City Council - Regular Meeting

You got to have something. October is going to offer our prayer tonight. Let us pray. Holy Father, we do bless your name. We give you all the praise, all the honor, and all the glory, and we bless you for this meeting this afternoon. Holy Spirit, we invite your presence in here today. We pray that everything will be done decent and in order. And we pray, Father God, that whatever is presented for consideration will be taken to heart, prayed over, and allow you to work through it. So, we just bless you for everybody that's here. We give you glory, honor and praise for a successful and a productive meeting in Jesus name. To the flag of the United States of America and to the stand nation under God, indivisible with liberty and for

here Landry here. have a motion to approve items on the consent legend read by it. Motion have a second bronze. Yes. Hampton Landry. Yes.

Okay. At this time, if you are here and would like to speak to the council and you're not on the agenda, you're welcome to come to the podium and state your name and your address and what you have to report. If you're on the agenda, we'll come at the proper time. See no one. I'll move on. Do we have any bids or RFQS to present tonight?

Yes, I need to add one of them. We have an RFQ or RF say RQ for engineering and we have two bids for the Warner list station.

I'll do the Warner lift station first. Currently, I'm opening the sealed bids for Warner list improvements. I'll only be reading out the vendor and amount of bid. There will be no discussion at this time about any bids that is being open. These bids will be given back to the purchasing agent, then to the department which the seal bid is for. The city reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The city reserves the right to select the bidder, wave any informalities or to accept the bid deemed to be in the best interest of the city. Any errors in bid submissions are the responsibility of the bidder. First one is from RPI underground heat. Well, please That was it. The list station's 1,98,084. The motor control system is $264,12368.

Second one was a Royal American Construction. Warner lift station 1,319,63. The odor control system was $313,96. the second um RFQ. Currently, I'm opening up the sealed RFQS for CDBG DR engineering services. I will only be reading out the vendor. There will be no discussion at the time about the RFQ that is being open. This RFQ will be given back to the purchasing agent and then to the department for which the RFQ is formed. City reserves the right to reject any RFQ. The city reserve the right to select the confirm wave any informality or accept this RSQ deemed to be in the best interest of the city. Any errors in submissions are the responsibility of bonding. There was only one y'all remember right? We had to redo this. There was only one the first time and commerce wanted us to put it back out for bid. We got the same going back from our Dura. There's no reason to really back.

Okay. If you are in agreement, I would say let's move forward with the one selected so we can get started on these projects. Consequently, Cap have to rank them like we did with the eight grant admin.

And all of these funds will come from grant. This is specifically for the CDBG DR. It's the three projects totaling 25 million I think 24 and a half. But if somebody make a motion to move forward with our as engineer for these three projects and he started with a get a contract together what's the motion to enter them

to enter contract negotiations with our for the CWDR are engineering services. Okay. Up from Brian. Yes. Up from Hampton. Yes. Up from Woodball. Vice Mayor Landry.

Yes. Share. I we'll move on item 6A, Bob Kate to present the DCDA update and the council to take any action deemed necessary. Thank you. What I'd like to do is what a continuation of what we began over 20 months ago when I committed I would never let y'all go without knowing what we're working on. TCDA by providing routine quarterly updates and I want to do that tonight. As always, this is a interaction and not just a presentation. If you have questions, feel free to stop me and ask or wait till the end. Any input or advice, I always welcome it.

Help. We can't hear. Can we turn the mic up a little bit? I have to speak more directly into it. It's not a universal. Okay. tell my wife that I don't talk loud. Hello. You probably just have to speak more directly. Okay, I will. Okay, thank you. Thank you.

Update and I'm about to give it. Please feel free to ask questions or share any insight you have. First, I just don't ever want the city council to be in the dark about what we're doing, what we're working on, and where we're focused. Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to go through my next slide, the agenda, and tell you what we're going to talk about. Then we'll talk about it then and and make it happen to be on the select USA meeting that I was at Washington last week and doing an overview of our 2.0 submissions. So you all have been actively involved with that. I want to cover some relevant project. We had a meeting today from the from the shrop probably got you can find out what they're thinking about you. as I was saying EJ was here today at Florida Commerce is in charge of rural economic development for existing businesses helping them to grow and prosper. So he spent three days with us in September and spent all day with us today. I'll tell you about that visit. I want to give you an update on the TCDA director replacement and then if we can make technology work at the end we're going to look at our city of Perry or city of Perry property and and show you the flyby.

As I get started on Select USA today, I want to uh really recognize a group of ladies from our church, Evangel Christian Fellowship. They gathered daily while I was in Washington to pray for me and to pray for Taylor County. So, you're going to hear.

So, there were 5,500 attendees at a conference that I didn't know existed one year ago. This is when I told you a quarter ago I got invited to go to select USA and got to be part of the Florida delegation. All 50 states were represented. Five territories are represented. There were 2,700 international delegates. These are people from foreign nations coming to find out about how to do business or bring business to the USA. There were,00 economic development organization representatives. As you can imagine, Taylor County was not alone. But as I come down, you're going to drill in and see really how this played out. There were over 100 countries there that had companies there looking to invest in the USA. They also for the first time had a and this is why I think I got invited invest in rural America initiative. So this conference has been going on for 15 years. started under President Obama and has continued ever since. But this was the first year they had a special focus on investing in rural America. And so there were only 31 firsttime rural and tribal economic development organizations represented. TCDA was one of them. There were only two from Florida, one from Georgia. So we were in a pretty uh rarified group. Let's look at the next slide. So we were open. I'm going to give you a little bit of an overview. This isn't just a report card report, but it was it's some highlights. It was it it turned out to be something I think Taylor County would always want to be involved in and invested in. So, it's opened by the Secretary of Commerce who said, "Select USA is the front door for foreign investment in the United States. It's not about getting companies to come. It's about helping them to be profitable long term." You know, that's a bit of a paradigm shift for me. I know we want them to come and be profitable.

But I've been you've heard me talk six times and say we just get them to come. Just get them to come. The way we're going to get them to come is show them that if you come to Taylor County, you can be profitable. We have the people, we have the utilities, we have the infrastructure, we have the training available and we have the land available to make you successful. You should come to Taylor County. And I I really embraced that. To give you a sense, if we look at the next several slides, we'll go in order. Nine separate governors spoke at this conference. So, in four days, we heard from two secretaries, labor secretary and commerce secretary, word from the US EPA administrator and nine governors. And I've just picked some highlights because I promise you there's never been a governor that only spoke one sentence. So, I don't think that's what happened here. But I did try to draw out some things because at the end I'm going to put some common themes together and I think you'll find that interesting. Governor of New Mexico spoke and said we take a white glove approach to bringing in companies. If you know what that means that means when you've gone on a tour and I toured the Hyundai shipyard in South Korea. Gave us all white gloves. We put them on. Then they challenge you to find something that's dirty or unclean.

So New Mexico says we're so proud of the way we treat incoming business that we take a white glove approach. We know what we're good at. Not good at everything. We're good at logistics, aerospace, defense, energy, and quantum. When you come to New Mexico, they have the needed team already assembled. They already have utilities, tax, legal, permitting. So, you're not saying, "Let me go see if I can find someone to help you." You've already got your team assembled. Provide clear timelines for permitting and power supply. This is something I face. Not saying we don't do well, but that I don't know. enough say, "How many perks do I need? How long will it take to get them and how much will it cost?" Going, you know, I need to be better prepared for that. I need to be better prepared. He said, "There's always gaps, but we work to close them." You look at the next slide, New Jersey spoke. So, you notice this wasn't a Republican conference or a Democratic conference. This was a conference on economic development. Everybody put their what side of the aisle they set on aside. New Jersey said, "Our strengths are speed to market. You come here and we'll have you making money at short order, location, and talent." Of course, location about across the river from Manhattan and talent. And then they have a program there called New Jersey base where locations provide rent free to startup or newer international companies. So, picture how intimidating it can be to be an international company coming to Taylor County. Well, they've got areas where you go and you don't even pay any rent for a year. so that you have you're optimized to be successful. Delaware said we're quick, welcoming, and we have well-trained labor. Oklahoma said we focus on the three Bs, people, power, and permitting. So, think they're again on we'll get you the workers, we'll get you the power you need, and we'll get you the permits you need. Short order. Everybody talks about workforce development. We certainly in

Taylor County do as well. In Oklahoma, all permits are issued in 30 days or they're free. So they they made a commitment in Utah. Utah governor said we focus on family values, workforce, but speed is number one priority. Regarding speed, he said we take a sherper concept. So this be think about people who hike down Mount Everest. Usually a sher goes with them. They do all the heavy lifting so the climber can focus on getting to the side. They say we assign a person to each project and that person will be there from locating their site, permitting their site, constructing their operation and getting them started up. So they have one-stop shopping the entire time. I think that's sometimes three or four years. That's the commitment they made there. So to give an example of the effort they've made, he said uh six years ago it took 242 days to get a gas or oil lease approved. Today it average is 40 days regarding their finding values and this is interesting because it's the only state that pointed this out. He said we know you don't work all the time. So what are you going to do when you're not working? So when you come to Utah you're not going to have any problems answering what that question is with six national parks and he just rattled them off you know but but again you can see everyone's focused on what we're focused on. They're focused on economic development. In North Carolina, the governor spoke and said, "We offer permanent assistance. We're business friendly and you have a research triangle park." You might get locked out here. Nebraska says, "We're friendly. We have the infrastructure you need and the power." Maryland said, "We're understandable and predictable." Said, "We may not be the lowest cost, but we don't have any surprise costs and they're quick." And we said by universities said one in every seven people born in Maryland was born in another nation. So a lot of people talk

about it. We have it in Mississippi. I thought this was interesting because this sounds very Mississippi doesn't. He said we have insane executions. Said when Elon Musk wanted to bring something to Mississippi, he said it from seven months after he announced he was up. That was they said that's how they operate in Mississippi. So I'm going to draw a few common themes from it because they certainly apply to us. Not using them as a teaching point saying we don't do any of this well. But I certainly didn't go to say to be smug and say we do this well. I came to to say how can we be better. Committed support. They put people at the project and they stay with the project. Speed to market. They understand it's not when you come to the county. It's when you start making your product in the county that your bottom line starts seeing the return on your investment. Having a transparent, clear, and understandable process and a focus on workforce development. That's something we're blessed with in Taylor County. I'm going to go to my next slide and I'm going to get to land this plane in Taylor County, but just a few more things. A lot of things on why would anyone invest in the USA? We always focus on what we could do better, what we don't do well. Well, they kept pointing at us, the world regards us as the best place in the world to invest because we have stability, we're democracy, and we have the rule of law. See, if you take or take that for granted trying to do business in some other countries, capital markets operate freely and protection of intellectual property. If you have a patent here, it's honored. May not be honored elsewhere. This is the 15th consecutive year that Select USA had been there and they added up the announcements that have come as a result of these meetings and said 250 billion dollars in foreign direct investment in the United States that

they could directly tie back to the conference. Go to the next slide. Uh the US EPA administrator said, you know, we've been part of the problem in the past. we've been looked at as it's hard to get your permits hard to get EPA to move. They're slow. And he said, "Our focus is also to make it easy on foreign investment." And he said, "Let me give you some examples." He said, "And at EPA, it used to take 8 to 10 years to permit a nuclear reactor, and we all have seen that in our own states as we'd say, well, we'd like to overpaint their permit." He said, "In November of 2025, they permitted a new nuclear reactor in eight days."

Said, "Want to give another example? the Philadelphia shipyard, which is u where all the Liberty ships, not all of them, but a lot of the Liberty ships from World War II nearby Liberty ships. It was kind of the backbone of our Ber marine in World War II and made hundreds of them in a three-year period. And it had just gone kind of nothing. No business there. And Hanlock Company in South Korea bought it two years ago and had seven employees. And now they're making ships there. And they're at 2,000 at 12,000. So, what about Taylor County? Well, while I was there, it's funny. I took 80 business cards. Now, that's enough for 4-day competition. Embarrassed to tell you I ran out three days. But everyone I met, Kurdistan, Usbekiststan, Korea, Algeria, Brazil, France, Wales, Vietnam, Japan, and Turkey. These are companies, not countries. Think about that. I met companies from every one of those. focused on defense, hearing aids, health care, hygiene products. Tell more about that in a minute. Pulp and paper and AI applications. And I'll give you an example. We hear AI and boy, today it's kind of painted good, bad, and ugly. There's a company that is focused on if you just run an auto shop and you were having a problem you can't fix, they're using artificial intelligence to look at that problem. Whereas I've got a Chevrolet Camaro 1994 model that's making a rumble and they're just focused on that one thing that one we're going to be for automotive. this company in South Korea coming to the US looking for a place to come where they can set up that operation now anywhere that's working on that you know you can go I'm having you know my car is making a sweep mine's making a run let's use the artificial intelligence which is tying into all the knowledge around the country that's known on vehicles to help you troubleshoot your problem I thought

that was interesting but that's not what I was there for so let's go to the next slide so um I am actually going to excerpt something. I sent an email to Michelle Curtis. I believe most of you know Michelle and she's the treasurer of the TCA board of directors. But I I got up and I'll read it to you in a minute, but y'all can all read it. I got up on uh got there Sunday night, Monday morning, I met a gentleman from Turkey. We wanted to talk about coming to Taylor County. What do y'all do for a living? He says, "I'm a fourth generation. He speaks English better than I speak Tur." take that. So we have a plant Miami day tissue mill. We convert that tissue into towels, tissue rolls, napkins, you know, different paper grades, make those different products. It's 100% recycled. It's not a P. Don't hear that. And he doesn't want to put a P mill in Taylor County. What he does, they convert those using the equipment his company makes. his company makes the converting equipment that turns big into little BS. He says, "We're in the Miami Dade market now. We're trying to figure out how to get into the North Florida, the Atlanta, Mobile, Jackson location to put a convert."

If it comes, it's going to be great. If it doesn't come, there will be another one we didn't get. But I want to tell you something. If I hadn't been there, we wouldn't know about it. They weren't paying much respon. So I sent Michelle a note that night. So it just kind of captured the emotion. So I I try to read it without getting emotional, but it's like I just want her to know. I do this. I communicate with my board when I travel. Y'all are paying y'all are helping pay about $3,500 for this trip to occur. I want people know there's a return on investment. I said DC update. I met with I put a lot of other things going and off. I met with a Turkish company this morning that wants to open a tissue tile converting business at West Frasier. They would ship in rolls of tissue from the factory in Miami Day and convert them here. They already convert there but are looking to penetrate the Atlanta Jackson mobile markets and need to be closer. Michelle, I send a thank you note to every person that gives me a business card when I get back to my room each evening and use that to attach our TCDA brochure to it. One lady from France wrote me right back and said, "I touch with her at dinner." So then I sent her my thank you note and tax her brochure. She said she'd already reached out to several companies in France that she thought might be interested.

You just never know. Yeah, that's right.

I'm going to move on. Opportunity zone 2.0. You've been involved with it. You uh wrote a letter of support. I appreciate it. The county commissioners wrote us letter support. North Florida economic development wrote letters of support. At the at the end out of the five census tracks from Taylor County, we nominated four of them for projects to make sure that our secretary of commerce and those people that are around him helping him make these decisions. They give it to the governor makes a final decision. But you know Alex Kelly is going to say these are our top priorities. I attached a project to every one of them. So let's just say census track 0501, census track 0503, census track 0506, whatever. But they think that's project blossom or that's project renegade. They're working on these projects with tab county and I want to know they will advantage those areas of our county. Those are projects there that the investor may think like you know I got additional reason to invest my money in Taylor County. So that's where we're at. the balls now in their court. Of course, they had the process last through the end of the year. These will be designated. There'll be lots turned in and 340 approved, but we're asking for four. We're Taylor County. I changed the title. I think I've been giving you my uh list of projects and I did something different this time. And I'm going to tell you, I'd dumped every project off the list if I had heard from them. I don't care if they say they're active. that they can't write an email in 18 months. They're I'm I'm They're not fooling me and I'm not going to try to fool you. So, I took all of them off and I started a new list. These are ones I know are active because I'm in regular communication. So, we've got one, two, three, four, five, six. Is that right? These are six active projects. They're not any holdovers. They're not There's probably six more that they didn't say were not

active, but they're not doing anything. So we've got infrastructure, we've got light industry, we've got aviation, but I want to talk about the woods. I'm going to skip that for a second. We've got defense. So there is a several good things looking at Taylor County right now. Got a call a week ago Thursday. I was on my way to Washington on Saturday. On that Thursday, I got a call from Florida Congress. I was in North Carolina. They said, "We got a project. It's got period written all over it.$800 $800 billion investment, 165 jobs, million tons a year of wood. I don't have to work for it. And I just turned it in. It was due at 5:00 today and I turned it in at 5 till 4.

I have work nights, weekends, and holidays. I don't know if we'll get it, but we're fighting for it. And commerce thinks that we're capable of having it. So this isn't one they throw out say I get all these calls I've never had them say this has got to count in your heart. So it felt really good. I feel really we're off to a good start. They've asked more questions than I've ever had to answer. And I give a shout out to child heart.

I guess y'all know but you call nights weekends holidays. He'll answer. Ejacabar visited today. So I really can't tell you results yet other than to say that we haven't fallen off the radar screen for Florida Commerce. This guy is the response for all the counties local industry development. We met with two sets of local businessmen today who are looking to see what they can do in Taylor County. So non-existing business but you want to create creating new business but they already that's pretty exciting. Then we met with local industries that already growing or expanding and he has just left at 3:30 this afternoon and so we will you know this is a lot of work going on today with a lot of followups but I just don't want you to think that we ever take a break. Now let's see if we can get this queued up. I think you just got to click it again. See if we can watch this. That is not it.

It should double click and is it not did transfer? Didn't care. Anyway, well, I will tell you this. There is a city of Perry ad. City of Perry property has a plan. It's paid for by Duke Energy. Last about two minutes. And I will figure out a way to get it to you if this doesn't work. Apple computer has trouble with

Okay, it worked on mine. I can I tell you that. So, I gave John credit too quick. All right. Well, it's not uh it's not intended to be a black screen, but I don't want to lose any value by describing it to you. It's something we want to see on the other. So in Taylor County and at TCDA and city of Perry on my last slide, we are relentless. This famous quote from Fernand, the commander of the ninth army of France at the Battle of Dear in World War I. You probably heard it, but I think it just captures it's not it's not a negative, it's a positive. By the way, they won the battle of the bar. But they're asking what's he going to do? He said, "My light is hard pressed. My center is yielded. Impossible to maneuver. Situation is excellent." I attack. That's what questions do you have? Bill from have any questions. Okay, the next item on the agenda is council to discuss contract for land on plantation road and council take any actions deemed necessary.

I mean on that

thank you John thank you for all the council members. So we looked through and we did a test well and uh the result for the test wells uh came out good and the production came out good. We met with water management because we don't want to have any hiccups. They came back and they said there are quite a few wells around the area and what they want to do is we have a draw down which means once you s the water out you know it draws down the water and then it recovers after a certain period of time. So they are recommending we do what is called a some isometers on the edge of the property and uh test the well pumping and see what effect it has. Uh this is unusual to have that many in the area but you do uh out of 110 wells in that area within one mile half of them are education half of them are so and all of them are what is called a uh you know suction pump. So that mean can pump 20 ft of water and the water in that area is 18 ft. So there's only small rules. This is out of caution they recommend because we want to take you know before we buy anything you want to have a cautious approach. We want you talk to the paramedic agency. Typically we don't do that part but we had a little bit of all the results in hand. So we went and talk to them today. So our recommendation would be is to do you know have those two we looked at using some other wells which don't have enough time. We want to look at if we can use existing wells which are around the area. Somebody gives us permission. We have our belt. We can you know uh we can

pull the water down 350 gall which has some effect. We want to just test those. Um I'm not sure we're going to get any permission from those because they are very small. So we may have to move those two. Uh this is out of the water district to permit that. They said they required that test. So my recommendation would be if we can get some more time from the seller, we should do those. From the water quality and water standpoint, everything checks out. We have to do treatment which is understandable. Um we just want to make sure that water management district is on board. rather purchase everything and the permanent application is uh many of those uh people are on your water system. You still have your water there. So that's the you know decision we have made who are not tied to your system that's so

are those whales in in the vicinity within 100 within a mile radius within a mile. This don't cost extra to but we have to do it anyways. Regardless, you will do it now or do it later. So, we already had budget. We but we have decided we can use some portion of it. I have to go look at it.

Uh regardless, this required to do it. We do it now. So the question is, you know, you're trying to purchase a property, I'll highly recommend you to negotiate with the buy, you know, seller buy some time. We're going to ask for a three-month extension. If they don't give us that three-month extension, then we'll have to make decision next meeting. We're going to go ahead and purchase it without knowing all the the details. So we'll wait till the next meeting. Yes, we will ask for, you know, John was asking for extension. Hopefully we get on the report. Yes, the report we already I think the report is already sent out

so we have to do treatment. We were ready for it. No, I listen is the Oh, they were sellers. Is there any relationship between the attorney and this individual selling it? I don't know. just happened to have the same name. What do you mean? Former attorney Ray Curtis.

What? You mean the former city attorney Ray Curtis? Yes. Yeah. Okay.

Absolutely. Yes. So, we don't know that. You know what's interesting about this? I don't know who prepared this document. But it's a piece of land and uh we've put $10,000 on it to hold it. And if they find that that piece of land is not suitable, when they do the due diligence, we lose the $10,000. That's real bright. Real bright. We had offer something to hold it for 6 months so we could do the due diligence.

And who is the guy? J. Is it? Who's the guest? It's J. I I signed it on behalf of the city. The city's the buyer. She won't know who the seller. The seller is said

no relation between Ray and Karen Curtis. Confirmed by Ray's mother. better than you. Thank you for your report.

I look forward to doing something next. The next item on the agenda was the long camera. Uh we had hoped to have a representative here to give a presentation, but we don't have one. So, and the chief is not here. So, do we have anybody in the audience that wanted to speak against or speak about the drop camera?

Okay. If not, we'll move on to agenda item B6D. I got a question. Yes, sir. These cameras are already up around and about. Yes, sir. Who authorized that? That's that's a decision of the city council. We haven't bought them. They're just up. That's not the question. If if someone is going to take the responsibility of this council and run it their way, they don't need us and we don't need them. Don't agree.

He never left. He never left. He was just quiet. evil as a kid for me. Um that was the reason I brought to the council is because it's on the year and it's also what this year

I'll look into. Well, I certainly don't have any answer for that. It was something they weren't going to try out. It's not a done deal. Even though the cameras are up, it's not a good deal. I don't even know if they're working yet or not. Yeah, they are working because he said that it actually was instrumental in the return of someone recently.

Yeah. I don't think it was the problem with it being up. I think just the what council want Brian's problem was who gave permission. That's what he said. Well, it should have came before the council.

Yeah. I never real question is how many other tasks are employees including John doing without the council's knowledge or permission. I don't have an answer. So, we're going to we're going to pass on that and we'll look at it hopefully at the next meeting. Let's go on to item 6D. council to discuss the CDBDR grant administration selection and council to take any actions be necessary.

I can't read my s. Oh, that's of the story committee. Yes,

they did a pretty thorough job ring everybody. Based on information, experience, key staff qualifications and experience, proposed approach and project management style, quality of projects and responsible firms references, certified minority womenowned business and proposed fee schedule. I believe all the solutions was the highest rank of the 92 portion of the CDG. Next closest was 75 points. So a pretty big margin for all the solutions. I don't know what we're supposed to do.

You want to go with the highest rank? Just make a motion for enter. I guess I do contract negotiations or just Yeah. in a contract negotiations with the highest rank firm solutions okay need to do anything

someone need to make a motion so I can move forward that you got contact hear motion We have to hire somebody cuz I'm already falling behind on the paperwork. It's built into the grant. Yes, he is. And they have great seating beach experience. George is not once more. Most of

how many gra we have this waste water. Two of these are waste water and one's water. against that. That's where my problem come.

That's I wouldn't worry about that. You need their experience in the CDBT paperwork and all that. Engineers are going to handle the water wastewater side of it. You need CDB admin experience. It doesn't matter what type of project. a recommendation or y had the highest ranking at 92. Second best was 75. I recommended following sir cat's recommendation. What we got them in here to do this for?

What's what's the recommendation to enter contract negotiations with all the solutions? I want to read it. Where is it? Read the RP. I've got some number of forms here scored. Where's the recommendation that committee scored? That's their score. Let's show their total score for each proposal. OJ with overions 53, Optimum Consulting 34, Bay Media 59, Outsourced Ejects 59, Eco Stratus Service 75, DSR 72, all solutions 92, BLOS environmental 54, and final one all moral of seven. John tell when we have a board this information and I'm going to call it the application or was everything given to

everything's gi so we didn't What is the pleasure of this council in dealing with this situation?

What's the situation? whether to offer the contract to OV solutions or not. What? Whether to offer the contract to OV solution or not. They were the ones with a high score. High score doesn't mean the best score. That's why you got to have a recommendation for somebody. It says we going to select circ. That's what that was. Sir's recommendation was all solutions. Did we set up a committee to do the work?

Came here, sat right here in this room and review all of them about 8 hours. We appointed a committee to do the work. We need to accept their recommendations. That's what I would recommend. Motion second recommendation bronze. Yes. Whip.

Yes. By May. Yes. Okay. Item 6. If the council is to discuss the 5-year capital program and the council to take any action being necessary. There's been no changes since the last meeting. still had a question. Why do we have $61,000 for black cameras?

Yeah, that we've already paid. So, I don't understand what's going on. here.

Yeah. Right here. 84. So we haven't paid for this. Have we not paid? We only plan this year. think of what it is.

I may be wrong, but I thought when we discussed these cameras, they were only around the school. Mhm. And now we got them. You're talking about the speed.

That's two different two different issues. Let me know. He's correct. When we discussed cameras, it was never anything about a flop camera. It was always school system. So it looks and what was important but we we don't need to take any action on this fiveyear plan tonight. away here. What John can tell us next week for next time. Okay, let's go on then into six is the ordinance 1060 introduction and first read of the ordinance. I like to move these next three to the next agenda. When board's here, we have a full council to discuss the incentive package. Just a little bit of discussion. I sent y'all email and hope as well. The contract they kind of wrote up was different than the way I understood it in the meeting two weeks ago. So, I understood it. They wanted 10 years start now and it ended in 10 years. in the contract neighborhood of any new phases, a new 10ear period would start. That's not the way I understood it.

Oh, I was making sure I thought I wouldn't lose my mind.

That's just the ordinance to authorize the contract. That's not actual contract 1560. Yeah, I I prepared I prepared it.

I'm okay with it and I want everybody to listen. I think it practice law. Ma'am, back at uh probably ordinance 101, we we told someone we're going to do this for you and they agreed. Here we are now. We say we don't agree anymore. Where do they say they accept that? They don't. And they need to. They got to.

We'll be in more trouble. We get out of Amen. the agreement not well their proposed agreement that Mr. Hart is attached. Um the reason why also he's saying let's take it off of the calendar because nothing should be rescended until there is an agreement. So we're not going to lift what we said that we would go forward with unless there's something the supplement or just something I'm talking about the tax I'm talking about ordinance 10 11

Yes sir. City agreed and whoever these people are, they agreed. They agreed. City agreed to give him a million dollars. That's the facts. A million dollar worth of stuff, 500,000 gallons of water, 500,000 gallons of sewer. I don't know what the gas is. If there's gas, but there is or isn't. There is. There is no gas. No gas.

In the original in the original resolution, there was not in in ordinance 1011 that's addressed in the ordinance you're referring to. There was no gas. But back in 2016, that had been a concern. Here's the one that's got 500,000 gallons of

that was the resolution that was rescended by ordinance 1011. Anyhow, this thing needs to have that whoever they are on here that they accept accept what we're taking away. That's kind of why it never really should have been done by ordinance. So, I don't that's not the proper rule for ordinance. It's just like I went down and bought a car and they took it away just for the heck of it.

They agreed to it verbally when they came here. They agreed to it verbally when they came here. Oh, puffy. they want. Well, this wouldn't be appropriate this time because there hasn't been any agreement

at this time. That's why we're taking off the nothing should be rescended. But the 2022 ordinance that required 344 units for the tax incentive, when the Prospect property owners showed up last meeting, they asked that it be reduced to 160 units to be given a 10-year incentive divided in um by the way the equation is in that agreement. Um, and so that that that was what the presentation was. Corporation. Have they got power to sign for that corporation? They do, but we have not.

Have you got it?

We've not agreed to their terms because we agreed, the council has stated and voted for a 10-year incentive at60 units with proof that they would reinvest in the present phase the amount that they're given in rebate and that they would give an annual report showing that they actually took the amount they reinvested and how they put it back into the phase the agreement and we were told to go back and look at it work on agreement the proposed agreement that then the corporation sent John had it attached to 10 years incentive for every unit that's created beyond behind this. So up to 15 years, which is not what we agreed to. So that's why you're correct. This this um this ordinance 1560 is premature. We have not come up with an agreement to resend anything yet because what they've sent is different than what was agreed to by the count by the city. It is different than what the city agreed to. They're trying to have it where it's based on each unit and that'll be an administrative nightmare. So if they come and say 10 more units

five years from now, they want each. We have to keep up with everything. I'm not concerned about the taxes. I'm concerned about 500,000 gallons of free water and sew that. There's no there's no there's no there is until you take it away. Ordinance 101. Ordinance Ordinance 101 took that away. It rescended the resolution. said the very first

I've been in this for a long time called I have yet to be on the third floor of that courthouse and if somebody doesn't fix these documents with their signature agreeing here we'll all be up there. So, council member And so Brian, so I make sure I understand you feel like whatever terms have been stated in the past, even if there was some ordinance or resolution rescending that, that we need the participating property owner to agree that this term no longer applies, this term no longer applies. You want to make it very clear that there's no expectation that the city will act in any way that's been negotiated in the past.

I want them to agree to it. Bet even though it's been recently you will talk about we will look at that because also what a part of the city what the action the city is also doing is that they've not met any of those requirements. So you all have lowered 344 units to 160 units. So there's been exchange of bargain this change of bargaining because of that and I'm hearing council member Ryan says because and I hope I'm following because of that 20202 ordinance that was that rescended all the previous contracts and the owner even came up here and said we were told to take it or leave it. remember that discussion that there was no necessarily input from what they agreed to.

Then I'm hearing um council member Bryan saying that he wants it or we need to explicitly state that they agree that they are not owed 500,000 this they're not owed this they're not whatever seemed to be sort of languishing out in past actions by the council.

Yeah. Another thing here looking at G incentive package. We're only talking about taxes. Where's the rest of the package? That's the only I mean the only package is the rebate. No, no longer anything attached to the gas utility. They don't even use gas utility appliances in Are you serious? They did not follow that. I did note that when we first started talking about this and that's the incentive to get them here so we can

I don't disagree. The council decided that there was a sense that because they still could make good on building more units and if they reinvested whatever rebate was offered that that would still be something that would serve the public interest. But there's no longer attached any gas utility.

The rating of What does the teacher say? I'm beginning to wonder. I don't know what term to use, but it's like they're trying to mess up with the council, but we're not going for it. They want to change from 15 years. Then they want to uh incentive package discovered every time they complete a unit. Their original agreement was 10 years for 344 apartment buildings. So I mean units

the original I think we need to bring some back in the original resolution that Bob Brown made with them was only tied to 30 units, I believe. Yeah.

So, yeah, I would I agree with Bill a little bit. We promised to miss this first deal and then Taylor Brown went changed it on to 344 units and now we're trying to fix it. Well, because it's been or if they're going to receive and send for 10 years, I think they should at least tell us how many more units we should have been. That's my thing.

15 years a In a way that's shame on us because we should have been watching. Be sure the gas went in that place. If you would if you would have looked up on it on the old internet, you'd have found out who owns that. You won't find out now cuz they took it off.

Well, he died. He died. No. Yes, he did. No, she was here last time and then her husband had died. I didn't say anything about her husband. I was somebody that was the owner. I think what happened back then was it was during the time that co it had all three of the hurricanes. So it kind of risk pretty bad. So I think we took that into consideration. Sorry about

there are there are four sign or there are three significant dates. This first came up when um when city manager Hart said the initial agreement was like 120 units. That was resolution two 2016-20 that was negotiated in November 8th, 2016, four years before co um there was an amount that was promised to them that the city would pay. Then there was a resolution 2017-06 that was negotiated or this the council voted on August 22, 2017. That was another different amount that was that the city was going to pay for these units, including gas and different things back on December 13th. And then there was something that expired in 2016, but that just had to do with entirely all the different business the business incentives that you all created or the city council created. Um and then in 2022 that big resolution or ordinance of 1011 says we are scrapping that previous those 2016 2017 um contracts and agreements. Um and this is how we're going to go forward now with 344 units. Um and that incentive was for 10 years and or that the incentive would continue and they were due to expire if the units were not created next year. I think next May. I don't remember the date.

March. What is it? March.

March. Most likely there's no way that they're going to be able to complete over what is it almost 180 more units by next year. So, we could have just kept what we had and it expired. Um, and what was asked is that given the climate of all the hurricanes and all the slowdown of of the um opportunities for business to recover that they would like a tax incentive without meeting that 344 unit burden. But the the the obligation for the city to pay them certain money, the obligation for there to be gas, utilities, all that seemed to fall by the wayside that when they started actually constructing, when I say it seemed, they created nothing with gas.

They created nothing with gas. And so when they presented at the last meeting, the biggest discussion was whether or not you all would accept at what they currently have, which is 160 units to allow them to start the re rebate. Now, um they they stated it's their intention to build more units, but they could not promise and did and wanted to have that part removed from the agreement that they would complete a phase two. They're looking for funding to be able to justify that. But what they did say um is that they could provide and have been providing fee waiverss, rent concessions. they're reinvesting in the phase one and that whatever rebate they got, they would they would put in the agreement that they're required to basically show and report every year that whatever rebate, whatever money was refunded to them through the rebate that they actually put it in to the building of FA or the the benefit of phase one. They didn't even know like they have rents that start at $1,200 to $1,600 and that that they were giving certain people $400, you know, off for the first four months and different things of that nature. Um, and they said they'll be willing to give an annual accounting of whatever those rebates and reinvestments were. Um, but it was asked several times about the the intentions or the ability to hold them to building more things out. There was no discussion when they were here regarding the gas concessions because again the 160 units have already been created have no gas attachment.

The violation of the contrite right here bill if the if that ordinance that you're talking about original the time has expired on it wouldn't that exonerate us? It's just a safety and yeah, it's expired and you may have to fight your way over it in courthouse. If you agree and they agree, you have a better chance.

Well, verbally they agree, but I guess we need to get when you give water concession to anybody. All what you're giving them is the cost to run that far. When you give somebody concession of gas, you're giving them the cost to operate the department plus the cost of the gas. It can be a big disaster.

Well, they didn't they didn't take our offer on that. So, okay. I don't see anything about a water incentive back in 2022. Oops.

In the 2016 resolution, 500,000 gallons of water areas. I was talking about the most recent the ordinance 101 dealt with gas and a tax rebate bill did not postpone any action on this until the steps you can attempt to get an agreement with them on what we've discussed.

Okay. And then I guess we bring it back and vote on it next time.

Yes. So again to just note basically the 2016 and 2017 terms or agreements are are dead and that they agree that there's no obligations under those agreements. And in agreement 101 that it has been amended to reflect a lower number of houses to receive the tax rebate. Um and that it does it no longer includes a gas utility. It no longer um include a monetary incentive regarding the use of natural gas. So that's what I'm hearing that you want it compiled that every party is in agreement to eat.

We want them to agree that they're not going to hold us to the original. Okay. John, is there anything else that you do you understand what he's asking or what they're asking? And we need to get them to agree to what we agreed on that night when they were here as a 10 years. They're not 15.

I'm a little bit on Bill's side about I don't want to be in the courthouse either on the third floor because in 2016 resolution, the first thing we ever discussed with them, it was a minimum of 120 units. City signed it and said we will do all this stuff and they've met that. We haven't done any of it. John, what what you what you don't understand is during that time to get we didn't know whether we was going to have in our hearts at all. They dropped the ball. The city of Perry did not. So when Taylor us I don't know why you keep going back to the first they did reach it in with the time they were given but that was the one thing to instead of it got here start building that's what the city agreed to on November 2016 and they've done their 160 units and we said a minimum of 20.

But they agreed on the dance with they didn't weren't given a choice. Well, he agreed. They didn't, like he said, they didn't sign that ordinance. We did. We went back on our deal and made it an ordinance and made the deal harder to get. Well, 2016 is is better. But they were here. The owner was here and agreed to it. He was here in the meeting and said he agreed to it. Exactly. on the record. So we need to 2016 done.

We don't ever come up with a new package. They're not getting anything. That's going to sunset in March of 2027. Last meeting we agreed to go to something. I think we need to write back the contract the way we all understood it. It starts this year. It's for 10 years. First five 100%. Last five 75%. If you want to renegotiate something else for the next phase, maybe we'll do that down the road. But this is what we said we're going to do and this is what we're going to do. When when does he send it? You have that? March 27. March 27.

March March of 2027. If any more discussion on this issue, we don't need to do six ch because that's that is in city packaging. I'm not ready to vote on that. um 46H. I guess

I think this correct way to do it. We have a incentive package with them and then we're going to do a resolution to approve that package. Good.

I think this is the more correct way to do it than doing an ordinance how we did in the past. We're going to have a package with them and then we're going to have a resolution to approve that contract pretty much. Okay. Well, let's move on to item six, the ordinance 1059 for public hearing and final read. I need to read that. It just it's an ordinance for the city of council of the city of Terry.

What did I say? Yeah. County Florida amending chapter 50 utilities of the code of ordinances amending sections 50-21 and 50-22 related to utility billing due dates penalties and notice of termination providing for conflicts providing for severability and providing for an effective That's the final reading all that. expect.

This is just changing the due date to the 20th, right? Yes. He was here. Have a motion. Do we have a second? Yes. Hampton? Yes. Woodball? Yes. Landry?

Yes. Item 6J, resolution 10, 2026-9, budget amendment, demolition budget. A resolution of the city council amending the budget of the city of Perry, Florida for the fiscal year October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. We ran out of money in the demolition budget. We have three that are ready to demo right now. I'm asking that we go ahead and try to get one into this budget. We keep making progress. I'm going to try to add more money to the dentation budget for next year. This this just goes ahead and get this demo one that's ready to go out of three we have waiting in the past the council used to be aware or be well informed of what's going on in code enforcement. I know we have homes. I know in my district they should have been down 20 years ago. I'm just wondering how long are we giving this people was on the list now.

Yes. Mo most of the property or all the properties that have been on the demo list. I think they've been six or seven since I've been to the attorney have had well over I mean like multiple years to come into compliance. Um and most of the time they're they're also a structured hazard and it's um the board of adjustment as well as the zoning board or the board of adjustment um agenda that goes out. It does list properties that may there may be a review for demolition um or even in this in the in the case of trailers removal or doing something else with them. And so I guess that's how the notices have been going out regard to the council. Do you all get those agendas? Yeah. And maybe I'm not answering a question. I was just asking but that's what they they've been given years. they've been given years

because there's not really been a lot of action as you remember there for a while there was no code enforcement hearings so no there's they've been given years I can't tell you exactly how many all of them been given but they've been extraordinarily long in situ before they're placed on that list do you have a suggested measure what you want is I would like to know on the education maybe the first sentence notice I I get these questions of why so I'm informed I can better inform my procedures thank you so yeah so you'd like to list of the the homes that have been noted for demolition that they've been given notice and been before the board of adjustments. Correct.

Really? I would like to know when someone is first noticed after you left you. I understand. I'm just trying to uh we so many times that we're bringing back to a couple. It used to be they stayed on the list. It went before the magistrate and she gave them the soap that no all the all the properties that have been dealt with in demolition, they've already had hearings with the code enforcement. So there was no skipping over their initial violations and opportunity to come into compliance. And so because of budget and also there just hadn't been an active pursuit of demolition. They just been there, you know, we have a long we have probably a long list that could be demolished. So what I can do if it would be helpful, we can even ask maybe code enforcement to come to the next meeting or to get on an agenda to explain the demolition process. I know that Mr. heart um has asked me to follow up on some properties that are glaringly troublesome just even um if we need to start making exceptions and looking at foreclosures as well as cleanup and demolition in the city. So um we are trying to come up with a process because usually I don't think there's a rhyme or reason why some properties get demolished and others don't. I just think probably whoever has the highest number of complaints and have like a long history. I mean, there's nothing written in the land development regulations that says this has to be demolished.

We're talking about 2619. Yes, I will offer the motion to fund that at 18,000 rather than six. Let's get them going. You know what the was for the right? Yeah.

Do I have a second? Hold on just a second. Y do that. That's six. He wants to go to 18. It doesn't matter when you do it. You're going to the money's coming from the same place. No matter whether you do it today or six months in the budget, please have the money available. We can go ahead and get done worried about it.

I have a motion, a second. Make it make it 20 so I can cover all three of them. I look a little bit higher than 18 for all three of them. I get 20. I get 20. Sean said we could get 20 instead of 18. Yeah. We have a motion and a second. Counc Hampton, yes. Woodfall, yes. Mayor Landry,

yes. Okay. Item 6K, a resolution number 202620, a budget amendment for the FDOT grant. A resolution of the city council amending the budget of city of period order for the fiscal year October 1, 2025 through September 306. If you look at this first one, Art Street, it's total project funds, local funds, 50,000 state funds. Go to another one.

They mess those that the contracts. There's no local funds in there. They messed it up. The total project is that number plus 50,000. They just didn't Okay. and evolved going to have to have the 50,000 level match. They just didn't get it in their contract, but the the state numbers right motion br Hampton. Yes. C Woodfall. Yes. Landry. Yes.

Item six, the council to discuss. Well, we we just decided to wait on that, but manager evaluates because we don't have them all in yet. So, when we get them in, we'll discuss them. Uh, okay. So, I have item 16 is approval of the minutes amended for April 14th. Motion for regular session. Have a motion. Second. Have a second. Bronze. Yes. Hans. Yes. Woodfall. Yes. Landry.

Yes. approval of the minutes for April the 28th regular session. I have a motion Counc.

Yes. Counc. Yes. Woodfall. Yes. Landry. Yes.

That concludes our items on our agenda. John de Robert anything you want to talk about Smith Lieutenant Smith is retiring from the PD and he's asked to retain his service weapon council normally approves when a officer retires that they can keep their service well I'm sorry I can't hear what you're saying Lieutenant Smith is retiring from the police department and he's requested to keep his service system. The council normally approves. They just keep their their service system. How many years is a service

with us? He had a little over seven all together. He had right at 30. He was with Tampa Police Department for 20 years before he moved north. What do we need to do? Just a consensus that he can keep his service. Thank you. I don't think it needs to be a motion, but just a consensus that he can keep his service.

Anything else? I don't got there. Haven't heard any yes or no. Sorry. Haven't heard anybody say yes or no that he can keep his service pistol. Okay. Somebody has to say yes. Yes. Okay. Yes. How many do we have now?

I'm sorry. She said, "How many do we have now?" The steps. You have anything? No. Any other staff members have anything? M. Do you have anything?

Yeah. Thank everybody for coming. Leaving. your question.