City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon. Welcome to the City Council of the City of Port St. Lucie. Today is Monday, June 8th, 2026. It is now 1 p.m. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilwoman Morgan. Yes, ma'am. Councilman Pickett.

Yes, ma'am.

Councilman Bonner.

Yes, ma'am.

Vice Mayor Karbala. Here, ma'am. Please let the record reflect that Mayor Martin is not present.

If I could please have everyone stand for the invocation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Almighty God in heaven, we ask thy blessings upon those gathered here this afternoon and upon all of the citizens of Port St. Lucie. Look with favor on our leaders and give them the insights, the wisdom, and the patience to deal with the problems and tasks coming before them. Please bless their work and their deliberations. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, we're on to proclamations and special presentations. We have a first proclamation, and this is for Juneteenth. Whereas Juneteenth celebrates annually on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the last enslaved African American that the Civil War has ended and they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. And whereas Juneteenth represents an important milestone in American history, honoring the end of slavery and celebrating the rich cultural heritage, resilience, and contribution of African Americans, and whereas Juneteenth is a day to reflect the ongoing pursuit of freedom, equality, and justice for all, and it serves as an opportunity to educate, engage, and inspire our community toward a more inclusive and equitable future. And whereas the city of Port St. Lucie, a city for all people, proudly recognizes the diversity of its residents and affirms its commitment to fostering a welcoming community that honors the dignity and contributions of every individual. And whereas by commemorating Juneteenth, We reaffirm our dedication to the principles of liberty, equality, and opportunity ideals that strengthen the fabric of our city and nation. Now, therefore, I, on behalf of Shannon M. Martin, Mayor of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2026 to be observed as Juneteenth. And we encourage all residents to honor this historic day through reflection, education, and participation in the upcoming Juneteenth events and celebrations. and who would be receiving this proclamation. Thank you. Whenever you're ready. Would you like to start with a photo? Did you want to say something first?

Yes, I did want to. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Salome Angrand, I am the special events project manager and also the organizer for the Juneteenth event. city's Juneteenth event a city of celebration of unity I also want to recognize the members behind me that are also doing the Juneteenth event that the city is sponsoring so we have here members of the Brotherhood Clyde Isley Cliff Montero, George Knox, and we also have members of the Boys and Girls Club here, Will Armstead, plus his team, and Dr. Chancellor Howell as well, who's also be putting on our Juneteenth events. See, I know him as Gunny. I don't know him as... And so just to recap the events that will be happening in the city on June 13th on Saturday will be the 5K walk run that will be done by the Treasure Coast Black Chamber of Commerce. And that will be at Clover Park. The run will start at 7 a.m. Registration will open at 6 a.m. Our city's Juneteenth event will be happening on Friday, June 19th from 5 to 7.30 at Mid-Florida Event Center. That event shall be... We'll be having it in Florida. It will be a celebration of unity. We will have education, entertainment, community outreach, and a special tribute to Opal Lee, which is considered the grandmother of Juneteenth. And last, but certainly not least, will be Saturday, June 15th. 20th, which will be the Boys and Girls Club event of Freedom Forward, which will be an event at Tradition from 6 p.m. to 9, which will have music, arts, and vendors. So something for everybody. Thank you.

Ready for a picture? Sure. Council, would you like to come down?

All right, right up here, we'll take a couple. There is going to be a flash. Here we go.

Three, two, one. All right, one more. Three, two, one. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

We have one more proclamation and that is for LGBTQ plus Pride Month. Whereas the city of Port St. Lucie accepts and welcomes people of diverse backgrounds and believes a diverse population leads to more vibrant community and whereas Our city supports the rights of every citizen to experience equality and freedom from discrimination. And whereas the month of June is commonly celebrated and recognized throughout the nation as LGBTQ plus Pride Month. And whereas we must encourage relevant and vital conversations about what it means to love each other, understand our differences, and support our LGBTQ plus friends and family members. And whereas we can strengthen resiliency in the LGBTQ plus community through family and community inclusion by providing our support, respect, understanding, friendship and access to help. And whereas in the city of Port St. Lucie, we strive to sustain a culture of hope, love for all people, understanding and respect by celebrating our common humanity. And whereas we should all strive to be more inclusive and accepting of the LGBTQ plus members of our community. Now, therefore, I, on behalf of Shannon M. Martin, Mayor of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2026 to be observed as LGBTQ Plus Pride Month. And today I have PJ Ashley in the sanctuary here to accept this. Please come forward. Carl, you would like to say a few words? Please go ahead.

Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you, City Council. On behalf of the Sanctuary of the Treasure Coast, I'm Carl Bridges. I'm the community affairs liaison with the group. PJ is our president with the LGBTQ caucus and different members of our community here also to accept it here. We just thank you for your accepting us, and that's all we want, to be part of the community, be able to be part of the family, and just be able to live our lives the way we need to be.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Come this way a little bit, just so we're not in behind them. All right, right up here. No flashes time. Here we go.

Three, two, one. Take one more. Three, two, one. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right, and we do have one presentation this afternoon. It's number 4C. We're going to hear an update from the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County, an announcement of Enrique Rosario Liz as the winner of the Boys and Girls Club 2026 Florida Youth of the Year. And he's also a valedictorian of Port St. Lucie High School. Go Jags. So... Before you get started, I'm very proud of this young man. I've gotten to spend a lot of time over the years with him, and I'm excited about hearing his speech. Can't be more than glad to be able to hear what you got for us today, Mr. Rosario. And with that, Mr. Armstead, the floor is yours.

I don't know why you gave me a clicker here.

You can figure it out. I know you can.

Hold on. Hold on. See, the goal is not to know how to do it. Come on. All right, that's not what we're going to do. So I was thinking, because I like to talk, as everyone knows. If you don't know, now you know. But this is the most important slide, so I decided that I wasn't going to be up here 25 minutes, because the city manager said you better not be up there for more than a time allotted. But I do want to share that St. Lucie County needs club kids, and club kids need you. And real quickly, I wanna share with everyone that our mission is simple, is to enable all young people, especially those who need us the most to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. um i wanted to share that uh throughout the school year we're in 30 locations 16 of those locations are right here in port st lucie we've had a mobile club in port st lucie over the last i want to say five years where we've served thousands and thousands of families children and families of all ages i want to say the numbers about 16 000 over those five years We serve about a million meals, snacks, and in our pantries annually. And we've been in business in St. Lucie for 32 years. Our core programs include academic success, our workforce program, character and leadership, the arts and healthy lifestyles. And I want to share right now with you that this is a record year for us as we have nearly 500 teenagers at one of our clubs this summer. And that's not an easy task to have 500 13, 14 to 18 year olds in our clubs. But we have a group of teenagers, 61 to be exact, with the partnership with TCC and St. Lucie Public Schools. where they'll be going through a seven week internship, real world experience, $15 an hour jobs. for about 30 hours a week. And they get to come back to our Boys and Girls Clubs and get to tell us and talk to us through what their experiences was. And I'm thankful to have 50 great organizations, companies that are working with us in order to make that happen. So I do think, personally, they deserve a hand clap because it is a little tough working with teams. I also want to recognize Shawn Mitchell, a past county commissioner who I hired a few years ago to really help us with our workforce programs. And the last couple of years, he put on a pre-apprenticeship program. And this will be our second cohort where 32 teens were able to receive some certifications, some national certifications. They went through 144 hours of training. And so it's a big deal. We're getting kids ready for the future. I did talk a little bit about the mobile club, but I think you guys are tired of hearing about me, or hearing what I have to say. But I do want to recognize Enrique. Number one, he is the three-time city or county winner for Boys and Girls Clubs. And it's a stiff competition. And this year, he took the state title as the Youth of the Year. And because I know this is being recorded, I do want to say that he kicked, and I'll be nice about it, but Martin County's bud, and he kicked Indian River's bud, and he kicked Broward and Orlando and Tampa and all those other places out there. So I'm really proud of what his accomplishments have been over these years. And this week, he's headed to Atlanta. for the regional competition. And so let's see what happens. But without further ado, I want to invite Enrique to speak.

Thank you City Council and thank you Mr. Will for that amazing introduction. As Mr. Will mentioned I stand here today as the Florida State Youth of the Year for the Boys and Girls Club and I am leaving tomorrow to Atlanta for the regional presentation and now I was planning on sparing you guys my Youth of the Year speech because I'm sure you guys have heard me time and time again unless you guys want to hear that.

So it's up to you. Do you want to practice a little bit before you hit Atlanta?

I think he needs to perform it. You think so?

Council, do we agree? Let's do it.

Go ahead. For time's sakes, this might be the last time that I will stand in front of you guys.

The reason I say that, excuse me, Enrique, is because if you've never heard this young man speak, he is phenomenal. public speaker. That's why I want him to say this speech. Go ahead.

Let's go. Absolutely. So this is the official Youth of the Year speech that I will be presenting to the regional judges on Thursday. So I also ask you to keep me in your prayers throughout this week as I go up there to compete. Is that good? Yep. Alrighty. 10 minutes. The walk from my house to my club is 10 minutes. From the road, you can see those blue club doors like a sign that you're going right where you belong. Before I take each and every one of you through those doors, let's take a step back to almost 10 years ago when I first earned the title of immigrant. After moving to the US, I quickly felt like I was different. I was standing in a sea of kids who spoke perfect English, instantly connecting with their friends while I had none. I felt alone, excluded, forgotten. No words, not English, not Spanish, could ever explain that feeling. As I grew up, that feeling grew with me, seeping into every aspect of my life. I wanted to be perfect. I wanted to lose my Hispanic name. I stopped speaking Spanish. Most of all, I craved academic validation, and the pressure to ace every exam, excel in every class, and be better than everyone else was overwhelming my life. became a competition and I needed to win. I was 12 years old when I first walked through those blue club doors. Months before that, I had been diagnosed with a mild anxiety disorder and intrusive thoughts. Finally, I had a name for that feeling of always needing to be more. Working with my anxiety, I was ready to take the next step and so I walked to those blue club doors. The club was my lighthouse. After years of being in the dark, it became my community. It's through Keystone that I strengthened my leadership skills and become active in my community. It's through voices and the support of my club staff that I've reconnected with who I am. That 12-year-old is now his school's valedictorian and a proud future Gator at the University of Florida. Go Gators. Now I have my very own Spanish program at my club where, yes, I teach Spanish, but I also get to create a safe space for the next generation of club kids. And when I look at the over 40 students that I've taught, I don't just see their potential. I see an eight-year-old me, proud to know that I am sharing the language and the culture that I was once so ashamed of. So... 10 minutes. Sometimes exactly what we need is only 10 minutes away. For me, that was my club, the community that gave me an opportunity to be a kid, a club kid. For the millions of immigrant youth like me, I want them to have the same opportunities to just be kids. And that starts with educational resources, caring educators, a community, a country that cares. Just like I am now so proud to say, I want every child to be proud of exactly who they are. Thank you.

You never cease to not impress. And I've shared this with you. My parents, obviously, are immigrants. And I was born in this country. But what also is in your speech, and I don't know if others can relate, is there's so much pressure on us as immigrant children. When my parents came to this country, not only do you live in the land of the free you live in the land of the free and we expect you to achieve greatness there was no you know i can just halfway do something today it was always impressive and still on top of the pressures of just trying to fit in you're also dealing with the home pressures as well and i love you mom and dad at home um for pushing me so hard but i know that you've been pushed very hard i know your father very well You've made your family proud no matter what the outcome is. I'm sure you're going to win regionals. I'm not surprised he kicked everyone else's butt, Will. I mean, come on.

I got a few more names.

But then on to nationals and then to win that. Council, do you have any comments you'd like to add? Councilman Pickett.

Excellent job, as always. And you chose the right college. I know. But I want to touch on something that Will brought up. And I wasn't aware of it until the other day when I spoke with Shawn Mitchell. They're doing amazing things for the youth in our city. They're helping them get job experience. Y'all think about when you got out of high school or while you were in high school trying to get a job, what was your toughest obstacle to overcome? Experience. People didn't want to hire you because you didn't have experience. But that's what the Boys and Girls Club is doing for these kids, giving them that much needed experience where they can put it on their job application and put it on their resume and help them open other doors to them. So fantastic. Fantastic job, Sean. Fantastic job, Will. Thank you very much.

Councilman Morgan? Well, I was looking up a quote. I'm just going to wing it. I know there's a quote out there. It's like, reach for the moon. Even if you fail, you're still among the stars. Yes. I hope I got that right. I love stars. So you are a star. And I will have to say, you speak better English than a lot of people I know. So you keep doing what you're doing. Congrats. Best of luck. You don't need it. You've got this. Congrats. Councilman Bonham?

So first, Councilman Morgan, that's Michelangelo. So you can look that up later. But no, Enrique, you do, I mean, everywhere I go, you are. I do a lot of stuff with youth of the community. I'm a young Floridian judge. There's Enrique in the room. I'm interviewing him. Surprise, surprise. He's kicking everyone's butt there, too. So, you know, you're doing a great job. You're an inspiration to your peers. You're persistent. And you took home the big title, you know, and you didn't quit. You didn't quit during your story that you tell us about in your speech. You didn't quit to get the state title. And I know you're not going to quit on all those other goals you have. And so I'm excited to see what you do. Thanks.

Thank you. Thank you.

I just need 20 more minutes. I don't know, Will. But I do want to say that Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County has had the title three of the last five years. And the reason why we had it the last three to five years is because of you all, because of the support that we get. Jesus, we talk often. And probably I text you early. You text me early. I appreciate you. I appreciate the support that you give us. I appreciate the mayor. what she's doing for us and all the council i appreciate uh stephanie you've been on our board for a long time back in the day i appreciate that and i appreciate you council member pickett for the same thing of spending time as a board member but i i just appreciate what the community as a whole is doing, because that's what's important. If we want to see more Rikers, we need more participation in a positive way. So I recommend that you guys keep doing what you're doing and let's move forward. Thank you guys.

Thank you. So Councilman Morgan, you were doing your farewell tour. How many years did you spend on the Boys and Girls Club board? I know you spent a long time. Well, thank you for your service. You've created a lot of Enrique's out there, so. So on to 4D, the City of Port St. Lucie's Public Works Department earns a seventh reaccreditation by the American Public Works Association. And I see Mr. Schwartz approaching us now.

Good afternoon, City Council, City Manager's Office, all the residents in the town. Man, that's going to be a hard act to follow. We should have been up one or two in the schedules here.

I expect a speech as eloquent as Mr. Enrique over there.

Going to have to put that together real quick here. But one thing I do want to point out is, as you're aware, we were going through the reaccreditation process with American Public Works Association. And to give you a little snippet on that, out of the practices that APWA oversees, your city participates in 317 of them just for your public works department. Now, the utility systems department, they also are part of APWA and accredited, and they make up even more. So out of these 317 practices, the APWA... Rigorously reviewed 101 of those practices and out of that we came out for the first time that I can recall being a fellow works member 100% full compliance for a PWA accreditation. So this marks 25 consecutive years that your department has been accredited. We were the first in the state with this accreditation and eighth in the entire country, which now they have opened that up and it's not just America Polar Works Association. It is an international, so you can also say we were eighth in the entire world. So out of those 317 practices, just to kind of give you some numbers here, we have over 200 miles of canals that we maintain, over 1,200 miles of swales, over 6,700 culverts, 195 stormwater control structures. And I know you all have heard this one a lot. 924 centerline miles of pavement roadway. And for those that may not know, centerline is just the middle of the right-of-way. When you look at the total number of lanes, we have 1,988 total miles of lanes. That gets you from Key West up to Main. And we could go on and on with the amount of different infrastructure, 30,000 plus signs. One thing that I really want to say is, This wouldn't be accomplished without the help of your Public Works staff, but also the rest of the departments. One comment that the APWA national team made when we were going through this accreditation is when they were asking for additional information, how organized we were. And that would be getting information from HR, getting information from risk management. They said they've never seen a team respond as quickly as we had to. And also a big special thanks to Ms. Valerie Delgado in the back. She was our APWA accreditation manager. keeping us moving keeping us motivated and so without further ado we do have the plaque here this is the original 2001 accreditation and we update it every time we get a accreditation every four years and then because of this the national president did want to record a video and i'd like to play that if i can sure and then did you want the council to come down for a picture after yes please

Good day. My name is Vic Bionis, your American Public Works National President. A little bit about APWA. We have a membership of 31,000 representing a workforce of 500,000. It is a true honor to join you in recognizing an exceptional accomplishment. The City of Port St. Lucie Public Works Department in Florida. The Public Works Department provides maintenance of roads and bridges stormwater management, traffic operations, and landscaping. Today, we celebrate the successful reaccreditation by the American Public Works Association for a leader in stewardship, a leader in public works. The APWA Accreditation Program is a rigorous process that recognizes public works agencies that go above and beyond in their operations and management. It confirms that the city not only meets but exceeds national recognized public works best practices. It demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement, high ethical standards, and accountability to the public who serve. You know, it begins with a self-assessment. We evaluate policies, procedures, and practices against APWA's 110 best practice criteria. APWA evaluators who evaluate department are industry professionals other accredited agencies, I'm proud to report that your department achieved 100% rating and is in full compliance of all applicable practices. You know, the department celebrates 25 years of continuous accreditation, a milestone that speaks to a long standing commitment to excellence. Even more impressive, the city was the first agency in Florida to achieve accreditation, leading others in the state to follow. Truly, truly outstanding. So what does it mean to be accredited? It enhances your credibility and reputation. It communicates to stakeholders, customers, and the public that you are nationally recognized to utilize the best practices and standards. It drives continuous improvement. The process ensures you update and find your practices, keeping up current with industry changes and operational efficiencies. It attracts and retains top talent. high-performing professionals want to be part of your organization that is committed to excellence and recognized as an industry leader. This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work and professionalism of your entire project team. I'd like to acknowledge the support of Mayor Shannon Martin, City Manager Jesus Marejo for their leadership in the pursuit of excellence and congratulations to Colt Schwartz. Public Works Director, and your Accreditation Manager, Valerie Delgado, for your dedication and achievement. On behalf of APWA, congratulations to the Board of St. Lucie for being accredited. You are truly an outstanding Public Works agency. Well done.

you guys are an amazing team i mean we do have it's i'm not none of us are surprised about the accreditation um as far as centerline miles i love i love how you talk about how many miles we have but the question too is in comparison to other cities out of the 411 how unique is that that we pretty much control all our roads we are essentially one of the only ones that control all the roads they are not used to seeing so much infrastructure that one department has to maintain

And along those lines, this speaks to how well your staff does and how efficient and lean and mean we are. We have 115 employees for all this infrastructure. Same number of employees that we had in 2008. So we are doing some data-driven, efficient processes here, and I'm just glad to be part of this family here.

I appreciate that, Colt, very much. Thank you. Council, you would like to go down and take a picture? Mr. City Manager, you should come down, too.

Thank you.

All right, right up here at me. We'll take a couple. Three, two, one. And we'll do one more. Three, two, one. Thank you. Thank you.

We're on to public to be heard. This is your opportunity to speak to the Council on issues that are non-agenda related for three minutes. We ask that you provide your name and your address for the record. And with that, we'll go ahead and begin. We have one card, Yvonne Weinstein. Welcome, Miss Weinstein. Thank you. You might want to pull the mic down just a little bit because it's a little high.

Thank you. I would like to address some issues that I'm having with the Fort St. Lucie Police Department. For the past four years, I've been arrested, humiliated, followed, threatened, and intimidated by the police. I have lived in Fort St. Lucie for 25 years, and I've been treated like an offender, and that I don't belong here. My neighbors are getting away with murder and lies, and they keep trying to get something on me and keep calling the police to report me. I don't even get the courtesy of being told which neighbors are complaining and what they are saying. But I know most, if not all, of the complaints are invalid and fabricated. I don't even get a day that they aren't. staring at me or trying to cause me distress and trouble. The police make it worse by allowing the neighbors to get away with all their foolishness. And that makes the situation worse for me. Mr. Vandegrift, my next door neighbor, has five or six cameras on me. And as soon as I leave the house, he calls the police to follow me around. I take the police outside and inside places where I go shopping and dining. I don't ever get a break from this harassment. and stalking can you please help me with all these noises may i continue in addition mr vandergrift in november 2025 was watching me backing out of my driveway and as soon as i entered the street he got into his truck with his trailer attached to it and suddenly a fast drove by me I thought for sure I would be injured or dead from him. I reported this incident to the police and they decided before they even came to my house to see the video footage I had waiting for them that he would be excused from any wrongdoing. The police told me that Mr. Vandegrift was about to mow his grass because they saw a lawnmower on his driveway. I continued to watch the video. Mr. Vandergriff never mowed his lawn. In fact, Mr. Vandergriff went ahead and put his lawnmower in his trailer and didn't even attempt to mow his grass. I called several times to talk to the police officer. I left messages for him to call me, and the police officer never called me back or cited Mr. Vandergriff for harassment because that's the least thing he could have done. This is an example of how one-sided the situation is between the police, the neighbors, and me.

Thank you, Ms. Weinstein. I appreciate the comments. And if you'd like, we'll address them once you have a seat. Because we can't go back and forth. Pardon me? Well, thank you very much for coming. Thank you. Thank you. So that's the only card I had to speak. Is there any other member of the public that would like to address the council at this time? Seeing no one move forward, I'll go ahead and close public to be heard. Council, any comments? Mr. City Manager, I do have her card here. If you would be able to reach out to Ms. Weinstein and be able to document what's happening. And then also, Ms. Weinstein, as you exit later on today, in the back right-hand corner of the room is our police chief. He's also back there. He's heard all your comments, and I'm sure he would like to speak to you further. whenever you're able to get back there. The police chief for the city is in the back right-hand corner behind you, ma'am. And he heard all of your comments, and I'm sure he'd like to speak with you as well once you're ready to go back there and speak with him. And if you need anything, please reach out to us. Thank you. Thank you very much. All right. With that, we're going to move on to additions and deletions to the agenda and approval of the agenda. If there's not any additions and deletions to the agenda, is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Second. Motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Approval of consent agenda. Council, I'll ask with any motion to please include item 7B for separate discussion. Are there any other items? If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve the consent agenda with item number 7B, as in boy, for separate discussion.

Second. Motion and second. Is there any other further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Item 7B, approved sponsorship request from, I hope I'm saying this right, the Fielding Institute for Lifelong Learning at Indian River State College. The applicant would like to approach the council to talk about their item. Would you like to come forward? Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor, Council. My name is Theresa Lacey, and I appreciate you allowing me to speak since I wasn't really included on the agenda today. I just wanted to say a few words about what the Field and Institute is and what we do for the community. And I'm going to break rule number one of public speaking, and I'm going to read from a script. But anyways, I'm here on behalf of the Field and Institute for Lifelong Learning, a peer led educational program that provides seniors with opportunities to continue learning, stay engaged, and build meaningful connections within their community. What makes our program unique is that our instructors, whom we call peer leaders, are volunteers who share their knowledge, skills, and passions with others. They do not need to be professional teachers. Some of our peer leaders are retired professors and educators, but many are professionals and community members with expertise they are eager to share. They include engineers, physicians, pharmacists, scientists, entrepreneurs, technology professionals, musicians, language instructors, artists, lawyers, and countless others. The beauty of the program is that everyone has something to teach and something to learn. Currently, many residents from Port St. Lucie travel approximately 40 minutes to attend our classes and lectures. Their participation demonstrates that there is already a strong interest in lifelong learning within this community. We would like to bring those opportunities closer to home and create a local program that better serves your seniors who may prefer not to travel long distances. To make that happen, we need local peer leaders who are willing to volunteer their time and talents. We are not looking for credentials. We are looking for people with knowledge, experience, hobbies, skills, and enthusiasm to share with others. My request is simple. We are asking the council to help us spread the word through the city's social media channels and communication outlets. By sharing information about our search for volunteer peer leaders, you can help us identify the talented individuals already living in this community who can help build a thriving lifelong learning program here. This initiative requires very little investment but offers tremendous benefits, intellectual stimulation, social engagement, volunteer opportunities, and a stronger sense of community for residents of all backgrounds. We believe Port St. Lucie has the talent, experience, and community spirit needed to make a local field and institute program successful. With your help in reaching potential volunteers, We can bring lifelong learning opportunities directly to the residents who want and need them. Thank you for your time, your consideration and your commitment to serving this community.

Thank you, ma'am. That sounds fantastic. I mean, I'm a lifelong learner myself, and I think that's amazing that you guys are doing that. I think IRSC has the most amazing programs. I wasn't aware of this one, and so I think this is a phenomenal opportunity to let the community know what you guys are doing. So thank you. Thank you. With that, Council, I do need a motion if we would like to approve 7B.

Motion to approve item 7B.

Second. Motion and second. Is there any further discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Your new motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. On to second reading of ordinance, ordinance 26-46. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, authorizing the conveyance of real property lying in the southwest quarter of Section 16, Township 36 South, Range 40 East, to the St. Lucie County for sidewalk construction and right-of-way purposes, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve ordinance 26-46.

Second. Motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried unanimously. Ordinance 26-47. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, abandoning a portion of a 20-foot-wide rear utility and drainage easement affecting Lot 3, Block 2085, Port St. Lucie, Section 21. According to the plat thereof, as recorded in Plat Book 13, pages 27, 27A through 27F of the Public Records of St. Lucie County, Florida, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve Ordinance 26-47. Second. Second.

Motion to second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Item 8C, Ordinance 26-49.

Madam Clerk, please read the ordinance. An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, amending Ordinance 05-180, adopted on June 13th of 2006, for property located east of McCarty Road and approximately 1.25 miles south of Midway Road. mccarty road llc to modify certain conditions providing for conflict providing for severability and providing an effective date thank you madam clerk councils are in motion

Motion to approve Orders 26-49.

Second. Properly motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. 8D, Ordinance 26-50.

Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance? An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, providing for the First Amendment to the Planned Unit Development Conceptual Plan. I'm sorry. Conceptual Development Plan and Zoning District and Regulation for McCarty Road MPUD located east of McCarty Road and approximately 1.25 miles south of Midway Road, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Thank you. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve Ordinance 26-50.

Second. Motion second. All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Ordinance 26-51. Madam Clerk, could you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, providing for the second amendment of the Master Planned Unit Development Regulation Book for Wilson Groves Parcel A, MPUD, located north of Becker Road, west of future roadway north-south B, east of future roadway north-south A, and south of future extension of southwest Hagner Drive, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Council, is there a motion? Motion to approve Ordinance 26-51. Second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously.

Item 8F, Ordinance 26-52. An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, amending Chapter 158, Zoning Code, by amending Section 158.225, Outdoor Sales and Special Events, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, providing for codification, and providing an effective date. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve Ordinance 26-52. Second.

Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Now we're on to nine other public hearings. 9A, public hearing and 30-day comment period update on draft 2026 to 2030 CDBG consolidated plan and review of the 2026 and 2027 annual action plan. Ms. Flores, how are you today?

I'm doing well. How are you? Good. Thank you very much. And whenever you're ready. Okay. Well, good afternoon, mayor and city council. Today's agenda item includes consideration of the city's five year community development block grant or CDBG consolidated plan and the 2026, 2027 annual action plan. The consolidated plan is a HUD required. strategic planning document that identifies the city's housing, community development, public service, and infrastructure priorities over the next five years. It serves as the framework that guides how the city will utilize federal CDBG funding to address community needs and improve the quality of life of our residents. The plan also serves as a foundation for a future annual action plan and performance reporting required by HUD. Development of this plan has been a collaborative effort involving Union City staff, our consultant team, community stakeholders, nonprofits, and residents. I would like to thank everyone who participated in this process, particularly Kathy and Rosa and the rest of the neighborhood services team whose efforts helped ensure meaningful community engagement throughout the planning process. I'd also like to recognize our consultants, Civitas. Civitas is a national consulting firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. that specializes in HUD program technical assistance and has assisted state and local governments across the country for nearly 20 years. Their expertise has been invaluable in helping us analyze community needs, facilitate public participation, and prepare the consolidated plan. Joining us today is Civitas Principal and Lead Consultant Aaron Chatham, who will provide an overview on the consolidated process, sorry, plan process, key findings, and recommendations. Following his presentation, I will return to discuss the proposed projects and funding allocations, including in the 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan, and help facilitate Council discussion. Thank you. Do we have Eric online?

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon, Eric, we can hear you. I believe there's a PowerPoint we're going to share. Okay, next slide. So as was mentioned in the introduction, the consolidated plan is a required HUD document that grantees of the CDBG program are required to conduct no less than every five years. As mentioned, our team assisted preparing the needs assessment and market analysis, and then worked with staff to review the input, the data collected, TO IDENTIFY OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AND STAFF WILL PRESENT THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN BUDGET. SO TODAY I'M GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION FEEDBACK AND THE PRIORITY NEEDS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEAR PERIOD. As a reminder, the CDBG funds are an annual allocation as part of the federal budget. So this is not something that the city applies for. It's not necessarily a competitive grant. So unfortunately, there's nothing that we can do to receive more funding in our allocation for the upcoming program year is just over $1 million. Next slide. Some of the eligible uses of CDBG funds, this is not necessarily to suggest that the city conducts all of these every year, but some of the eligible uses include public improvements to both facilities and infrastructure. So community centers, parks, sidewalks, water sewer infrastructure, et cetera, throughout the city. Rehabilitation of both rental and home ownership housing. Economic development, which can look like business assistance as well as job training and employment services. Funds can be used to acquire sites, land and buildings for one of the other eligible uses. And the city can also use up to 15% of our annual allocation for a variety of public services. And this is often funded through other departments and nonprofit partners to provide a variety of social services for our constituents. And finally, the city can use up to 20% of the annual allocation for administrative expenses incurred by the city. Next slide. On the screen now you can see a summary of the citizen participation and consultation efforts. Our 30 day public comment period will begin tomorrow and run through July 8th. Written comments can be submitted via email and the email address is there on the screen. We're obviously hosting a public hearing today as part of city council meeting. We also hosted an initial public hearing for the community that was publicly advertised. That was held back on April 7th. And we've conducted two online surveys, one geared towards stakeholders or our nonprofit partners, as well as one geared for residents. And I'll share momentarily the results of those two surveys. Next slide. So on the community survey, we didn't have a huge participation, but we did have 107 respondents and they identified three priorities. Number one priority, again, using the context of eligible uses of CDBG funds, public improvements like sidewalks, streets, and lighting were top choices. Affordable housing renovations, including energy efficiency improvements on our occupied housing, as well as down payment assistance were the top choices there. followed by economic development with the top response being job creation or retention, small business assistance, and then ultimately public transportation as it relates to gaining work access. You can see a little bit of the demographics of the respondents on the right-hand side. 96% of the respondents live in Port St. Lucie. We did limit the results to just those that are actually residents. So 107 residents does represent that 96%. Largest age group was from 35 to 44 at 27%, but we did have respondents in a variety of age ranges, which is helpful. Worth noting though, and it's not atypical in studies like this, but 86% of our respondents were homeowners, 10% renters, and the balanced living within a home that was owned by somebody else, but not technically paying rent. 45% reported monthly housing costs over 2500. Certainly that was mostly related to mortgages, taxes and insurance, but certainly worth noting those high housing costs and we're seeing that throughout the housing needs assessment. In 25% of the respondents that identify as Hispanic, so fair representation of the community. Next slide, please. On the stakeholder survey, you could see on the right-hand side some of the takeaways there. We had eight agencies respond as it relates to the clients that they serve and services that they were referencing. Top funding priorities for CDBG naturally from organizations that received this funding were continued funding for public services, as well as more assistance in affordable housing and homeowner opportunities. Affordable housing availability was identified by all respondents as being a major unmet need. It is worth noting, however, that CDBG funds unfortunately cannot be used for new construction of housing. It can be used to acquire sites and improve infrastructure, but we can't actually use these funds for the vertical construction. So that's why we limit it to housing rehab and potentially home ownership assistance. So affordability continued to be an issue that representatives from both the stakeholder cohorts as well as resident respondents were identifying. If you look at the summary of the community survey side for residents as it relates to those public services at the bottom there, there was a particular focus on mental health services, youth services, transportation, anti-crime programs, and preserving neighborhood quality of life as the city continues to grow and experience traffic and infrastructure improvements. Next slide. So again, the entire plan with the full housing market study, the demographic analysis and the full feedback, there's lots of data and maps in the plan. It's well over 200 pages. So I encourage those that might be interested to really review the needs assessment and market analysis But bringing together the data collection, the mapping, the feedback from community and stakeholders, and then of course, working with city staff, we've identified these four priorities as it relates to funding for the next five year period. So again, within the context of the eligible use and limitations with CDBG, the top priority would be public facilities and infrastructure, continued improvement and expansion. Affordable housing preservation and homeownership opportunities are second priority. Public services, again, we're limited to 15% of our allocation here. And then HUD likes to see that all of our funding does go to at least one priority and goal. So for that, a portion of the funds that we will set aside for administration will, of course, have effective and efficient grant management and administration as a priority. Next slide. And I believe I'll turn it back to city staff here to go over the funding recommendations for the annual action plan.

Okay. I do have another presentation. Well, thank you. I will now review the project staff are recommending for inclusion in the 2026-2027 action plan. As part of this process, Neighborhood Services solicited project requests from the city departments and evaluated eligibility under HUD regulations. As Eric stated, our allocation is a little over $1 million. That makes 921,000 dedicated to projects. We'll reduce the 20% for admin. Any surplus may be reassigned to any other projects or alternative projects. As Eric stated, our CDBG proposals are put into these different categories, public facilities and infrastructure, housing programs, public services, and program administration. And you can see a breakdown based upon the activity groups and then some of the individual items with the contingency also on there at the proposed of $7,220. And then we do have a few alternative recommended projects based upon funding availability. The first recommended infrastructure project is phase six of the Whispering Pines culvert replacement program. This project will replace up to nine failed or deteriorating culverts around the neighborhood, sorry, Whispering Pines neighborhood. Council has supported previous phases of this effort and those improvements have helped reduce localized flooding and improved drainage throughout the area. The proposed funding allocation for this project is $340,000, and that investment continues a long-term strategy of improving neighborhood infrastructure and protecting residents from flooding impacts. The next infrastructure recommendation is the installation of parking lot lighting and security cameras at Rotary Park. This project addresses safety and security concerns identified at the park by improving visibility, deterring criminal activity, and enhancing monitoring capabilities. This project includes energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the park and strategically placed security cameras. The requested CDBG funding amount is $249,000, with an additional $26,000 contributed from the general fund. This investment supports safer access to one of the community recreational assets. The next recommendation is for continued funding for our code compliance officers. Specifically, this funding would support two code compliant officers and the associated program costs. Since the start of the fiscal year of since October 1st, more than 1500 residential and community code cases have been opened within the CDBG designated neighborhoods. So this is having a great impact on our code compliance activities. The requested funding amount is $175,000. And that funding allows the city to continue providing these services while reducing the reliance on the general fund. The first recommended public service activity is the boys and girls club mobile club. And as we heard from Mr. Armstead today, they're doing great things with boys and girls club. This program brings the additional, sorry, the educational steam, sorry, stem tutoring and enrichment opportunities directly into neighborhoods where traditional boys and girls club facility is not available. The mobile club operates in neighborhood parks and community spaces. through structured staff-led programming. The proposed funding amount is $75,000. This program expands access to additional educational and youth development services for residents who may otherwise face transportation or accessibility availabilities. And we all see how great Enrique is. We would love to have more Enrique's out there. The next public service recommendation is a continuation of the Love Your Block initiative. This program empowers residents to improve their neighborhoods through community-driven projects and partnerships. The proposed funding would support two CDBG designated neighborhoods through mini-grants, neighborhood engagement activities, and green space improvements. Funding would provide resources for resident-led beautification projects, community engagement events, and enhancements through the Naturally PSL program. The requested funding amount is $75,000. This program has demonstrated success in strengthening neighborhood pride, resident engagement, and community partnerships. Staff is also recommending these two alternate projects in the event that available funding becomes available through cost savings, project cancellation, or additional HUD allocation. The first alternate project is construction of approximately one mile of sidewalk along Northwest Torino Parkway. This project would improve pedestrian connectivity between existing infrastructure and future improvements associated with Torino Regional Park. The total project costs is approximately $1 million, with the requested $800,000 from CDBG, and the remaining would come through CIP or half-cent sales tax. The next alternate project is the Veterans Memorial Dock upgrade at Rivergate Park. This project will replace a dock system that has experienced repeated damage from hurricanes, flooding, and king tides. The upgraded dock would improve safety, accessibility, and resiliency through the use of modern construction materials and designs. The requested funding amount is $249,000, with an additional $76,000 contributing from the general fund. So at this time, staff is seeking council direction regarding the recommended projects and the alternate projects for inclusion in the 2026-2027 CDBG annual action plan. The recommended projects total the available project funding allocation where the alternate projects could be considered for future funding availability. I'm happy to answer any questions or help facilitate discussion regarding the proposed projects.

Thank you, Ms. Flores. Council, do you have any questions for staff? Go ahead, Councilman Pickett.

Christina, do we have any... idea what the cost, not the cost, but the amount of times that we've had incidents at Rotary Park. The reason I ask that is because you're saying you're putting lights up to prevent it. So what crimes have been happening there? And second of all, have we talked to or attempted to talk to the residents that live around that park? Because that park is closely to people's property. There might not be a lot of support for having lights at that park.

I do not know that, Councilman Pickett. However, I will ask Mr. Keene from Parks and Recreation to come up to see if he happens to have any more information.

Because I would much rather see that money directed towards sidewalks in Torino because we know we have a huge park coming online there, and there's not a lot of sidewalks around Torino. And once that park comes online, you're going to have a lot of people in that area walking to that park. So it makes better sense to me to redirect that money to those sidewalks to that park.

understandable and mr keen good afternoon vice mayor city council brad keen for the record parks and recreation director the majority of the crimes and police act incidents involving rotary park have been primarily things like minor theft people in the park playing basketball a phone gets stolen or something along those lines a bicycle here and there But probably one of the biggest issues that we have out there is the homeless population that occupy the shelter and hang around the picnic pavilion and picnic tables. So having just some light and cameras out there would be a benefit.

Councilman Morgan. Question to piggyback. Don't our parks close at dusk?

Our neighborhood parks do close at dusk. Our community parks are open until 10 p.m. And Rotary Park is a neighborhood park. So it would close at dusk? Correct.

So I think the challenge, and I agree, I think I would like to see sidewalk dollars. I think the challenge is the limitation of the funding, because they only give us $1.1 million. That sidewalk is $800,000. So pretty much you'd have to cut every other project within the recommendation of activities to be able to fund the sidewalk, because the funding for the lighting and security cameras equates to $249,000. so um you know uh miss flores um if i can if i can make a suggestion for the futures of the presentation i would really like to see if we're going to offer alternatives offer dollar for dollar alternatives in the future because i think it's a little misleading and i don't want to mislead the public that i could actually fulfill that project in the scope So I appreciate the alternatives, but I just want to make sure that if it is an alternative, it's a true alternative that I can flip out and switch if I would like to. Are you guys good with that? Okay. Thank you for that feedback, Vice Mayor. Thank you very much. Any other questions for staff? Seeing none, this item is a public hearing. I'm going to go ahead and open the public hearing now. Public hearing is now open. Is there anybody in the audience that would like to speak on Item 9A? Seeing no move forward, I'll go ahead and close public hearing. Council, is there a motion?

I have one more question.

Sure. Go right ahead.

So historically, do we typically use the whole 20% contingency or have we put money back into projects after?

The 20% for project admin normally does get used, and right now currently we are funding two full employees plus our contract employee using CDBG grant admin funding. The contingency is not 20%. That is a very small fraction. That's just a little over $7,000. But we do normally use the full 20% grant admin as an offset of the general fund.

Okay. I was just curious about that.

Yeah, I think it's a great question. And I think with discussion of transparency, I think it's important. The grant admin has to administer the grant, has to provide all of the requirements by the federal government to report on the CDBG. And I think our SHIP also, is SHIP staff also through that as well?

SHIP is. However, SHIP is limited to 10%, but we are having two full-time employees paid through SHIP admin.

Okay. Yeah, I think that's... I appreciate the information. There's a lot of questions of like where this funding goes. So I think it's important just to be transparent with the public of where it's at. So anything else? Thank you very much. Council, if there's nothing further, is there a motion?

Motion to approve item 9A. Second.

Motion is second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you, Ms. Flores. And Vice Mayor, City Council, we still have the rest of the consolidated plan information to go through. That was just for the 2026-2027 action plan action items. So I will take it back to Mr. Chatham with Civitas to go over the rest of the CDBG activities. that talk about the rest of the plan. I believe that there is more that he wanted to talk about in regards to the HUD submission.

So for clarification, Ms. Flores, is this going to require a separate motion, or is this just for review and discussion?

This would just be for review and discussion. Okay, thank you. You may proceed. Mr. Tatham, are you still there?

I just wanted to summarize and remind the public of that opportunity to continue to participate, provide feedback following today's session. So now that the public hearing is closed, we will open the 30-day public comment period tomorrow morning through July 8th. Written comment can be provided via email. You can see Catherine Salas email address on the right hand side of the screen. There was also public notice and this is available on the city website as well. Following the conclusion of the comment period, we will summarize all the feedback as well as council's endorsement today. for the 26th action plan budget. And we will submit no later than August 15th to HUD. We anticipate being well in advance of that August 15th deadline. And then as a reminder, these funds will become available to the city based on the city's fiscal and program year starting on October 1st of this year. And I believe that concludes our presentation unless there's any further questions or comments from council, thank you.

Thank you. And I apologize, Vice Mayor. I did give misleading information. We do need a separate motion to approve the consolidated plan unless Council wanted to amend the previous motion.

No, just go ahead and if you guys are okay, we'll go a separate motion. I need a motion to approve the consolidated plan.

So moved. Second.

Motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Thank you very much.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you very much. On to first readings and public hearings. 10A, Ordinance 26-54 is a public hearing. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida abandoning a portion of a 20-foot wide rear utility and drainage easement affecting Lot 6, Block 152, Port St. Lucie, Section 4. according to the plat thereof, as recorded in plat book 12, page 14 of the public records of St. Lucie County, Florida, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. This item is a public hearing. I'm going to go ahead and open the public hearing. Is there anyone here that would like to speak on Ordinance 26-54? Seeing none, move forward. I'll go ahead and close the public hearing. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve ordinance 26-54. Second.

Motion to second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Ordinance 26-55 says on our agenda that it is a public hearing. Mr. City Attorney, would you confirm on record that this item is not a public hearing?

Is that 10C or 10D?

Okay, you said 10. I have 10B. I thought you said 10B. 10D doesn't show a public hearing at all. Correct.

We're just on 10D. That's my, I said.

Oh, so we do have public hearing on B.

You may have heard 10B, but I meant 10D.

Well, 10D on my agenda is correct, sir. Okay, excellent. So no public hearing. B is correct. Sorry for the confusion. And if you have D as a public hearing, that's the one that's incorrect. That's what happens when you play telephone. Ordinance 26-55 is a public hearing. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, abandoning a portion of a 20-foot wide rear utility and drainage easement, affecting lots 34 and 35, block 2049, Port St. Lucie, section 21, according to the plot thereof, as recorded in Plot Book 13, page 27 of the Public Records of St. Lucie County, Florida. providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. Thank you, Madam Clerk. This item is a public hearing.

Public hearing is now open. Is anyone here to speak on Ordinance 26-55? Seeing no one move forward, I'll go ahead and close the public hearing. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve Ordinance 26-55. Second.

Motion is second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Ordinance 26-56 is also a public hearing. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, abandoning a portion of a 20-foot-wide rear utility and drainage easement affecting Lot 11, Block 2289, Port St. Lucie, Section 33, according to the plat thereof, as reported in Plat Book 15, pages 1, 1A through 1B of the public records of St. Lucie County, Florida, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date.

Go ahead and open the public hearing. Is there anyone that would like to speak on Ordinance 26-56? Seeing no, move forward. I'll close the public hearing. Council, is there a motion?

Motion to approve Ordinance 26-56. Second.

Motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Item 10D, Ordinance 26-57. Madam Clerk, would you please read the ordinance?

An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, establishing McCarty's Choice Community Development District pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes, naming the district, describing the external boundaries of the district, describing the functions and powers of the district, DESIGNATING FIVE PERSONS TO SERVE AS THE INITIAL MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT'S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, PROVIDING FOR NOTICE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, PROVIDING FOR CONDITIONS, PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTIONS AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES, PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU. SOMETIMES IT'S A TONGUE TWISTER.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Is there a motion?

Motion to approve ordinance 26-57. Second.

Motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Moving along, we have no resolutions. We have no unfinished business. We are on item 13, new business. 13A, request for an attorney-client section with the City Council to discuss pending litigation in the matter of Matique Construction Company, Inc. v. City of Port St. Lucie, case number 2025-CA-2754. Mr. City Attorney.

Yes, thank you, Madam Vice Mayor. Just a placeholder request to the City Council for this particular litigation. We have no imminent request or need to do it now, but we'd like to put a placeholder as the litigation progresses.

Sounds good. Council, is there a motion? Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion and second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Item 14, City Manager's Report. Mr. City Manager.

Yes, Madam Vice Mayor. I just have one item. As you know, a requirement of the Ports and Loose Utilities Department, they're required to provide a water quality report every year. And this report really looks at all the testing that we've done throughout the year. It's a various different type of testing that's done that's a requirement of the permit and this testing really what it does really it's it's called actually the confident report because explains where the water comes from how is used and also really is the the way the operators actually test the water which is something that you want the confidence of our residents to make sure that we know what we're doing out there and really i want to take this opportunity for the report also all the information that's on there so if you have a little bit of time by all means take a look at it for you but really it really shows a very positive uh report that what the utility has done it has done as well at standards so i appreciate it thank you very much thank you councilman morgan

So I'm going to do things a little different today. What else is new? Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful's annual appreciation night at Clover Park was a huge success as we recognized our Adopt-A-Street volunteers. Fans donated non-perishable food items in exchange for complimentary tickets to the game. In total, the Treasure Coast Food Bank collected a record 1,018 pounds of donations, which will create 1,221 meals. The program has been active in our city for 34 years and currently has 104 active groups. On June 3rd, I attended the Transportation Planning Organization meeting. I'm going to skip one and come back. On the 5th, I attended the board cutting, a.k.a. ribbon cutting, of Lowe's and Tradition. I was very interested. A great crowd, very nice store. Congratulations. I then headed on down to Lantana to the Florida League of Cities board meeting. Lots of discussion. Stay tuned. You'll hear more. So I just wanted to mention June 19th, which is Juneteenth. Of course, many of you knew Jane Raleigh. And I always called it Jane Teenth because that's her birthday. And this is the first year that we will be celebrating her in heaven. And I just had to say that she was a very dear friend of mine. And she was a past council member also. She was. And the Queen of St. Lucie. NEED I SAY MORE? ON JUNE 4TH, PARK, GRAND OPENING, ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. WHAT A TRIBUTE TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I WAS TRYING TO READ AS MANY QUOTES AS I COULD. AND THEN, ME, LIKE MANY OTHERS, HAD TO GO ON BOOK FACE AND MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE PARK. SO HERE GOES. I just wish there was less negativity on social media, which that will never happen, but I can always say that it would be nice. It is a beautiful park, whatever you want to call it, open space, conservation area. WITH A REAL PURPOSE AND THANKS TO MADAME HOLMES AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, I WAS, I WISH I COULD HAVE STAYED LONGER TO WHERE IT TURNED DARK SO I COULD HAVE SEEN ALL THE LIGHTS THAT IT DOES PROPOSE. So a park is a designated area of land ranging from urban green spaces to vast natural reserves set aside for human recreation, enjoyment, or wildlife conservation. It typically features natural elements like grass, Trees and bodies of water along the recreational facilities, such as playgrounds, sports field, or walking trails. So every park does not have to have a playground. So please, before you make the comments, take a look at the beautiful city that we have. There are so many other parks that do have all-inclusive playgrounds. This park was just, to me, a very, very special park. So if you have any questions, do your facts first before making a post and being so negative. Stay positive. Thank you. Thank you very much, Councilman Morgan.

Councilman Pickett.

Thank you, Vice Mayor. May 31st, I had the pleasure of attending a birthday party for two World War II vets who turned 102, 104, Anthony? Yeah, 100 and 102. 100 and 102. And just to be around these guys was delightful for me. They're very inspirational. June 3rd. Sorry you missed out on this, Vice Mayor, but Treasure Coast Council local government's barbecue. Nice prime rib. It was delicious. The fifth went to Lowe's board cutting. The sixth, Hurricane Expo. And I also attended the Stars and Stripes opening. And that is, in my opinion, the most beautiful park we have in the city. And it's very special to me being military. And I read a lot, like you, Councilwoman Morgan, read a lot of the quotes that's on the stars. And I had never been by there at nighttime. And then that evening, I made a special trip back through there so I could see the stars at night, and just fantastic. Very, very, very serene park. So thank you.

Thank you.

Wait, wait. I have an announcement.

Go ahead.

I have my announcement. I'm sorry. City manager, get mad at me. As we celebrate America's 250th birthday this year, there's lots of stars to plan for our annual Freedom Fest event on Saturday, July 4th. There's the first-ever Freedom Fest 5K that morning. And at night, join us for kids' activities, food trucks, and musical headliner Max Weinberg. New this year, the Luna Lights Drone Show.

Yay!

Which will be followed by the always spectacular Fireworks Show. Freedom Fest at Mid-Florida Event Center, July 4th, 5 to 9. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilman Bonner.

All right, thank you so I too is Councilman picket mentioned attended the birthday party for Levant and Richard 102 years old. Beautiful ceremony and it was an honor to to give them a certificate with Councilman picket on behalf of the city. 10 of the stars and stripes Park grand opening beautiful Park share share a lot of the sentiments. of my colleagues. And then this past Saturday, I went to start the car. The car didn't start, but we got it jumped and headed over to the Rosser Library for Revive Awareness Day. They planted some trees there in honor of all the lives that have been lost to opioid and other kinds of overdoses. and they gave out trees and plants to the community. And then after that, made it to the Hurricane Expo, where we had over 50 vendors and lots of good information. Hurricane season is underway, and so we all need to be prepared. and for my announcement three port st lucie police officers were honored at the 2026 first responders appreciation foundation awards ceremony an event that celebrates excellence professionalism and dedication among public safety agencies in florida detective diane estrella was named detective of the year canine officer corey cresic received the life-saving award Master Sergeant Eric Levasseur was honored with the Valor Award. These recognitions reflect the hard work, commitment, and courage demonstrated daily by our police department. Congratulations and thank you for keeping our community safe.

You did attend the Hurricane Expo, right? Yes. Did you want to read Mayor Martin's while you're going?

Sure. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season began June 1st, so Saturday was the perfect time for our annual Hurricane Preparedness Expo at the Mid-Florida Event Center. This year I was honored to have attended the event, which was full of valuable information about how to get storm ready. Remember, make a plan, build a kit, stay informed, and know your zone. Visit cityofpsl.com forward slash hurricane for more information.

Thank you very much. I wish I could have attended that birthday party with the two of you. I had a family birthday party. But I got to see Joe sent me some of the information about some of our... our heroes and I mean that's just amazing. Hopefully if we're able to do the next one next year I'll be able to attend that one because it looked like a very nice event. On 5-27 I toured Lactalogix with Congressman Brian Mast. I want to thank him and his team for coming out and looking at this amazing company that's about to open and start manufacturing in Port St. Lucie. On 6-1 when Councilman Pickett was enjoying his prime rib I was in Tallahassee. talking about a topic that nobody is talking about right now. I want to thank our legislators for giving us the time and to discuss the challenges, and we're going to continue those conversations, hopefully moving forward. On 6-4, I did attend Stars and Stripes grand opening. Councilor Morgan, you couldn't have said it better. I really do believe that when I started being on the council we had a lot of the same type of parks in the city you know a lot of ball fields a lot of soccer fields and I'm very proud of those but I know that I alongside you you all my and my colleagues as my colleagues we've all talked about diversity and having different parks for different people to be able to some people want an open space area with little trees and little they want to be able to walk they want to throw the ball they want I mean, I think of, it reminded me of a larger space than the tradition downtown town hall space. Yeah, the long space where I see tons of kids in no space because they've run out of space. But then we're, you know, we're bringing on, you know, the Port District Park. When you look at that park, that park is completely different than the other parks. And so there's room for all of it. Well, I wish, actually, no, I wish there was room for all of it. We're working on getting room for all of it. And then we have our BMX park coming up, which I'm really excited about, too. So good stuff. On 6-5 to 6-6, I also attended the nominating committee for the Florida League of Cities, as well as the Board of Directors meeting. And my announcement is the same from the beginning of the meeting, but just in case we missed some information, Juneteenth stands as a powerful reminder of the emancipation of African Americans in the United States. We invite the community to honor this historic milestone during Juneteenth, a celebration of unity, on Friday, June 19th. The event will be dedicated to reflection and education and will also be honoring Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth. This free event is from 5 to 7.30 p.m. at the Mid-Florida Event Center. Is there anything else coming before the board? Seeing none, this meeting is adjourned.