Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon. Good afternoon. This is the regular city council meeting. Today is February the 4th, 2026. The time is 6:12 p.m. Madame Clerk. Mayor Douglas Lawson here. Chairperson Shirley Laneir here. Chair Tim Kashamba Miller Anderson present. Council person Bruce Gton here. Council person Glenn Spiritis here. Council person Forcella Davis Pier here. City Manager Jonathan Evans. City Clerk Deborah Hall is present. City Attorney Don W here. Madame Chair, you have a quorum. You may proceed.

Uh, thank you. We will have a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance by Commissioner Giden. I aliance 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.

We have our uh agenda in front of us. Um, happy Black History Month. Do we have any additions, deletions, substitutions for this agenda? Yes, Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead, sir. I'd like to add the um item civil rights. Okay. Any preference as to where you're at it, Madam Chair? Hold on a second. Yes. Any preference as to where you add it? Um, let's do it after ordinances on second and final reading. Very good. Madam Chair,

uh, hold on a second. Uh, Commissioner Spiritis. Yes. I I would like to add uh uh bidding projects, the piggybacking of contracts. I'm sorry, say that again. Piggybacking of contracts for bidding purposes. re piggybacking. Piggybacking. Okay. Yes. Uh is there any preference? Would you like to add that?

Up to you, chair. Um, madame clerk, you can add the piggybacking item to um right before the um right before the workshop information. Make it that 11. And mind you, all of these items that are added to the agenda are considered to be discussion items only. Yes. Go ahead, sir. I think that he was just getting to it. Go ahead, Commissioner Miller Anderson. I can't hear whoever that was that was just talking.

Okay. Oh, thank you, Madam Chair. To add on to the agenda on behalf of Council Person Miller Anderson and Mayor Lawson, the monthly report by the youth council, if we can add that item onto the agenda. Uh, we'll add that under presentation, madam clerk. And then also just a brief legislative update. Uh, attorney Sean Pitman and his team is um, attending via Zoom and so they would just like to give a brief legislative update of what occurred in Tallahassee and Washington DC over the last couple of weeks. Uh, okay. We'll add uh, the youth council at 6B and then we'll add the legislative update as 6C. Madam Chair, yes. Go ahead, sir.

Could you move the legislative update ahead of that? I believe uh, Attorney Pitman advised he is going to be traveling. So, if we could do it before the proclamation, before youth council, um, so that he can because he's tra he's going to be on Zoom. Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead. He's already off. He he said Sam and Javon is going to have to do it. He's already on the plane. Okay. So, then we can keep it at 6C. Thank you. Okay. Any other uh additions, deletions, or substitutions for this agenda? Hearing none. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda as amended? So move. Second.

Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Ge. Yes. Chairp Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritz. Yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes.

Unanimous vote. Uh, I forgot to add, are there any disclosures uh from staff or from the council in regards to any items that are listed on this agenda this evening? Hearing none, we will we will be at our uh consent agenda. All matters listed under this item are considered to be routine and action will be taken by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a council person so requests in which event the item will be removed from the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. Motion. Do anyone want anything appulled from the uh resolutions on consent? Hearing none. A motion to approve the consent agenda.

So move. Second. Madam clerk. Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Gaitton. Yes. Cher Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritis. Yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes. Unanimous vote. Uh we are at our awards and presentations. Madame clerk. Madame chair. We are on item 6A, Black History Month proclamation.

Uh uh this month is Black History Month. Um, and we have a proclamation honoring that. We do this every year. Uh, whereas Black History Month is observed annually during the month of February to honor the rich history, culture, and achievements of African-Americans who contributions have shaped the social, economic, political, and cultural fabric of the United States. African-Americans have demonstrated extraordinary resilence, strength, and leadership in the face of adversity, making lasting contributions in areas including education, public service, science, business, the arts, civil rights, and community development. Whereas the city of Riviera Beach is proud of its diverse community and recognizes the profound impact that African-American residents, leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, and public servants have had in building and sustaining a vibrant and inclusive city. Black History Month provides an opportunity for reflection, education, and celebration, encouraging all residents to learn about the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans by promoting unity, equity, and mutual respect. and recognizing black history is essential to understanding our shared past and inspiring future generations to continue the pursuit of justice, equality, and opportunity for all. Therefore, it be proclaimed by Mayor Douglas Lawson and the city council chairperson Shirley Laneir of the city of Riviera Beach, Florida, that the month of February is hereby proclaimed as Black History Month in the city of Riviera Beach. We have further proclaimed that all residents are encouraged to observe this month by celebrating the accomplishments of African-Americans, supporting educational initiatives, and participating in activities that promote understanding, appreciation, and community pride. In witness thereof, I have here unto set my hand and caused

the seal of the city of Riviera Beach to be affixed. This fourth day of February, 2026, we will have a uh grand reopening of the city's uh public library on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. and we will have some Black History activities there as well. Madame Clerk, next item. Madame Chair, we are on item 6B, Youth Council Monthly Report. Mr. Evans. Madam Chair, members of the board, if I can turn this presentation over to Mayor Lawson and Council Person Miller Anderson. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, sir. Community, our youth council is here to do their monthly event and their monthly update, but I'm honored that this past week we were able to take our youth council to Tallahassee to our state capital. So hopefully they'll be able to give us an update on that. We could talk a little bit more about the progress the youth council is making. myself and Miss Miller Anderson and the entire board wanted to keep the community updated on the next generation leaders that we're creating. So, tonight we're going to be having Ayana, Melvin, and Elijah. They'll be presenting. And if we can give it up for our youth council, please.

Hello everybody. My name is Ayanna Melvin. I am the president of the youth council and we're going to be giving our update. Um, so on December 11th, the youth council had a Christmas party where we got the chance to talk about time management, um, which we read about in the book called Master Your Minutes. We talked about upcoming events and then creative ideas for new ones. Hello, my name is Elijah and I'll be talking about our winter wonder of giving event. During this event, we had given out giveaways, prizes, toys to a bunch of people in our community. We also given out food and we had a bunch of experiences for them like virtual reality and a skating ring and much more. So on January 8th, we had um and on January 1st, the youth council went to the Capital One Orange Bowl um football game, which I wasn't able to attend, but I know that Elijah went, so do you want to say anything about that one? Was it good? So they had fun and yes. So I wish I was able to go, but I unfortunately wasn't. But the youth council had a good time and it was a great experience for them. I will be talking about our youth council meeting on January 8th. Get a little closer. You have to

please so that they can hear you. A little closer to the mic. Oh, my bad. There you go. I'll be talking about our youth council meeting on January 9th on 8th. During this meeting, we have I would say during this meeting, we grew as a youth council and we learned more about how the youth council works and the city council meetings works and yeah,

I'll talk about that one. Okay. So, on January 17th, we did the well, we walked in the 42nd annual MLK parade. Um, we had a really good time doing this. We were able to not only walk in the parade, but also observe and just enjoy all of the um people that came out and were vending, doing different things. So, it was a good event. We had fun doing that as well. I think I'm doing this one as well. Okay. So, now I'll be recapping our legislative action days in Tallahassee. So, the youth council and I had so much fun learning about the history of government. We went to a museum where we learned about the history of lobbying, not only just for everyone, but specifically um and the African-American imu community and how that kind of tied into civil rights and different movements that were happening during that time. Um we learned about important figures, historical events and that made government what it is today. We also had the amazing opportunity of attending um an evening re reception hosted by attorney Sean Pitman. Um we were able to speak with legislators and kind of just get an idea of like how government works and then also what different jobs there are in in terms of like civic leadership and you know being in government and yeah we engaged in conversation with other figureheads. Um, and we also attended a two-day conference where we grew as a team. Um, and we were able to be inspired by new ideas and grow closer as a youth council.

You can do you want to say anything about that or you want me to last? Also, during our youth council legislation action days, we had a lot of networking and leadership experiences. We have went to the state capital where we had met a lot of great people. We have also overall had a great experience networking, connecting and growing as a youth council.

Now for upcoming activities, we have our second youth council town hall, a community cleanup, water plant tour, and then the youth summit of 2026. So, we hope to see you all there because we'll be there working and putting in the work. Thank you guys.

Um, Madam Chair, yes. Go ahead.

I would like to just um congratulate these young people on what they're doing. um their contributions to the community, to politics, um and I can see their skill sets building. But I especially would like to um give kudos to the vice chair Kashama Miller and the mayor who I know both of them devote a lot of time to um ensuring that these young people get exposed to a lot of different activities and political settings. So job well done young people. Keep up the good work.

Thank you. Um, and I went to their December meeting and just one note, y'all meeting lasted a long time. Do not get like us. Please shorten your meetings up because you guys were there for a long time. And you were talking business. Um, but yeah, that was a long time. So, uh, that's just a note, you know, don't don't get like us. Don't be like us. Be be different from us. But very good work. Very good work, Madam Chair.

Yes. Go ahead. No, they will not be like us in terms of staying there all night, but they are in the process of trying to learn, you know, how to run a meeting. And so, it's more of teaching and we only have the meetings only for two hours anyway. But we do a lot of discussions u based on the books that they were presented at the beginning when they first came on board. And then we also have um have them go through their meetings and trying to get them, you know, um prepared for being able to hold the actual city council meeting. So, it's a lot of teaching going on during that time. So, it's extended it a little bit, but they they get a lot out of it. And I I know they said they had a lot of fun on a lot of those events and trips that they took, but which they did, but a lot of the um events that occurred during December and January, mostly December were volunteer activities. So um most of that stuff that they showed on there was them actually volunteering at these different events. And they put in a lot of community service hours, doing volunteer hours. Um and we do want to make sure that we thank um Mr. um Mr. to Sean Pitman for providing them with the opportunity to attend the Orange Bowl game. That was a um that was a little icing on the top because that wasn't really planned. That kind of came up in a couple of days and we thank them for the opportunity and glad we were able to take them there. Um and then the legislative days that we attended in Tallahassee, um Mr. Pitman opened his office for us to be able to host the kids there. We wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity for them to um attend um the capitol that wasn't a part of the foyer legal cities agenda. Um so those are some things that we added on which was um going to the capital as well as going to the museum and then also attending

FAMU. I don't know if Mayor Lawson, did you want to say something very quickly about the FAMU part because I know we had them speak with the vice president there as well. Thank you, ma'am. And madam chair. Yes, ma'am.

Just to finalize that, I want to give a special shout out to Miss Kennedy Williams. Uh she actually taught the youth council a chant at FAMU and also showcased um the great campus. She's the vice president of SGAA. Um she's daughter of uh the Atkins family and the legacy here in this community that's on campus at FAM. You're doing the thing. So before we do close out, I'm gonna have to embarrass my youth council and ask them to please do the chant that they learned at FAMU if they could because I have some FAMU graduates here that would love to hear that tonight. So if y'all could stand up and just do the the chant for me, I appreciate it. And then we'll close up. Madam chair.

Oh, I gotta hear this. I got to hear this. Come on, guys. Guys, we got business to get to. All right. Hold. Hold on. We missing a part now. We missing a part. I need two claps.

Can I get two claps in a strike? All right. All right, guys. To the community and to our residents, it was a great experience because these young people got a chance to go to the state capital to visit some of the campuses in W in Tallahassee and to see what leadership looks like. So, one thing that I can say is coming into governance, I didn't get to learn really about the different roles and regulations of what it took to be a servant community leader for this community and they're learning between the ages of 14 to 18. So, we thank the city council, the city, and the residents for allowing us to pour back into our community and pour back into the young people. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Uh, Rattlers, Madame Clerk, Madam Chair, we are on are on item 6 C, legislative update from Attorney Sean Pitman's office.

Madam Chair, members of the board, over the past couple of weeks, we've had the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the city of Rivier Beach for some capital projects that we have um in review from the state legislature. Uh those projects are monies for the new water treatment plant, monies for well rehabilitation, monies for the inter coastal force main and then monies for the Riviera Beach Police Department. Uh we've gone through the process to submit those projects. Those projects have been supported by Representative Edmmonds and Senator M. Bernard and those projects. Uh we've had the opportunity to meet with ranking members in the legislature associated with these projects to continue to move the projects forward. We've also had productive conversations with FD about some grants and monies that are available on the state side to be able to uh move the needle forward for the city of Riviera Beach. So along with us today we have representatives from the Pitman Law Group that are lobbyists in Tallahassee and Washington and they can get into greater specificities and the mayor and uh staff can provide additional commentary with regards to the trip to Washington DC as they were able to meet with members of the uh Congress as well as their representative staffs and representatives from uh EPA. So at this time I'll turn the presentation over to the staffers from the Pitman Law Group. Yeah, thanks Mr. Manager. This is Sam Pelt here, uh, director of government affairs for the Pitman Law Group. I'm joined tonight by Javon Knight, who handles our federal affairs in DC, as well as Casey Denny, who's our regional director down in South Florida. Uh, thank you for the opportunity, mayor, Madam Chair, and council. It's great to be with you all tonight. I first want to congratulate Ayanna and Elijah and the whole youth council for last week. I'll say it was really a pleasure for us to be able to host them up here, give them a tour of the uh the House and Senate floors and and meet with members. I I'll

tell you both attorney Pippen and myself um have gotten rave reviews of the youth council from everyone who was able to meet with them uh last week and just, you know, sang their praises. So, congratulations again, particularly Mayor Lawson and uh Vice Chair Miller Anderson. I'm sorry attorney Pitman couldn't be with us tonight. Unfortunately, he is hopping on a flight to return to Tallahassee as we speak, but uh of course he sends his regards and apologies again for not being able to join us. Um with regards to the legislative update and I'll let Javon kind of chime in on the federal piece uh in a few moments, but very quickly, I just want to thank you all once again for making the trip up to Tallahassee. It's not lost on us that it takes time away from y'all's important duties down in Riviera Beach, but I mean it when I say on behalf of our entire team that it really does make a difference to have you all up here um both to see sponsors, leadership in both the House and Senate as well as the governor's office. Um to put names to projects and faces and showing that the elected leaders of the Riviera Beach and municipalities really does make a difference come budget season. Um, like the manager said, we have four projects this year that we're advocating for here in Tallahassee. Three water projects and one uh criminal justice project. We've been meeting with budget chairs, staff, sponsors, as well as committee members for the past four weeks on each of the projects and feel well positioned as we enter budget conference. Just a quick update on kind of where we are in that process. We are anticipating initial budgets to be released next week. Um we were expecting it to be from the Senate this week, but they announced today actually that they're going to push it back to next week. So we'll know where we stand and have a clearer picture come next week. And then from there, of course, we will

enter budget conference where the House and the Senate negotiate to finalize our state budget for the year. Additionally, along with the appropriation projects, I just really quickly want to touch on the property tax stuff. I know that's a critical issue for Riviera Beach and localities around the state. So far, the House has been the only one to introduce proposals on property tax. Right now, we have three proposals that have gone through committee hearings and are poised to be heard on the House floor. All three of those deal with homestead exemptions. Um, we have our regional director, Casey Denny, here too, who might want to chime in on some further details. But what I'll say right now is that the Senate has not um, how would I say this? Has not decided to take up any of the House proposals yet. Um, I think they're waiting to see how the governor wants to proceed on these issues and we're looking at potentially a summer special session. Um we'll keep you all apprised of any developments there, but like I mentioned, right now the House is the only one that's at the table trying to figure out these property tax um bills. So until the Senate or the governor act, they're basically stuck um in the process. Um I will now turn to Javon Knight who's our assistant director of federal affairs. Of course, if there's any questions on the state stuff, both Casey and I are on. And once again, thank you all for the opportunity to represent you here in Tallahassee and DC. And we really appreciate y'all's time the last few weeks. All right, good evening everyone and good to see you all in one place. Mirroring uh Sam's uh intro earlier, just want to thank you guys for coming up to DC. you see the difference um of the opportunities you you are made aware of, you know, when you're on the hill

versus you're off and the relationships that you can build um with key projects developing in your own city. So, definitely appreciate you guys coming to DC. It was what I I would deem a successful first visit. We had eight um eight meetings in total, including EPA departments presiding over two of the major water loans that we're currently um hopefully using to fund the water treatment plant. the River Beach delegation including both Senate offices as well as key appropriators within the Florida delegation across the state. So overall um I feel pretty good about the meetings and I think the overall sentiment was that there were some pretty informative meetings. So I hope that's um you know the feeling among the council and we're happy to answer any questions about uh specifics or what we're doing uh going forward. Of course there's a lot that came out of last week. So, there are several follow-up action items that I'm currently been doing this week. I'll go continue to do into the next week. So, happy to go over any of that. Uh, outside of our particular flying actions on DC, as you might have seen in the recent email, um, Congress is just finally funding 11 of 12 congressional um, bills, and they're waiting on DHS funding negotiations to proceed before that's finalized. Um, I'll keep you up to date on what that looks like in the short term and the programs that uh are provided over by DHS, how they're affected. Um, but for right now, that's what's going on and I'll keep you guys uh a breast of what's going on. Happy to answer any questions.

Um, Madam Chair,

yes. Go ahead. Uh, I had the good fortune to, um, travel to DC and meet with the EPA and, um, other congressional and Senate aids. Um, and I have a question for Javante and Sam. Um because sometimes uh it's not understood how important it is to be face to face when you're asking for funds. So Devonte and or Sam, could you share with us the impact that it has when um people in DC and Tallahassee see the actual elected officials come soliciting fund from them? Yeah, council member, thank you for that and and just echoing what you're saying. I mean, it's one thing for Javon Casey, Attorney Pitman, and myself to speak with these members, but it's just a whole another dynamic when it's fellow electeds to electeds. I mean, there are priorities and a certain understanding that y'all connect on that is, you know, not kept in the same vein by lobbyists. And additionally, you know, as we alluded to either, it just shows commitment of time and resources, right? I mean, for you all to take a few days out of your hectic, busy schedules to join us in Tallahassee and DC, it's not lost on the members and the staff. That these are real priorities for you all and by extension your constituents and um and that we're representing, you know, a municipality that really does care to get these over the finish line. So, Javon, I don't know if you have anything else to add. Yeah, just to quickly pigg off that, I mean, we saw a perfect reflection of that in our meeting. I feel like we're establishing new relationships in DC.

Again, among our delegation, the appropriators of Florida at large that are going to be the ones advocating for the bills to cross the finish line as well as made some really good relationships in the Senate office. Um, as we first began this relationship, we're exploring the funding option the option of the community project funding. through our meetings. Um, we were suggested an idea which, um, we took it, ran with it, and turned around later that Friday night to provide hopefully another, uh, potential federal funding source that we were monitoring before, but made key relationships with the officers that immediately preside over uh, said program. So, that's the type of stuff that, you know, also goes on, but face to face, you get that you get to build that relationship um, that hopefully advocate for you. you know, the bigger the bigger the advocacy group, the more likely to get success. So, um, without face to face interactions, you just don't get that to to quite that extent.

Um, so thank you. one and one last question um for De Gante. And um um let me say this to um if we're going to really um retain the funds that we're trying to receive, we have to establish a relationship. Um, everybody sends in paperwork, but when they see your face and they're talking to you directly and you get on a firstname basis, when your paperwork pop up, it gets special attention. um in the EPA meeting and this is my question um um Devonte because they had high ranking people in in in EPA at that meeting um directors of different areas and funding and quite frankly I was impressed u mayor. So, but my question is we were supposed to have um they were going to follow up with us on some ideas about funding. Devonte had has you heard have you heard anything from them regarding that?

Yes, I actually spoke to Arita the senior senior lesson on for local government who we who actually put together that entire meeting of department heads over the SRF uh with your programs and the general office of water that houses each program. She actually followed up uh we followed up each other earlier this week. Amy, if you remember her during the meeting, is your local leazison and um she's directed that Amy is going to reach out to you guys directly to coordinate that meeting.

Um they they like to do it regional to the elected officials in terms of uh establishing uh scheduling and things of that m things that matter. So the flow is Amy's going to reach out uh to Eric who's the point person right now um for her uh for her contact for the city. They're going to coordinate with you guys a schedule. Then Amy at the local level will relay the information to Anita and myself and then we'll make sure we're all together on the call. Um so I'll be Eric Eric spoke to Eric briefly about this yesterday as well. So um Amy's going to reach out this week and that that ball is already rolling. So I expect that'll happen. Amy, I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Where? Amy is the one that covers Florida. Is that correct? Exactly.

Okay, that's all I And Amy Amy will also be bringing in the appropriate officials and possibly even from some representatives from the state uh for that meeting. So, that should also be a well attended and a productive meeting. Madam Chair, yes, go ahead.

And and thank you. We did want to make this brief tonight, Madam Chair. Um and thank you for the updates from the Pitman firm. I believe Mr. Evans is working to do a workshop with the entire board and the legislators and then we can give a more detailed update at the end of the month at the workshop to go into depth. But tonight was just kind of a brief overview uh to let the residents know that we were in Tallahassee and DC. And thank you to Javon Casey and um and Sam and also Sean Pitman. They did a phenomenal job of getting us around, introducing us to the legislators and making sure that we were advocating for the city. So uh thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes. Go ahead. Um, and thank you, Javon, aka Javante.

All right. Go ahead, Dr. Spirit. Madam Chair. All right. I I just want to make it clear that, uh, we didn't just start going to Washington in the last few weeks. Uh, former mayor Felder and I went to Washington and met with our legislators directly. We met with EPA. This pretty much the same people that you meet you met with recently. We've built up those relationships. Uh and yes, it is very important for the uh council members to be seen in Washington with our representatives. It carries a lot of weight and opens up a lot of doors and it's very very important that we continue doing this not only with EPA but with every other government agency uh in DC. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Any other questions for our lobbyist uh Tallahassee and uh DC? Thank you very much for your help um and for your uh activities in regards to this water plant because we definitely need all the help that we can get to ensure that that is funded. Uh thank you. We can go ahead now uh madam clerk to the next item.

Madame chair we are on item eight ordinances on second and final reading. M. Uh, item 88, ordinance number 4284, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, approving a future land use change from recreation to community facility submitted by CORE in PGAL, Inc. on behalf of the city of Riviera Beach for the purpose of constructing a new police department headquarters at 1621 West Blue Heron Boulevard in the city of Riviera Beach providing for an effective date and for other purposes. Madam Chair, we do have public comment cards on this item. The acceptance of the cards is now closed.

Thank you. Uh Mr. Evans, Madam Chair, members of the board, if I can have the director of development services, Mr. Clarence Surmans to make this presentation.

Thank you, Mr. Manager. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of council, honorable mayor, and madame attorney. Again, for the record, I am Clarence Surman, director of development services. The ordinance just read into your hearing is related to the future land use map change uh necessary for the u the police station headquarters project to move forward. This is the second reading of the item and there have been no changes since first reading and the item has been properly noticed according to city and state statutes. Uh staff is here and available if there's any questions on the content of this agenda item. Madam Chair, yes, go ahead.

Um and for the record, I didn't hear anybody make a motion in a second on this yet. You're exactly right. Did I miss it? Okay, but I just want to put that Let's go ahead and do that now. Uh, is there a motion for ordinance number 4284? I'll say so moved. Is there a second for this item? I would like first second. Okay, now go ahead. Now we got

Okay, we got a second. Okay. Um, Mr. Simmons, um, the the pool I was looking for a site plan. Um, what area, and it wasn't in this, it probably was in previous um, backup information, but what area of the property would the vehicles be exiting if this were to be approved? If you would give me a moment, I would pull up the site for it. Any other questions for uh this item? Uh while he's looking for that, Madam CL, we can go ahead with public comment. Madam Chair, we have six public comment cards. The first speaker is Erica Davis, followed by Cindy March and Lloyd Brown.

Erica Davis, Rivier Beach. I'm up here. I am very much so wanting this police station because we've been going through this for a few years. It was approved. The bomb was approved. We approved this the location and it's time. They deserve it. They take care of our children. They take care of the community and they need their place. We did two fire stations. They were done. Now we need to get this done. No more delays because later on you're going to be taught about assets and liability. The pool is a liability. We're not making money off of the pool. So if you want a pool somewhere, move it to Wales or move it to Tates. It doesn't matter about the location. Right now, we have projects up in the air that we don't know when they're going to be built because of the economy. And we need some revenue to come in as well. But these guys need their police department. And there's no excuse for this because this been on the table for years like the marina and the water plant. So, we need to get it done. I'm We are sick of this. It's our money. We have to pay for it and it is what it is. Thank you. The next speaker is Cindy March, followed by Lorie Brown and Fame Loseman.

Good evening, Council Cindy Marge. I agree that they need their water plant and it's been a long time coming and I come to these meetings and they've been talking about the water plant. You must have a safe environment to work. But why not put it back where it was? Because if you're going to renovate the Barracuda Bay or you're going to put a new a new police station, it's going to be over $40,000 if you combine both of them together. My thing is it's going to be so much traffic with the school being there and trying to come out of the the um drive the parking lot mean the um streetway in order to go to your emergency just like with the people on Single Island. God forbid if they get a call on Singer Island on the east side of town and the way these railroad tracks are, how they going to get to the 911 call in a timely manner. Also, why demolished Barracuda Bay when it was built in 2004 and it was said and stated it should be there to 2030 something and you all put that it was built in 19 something. That's not true. Let's be honest with the residents. Let's be honest with the taxpayers. Barracuda Bay was never put there to make money. I love my police department. We got the best chief that we have ever had in a very long time. And I've been coming up to the podium for over 30ome years. And I can guarantee you the police department that we have now, I'm greatly satisfied. They are deserving of a new a new um position. But why not put it back where the city hall is and I I hope it work out. But really make sure you be honest to the residents as well as the taxpayers when this place was built and how long it's supposed to stay there. And it can be refurbished and it won't cost $20,000 to $20 million to refurbish the water the water place that you have

there and still build a police department right there by the city hall. Come on, use common sense. The next speaker is Lloyd Brown, followed by Fame Mosman and Julie Boutell. I know I know it's going to be a lot of people here think that I'm against the police department being built over there, but that's not what I'm against. I'm against like what she was saying with the traffic. I ride through there a lot. And if you go through there sometimes in the day and I'll be honest with you, that's a clog or whatever they call it. And then you know another thing it's like people will come up here and talk. They'll talk about this point about the police department then they'll talk about that. But we do need the water department. But you got a few double agents. You know how they have spy working for two different people. You got people come up here, they working both sides of the of this all going thing. They working with people they don't like and the people they like. But I mean honestly the police department would be better over where it's at. I mean because uh if you ever go through there like 4:00 in the day you got kids them kids they look at you when they crossing the street. They look at you like hey you gonna have to wait on me bro. And the guard could be saying going by and they won't even they'll take their time to go across. And then it's our money and I know you're going to spend it, but you know, come on. Don't be I mean, you want to spend all this money and take this place out of here like he said and like she said, the water park was not put there to make no money because if it was then the gyms should have been put there when I was going through the gyms. They didn't make no money. Did you tear down Wells? Did you tear down Tate? Why don't you put the police department over there? Well, they not making no money. Why don't you put it over there where Tate is? They're not, that building ain't making no

money. I can understand what you saying, G. And it's not put there to make no money because if it was, you the stupidest people in the world to put Barracuda Bay five miles from the water park. Don't make no And then you trying to say you're going to make money. I thought it was there for low kids who can't afford. I used to take kids out there with $26 to get in there. Our kids here can't afford that. I don't care if they give you a discount to go out to ver to that place out there. It doesn't matter. You still got to pay a lot. You got to park, you got to pay. But the traffic I'm talking about, honestly, the traffic is going to be crowded in there. And like I'm saying, it's our money you spending. And I mean, I can't really afford it because my water bill is 238. I can't afford to give you any more money for nothing. Honestly, it's 216 this month. And I'm talking about you want to build this, get the water straight, get those meters straight. I don't think you ever came out, you want to build a police department, but I don't think nobody ever came out and checked those meters to see if they're flowing right. Because when I was at Pratt, Whitney, that's what we did, these flow meters. You had to check them. You ain't going to put nothing on a plane that's pumping too much fuel because that could be a a big problem. But no, you want to put the police department there. No, that ain't the spot. Put it right back where it's at. The next the next speaker is Fain Loman followed by Julie Bautell and Mary Bran. Fane Loman Singer Island. It's kind of late in the day to say we should put the police department next to the fire department. I had a conversation a while back with the fire chief and he said he said they should have been next to each other so they could have shared one emergency operation center between them. But that's hoarder under the bridge. The police station should have been torn down 15 years ago. The health hazard, mold, people getting sick in there. And it goes to the leadership of the city

that it wasn't done. We shouldn't be in here in 2026 talking about a police station that should have been under construction in 2020. So when you look at the city manager's contract in a month, you say, how much more money is it costing the taxpayers by having delayed this process? This process should have been taken years ago. And that's my comment is going to be relative to money. This should not be on the back of the people that live on the west side funding this. There's a lot on Singer Island that had a 35 unit place called the Coral Sea. It was torn down to build a 52 unit uh condo called Turnberry will bring three to 400 million of taxes into this city. And the city and the Singer Island council person is saying, "Oh, it's going to add more traffic and we got to kill the project." 35 units were there. It's only going to be 52 going to be multi-millions of dollars. Turnberry is is developed by the gentleman that owns this Fountain Blue Hotel and the Fountain Blue Casino in Las Vegas. And they also have a $4 billion project that built on a super fun side of Miami. We need to worry about the money. This police station is going to be built by Barracuda Bay. That's a leadership issue. It should not have happened, but it's going to be built. How are we going to pay for it? It should not be on the back of the people that live on the west side. We need to develop Turnberry and that should be a condition that if you want to approve this, Turnberry has to get approved. They came up from Miami three or four meetings ago. They couldn't even get a second. You have a Stinger Island council person lobbying not to do it on traffic when it's only another 17 units that's going to bring in a few hundred million to the tax walls. So, I would ask that the motion be amended that the Turnberry project has to be approved before this can get a final reading. The next speaker is Julie Bautell followed by Mi Mrs. Mary Bran.

Good evening. I'm Julie Bautell, Riviera Beach resident. I live on Singer Island. I'm here tonight to urge you to affirm the Barracuda Bay site for the new police station and direct staff to relocate the water park to a new location as soon as possible. I want to be very clear, this is not a new idea. This was not rushed. This was decided not decided upon behind closed doors. There were many, many, many communitywide meetings, extensive public discussion, and years of evaluation before the previous council voted to move forward with this site. The community has already decided. We have heard the voice of this community at large. Residents showed up, weighed the tradeoffs, and said public safety needed to come first. And we even considered leaving it at the site it was at and that was not a good idea. It was determined we needed to move it away from there. We need to use that property for the other things that we've decided upon. Rethinking this decision now does not create new opportunity. It creates delay, uncertainty, and real financial consequences for this city. As the city manager explained at the last meeting on January 21st, backing away at this stage would be costly. Meanwhile, our police department continues operating in leased office space. It's not a police department. It's an office building. It wasn't designed for law enforcement operations. And we know now that it costs this city roughly $700,000 a year in rent. Money that could be used instead to help pay for a permanent facility. We have already experienced the risks of an inadequate police facility in the

past. We know that the water damage, the mold that forced the relocation. We cannot repeat that cycle. From an operational standpoint, this location makes sense. We know that approximately 65% of the crime occurs in this area. A modern, properly designed police station in the center of activity improves police response times, officer safety, and overall effectiveness. That's not theoretical. That's practical public safety planning. Now, regarding the water plant park, excuse me, not plant park, no one is saying recreation isn't important, but the current facility is aging, operates only 65 days a year, and cost the city over $350,000 annually. Relocation does not mean elimination. As Mr. Evans explained, we're working on alternatives. What I'm saying is please, please do not ask our brave men and women in blue, many of whom are here tonight, to wait any longer. They've waited long enough.

Madam Chair, the last speaker is Mrs. Mary Brown. It's Mary Bram Rivera Beach. every outside agency, every inside residence as well as outside. I want you all to listen to Miss Bram here. These things have been workshop when we were in cover. The mass homeowners as well as some renters. They came out. But the homeowners has said move these things that this city should have. when you talk about workshopping 23 22 21 and Miss Bram can go on and on and what year it is now public meetings THE BONDS HERE WE WORKSHOP these bonds here so that this city here can have a have a great Renaissance in 2024 know what they wrote about us ren is possible with Rivera Beach. If leaders lead, that's just what this is all about. You leading and not being subjected to 10 or 15 PEOPLE. WE OWN THAT BARRACUDA of property over there. We own it. And the reason that we got to move from out west with that fire station BECAUSE THE LEADERS DURING that day and time, they did not SEE A VISION. WE DON'T OWN THAT PROPERTY. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO BUILD THE FIRE STATION right there on Congress so that it can serve some of the hub OF THE INNER CITY SUN COAST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. You know what's happening to these schools here? That's why integration with these main facilities is coming

into the hub of these communities. WE HAD A SHOOTING OVER THERE. A guy came on the campus. all of those schools in that area there is in this dem demographic here to build that police station there so that it can serve all of those carters there. But if we are to be better and look better and build better, we must be better. We must meet the challenges of today. You don't tell FPN to cut off your lights because either you pay it or you do not pay it. And that's the reality OF LIFE. WE WILL SURVIVE. But with the necessities, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND YOUR WATER DEPARTMENT, those are the elements to build any municipality. And they are built with bonds. But it's up to you leaders to see past that nose tip so you can leave this place here better. Miss Brown want TO LEAVE IT BETTER FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR CHILDREN, EVERYBODY. We want this place to be better. We know that this place could be be better. The officials knows that this place can be better. But you leaders, you leaders, Barracuda Bay should have never been built there. We talk about MLK. YOU ALL THAT THAT WAS Y'ALL BIG MONUMENT WHERE Barracuda Bay was. Yes. Should have never been built there.

Madam Chair, that's the end of public comments for this. Thank you, Conor. Take heed to Miss Frank. Are there any other questions in regards to this ordinance number 4284 before we take a vote? Madam Chair, yes, go ahead.

If I may, just a couple of points that I I want to make sure that are addressed. Um we we have had a substantial amount of community conversations with regards to this location and the uh intent of this particular location. As some board members may remember, we did go through a pretty exhaustive analysis that was about five sites before we we landed on this particular site. And I will tell you that in the event that we do not move forward with this particular project, you've already expended $3.5 million for the design of a Riviera Beach Police Department. If this location is relocated, you then are going to lose your design monies as well as as part of the bond validation process, we put what is the site that this particular facility would be located. So the $35 million that the voters did approve, you would not be able to have access to that for this particular project. By going through a redesign project and moving it back to the city hall campus if that is the desire of the board, you will it will result in delays. You are spending approximately $700,000 a year for lease payments as it stands right now. And so it would be staff's hope that the board would move forward with uh supporting this particular project in its current form. The project is set to come back before you in March. Your first meeting in March for the GMP, the guaranteed maximum price. After the guaranteed maximum price is authorized by the board, you can have bonafide construction related activities happening on that site within 30 days. This project is as much as shovel ready as every other project that we have moved forward in the city and the staff is also eager to be able to move forward with this particular facility. I will tell you that we do lose personnel because of the facilities that we do not have. We do not have the ability to train because we don't have facilities. And the other side of it is as it

relates to the ingress and egress and the traffic related issues, we have resolved those particular issues as it relates to the site plan and we did look at conflicts with regards to the school. But the other benefit that we have and we mentioned is that 65% of the crime in our community happens within close proximity of that facility. Remember we are not policing services right now the officers are already out in the community. It is not like how it used to be that there's one phone and everybody leaves the station at the same time. So there is administrative offices function you know you have your um dispatch in there you have some of the back of the house operations that your office personnel yes you'll have officers coming going but they are largely not responding from that particular facility. That facility also will have a community room. And the other benefit that we see is that in the event that there's a situation where a young person feels threatened for whatever particular reason, they have a safe place to go in. And the benefit is that every day those kids go down S Avenue to go to school. The opportunity for them to interact and have a positive interaction with a law enforcement officer in our community lends itself to us building the next generation of law enforcement folks in our community that they will have close access, close proximity, and we will be able to be a really good partner with the surrounding educational institutions there. And so we are in support of the project if you have uh any additional uh questions or comments for the chief and his team. And then we do also have personnel that's here that can speak um as it relates to their perspective on on the project. And that concludes my comments. Madame Mad,

Madam Chair, uh Commissioner Miller Anderson,

thank you. Um I I just want the council to really be aware of the fact that Dr. Hotell said it best. Um, there were numerous meetings that occurred, numerous meetings between the community and city council. We don't want to be the the board that sets us back. A lot of work has been put into us getting this done. And if we changed our minds every single time the council changed, we would never get anything accomplished. And I think that um looking back, I believe it may have been around 2012 or so um I may be off on the on the years, but they were supposed to build the police station on the city hall site at 600 Blair, but it never happened. And here it is, 2026. We're about to get it done. We don't want to we don't want to go backwards. I've been on a council where we did not get a whole lot done and I can honestly say in the last several years we have accomplished more than probably has been done in 2030 years. And so to now change our minds all of a sudden I I think that would be a true detriment to trying to move things forward. um people had the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns um over the last several years about this project and you know if you were not involved at that time you know I don't I don't know what to say but I I do think it would be very detrimental to come now and try to change something that several years was put into making it happen and everyone had an opportunity to speak on it. So I I truly hope it moves forward so that the work that has been done by everyone does not go down the drain for no reason. Thank you,

madam chair. Yes. Go ahead, sir.

Thank you. And Miss Mill Anderson did address 2012. I think it was actually closer to 2005. The city spent over a million dollars in plans and didn't move forward. Facilities needed to be built 20, 30 years ago. That's the first thing. Mr. Evans talked about the bond. The bond was actually addressed to be built there and that bond passed with close to 70% of the vote for our residents. We cannot delay this progress anymore. So board, I understand that when new members come in, there's concerns. They have questions. They want to get all the insight possible, but we've addressed a lot of the issues that the residents have uh addressed when it comes to the water park access. Staff has got memberships to the water park for the next two to three years. Transportation is being made available to the residents as well. Swim programs are being created. So, every concern that's been addressed by residents to date, not to mention, we spent four years vetting this process, doing the community shares, and having the conversations. So, I'm asking and pleading for my first responders, my police, my every staff to have the ability to have a facility. Some of them are actually going to be retiring soon, and they want to be in their facility that they can move into. And our groundbreaking can be as early as the beginning of March. As soon as this is approved here and then approved at the county, these men and women will be able to enjoy this facility by next year. If we delay this, we have no idea how long this is going to take. So, board, I'm asking if we can support this project because I sat on this board as a voting member and was one of the people that supported it with over 70% of the residents when we put the bond out. So, I'm asking if we can support and move forward with this project. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead, sir. Uh, first I would like to give my answer from Mr. Surmans about the site plan and ingress and egress. Yes, the uh approved site plan has driveways on Blue Heron has one driveway on Blue Heron and two on Avenue S. And I could bring that on the screen if necessary as well.

Yeah, you can pull it up. I just want to say that um I have been in support of this police station since the very beginning. Um more so when I went to uh the offices that the police is currently housed or crammed I should say and uh it really does not do any justice to our police force that they are crammed into a building. Um we have to use other people's jails. I mean, it's it's really not good. We need to be able to move forward. We have moved forward with fire stations, with city halls, with the marina project. Um we are moving forward with all of this infrastructure because for the last 30 40 years nothing has been taken care of from mold to to uh water damages to we had to move the library and get a whole new building because we have books expensive old books in this library that were being damaged because of the mold and because of the when it rained it would just come in the whole entire library. So we have started this from 2019. We have started looking at the infrastructure of this city and seeing that it was crumbling and and so much so that the water from 1995 the city of Rivier Beach had the best water in the county and now our water is at best you know it it meets the EPA standards. is drinkable. But the thing about it is that we had better and we can have better and we have to move forward. And if we keep we can do two things at one time. We have we have we were building fire stations. We're building police stations. We the new marina. We're building all of these things that got projects on 13th Street. We've got projects around the city. We got things happening on Broadway. There are things that are happening in the city that

they're happening simultaneously and we have to move forward to be able to keep the momentum that we've had for the last six, seven years here. So, I really want to make sure that we understand that time is of the essence. We don't know how this economy is going to play out. We don't know how this government is going to play out. They might want to stay. We don't know. So, we need to be able to take care of our little neck of the woods to make sure that the city and the residents are prepared and are given the opportunity to be able to take care of themselves. And that is why we want to move forward with all of these projects that we have on the table. I'm sorry for going on, but Mr. Sus, go ahead.

Yes, Madam Chair. Uh, as mentioned, the project Sorry, my laser pointer. Here we go. Uh there's a driveway here for the project on Blue Heron Boulevard and then an additional one here and here on Avenue S. Um Madam Chair. Yes, go ahead.

So is there any particular interest in egress that is identified to be used to exit for a call? Sometime in emergency services you have certain exits and ingress and egresses that you use to u respond to a call. Is there any particular exit ingress or egress? Madam chair if I may. Yes. Go ahead. All right. Major Thomas River Beach Police Department. So um as you look at the driveways on the north side of the campus um on Blue Herren side I'm sorry.

Blue heron side. on the blue herand side of the campus. The uh driveway there is primarily for an exit to go eastbound. In the case of an emergency, a life safety emergency, an officer can uh with his life lights and sirens activated uh go westbound to address any any issues that are to the west of the facility. Um, other than that, the south exit at the south of the campus right there off Avenue S is also a ingress and ingress for the law enforcement officers. Have y'all done I'm sorry, madam chair.

No, go ahead. Have y'all done a study doing um school let out regarding the traffic and how you may be able to navigate that because if they bumper to bumper they just can't move out the way they they stuck. Parents come and get their kids. They're lined up for half a mile.

I'll let the chief speak. before you before we I let him say something. That was the same issue and the same argument that they had with the fire station at Congress and Blue Heron. If you put a um fire station right there, they're not going to be able to get out. They um it's going to be just chaos at Congress and and now it's a breeze for the fire trucks, not just police vehicles. These are firet trucks, ambulances are getting out of Congress and Blue Heron efficiently, effectively, timely to be able to take care of the business of the city. But I just say that because I mean it's the same kind of egress and ingress. Okay. Uh well well let me wait I'm I'm not done doc. Yeah I want

but but yeah but I need to make one comment. Okay. Go ahead. Blue Haron is a um four lane turn highway. S Avenue is a two-lane highway. Much different. But much different. So, and and I'm trying to get understanding. Um, and every Let me say this. Everybody up here support building a new police station. That's not the issue.

That's not like like if this location not supported, you don't support police. That's that's that's craziness. But I have a responsibility to ensure that my decision I can live with. I know y'all said y'all did all these studies and everybody had their input and that's fine. I'm not dismissing that. But if I have some concerns, I want them to be addressed and resolved. And um I'm I'm I'm just going to do what I feel is right for the community and I'm going consider all that traffic there. And I want an explanation of all those parents lined up on a two-lane highway. You just can't put a red light in the middle there and exit because if they already jammed up, they can't back up or go forward. So talk to me.

I think that before he goes to I just want to be I just want to be clear that you know council members have the right to ask questions. Nobody is up here saying that it shouldn't happen but we do have the right to ask questions and to be able to have our questions answered because the questions may not have came up before. So I'd like to hear questions that may prompt my brain computer to move forward with greater power. Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Chair and uh council pro guy. Good questions and um I like the questions and I have response to to your questions. River is not we're not unique to building the police department on a fourlane highway and have a side road with two lanes. You got Del R, you got Boon. It's not a unique situation. 90% of my officers work in the field. When you have an emergency call, most of my people is already in the field in their zones. We have nine zones in the city. Majority of my people is in the field. They don't work out of the office. This is why you guys bought us and thank you buying a police cars with equipment in our cars. That's our office. Only person most likely leave that scene that police department will be crime scene cuz they work inside and only people inside detectives may work inside but most of them out in the field as well. So you have very limited people leaving from the police department if that is I failed. I failed you and I failed the city if I have people working inside. I don't need a house mouse. I need cops outside of the field. So to answer your question, we don't work inside the office. We work in the field.

Okay. If I, like I said, if that happens, I failed you. Okay. Um, Madam Chair. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Well, good answer. Good answer. If you're already out there in the field, you know, most people don't most officers won't have to leave there. Um, Mr. Mr. Evans made a comment about 65% of the crime in our city happens in that area. Is that accurate? I'm not going to give you a data. I don't have a dad in front of me, but wait. But majority of the crime in that city. Excuse me. Excuse me.

You're the chief of police. I have somebody sitting to my right who's not part of the law enforcement industry making a statement to residents. And if that's the case, I would expect somebody in law enforcement to know those numbers. And if it's not accurate, I want to know that, too. I I I I don't want you to tiptoe around it. You get FBI statistics. I I said up here about four times. FBI statistics that give you crime percentages in our neighbor. Is that accurate? Absolutely. What I'm saying is accurate.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. Okay. So, we're on the same page. Absolutely. So, I know that stat uh statistical data is out there. My only question was is what the city manager said is accurate? Absolutely. And I'll tell you why. Okay. Okay. I just asked you that question. I didn't ask for what I want. Yes, sir. is the data tomorrow. Absolutely. That shows that 65% of the crime happens in that area. Okay. Yes, sir. Are you kind of hesitating, looking a little puzzled now? I I would like to respond.

Okay, respond. Most of my violent crimes take place in Monroe Heights and Federal Gardens. I would I would say you say 65% between 65 and 70% of my crime take place in Monro Heights and Federal Gardens. Of course, someone said Avenue E. No, that's not accurate because we clean Avenue E up. I had two murders on S Avenue last year. A 14-y old kid killed a 19-y old kid and 18y old kid killed a 19-y old kid. And then we had two other violent crime attempted murders right on S Avenue which is one block away where our police department will be. So to answer your question, most of my violent crimes have taken place in Monroe Heights along S Avenue

and Federal Gardens. Okay, that's the data. Okay, let let me let me please please. Okay, audience uh let let us let us get through this. Um the the incidents that you just identified very violent unacceptable does it rise to the level of 65%. Citywide

I don't want to give you a number cuz I know I know most of my commissioners I studied most of you guys. If I say 62 you want 62. If I say 63 you want 63. No, I just want to ask the numbers the majority of the crime is it definitely taking place in Federal Gardens Mro Heights which is zone 21 and 22. That is absolutely a fact. Okay. And then you have we had multiple shootings behind KFC and those apartment buildings in behind Imperial Plaza. Okay. Within the same area. I I and I'm not cutting you off but I know we got time. All I'm asking is about the percentages. I know that violent crime happens all over the city. I grew up here.

I get it for you. And I even got time in the streets. Everybody know it. I've been out there. Moral Heights starts on Our Avenue, which is a little distance east from S Avenue. SR federal gardens. It's right there in that loop with Sun Coast that's coming around too. All I want is accurate information. If it's 65% it is what it is. I just want to see the data. I'm a data document evidence type of guy. Just show me the data. Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you.

All right. Very good. So, so uh let me say this one thing. Um, when we talk about the egress and ingress, the police station that we had at Blue Heron had to come out on H Avenue. So, that's a two-lane road right there. So, it's the same kind of scenario, but I digress. Councilman Spirious. Chief, I I believe you said that uh the police officers offices their patrol call. Correct. Yes, sir. Right. And that the majority of the responses come from the patrolmen that are already or patrol women that are already on the street in their offices or their patrol cars. Correct. Yes sir. It would be very rare that they would be coming out of the police station. Very seldom they become out of police station. Yeah. But rare. Right.

Very. The m majority as you said are in their cars already on in patrol. Yes sir.

Right. So where you put the police station really doesn't make a difference in responding to emergencies. It's the It's a matter of where you put your patrol cars and how many police officers you have out in the street that's going to really have a an impact on solving crimes and stopping crimes. Uh with respect to uh the bond issue, uh I brought this up previously. I know the city manager says that the bond was sight specific and this and that. I gave the council members copies of the referendum uh of what the people voted on. Clearly, we had the opportunity. We have we have the ability to move the location of the police station anytime we want with reference to that bond according to the bond issue itself uh and with the referendum that the people voted on. Uh so that's not really true. Uh I myself uh I spoke to many of the police officers and you know I support uh our men and women in blue uh 1,000%. The majority of the police officers I spoke to don't think that this is the proper location for the police station quite honestly. Uh I could tell you that I myself think that the old location is probably the best maybe from a uh strategic point because it is the most central location in the city. Uh but secondly uh the most important thing here is that we're taking down a an aquatic center which has not lived out its life yet and it cost us over $20 million to build that facility. We're going to spend another $20 million plus to build a new facility. So that's $40 million that we're spending just to buy the property. We do own the property where the old police station was. We do own uh all that all that property surrounding that area. It is part of the ITN, but we have

not signed any agreements with the ITN at this point. Uh so we're spending $40 million for land. The whole project, the building itself is going to be 404 to $50 million. So technically, we're spending $90 million to build this police station because of the location. So we're spending $40 million for dirt uh when we already own dirt for free. So I have a little problem with spending that money uh and I and the and the location that we chose. Uh now going back uh chair you brought up uh station 88. I didn't want to bring this up, but every fireman I've spoken to, including firemen from out of town, said that is the worst location to put a firehouse. It is an accident waiting to happen. Maybe we haven't had an accident yet. Hopefully we won't have one in the future, but that is was poor planning that you don't put a firehouse in the location that we did. We 87 is in the perfect location for a firehouse. Uh so I I I do agree with my colleague when he when he spoke about uh Congress and the firehouse uh being in that location. Uh but I do support the police department. I do support uh building a new uh police station. We probably should have built it as one of the speakers said before, one of the members of the community. Should have been built many many years ago, not just not something in the last three years. We've known that this police station, we've known all the other public buildings were falling apart, the water plant, uh, going back, you know, 20 years ago, and nobody acted on it. Uh, and we would have saved a hell of a lot of money if we would have done this even just a couple years ago, let alone uh, 20 years ago. The price of construction went from $180 to $350 a square foot in just the last two years.

So that almost double the cost of your new police station. Uh this is taxpayer money. Uh I believe that your plans, building construction plans can be saved. You can pick up those plants and move it uh to a different site. Uh we have large enough property at the old city hall site uh to do that with the construction plans you have. So you won't be throwing that $3.5 million in the garbage. You'll just be moving it from one place to another. Uh, I have some concerns about this, but I will support uh the police department uh 100%. Uh, whichever way we go on this. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, go ahead.

Um, Manager Evans, can you speak on the 35 million because you mentioned it quickly and then you started talking about a lot of other things and I got distracted. So, you're saying that we stand to lose $35 million. Madam Chair, if I may.

Yes. Go ahead. We went through the bond validation process where we filed a lawsuit basically against oursel to validate the the the process that we undertook associated with the bonds. In the documents that we submitted to the courts, it does reference what is the location for the police department. bond council has already opined and said that in the event that you look to relocate the police station, you would be at risk of losing that $35 million because it is sight specific. Had we not gone through the bond validation process, I would probably say that you do have some flexibility, but the city took that extra step to and and it's a very common step that governments do to validate the process that you undertook. So you actually have a judgment from the court that says you followed the appropriate process for this particular activity. And so that is why I said that in the event that we wanted to relocate or go to another site, you do run the risk of losing that that $35 million for the the police station.

Madam Chair, is that the same distance that you're Madam Chair? Could I can I respond to my colleague? Yeah, because I before I follow up with him. Uh yes, I I was responding to that because the referendum itself and I'm surprised that the court didn't attach the referendum verbatim that the people voted on uh in their decision. Uh maybe council can tell us whether that was done or not. Mamm chair. Yes, go ahead. The ballot question is cited in the court's order. Um I did not see where it was sight specific. Uh and if you have that, Mr. Mr. Evans, you can send it to me because I don't have that from bond counsel. Right. Madam Chair, can I can I just follow up? Yes, go ahead.

Yes. So, uh, in the referendum, we specifically had the authority to make any changes, whatever we wanted. That was in the referendum itself that the people voted on. Anything that we thought wasn't for the betterment of the community, we could change, which included the location, of course, uh, with respect to this project. So, I I just think our decision should be made based upon the facts, not based upon people's, you know, inner feelings. We all want to see a fire a new police station as soon as possible. Obviously, spending $700,000 a year is ridiculous in the location you're in is not safe and it's not proper uh for uh for any uh police department. But I don't believe that moving it to a different location is going to make that much of a difference since we already have the facility designed. Uh and we do have enough land to put it somewhere else. Uh but like I said, uh I'm not going to try and blow this project up. I just want us to all be making decisions based upon the true facts.

Madam Chair, if I may,

can I Okay. Yeah. Okay. Go ahead. With regards to when we did have the conversation with with the previous board about the sighting of the police station and when we talked about city hall, we talked about the possibility of locating the police station in close proximity to its existing location. The reason that that particular site was not selected was because as part of the city hall campus, it was always contemplated that we wanted to relocate as many municipal facilities off of that campus to be able to leverage the use of that property for the purposes of the redevelopment of that that city hall campus. And so that is why part of the the utility district relocating off that campus. We did look at opportunities to relocate fire station 87 and we put fire station 87 basically in the corner of that particular campus to preserve as much space available for the redevelopment of the city hall campus because one of the challenges that we would have going into that is the ability to have the the cash and the bonding capacity to build city hall. So we wanted to bring the properties that we have as leverage to help the redevelopment of that. And so that is why that we saw the relocation of particular uh municipal facilities. The board can remember we talked about the property or the truest bank building. We talked about modifying that building for the Riviera Beach Police Department. It was cost prohibitive to do that. We looked at our existing site at the city hall campus. We said, "Okay, we wanted to move properties or or facilities off of that." We looked at that um pieshaped lot across from the Avenue L site. That particular site, I think they wanted $10 million for the acquisition cost associated with that. Then we moved to Barracuda Bay and then we started having

some conversations about that particular site being the optimal site for um the Riviera Beach Police Department. So there was a lot of discussions, conversations, intentionality behind we why we landed on that particular site. The other side of it is one of the things that we also talked about is creating for synergy as it relates to our parks and recreational programming and our facilities. Right now the only thing that if you go to Barracuda Bay, the only thing you can do there is swim. You cannot participate in any other recreational activity except associated with swim. All other municipalities are bringing those facilities together to create synergy. The Burns Road campus at Palm Beach Gardens is a a great example. You want to create a situation where families can recreate for the entire day and do the aquatics, do this program, the arts class in there. You do want to have those facilities in close proximity. So, our intent is to bring the aquatics facility with our recreational facility. From a programmatic perspective, it makes a lot of sense. And then from an operational efficiency perspective, we can see the usage of that pool go up because we will have the recreation center up and operational more than the 65 days that are available right now. So there there was a lot of, you know, discussions related to why we came to that particular site. And as stated earlier, most of the criminal activities that we had were in close proximity of that site when we were looking at sites and the previous chief said, "Hey, this is a site that makes a lot of sense for us, hardens the school campuses, and gives us a great presence in the community." So, I do want to make sure that that is stated very clearly that it was a very deliberate and thoughtful process. And I know now we're getting to the point where there's some consternation with regards to the the the pool activities, but I will tell you when the Palm Beach Gardens pool or North Palm Beach when they had to renovate their pools, they

did not go to the same length that the city of Riviera Beach has done to ensure that there is no gaps in services. And I would argue that after we track this, we'll see that there's actually an expansion in access to aquatics and qualics related activities than what we previously offered. All right, Madam Chair. Yes, go ahead.

So, um I appreciate that, um, manager Evans, but shame on us that that's all you can do there is swim because if it had been properly maintained, then we would be able to enjoy the full facility. And then, you know, I hear you keep saying future planning. It I hate to say it, but it kind of reminds me of gentrification where you neglect certain areas until you have to do something else with it. So, again, are I mean, I just want to make sure we're not not properly maintaining areas, buildings, resources because we're planning for the future. So I don't I mean I I hear you on that but the other part of that is um you know second plan B's I mean this everything that you know is every resolution that's put forth has to come before the board. So, was there a plan B if this actual location or resolution didn't get passed? Because I I I do support the police that they do need a new facility and you know, all of that, but I'm I'm I'm asking was there a a plan B at this point?

Madam Chair, if I may.

Yes, go ahead. when we as it relates to a plan B, there there was a a plan B, but it was a it was a difficult plan B because from the staff's perspective, we've been working on this and having conversations with the board all along the process that we never envisioned that there would be some consternation with regards to that. That's why we went through some of the processes that we did. I will tell you, we looked at shipping container pools, modular pools. We looked at every different option to find an alternative. We looked at can we construct one building on the site and keep the pool operational for a year and then, you know, flip it and that gives us a good enough time. And so we looked at multiple options. But I I would tell you that in the event that this is not something that the city moves forward with, you would have to spend substantial money into Barracuda Bay to to um to get the facility where it needs to be. And then you're going to have to reconstruct that facility anyway because it it's it's water, it's chlorine, it's wear and tear, it's out in the inclement. So it takes a beating that some of your other facilities don't traditionally do. And in the perfect world, you're absolutely right. We should have kept our recreational centers close where it makes a lot of sense. I will tell you the fire station 88, fire station 88 was right next door to Barracuda Bay. It really made no sense for that station to be there. So we relocated off there because the property the day we would have built the station there would have been built to capacity and the station that we have on the corner of Congress and Blue Heron because of the foresight of the board we're able to save $20 million but not plus by not having to construct the station on military trail because you have a station large enough to accommodate you know your your fire companies there. So you have two fire companies there. You know, there is they're all domino pieces. And I guess to make a long story short is that

the the plan Yeah. the plan B option was not not even a viable a real bonafide viable option that we could have brought forward without substant you know making substantial uh investments and then delaying this project for another couple of years. Okay, Madam Chair, I'm gonna try to wrap my part up. So this is a diffic go ahead.

This is a difficult decision in the fact that I know a lot of people maybe our seniors don't come a lot of our parents don't come to these meetings but because I am in my position I do talk to a lot of educators. I talked to a lot of our resource officers that are in our schools and a lot of them have a concern with the traffic in that area, the safety of students because unlike Congress, we don't have as many um children walking on Congress back and forth. But S Avenue is is full in the mornings and in the afternoons of students. So there's a safety concern. not only once um it's built, but for the time frame of construction. I mean, you're going to have construction, you're going to have delays, you're going to have trucks, you're going to have a lot of stuff going on in that area. So, a lot of our school resources resource officers are concerned um about that location. And I think I'm not going to repeat, but a lot of stuff already came up about the traffic um during the uh peak times during the day. it is very congested as it is. We have parents from Sun Coast, JFK, and Bthoon all in that area trying to get out. So, it it just to me creates a little bit more chaos than than what's already there. So, that's a concern. Um, also what uh Council Person McCoy brought up last last week about the the financial part of, you know, of demolishing a 20 plus million dollar facility that has that is hard for me to understand how it's um lived out its use when uh the report was given to us uh with the recreation master plan that said that it is still being used still in condition. So you

know it's those things it's it's a financial burden. We don't have a lot of uh assets in our community. we don't have a lot of um recreational assets and so Barracuda Bay is one of those things I mean one of those uh places in our community. I wish you know like a lot of the seniors that there was something prepared before we are demolishing and closing down facilities. We do not have a lot of facilities. I live in Riviera Beach as me as as many I use the facilities. Um my parents use the facilities. There are families that use the facilities. I feel like, you know, that we're we're again, I understand development, I understand building, but what are our residents going to have that, you know, that they've been accustomed to using and utilizing? We do not have a lot of things. Um, so those are some those are some of my concerns. Um, you know, and I know I've heard one of my co, you know, colleague say, you know, police station is more than a pool. not just about a pool because when you talk to our uh parents of a autistic children that have used Barra Bay that use it on a regular basis some that you know it's just a part of our community that many of us have grown up with it being there have utilized it and so it is more than just a pool and I I like I said I love police I wish that you know um there I just feel like it should be a better solution um than than demolishing Barracuda Bay.

Yes.

And and I think that um people have heartburn with that, but I want to say I need to say this. 2019 we had a we had a two or three public chares about police stations, fire stations, city halls of what we were going to do in this city. It was a 2030 vision. How we were going to reimagine Riviera Beach. We had three four uh sharetses in 2019. 202021 is when CO hit. So we that there was no meetings going on like on the outside. Pick up 2022 we had three additional meetings in regards to a reimagine Riviera Beach. What we're doing in Riviera Beach. 2023 we had sharets. We talked about water plants. We talked about police stations. We have talked about this with the community. It is not like the board and the staff made this decision in a silo. This decision was made through numerous and I'll have Mr. Evans to pull all of the flyers and the signin sheets from these sharetses that we've had in regards to this very item that is on the floor. And that is because when we had in in 2019 when we had this 2030 vision, we started having these sharetses about all of these facilities and we figured out that everything had to go. everything from the roads to the police stations to the fire stations and we commenced to doing business. We started knocking down fire stations. We started moving and we started going about our business of changing the infrastructure of this city and we've been doing this simultaneously with fire stations and and and and water state water water plants and development on blue heron and development on

Broadway and through the CRA and the marina project and the ocean. We have been doing all of this simultaneously, but we have had charetses and community meetings every step of the way. And we've had three or four in a year. We've had them over at the Brooks Center where we were with the police department and my office have done monthly meetings and we talk about the police station. We talk about the that is the reason I believe they started having those meetings because they wanted the public and the community to know how the police station was going to be demolished, where they were going to go, how they were going, how we going to move forward with this. And we looked at all of these options of land in the city, what we would have to buy, what we owned. That is the reason why we put this fire station at Congress and Blue Heron because we own that land. The same thing with Barracuda Bay. we were looking at the least amount of money that we would have to spend to do this. So this was not done in a silo. This was done actually with the public with the residents with their buy in. And if there were there there was some people saying, "Oh no, we shouldn't do that." But the majority of the people every time we brought this to the table, it was approved and we did that to the communities. But but um Madame Vice Chair,

okay, y'all you you told the children we don't want to be in here long. I think we have communicated over and over. I think we've beat it dead 10 times over tonight. Um can we can we move on? We're just on the first items, by the way. We haven't gone through the agenda at all. I didn't hear what you said. I didn't hear. Could you repeat that? Um, Commissioner,

I said we are beating a dead horse. We have said the same thing over and over in five different versions of why we need to just go ahead and vote. Um, unless there's still more presentations to be done, I want like to know we can call the question. Well, Madam Chair, yeah, I think that that's that's fair. Um, but I just wanted to make sure that the the public understood that this was brought to the public every step of the way, numerous, numerous, numerous times throughout each of these years from 2019 about the same item. But go ahead. Absolutely. Yes. Mayor Lawson said it. I said it. You said it. Yeah, we all said it.

All right. Exactly. But we going to beat the dead horse so that everybody can be heard. So I I mean I just wanted to make No, absolutely you can. Everybody needs to be heard. But what I'm saying is makes no sense for us to continue to say and give the history of what was done. We've already said that. So unless we're saying something different, what are we talking about? That's my point. I I think um Madam Chair. Yes, sir. Go ahead. Um something that hasn't been said. Um the specifics about the replacement pool. When is construction going to start? Madam Chair, if I may. Yes. Go ahead.

If I can bring our capital projects administrator, Mr. Bailey, up to to give you a status on uh the activities associated with the the pool. Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead. And when he and when he addresses that, can you tell us the difference between a pool and a water park? Because Barud Bay is a water park, not just a pool.

Sure. Thank you. Uh Mr. Evans. Um, actually on Friday, Mr. Evans, myself, and Casey met with G to 2 GHO, the design team. We went over some of the final parameters um and recapped the community meeting we had at the beginning of January. Mr. Evans provided exacting direction on the trajectory of this design. So, we anticipate by late summer having a set of construction plans into the building department to start the site planning process and we could be under construction as soon as the beginning of next year. Um, Mr. Evans has communicated to the board that he's given me only two years to build a pool that should probably take three and a half to four. So, we are on a very fast track to get you a pool in 2027.

Madam Chair. Uh, yes. Go ahead. And also too, um, after you finish, um, Mr. Evans can briefly go over the op Hold on now. Hold on. Because people are wondering about what happens when the Barracuda Bay is gone. there are options that the city has that is going to make up for that. But if you don't want to hear, fine. I'm just letting you know that there are options uh when this happens. But go ahead, sir.

Um Mr. Bley, you just said the average time is three to four years and you're trying to do it in two. How are you going to do that? Well, I want to thank Director Surmans for the efficiencies that he's recently gained in the development services process getting site plans approved. So, we're picking up months off the ground through all the different levels and the departments that participate in the process. We've had procurement already go through and we have a design team ready and available. The design work is authorized. We've gotten clear direction from the manager and we have an exact understanding of the uh scope, scale and deliverable. So those are generally the things that take the most time knowing what we want to build. So we had a community meeting, we heard from the community, we've heard from the executive team, and now the design team is off and running to deliver that product.

And Madam Chair, yes, go ahead.

The concern I have is that um there are a lot of people and I want to see this police department built. They're wondering how long they're going to have to go other places to enjoy their their pool facility. Some people can care less whether we have a pool or not. Others feel very strongly about it. As an elected official, I've got to balance the two. And that's what I try to do. Uh we we all have our personal preferences. So, what I'm concerned about is that you're telling us two years and we get down the line, then you say, "Oh, well, things didn't work out the way that I thought they would." So, now it's still going to be three or four years. Um, and I don't I I I don't want to have to go back to my people who feel strongly about pools and say it's going to be another couple of years. Now, are you following me, sir?

Madam Chair, yes. Go ahead. I'm sorry to interrupt. Could we have a brief recess? We have a medical emergency that we need to address. Uh, this meeting is recessed for 10 minutes.

Education. Communication. Uh we're going to go ahead and get started. started back with our meeting. Um, there was a medical emergency for one of the residents that we had to take care of. So, we will keep moving from where were we? We were have Mr. Mr. Bailey talking about

the pool. The pool, right? You can go ahead and finish up, Mr. Bailey. No, I I was asking a question regarding do you feel that you can make that 2year time frame that we're being told by the city manager? Yes. Okay. Okay. All right. So, where we are at this is we've had our public comment, we've had a discussion uh in regards to this item. Um is there any other um questions or concerns or that we need to do before we take this vote? Madam Chair, if I may. Yes. Go ahead.

Very briefly. So, um, we were able to look also at the request for qualifications for the progressive design bill for the police station and the RFP or RFQ was actually sight specific. So, in essence, you would have to start over because the solicitation document references the specific sites. And if you were also to look at different sites, you still would have to do, you know, surveys and geo to, you know, um to be able to see if you were to take that design and look to to drop it at a different uh location, but uh in conversation with uh procurement that we would have to in essence go back out for a competitive solicitation. Very good.

I'm sorry. Madam Chair, I have a question based on the city manager's comments. Uh this is to the city attorney. Uh when we did the RF uh Q or RFP, uh I guess the city manager is handing that to you right now. Did it refer to the referendum itself? No, I don't believe the ref the um RFP referred to the referendum.

Okay. So, so my main question is when we do a uh an RFQ or an RFP, uh can we make minor changes? Can we change a site? Uh it's really a minor change. Uh do we have the authority to do that? So, generally yes, but the manager and I have a difference of opinion on this. Is that correct? You would agree with that statement, Mr. Evans? That could be it. Madam Chair, hold on a second, y'all. Let's let's let's let's get through this. Go ahead, sir.

Madam Chair, uh councelor, I'm I'm asking for your opinion. I'm not asking for the city manager's opinion right now. You're the attorney. Oh, I thought you were going to repeat the question. I'm sorry. So So I'm asking your opinion on this.

My opinion is that the location can be changed. However, there is an opinion from bond council that was obtained by the finance director that says that in his opinion, he doesn't believe that the location can change. I did not ask that question of bond counsel. So, I don't know the context in which the question was asked and I did not have an opportunity to ask any questions because I did I never even knew that he was that there was a legal opinion requested upon counsel. Madam Chair,

well that I find that uh very confusing that bond council will come up with an opinion like that since the referendum itself specifically stated we can make any changes we want that we thought were in the best interest of the community. That was in the referendum itself that the people voted on. These are the people that are paying that bond off and voted for that bond. And I I can tell you what his analysis is if you like.

Yes. The ballot question did not contain a a location. The complaint for the B bond validation hearing or the jud and the judge's order did not compla contain a location. However, bond council based his opinion on the citation of the resolution. I think it was 20 resolution number 23-26 that came before this council that did have a location. And because that was in the backup of the resolution, he believes that that is why you cannot change the location. Madam Chair, just go ahead. All right. So, we can change that resolution anytime we want. Correct.

You can change a resolution. Correct. You have the legal authority to change a resolution.

All right. Thank you. That's all that you answered my question. Thank you. Um I I have a opinion that was from the bond council and it says uh the last statement says therefore it is our opinion that selecting an alternate location for the police station would jeopardize the legality of the use of bond proceeds. The opinion expressed herein and the rationale for that opinion would apply equally to the general obligation bonds for the new fire station and the parks and recreation projects. So that is what the bond council is saying in regards to this bond. Meaning that if the location would change then we would have to kind of start from scratch and I mean if you want to do that that's the majority of the board.

The majority of the board wants to do that then that is what happens but that is but that is what's on the table here madam chair. Yes. Go ahead sir. So the design that was done um I know Dr. Spear has said that we own the design. Um Mr. Evans or Mr. Bailey, would this design be able to just be moved to the new location? Madam Chair, yes. If I can allow for the procurement director to share her comments. Well, hold on. Hold on. If we can answer my question first and then I know we got procurement because I know it's kind of in line with the same thing because I was going to lead into procurement as well. She can answer that. Okay.

And let me piggy back off of what I said earlier in regards to reading the opinion. I am more to trust the bond council which is their expertise in bonds. uh than to get a general opinion about uh our bond and the vote that we took on it and the vote that the residents 70% approved. But go ahead. Who's up here? Because we have to move this along.

Hello. Good evening. Lata Ammons, director of procurement for this city. Um this particular solicitation, I'm just here to provide context. Specifically said that it was for a state-of-art facility at this particular location. And I believe under my professional uh opinion because it was specific to the location, we can't have the same company provide uh design at a different location. Um number one, there may have been some vendors who selected not to bid at um the West Blue Heron address but may be interested at another address or vice versa. So this solicitation was very specific in the location and because we did not remove the location address while the solicitation was open or before it officially closed then we have to adhere to the particular location specified in the solicitation documents that selected the actual um vendor to construct.

Followup madam chair. Yes go ahead. So the solicitation outlined this location. That's one. Number two, um, Mr. Bailey, when did we start the design work for this solicitation? I believe it was June of 2024. And when did we complete the design work? November of 25. And have we got full permitting yet? Um, we turned in this week two pages with some minor comments. We're expecting the full construction permit out of the building department within the next two weeks in advance of a final vote of GMP. So we know we have no unknowns when we get our final price.

Board members, simply based on what my staff just told us with their expertise, if we try to move forward with changing or not approving this solicitation, we could be two, three years out from even having a design or GMP completed simply because of the timeline that we just followed what they just gave a new solicitation, a new design and placement of a new facility. Plus, there's some unreiness when it comes to the bond and moving the bond. I'm uh begging my board to move forward with the decision that this council made. The questions are the same and I agree and I respect the colleagues because they were not here during this these conversations, but our board has just our staff has just said that if we move it, we'd have to do a new solicitation 3 to 6 months. We have to redesign it, which has already taken about 14 to 16 months. Then we have to go through permitting. So that time frame is my biggest concern and it's already cost us millions. We did this back in 2005 which cost us a million dollars and we did not provide a facility to our officers. My colleague said that this is not about not supporting or addressing the officers. I agree. It's about the best proper location for our residents. We already did the sharets. we had these conversations and I want us to move forward with this location because in the best interest of time and in the best interest of our departments we want to move forward with this facility with this solicitation because we're going to be losing millions and costing about two to three years of time frame so board I know that a lot of you weren't here but a lot of the shreds were completed and please continue to ask the questions if there's unreiness but I'm asking for support based upon what our staff is telling us tonight

madam chair yes go ahead sir

okay so I heard uh our procurement director 's comments. In all due respect to her, she did not read the contract itself. That attorney has to read that contract and see what the actual contract, the design bill contract says, if there are any uh options for us to change the location. I believe it's a minor, very minor change. We're not changing the cost. We're not changing the design. Uh we're just changing the location. That's a very minor change in the procurement uh uh process. Uh with the design, uh we do have property that's the same size or or larger that we own. Uh the design itself will be very very minor changes uh with respect to the actual design of the building. It'll probably probably be no changes uh to the design. You're probably going to be able to pick it up and move it over uh more than likely. Uh would you have to go through the permit process again? Probably. But we who is who's the who's giving these permits? It's us. We We're the city of Riviera Beach. It's our building department. Uh I just think that we we only build a a police station once maybe every 50 years, every 75 years. We should do it right. That's all. Thank you. and and by doing it right. I think that the main issue is that this is this was four years, five years with community input with cherettes with town halls in regards to this project and I will stop right there and I will ask to call the question. Madame clerk,

council person Davis Paneer, no. Council person Genon, yes. Chairp pro Tim Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritz. I have real reservations. I'm going to vote yes because clearly it's going to go through. Uh that that would give me the option obviously to bring this up again at at another meeting. Uh I I still think it's the wrong location, but I will vote yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes. The item passes with council person Davis Pier dissenting. Madam Chair. Yes. Yes. Go ahead. Congratulations to our officers, our department, and our staff.

Attorney Win, if you could clearly state the option that our colleagues asked for for the next meeting is at our next meeting on the 18th. I believe that's the only opportunity that they could bring it back. Yes. When? So we got an opinion from our outside parliamentarian that in order to bring to be on the prevailing side and bring something back it has to be done at the very same meeting meaning this meeting.

So just to be clear and I I understand that's the opinion. So just for clarity for my colleague sake since I am a familiar with that opinion if you want to bring it back you have to bring it back tonight if you disagree. So hopefully if you have a readiness you may want to address it tonight. Otherwise we're going to move forward with this police station and congratulations. Thank you. Uh we we have public comment but let us quickly go to the companion item with ordinance number 4285. Madam clerk. Madam chair. Can you hear me? Madam chair. Yes. Miss Miller Anderson. Oh, I'm sorry. You can't hear me?

No, ma'am. Attorney Win, um, what you just referred to, can you send it to us or have you did you send that to us some time ago? I thought that the clerk sent it out some time ago, but between the two of us, we can make sure that happens. All right. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. We're going to go to this next companion item so we can dispose of this and get to public comment. Madam chair, we're on item 8B, ordinance number 4285, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, approving a request from CORE and PGA, Inc. on behalf of the city of Riviera Beach to abandon two unutilized right of ways to the to allow for for the construction of a new police headquarters located at 1621 West School Heron Boulevard providing the conditions of approval providing for an effective date and for other purposes. Madam Chair, we do have comment cards on this item. The acceptance of cars is closed.

Thank you, Mr. Evans. Madam Chair, members of the board, if I can have the director of development services, Mr. Surmans, to make this presentation. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Uh, good evening again, Madam Chair and board. Uh, as stated, this is the companion abandonment ordinance to the previous item that is necessary for the police station project to move forward. Uh, there have been no changes since first reading and staff still recommends approval of this item. Thank you. Public comment, Madame Clerk.

Madam Chair, we have three public comment cards. The first speaker is Erica Davis, followed by Mary Bram and then Billy Brooks. Erica Davis, Rivier Beach. Listen here. I am so sick and tired of the gaslighting and the playing games and stuff. You were here when everything was being uh we had the workshops and everything. You all sit up here and act like you don't know what time it is. You all sit up here and act like you don't know what Mr. Mr. Evans is doing on a daily basis. We have workshops, we have budget meetings, we have all the things that that that's leading up to projects that you all attend. It is not our problem that you don't keep notes or comprehend his language when he's speaking it to you. But I know we are getting tired of it. We want them to have everything they need. You need to approve it. You waste time and you waste our money delaying and playing games. And this is the last term that you're going to do that. You haven't gotten this done yet. It's been four or five years. You didn't get the marina done. It's been 8, nine years and you're still playing games. Our water, we need water. If that thing collapsed today, the whole city will get shut down. There will be no development. What is it that you don't understand? And when you delay, we have to pay more money. Get it done. Cuz we are sick of the games and sick of the stupid questions. You should be on top of your stuff already. Whatever's going on the rest of this evening, get it done. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO VOTE for it, vote no. But get them what they need to get their building started right now. WE WANT TO SEE SOME DEVELOPMENT. WE WANT TO SEE OUR WATER PLAN. WE SICKEN this

All right. Uh,

Madam Chair, the next speaker is Mary Brown Rivera Beach. Congratulation to the board for seeing how we must move on. And I have to say for the board members and do not take this as an offense, but when your city and any elected official, you must be engaged in your business. Every sharet, every town hall meeting that we have, I did not see you Davis. I did not see you spirit. I did not see I saw Bruce occasionally because he was asking some things.

But but but that's what makes this difference here. And I must ALSO SAY MR. MCCOY SAT UP ON THAT board there and if anybody could have moved things a little bit further for this city here with that mindset, he should have been the one to do it besides bickering just like you're doing here tonight. This will not be forgotten because residents, you need to get up and vote for the peoples that have your city at interest.

Your city should never be predicated on the little nuance things that does not move your city. That that possesses bad leadership. You're not hurting anyone except for your city. You're h you're hurting your city. This has been told for me to pass on to YOU ALL FROM HIGHER UP OFFICIALS. You have hurted your city because you have caused this destruction upon your city. That police department will be fine. It's in the heart of our community. And when you talk about crime Yes, Bruce. Yes, Bruce. Over in federal gardens all along that carter there. Miss Bram, you can address the entire board. Address the entire board. This was this was the

all of us. Yes, we all in this. We all this this is all of our us up here.

That's what I'm saying. But but but we we Bruce, we have experienced it. Oh, okay. Council people, we have experienced it. We are older peoples. Miss Bram and other elder have been victimized over there all for nothing. And that crime there was 70% before he came in here, but it did 60 63%. I I'm I'm I'm giving out these numbers here because I had somebody to key them in for me. So So So this is where we at here. Leaders step up to the plate and be leaders. Remember back there in 24 Tony Darish WROTE ABOUT US. ALL OF THE OTHER GREAT JOURNALISTS WROTE ABOUT THIS CITY HERE. HOW IT CAN BE GREAT WITH GOOD LEADERSHIP. And it's not always what you want. is predicated on the entire city. This city depends on a lifeline and this is police, fire department.

Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next speaker is Billy Brooks.

Good evening everyone. First, I want to thank you all for supporting this at the first ordinance reading. And I can appreciate the difficulties that you have to think about to make sure that you're making the right decision. And I want to thank you for what you're doing now. Just what you just did. You're making the right decision. You know, we've got to think about the taxpayer, too. If we're talking about more money now having to be spent, no, we don't need that. And we cannot act on emotions. We got to think in a business model. What's best for the city? We've been behind for so many years because we tend to do things emotionally. Got a wonderful council now, intelligent council, much improved from previous years that we've had uh in the city election. Okay. Okay. But I want to thank you again and I want to let you know that the f I'm here uh as the president of the River Beach Foundation and I want you to know that they're so excited about what is going on in our city. I just got a a call. Well, not just got a call, but one of the members of our board is with the American Builders Association, and he called and said that he spoke to his regional board about our city and what we're doing with the police station here. And now they want to come in and have a meet and greet with the city manager and the chief of police and help raise money. We're $20 million behind since the time that this farm went through. So, the foundation now wants to get involved and start raising money as best we can for our complex. And again, I stress that it's a great location. Of all the people who should be sentimental about it being there at the city would be me because the city hall complex is named after my husband.

But for me, it is better that we have it on Avenue S and Blue Heron Boulevard. And it's going to work out to be okay. All of the questions that uh Bruce uh Councilman Gon had, they're legitimate and and they can be worked out. We're not here to fight each other. We're here to support each other and where there are concerns, express them and let us work through them. So, I thank you so much and I look forward to uh our foundation getting all excited about our new complex and it's going to work out. We're going to give it to God. We're going to keep peace and unity in our family. Okay. Thank you so much.

Madam Chair, the public speaker. Um Madam Chair, wait before we do that. Um Chief, would you come to the mic for one? the um chief went back and pulled up accurate numbers. You know, they throwing out 63 65%. Um Chief, would you give us some accurate numbers for those two zones? Yes. Uh I said Monroe Heights and Federal Gardens, but I looked at the whole district, which is district 21, which is the north side of Blue Heron Boulevard, uh and the south side of Blue Heron Boulevard. It encompasses the central part of the city, which is zone 22. And those combined zone the violent crime in those areas is 44.3%.

44 not 64 or 65. Um the data that I we we spoke about earlier is 65%. That's the range between 2021 and 2023. That's way lower 7% in those areas back in those times. Those are old numbers. Yes. And that's because of the great work because we've been dedicating our focus in the central part of the city which which the reason why we have a serious reduction in those area because that's our most concrete area and I think if anybody ride over there live over there they see the big difference.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you chief. I just want the public to have accurate numbers. Yep. When people start throwing out numbers that are not accurate, I go and check and I like to be accurate in my numbers. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, yes. Thank you. And to that point, um, Chief has reduced total crime across the entire city by over, I believe, 23% last year. 4%

24%. Let me get it right. Accurate numbers. But as a department, they've done their part. And the numbers that Mr. Evans was was stating earlier was also based upon the numbers that I was familiar with because that's when we approved this project that was the exact clear documented number that he had mentioned at the time. So that's where the reference but chief has done a great job across the board um addressing that with his entire department. So um thank you for those and and I agree with my colleagues just you know clear data documents and evidence with accurate numbers and and that's where the um numbers came from. So every number that was given was accurate from staff. So, thank you. And my colleagues being that they're here and new to the board, they've not new to governance, not new to leadership. They want to make sure that they're making a conscious decision because their vote is what's going to be recorded. So, every single one of them have to stand on their vote based upon the data, documents, and evidence as my colleague has always kind of shown me and told me. So, I respect the opinion and wanting to get the insight, but the numbers are accurate, and that's why I'm grateful and hopefully they can move the second item forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Gaitton. Yes. Madam Chair, we need a motion in a second. I do apologize. Second. Council person Davis Paneer. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes. Chairpro 10 Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritis. Yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes. I see unanimous vote.

Thank you. We'll move into our public comment. We apologize for the public comment being so late this evening. Um, public comment shall begin at 7:30 p.m. unless there is no further business of the city council, which in that event, it shall began sooner. Please be reminded the city council board has adopted rules of decorum governing public conduct during official meetings which has been posted in the front. In an effort to preserve order, if any of the rules are not adhered to, the city council chairperson may have any disruptive speaker or attendee removed from the podium from the meeting and or building if necessary. Please govern yourselves accordingly. And I just want to say that when you do public comment, if you want to zero in on one of us, please refrain from that. I mean, if you want to I mean, we we vote for all of us up here. So, if one of us is guilty, then we all guilty. So we we'll we'll we'll uh we'll address I'm asking the public to do this.

Please be quiet while the chair is speaking. Sir, I'm s Yeah. Well, I mean, we can do that as well. I'm asking I'm I'm sitting here asking the public to address the entire board. I'm asking the public to address the entire board. That's not This is something that the chair is asking the public. These meetings are sir I I cannot I can't I can't do it.

Let's keep it moving. That's annoying. We are uh televised live um every meeting that we have and uh I want this city to be represented in such a way and there is ways that you can say if you are disappointed disagreeable th though there there's ways that you can say those things to the residents and to the staff and to this board. Please be respectful of the people sitting here, of the staff, and of your fellow residents because we are all at this point, we are all residents of this city. Madame Clerk,

Madam Chair, we have 17 public comment cards. The first speakers are Erica Davis, Lloyd Brown, and Dr. Philip Dukes. Erica Davis Riverier Beach. Since we want to sit up here and gaslight employees, make excuses why we don't vote on things on time that cost the residents more money. Let's talk about the money that you spend. $74,000 $53,000 $26,000 $21,000 $18,000 $15,000 These are old. So, I won't even talk about them. But let me tell you something. I don't want to hear another one of you all coming up here talking about when it comes to things about our health and about things that are important for the safety of us, don't sit up here talking about money because you know why? You have years to get what you need done, but you so busy gaslighting your employees and spinning up our monies. And I'm not going to go into it because I have 1 minute and 29 seconds. But going forward, I am sick and tired. And we are sick and tired of you people going through the have

these people going through the processes of these important projects that's costing us millions of dollars. You just gave away 10 plats of land for a dollar only for them to sell it for $2 million. That was our water plant money, some of it. So don't come up here talking about the cost and trying to politic cuz right now we're not trying to hear it. going forward. Get these things done in a timely manner so they don't cost the taxpayer who cannot afford to pay for them. Get them done on time. All you got to do is say yes or no. We want to We don't want to hit an extra. For real. For real.

The next speaker is Lori Brown followed by Dr. Philip Dukes and Rosemary Kamiolo.

How you doing? Uh, let me tell you, Ben, what you doing is illegal. Cuz when you go in a courtroom, you don't say everybody in the audience, you say that one individual there did it. So, how can somebody address a council member if you telling them I got to address the whole group and I'm gonna get off of that. You know what? Those water meters, somebody told me a while back, y'all used to calibrate them. Y'all rent went up on the water. I want to know how can you justify sewer? I paid $71 for my sewer. My neighbor paid 93 for his whole bill. Those meters haven't been calibrated since they've been put in. But you can go up on the bill. And I mean honestly that's not right. And then another thing, you get over here, you talking about you want to have things for the people in River Beach. You know they close the bridge down under there where you can't fish up under there. Do you know I was going over there when I was in my daddy testicle? So, you know, I was going over there a long time. And then the other bridge around there, you let them put signs that say you can't park there. You can't even fish off the bridge. If that was like out here to uh Lion Country Safari, Channel 12, you out there, you hear me? Channel 12 got a thing on about the people can't park in this camping ground out there by Lion Country Safari. See, Jim Crow can be kind of subtle. You don't have to put a sign to say no colors over here. You could just put no parking. You don't have to put a sign to say no colors over here. You just say no fishing off the bridge. And y'all let that happen. And then you going to talk about the kids in crime. When I was out there smoking drugs, it was more Crime River Beach than anything. The little ones y'all talk 65%. Hell, you go over Singers Island where that hotel is over there. It's more crime over there in that one little place because I know people go over

there. You want to go in there and buy drugs right over there. I don't buy them no more, but I know they over there. But yet y'all want to because it's a black people over on our side of the track, you want to try to say that's where all the crime at? That's BS. And then with you telling me I can't talk to you individually or him individually, that's BS. You need to look up fire because I'mma tell you like this. You need to look it up because you can justify saying I can say sputters. I can say her, you anybody in here one at a time because it doesn't make sense to come in here if he's not doing good in the district. I'm talk about all y'all and I live in his district. I'm not saying anything about you. But you understand what I'm saying. I come in here and I live in your district. I gotta just talk about you and everybody else along with you. Like I say, you know, and then the man you talking about in here who got the design, he the one put the little streets in Merl Heights right down there like Century Village, the little sewer down the middle. And you want him to design a fire station? Come on, man. M He gonna be right there for years.

The next speaker is Dr. Philip Dukes, followed by Rosemary Kamiolo, and then Cindy March. Good evening everyone. This is our black history moment. The proper teaching of black history in America will bring what we call racism to its knees. Now, I'm going to tell you some stuff today that you're going to have a some of you going to have a problem with. Some of you are going to say, "Well, how can that be?" And it's based on how you were taught. Now the most accurate history book on this planet is what we call the Bible. It is the most accurate history book. It's more accurate than the Quran. It's more accurate than the Bahavita. It's more accurate than the Bas. This Jewish man named Paul in the book of Acts said this. Acts 17:26. For God have made all For God have made of one blood all the men that dwell in the earth on the face of the earth and have determined their times before and were and and were appointed them their boundaries of inhabitation. HE MADE ALL the people of one blood. Well, where did that start at? If you study the mitochondrial DNA of human beings, see who it leads them back to. Now, if it said it came back to Koreans, I would say so. If it said it came back to anybody in Indonesia, I would say so. But you know what it comes back to? Black people. But when you read your Bible, you look at Adam and Eve, there are blonde hair and what color eyes? Blue. But the DNA says something else. The same DNA that will put you in prison. The same DNA that will get you out of prison. The same DNA THAT SAYS YOU'RE THE PUPPY, YOU GOING TO PAY THAT CHILD SUPPORT. Said that everybody on the planet is linked to a black woman. So that means that was a black man. We're one human race, but we haven't been teaching that. Now, that science came out in the 1980s, but it was covered up by the majority of evangelicals and conservatives because they were thinking in their mind,

there's no way that we could have come from no And that was the problem. This is science. So, if we start teaching black history properly and deal with this euroentric supremacy that poison black people and white people, we can get along better. Because right now in America, everything is being undermined because of this thing that we call race. And there's no such thing as race. It's one human family. And I'm going to go into this a little bit deeper next time and tell you how we got here by the pseudocience of the 18th century. Have you thought about that? Go look it up. Look up the mighty conduit DNA and you will SEE THAT EVIDENCE. WHY IS IT NOT TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS? WHY are we so divisive about color? And let me tell you one more thing before I go. Do you know before black people come to America there are six or different seven shades of Africans and only when we look at eurocentric society going north they're nothing but black people that the UV atmosphere changed as they went north. So why can't we just start teaching and pull down this bigotry that's separating us that's about to destroy us. The next speaker is Rosemary, followed by Cindy March and Michael Jordan.

Good evening, city council members. My name is Rosemary Kiolo and I live on Island Road, which is known to be the CR CRA subdist number six. I'm here to represent my neighborhood. First, we want to say that we appreciate your commitment and service to the community by serving on this city council. We commend the decisions that you have made thus far in the CRA districts of one to five, seven, and eight. You have helped grid the blight in those areas along with creating hundreds of housing units. However, getting rid of blight and creating housing were simpler decisions to vote on. Now you will be more you will be asked to be more make more critical and challenging decisions to vote on the area of zone six of Singer Island of the CRA. This area is different in many ways such as in land use patterns in socioeconomic conditions. Each of the sub areas of the CRA required a different development strategy. And in the case of area six, Singer Island, we have a marine ecosystem that is irreplaceable, unique. It's a treasure, central to the quality of life and economy of Singer Island. This is a marine ecosystem that needs protection for the coral reefs and the rare fish. The CRA plan demands that there be a strategy for strengthening conservation, sustain sustaining livelihoods and building long-term coastal resilience. There there is there should be uh there should be um community beautifification also to benefit the environment. You

will soon be asked to decide on the future quality of life for all our our Riviera Beach citizens. Protect the sensitive marine area. We commend you on the city council and the city manager John Evans for the rebranding of the Riviera Beach and in particular the logo which is a sergeant major fish with the statement see what's beneath the surface of this. see that's what's beneath the surface. This logo sums up the importance of protection of the area of Singer Island for the future of Rivera Beach both for the quality of life and for the tourism revenues that far surpass tax revenues. far many years for many years I along with many other residents have worked along with along with Riviera Beach redoing of the comp the comprehensive plan. We've attended meetings. We've answered surveys. We've had input in how we want our city to grow. Please wait until the comprehensive plan.

Thank you so much for your Okay. I just want to say please create a balanced growth plan. Please. Okay. We Yes. Thank you. The next speaker is Cindy March, followed by Michael Jordan and Margaret Shepard.

Council Cindy March. I'm going to try not to get emotional. I love my city where we love to live, work, and play. So, let me just tell you this. I'm going to keep it real plain tonight because clearly something don't work in this room. This city is being robbing taxpayers blind while standing up here pretending y'all got our best interest at heart. And don't act brand new. There was a time when the whole council ran with one aid one. Now every council member got their own people credit cards and money flying out the woou for what? Show me the results. When folks tried to warn you all about Randy Sherman, about the mystery money, the way black womens were treated and underpaid, and how taxpayers dollars was getting schemed off, everybody rushed to protect him. He's about to burn the whole house down and start telling on everybody because that's what happened when you ignore the truth. And don't forget, when lady when lady worked here, she told y'all straight up those condos was not condos. She told you tight spares was going to be set up to foot the bill. And what did you all do? You all let Bail and the rest of them roll right through the city and take advantage. So now here we are. Chickens don't come home to roost. And Lenir, one more thing. Did you lie about being a lawyer? Because if you did, I really like to know what kind of legal advice you were giving yourself right now. This ain't about politics anymore. Sorry. This is not about politics anymore. this about wasting taxpayers money and being accountable and tax are tired of paying for y'all mess. Do you all do know and I would like to see it on agenda because it's public records. Randy is suing the city for $500,000. He don't did some reverse psychology. And you know what he did it for? Racism. And guess what? He's going to win because a new law has been passed. He felt like Doug Lawson and Troj wasn't reprimanded

when they had the altercation. He even got in his report. His attorney got in a report that when Doug Lawson was in he wasn't reprimanded. Ma'am, please address the entire council. Address the council not address the audience. He deserve that he did. I am addressing the whole board and you're not going to continue to interrupt me. So if you want the microphone move, you can go so ahead and do it because I'm going to respect you to the utmost. But I'm asking you for the same respect. And what about them 200 visit that you did at the Cheesecake Factory with the City Credit card? Enough is enough. Have a great night. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much for your comments.

The next speaker is Michael Jordan, followed by Margaret Shepard and Rochelle Hughes.

Hello, council. As always, I come with with great respect. First of all, I would like to uh to uh say that I give uh much respect to Mr. Joshua who works in the water department that's not here and Mrs. McCrae. I had an issue. They addressed it. They uh got back with me. It was a not a long turnaround time, you know, like sometimes that we have to do. I know everything can't be done always, you know, in a quick turnaround time, but I know some things can. So, I would just like to commend the staff, you know, for doing that because, you know, I appreciate them, you know, just like I appreciate everybody and each and every one of you. But I always like to tell the truth and keep it real. you understand that the residents are mad because you know and we're upset because you know it appears that you all don't respect us. You know that you just make whatever decision that you all want to make about uh our tax money. I agree with Mrs. Erica Davis. Those big numbers are very very huge numbers. And to me it appears that it's some uh out of control spending. You understand what I'm saying? So in order to move the the city forward, like we always say, we always have to do it in great respect. We have to make sure we partner together to move the city forward. In order for me to respect you, you have to respect me because we put you uh put the city in your hands to be able to move everything forward, you know, and it look like every time we take one step forward, we're taking two or three steps backwards. So, I don't see, you know, like I said, I, you know, just see it from the way that I see it. Everything can't be put on Mr. Evans. It's not like I'm trying to be in a person corner. The boy have to be at fault, too. So, therefore, if you going to blame uh uh Mr. Evans and you are the one uh that responsible for supervising him, then you all need to be held accountable as well because like I said, even with the issues that's in the paper now, well, what's going on about where they said a report need to be uh turned in, should

have been turned in two years ago about the thing that's going on with Mr. Go. I'm looking at the reputation of the city. Each time something negative come out, we know how the press is, it puts a dent in our reputation. So, like I'm saying, if if you all look bad, the residents look bad. So, the only thing that I'm asking for, let's clean our reputation up together, do business the way that we should do business, be respectful about it, and if we doing it right, and have the paper trail to support what we're doing, then it doesn't matter what they say in the news because we have the receipts to prove what we're doing. So now, when looking at certain things now, the record keeping is poor, you know, and it needs to just be picked up a little bit. And there's nothing wrong with doing an internal mark review. You know what I'm saying? Like I said, if you didn't have any certified divers, who is monitoring them to make sure the certifications, you know, are up to date the way that they should be? We have to have checks and balances and I'm sure you have systems in place. So, like I said, I I bike out and I respect all of you all. Have a great night.

The next speaker is Margaret Shepard, followed by Rochelle Hughes and Annette Dragon. Margaret Shepard River Beach. Uh Bruce, I do want to say to you sitting on planning zone for 19 years, I respect your comments because I learned upon you coming in very very very early age not knowing anything. But I want to say to the general public that River Beach need a police station. Uh when you walked into that old one, I tell you it was just dreadful just to even be there. And so change sometimes take a toll on us. And you know I'm planning a zone. I did 19 years. Would have been 20 but I moved down to West Palm Beach and I came back. So I respect people opinion. That's your opinion. That's how you feel. But we need a police station. So I voted for that station. Um when Barracuda Bay opened, I was right there with Bill Wilkins and John Lee Williams. It was a beautiful site. Can we reply it? I think we can. So, but I do want to say to um the city of Rivier Beach, while you all were up in Tallahassee, I got many calls and they start talking about their high water bill. And when I went to their house, look at the water bill. Some of these people are on fixed income. The bill was $300. and you all went on clean water. That that was one of your main objects, clean water. But to go up to Tallahassee and spend almost a half million dollars cuz you stayed in five-star hotels, you had your families with you, had all of the aids with you. I don't And I've been up there, so I know what's up there. And after the meetings went up, then you

party, had a couple of drinks, and you had five star meals. And then for the Martin Luther King parade, see they're watching you and all of you all had these uh Mustangs going through and you all drive uh uh fine car BMWs you drive. I mean, why didn't you drive your own car into the parade? Why does the city have to put you in a parade? And somebody said, "Well, I'm an elected official." You're an idiot. You're a fool to sit there and use their money, the taxpayers's money. He's niggling and giggling. They were showing those films on Facebook and you know I was appalled that some of these people don't even have food in their refrigerator but yet and still you spend this money like it's yours. This is the taxpayers money. I drove my daughter's car through the parade and this year we got up on the uh uh uh the boat or whatever that Gwen provided for us and it was excellent parade. I wanted Mrs. Franks to know that. But you're spending these people money and you're not giving them what you went on and that was clean water. I'm ashamed of some of you all and I hope during election you know one thing some of you all got to go. The next speaker is Rochelle Hughes followed by Anette Dragon and James Hank Harper Jr. Good evening Rochelle Hughes Riviera Beach. Um wow where do I start? Number one, I'm glad you did vote for the police department thing. We need a new one and I do like the location because um you know, I live way over on the west side. So, it's kind of going to be nice to know that there's a closer police station to where I live instead of I don't know where they are now or where they were before. So, I'm happy. I think it's great. I think it'll be wonderful for

this city to have the police department there. um accountability. So, I don't really know what it takes to to run a city, but I know what it takes to run my household. And we all have bills and we all have income. And we try not to overspend what we don't bring in. So, in light of that, it there's a lot of expenditures that I'm not sure if they're really in the budget, but when you sit through the budget meetings and you see different numbers and this and that, a lot of the stuff isn't broken down. So, I really think because the money that the city spends is our money, taxpayer money, that we need to have more accountability of how everything is spent. Um, as I think Miss Shepard just said, you know, the hotel rooms and the airfares and meals and this and that, it's great every maybe once in a while, but not all the time. I can't even go out and do that. I can't go spend a lot of money at a hotel. So, I I think we really need to reel it in because some of that money could go into something for our water plant that we need, this police department, the fire department, fire stations. Um, we got to be smarter when it comes to how we spend our money. And so I just hope there's a a thought on

that especially, you know, as we move forward. And also, yes, my water bill increased. And I do know it's because of the water plant because we had those um seminars, those, you know, things and they said there was going to be an increase. I think what would be really nice is if with the water bill prior to the increase, there would have been a a a reminder to the public. Hey, don't forget this is what was voted on and the water is going to increase for this year by this much. That probably would have helped a lot of people. Thank you. The next speaker is Anate Dragon followed by James Harker Jr. and Terrence Davis. Hello everyone. Annette Dragon Riviera Beach financial transparency. I raised this at the last city council meeting and subsequent to that information has been bandied about. What I would like to know is that what you are actually spending your money on, what event it actually goes towards, and what credit cards you're using. Are you using your own and claiming expenses? Or have you got city issued credit cards? Instead of having a total budget of $70,000 or $50,000 of spending that you whoever has had, I would like to know exactly what you're spending those dollars on and what events they're tied to. Not much to ask, just accountability. that's transparent to the citizens of Riviera Beach. We all live here. I'm sure that you guys would all like to know what your other colleagues are spending their whatever their monies are

on. For instance, if somebody is spending $1,300 at a Cloia for something, wouldn't you like to know why it's being spent? I would. I would also like to know why you're not researching air tickets and airfares. A lot of the airfares that you're spending money on are at top dollar. You can get better airfares than that using Price Line and win your Priceel line auction. Um, why are you spending so much money at Amazon.com? I would love to be able to spend that kind of money at Amazon.com, but I can't afford it. I'm on a fixed income and my tax for my property went up by just under 30% for 2025. water bills still going up every year. When's it going to stop? And when are we going to get our water treatment plant built and in service? And my final comment is actually for Mr. Evans. And I hate to do this to him because he's a terrific guy. On the 2nd of September in 2024, I asked him about when the roads were going to be resurfaced and restriped in lone pine. His response was that the monies had been approved and it would be done by Christmas. On the 17th of November, I asked him again and he responded, "The milling and resurfacing would be done December, January." Okay, we're in February now. We've had no notification as to when this is going to happen, how it's going to happen, or even if it's going to still happen. Do we still have the appropriations for it? Please give us some guidance on all these things. Thank you.

The next speaker is James Hang Harbor Jr. followed by Terrence Davis and Nancy Stallings.

Good evening, commissioners, mayor. Um I am former state representative James H. Harper. Um, I just wanted to get up and take the opportunity to let the commissioners know, but more important the residents know that I attended uh Palm Beach County days uh paid for it myself um thought that it was absolutely necessary to go and support the city of River Beach um in that process and I was extremely elated at the group effort behind the city manager manager as well as the mayor and every commissioner and how they went before the legislature and shared the issues of concern and needs for the city of River Beach collectively. I was extremely honored and proud of each and every one of them and how they went up collectively together and says these are our needs. These are the things that we want. These are the things that we need. and as a team they worked the legislature which is Democrat and Republicans together to ensure that the needs of the city of River Beach were heard and honored. And so I just wanted to get up to let everyone know that I am extremely ha proud and happy at the collective works that our city did in this legislative session, Palm Beach County days specifically. One of the things that I want to remind the residents is that collectively we have to advocate and understand these partnerships. Understand that some of the things that need to take place are going to require the city, the school district, the state, and the feds. All of the things that they're talking about taking place, the new police station is going to require a team effort to make it all happen on behalf of the city. And so residents need to understand that the

works that need to take place collectively is going to require us to work together and not fight each other to ensure that these things take place. Call your county commissioner. Call your schoolboard members because with a new city police station being built, it's going to require that the school district be a part of this as well to ensure that our children that are in those neighborhoods are not hurt behind the traffic. Any of you all that live outside and notice that these school that are being built in these different communities, the traffic is heavy. So, it's going to require a group effort to ensure that the safety of our children and our communities take place while we're working together to make sure that it takes that it happens. Thank you.

The next speaker is Terrence Davis, Nancy Stallings. Good evening.

Good evening everyone. I come standing um in representation of Bishop Thomas Masters for his name to be put on um I know this has come before you before for his name to be put on um one of the streets and I have accounted 600 um signatures from um others that wrote down why they think his name should be on the sign as well as 353 that went the line. I've known Bishop Masters for a very long time. He has represented this city way before he became to be mayor multiple times. He has won. And he has he has always fought for the city of Riviera Beach and fought for the people. And so I am honored to stand here to ask you once again if you can please consider putting his name on the street. I don't think it's a hard thing to do. I think it should be an easy thing to do when you have someone that has fought for our um culture as well as anybody. He's not discriminated. No, he's not a perfect man, but he has done his time with helping others. So, for those that might not agree, that's fine and dandy. But for those that do agree, I have accounted 600 people that came and said, "Put his name on the sign." So, if you would consider that, I would be gracious. Thank you,

Madam Chair. The next speaker is Mrs. Mary Bram, followed by JB Dixon and Julie Bautell. This Mary Brian Rivera Beach, I forgot my phone because some of the residents, parents that attend Sun Coast as well as JFK school, they were looking at the meetings. So they say, "Thank you, Miss Graham." And they told me to thank the board up there, too. So, so I'm just passing that on to you because like we say, that was a vital area over there. So it just not just about Miss Bram, it is about the generation of the whole community base and that is a necessity. So I had to share that with you. About two years ago, I think when the procurement uh department came in, a lot of these things that was spoken about about the expenditures Miss Graham and and a lot of the residents feel like this. If you going to spend, you take care of the things that are most important to this city here. whatever you do here because two years ago and you can go back and pull the tape in the procurement department. It was a policy that was supposed to been drawn up to curtail some of you all spending. I remember her saying that she was an expert in this. So what year are we in now? 2026.

Now that was two years ago. You can't keep on kicking these things down. You can because you will continue to spend fruitless if it's not rained in. You can go with your travel. You can go with um Amazon, all of these fabulous hotels. $1,300 and some odd dollars. rental cars constantly, constantly, constantly going to see Fred Hammond, going to eat to the pineapple, whatever that is up there. See, see, see, see, see, these are the things that the residents go after you all about. So, so, so to make it that to make it so to it, it it is transparent and you all stop this wasteful spending. Miss Bram is asking you that because I'm going to tell you something. We going to come in here and we going to clean out this place here. When I said three weeks ago that it will be some changes here. Trust Miss Brown. Everybody know this woman does not talk out no vacuum because these things here you all have to if you want to do them you do them out of transparency and you do them to move the city forward. Thank you.

The next speaker is JB Dixon followed by Julie Bautell and Fame Mosman. I'm JB Dixon from Singer Island in Riviera Beach. I first became active in Riviera Beach, although I have owned here since the 70s. I first became active in Riviera Beach uh during the scandal of the council that fired Jonathan Evans, who we had finally found a good city manager. And I will continue to say that he is without doubt the best city manager we have ever had. And I would be very against anyone who tried to get rid of him. I want you to know that with those councils who did that, we got rid of those people and we've gotten rid of other people since. And yet I see some members of this council repeating some of the things that those voted out people did. One of which is take up the public's time as several of you did tonight with extraneous questions that you could very well have had answered before you came in here and should have had answered. The self arandizing telling us how wonderful you are is the is the purpose of those questions. I know that you all have an agenda review. That's an opportunity for you to find out that information. You have four other days of the week to ask those questions of whoever. Now, unless it's something new that comes up, you should not bother the rest of us with nitpicking

over this and that and of evidently ignoring the fact that we spend thousands of dollars on legal and other expert opinions. And it is not up to you who do not have expertise in those areas to say, "Oh, the traffic is going to be this and the the the environment is going to be that." You are not traffic engineers. You are not environmental scientists. That is why we pay people to advise you. And it was another habit of previous councils to ignore ignore and sometimes even insult publicly those consultants. So pick your consultants well. be sure you're going to respect them and then listen to them and find out whatever nitpicky questions you want answered before you come in here and keep people this late for nothing except your own egos. Thank you. The next speaker is Julie Bautell followed by Fain Mosman. Good evening. I'm Julie Bell. I live on Singer Island, Riviera Beach, but I'm here tonight at this moment because I'm the president of COSI, which is the Community Officers Association of Singer Island. And I wanted to make an announcement about an event that we're going to be having on February 24th, which is a Tuesday. You know, seeing these young people here earlier this evening, and I think it was Mr. Gton who talked about the importance of communicating with our legislators. They did a great job and they communicated with our legislators and that's so critically important. In Riviera Beach, we have two people representing us in the state legislature. Two people representing Rivier Beach. Uh one of them represents district 88 and one district 87. It happens that the

District 87 representative is now going to be up for election because Mike Caruso, who used to represent us, is now, as you probably know, the uh county uh clerk and controller. So, we have two candidates who are going to be on the slate on March 24th. And CO is sponsoring an uh candidates night on Tuesday, February 24th at 6 o'clock at the Ambassador Center. and uh Emily Gregory and John Naples, the two candidates will be there and it's an opportunity for you to ask them questions to impress upon them the importance of us as a voting block and uh I think that if you look at the COC webpage which is coasi.org you'll find that there's a place where you can register to attend that event. It is not closed to anybody. It's open to the entire public. So, please come out on February 24th at 6:00 to meet the two candidates, Emily Gregory and John Maples, who are vying for that district 87 seat in Tallahassee. Thanks very much. The next speaker is Fman. Loisman, somebody mentioned a shoot for uh Bishop Masters, acting mayor Lawson uh Super Bowl Sundays this Sunday. Devin Hester played in the Super Bowl. He went to Sunost High School. wanted to rename the portion of Avenue West in front of Sun Coast in his honor. Uh when I was here last week or a couple weeks ago, we talked about the biggest condo scandal in the history of Singer Island, the Amirit Hotel. There's been a lot of development since then at the Emirates.

A lot more information's coming out. Channel 5 did another story that more media attention coming out. The spa has never had a temporary certificate of occupancy or a certificate of occupancy. Many of the hotel, every hotel suite there had its own electrical meter. Why? Because the developer said he was going to develop a condo and he went ahead and did it even though the council and two members on this council were on the council in 2015 when they voted for resort hotel. And the reason they voted for resort hotel, the land use and the comp plan are resort hotel. He went ahead and sold those units as condos, as residential condos, even though the city never approved it as a condo and the DBPR in Tallahassee never approved it as residential condo. So, but he's treating as residential condo. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been ripped off from residents who bought those units. They didn't realize they weren't condos until after the fact. There's 24 of those units still being sold today on secondary sales. They they can't get home exemptions, but yet they're paying taxes. But he knew what he was doing because that's why he put an electric meter in each unit. Okay, that's a very big deal. Your development director, who I talked about, who the mayor should have suspended, but he's just blowing it off. He's allowing the public to go into areas that do not have a temporary CO or a permanent CO. Those are safety matters. The six boilers in the east tower have not been signed up by the fire marshal. People are I talked to Grace Joyce. She just issued her business tax receipts for some of the units a week ago. So for a year and a half and two and a half years, they've been operating without business tax receipts. It's a big scandal and Surmans is responsible for it. You know, you spend $75,000 going after

Lawson on some nonsense in an elevator, but yet you yet you have people that have put hundreds of millions of dollars into the Emirate and no one's saying anything. The Emirates sued the city trying to get documents, site plans, inspections. The city refuses to do it. They hired the Torivia law firm to stop their public records request. That lawsuit's on the Channel 5 website. You, as the governing board, need to look into what's going on there. look into this big scandal and do something about it. And the mayor, you have responsibility to suspend this, man. You can do your own investigations, talk to the building official and do it, but just know shake your head about it. Thank you for your comment, sir.

Madam Chair, that is the end of public comment. Thank you. Let us move on to our next item. Madam clerk, madam, the next item was added to the agenda by council person gon civil rights. Uh he stepped out. Let's move on to the next item. We'll go back to it.

Okay. So, we'll move on to item 11A, resolution number 01-26, a resolution of the city council of the city of Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute amendment two to the flex services agreement between the city of Riviera Beach and Sound Thinking, Inc., formerly Shot Spotter, Inc., authorizing the chief financial officer to make annual payments in the amount of $248,8001 and providing an effective date. Madam Chair, there are no public comment cards for this item. The acceptance of cards is closed. Travis, so move. So move.

I'm sorry. Go ahead. Um, Councilman, so move. Thank Madam Chair, members of the board, if I can have the police chief, uh, Michael Coleman to present this item. Madam Chair, council, Chief Police, Michael Coin. Good evening. Resolution number 01-26. I'm seeking your approval to have the chief financial officer pay $248,000 for a shot um for shot spotter for the city. It'sual payment and it's a three-year commitment through 2028. Any questions for this item? Clerk. Council person Davis Pier.

Yes. Council person Gon. Yes. Council Chairpro 10 Miller Anderson. Chairpro 10 Miller Anderson. Council person Dr. Spiritis. Yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes. The item passes with Chairpro 10 Miller Anderson out here. Yes. Okay. The unanimous vote, Madam Chair. All right. We're going to get back to your item, Mr. uh I'm sorry, Commissioner G, but let me let him wrap up this last one here.

Go ahead. U Madam Clerk, go ahead and read the next item. Madam Chair, the next item is resolution number 22-26, a resolution of city council of the river of the city of Rivier Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida to accept a state financial assistance grant approved by the Florida legislature and administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the amount of $500,000 for a Rivier law enforcement training facility authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute the grant agreement. Authorizing the chief financial officer to set up budget and providing an effective date. Madam chair, there are no public comment cars in this item. The acceptance of cars is closed. So move

second. Madam chair, members of I have police chief Michael Coleman to present this item. Good evening once again, Madam Chair, council Michael Coleman, chief of police resolution number 22-26. um seeking your approval to accept $500,000 from a state leg state appropriation. We applied for $2 million and we received $500,000 from the state. These funds will be utilized to um to assist building a training facility u for the police department. You have any questions and standby. Thank you. Any questions about this item? Madam Chair?

Yes. Go ahead, sir. I would just like to compliment Chief and his team uh for putting this together and I'd like to thank the city manager for following through and lobbying the project. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes. Chairp Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritz. Yes. Chairperson Laneir. Yes. Unanimous vote. Before Mr. Uh, Commissioner Gayton, um, I forgot to ask Mr. Evans, the we had 17 public comments, responses to some of those public comments that were asked by the residents, please.

Well, Madam Chair, if I may, uh, couple of items with regards to meters and and the calibration of meters. I can have staff reach out to to Mr. Brown and and provide him with that information. Um with respect to the uh water plant and rate increases, um tomorrow we have a utility district meeting that will uh the board will consider approving GMP5, which is the $282 million for the new water treatment plant. Um if that GMP does move forward, uh we will move forward with additional community sharetses to inform the community that the board has authorized GMP5 and then also what are rate implications and some things that the city is looking to do and programs that are available for residents to um look to defay or reduce the cost associated with uh water consumption. So we are going to have community meetings after that. And then uh the question about milling and resurfacing uh that item is slated to come back before the board for authorization March 4th. We had to go through a competitive solicitation process to uh enter into a new contract with the milling and resurfacing company. So I believe the the contract and all the documents should be uh in a good position to bring this item before the board and then we would facilitate uh the milling and rest um milling and resurfacing activities and we anticipate uh starting uh early March with that that particular item. It all depends on how fast the contractor can mobilize. And that's uh the comments I have. Madam Chair,

uh could you also make sure that at our meeting tomorrow for the water plant that we could have bring back some information about the calibration of those meters uh throughout the city so that uh because it is a utility district meeting um to uh address that issue. Madame Clerk, next item. Madam Chair, we are on item 11 C resolution number 155-2. We're going to go to We're going back to Councilman Ga. Madam Chair, this is an add on item by Councilman Gton, civil rights.

Thank you. Um, Walter, don't put it up yet. I'll let you know when to put up my slideshow. Um, we're in Black History Month now. And one of the things that is a hallmark of black history is the civil rights movement. And um within that movement there was a fight for equality and fairness and non-discrimination essentially kind of summing it up. And I had the good fortune to be active in in that movement back in the late 70s, early 80s, walking in the streets here of Palm Beach County. But now I realize that in our country we have um an administration that has intensified the racial divide. I'm not one to move away from what is happening now. Um affirmative action is being rolled back. DEI been eliminated. African-American artifacts are being removed from um museums. Um for somebody who's been in the struggle, I'm see I'm I'm noticing that we have a problem and um unfortunately I've noticed a problem that landed here in Riviera Beach. Walter um put up my first slide, please. If you can see that, I'll read the I

read the heading for you. Oh, I mean, if you can't see it, Trump says civil rights led to white people being very badly treated. Debatable. Walter, put up the next slide. This is a summary of what the civil rights movement was about. Legally enforcable protections, ensuring equal treatment, fairness, and non-discrimination for all individuals, not just black, regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, or other characteristics. Um the administration said that being fair, equal treatment, non-discrimination for all individuals, regardless of race, led to white people being treated very badly. Let me say this. Most people, white and black, blue and brown, are good people and they're not racist. They're not. You have this small nucleus of people on both sides. Go to the extreme with supremacy, white supremacy, black supremacy. It's on both sides. So, when it hit home here, it really impacted me. Um, Walter, next slide. This is Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964. We're in Black History Month now. Okay, Walter, you can take it down now. I'll let you know when to put up the the

next one. When I said hit home, it hit home here. We have someone who grew up in this community, played drums for 20 years in our local churches, still lives in this city, and he works for this city. I'm talking about Keith Golden. There has been an orchestrated attempt to destroy this man. And you know who signed off on it? Mr. Evans. I want to know the evidence. Mr. Evans had two invest in investigations done on this man. Two. The allegations consist of unprofessional um matters in the workplace and one was dealing with um an incident that happened where he allegedly was overseeing a project. I talked about the tension white and black that exists now. Mr. Randy Sherman

has been very disrespectful to a lot of employees and county. Point of order. Point of order. Yes. Go ahead, Mr. Gayton. I absolutely have no issues with you um expressing your concerns, but uh Madame Attorney, if we currently have a demand letter presented to us, is it wise for us to have this conversation about the individual who presented that to the board? Madam Chair, I mean, I'm sorry, Madam Attorney. Madam Chair, yes, go ahead,

Mrs. Mill Anderson, a demand letter is just that. It's not a lawsuit. Um, and I don't know that we censor our council members. Um, no, we haven't censored anyone, but what I am saying is anything that's being said could be utilized if it would move to a lawsuit.

Not if it's factual. I'm sorry, Miss Vice Chair. If what I'm saying is factual, it cannot hurt. Facts are the facts. Now, if I'm saying something misleading that's not true, that can hurt us. But if you're saying something that is truthful, absolutely not. And I know that some people want to stay away from this. And part of the problem we've had in our city, we haven't been transparent with our residents. A lot of our residents don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Only thing they see, they'll see us come at these meetings and they may see a council person go off. They don't know the backstory. They just look at what's going on in the meeting and that council person must be off his rocker. You don't know what's going on with the backstory. And I'mma be transparent while I'm here, while I sit here. I don't plan to be here long, quite frankly. But while I'm here, I'mma be transparent with the people. They going to know what's going on with the backstory, and it's going to be truthful. May I proceed?

Yes. Go ahead.

Okay. So Randy Sherman has been very disrespectful to department heads, got into shouting matches, multiple complaints. Not only that, Mr. Sherman had disrespected me as a council person. And you know who was sitting right there? Mr. Jonathan Evans witnessed it. I'm talking calmly to Mr. Evans about something. Randy raises his voice at me. I'm looking at Mr. Evans. You gonna let your employee just disrespect me in front of you? So, Mr. Evans to this day, I was in the meeting yesterday asking, "Has he ever done anything about that?" He said, "No, I just talked to him." Randy happens to be a white man. Not only did he disrespect me, we in a union meeting discussing union issues. Randy put information on the screen that wasn't correct. Our legal counsel said, "Mr. Sherman, that information not correct there. You're not giving your council people accurate information. Randy tried to explain it away men. The meeting ended. Randy went up in that man's face like he want to fight him. They had to get between them. Randy, what did Miss Evans do? Not a thing. The mayor had to step in and take action. Everything I'm saying

is speculable. After Mr. Evans realized that the council member saw this, he decided that he wanted to send him to training. Fine. I talked about civil rights, treating everybody fairly, whether you black, white, blue, or brown. One thing that people can say about me, whether you white, black, blue, or brown, if you got a problem, I'm going to do whatever I can to help you with that problem. I've done that. You can check my records. As soon as I got here, there were some white employees that were having a problem, and I stepped in. I even talked to some residents about problems that were going on. So, Mr. Evans decided that when it came to Keith Golden was a black man, he decided that um before I go there, um Miss the Coaster, would you come to this mic? She going to be very surprised. She didn't know I was going to do this. It's not going to take long chair if I may.

With regards to the the comments that are being made, I do want to cautious the board with regards to that these are personnel matters under the opice and the responsibility of the city man.

Would you come to the hold on a second? Madam Chair, it it's not permissible for any elected official to direct any particular staffer. What I'm saying is that the information as it relates to the assistant chief or Mr. Sherman, this is not the appropriate venue to talk about personnel related matters and this is not the appropriate space, Madam Chair. And there's provisions that are provided for in the charter that speak to the roles and responsibility and the clear delineations of duties. And so if there is some concerns with respect to what's contained in the investigation or the actions of the administrator, then that's certainly a conversation that we can have. But this is not the appropriate venue to um to talk about personnel matters.

Okay. Madam Chair, Madam Chair, let me say this. Let me let the vice chair speak and then I'll let you go. Okay. Go ahead vice chair.

So we have many items that we have not covered. Had I known it was just like a open discussion. I may not have said yes, put the civil rights item in the middle of the agenda because we have a lot of votes that need to be done tonight on these items. And what I don't want us to start doing is getting in the habit of just filling our meetings up with a lot of things that are not progressing the city forward because I've been on a council like that before and I don't I hope we're not going backwards to that. We have a lot of business on the agenda to tend to and we are now going to be ready to go in about nine minutes and we have not covered our entire agenda and we're we're talking about something if if anything it would be during the city council comments at the end.

Madam Chair, if you let me finish because I'm going to finish um I can go on the track. Yeah, you can finish. Are you through uh uh council? And I do agree. I mean, we do have in our charter the council is not supposed to interfere with the day-to-day operations and overseeing staff that I I was there when there were different rules of the council. Okay. I finished now things have changed now and I think we need to try to stay within our role. Thank you.

Let me say this. I'm not going to allow Mr. Evan to destroy this man's life without any any really substantial evidence. What Mr. Evans is doing, he don't want staff to talk to us because they know where the bodies are buried. Don't talk to us. He don't want us to say anything to him because he said we can't mingle. So who is going to be the gate post? Who's going to be the checks and balances if it's not us? If somebody being mistreated, I'm not that's that is asinine to me. So I'mma share with the people what's going on. He suspended Mr. Golden. Guess what? Mr. Golden didn't do half of Miss what Randy has done. I am saying that don't treat anybody with preferential treatment. If you didn't spend if you didn't suspend Mr. um um Sherman, you should have not suspended Mr. Golden. We have two two investigations done. Know what they said? They recommended nothing but training. Do you know what was in Mr. Golden's personnel file before Mr. um um Evans decided to suspend him? Nothing nothing negative. And and if I'm telling the lie, Mr. Evans, you can you can jump in. He knows I'm telling the truth. He went from nothing in this negative file to you suspended and you got final notice. He didn't do that to Randy, the white man. I'm saying I'm not going to sit up here and let this man get screwed talking about we not supposed to get

involved. If that man sue, we got to defend it. Not Mr. Evans. We got to make sure that these employees and residents are being treated fairly. And Mr. uh Evans is not doing that. Nobody ever talked about it. All they know is his friendly personality. And you know, he's the nicest guy since we met. And he destroying lives. That's not the only one he done screwed.

So, so Councilman Gen, what is it that you want this board? I want Mr. Evans to go back and review that case and treat Mr. Golden the same way he treated Mr. Sherman. He did not suspend Mr. Sherman. And I'm never going to let it go. This man is from this community. Mr. Evans coming in here destroying people who was born and raised here who had nothing in his personnel file and now we sitting here going to allow him to destroy this man career. point of order. Okay. Go ahead, Councilwoman. This is improper. Well, that's that's your opinion. That's your opinion.

Issue with Mr. Evans, which it sounds like I do cuz he's screwing people. Those are two separate incidents. They are not the same at all. Not the same. Mr. I respect you. I respect you. But Madam Chair, yes. So, let us uh hold on a minute, Mayor. Thank you. Let let us hold on one second now. Let us I asked Mr. Commissioner Gayton a question. What is it? You brought this to the board. I brought this to the board. That you want this board to do

because and let me ask the um the attorney, Mr. Attorney, do we have the authority to ask Mr. Evans to go back and revisit this issue? Yes. Okay. That's what I'm asking. I'm asking for this man to be treated equally and fairly, not preferential treatment. And and you're going to need to make a motion to do that, sir. So move. I didn't make the motion. I'm asking you to make a motion. So I just said so move. Okay. Is there a second on this motion? Second. Very good. Madam Chair.

Yes, sir. Go ahead. discussion. And just for clarity, um, Mr. Evans did state that this wasn't the proper audience. Um, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, no. Let me say this. Before I bring anything public, I talked to him in private. Madam Chair, hold on. Tried to talk. So, if I can finish my comments, Councilman Gton, hold on. But, but that's not being put out there. Respectfully, if you let me finish my comments, you'll understand what I'm saying because you just jumped to conclusions. What I'm saying is that

Mr. Evans said that this is not the proper audience. I disagree because the charter clearly states that this is the only arena that we can have this conversation. So when we have a conversation with Mr. Evans, we cannot give direction. So to Mr. Gayton's points before you jumped in. It was that this is the only arena that we can clearly have this conversation with Mr. Evans to give him direction in regards to personnel issues in regards to matters that may be addressed privately. I prefer to not have these gotcha moments, but I do also want to make sure it's clear that for the record that we have to have these conversations in public if we feel like privately they're not being done. That is why I believe that it was addressed tonight. I have separate concerns that I've addressed with Mr. Evans that he's working on within personnel concerns and issues, but this is the only arena that we can give Mr. Evans clear direction as to our opinion if it's ratified by the board. So, Mr. Gayton, as you stated, this is the proper audience and I disagree with Mr. Evans what he said. I think he clearly did not want to have this discussion about his staff, but this is the only way that we can have a conversation about staff because we cannot give Mr. Evans direction outside of this arena. So if there's unreiness, if there's concern, if there's discussion, I want us to try to have them in a cordial, respectful manner, and that's what we're doing. And this is Mr. Gton's time to address his concerns because it was ratified by the board to put this item on the agenda. So board, Mr. Gayen, if you have additional items, please.

I got one last quick item. Okay. Wait, let let us We got a motion on the floor. Is this a part of the motion that you have on the floor? Um, yes. Yes, it it it is part of the motion. Okay, I got one last thing. Mr. Sherman has been so disrespectful that in his demand letter, he's asking the residents to pay him $500,000 for for reverse discrimination. And he's the one been the problem in my opinion. But he's so disrespectful. Look what he said in in this um demand letter coming from Mayor Lawson. I think that we all got that letter. I know, but the public doesn't have it. I want the people to know what's going on. It's public record.

Okay. Well, I'mma read it to him. Uh, Mayor Lawson is laughing. Mayor Lawson on an Africanamean race has engaged in behavior typically reserved for drunken sellers on shore leave. He's still an employee for our city. Okay. Totally disrespectful. I don't care if it came from the president through him. He been disrespecting us. I'm not taking it. I'm not I'm not dealing with it. Thank you, sir. So, we have a we have a motion on the floor. Somebody else. Is that you? Um, vice chair. It's 10:00.

Uh, we got a motion on the floor. We need to dispose of this so that we can extend our meeting to finish the agenda. So, move. Second. No, no, no. We got to dispose of we got to dispose of this one first. I got a motion. The motion restate your motion. revisit that issue and treat Mr. Golden the same way he's treated Mr. Sherman. That's my motion. All right. He got a second. Um, Madame Clerk, call the question for this item that he has on the on the on the table. Madam Chair, would you could you extend the meeting first? Okay. With that motion on the floor, we got to do that. Yeah, because it's 10 o'clock. Oh, I see.

All right. Uh motion to extend the agenda. So move extend the time for the agenda. There's a u motion to so move. Madam clerk, go ahead. Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes. Chairper Tim Miller Anderson. No. Council person Dr. Spiritis. Yes. Chairperson Laneer. Yes.

Passes with chairpro Tim Miller Anderson desenting. Um there's a motion on the floor that uh Commissioner Gton made and I want to caution us, not just Mr. G. I want to caution us any charter amendment in regards to interference with the day-to-day operations of the city manager of of of the amendment to this motion I want to add is that we have the right to do this that the attorney can look at the charter and make sure that if we're going to do this that we have the right to do it. Yeah. And and let me clarify the motion. Okay. I'm asking the council to ask not direct ask

to ask him to go back and revisit it. The charter said that we cannot direct. We can ask madam chair. Madam chair um commissioner just clarify a request can be made asking can be made. You cannot and the charter says shall not give orders to to employees or off to to any officer or employee. But you can ask the city manager to do something and he has the right to do it or not.

Right. I just want to be clear because and I want a legal opinion on this because they talk about interference with day-to-day activities and that is a big one. It was an amendment to the charter and I want to make sure that if we're going to do this, it is something that we can do based on our charter amendment. You are making a request. Yes, sir. Yes. Okay. Would my colleague madam? Would my colleague consider uh changing his motion to suggest to the city manager? I don't mind. Let's suggest. But we need to understand that we're responsible for his actions. Yes, we are. I'm sorry. Well, I don't I'm not understanding. Well, I got you. We got you. We

We can't allow him to destroy people lives here saying that we can't interfere. We feel you, sir. But we have to And he from this community, right? We respect We have to respect our charter. And if this is the motion that you want to make, you said you want to make a suggestion that he revisits that. Making a suggestion. Yes, I amended that motion. Do you speak your second? Very good. Madam clerk, let us do this. Council person Davis Pener, let her tell had a question before. All right. We're calling the vote. Hold on, madam clerk. Is this the vote for this particular This is a vote to um suggest to the city man to revisit the Yeah, I had a question before we got to the vote.

Okay, go ahead. So, are we saying we are now going to start um bringing these items to the board to have a discussion on for employee um discipline and and issues that are occurring when we're not happy with what he did? No, let me she's actually really asking me no. Yeah,

I brought this because I know everybody know how Mr. Evans have not disciplined Randy Sherman. And I'm saying that he's not going to do it to Randy Sherman. Let's not do who is white. Let's not do it to the black man. He went straight from nothing in his file to you suspended final notice. Now he got to walk around on eggshells. And we know that's wrong. We know that he hasn't done anything to Randy. We know that. Yes, sir. We We got the gist of that. And before we do call this question, I need to make sure that because there is a motion and a second from this entire council that we have allowed for public comment. Madam,

is there anybody in this audience that would want to speak to this because there is an item and that because we put it on the floor, it has to be heard and the public has to weigh in on it. Okay. And I have a question, Madam Chair.

Yes, ma'am. Miss Mary Bram Rivera Beach. Let me tell you all something here. You all are setting this city here up for some big time losses. That charter there designated we voters voted for that overwhelmingly the operation and the daily operation of the city. It lies with whatever city manager, what whatever city manager or whoever is in authority. The residents voted for that overwhelmingly. Now, this with Keith Keith Goldman, I'm sorry that that accident happened. Everybody stood up here and they went on and on. The woman LOST HER HUSBAND. WE do carry some responsibility and I'm glad that Chief Gleman was not fired. I'm glad he was not fired BECAUSE IN THE REPORTS THAT I READ AND GOTTEN, it was some clarity mistakes that was made. It was mistakes that was made there. And the deepest mistake THAT WAS MADE, THE WOMAN LOST her loved one like Mr. Brown has gone on too and we're suffering with it. It was a big devastation for her and a big devastation for this city as well. But when WE SIT HERE AND DIALOGUE THIS, the attorneys is watching this stuff here. The attorneys is watching this stuff people. Where is the leadership? We shouldn't have never went down this here dead end in here because it is other litigants in this thing here. Bruce, it is other litigants in this thing here.

Bruce, I'm I'm glad that Goldman was not fired. He was not fired. Miss Bram has never been a prejudice person. See, I have Jews in my family. My grandson is is I have to say it. I have the Italians. I have the Jews. I have them. I'm not hung up on no color scheme. But when you're wrong, you're wrong. And when you're right, you're right. Let us bear this here. And let us learn from all of these mistakes here because it was mispect that was done on our behalf, too. I love Chief Gman just like I'm going to say I love that man back there, Mr. What the Finance Director name is?

Sherman. I DON'T HAVE NO ALT against you, BUT WHEN YOU WRONG, you wrong. And this is so wrong here tonight. The attorney is here for MY MESSAGE HERE. THEY WATCHING this and stuff here and lawsuits and lawsuits is going to be predicated all around this place here. I'm glad that he wasn't fired. Them days that he got as a as an expension, take it and be grateful. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me let me clarify one quick thing. When Mr. Golden got to the site, that vehicle was already underwater. He had nothing. We We can't litigate that.

I'm not going to litigate it, but he she's talking like he's the one responsible. We have to And uh let us uh Mr. Don't believe everything that you read, Miss M. No. Commissioner, hold on. Hold on. Point of order. Okay. Hey, this is I need Uhuh. I need order. I'm not letting this man get I need I'm not letting this man get screwed. I need order and I need to be able to run this meeting. There's a there's a motion on the floor. There is a second. Madame clerk, call the question, please. Council person Davis Pier, I I really do need to know what the motion is. You want to restate the motion, please, madam clerk?

Oh, go to restate. Go ahead. Restate the motion. See,

I made a suggestion to ask the city manager to go back and revisit this issue and consider the discipline he's given to Randy Sherman and what he's given to Keith Golden. They are different. I And I said, I'm seeking fairness and equality. Let's treat everybody the same. I'm not asking him to treat Mr. Golden any differently, but he should not treat him any worse. He had nothing in his personnel file. He goes from zero to a final notice and five days suspension. Mr. Sherman had disrespected me. Okay. Mayor and everybody else.

Yeah, she she has it. But we uh my reservation with this, sir, is that this is very very very close. Just just vote it up or down. I won't take it personal to just vote it up or down. And listen, I not going to let it go. I let you talk. I'm not going to let I'm not going to let that man get. You have the right to have a conversation and to bring us into this conversation, whatever whatever it is that's involved in this city. I just do not want us to get any deeper in trouble in regards to this item. I don't want us to be able to be overstepping the charter that go we and that was the motion that you made. Madam clerk, let's go. Council person, wait. Madam Chair, one one question, please.

Yes, ma'am. Mr. Mr. Gayton, I I know you say you're not going to let it go, but if if it does not pass, what what's going to happen after that? I'm not going to let it go. Let me just say that. I'm not going to reveal it here in the media. I'm not letting this man get screwed and Randy Sherman just walked free. That's not going to happen with me, okay? You're not treating this black man differently than you do this white man. It's not going to happen with me. Question was answered. Okay. But my Well, I did have a question, Madam Chair. So, are you looking for a a difference of of of his action? I mean, are you

No, I'm looking for him to be treated how Mr. Sherman is being treated. This man had nothing in his personnel file. People are assuming that what they see on TV and what they read in the report is accurate. And I have evidence that is not accurate. Okay. Madam Chair, very good. Um, Madam Chair, let let us please let let us move on. I am very very very nervous about this conversation and and this is this is in regards to Mr. Evans and this is in regards to people's livelihoods and we are not the people who hire and fire and discipline employees. That is not our job. But we can't allow them to be screwed.

Let me be clear. That is not our job. And I want to be clear that there's a motion on the floor and there's a second and you can put whatever you like on the floor. That is your prerogative as a elected official. So we have that established. I was just giving my reservations about it. Okay. M Madam Chair. Yes. Go ahead.

It is not our role to discipline employees, but it's not our role to be disrespected by employees. I'm not sure if you heard as a board what was read into the record from a demand letter, but Madame Chair, I need you to be very clear and fair with the direction that we're given. If a councilman came to the board and said that he has unreiness with a staffer and how they're being treated, that is the authority and the ability of this board in a public meeting. We cannot go behind the scenes and tell Mr. Evans that we do not like what he's doing. But in this public meeting, we can say he's not treating his employees fairly and that is the pleasure of the board. That was what was voted on. So to be very clear, I've sat here very patiently, but I've also am privy to some of these private documents that have been thrown at us. So I want you I am not

No, no. You you received the letter as well, the same letter, the demand letter that was clearly disrespectful to this board and to this mayor. I am not okay with some of the actions of some of this staff and Mr. Evans is the only one we can hold accountable. Mr. Evans has to do a job with that. If we talk to Mr. Evans privately, publicly is the only way that we can address this. So now I didn't know any of this was on the agenda or the discussion, but now that we're having the discussion, we need to give Mr. Evans direction as to how he needs to handle his staff or we have to handle Mr. Evans.

So moving forward, the decision is and I believe Mr. Gayton clearly put it on the board. If it's voted up or down, we move forward and let's continue with the agenda. It's the pleasure of the board. The city is moving greatness and good things forward, but if there's unreadiness and issues, any council member can address that and that's the pleasure of the board. That's the respect of the board. So I'm not sure why is there so so much discussion

and I that is my reservation. You have you have your reservations. You can have your allowances. You can have whatever you like. You have no vote though. Mayor, my issue is I don't want to get into any legal issues. I understand that Mr. Sherman was suspended for two weeks uh based on whatever happened. I don't know all of the things because I don't get into employee business. Now Mr. Giden has a has a motion on the floor. He wants to um suggest to Mr. Evans to be able to look revisit this discipline that was given to Mr. Golden. He has the right to do that. And then there's a second on the floor and we can vote on that right now. Go ahead, Madam Clerk. Council person Davis Pier. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes.

Cher Miller Anderson. No. Council person Dr. Spiritis. No. Chairperson Laneir. No. Item fails with Chipper Tim Miller Anderson. Council person Dr. Spiritis and chairperson linear dissenting.

Let us move on to our next item. Madam Chair, we're on item 11 C, resolution number 155-25, a resolution of the city council of the city of River Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, authorizing the execution of an armed and un unarmed security services agreement between the city of Riviera Beach and Centurum Security Group LLC to provide armed and unarmed security services obtained through request for proposal number 113-25-3. three for an initial one-year term with the option to renew for four additional one-year renewal periods. Renewals shall be approved by council authorizing the chief financial officer to make payment and providing an effective date with a total contract value of 3,433,39748 over five years allocated as follows. Year 1,670,46720. Year two, $670,46720. Year three, $690,58122. Year four, $690,58122. And year five, $711,300.64. Madam chair, there are no public comment cards for this item. The acceptance of cards is closed.

So move. So move. Second. Mr. Evans. Madam Chair, members of the board, if I can have the director of procurement to make this presentation. Chair.

Good evening. My name is Latana Ammons, the director of procurement for the city of Riviera Beach. Um the procurement department is requesting of approval for arms security contract with the um Centurion Group as a result of RFP number 1173-25-3. The public works department requested procurements assistance to secure comprehensive armed and unarmed services for city facilities locations within the CRA and the utility special district. As a result, the selected vendor will be responsible for providing professional, reliable, and high quality security services in support of public safety in city operations. Um the um evaluation committee um convened and deemed Centurion Security Group as the highest ranked um responsible bidder. This item was tabled at the last city council meeting and we are um back with um asking for the same vendor to be awarded a contract. Thank you.

And there public comment for this item. Madam chair, there are no public comment cards for this item. Madam Chair, for any questions? Yes. Go ahead, sir. I have a question for the vendor. I'm sorry. What's your name? They can come up to the mic. Vendor. Where's the vendor? I'm looking at the round table. That's the employee Alexander yourself sir and your company please. I'm Alexander Sarakas executive vice president security group.

Okay. Um my question is um obviously this is a lot of money. Um, we do have security companies in our city that live here. Are you open to having subcontractors and not just employees? Yes. Okay. Um, that's all I have. Madam Chair. Okay. All right. Very good. Any other questions in regards to this item? Madame clerk? Council person Davis Paneer. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes. Chairp pro Tim Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritz. Yes.

Chairperson Laneir. Yes. That's a unanimous vote. Thank you, sir, for your question be your answers to the question. Thank you so much. We look forward to working with you. The honor. Thank you for your time.

Next item, Madam Clerk. Madam Chair, we're on item 11D, resolution number 161-25, a resolution of the city council of the city of Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, authorizing the execution of a citywide janitorial services agreement between the city of Riviera Beach and American Janitorial, Inc. for citywide janitorial services procured pursuant to request for proposal number 1174-25-3 for an initial one-year term with a maximum contract expenditure of 543,953.37 with an option to renew for four additional one-year terms authorizing the chief financial officer to make payment for such services and providing for an effective date. Madam Chair, there are no comment cards for this item. The acceptance of comment cards is closed.

Miss Adams, would you explain to us this item, please? Yes. Good evening. So move. I'm sorry. Go ahead. For the record, Lata Ammons director. Madam Chair, we don't have a motion. I said so move. Second. Oh, I'm sorry. All night. I'm sorry, guys. There's a So moved in a second. Go ahead, Miss.

Um, good evening. Latana Ammon, city of Riviera Beach, um director of procurement. The public works department requested um procurement's assistance to secure a qualified and experienced vendor to proide to provide comprehensive citywide janitorial services. The procurement department um in accordance with chapter 16.5 of the court of ordinances posted RFP number 1174-25-3. Uh the evaluation committee met and the procurement department um is recommending um an award to American janitorial incorporated. They were the highest ranked most responsible and responsive bidder. This table, this item was also tabled from the previous meeting. Even even uh did the guy left that quick? Great thing. Um that was

what the security guy. Yeah. No, I I wanted to ask and I forgot to ask him when he was here about the program or or whatever in place to um hire local to to make sure that the people in this city get a get a crack at these jobs. How is that how is that how does that is that a part of the RFP? How does that work? Um, Madame Chair, uh, officially the solicitation did not ask or request or require them to hire locals. We did offer um, vendors to receive more points if they were a local vendor, but we did not specify hiring local persons.

We do that. Well, I just asked the question about hiring local subs. He said he's open to that. Oh, I'm saying, can we put it in RC though? We can't do it. No. Yes.

No. I I'm going to I want to say no, but we'll also circle back and research, right? Because now you're telling a supplier or a vendor who they must use or you know, we could encourage versus require. But I see 690 almost a million dollars a year. So I think that we have the right to say could you give the people who live in this city first crack at some of these jobs? And I don't I want to know how we can do that. If we can't do that, then we can't do it. But I want to make I want to make sure that that language is understood with the contractors, especially million-dollar contracts. Understood. I will research. Thank you, ma'am.

Uh is I'm sorry. Is the owner of the janitorial company here? There he is. introduce yourself and your company, sir. Good evening. Uh Ryan Strems, chief chief uh chief sales officer, American janitorial. Piggy backing off my last question and what the chair just said about local. My first question was um there are some people in our community that have that own company, not as big as you. So, are you open to sub some of our locals?

Yes, we've I've already actually talked to Kristen from Coastal Janitor, I believe it is, uh, just this evening about opportunities with that. So, Oh, so to keep those employees like Oh, I Yeah. And even if it wasn't a local company, we always get employees from where they're at. We don't want somebody driving two hours, you know, to come work. So, we always hire within the community. Absolutely. Yeah. Make sure question. Okay. No, no, I I just want to make sure that the people who live in here in this city have a crack at at those jobs. Thank you very much. Any other questions for American janitorial? Hearing none. Madam clerk, council person Davis Paneer. Yes. Council person Gon. Yes.

Chairperson Miller Anderson. Yes. Council person Dr. Spiritz. Yes. Chairperson Lineer. Chairperson Ler. Yes. Madam Chair, it's a unanimous vote.

I I I my mind went because I was thinking about that last vote that we made, not for the janitorial, but for the direction and No, no, for the direction of for the uh city manager that um um earlier in the meeting, I prefaced that when I put things on the agenda, I'm not expecting a vote. And I think that we need to stick to that because number one, we all are just hearing it. Um, this is a sunshine state uh for elected officials, which means I had no idea what Mr. Gayton, sorry, Commissioner Gayton is going to talk about. And I think that because the public or us don't have any idea of what it is, the meeting can't go on there for discussion. I think that we need to limit it to discussion and not to votes because no one is prepared to. That's why it took us so long to kind of get to that.

You know what, Madam Chair? You're the one that suggested the vote. Do you remember that? Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, you said you want to vote, but but I understand. I agree with it. It can be by consensus. Yeah. Right. In the future. All right. Very good. Thank you. Procurement, Madam Chair. Yes, sir. There's two more items on the agenda. They're just workshopped items. Is that something we can move to another meeting? Is that Madam Chair? No, no. We got an item for for Dr. Spiritis has his piggyback item, but let us find out about the uh workshop because Yeah, let's if we can't hear Dr. greatest item and then table those other work. Let us hear about the workshop one first. Um well, now we're ready to go.

Yeah, now they're ready to go. U vice chair. Um um Mr. Evans, I know that these things have to be advertised. What is is that can it happen? Can we look at the next meeting? I mean, what can we do? Madam Chair, I missed the entire first part of the the question. We we are trying to push these workshop items to the next meeting and I'm asking would that interfere with our our advertisement would that we madam chair we can we can we can push those items okay very good uh sorry about that Mr. Sh but uh oh m oh I'm sorry what we can't

so madam chair actually th those workshop items are are critical just from the standpoint is we have a short window in when we have to line up certain things so I I thought that the two weeks when it hurt us but I I think it all right very good we gonna stick with it excellent um madame clerk let us get to the next item which is Dr. Mr. Spiritis item, please. Madam Chair, we're on item 11E, piggybacking on contracts that was added by council person, Dr. Spiritis. Dr. Spirits.

Yes, madam chair. Uh, it's my understanding that the staff believes that we gave them some sort of direction not to use the piggybacking of other municipalities bidding process. Uh when we do that, we save a substantial amount of money when we're able to jump in on a larger municipality that's getting a better price because of the units uh and the size of the and the scope of the work that they're doing. So, we're able to uh save the taxpayers substantial amount of money. We're able to save ourselves a sub substantial amount of uh work in in contracts uh and time. Obviously, time is very important as well. Uh I I don't remember us taking a vote saying that they can't do that. Uh I would think I know that it's a big issue with the uh utility district in buying chemicals. It's a it's a big issue when we're doing remilling and repaving. uh we would have been able to do the uh remilling and repaving probably six months ago if we didn't have to do uh a whole procurement procedure instead of just piggybacking on West Palm Beach or some other municipality. Uh we're going to end up with the same contractor anyway more than likely yet we're going to be paying more money because we're not doing as much work as the other municipalities or larger municipalities are doing. So, I'm just want to clarify whether we want the staff to do their their best in getting us uh the best price uh possible and expediting projects and not just eliminating piggybacking.

No, no, I don't. No, there was never any discussion that we would say that that we were not going to use piggybacking. That was never the intent. I think that I brought it up because there was a lot of piggybacking. And what happens that when you do piggyback, it doesn't go out to the public. no local vendors, that kind of thing. So, I was just making sure that at some point we do some of them that ourselves so that we can be able to uh entice local vendors to get involved. But there was never any discussion or any um intent that we stop that all together. Not at all.

Right. So, Madam Chair, I agree with you. Obviously, there are there are some instances where you want local people obviously to be able to bid, but there are some things that there it's a we don't have we don't have the ability locally, the local vendors and and contractors can't do some of these large projects. Uh so I I just want to make sure that staff understands that they should do their best to get us the best price in a timely fashion. And uh that's what's important,

right? We had that I think we had that same issue. not the issue, but we we talked about that in agenda review for one of the items for it. And it's called a co-op instead of a piggyback, which is kind of the same thing. So, we we don't have a problem with it. I just want to make sure that at some point um you know, stuff like chemicals or those rare items, there's nothing we can do with that, but something like janitorious services, you know, to offer that to local vendors, uh would be good. and we did do that this time, but I just wanted to make sure that we we're not having a conversation to ensure that we do not do figure back in that was not the intent. Madam Chair, if I may. Yes, go ahead, sir.

Um, what we can and to the council person's point, uh, we as staff were under the impression that at at most parts effectively try to go through a competitive solicitation process. And I can tell you specifically with the asphalt paving um process, we went through probably a six-month process to get the same vendor that we piggybacked the contract off months ago. And I haven't been able to compare what the unit prices are, but we could have had all the milling and resurfacing done for the entire year with the city if we kept that contractor mobilized. So, what we can do is um and I'll get with the procurement director. Maybe it's a way that we can look to facilitate if there's items that we want to look to piggyback. Maybe having it on the telling the board these are upcoming solicitations. These are the ones that we're looking to piggy back. Just an opportunity so there's no ambiguity and confusion when we do bring those items back.

Exactly. For for your consideration. But I I'll get with the procurement director and we can have an agenda item to that. I I yeah I I because of the multiple projects on the table um and you know the long pines issue too and I know that even with the playground equipment uh with the parks uh it was because we can't find a vendor um and if we would have piggyback it may have been different. So those are the kind of things that we would just like to know you know because there's no use to wasting six months on it when we don't have to. So, I agree with that as well. And Madam Chair, if I may. Yes. Go ahead. We just spoke to the the finance director as it relates to the impact fee items. We can move those to the next the next meeting.

I didn't hear that. March 4th meeting. The March 4th meeting. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Very good. Thank you. Um Mr. Evans, um let's do our confirmation of direction um in regards to the items that were on the agenda and the direction that this council gave you tonight.

Yes, Madam Chair. uh the board uh facilitated for me to uh review um the matter concerning the assistant chief. Um as it relates to uh we're going to look at the recalibrations of some meters. Um, and I think that may and then the piggyback item, we'll bring an item back before the board that that outlines some of our our piggybacks and then I think that that's it in my notes. Okay. Uh, any other issues, city manager?

Yes, Madam Chair. Um, really quickly and and I appreciated the board support with regards to the the police station, but more importantly, the real meat and potatoes vote is your March 1st vote where you're going to hopefully authorize the GMP, which is the guaranteed maximum price for the police station. Assuming that GMP goes forward, the groundbreaking for the police station will be March 13th. We are slated to go before the board of county commissioners um at their meeting in March. I think it maybe the day before or what have you before you vote to modify the interlocal agreement. So I did want the the board to to know that and I've been in conversations with Commissioner Powell with respect to the board uh having a discussion on the item tonight.

And please let's have the groundbreaking after that. Yes. Yes. The groundbreaking will be scheduled for after we go to the county with that street. Yes. Yes. Yes. So, we have we're slated to go to the county. I believe the first meeting their first meeting in March

and then and then we're going to have our item March 4th is the GMP and then the groundbreaking would be the 13th. So, I think it cues up where we can have the sequential step so there's not an issue. Uh the other side uh the other other activity you have tomorrow uh Satie McCrae groundbreaking uh Satie McCrae Park this board authorized almost $500,000 of improvements to that park. That groundbreaking is at 11 o'clock on uh tomorrow at 700 West Fourth Street. So hopefully we see everyone there. And then we have the reopening of the Riviera Beach Library where this board authorized uh almost close to $800,000 for improvements to the Riviera Beach Library. And that is uh Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. And I believe our youth council is going to be uh involved in MCing the activities. And that concludes my comments. Madam Chair,

thank you. Madam Madam Attorney, no comments, Madam Chair.

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh the last few days we've had tremendous uh erosion issues on Singer Island uh with the strong uh surf that we've had. It's very very important that the city take this seriously. Uh as you know, the barrier island protects the mainland. Uh it's very important that we fortify uh the dunes that are before some of the seaw walls. Not everybody has a seaw wall and a building is only as strong as its weakest point. So if there's one opening, we're all vulnerable. Uh there could be billions of dollars in damage during hurricane season if we don't take care of this now. So I just ask that the city council and the city manager take this serious and hopefully we can come up with some solutions. Unfortunately, the county has not been very uh responsive to our needs. Uh we do have a 10-year agreement with them. For whatever reason, they're they're uh taking the position that they don't want to move forward this year. Uh so, we're going to have to do something on our own to make sure that we protect our own homes. Thank you,

Commissioner Ba. Um just happy Black History Month. um celebrate our greatness, our legacies, and um you know, go do something positive in the community. Thank you, Commissioner Gayen. Welcome for one night. Mayor,

thank you. Um this weekend we're actually going to be celebrating Black History Month with Restoring the Village. It's going to be Sunday, February 8th at Cunningham Park. Uh free food, free haircut, Super Bowl Sunday. Please come out. We will have Mr. Callaway speaking as well just to talk about the history of Riviera Beach. Um and we're going to have a special presentation for Mr. Callaway. So please um members if you guys are available it will be Sunday starting at 1. Presentation for Miss Cow will be 2:00 as free food and I promise to get everybody out by 4 latest 5 so you can get home for the game. And residents you're more than welcome. We need everybody there uh Sunday February 8th 1 p.m. It's a rescheduled from last week because it was so cold. So everybody come out restoring the village this weekend. Thank you Madam Chair. Thank you, Vice Chair Miller Anderson. No, I have nothing. Thank you.

Thank you. And I just want to add uh please make sure you come out to our library reopening on uh this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. I know the manager um mentioned it, but that that library is just spectacular. Um the second thing, tomorrow morning, he mentioned that as well, the city of McCrae Park or the firehouse will be dedicated. So, we're going to redo that. Then also next week uh next Friday the 13th the CR uh and the CDC is having a Valentine's in the garden. They've done this uh many many times and it's a very very nice event. It's going to be at 5:00 uh at the 10th Street Community Gardens uh in Riviera Beach. Um and this is uh next week the 13th um at the 10th Street Gardens. Anything else? This meeting is adjourned.