity zone 2.0 that you support designated a census

track that has located south of US 98 down to the Ben River Street. said that section that's that's what composes 9503 and it looks like it qualifies but we have to basically apply Congress and eventually apply to the governation for us to be part of that program. There's only 340 sites. It's going to be a crew this state. That's what you guys can support that I have to say. I would like to see one sidewest.

I was concentrated on questions. Well, I look forward to council discussion necessary. Um, this is the plan. It's the first phase for the same fun infrastructure responders for the next phase complete. So this is the first prioritiz about 35. So project. Cool.

Next one. This is Mercy. Yes.

Yes. You guys ready? This is funding for the fire station. The city $300,000 So those funds are not yet agreement. So CF

$200 through USDS CF disaster fun it's not guaranteed and also $500 USD Yeah. I think discussions about two phase improvements. So the idea fire station it's a lot of other It's going to be reported by an architecture report. So essentially the gist of that is once the has been

vers 25. And that's where I know just reimburse. Okay. All right. It is starting. Express

have property is big enough that's not feasible there with the response time and traffic and stuff like that. So that's perfect place. Yeah.

Uh by Ter County Bank County Bank and the storage center right there. Yeah, it's five acres. That was so nice. God forbid. You can probably double I See the window.

That station be about three times size.

Yes. I know we haven't got the truck yet. Well, I think yes, if we get the station, there will be enough room for a dollar truck also. Working on all kinds of stuff for that tuition policy necessary. There's there's a feedback. He's still finalizing the install and adjustment until we get that done. The only one that there's a feedback issue that you can deal basically reimplemented something we did years past in a new idea. This is something we had years past but it was tabled and never used never brought back in discussions.

It's a

Yes. This is a very If you treat your employees right that's It is getting mercy. I'm going to talk to that.

But the amount is not exhausted. But um I have definitely initial six months. So then if this initial six months and have to do in this 12 months potentially 18 months prior to six months it's about three and a half months and then yeah start eligible to apply for the education incentives after donation but they have to figure that place in the

system. Yes. Well, it's based off what we do as far as that. If someone does not want to take advantage of it, I guess that would be okay for a city council person to sit on that council.

Yeah. That's why it takes one of us that way. Now getting started 42. Yes.

Yes. Motion second. Yes.

Yes. Yes. 96 to discuss order necessary motion. Yes. Yes.

Yes. continue. Any discussion questions? Yes.

Yes. Sorry. That's okay. Take a moment before 39. Yeah, finish this.

Second.

Yes.

Yes. So the geologist around two weeks ago I believe and so you get very hydraulic fls. not um and so there was an additional 15. So then the came out test and determined I think the hydraulics I think we're looking at potential very well So if you additional capacity get a CC See,

as soon as they tell us how much test, So, so far

yeah I would say that construction on the design to make sure So it's still everybody like I said the result since they came TFC. I remember the showers. Yeah. Okay. Council to discuss potential

street damage taken action necessary. 5005. They're saying that's going to bless their name. I understand that correctly. I don't know how except an average password I don't know enough about

no in the court of immigration. So just Yeah. Standing. Don't say it. Yeah. Very good. Six.

Yes.

Yes. Okay. down address. Sure. They're not just We're discussing a short discussion. sound. John

myself if you want John in an I He said yes to discuss concern. that happened. This is So anyway, I just honestly I could just

that I cannot turn understand this. There is an attitude. very I did search for should talk about it. Make sure that's the best.

to spread their students that still has gaps. I tell you, we have to press Dr. I mean they changed them but they have brought up that concern too about those high brought up to them. they have I mean they don't do what they told to do but it was you know so I'm not sure

I said objection to it. I said the next I think there I said something cost I'm talking I said that

was 1936. at this time. I didn't hear the end of what she expected. driving down. Yes, I just ask.

Yes. Done. And I think they were pretty Just very good. Right back.

Um, has any progress on your water? They don't have that she's talking about some of the some of the creeks, but it's not we don't own a lot of these areas too where some of the stuff like street for example the city does not own that section but some of it And inmates do that's something inmates do and they do report when they have inmates but some of it they don't have to do contract contracted always

back the water just with trash. I know I have streets that responsibility, but I think it's just getting worse all the time. It should give me areas because you know my guys they don't like Miss Hampton told me the other day when we tried to get out there do they do go through and pick up as well I can Just

on some of that Dollar General or something.

That's all over the county.

Yeah. I understand. I understand. We are not sure if you my guys been trying to cut back. This that's labor intensive work, but but we're also expected to pick up yard trash. Household. My guys are doing what they can do. Litter pick up. We're fixing to start mowing. They do go through and pick up litter. But we ask the community as well to pick up behind themselves. Don't litter. But we can't pick. I mean, we're doing the best we can with what resources we have. The inmates, we don't get inmates every day. And you know, that's something helping their areas. you know that's we appreciate all the help we can get but my guys that's why I'd like to know the areas where I can take a look and I can try to get inmates on it called the county about um our streets And we don't get inmates every day. He didn't have Monday. He didn't have a Monday. He had for a little while. I mean one person

I' seen various amounts of research on you somebody you can't say they intentionally threw that out. It's an intentional act living. Unless you see them departed on the roadway, it's hard to report.

You got to see them trash bags on the side road find people's names in trash bags. The only thing golf can do is go and set it on their doorstep and say they found their garbage. And as soon as you picked it up the next day, it's right back out there. Somebody started that's different. It's the intent behind you. It's not just somebody did it. What's the intent behind your project?

He can stop him having to pick and I've done that. I'm having to pick a project. That's a response. adopt this string. We can't we the only way that we can have federal police is kind of what you're talking about at times of emergency and the city manager can declare it but litter is not a natural disaster either service that people were doing to pick up but that was people that we found violating city ordinances and instead of being sentenced to jail or paying fines they were sentenced to do When I named it all changes to happen, you remember when they had changed bill when when the city had to stop prosecutions that two early 2000s. So we can no longer take city ordinances for the judge to have them adjudicated to do that. But then you also have to ask them supervise the community service members as well. you're investing that somebody needs to do that

and we can't we can't have somebody volunteer or supervis that the crux to that was for the law change to happen where the city has to pay for prosecution now of any law this order if it's a state cost.

Well, it all boils down to the people in the community needs to take care of their own stuff. Secure the trash in the back of their truck, take in their their community, not throw it out the window. I mean, we've been dealing with it since we've had that that contract four years now. I mean, before we we pick up trash before we can get there to mow it the next day, trash is all over the place again already. I mean, that's bad.

My guys are fixing to start mowing. It will take them days. They pick up litter before they start and they can get mad and before they even finish the neighborhood, they're litter back. We do the best we can do. So, but I'll be glad if you call me with the street or text me with the street. That's bad for the guy to get a guy to pick up that area. I have to know about it.

Put all the garbage out. the sector that during the summer they just want to steal on this. That's the issue. They just want to stay out there and talk to my guys about it and don't think that's a good idea. But to put onewhere.

What I did, what I did see is I saw people without trash accounts using those trash and that's what I saw. Yes. No, they should be paying their own way. The same reason that Goodwill will not allow you to dump in their country, they have to

pay one. I know that he sign the traffic short. behind the street. So you want us to put a street on this behind one. See

I just said Yeah. I had went

they're not active that's doing implementation and install phase now. Okay. There's a couple cameras that are there installed but it's not live yet. Okay. Some guy approached the town to get a phone with them. So I didn't know if it's going to go. Yeah. We we had a contract with red speed. Okay. Council approved it. Yeah, I know we do, but I didn't know that too were going on. So, so the city has control over everywhere in the city. And the contract is for areas that we had surveys done that fit the program needs. Okay. So, and we have contract for those areas to be monitored by those. How would that is not in?

Well, not all of it. There's a small portion of the school.

The the main portion of it is in the county. outside what you done. There you go. I see her in her life. No way. It was a shot. It's just not enough. that railroad stuff.

Write it down here. It's this woman over who went to the house but to the And I got I remember this. I got two things I want to find out somebody

pretty I think that's a discussion. I know that And one other thing to me a couple times is probably St. I don't know if you remember back for that very reason.

Nobody ever came to know. Yeah, I know. I understand. Anybody has anything