Council - Regular Meeting

Well, okay.

All right, we're about to get started here.

This is the regular City Council meeting. Today is September 2nd. The time is 6.03. Madam Chair. I mean, Madam Clerk.

Mayor Douglas Lawson.

Here.

Chairperson Bruce Guyton.

Here.

Chair Pro Tem Dr. Glenn Spiridich. Here. Councilperson Kashaba Miller-Anderson. Councilperson Charlene Lanier.

Here.

Councilperson Priscilla Davis-Vanier.

Here.

In for City Manager William E. Wilkins is Assistant City Manager Kevin Coffin.

Here.

City Clerk Deborah Hall is present. City Attorney Don Nguyen. Here. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum. You may proceed.

OK. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We now have a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilwoman Shirley Lanier.

Next item is the approval of the agenda. Do we have any additions, deletions, or substitutions? Mr. Chair?

Yes, Mayor.

Thank you. There was an item that was emailed out to the board. I'm not sure if we have hard copies from staff or from Chief Coleman, but it was an item for the inlet approval football team from Police Chief Coleman in reference to a grant for the school football team. I emailed it out to everybody that can get hard copies out there. But if we could do that as an addition to the agenda.

OK, Mayor, Madam Clerk, YOU CAN ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA UNDER DISCUSSION.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE IT, YOU SAID UNDER DISCUSSION? YES. DISCUSSION ITEM? OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE ITEM 12E. YEAH, E AS IN ECHO, ITEM 12E.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM FORT.

THANK YOU, MR.

CHAIR. ARE THERE ANY FURTHER ADDITIONS deletions or substitution. Are there any disclosures?

Yes, Chair.

Yes.

I met with the developer for the assisted living, senior assisted living. I also have to note that he does own the property next door to the property that I own and that I'm a partner in Lake Park.

Okay. So noted. Are there any other disclosures? Hearing none, I entertain the motion to adopt the agenda as amended.

So moved.

It's been moved by Councilwoman Davis-Panier, seconded by Vice Chair Spiritus. Is there any further discussion on the motion? Hearing no discussion, Madam Clerk.

Councilperson Davis-Panier? Yes. Councilperson Lanier? Yes. Chair Pro Tem Dr. Spiritus?

Yes.

Chairperson Guyton?

Yes.

I see unanimous vote.

Okay, we move down to the consent agenda. All matters listed under this item are considered to be routine and action will be taken by one motion. There would be no separate discussion of these items unless a council person so requests. In which event the item would be removed from the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. Does any council person want to PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. HEARING NONE, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO MOVED. BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SPIRITUS.

SECOND.

SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN DAVIS-PRINEER. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? HEARING NO DISCUSSION, MADAM CLERK.

Mr. Chair, there are no comment cards on this item. The acceptance of comment cards is closed. Councilperson Davis-Panier? Yes. Councilperson Lanier? Yes. Chair Pro Tem Dr. Spirides?

Yes.

Chairperson Gaitan?

Yes.

That's the unanimous vote.

Okay. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The next item looks like it's 8A. Is it, Madam Clerk?

Yes, sir. We are on item 8A, ordinance on second and final reading. We're on chair.

Yes.

Can you just mark it that I've been here? I guess they have trouble with the microphone.

Okay. So noted. Madam clerk, please note that councilwoman Miller Anderson has been here since the beginning, but had some technical difficulties. Acknowledged.

Can you put my votes down as yes for those votes?

So noted.

Thank you.

OKAY, NEXT ITEM. DID WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS ON THIS?

YES, SIR, WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS ON THIS ITEM. THE ACCEPTANCE OF CARDS IS CLOSED. I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD ORDINANCE 43.

I'M SORRY, I MEAN FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.

NO, NONE FOR CONSENT.

OKAY.

So on item eight, eight ordinance number 43, 22, an ordinance of the city council of the city of river beach, Florida, amending chapter 11 of the city's code of ordinances titled new, new, new census article for noise by repealing article four in its entirety and adopting a new article for incited sound to revise and consolidate the city sound and noise regulations, including standards for outdoor sound application devices, CERTIFIED OUTDOOR VENUES AND CLOSED PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT AND EXTERIOR SOUND LEVELS BY ZONING DISTRICT, PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS, PROVIDING FOR OUTDOOR VENUE APPROVAL CRITERIA, PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT, PROVIDING FOR CAUTIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

NEW SPEAKER Okay. I ENTERTAIN A MOTION. NEW SPEAKER SO MOVED. NEW SPEAKER SO MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SPIRITUS.

NEW SPEAKER SECOND.

seconded by Councilwoman Davis-Purnier on discussion of the motion. Staff.

Good evening, Councilpersons, Chair, Mayor. This is the second read of the new development of the sound ordinance. There were some changes made by PD regarding some of the timeframes. categories. I believe Ms. Wynn sent you all an email separately outlining those changes as contrast to what they were on the first read. So this is the second and final reading. Okay.

Let's do public comment first. Public comment, please.

Mr. Chair, we have two public comment cards. The first speaker is Annette Dragon followed by Rochelle Hughes.

Thank you.

Hello everyone, Annette Dragon. This noise ordinance thing actually affects me personally from the rapids. On the Friday nights that they have their adult-only parties, my windows rattle. And all the windows are closed, all the doors are closed, and I hear that bass thumping going on until 10 o'clock at night. You're proposing to put this ordinance to 11 o'clock at night and to increase the decibel level by 10 dB. I think my windows will break with that noise, even though I live two thirds of a mile away from the rapids. I'm not the only one that is hearing this in the middle of the night when I'm trying to get some rest, and I know that a lot of other people in my neighborhood of Lone Pine feel the same way. Please don't pass this ordinance. There are a lot of us that care enough about it. That being said, The Empire Ballroom or Lounge or whatever they call themselves on 45th Street, we also hear them when the wind's in the right direction, and I know this is not your jurisdiction, it's West Palm, but nothing ever seems to get done about that, and there seems to be no cooperation between police departments to try and get that sorted out either. Please don't pass this ordinance. It will irritate all of us.

Thank you for your comment. Next public comment.

Next speaker is Rochelle Hughes.

Good evening, Rochelle Hughes. So I guess I need to ask the two gentlemen here In looking at the backup that was provided on the city's website for the backup agenda, there was a whole different kind of ordinance thing set up. And I just want to make sure that that is what's being presented to the board. It has this ordinance number 4322. It's worded all different than what it was previously. And I just want to know that that's what was presented to the board as well. ALSO IN REGARDS TO THE EXTENDED HOURS FOR OUTDOOR VENUES. RESIDENTIAL SOUND ZONE UP UNTIL 10 P.M. THEY'RE HAVING IT 55 DECIBELS. I LIVE NEAR THE RAPIDS AND THEY DO HAVE THEIR ADULT NIGHTS DURING THE SUMMER. When we hear it, the decibels measure at 45 or higher, which makes the windows rattle. So letting them go up to 10 p.m. with 55 decibels is really going to be crazy. And I just want to make sure, and I would like, to find out is this, they would have to have an actual special permit to run the music longer. And is there any way to change that from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 55 and then from 8 p.m. to I guess 11 or 12 to 45? or lower just because it is loud. And the Rapids is right across the street from me and not saying that they're going to want to do a special permit to hold anything after that, but there's always that chance with this ordinance. And so I just would hope, I just want to make sure that the backup that was on the agenda attached is exactly what we're talking about. It's not the one that was presented in the first reading with WITH THE TABLES AND THAT IT'S 8 P.M. NORMALLY AS IT'S WRITTEN AND WHAT I PRINTED OFF THE AGENDA. THANK YOU.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ARE THERE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS?

NEW SPEAKER NO, MR. CHAIR. THAT'S THE LAST SPEAKER.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR SPIRITUS. NEW SPEAKER OKAY.

SO STAFF, I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE CHANGING THIS BASED ON COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY LAST TIME TO 8 P.M. How did it end up being 11 p.m.?

Chairman, it's not 11 p.m., it's 10 p.m., and then for the landscaping equipment and all that, that's down to 8 p.m. So I don't know what you guys have in the backup, because we don't have 11 p.m., but it's 10 p.m.

So the decibel counts, if someone's playing music, That can go on until 11 p.m.?

No, now here it's until 10 p.m., and then with a special permit, they can apply for going over that 10 p.m. They can go until 11 or 12, but they have to apply for that.

10 p.m. is a little late, don't you think, playing music next door to someone?

Is this a pleasure to the Board?

We have that discussion up here. We have it amongst us.

Well, I can ask the opinion of the staff. He's a police officer. He's out there taking the complaints all the time. I just think that you're going to get a lot of complaints. We're not really serving the purpose. If someone is hearing, you know, someone's blasting music, you know, at 10 p.m. or at 9.30 and their kids are trying to sleep for school the next day.

You don't have to go back and forth with me. Just answer the questions.

SO THIS INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING, BUT IF IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD TO TAKE THE HOURS DOWN ANOTHER HOUR, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT, IF THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD. LIKE YOU SAID, WE FILL THOSE COMPLAINTS, AND, YOU KNOW, THE EARLIER THE BETTER FOR US ANYWAY. SO WHATEVER IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, WE'RE WILLING TO DO IT.

MR. CHAIR. LET ME LET VICE CHAIR SPRITZ FINISH, AND THEN I HEAR then Councilwoman David Lanier, and then Councilwoman Lanier, and then I have some comments too.

Okay, so I clearly am not opposed to special permits when people are having a special event, whether it be the city or not-for-profit or whatever, and they go through the appropriate process and file and get permission. It shouldn't be an everyday event. WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC UNTIL 11 P.M., OBVIOUSLY, EVEN 10 P.M., YOU KNOW, RATTLING OF WINDOWS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOWER TO 9 P.M. THE REGULAR ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN IF SOMEONE WANTS TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S 11, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S 1130, QUITE FRANKLY. THAT'S ALL, CHAIR. THANK YOU.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR SPIRITUS. MAYOR LAWSON.

Thank you. Mr. Gordon or Mr. Smith or Chief, thank you. The time changes that were brought to the board, I see that we changed some of the times from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m., from 11 p.m. to 8 p.m. Are these more restrictive or less restrictive than other municipalities? AND DO WE HAVE A COMPARISON FROM SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? BECAUSE I WANTED TO ALSO REFERENCE WHAT OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING AS WELL, IF YOU GUYS COULD PULL THAT UP FOR ME.

GOOD EVENING, CHIEF COLEMAN. YOUR QUESTION IS BASED ON IS THIS MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN OTHER CITIES? YES, IT IS. GOING DOWN TO 8 P.M. IS THE LOWEST ORDERS IN THE COUNTY. I REFERENCED THREE DIFFERENT CITIES AND LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES BUT I GAVE YOU THREE REFERENCES. and Derry Beach North Ordinance through the week is 10 p.m. Well, Derry Beach has an entertainment district which goes to 1 a.m. in the morning based on the entertainment district. On weekends, you can cut grass starting at 8 a.m. in the morning to 5 p.m. in Derry. West Palm Beach North Ordinance goes to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. And of course they had an entertainment district as well, and it goes to 1 a.m. in the morning in West Palm Beach. And the city of Wellington, they know what order this is, basically 10 p.m. every night in Wellington. The difference between Wellington and the other state, they have more fines, there's more penalties, more discipline and punishment when it comes to violations. The first offense is $250 after the first warning. Every subsequent one after that is $1,000. So River Beach will have, based on the cities I researched, that we will have more restrictive rules than the other cities that I compared River Beach to.

And I think I made this conversation or I made this statement to the board previously. I'm concerned about making it more restrictive than any other municipality in Palm Beach County with us also building out a A entertainment district with our downtown corridor with our ocean walk and with some of the national tourist destination locations. To make these times doesn't seem realistic comparative to just the county number one number two to make it more restrictive and put more policing regulations in the Community, especially when it comes to these times. I've never heard of APM. I think that's way too early to just say that we're going to completely shut off all noise and all ordinance in the community. Because if you're telling me I can't play my music after 8 PM and I can get a possible violation, I'm going to have an issue with this. We have a very diverse community. We have a large senior population. We have a young community. SO THE DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS WELL. AND I THINK THE DECIMALS NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS IT. CHIEF, IF WE CAN, THESE CHANGES OF THESE TIMES, I KNOW THERE WERE A COUPLE CONCERNS AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT WHY WERE THESE TIMES SELECTED?

FROM THE MEETING WE HAD WITH THE BOARD, THEY WANT TO HAVE LOWER TIMES. It was not something we didn't come up with. That was a pleasure to board. Yes, sir.

Well, board, I am asking. I don't think these times are conducive to this community. Some of these times are just out of reach compared to what our chief just said. It's not in line with any other municipality in Palm Beach County and especially Riviera Beach. This time is a little too early. There are some restrictions I've heard from our longtime residents about the Rapids. So maybe the special events permit, maybe the discussion can be had with the Rapids in regards to some of the concerns they're having with the adult night and maybe talk about change the direction of the speakers. But for one or two incidents across the entire city to change the ordinance to these times, I think we need to look at how we're operating and be careful with that ordinance change board.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mayor. Councilwoman Davis-Preneur.

I WOULD SAY THAT THE MAYOR ASKED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL. I DO KNOW THAT THAT RAPIDS EVENT IS A SUMMERTIME EVENT AND USUALLY IT'S ONCE A WEEK, I BELIEVE. AND NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT A CONCERN. WE STILL SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON THE RESIDENTS. BUT I LIVE VERY CLOSE AND I'VE NOT HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS MY NEIGHBORS AT LONG PINE. WITH MAYOR LAWSON, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO RESTRICTIVE AND UNREASONABLE FOR BUSINESSES OR FOR PEOPLE TO HOST SPECIAL EVENTS. EVEN IF I HAD A PRIVATE EVENT AT MY HOME, I GET OFF OF WORK AT 6, 7, 8. I PROBABLY WON'T GET STARTED UNTIL ABOUT 9. SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, IMPOSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FUNCTIONS.

NEW SPEAKER, CHAIRMAN DUERGEN. Councilwoman Lanier, then me, then back to you.

Thank you. I think that my question was answered as asking in regards to how, why will the time change? I thought that the conversation that we had, we were okay with the time that we had missed it originally. And as I go through the changes to it, IT SEEMS THAT WE PUT 8 O'CLOCK BASICALLY ACROSS THE BOARD. AND MY QUESTION WAS HOW DID WE GET HERE, BUT NOW IT'S BEING ANSWERED THAT THE BOARD, I DON'T REMEMBER ME SAYING THAT, THAT IT SHOULD GO TO 8 O'CLOCK. SO THE WAY THAT IT WAS AT 10 WAS FINE WITH ME.

ARE YOU DONE? YES. SO WE LIVE IN THE OCEANFRONT COMMUNITY. people come to our community for entertainment i know that there are people that don't enjoy entertainment as others do they enjoy different type of entertainment during the day quiet you know in their respective homes um but we live in south florida um Entertainment is a means to draw business for our local vendors and entrepreneurs. We don't get as much sales tax in our city because it's restrictive. People don't come here to spend money. They don't come here to enjoy themselves. That's the problem with me. We didn't have any entertainment for a long time. We have a monthly event now. because we didn't want to um offend anybody in our society and in a democracy we can't please everyone we need to be considered considerate of everyone but we're not going to please everyone we need entertainment in our community It draws people to our community to spend money. When money is spent in our community, we get a portion of the sales tax. And we generate business for our local vendors. We never think about the benefit to others that that it may benefit through our local vendors. We always think about whether it's the city going to get this amount back or that we're going to get back if we paid is what kind of. At some point, we need to understand that we have a responsibility outside of ourselves and the city government. We need to try to generate foot traffic in our city for local businesses to stay alive. We don't do that. I'm in with this. I think the The time should go back to what they originally were. I don't think that's out of line. We have communities who are drawing our traffic to West Palm Beach and Delray because of what we're doing here now. We're restricting our sales from allowing people to spend money in our communities, so they go to West Palm to um what's the third tonight clematis and dar um down in their array enough enough we shouldn't be disrespectful to those who may not enjoy that type of entertainment but those who do should get some type of consideration as well we shouldn't just always sacrifice ourselves so that they can go somewhere else so i support the times going back to what they originally were. I don't think they were out of line, especially compared to what other communities are doing. Ours are the most restrictive. Vice Chair Spiridy.

Thank you, Chair. We have to be respectful to the people that live here and pay taxes here. I receive a minimum of three to five complaints a week from the people living in the Ritz Carlton, from the people living in the homes on Island Road, Beachway, Beach Drive, whatever. And then a couple of other streets in that neighborhood. They hear the noise from the ocean wall, which we get very little revenue from, by the way. I can even tell you that one of the restaurants, the newer upscale restaurant, the Ocean Kitchen, by the way, everyone, please go there. The food is great. They complain to me that people that come to their restaurants say they're not coming back because of the music next door. Because the music is so loud that they can't sit there and eat without their heads spinning. So I think we have an obligation to have a noise ordinance, of course. So, Chief, my question is this. How do you enforce those decibels? When are you going to enforce, is there a time period for that? Or is that in place at all times?

Commissioner Chief Coleman, the decimal reading is in place at all times. Some cities have a certain time of night, they drop like downtown West Palm Beach, they drop from 90 decimals down to 75 down at 11 o'clock, 10, 11 o'clock at nighttime. Some areas with entertainment district, it drops at certain times of night. However, the decimal is in place 24 hours a day. If you go over certain decimal readings, we enforce with a civil citation.

Okay, so do you think that the new decibels that we have in this ordinance will resolve the issue that we're having at the Ocean Mall?

I don't know if we're going to resolve the issue because everybody's different, but we just have to enforce the rule just on the books. I can't answer for every person in River Beach because everybody's different, but we are trying to enforce the rule just on the books as best we can.

How much did we lower the decibels?

I'm not sure, I don't have that in front of me.

From what was there last time to what's there now?

Well.

I'm not sure of that question, sir. On the original sound ordinance as it is.

Although the original, the sound ordinance is in place right now. Correct. While we're waiting, I should just tell you that I did do some of my own research with my staff, and North Palm Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens have 10 p.m. Mr.

Chair, while they're waiting, just waiting on that. And again, with that statement, that again shows that we would have the most restrictive in the county with them all having 10 p.m. with that research you did. Vice Chair Spiridus. So I think that 8 p.m. is just really unrealistic for the board or for the city.

Wait, wait, wait. Okay, Mayor Lawson. Vice Chair Spiridus still has the floor.

So I just, I would like to know what the decibel, what the difference is in the decibel so I could see whether or not this new ordinance really does anything.

Okay.

But with respect to the mayor's comment, then clearly

uh we're not more restrictive when it comes to mowing lawns uh was delray was 5 p.m chief my lawn and uh it's 8 a.m to 5 p.m to cut the grass and that's on weekends i'm sorry the weekends and during the week same thing yes during the week same thing and hours will let you mow the lawn at 10 p.m No one should be able to mow their lawn and do construction at 10, do certain times a night, especially on weekends, no.

So what does our new ordinance say? What time do you have to stop?

I don't know the hour.

If you're doing construction or you're mowing your lawn.

You cannot, based on the ordinance, I don't have it in front of me, try to go from memory, but you cannot start cutting grass and doing construction before seven o'clock, before 7 a.m. Yeah, up until what time? I don't have exactly, I think it's around by the, on weekends at like five o'clock, I do know that. Are you looking for commercial or, because there's different?

Well, combination. I mean, most people, obviously people live next door to people that are going to be mowing their lawns. It's not going to impact obviously the ocean more because it's all concrete for the most part, concrete and sand.

Excuse me, Vice Chair. Mr. Smith, that was a question before this one about what the decimal level.

That's what I was asking. Are you talking commercial versus residential? Both. Is there a change in the decimals? So on the current ordinance, I'm sorry.

I should add, Chair, that the other communities, apparently at the 10 p.m., you have to get a special permit.

Mr.

Chair.

Yeah. So multifamily dwellings, the current ordinances go from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. And it's not to exceed 50 decibels from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 45. We're talking to the mic. I'm sorry.

50 decibels from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. And I'll go back to the time that you're referring to. the times that you're referring to that these decimals are allowed?

The restriction is from, it can exceed 50 DBAs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in multifamily dwellings.

What time during the day?

7 a.m. to 8 p.m. And then it goes down to 45 from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.? Those are multifamily dwellings. Enclosed places of public entertainment.

What's considered enclosed?

Can exceed 60 DBAs between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sundays and 4 to 9 on Fridays and Saturdays. That's enclosed places of entertainment. Councilperson Spirit, you had another question? Those are enclosed places of public entertainment.

What are you considering enclosed? Is underneath the soffit?

The ordinance reads a place of public entertainment, including but not limited to restaurants, bars, cafes, discotheques, or dance halls, or any building or structure not completely enclosed. So that would include the likely of the bar that you're talking about. That's the current ordinance.

So it went down. What are the decibels of that? 50? 60? I wouldn't say it was.

between 5 and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, not to exceed 60.

Not to exceed 60.

Vice Chair Spurte, are you there?

The current version that we're proposing to you is more restrictive than this.

More restrictive? Yes.

Okay, then I have no problem.

Okay. Councilwoman Lanier, then I have some comments, then we have to vote on this. We're not going to talk about this all night.

No, I just wanted to make a motion that we approve Organs 43-22 with the original date, original time of 10 p.m.

Okay, you can put the motion on the floor. I can make my comments on discussion. Is there a second to that motion? I'll second. She wants to go back to the original.

Yes, I second.

OK, let's clarify what the original times were before we vote on it. Mr. Smith, or what zones are we talking for you? Go ahead.

I mean, the clocks were 10 and most of the well, all of the information that's listed in the changes are from from 10 to 8. So we go back to the 10, which was which was the original presentation. And then we vote.

And Mr. Chair? Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't know if I interrupted you. I'm sorry.

We'll go back to the original presentation.

So what I was going to say is that this current update is a little bit more uniform than what the current ordinance is in that respect and that it just knocks everything down to eight. But if you want to go back to what the original first read version was, that's fine as well.

And I want to put that into the record, what it is. So do you have what the original one was? The original first read, yes. So we can all understand the motion and what we are voting on. And while he's doing that, I'm sorry.

I just wanted to say that, you know, the copy that I have that made the changes to it, it basically has operation of indoor sound and amplification devices. IT WAS AT 10 P.M. IT WAS AT 10 P.M. IT WAS AT 10 P.M. OUTDOOR SOUND TILL 10 P.M. OUTDOOR SOUND TILL 10 P.M. OUTDOOR SOUND TILL 10 P.M. OUTDOOR SOUND TILL 10 P.M. OUTDOOR VENUE. OUTDOOR VENUE. OUTDOOR VENUE. IT WAS UP TO 12 O'CLOCK IT WAS UP TO 12 O'CLOCK IT WAS UP TO 12 O'CLOCK FOR OUTDOOR VENUES. FOR OUTDOOR VENUES. FOR OUTDOOR VENUES. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL. THE LOADING, UNLOADING, THE LOADING, UNLOADING, THE LOADING, UNLOADING, UNPACKING TILL 8, UNPACKING TILL 8, UNPACKING T Power tools, till 8. And most of them, exterior sound standards, till 8, but we go back to 10, because they were all at 10 originally.

So, that's Mr. Smith. Yes. Are you finding the version that Councilwoman Lanier is reading from?

That's the one we put forward to you on first read, what she's saying?

Yes.

On first reading? Correct. Okay. And let me say this. I was going to make some comments. And I kind of glossed over it. We have an oceanfront community. People come to our community sometimes for entertainment and then find there is none here. Then they go to West Palm. They go to Delray. They come here for our beaches and they on vacation. They want to have some entertainment. Not out of the ordinary, nothing two, three, four, five o'clock in the morning, like down in Miami, nonstop. But we have gotten into this mode that it's acceptable not to have anything or have it at an unreasonable time when some people don't even come out until nine or 10 o'clock. Yeah. But the point I'm making is that we have to be more flexible and considerate to those who may not enjoy entertainment late at night. So I'm in support of going back to the original one because we're in a waterfront community and we need to have the opportunity to provide entertainment if residents so choose. And I know there are a lot of residents that enjoy the entertainment.

um vice chair spiritus then we're going to vote so chair i hear what you're saying it's not so much as it is the time as it is the decibels you know uh what the sound is coming off there i know we're in an oceanfront community but you have people that pay over three hundred thousand dollars a year in taxes living right next to that ocean mall uh they're paying a hell of a lot more taxes than what that whole mall pays just one unit there that that whole mall pays in two years uh we have to respect the people that live here and the people that pay taxes here and the people that enjoy our community and they want to continue enjoying our community and living here. But I think the decibel is the main point here. When you're saying that we have, for example, you can use construction tools up until 10 p.m., does that mean someone can use a jackhammer? I thought I said.

8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m.

We've already had the public comment. We've already done public comment.

Councilperson Davis-Panier? Yes. Councilperson Lanier? Yes. Councilperson Miller-Anderson? Yes. Chair Pro Tem Dr. Spiridon?

Yes.

Chairperson Gieson?

Yes. And let me clarify, we're going back to the original one that you first brought before us. Yes.

And Chair, they can send us an updated copy. original copy to our email so that you'll have it.

Send us a copy of the original one that we got voted on. We'll do. Okay. Thank you. Madam Clerk, next item, please.

Mr. Chair, we are on item 9A, ordinance number 4320, an ordinance of the City Council of the City of River Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, amending Chapter 26 of the Code of Ordinances entitled Minority Employment and Affordable Housing Opportunity Plan to retitle the chapter as Municipal Employment and Affordable Housing Opportunity Plan, amending sections 26-1 and 26-2 to revise definitions and provide for local hiring, repealing and replacing section 26-6 with a new first source hiring component, establishing city resident hiring outreach reporting and compliance requirements for projects receiving zoning bonuses. Amending sections 26-8 and 26-11 to provide conforming revisions, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, providing for codification, providing for an effective date, and for other purposes. Mr. Chair, we have three comment cards on this item. The acceptance of cards is closed.

Thank you. I will entertain a motion now.

So moved.

So moved by Vice Chair Spiridon. Seconded by Councilwoman Davis-Preneur. Discussion on the motion? Staff.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good evening, members of Council, Honorable Mayor, and Madam Attorney. For the record, I am Clarence Sermons, Director of Development Services for the City of Riviera Beach. FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM, I AM OR THE CITY STAFF HAS COLLABORATED WITH STAFF FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND OUR CONSULTANT LEAH GAINS TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO YOU THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY AMEND THE EXISTING MIHAB ORDINANCE. SO IN THIS PRESENTATION, I WILL START BY GIVING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE EXISTING MIHAB, HOW IT FUNCTIONS. and then you will hear from legal on the reasons it needs to change and from our consultant on what the proposal is for those changes. And so without further ado, I will move into that presentation.

Yes, Vice Chair Spiridid.

Director Serms, did you study the entire ordinance itself and what the impacts would be like the lowering of parking requirements and the increasing of the density Have you looked into that in this change or are you just going to tell us what it was?

The current exercise is not proposing any changes to the existing benefits and bonuses such as parking heights and intensities. It's not proposing any changes of those sections of the code.

Okay. Have you answered my question?

All right. So briefly, the MEEHOP program was established by ordinance by the council in 1982. It was amended in 2006 and again in 2023. The ordinance has four purposes. First, to decrease unemployment by encouraging the hiring of money.

Can we just go back? Can you just tell me what was the change in 2023?

In 2023, there were a few changes to it. One was adding an additional zoning district to the MHOP ordinance. Yes.

What district was that?

IHCPUD.

And what and what where was it added to?

It was added as one of the eligible zoning districts for bonuses.

Yeah, OK. And the CRA district, it was included in the CRA district, correct?

The amendment to Mihop had no effect on the zoning map.

No.

No, no, it only added it as an eligible zoning district for bonuses, but it didn't change any of the language of where that district existed at the time or any eligibility.

OK, but it added on to those districts, right? It added on to the district where IHCPUD was already permitted, correct?

Yes, in places where it was permitted, it did make it eligible for me hot bonuses. Yes, correct.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Continue. All right. The again, for purposes decrease unemployment to provide a means of increasing the supply of affordable housing in this city. Three encourage revitalization of the downtown, particularly mixed use development and for accomplish these objectives of this section through the use of voluntary program utilizing zoning-related incentives in various zoning districts throughout the city. The ordinance does this. It accomplishes this through optional bonuses offered to developers, and those bonuses vary based on the zoning district. So, for example, in the commercial general zoning district, you can get a bonus of additional five stories and or a parking reduction. In the industrial zoning district, you can waive one side setback and reduce your maximum lot coverage that's in the code. Sure.

I hate to keep breaking in on this, but I want the public to understand what we're doing here and what we're voting on. How much reduction can you get on the parking?

I don't have that number in front of me right now.

Is there a percentage? Is it like 10%, 20%, something like that?

I can ask my staff to research that section, but it depends on the zoning district. So what specific zoning district are you interested in the potential reduction on?

You can pick one, but take the IACPUD, which is where you're going to see 90% of the NEOP program being initiated.

I can, okay.

And you can get an additional five floors, correct? Is that what you said?

So for the commercial general zoning district, the benefits are potentially additional five stories or 65 feet. and a parking reduction of up to 20% of the total required. And that's for office. For retail, it could be up to 25% of the total spaces, maybe compact spaces. And that's a benefit that is offered for the commercial general zoning district for IHCPUD.

So a mixed use building could get 20% reduction in parking.

I'm sorry, one more time.

So a mixed-use building can get a 20% reduction in the parking requirements?

In the commercial general zoning district, and it doesn't prerequisite here from what I'm looking at that it has to be mixed use, but in that zoning district, that is an option for it to reduce parking for 20% for office uses and 25% of required spaces for compact cars for retail uses.

Okay, thank you.

Please continue. Yes, sir. And so that is an example of how the bonus program functions. Depending on the zoning district, you can get certain reductions for participation. What participation looks like. So the ordinance in exchange for those benefits allows or requires the developer to participate by providing minority employment and or providing affordable housing slash cash in lieu to the housing trust fund of the city. For the minority employment component, what exists right now, they can hire a certain amount of minorities under their general labor, minority suppliers, minority professionals. They are required to participate by making certain hires in those areas. For the affordable housing component, they have three options to satisfy it. First, include the affordable housing units within the development being proposed. Two is provide the affordable units offsite on another property that they own or just contribute to the housing trust fund by paying a cash amount. So that is a summary of the existing program that's been on the books in that form since the 1980s, although some amendments have been made along the line. And so for the next component of the presentation, I will yield to our legal staff who has been working with us to make sure we bring this into compliance with the newly enacted state statute.

And the newly enacted state statute wanted to do what?

May it please the chair. Jason Trace on behalf of the city attorney's office. the on august on all i'm sorry on april 22nd 2026 of this year the senate bill 1134 was signed into law to go into effect january 1st 2027 to ensure that counties and local municipalities do not promote or put forward any type of diversity equity or inclusion for any kind of funding for those matters in any of those streams. So that this particular MEEHOP ordinance that we had in place in order to be brought in compliance before January 1st, it was sought out that we would look into the ordinance and ensure that it does not conflict or run afoul of this new law that's going into effect on January 1st. And that was the main thrust behind this initiative. And Senate Bill 1134 wanted to ensure that We did not run afoul because there would be some liability that would fall to any official within those municipalities that continues to promote or fund or implement any type of activity or measure that promotes diversity, equity or inclusion.

OK, are. Who's going to give us a summary of how we address those concerns within our ordinance?

Yes, and so to that effect, the first step in making these changes was Attorney Tracy, who really scrubbed the document for any language that would trigger those amendments made at the state level. With that taking place, the entire section of 26-6 of this section of the code had to be repealed. And what we're

proposing to replace it with is uh what miss gaines is about to speak to you about now and i will allow her to give us what is what is the that's the current language not word for word that you're saying you're taking out an entire section what did that section articulate so under number one on the slide here

SECTION 26-6 ESSENTIALLY OUTLINED ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS SURROUNDING MINORITY EMPLOYMENT. SO ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN REPEALED AND WE HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU ON WHAT TO REPLACE IT WITH. NEW SPEAKER Okay. NEW SPEAKER AND FOR THAT I WILL ALLOW MS. GANGS TO INTRODUCE HERSELF.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL CHAIR AND ADMINISTRATORS AND ATTORNEY. My name is Leah Gaines. I'm the managing principal of North Star Strategic Partners. And we're here this evening to just run through what the changes are and why they are required. You've heard from legal about the legal trigger and the deadline on January 1st, 2027. So what we've done is we've done a repeal and replacement of the language in 26-6. And we have come up with a very unique way where we can drive outcomes without there being race-based goals or specific protected classifications on various goals. As you mentioned before, there were some business development goals. There was a menu of jobs, apprenticeships, business development goals, and professionals that an applicant can select based on the bonuses that they wanted to apply for. But what we've done here is we've made it consistent. And we've come up with something that we hope that you will agree is a good start. And it gets us to that deadline quickly as well. So if you would, yeah. At the top.

Okay.

Oh, okay. There we are.

So what this revision adds is it applies to all the bonuses the new language does. And basically what we're coming up with is a referral system for Riviera Beach residents that they will have first opportunities to be considered for jobs. There'll be a specific window of time in which any reviews and applications or interviews will take place only for Riviera Beach residents. and the residents will document their residency. It'll be a self-certification, but they'll upload residential documents to prove their residency. And we tried to keep it as broad as possible for those documents for individuals who may not own a home. And so they may not get a utility bill in their name, but they may have a library card, a state ID card, a driver's license, or any other type of documentation that shows that they live at that location. And then we will have a qualifications review documentation, which the developer will provide so we can make sure that they are actually giving bona fide opportunities and reviews to the applicants.

So do we specifically identify these percentages for the MEOP units or for the entire project?

There are no percentages. Mr. Spirit is we wanted to make sure that we had some proportionality and because we didn't have the timetable to do any fiscal calibration on the various densities that you were previously speaking about. We just kept it so that it's one first source procedure that every applicant will follow.

Okay. And do we have an implementation or a procedure for following up to make sure

yes they're meeting these requirements and fines if they don't meet the requirements yes that's what i'm going to review now right thank you so again uh the purpose is to make sure that riviera beach residents get first learn about the uh opportunities first they're the first to be able to be referred by the city and the first that the employers will will review and we will be really monitoring that documentation of these steps and we'll be measuring the outcome. Excuse me, Chair.

Who's we?

The City of Riviera Beach.

Right. So who in the City of Riviera Beach is going to be doing this? Mr. Sermons, do you have someone on your staff that's going to be assigned to this? And the reason, Chair, the reason I'm asking this is because this program has been on the books since, what did you say, the 1980s? whatever right so i don't i can't see one house or one unit that's been built with the monies that have come in through the mia program yet we still can't even find where some of the monies went uh we're just told the monies came in and the monies were spent somewhere uh we need to have a real system in place to follow through on this to make sure that we're getting what we're approving

As far as the question of operations of the program, we understand that it would have to be a collaborative effort from HR, IT, my department, and we already have a contract with a compliance monitoring firm who works with us on the current projects that are under the MIHOP program for reviewing their reports. So that is something that we are contemplating already. And our goal tonight is for you all to let us know if we're on the right track with what we're developing. And at that point, we will get deeper into the details of exactly what type of software and what abilities we have through IT to create the applicant referral pool and start to put some nuts and bolts to the program. But we want to make sure that you all are supportive of this concept before we get too far into the weeds with it. So that's one of our goals here tonight.

OK. All those people that you just called would probably have a part in it, are probably needed in some aspect. I think, let me say what concerns me. There's not a lead person identified to be responsible of ensuring that the other departments and organizations are doing what they're supposed to do and keeping a tracking system of what we're actually accomplishing. Somebody needs to be the lead and pulling everything together. You don't have to do it tonight, but when you come back, even if we have the higher position designated because of all the development we have going on, We need somebody who that's what they focus on. That's their job, not doing 20 other things. And they may be in HR, they may be in the city manager's office. They may, no, no. Your job is to make sure that we are complying with the new statutes and we're keeping track of people who are benefiting from our development. Okay. Mr. Chair. Mayor Loffman.

Thank you. And we don't have to create that job. We have it on the books. We've had it on the books. We've never filled it. Economic Development Coordinator could take on that role and that lead of working with this exact ordinance. I do have a few concerns, and that's to staff if we can make sure that that notice is posted. I'm not sure if HR is here tonight, but I know we talked about posting economic development, intergovernmental affairs. So if they can give me an update tonight and if that job was actually posted on the website sometime tonight. It doesn't have to be right now. First question in concern with the ordinance, the change in the direction in our budget workshop. Mr. Sermons, how long has this ordinance been enacted? When was this originally created, the Miha?

Through the chair in 1982. 82.

And at what point did we make amendments to it? yes in 2006 and 2023 were any of those changes adding the funding or fees in lieu for contributions to the housing trust fund or was that enacted originally with the 1982 policy that was included in 1982 in the original version okay Board, one of the concerns I had that correlates with this is this policy has taken a while because we have to do it and build it out properly. But we also have limited the ability to address housing across the city because we've been waiting on this housing trust fund to be magically funded. So no programming when it comes to Reclaim Renaissance has happened across Riviera Beach, outside of our CRA, and our residents are desperately looking for support when it comes to senior support for revitalization, and also subsidies for first-time home buyers. If we're trying to increase home ownership in our community, we have to be intentional about funding these programs. And this housing trust fund that is waiting on the minority, or I'm sorry, the municipal employment plan, I think the concern there is that we have to find other means to make sure that that's funded, number one. So I don't want to wait or limit this policy to pass to address the housing crisis that we have. Number two, we've also talked about the first source. I love the program. I love the idea. But to Chairman Guyton's point, we have to have somebody that's going to represent the city and be on the city side to actually work with any agencies outside or any documentation of who's actually accounting for this hiring process. IF YOU COULD GIVE US A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUNDS IN LIEU OF. WHO MAKES THAT DECISION? IS IT THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY? IS IT THE CITY? WHAT IF THIS MIHOP IS NEVER TRULY FUNDED THROUGH A DEVELOPER, IF THEY ALL JUST DECIDE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF JUST HIRING THROUGH FIRST SOURCE OR THROUGH ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION? DO WE HAVE TO EVER HAVE IT FUNDED, THE HOUSING TRUST?

THROUGH THE CHAIR, YES. THE DEVELOPERS will have to participate in both as based on this amendment that we are proposing here today previous was currently on the books you can choose one or the other either go the housing route by contributing units or funds in lieu or the employment except in the case of ihcpud which was the 2023 amendment with the amendment before you today everyone has to do both And so that contribution to the housing trust fund would go into a restricted account or only those purpose that that seek to create units or provide opportunities for people to stay in their existing home.

Good. So how many projects do we have waiting or pending on this behalf to pass? Two. Which are?

I DON'T HAVE THE APPLICATION NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'M AWARE OF AT LEAST TWO THAT ARE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE THAT HAVE INDICATED THEY INTEND TO UTILIZE NEHOP BENEFITS.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU. SO THESE PROJECTS OR DEVELOPERS ARE WAITING ON THIS TO BE APPROVED TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR THE BOARD FOR FIRST AND SECOND READING, I'M ASSUMING.

NEW SPEAKER I'M SORRY, ONE MORE TIME WITH THE QUESTION.

NEW SPEAKER THESE PROJECTS ARE WAITING ON THIS ORDINANCE TO PASS FOR IT TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR FIRST AND SECOND READING.

There is at least one that is ready for the council agenda that needs this to pass first. The other is still in the review process and wouldn't be ready for this board consideration in the near future.

Board, I think that we've been waiting a while on this one. So I want, before we leave today, to make sure that staff has clear direction as to how they want to proceed, how we want to proceed as a board with this ordinance, making sure that we bring this back for a second reading. How soon can you bring this back for second reading, Mr. Servants, based on noticing?

We can make the October 7th regularly scheduled meeting with clear direction tonight, and we can meet the advertising deadline for that for second reading.

And just to explain that, it can't be in September because the advertising deadline. So it has to be noticed for, what, 14 days, I believe?

I believe 15 days. I would have to verify. But yes, there is approximately two weeks ahead of the hearing that the item has to be noticed.

Yes, sir. So October 7th would be the deadline. So, Board, if we can give clear direction for tonight, make sure staff has clear understanding so that when they bring it back for the 7th, it can be proceeding. Because this ordinance, we've been waiting for about six to seven months because of the changes on the state statute. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would suggest that we take a good look at this because like you said, this goes back a long time. I would update the numbers that we're charging. I would look at the number of units that we're giving away. I would look at the number of parking spaces that we're reducing. I believe that you're gonna get the same money for less floors and for giving up less parking. I think we can do better than what we have in there. I think we're giving too much away. I think you're gonna get the same money without giving that much away. Times have changed now.

Okay, please continue.

OK, this next section.

Until the mic. No.

Oh, okay.

So this next couple of slides explains how the program works. And there are basically two tracks. There's a non-construction track and there's a construction track. So how does it actually work? The city is going to establish a shared link that it will post on its website. And this is a registration link which all residents can register in their, express their interest in a job. For the non-construction hires, we're requiring at least 15 days advance notice that the applicant must give the City of Riviera Beach notice and the resident's opportunity to have that time to exclusively apply for the positions before they actually publicly advertise. And this can be posted on all the city's channels and the city can also designate partners, including churches or different units of the city. I know the library often does similar services I know you have a reentry program in which there may be some applicants on the construction track, but also if you wanted to, you could also partner with CareerSource. They could also host the same link. All partners would have the same link because we don't want varying tracks. We want everybody to go through the same track. The residents will apply once the notices come out and they will upload their residency documentation and then the city will review them and they will be deemed city referred candidates. and their qualifications will be reviewed by the applicant. And we have a process in which they must document that they've disposed of the application, either through interview, selection, or no selection. And of course, we are giving the employer discretion to make the final call in the hiring. But the key to this is that there'll be one shared link for the whole system. the City of River Beach, and any partners that you recognize, that link will be the same registration portal instead of varying portal. Basically the same for the construction hire. It's a little different, however, because as you know, construction is a little different. Their hiring is more of a just in time hiring. It's not a fixed time period. And so we've tried to keep it so that it's flexible. And as you referenced earlier, there will be some administrative guidelines on how this will operate, but the same thing operates. The city establishes a shared registration link for the resident. The residents will preregister on a construction trades interest list, so they'll have opportunities ahead of the job notices going out that you will have already a database of interested individuals who will upload their residency and their skills, et cetera. And so that way, they will be able to respond to the just-in-time methodology THE WAY CONSTRUCTION OPERATES AND PHASES. SO ONCE THE CONTRACTS GO OUT BY THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR, THOSE NOTICES WILL BE PUSHED TO US AND THE CITY OF RIVERA BEACH WILL SUPPLY TO THEM THE LISTING OF ALL THE TRADES WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS HAVE REGISTERED.

I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HOW WOULD THE REVIDENCE BE NOTIFIED TO REGISTER?

So the developer or applicant is, you're going to require the developer to have a downflow requirement for all of these notices to be passed through their general contractors or CMs or whoever they are that will be hiring on the trade. But what they'll be required to do is submit an affirmative marketing plan. They have to actually notify the city and estimate the number of jobs that they're anticipating to hire. They'll provide that notice to the city, and then the city will compile the data of the individuals who are qualified and residents. that they can refer to them when those contracts are let. When the contracts are let again, the city will be notified again, and the city will refer all of those listings of trades that there are interested individuals in. And we're leaving it to the, at this point, we don't have a timeframe, we're leaving it to the city manager and or his designee to come up with, if you want to have a window of time for them to apply, and review their applications, but all of them will have to be done before construction mobilization.

Councilwoman Davis-Panier.

And I know that the developers are getting a lot of benefits through this program, but that seems like a lot of administrative stuff for the developers. Has this been done before? Do developers usually get that involved with this part of the process?

Yes, this is part of what was previously part of an affirmative marketing plans. We also benchmarked this particular approach across the nation and in the South Florida area. And it is being used at some level, at some degree in various jurisdictions. I know all of them are looking to change now because many of them did have race-based targets, but they're still looking to keep the first source hiring. But we looked at Miami-Dade. We looked at Broward, Palm Beach County also has some level of first source hiring as well. But the developers basically are going to have to do something to get their bonuses. So we feel that this process is going to drive the outcomes that we hope that they will be a decent amount of individuals hired from the city of Riviera Beach. Thank you.

Please continue.

Okay.

IT.

SO HOW WILL WE KNOW IT'S WORKING? SO EVERY CANDIDATE REACHES AT LEAST FIVE OUTCOMES. EITHER THEY WON'T RESPOND ONCE THE NOTICE COMES OUT OR THEY WON'T MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS OR THEY'LL MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS, THEY'LL GET AN INTERVIEW AND THEY'LL BE SELECTED OR HIRED. SO THIS DOCUMENT IS ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENS AND CHECKS THAT THE PROCESS IS FOLLOWED. AND EVERY QUARTER The developer or the applicant will be required to submit a report on the jobs and the subcontract awarded. And we will actually or the city will actually have a compliance entity that will be reviewing, for example, all of the candidates that are interviewed to make sure that they have been interviewed or reviewed in a bona fide way before there were any decisions that are made. And through these quarterly reports, uh you will be able to reconcile for example you'll know how many residents were notified how many residents actually applied which residents or how many actually met the minimum qualifications how many were hired and what the disposition was for each one so you'll be able to see right away any gap in the numbers it'll be visible on its face and it won't be buried in paperwork So this is the progressive enforcement I anticipated you might have some questions about. But basically, we were looking at escalating. And you may have had these in your previous development agreement sections. And we'll look at notices. They'll have an opportunity to cure. They'll have a time period for a corrective action. There'll be a formal noncompliance. ISSUED, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE SEEING THAT THEY'RE REALLY NOT MEETING, GIVING THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY NOTICE OR THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY REALLY REVIEWING THE APPLICANTS AS THEY SAY THEY ARE. AND THEY WILL ALL BE DOCUMENTED BY CERTIFIED DOCUMENTATION. AND IF THERE'S A MATERIAL BREACH, WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE IT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO COME UP WITH WHAT THE TYPICAL BREACHES WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

So could you go back to the issue that I've seen over the years is enforcement. And I want to make sure that there are some teeth in it. I know you said we would kick it over to legal to determine what can be done. That's pretty vague. And it would also depend on how far in the process I guess it is and what would be a reasonable and logical point of enforcement or degree of enforcement. Can it ever get up to we don't want to use you on the job? because you're not adhering to our requirement for first choice hiring and all these other things. I guess that's a legal question. I'm sorry, when you say we don't want to use you, you referring to the... Taking them off the project.

Taking a Riviera Beach resident off the project? No, no. The developer. OK.

And once they get too far down the road, it's very difficult to stop a project in the middle of it. So how can we identify the problems early on on the front end of the project and not wait until the middle and end of the project to realize that they're really not adhering to what we're requiring of them? And at that point, it will be difficult or not wise to try to pull them off the project because they're so deep into it. So how can we catch it early? That's my point.

Understood.

With the possibility of removing them.

So believing I understand the question better now, we are building into the language what those enforcement levels are. Generally, the quickest way to get the attention of a contractor is a stop work order. There's other things you can do to work out things, but when you say construction must stop until this is cured or resolved, they're now losing money on a daily basis and they are going to work as quickly as possible to cure whatever issues they may be. So our program sets up quarterly reports that are required. And if we are reviewing those and are noticing patterns that They're getting qualified referrals, but those are not translating to hires. There will be a point where we need to get them to clarify what the issue is. And if it seems like they are not progressing, then we have the, we are writing in there that Enforcement could include stop work orders, withholding CEOs, and then a potentially legal action later. But generally speaking, after they have been awarded the development rights by this board for a project, I'm not aware that we can rescind an approved site plan at that point. But stopping work, withholding CEOs and other enforcement actions, we are contemplating for the language under enforcement for this.

It was ever we can do and I don't them will be approval work or you can go in. But that's why I was asking you how soon can we identify. If they're actually hearing too. Our requirement. And do whatever we can to start an enforcement process early on to make sure that our residents don't get left out and we don't identify or to the level that we would want them to work and we don't identify them to the middle or to the end of the project.

And currently we are proposing quarterly reporting for them because we are underway with the current development in the city where they are reporting to us for their program. And it can get quite onerous to review these reports, look at their hiring. And so we're trying to address that with this program and some of the ways that it's formatted. So we believe the quarterly reporting from them is the right balance as opposed to monthly or weekly on the reporting. But we believe that would allow us to catch any irregularities without overburdening the developer and city staff and our consultants with reviewing reports every few weeks or every month. So that's why we chose the quarterly interval.

As indicated by the mayor, we have economic development. Please hold the talking down in the audience, please. There'd be an economic development position and maybe someone else needs to be assigned to doing just that. You said it gets ominous. Well, we're going to pay people to read ominous reports. what we need to be on top of it. Okay. Chair. By chair's spirit, if then you can continue and finish your.

Can our attorney tell us whether or not this is considered contract zoning?

I WON'T BE ABLE TO OPINE ON THAT AT THIS TIME. I HAVE NOT TAKEN A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PRESENTATION THAT WAS PREPARED BY OUR CONSULTANT. THE CONTRACT ZONING ASPECT, I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING MORE SO TO IF WE ARE ENTERING TO A MEEHOF AGREEMENT WITH A DEVELOPER, WOULD IT FALL INTO THAT CRITERIA? I'D HAVE TO RESEARCH THAT AND GET BACK TO THIS BOARD. Okay, thank you.

Okay, please continue. Yes, thank you.

I think you asked a good question because here

Hello. Okay.

Yes. So this is a type of a dashboard. This is for illustrative purposes on how you'd be able to track this throughout the project. So for example, they're projecting 200 jobs. They report that they're going to be hiring 190. The city refers 85. They indicate through their documentation that they considered 62, they hired 35. And we can also track how long those individuals have been retained. And as well, we can track the hiring rate as well. So that's something that you'll be able to glean from the quarterly reports that you'll be able to track on an ongoing basis.

Okay. Mr. Chair.

Yes, Mayor Lawson.

Do we require the certified payroll submissions, any specific details from these developers? Because I want to get down to the granular to make sure that whatever we're asking them to do or whatever they're committing to do, I want to make sure that we have those hours, those certifications, the recorded details of what's being paid. I want to make sure that this dog and pony doesn't happen. And thank you, Ms. Gaines, for being here tonight, because as we've always discussed, I try to push the narrative of how we can get as much as possible to support the community when it comes to small business development, infrastructure development, real estate development, anything can come without crossing over that line. You've always kept me compliant to say, well, we can't demand certain things, but we can request certain things. And if we strongly request So my question for you is, Mr. Sermons, can we put the development agreement into this ordinance to demand that whatever is agreed upon is acceptable and compliant that is given by the developer within the development agreement? I want to make sure we incorporate it into the actual potential ordinance.

And through the chair, you're referring to the type of documents they can provide to the city as evidence of the hiring practices.

Yes, sir.

I'm sure we can put it in the ordinance.

I just want to see if we can have that development agreement reviewed for site plan. I want to make sure that whenever a developer comes to the city, that we hold them accountable. If they're asking for any additional special privileges, special density, special height, anything that they need from the city that we're capitalizing on the support that they need from us to help our residents with housing, with jobs, with resources. So if they need something outside of development by right, and we can agree on a certain terms these are the requirements to go a higher density these are the requirements to have this additional floors that you're looking for that we need you to meet these because we've sort of we've set a certain standard when it comes to the city of riviera beach i.e our fire stations that was our money now the developers are using their own money but we have requirements if you want to make more money And these are our requirements. So what can we do so that we don't have a dog and pony where they come in here, they say they're going to do all this great things, they do the interviews, they provide the opportunities, they say that they're going to do this, but then they don't hire the people. Where they hire the people and kick them off the job. Where can we hold them accountable to make sure that they keep our residents employed, to make sure that we benefit the residents and make sure that they're also, as you did, contribute to the housing trust fund. So I love the fact that you intertwine both, that they're required to do both. But what additional documentation can we put in?

I believe that requiring or listing the types of acceptable documentation is a gap that we have right now. We are currently working with the development who has been reporting to us. And then the documentation for who was a minority is not something that we found sufficient for auditing purposes. So I agree with that comment. And I took the note that making it clear in the ordinance or potentially the development, because each project will have a standalone development agreement with the city, which is their development contract with this board that will follow the site plan approval. As you recall in recent MEEHOP projects, the site plan will come and then in a meeting or two later, there's a resolution for the MEEHOP development agreement. And so that agreement is where we would get very specific on this is what you need to provide. This is what is acceptable. for documentation for certain things. I hesitate to get too detailed in the ordinance because when it's ordained, we don't have flexibility and each project is different in some way, shape or form. So I will work with Ms. Gaines and our team that's working on that, on getting as specific as we need to with allowing flexibility, because there could be technologies that come out in three years that we're not aware of right now that would be satisfactory to demonstrate THEIR EMPLOYMENT OR THEIR PAYROLL PATTERNS AND ACTIVITIES. SO WE'LL GET AS SPECIFIC AS WE CAN WITH ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTATION BUT ALLOWING FOR NEGOTIATION DEVELOPMENT AND DETAILS TO BE REFINED IN THE MEHOP DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT COME LATER.

NEW SPEAKER MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THE FLEXIBILITY IN THESE ORDINANCES AND THESE POLICIES HAVE LEFT US WITH NO FUNDING IN OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND SINCE 1982. We can only set policy. We can only put teeth in these policies. And if we need to change or amend it with a new program that comes out via AI or anything in the next three years, we can come back and amend it and change it at that time. But the teeth have to be put in place to demand the best from them. So I understand that we don't want to put that certain level of restriction. But if it's benefiting the residents and the development and the housing, then I think we need to put as much teeth as possible because right now we're in a housing boom because we're the last undeveloped land on the East Coast. So we need to make sure that developers as they come, they're prepared to invest into Riviera Beach and they know we're serious and intentional because when this board is gone, the ones that have demanded that we've increased housing, we've increased development and local participation up to 50%, the next board has to also be held accountable for that same standard. And the only way we can do that is through policy. So I prefer more teeth and less.

I think the next one is going to be in the final question, Mr.

Chair, is organizations. City Manager, Mr. Coppins, Economic Development Coordinator. Take those notes and make sure we're clear because what Mr. Sermons is saying is we have nobody to review this information, to prepare to report back.

We're going to rely on the developers to report this information back to us.

So are there any outside organizations or entities that we can work with that can actually do this accounting, that can do this reporting, that can actually oversee these type of programs and projects so that we can secure them and procure them because we don't have an economic development coordinator i don't want this to fall by the wayside so what does that look like as well what agencies are going to work to handle and oversee and review this and how often i think you said reporting is quarterly how often will it be reported back to the board because that quarterly reporting is going to come to the board every quarter or is that just coming to staff through the chair what we have currently set up is that they report that to the

staff and staff through to your first question through our third party compliance monitoring firm is reviewing those reports regularly. So right now that is our workaround for the lack of a staff.

Who's that third party compliance monitoring firm?

I don't have the name on the top of my head at the moment.

Have we procured or secured one or have we even looked into one yet, an agency?

They are under contract. They currently work with the city.

They currently work. So how long have they been working with the city?

I WOULD SAY PROBABLY CLOSE TO TWO YEARS.

AND WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THAT WE GOT A REPORT FROM THEM TO THE COUNCIL?

THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED A REPORT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT THEIR ROLE IS WHEN WE GET A REPORT FROM THE DEVELOPER, THEY REVIEW IT TO SEE IF THEY HAVE MET COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR CONTRACT OR THEIR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND THEN THEY REPORT TO STAFF THAT THEY BELIEVE THIS DOES OR DOES NOT MEET COMPLIANCE STANDARDS FOR THESE REASONS. And with that information, we move forward with the project. That particular contract has financial penalties at the end of it if they do not meet their compliance thresholds.

I'm just hearing about this third party agency, and they've been here two to three years, and I've never got a report. So that's where I want to make sure that all of this is codified. clearly outlined and brought before the board so that we know what's the level, what's the scheduling, what's the data documents and evidence, and when is it going to be coming before us to actually review these. So thank you, Mr.

Chair. Mr. DeWerker. Okay. Mr. Chair, if I may, to clarify what I believe I heard, are you saying you would like the developer to report, to give this report to council as opposed to reporting to staff? as a part of the monitoring of it?

No, staff has to stay involved. The mayor made a request. We'll chime in and decide how we want to handle it. Well, I guess we need to do it now. But what we also need to do is wrap this item up. We've been on it a long time. I know we have a lot of questions, so many questions I think that we're going to have to do offline. But we need to move on. We need to move this meeting on. as it relates to who the reports go to, they can come to both. They can come to staff and to the council. That's it for me. Vice Chair Spiritus. Thank you, Chair. Councilwoman Lanier, did you say something?

Yeah, but I can.

OK, so we got to wrap this up. My suggestion is that we incorporate into this ordinance the fact that you cannot use 1099 employees to meet your requirements. We want these employees to be actually hired by the company, unless of course it's a subcontractor, the employees themselves should all be salaried employees on the corporation, not 1099 employees.

OK, let's wrap the presentation up. Let's vote. We've got to keep this moving. I know what time it is.

That's my that's the entire. That's it.

OK. We need to take a vote now. It's time for public comment. Responses. Yes.

I was just wondering whether we're going to proceed with the ordinance, but we're going to listen to public comment first.

Mr. Chair, we have three public speakers on this item. The first is Annette Dragon, followed by Faye Moseman, and then Lloyd Brown.

Hello again. Annette Dragon. This is actually more of a question than a comment. It seems that the developers who receive zoning benefits to create opportunities for the residents is definitely worthwhile. But jobs should never be used as a trade-off for excessive height, density or zoning concessions. The basic question still has to be, is the project appropriate for the neighborhood and for the city? And I think that's a question that you guys actually need to ask yourselves before you even consider voting. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. Next public comment speaker.

Next speaker is Fain Lozman followed by Lloyd Brown.

Mr. Mayor, I liked your comments. You want to do what's the best for the residents. One of the things I'd like you to consider is to look at page 28 of the handout. Since this ordinance was first implemented, everything has doubled or tripled in price. There's been an inflation factor, but yet the Amrit building is trying to take on page 28 RESORT HOTEL CONVERSION IS $104,000. $105,000 OR 3.25% OF THE SALE PRICE, WHICHEVER IS HIGHER. THEY'RE TRYING TO COME IN AND TAKE THAT $105,000 THAT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS AND REDUCE THAT TO UNDER $50,000 TO DO THAT CONVERSION. IF ANYTHING, THAT PRICE SHOULD BE GOING UP BASED ON THE VALUATION OF THE BUILDING. So it's not a matter of right that they can, that they can read it. Maybe for the code, they can do the transition from resort hotel to a condo, but they have no right to say, well, we're only going to give you 25 grand to do it. You have to stand tall, but if you're really interested in affordable housing, if anything, this, dollar value needs to be increased relative to the cost of living, just like social security gets increased every year for cost of living. So we can't come in and reduce that and cut a deal for Dillip row. We need to at least have what's on the books plus an increase. Now, one of the things is you can control all kinds of incentives or mandate policy in the Marina development district when it's city property involved. But when you have a private developer, you cannot bend his arm. He has the right to get a permit and a site plan and follow none of this affordable housing stuff. So you try to push that on a private developer, you're going down a legal road, which you're not going to win.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please.

The last speaker is Lloyd Brown.

See, I wrote down like a couple of things. Don't think I'm a racist or anything because I'll be looking down here and I'll see you say minority employment, and then you got affordable employment. I mean, what's the difference? I mean, affordable employment? You got to pay to be employed? I mean, who wrote this down? I mean, honestly, I couldn't understand it. Honestly, I mean, I'm not smart, but I'm not dumb, but you know, I learned from my great daddy and my great mama, and they were smart. But I'm talking about You say a minority, right, employment. But the majority of people in Riviera Beach that are black are unemployed. So that's what you should be looking at. Look at the majority of unemployed people in Riviera Beach. Because most of the minorities in my neighborhood are employed. They got two or three cars. All of them go to work. Them little young boys I see at the park, I talk to them every day. Mayor, you don't. I talk to them every day. And you know what? They said he can't even get a job in Riviera Beach. They want to go up to Lake Park or Palm Beach Garden. And then I'm saying this thing that you put up here, you say that's just an illustration, right? Well, you might as well put a thousand jobs, gotten a thousand jobs if it's just an illustration. That's like asking a man how many miles could he ride his scooter, you know, or his moped up to Juneau Beach and back. Nobody really cares if it's just an illustration. I ain't dumb. And that's what you had up there. It's an illustration. You need to hire these majority of people who aren't hired in Riviera Beach. The minorities got jobs. That's unchanged. That's unchanged. I mean, when I say minorities, I ain't no racist, but you know what? I think my washing machine is because it'll spin the white clothes, but I have to hang out the black clothes. And it seemed like, you know, y'all doing things Like the people and then my friends that go to church and do all that, they'll pray and say, let God do this. But they sitting on their hands. You got to get up. You know what? If I stayed home and wait on God to pay my water bill, it wouldn't get paid. I got up in the morning and you say he woke me up. I got up and I did what I had to do. But these people sitting around and they always tell me, well, Lord, keep it up with the people over there. You, I'm only me, one person. One, I said, why don't we go over there? When that lady came in here and said she came over here because she wasn't coming over here, I felt real proud of that lady. You know, because honestly, the things y'all doing for us, this right here don't make no sense because the people out there in River Beach don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Mr. Chair, that's the last speaker.

Any comments? Madam Clerk, call the report.

Mr. Chair. One more question before we vote.

Okay.

Mr. Sermons, in this ordinance, does the city council have the right to deny the developer fee applies for this if they feel that it's not a project that is consistent with the community's character? Yes, no?

Through the chair, yes. Where you would deny the project is at the site plan level. The site plan will have a condition of approval that they must finalize their MEEHOP development agreement shortly thereafter. But that would be the juncture where

city uh the city council would say this project is not appropriate for these reasons and at that point there's no need to go into a mehop development agreement but what if they they agree with the project they just don't agree with the meop section of the project if they don't agree with the job section can they approve these the site plan without the neop portion

the MHOP will be required because the site plan will have bonuses built in. It'll say you have additional two floors, conditional approval that your MHOP agreement is approved by city council and you move forward with the requirements of it. BUT AT THE SECOND MEETING WHEN THE MEEHOP AGREEMENT COMES BEFORE YOU, YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY REJECT THE TERMS OF THAT CONTRACT AND SAY MAKE THESE AMENDMENTS AND BRING IT BACK AND WHEN WE'RE SATISFIED, WE'LL APPROVE IT.

SO WE CAN DO A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE SITE PLAN SUBJECT TO THINGS WITHIN THE MEEHOP. IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN SAY INSTEAD OF FIVE FLOORS, WE'LL APPROVE TWO FLOORS. OR WE DON'T LIKE THE MEEHOP AT ALL. WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

YES, YOU DO. Thank you.

Caller question. Mr. Chair, can I confirm the notes that I have here for you to make sure we bring back the correct product for secondary? So what we have in our notes is ensuring that there is a lead person overseeing the referral program. And we have notes related to the economic development coordinator position for that. We have direction to as much as possible lean into adding teeth to this or situations when they don't comply. We have a note to add in the ordinance, the acceptable type of documentation for payroll and verifying employment for the developer. We have a note to prohibit 1099 employees. We have a question, a legal question of does this equate to contract zoning? And then finally, there was a comment related to the bonus tables as far as the fee amounts and the types of reductions that are offered. I'll just say on that last one, I'm not sure that we could get back an amendment that reviews that in depth and does the appropriate comparison before October 7th. But there absolutely can be a second part of amendments to this ordinance that gets deeper into those components. But the rest of it, I'm confident that we can have an amended second reading version of this with those other notes. If that's the staff understanding. Got it. Madam Clerk.

Councilperson Davis-Panier? Councilperson Lanier? Yes. Councilperson Miller-Anderson? Yes. Chairperson Spiridonis?

Yes.

Chairperson Guyton? Yes. That's the unanimous vote.

Yes. We're going to go into the general public comments now. It's supposed to start at 7.30 or shortly thereafter if we were involved in a discussion about another item. Public comments shall begin at 7.30 p.m. unless there is no other business of the City Council, which in that event, it shall begin sooner. In addition, if an item is being considered at 7.30 p.m., then comments from the public shall begin immediately after the item has been concluded. Thank you, staff. Good job, too. Please be reminded that the City Council Board has adopted rules of decorum um governing public conduct during official meetings which has been posted at front desk 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 or from the building if necessary please govern yourselves accordingly um how many public comment cards do we have

Mr. Chair, we have 22 public comment cards. The acceptance of the cards is closed.

Okay. Please call the persons on the public comment card.

The first three speakers, Mr. Chair, are Antonio Arce, followed by Matt Woods, and then Annette Dragon.

Good evening, Mayor, Council. This is the fourth or fifth time that we have come here for the same issue. The issue has to do with this notification that we have gotten recently in our votes, threatening to charge us $250 a day or $500 a day after the first violation. As you guys know, we are the responsible boaters from the Palm Beach Sailing Club. We have had, I personally have had a boat for 25 years. We intend to rent or more involved from your mooring field when you get it done. However, we need your help so that we can keep our boats until that time. I feel like we're preaching to the choir. We met with the mayor on this specific issue. We are trying to get a resolution, an amendment to the recently passed law that changed the conditions of the water regulation. So what I would like to do, if possible, is to come up with a common sense, temporary permits so that we can keep our boats in the area until the mooring field is finished and we can start renting the mooring boats from you guys. We are your clients. We are the people that we will be renting the boat, the mooring boat from you guys, but we cannot do that unless we allow to keep our boats. So we need some coordination and cooperation in between, between now and the time that the mooring boats are available. We will really appreciate you to understand the situation. There's really nowhere else for us to take our boats in the area, and there is nothing else we can do to keep our boats until that time. So we will really appreciate it if you could take our considerations into account so that we can reach an agreement.

Thank you. Quick question. I know some of the boats were in the Palm Beach waters. Were yours there too? Where did you come from?

Yes, my boat stayed in front of the Palm Beach. Wait, was it near Palm Beach? Yeah, near Palm Beach.

Okay. When they told you all to leave, Did you all go and petition their council to allow y'all to stay there until they get things together? What? Stop it. Basically, that's a very simple question. Did you go potential petition? the town of Palm Beach. We did. To work something out with you all.

We did. We did go to the meetings and we talked to them. Yes, we did.

Okay.

There was nothing to be done. However, we did not receive a threat like this one.

No, you left. You were here.

Yeah, we left. You left. We didn't have a choice. They took our boats. If we didn't leave, they would take our boat. but we never get a threat of $500 a day for every day that we stay.

So, but we're not taking your votes. We're just asking you to leave. We're allowing you to keep your vote. Right. We are... Okay, wait, wait. I didn't want to get into it back and forth. I just wanted to know if you petitioned Palm Beach as you did. Okay, thank you for your comment.

We did, and we didn't really get anywhere with them. Okay. And it doesn't sound like we're getting anywhere with you guys either. So this is very disappointing.

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you.

Next question.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Matt Woods, followed by Ned Dragon, and then Amiho Brown.

Good evening. I'm here with Antonio. We had a few minutes before the meeting, and we spoke to Mr. Sherman, who seems to be the go-to guy with the mooring situation.

And he's very— Take a minute in the audience, please.

He's very optimistic that the small mooring field west of Peanut Island is going to be functional maybe six months or so. So what we're asking for is to be able to stay until that's open. I spoke to Mr. Spiritus and he said the first mooring balls are going to be available to the city of river air beach um you know people and i think that's a perfectly good thing um i don't know how many there are i know a few people in field foster park where i am that do live in the town anyhow so this is what we're asking for um and then of course the idea is well we're just going to kick everybody out um that doesn't solve a problem it just pushes us to another town that now has a bunch of boats that they don't really know about We don't want to be driving two hours to go sailing for the day. And that's what's going to be happening. So this is a good intermittent solution to a problem. And the problem is not us. It's the boats that are abandoned and not taken care of. Half of those boats around Peanut Island have no engines in them. Their waste is going overboard. And those are the problems. So when we got kicked out of Lake Worth Lagoon, the boats that were left were all the derelict boats and they sat there for six months. And then to get rid of them cost the town, if it's a floating boat, it would cost the town a minimum of $25,000 to dispose of it. So this is what's potentially going to happen to you guys. You're going to kick out all the good guys, all the crummy boats are going to be there, and you're going to spend a fortune getting rid of them. Sylvester Stallone donated money to the police department and the fire department, and it was like a tax-deductible donation. And then those two agencies gave the money to the town and said, hey, we're going to donate that money to get rid of the boats. And that half a million bucks didn't cover the bill. So this is what we're trying to avoid. We just want to have our boats. We take care of them. My needs are to have the boat here mostly during hurricane season. And then we go to the Bahamas for six months and travel around. And a lot of people can't do that. When I was working, I could only go two weeks. And so I would say on the weekends. But it is part of our history. Those boats were anchored there when Singer Island was nothing more than a sand dune. And I think it's not fair that we're being betrayed the history of this county. And Riviera Beach is a harbor town. That's what it says on your website. Well, let's make it a harbor town with nice boats that are cared for. And we're really, really hoping that you guys will help us, because you'll be helping yourselves at the same time. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next public speaker.

The next speaker is Annette Dragon, followed by Emilio Brown, and then Michael Jordan.

Hello again, Annette Dragon. I spent close to three and a half hours watching and listening to the last CRA meeting. What that has actually shown me is that there are huge gaps in procedures and policies that staff are directed to use within the CRA and undoubtedly within all of the government departments in the City of Riviera Beach as well. The example that was spoken about is the Rafiki Tiki build-out. Mr Guyton was trying to push through an approval for up to $900,000 reimbursement to the owner per a legally executed contract. and very obviously had not done all the appropriate due diligence on all the items that were pertinent to the build out. Mr. Spiritus, in his favor, pointed out that there were many procedures that had been lacking during the whole process. I think it's time that all the procedures within the city are actually revised so that there can be no gray areas within any procedure regardless of the department. And that kind of thing actually questions resolutions being added and taken away from the agenda at the last minute. By doing a revamp of all of the procedures and policies, it would probably alleviate a lot of time wasting at the meetings and probably a lot of wasted dollars in duplicate work, and also allow for a lot of errors not to just slip through. In my opinion, city council has a direct responsibility to the residents in the city to do the right amount of due diligence and ask all the questions prior to any motion being put to the vote. Secondly, if the public are given three minutes to speak on any of the items in the agenda, council should have no more than three minutes either. That's just basic respect. It would also cut down the time of the meetings that go on for hours and hours and hours until long into the night. And you guys would actually get through the agenda a lot quicker. Please consider it.

Thank you for your comments. While the next public speaker is coming, please call the next public speaker. I'd like accurate information to be out there. I didn't try to push up to $900,000. That was part of a contract that we entered into. And my position was we should adhere to the contract that we entered into. So it wasn't me pushing it. It was me saying that we entered into a contract and we need to adhere to it. And that was negotiated before I came.

Mr. Chair, next speaker is Amiho Brown, followed by Michael Jordan and Virginia Clark.

Thank you.

All right. I only got 30 minutes. I got to be quick. So council, do you all like to be lied to? residents do y'all like to be lied to right now oh can y'all hear me now all right do y'all like to be lied to period when someone lies to you what do you think that person feel about you so right now there's an open investigation with the state attorney about the generated purchase by the management at ud i can't be fully open about this situation because i only got three minutes so i put it all in questions number one Why was there a new generator sitting at a plant without going through the procurement process? Isn't it easier to get an emergency payment for a vendor and be able to pick that vendor? Number three, how long did the original generator run the plant without error? Number four, when the new generator showed up, why did the original generator start to have issues? Number five, does the new generator work as of right now? Number six, lift station 10 sewer spill that spilled into the intercoastal recently. The director told you guys that it was a communication issue. That's a lie. I have it right here. 5.55 a.m. alarm came in. Management did not respond to it. Number seven, there has been a broken sewer line for weeks spilling into the lime yard at the water plant. Raw sewer in the water plant. Number eight, the amount of money that was spent on that generator that is 22 years old could have bought water bottles for residents or help pay water bill. Number nine, I have been retaliated against multiple times by UD management. Just recently, the director put my job title as a vacant job list and tried to delete my position. So right here in this photo, I have all the facts. Everything I just said, I can put, I can back up everything I just said. I have all the emails I've been retaliated against since I went to the OIG office and the state attorney. I'm just doing what's right. I hope y'all do what's right too. Because he sits here, because you guys don't know the utility district or that career, they feel like they can tell you whatever and walk off. Right now, just Friday, we turn on the generator. We had to do an emergency stop because it was destroying the equipment. The power was fluctuating. The voltage regulator is damaged, but it's supposed to be a brand new generator, right? You spent six hundred and seventy two thousand on that.

So I have everything with the comment. Thank you. All right. Thank you for your comment. Next public comment speaker.

The next speaker is Michael Jordan, followed by Virginia Clark and Lloyd Brown.

OK, first of all, as always, you know, we'd like to say hello to the council that I respect everyone up there, love everyone. uh first of all i would like to commend you uh mr spiritus and the other council members on the budget meeting that i was looking at online on uh the 24th how you all commended miss ammons for what a great job is she doing i like the way that she moved in the way that she works and try to get things done yes i'm in agreement you said a lot of the same things that i had already made notes of at home about the recommendation of a tracking system. There's no way that we can have money and contracts flowing through here and then we can never put our fingers on where certain things are or what's going on with them. Okay, so the tracking system, yes, get another body in here to manage that, make an assistant to that person in case they're out. They should put you all on a reporting schedule to provide you all reports at the end of each quarter or at the end of each month so you'll know exactly what's going on. Another thing that I'm tired of Certain staff getting up here, the council asking certain questions and only answer that they have is I don't know. And they never say that they would try to go back and find it. I'm sure they know about the meetings in advance. That's why we prepare in advance so that we will be able to answer the questions and provide you and the residents with what they need when they come up here. It's time out for all of that. That can always be the answer that I don't know. OK, if you don't know, go find the answer. And now the other situation that's going on with the boat, I think you all should get together. And this is no of no disrespect to anyone. And I really don't care how you feel, but I'm just explaining it to you. If the town of Lake Worth. sent them out if the town of Palm Beach sent them out then there's no need for them to park here okay so what I'm saying take a look at everything be fair to everybody but this just can't be a dumping ground we can't just take what everybody else don't want okay this is the city I've talked to some residents they don't like the boats where they are at they've been complaining about them So this is what I'm saying. If you ain't bringing no money in this city, you just come here to park for free. And then we have to pay for parking. Even when we come out here to a certain event, then everybody else should be held accountable as well. So the only thing I like to say at the end, I love you all. Let's get it together.

Thank you for your comment. Next speaker, please.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Virginia Clark, followed by Lloyd Brown and Joseph Bedford, Sr. Good evening.

Good evening.

Good evening. First of all, I want to recognize our assistant managers, attorney, our mayor, and the council there. I just want to say good evening to you. My name is Virginia Clark. I am a resident here of, and a taxpayer, a homeowner right here in River Area Beach. First of all, I wanted to say, I know I haven't seen Mr. Wilkins. This is my second time here, by the way. I was here at the last meeting and saying, I'm one of the ones that sit at home and watch it by TV. And I decided I'm coming in here because I found out a lot of stuff I saw going on in here that you can't see on TV. So I said, you know, hey, I'm a taxpayer here. I'm a resident. I want to come in here and participate. I noticed that Mr. Wilkins hasn't been here for two weeks. Not two weeks, but two meetings. And I pray that he's all is well with him. I have two items that I'd like to say. First of all, I wanted to say previously at our general comments, public comments, We always had afterwards that the manager would comment on some of the public comments that were made. Those that he could comment on, he commented on. If he didn't, wasn't able to, he let you know, I have one of my staff members take care of that and maybe try, you got your card, we try to get back to you and everything. I noticed this since we don't do that anymore. My thing is I was asking if the manager, if the chairman could give the, uh, the manager, the assistant city manager, or the manager who give them a chance to comment on all those. Because what's happening is you're waiting till the very end to have, when it comes to discussion for the city manager, that he comments on stuff. Well, most of us are gone by then, you know, and we can't, we can't even get any kind of communication or what, whatever we're talking about, what you're going to do, whether you're going to act on it or do anything for us. Okay. The other thing I'm talking, I want to bring up, It's a safety issue. At the last meeting when I was here, I left here kind of late. It was about 10.30. Okay, I try to get here early enough that I can get a parking spot pretty close, but I'm not able to no matter how early I get here. Like tonight, the same thing. I got here to about a quarter to six and I still had to park back pretty far trying to find the closest spot. Okay, if it is dark out there, When I left at 1030, when I left to leave here, when I left out of here, I was the only one going out. It was dark out there. I know you have police officers in here. There were two gentlemen that were sitting at the desk there. Somebody needs to at least stand at the door to make sure a lady, especially me, trying to get to my car, that nothing happens to me. I don't think you would like that to happen to anybody, your wife, your sister, your brother, whatever. Anyway, man or woman. So if possible, if somebody can stand there and make sure that we get safely to our cars, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Chief, that's a serious issue. I know we have officers in here. Could we start having an officer posted outside watching the ladies as they leave? I know we have them in here, but one, just stay outside and kind of watch the parking lot. Okay, thank you. Next speaker.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Lloyd Brown, followed by Joseph Bedford Sr. and Rochelle Hughes.

Ma'am, I'll walk you to your car. You ain't got to worry about it. Hey, you know, black people, we used to be, like, dissatisfied with the white man running the city, you know? But we also dissatisfied with these Negroes sitting up in now and they posing as leaders and spokesmen. And I mean, for black people and they they are actually making our problem worse than better. But we still sit here with these people and the investigation. I mean, what a bunch we got here. I mean, look at it. And then I'm saying. Here it is. I see all these young kids in my neighborhood walking around every day. Even when masses were here, Bobby Brooks was here. You would see this man once or twice or three or four times that week. You don't see these Negroes until they want something done. And that's a damn shame. And then, you know, it's selective enforcement in here. Because I know they'll put me out if I get loud. But I done seen people come up here and talk shit all day long. And they'll disagree because, oh, because they licking their boots. See, I'm not going to lick your boots. Like I said, I'm not kissing your behind either. The last behind I came out, I slipped right by it. So don't think I'm going to climb back up on one of y'all. And I mean, honestly, y'all are terrible, man. You're really terrible. And I had to talk to that lady who came in here. I used to work down at the city. You know what? I was on crack. I did a better job than most of the people in the shop. So I ain't on crack right now. So my mind is clear. And let me tell you something. I don't drink, but I smoke marijuana because I run for mayor because I know it was one dude in Chicago. He was on cocaine, but he was a mayor. He did pretty good. I don't drink, though. See, that's the problem. I don't drink. And if you drink and you are investigated by the FBI, look what you got up here. Goddamn. It's a shame.

Next speaker, please.

The next speaker is Joseph Bedford, Sr., followed by Rochelle Hughes and then Lady Goldwire.

Good evening, City Council, Mayor, city employees and residents. My name is Joseph Bedford, Sr., TONIGHT, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS, AND ONCE AGAIN, WHEN I COME UP HERE, MY QUESTIONS ARE NOT TO ATTACK ANYONE, BUT IT'S JUST TO BRING SOMETHING OUT AND TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ON PUBLIC RECORD. MS. WYNN DID SPEAK TO ME TODAY ABOUT THE PREVIOUS E-MAILS THAT I SENT HER, AND SHE EXPLAINED HER POSITION, BUT I WANT TO GET IT OUT IN THE PUBLIC SO OTHERS THAT EXPERIENCED WHAT I EXPERIENCED UNDERSTAND WHY. My first question is, is the city attorney office bound by the Bill of Rights under Resolution 72-25? And by the way, that Bill of Rights used to be on the front page of the city website, but now it's buried in the HR page, which I don't know if people are going to know to look for that as we do not work for the city.

The city is supposed to work for us. Second question is,

Does the city attorney office have a no resonance email response policy? In other words, is there a policy where she is not allowed to respond to our emails? And if it is in existence, was it approved by the board? IF IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD, CAN IT BE SUPPLIED TO WHERE WE AS THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE DON'T NEED TO CONTACT HER BECAUSE SHE'S UNDER POLICY AND FOLLOWING POLICY THAT THE BOARD HAS SET. SO THIS IS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE WOULD LIKE TO GET CLEAR OR I WOULD LIKE TO GET CLARIFIED FOR EDIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.

THE NEXT SPEAKER.

is Rochelle Hughes, followed by Lady Goldwire and Dr. Philip Dukes. Good evening, Rochelle Hughes. A couple of things, because I cannot stay for the whole meeting. But I do want to say thank you to whomever is bringing forth changing the residential parking permit rate to free for us residents. Thank you to all of the council. THAT WILL BE GREAT FOR US BECAUSE THEN WE CAN ENJOY THE MARINA AND WE CAN ENJOY THE OCEANFRONT MALL. SO THANK YOU. MY OTHER COMMENT WAS ON THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU PASSED ON THE NOISE. SO I WANT CLARIFICATION BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD WAS This right here was the backup that I printed. It's 15 pages long that was on the agenda packet for tonight. I want a clarification that you guys voted on to go back to what was on the agenda packet in the first ordinance, because it's that packet gives residents in your neighborhood to play their loud music up to 50 decibels until 10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I'm speaking loud because I have to get up in the morning. I get up at 4 30 in the morning. What I don't want is I don't want my windows rattling because the neighbors two doors down are allowed to play their music really loud until 10 p.m any night of the week chain having it to be at 8 p.m doesn't mean they have to turn the music off completely it just means they've got to turn it down to be respectful of their neighbors so you go from this level to this level to where if you want to play your music after Eight, nine o'clock, it goes down. They can't play it at all. So I was hoping that the presentation was going to go through these 15 pages. That was included in your agenda packet tonight. so that they could show you this was how they were doing it. But if we're going back to the original packet, that's my biggest concern because now it's gonna be willy nilly and people can play their music however loud they want to until 10 PM, probably 11, 12, because we're not, we don't wanna, you have some neighbors who commented on here, residents who commented that their neighbors are playing music till one, two, three o'clock in the morning. Really? And nothing's being done. So that's my biggest concern. So I want clarification. My last comment is Dolly Parton passed away. Bless her heart. So I say, I hope life treats you kind and I hope you have all you dreamed of. And I wish to everyone here joy and happiness. But above all this, I wish you love and let's be like Dolly.

The next speaker is Lady Goldwire, followed by Dr. Phil Dukes and Francisco Lopez.

Hello, Lady Goldwire. I actually came tonight prepared to kind of spend my time introducing a concept I've been working on with some members across the state post the redistricting debacle that we kind of all witnessed. It's black over blue. But I would be remiss if I didn't first acknowledge something that I just heard tonight that is like really jarring to me. I hear this young man stand before government the council and he's speaking about concerns that he has in his department. He says that he now feels that he's experienced retaliation because he's chosen to speak out. I think that we all should be concerned about that because time and time again, we circle around and circle around because we get into these spaces where employees see something, they say something. And then for whatever reason, depending on how someone feels from a directorship level or wherever, There's consequence for that. And there's really no space, no safe space for them, no matter how much we try to put something into place. And I just was sitting there thinking some things that I've observed in the location that I am now as an employer. They created an office of compliance. And that Office of Compliance, they found somebody very neutral for it to operate under and answer directly to leadership, be it the manager and the counsel. But one thing about the Office of Compliance, it was something that would allow for people to report and say what they needed to say and then be it measuring against minimum code standards, EH&S standards, whatever you had out there. they had that as a rubric to kind of go again. I would think that it might be something that you guys would be open to just to give the employees some safeguard or some sense of feeling that they are being heard. Because the bottom line is a lot of times we get into these positions of title and we think that it's us, but the real city or the representation and what makes the city the city is the employees. You can't do any of what we're doing here without any of them. And so I think there needs to be a refocus on that. With that being said, I wanted to also raise just a small concern. I think it's wonderful that you guys are putting that educational grant out. I don't think the timeline was long enough. I'm sure there'll be some folks that have some commentary on it. I think it's relatively interesting how contracts and relationships develop here in the city. When some people do some things or share interest in being a part of the solution, it's looked at as corruption. When other people raise the matter up and they land a contract, it looks like collaboration. So I figure you draw a line. in the stand and say what it is. I love the idea of us all working locally together and being able to do it. I can reassure you I'll never ask for a contract here in the city. So whatever that is murmuring out there, it won't happen. But the last thing is I just want to encourage you guys to visit Black Over Blue and take a look at it. It's not anything that is pushing anybody in one political party direction or the other, but it is more or less getting people to understand that our votes are our voice and they are not dedicated to any particular party.

Thank you for your comment.

The next speaker is Dr. Phil Dukes, followed by Francisco Lopez and Fane Lozman.

Dr. Phil Dukes. Rivera Beach Council city manager. Well, this is what democracy looks like. I can get up here and say what I want to say. Tell you how I feel. This is what democracy looks like. Y'all say, man, you know, it's supposed to be. But we have a president that does not give a good good hoot about democracy. And everything he's doing is tied to black history. Rutherford B. Hayes, Andrew Jackson, when black people were making progress, they came and tore it down under reconstruction. And from that time until 1965, black people in America were going through the brunt of what we call segregation. But yet we still rose. Now we have us against them under this president called Donald Trump, who is an authoritarian, un-American insurrectionist, bigot, fascist. And anytime anybody calls him out for it, he wants to come at them. He wants to use the DOJ. And y'all act like, we citizens act like that doesn't matter, like that's not happening. All this we're having in here, if he gets back in office and can continue, we'll be towing down. Y'all see these little squabbles we're having?

Don't it feel good to come up and say that?

Well, you won't have that. He's already showing you, looking at what he's doing to Congressman McGuire before, because she went in those detention centers and called him out for his brutality to those people. Now he put a case against her. And the majority of our Eurocentric evangelicals and conservatives who claim Jesus is going along with it. Now, y'all know I'm a Jesus boy. Even when I was doing that dumb stuff, I wasn't nothing but a church boy gone bad. That's all. But this president, we got to call it the way it is. And you who voted in me and got to realize you made a mistake. My grandmom used to say that, you know, you can't correct white folk. Some of y'all know what I'm talking about. If you grew up, you black, you know, I'm talking about and I don't speak for all black people because we don't have to be monolithic, but we do need to be honest. And the reason that you can't be corrected is because you want to admit when you're wrong. And when you want to admit you're wrong, you can't be corrected and you can't go forward. Because what's hidden in this is white supremacy. White Christian nationalism, which is the KKK dressed up in politics and religion. So how do we tear that down? I'm going to be talking some more about that. Remember, I don't speak for all black people because we don't have to be all monolithic. But we all of us need to admit the truth because we're all Americans. Where is that movement in America? Where is it? Where is it? I say Rivera Beach on the head spearhead that we're in Donald Trump's backyard. But most of y'all scared because of retaliation. So you got a dictator and you scared. And your rights are going to be taken away. And some of you pro-white folk, you're going to be right in the mix. Yeah, you are. You're already in it. You're already in it. So let's join together and start something that's going to change our nation.

Thank you for your comment. Thank you.

The next speaker is Francisco Lopez, followed by Frank Lozman and Michael Giampi.

First of all, good evening, Mayor Lawson, city council members, residents of Riviera Beach. My name is Francisco Lopez. I'm the proud principal of Inlet Grove Middle High School, an A-rated, high-performing charter school here serving the town of Riviera Beach. We have achieved 100% graduation rate. I don't think you hear me. 100% graduation rate. Our African-American students, 100%. ESU students, 100%. And we have accomplished all this with limited resources. Imagine what we can accomplish if we join forces together. Inlet Grove knows and understands the challenges of Riviera Beach education. And we are not scared away to face those challenges forward together. And I'm here to present my deepest gratitude to you, Major Lawson, to the city council members, to the chief of police, and to all the members who have supported our school and now supporting our football program. As you know, in Lake Grove, our school is hosted by the Palm Beach County School District, and we occupy the Old Suncoast, and it's a campus that is in very bad conditions, and our football field are now a place for our children to play. And the city has stepped up and give us a field for our students to play. And with that, you have given them a place to develop grit, leadership, and more importantly, to learn how to work together, how to achieve a goal together. And for that, I just want to thank you very much. And I want you to continue supporting us because we can solve this problem together and we will solve it together. I'm not going anywhere. My team is not going anywhere. And we're going to help our students, our children to do great things. So thank you very much. It's all about gratitude from us. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Mr. Chair.

Yes. Quick question while the next speaker walks up. Is it possible for the board, I know we have some educators and some students that are here from Inlet, could we take this item after we're finished with public comment and move it up on the agenda after public comments are complete? The discussion item.

The discussion item for the Inlet item.

Oh, yes, yes. So that our educated friends, we know you guys have to get to school in the morning. We have some students here. But after public comment, we're going to take the item that we're going to discuss tonight. So we'll take it in a few.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to the board.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Fain Lozman, followed by Michael Jamfee and LaTosha Brinson.

Fain Lozman. Where is the city manager Wilkins? The second meeting he's missed. Did this meeting run too late? It's past his bedtime. I mean, we have Mr. Coffins is doing a great job. He could have been the interim city manager and saved the taxpayers $562,000. That's what the real business is getting paid. He's missed two meetings in a row. To answer your question you brought up about the mooring field, there was supposed to be a Riviera Beach mooring field in Palm Beach Island's waters. So they got, Riviera Beach spent hundreds of thousands of dollars permitting three mooring fields, two in Riviera Beach and one in Palm Beach Island. When that mooring field was approved in Palm Beach Island, they went nuts. They pulled their political favors out and they got the Riviera Beach mooring field in Palm Beach Island canceled. Okay, a mooring field is also for transient people. People come through here and they need a place to stop. So if you have 200 spots in a mooring field, maybe you have 150 permanent ones, 160 permanent ones, you have 40 transient ones where people come through, can get provisions on the way to the Keys or the Bahamas. You need a mooring field that is safer than being on an anchor because an anchor can drag anchor and you can hit a seawall, hit other boats. You have to have some kind of transient mooring field. And there's mooring fields that have been permitted, but they haven't been built. But that happens in this city a lot. We spend tons of money doing stuff and we never finish the project. So for those men and women that have their boats out there, number one, there is no county ordinance that stops you from going 30 days at a time to different municipalities. Go to Riviera Beach for 30 days. go to the county of peanut Island for 30 days, go to Palm beach shores for 30 days, go to Palm beach Island for 30 days and go to North Palm for 30 days and just keep making the circuit. And that's legal under county regulations. I've come here for almost a year and I've talked about how the city attorney unilaterally has changed the property boundaries of my property and the city. And she never went to the final policy makers and she is not a She told the police chief not to enforce trespass on my property. I talked to Ms. Lanier about it when she was chairperson. No one has done anything. I've been in contact with the state and that's a big bureaucracy and there's a lot of changes going on with the election coming up. But the bottom line is the county and the state of Florida have the city boundaries where they are and have our properties where they are. But unilaterally, she did not get the permission of the board to change those boundaries and she's also giving direction to the police chief not to enforce trespass on our property. Those boundaries have been in place since the year 1915. She's breached her ethical duty as an attorney not to abide by what her client told her to do. And the client told her not to do anything. And she's unilaterally usurped your authority. And I've told you that repeatedly. She's taken away your authority as the legislative body and said, I'm going to change the city's boundaries and I'm going to take away the trespass on my property. You need to do something, the five of you, about that.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Michael Jampage, followed by LaTosh Brinson and Myesha.

Good morning. Sorry, good evening. Ladies and gentlemen of the City Council and the staff, I come to you as a parent of a Suncoast High School student, and I'm also the chair of the Suncoast High School PTSA College Fair. So I'm here to announce and invite the members of the community to the Suncoast High School College Fair, which will be happening on October 7th from 530 to 730. We're planning to have over 100 colleges and universities from all over the US and also a few international campuses. And most of the Florida public and private universities have signed up for the event. This event is free and open to all Palm Beach County students, and I'm here tonight informing the high school students, their parents, and the community members at large that all Riviera Beach students, 9th through 12th grade, are invited. Come speak to college and the career representatives, and I look forward to seeing a lot of people from the community at Suncoast on October 7th. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker, please.

The next speaker is LaTosha Brinson, followed by Myesha and Delores Williams.

Hello, yes, my name is Latosh Brinson. I'm a water plant operator, A license. I'm coming up here about the comments that I heard Director Neiman said about the lead operator position. I'm one of the people that interviewed for the position. It was two men, one of my co-workers and the other guy was a no-show. There hasn't been multiple applications. It wasn't put on the website multiple times about that job. It was only twice. And When I was told that I didn't do a good job on the interview, but I wasn't told what part about the interview I didn't do a good job on. More than likely, it was about the RO. We're a lime plant. And it's true enough, I don't have RO experience. But if this is going to be a new plant, anybody with RO experience still has to get trained. So I'm trying to understand, like, and it's going to be a couple years from now. Why can I get any training for that? I've asked to be, you know, I've asked to... Could you speak to somebody from another water plant with RO so I can go there to shadow those guys so I can learn something? I've asked about the class so I can get my Mark II certificate. That's when, you know, that goes swept under the rug. It's like you're being hindered from trying to be able to elevate yourself at this water plant. And I talked to Josh Neiman myself on two different occasions, and I was told by him, that I would get the opportunity to be at least an acting lead and get evaluated to see how good if I do on a position, and then we go from there. Now, I hear him saying on the last meeting that the utility went last Wednesday that nobody at the water plant is capable for that position. I don't understand what's going on, and it's too many different stories being told by this particular person. So I just would like for somebody to get to the bottom of this and figure out what's going on because every time I ask about it, oh, it's the HR. We got somebody, HR, HR moving slower. You know how they do it. It's always some other reason why I can't get any type of information about this. But now all of a sudden, this is what I'm hearing out of his own mouth. So I'm just trying to get a feel of what's going on. And, you know, can the truth be finally told? Because if it's going to be a couple of years for this new water plant to come, Why wouldn't anybody be able to get any experience up until that point to be able to find out how to actually run an RO plant? And besides that, this is still a line plant that we're running. And I've been doing a damn good job there. When these guys were fired, I'm the one that stepped up and was running the plant. A licensed operator, I started there as a trainee. And now this is my seventh, well, just over seven years now. I'm an A license operator. I'm definitely qualified for the position. My coworkers can vouch for me for that. So I just want to know what's going on. And because somebody gets to the bottom of this to get the truth out. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, please.

The next speaker is Myesha, followed by Dolores Williams and Margaret Shepard.

hello everybody good evening well i'm coming here today is because um i have a thousand dollar water bill for services that i don't utilize the water been off in my house since november 2025 but the bill is that it wrote it in i was told that i'm getting charged 84 every month for services that i still don't utilize because when it rained the street flood i don't know what storm water is i know the trash is okay but if the water is not on and not being utilized, why is I'm still being charged? And not only that, why is the bill so, why did they let it get so high before I was notified or the thing? Because I called in last year around like September and posted again, a new meter in since September, 2025. And it's now September, 2026. And I have a thousand dollar water bill for services that I don't use. SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW, LIKE, BECAUSE I WENT TO THE WATER DISTRICT, I TALKED TO PEOPLE, BUT WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME, IT DON'T MAKE SENSE. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE TELLING ME I STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SERVICES THAT I DON'T USE. THE METER WAS JUST CHANGED MONDAY, SO I THINK THE BILL SHOULD START FROM MONDAY AND NOT SINCE 2025. SO I DON'T KNOW IF, LIKE, WHO I COULD TALK TO OR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY CUT THE WATER OFF, AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT I HAVE TO PAY THE $1,000 because they put a new meter in basically, that's what I'm thinking, because like I said, the water, when it was on, it was coming out cloudy. I have videos in my phone if anyone wants to see where the water was coming out cloudy in 2025. When I went in and paid the $536 for the $84 building up then, they said, okay, they was going to come out and look at the meter. No one came out and look at the meter back to where I said I called and asked someone they was going to come put it in. They said that they was going to come put it in in 2025. They never did it. So now that I'm going to say around like April, the bill was like 800 something dollars. I went to the city and I told them that the water is not used. The water can't be used there. Like the water is coming out cloudy. I haven't tried it recently, but I know when I did try was cloudy. So I haven't used it. So the water hasn't been running. I called, they told me that the water have not been used since November, 2025. So I want to know why am I getting billed $84 every month for services that I don't use.

Okay, thank you. Mr. Sherman, would you speak to this young lady? The guy on the end there, he's the one that run that department. Next speaker, please.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Dolores Williams, followed by Margaret Shepherd and Cindy March.

Good evening to everybody.

everybody looks so nice come on smile that's my niece right there talk to you mayor talk to mr spearman i didn't get a chance to speak to mr right now she's talking about that water bill and then she got a call from the water department today if you don't pay this money we gonna come take your meter up. All this time, you put a new meter in. Now you're going to come and take the meter up, the water not going. First, it was the problem with the bad water, coloring and smelling everything. So now you're trying to make her pay this money. I can say, Mr. Josh, he did all he could to help as much as he could do. Mr. Spearman, I asked the mayor. So like I say, there needs to be something done. This water is a mess. What was and all was being done to this. Don't make us feel like she need to pay something when she's not getting a service for it. And when she tried to, then you have somebody call you. I don't know. It seemed like if you go to somebody in power, somebody that's going to go to cut them off and make them stop helping you. THAT NEEDED TO BE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTIGATION, PUT SOME INVESTIGATION IN THERE, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. SO I DON'T THINK THE WATER SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF WHEN IT WASN'T. BEING TALKING, MR. JOSH, I THINK THAT MR. JOSH HAS A HARD TIME BEING WITH THE UTILITY AND THINGS BEING DONE AND SAFE TO HIM. SO PLEASE CHECK INTO THE, I THINK YOU TOLD HIM TO GO TALK TO MR. SHERMAN. MR. SHERMAN, I'M COMING RIGHT BACK THERE TOO, YOU KNOW. And obviously what's going to be done with this water and this threatening that the meter, then the new meter put up and not going to come and take it up.

Thank you for your comment.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Margaret Shepard, followed by Cindy March and Chandra Stringer.

Margaret Shepard, Revere Beach. Once again, I want to answer the question, why don't people vote? Why don't they vote? When I was at the utility meeting, I was devastated. Black women against black women. Black women against black men. What I saw was just deplorable to hear a council person talk that loud to a constituent. I heard you say, Mayor, that you all should be recognized because you are elected officials. Elected officials, Mr. Mayor, does not act like that. I got that much common sense. When you go down to the commissioners, when you go to West Palm Beach, this is deplorable. This is what I call, my dad used to say it, and I didn't understand it. He said, nigger's deal. I had no idea what he was talking about up until now at 80 years old that we sit here. I was, if they don't say they're sorry, Mr. Spirit, I am sorry that you're speaking out of knowledge. And yet you were a counterpart of saying, don't talk. In other words, don't talk. Don't lead them on. But you were clarifying it. And I appreciate your clarity. I appreciate your expertise in certain fields. But I want to tell you, this is the worst. And I hope and pray, because it's just three people that I will vote for. The rest of them, and I hope Cedric Thomas come back. I love marvelous Washington. You have to stop and get people here with rules of the quarrel. It was despicable. I got up. I said, I got to get the hell up out of here. I feel like we, especially black women, should at least just say to our black men, we support you in whatever you do. But to get in public and ridicule, Mr. Guyton, he's grown up because I've seen times he's snapped. But he sat there and he kept my friend, my, no, that's not your friend. When you get here and talk to me like that, you don't have a chance. I was brought up in a two-family home, a mom and a dad, a Bahamian dad, and we had to walk around that house like soldiers. So when I come here and I start speaking, the sign was for me, but I really don't care because I will continue to speak my word. And I hope since you allowed me to come into your homes, You allow me the phone calls. You allow me to kind of dictate DeAndre Poole. I start dictating what he should do, and I try to dictate to people that's running for office what to do. Thank you for your comment, Ms. Shepard. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Cindy March, followed by Chandra Stringer and J.B. Dixon.

Good evening, Council. I first want to... Rebuttal back on, Mr. Josh and these employees with the water plant. I don't work for the city of Riviera Beach, number one. I'm an advocate. And if there's some way I can direct you to who you need to speak with, I hear you. But I'm not taking sides, especially when I don't know the facts. It's two sides to any story. I met with a young man that just got through speaking at Chilean. And I just wasn't going to take sides because I didn't see that in Mr. Josh. And I'm not just going to agree with everything you say because you're the one working there. I went to Mr. Josh and I talked to him and I explained to him. And for that $600,000 generator, Ms. Hall can witness to you that I came and got a public record request to find out who signed those on that $600,000 generator. I even put it on my social media page. Mr. Evans' name was on that document. Not Josh. So we need to stop pointing fingers at individuals who we don't want here as a department head. And I'm sick of you all coming up here about Bill and the sarcastic jokes you all make with this man. Because you all better hope that you all get to be four stars and more than somebody wants you in their workplace. Because the way cost of living is, we all going to be working until 80 years old if we continue to live. All we can do is pray for this man and hope for the best for him. See, I don't walk in fear. I walk by faith. So whatever you think you're going to do to me, God got me covered. I mean, we're not going to never get along in this city if we keep battling one another and the department heads don't stay in their department. Counselors have to be held accountable. That young lady reached out to me too. Ms. William reached out to me. I reached out to Josh. I reached out to Dr. Glenn Spiridon. And Josh did everything he could. See, you got to first have a heart before you can. You got to first have a conscience before you can have a heart. Josh showed me that you are the one put this man in office. Now, y'all don't want him here because he can't dance to the music that you all play. Y'all don't want Bill here because y'all can't dance to the music that y'all want to hear and play. Half the time, Lanier and Kashama don't even come to the meeting. Kashama missed one week. Lanier missed another week. Then both of them here, everything is no. That's not the way you run a city business. Enough is enough already. And if we don't stand together and get you all up out of here, something wrong with us as individuals. Because we have seen enough. Bill has his own problems. We have our own problems. But to sit up here every week, where's Bill? It must be past his bedtime. That's not good. That's not good at all. And I hope he'll be well. And I hope he'll be able to come back. And if he don't, his health comes first. This job going to be here when all of us dead and gone. So while we fighting and bigging with one another, we need to find unity with one another.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is Chandra Stringer, followed by J.B. Dixon and Doretta Paul.

Good evening. Happy Wednesday to the mayor, city attorney, assistant city manager, and to the council, Chandra Stringer, residents of Riviera Beach. I definitely have missed being in person, but I watched Everything online, it looks totally different with them 65 inches on my wall. Real quickly, I have three things, maybe four if I have time. One, I won't be here when you start talking about the parking, but if we're going to make it free or however it needs to be done, can you please consider when individuals have a rental car? I had an unfortunate situation. I had to have a rental car and ended up having to pay $16 for parking for a couple of hours. I don't even think they gave me the two hours for free. So that's the one thing. And two, I would say just from being active, in the community for a long time, but more so since 2022 in the political arena, that we continue to hear about employee morale and the different things that's happening. I do know that there's a lot of conferences that staff attend, but I don't hear about required professional development training. I think that that needs to be visited very carefully as we do our budgeting because I think a lot of times the risk comes in supervisors and those that are in leadership are not going to the proper training. Conference is one thing, mandatory training is another. In other municipalities, leadership, everybody that has at least one person reporting to them have to take anti-harassment, anti-discrimination training and other trainings that they're required. It's not going to regulate them because you can't regulate morale, but you can put some things in place. If the city gets food, they can say, hey, you're dismissed because you went to this training. That's the other thing. And then real quickly, this educational grant. I have grave reservations about it. It's not because I'm a business consultant and been doing this work for over 30 years. This is public money from my understanding. This is not somebody's pocketbook. So if there is 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, that should be noted. No one should be doing one-on-one meetings with individuals because who determines if If one person is saying one thing to one person and somebody is saying something to another, this is no indictment on the person that's handling. I respect her, but this needs to be handled totally different. If you look, there's two different emails to contact. One on the application is a city email, Then the other one is the person's business email. None of this is fair. And anybody you know me, they know I don't deal in foolishness. There are so many things that people say that the grants are fixed. They know who's going to get them. They're not even going to try. And I think that is a very, very, very disheartening thing when we keep preaching accountability and transparency. The deadline is unrealistic. You approve the money, and then within less than 10 business days, the grant has to be done. And I'm a grant writer, and guess what? It's not an easy grant. It's a lot of information. And then the last thing I would say, push the deadline back one week. Hold an information session so everybody gets the same information, post the questions, post the response, and make this a level playing field. So people that have those gripes and complaints, there is no backup to prove it. Make it even and fair to everybody. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, please.

Mr. Chair, the next speaker is J.B. Dixon, followed by Doretta Polk, and then Mrs. Mary Bram.

JB Dixon from Singer Island in Riviera Beach. I wanted to comment on the procedure for comments because everyone is not treated the same and each one of you at the day seems to not be playing from the same hymn book. either when people are speaking, you have a right to interrupt them, which I don't think you should have, which you have done, Mr. Chair, or you wait until it is your time to speak at the end of the meeting. Somebody previously said that that's not a good idea. I think I agree with that, but perhaps after public comment, you should then answer the public comments, the city manager, as well as any of you who who have been mentioned by the speakers. But the procedure needs to be the same. Either you can interrupt people, which you should not do, or you cannot. It's not that some of you can interrupt people and others can't. It also is a thing of when exactly do you, let's say someone accuses you of something. You don't have a right to, after they finish speaking, to defend yourself. You have to wait until whatever time you all agree is the time for you to respond to public comments. So it's, again, a lack of procedure, a lack of you all doing the same thing and being disciplined. And I think it's very indicative of the way many departments in the city is run. There are procedures. If they're not good procedures, change them. There are policies. If those are not good policies, change them. But if you don't change them, follow them and make them the same for everyone. Do not treat some speakers who come up here and make public comments differently than you treat other people. Everyone here should have their 3 minutes and of course it would be wonderful if you only had 3 minutes to but I know that that's probably never going to fly. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment next week, a plea.

It's an ex-figure of the route the red up all of them is Mary Graham.

I'm in my car to be there one more.

Good evening. My name is Doretta Park. And I just want to say what a fab, first of all, go back. I have prayers for Mr. Wilkins, and I hope that he returns if he's able. And that's what we all should be focused on, just his well-being, his well-being. So I do thank Mr. Colbert, and also Ms. Deidre Jacobs is doing a very good job in his absence, and I wanted to also commend Mr. Brody. He's doing a fantastic job. I'm part of the library club, and we've had a lot of summer local artists, the assassination of the leadership of America. We've had summer literature about the mysterious and suspense And also, we have our very own attorney here, Mr. Richard Rouse. He had some literature about truth, justice, and prosperity. And it was very, very, very interesting. And I learned a lot of details that I thought I knew about history. Now, my concerns concerning this utility district, when I was here, talking at a utility meeting and also a council meeting, I brought up the concerns about this generator, just like these young men that work there now. And was it working when he purchased it? Although Mr. Evans signed off on it, he is the one that purchased it. And if he purchased it without it being operable, that is totally wrong. Totally wrong. and um also uh i think he retaliated on me concerning when i said that about my uh asphalt driveway because i did i did have some cracks in this but not the enormous of cracks when they start putting this new pipe in sewer pipe in so um He said he was going to use a different machine that wouldn't have that intensity on my foundation. And then he's sitting up here. And that's what really made me so upset because he lied. He lied. And I will not tolerate it because I do not lie on people. And I will not tolerate anyone lying on me. What those men said, I hope that you do investigate in this. because it seems like to me some truth. He said that also he's awarding several of his people that works in there better opportunities and also pay scales. If any of these men get offered these pay scales, I doubt it very seriously.

Thank you very much for your comment. Thank you very much for your comment.

I will be back at the utility meeting.

Mr. Chair, the last speaker is Mrs. Mary Brown.

Good evening to the leaders and everyone that is sitting in their respective places. I'm not here tonight to make you feel good or stroke you. I'm here to tell you something, because normally when I come to tell you something, you best believe that it's happening and it is going to happen. First of all, Bill will be fine. My condolences goes out to Mother Griffin Davis, as well as Dolly Parton, because Ms. Graham is a Dolly Parton fan as well, too. So I'm sure that the family will announce Mother Griffin Davis at a later date. But Ms. Graham said, condolences. Melvin Feenan and Bailey, the engineer. I'm glad I canceled my meeting today because I was home today. And I saw human fiber laying those T-Mobile pipes. and fibers in my neighborhood and digging down in the ground where our sewage lines at and our pipes. And you best believe I had a talk with them because they busted one of the pipes on my street. Exactly. This is a problem here in the city. And these people with their water bills, I honestly believe that underneath, when they were doing work and stuff in these various areas, digging underneath their ground, they quite abussed some people's taxes. That's one thing. I'm not here to throw no shade at the police department, but an agent asked me, Ms. Bram, what seemed to be the problem in your city with those drugs and how those traffickers keep coming in your city? This morning I observed one had on a ski mask coming from a very safe. It's another one to ride that motorbike that's over there. See the cabinet, Michael Rubio. And if I had to get a. whatever his name is in this here, I will because they helped build over there. So chief, you must correct that problem there because they asked me and I say either the council members know these family people or they have friends that lives in our neighborhood that being disrupted. And any council person up there that voted to put drug houses in our neighborhood, you will never be forgiven because we suffer enough in our neighborhood. So you all need to check these things here because we are on guard with this city here. The attorney, you all got discussion and deliberation. See here, we went to court one time about the same mess here, not having the general public involved in these major decisions. And we won and we won. Then you're doing it again. Discussion and deliberation. We can't talk on it. Her contract has not been before the board in years and years and years. The attorney is in the fan box because she works for you all, council people, instead of knowledgeable being with the general public. Thank you. It is true. It is true. Thank you. Mr. Chair, that's the end of general public comment.

Is that the last comment?

Yes, sir. That's the last public comment.

Okay. Mister city manager on that there. They do take the notes of the comment I did. It's got to win to the end of the meeting body pressure on your mind. Let's go now yes. And let me just say the the city attorney is reviewed I think annually or your

There should be an opportunity for annual review.

Okay. All right. ACM.

Yeah, I'll be brief, Mr. Chair. First public comment was dealing with the UD employee complaints. We'll be looking into that and investigating.

Talk into the mic, please.

Yeah, the first issue was dealing with the UD employee complaints. We'll look into those and investigate it. SECOND ISSUE WAS THE CITY BILL OF RIGHTS 72-75 WHY IT'S NOT POSTED WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT TOMORROW ALSO AND IF IT'S NOT POSTED WE'LL GET IT ON THE WEBSITE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE WAS BROUGHT UP REGARDING HAVING A NEUTRAL MAGISTRATE WE ALREADY HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDITOR AND SHE PLAYS THAT ROLE SHE'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THAT'S THE ROLE THAT SHE PLAYS AND YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND INDEPENDENTLY SEE HER ANONYMOUSLY AND FILE YOUR COMPLAINTS

One of the things about that is she reports to the city manager. That's a problem. We need to address that on the dyad. To be independent, you shouldn't be reporting to somebody within the city. Keep going.

Rental cars for citizens and parking, I think if you register and you put your address in there, That should be a non-issue, but I'll double check with Mr. Sherman. That shouldn't be an issue once you log in, put your address in there, whether it's a rent-a-car or not. You should be fine there, and the parking should be free.

I think it should, but how would they determine? I think they look at the license plate number Yeah. But look into it. I'll clarify that.

I think it goes by address.

And those things that we can address, we will. But those that we can't, we may not be able to address every issue. But look into it if we can address it. If we can, we will.

Yes, Mr. Chair. I have two more items. The required development training for staff. We already do anti-harassment training. HR makes it mandatory. And that's conducted every year. And the last item I have is the educational grant timeline was brought up that the process might be too short. We can always look into expanding that once it comes out once.

I would like for you to bring that to us for consideration whether we want to extend it or and I don't understand the process. So would you bring the entire process back to us at the next meeting, please?

Yeah.

Yes.

I think the deadline is on the 7th. You heard me?

Yes.

I said I think the deadline is the 7th for that grant, so I don't know. Bringing it back at the next meeting would be too late.

Okay. I would be willing for us to extend it while we're reviewing this. Ms. COUNCILWOMAN MILLER-ANDERSON, DO YOU THINK THAT TWO WEEKS AND THE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE EXTENDING IT TWO WEEKS WOULD BE A FAIR TIME TO EXTEND IT WHILE WE'RE REVIEWING THIS? YES, CHAIR. DID YOU HEAR ME, COUNCILWOMAN MILLER-ANDERSON?

I KNOW IT'S COMING FROM THE EDUCATION ADVISORY GROUP. um and i i don't think that came to us so it was kind of run through them is what i'm assuming um no my question was what about extending it for two weeks while we review it the deadline yeah yeah yeah no i'm fine with it being extended but as far as the the comment that was made about the process in terms of um oh yes yes that is something you know people being able to do the one-on-one question and answer. I think what Ms. Stringer brought up about that being like a public thing or doing that where people are able to post their questions and then everybody gets an answer. But of course, Ms. Lanier is the chair, I think of that board. So maybe she can give a little more information on that. Somebody is.

I did not know. I would have went to your bird.

Yeah.

Miss chair, you know what you're coming up with the council that board chair is. This cliche out of out of the okay, but I don't think that the advisory committee would have any problem actually I was. Texting back and forth with the ONE OF THE MEMBERS THAT WE CAN EXTEND IT FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT ALSO, TOO, WE CAN HAVE A SESSION WHERE THE ACTUAL RFP ITSELF CAN BE GONE OVER AND QUESTIONS CAN BE ASKED AND ANSWERED. PROCESS ITSELF.

YEAH.

AT THE TIME.

OKAY. CHAIR, QUICK QUESTIONS, PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN DAVIS.

COUNCILWOMAN, WHO MAKES THE FINAL DECISION, LIKE WHAT GROUP? I WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED. THE BOARD MAKES THE FINAL DECISION. do we get to the list of all the positions and we're able to review before? Okay, thank you.

Now we can review that process when we go start reviewing it to determine if we want to make any adjustments to the process.

Very good, thank you.

Chair? Yes.

I'm not sure two weeks is long enough based on what people were saying when they were coming up here. Do you think we should do three weeks maybe?

I HAVE NO DOUBT.

I THINK WHAT WAS TRYING TO HAPPEN WAS THAT SOME OF THE MEMBERS WANTED IT TO BE DONE BEFORE SEPTEMBER 31ST, BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SO WE CAN GO UP TO THAT DATE AND IT STILL WOULD BE IN THE FISCAL YEAR. BUT THEY WANTED TO TRY AND GET IT OUT SO THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY LEFT OVER FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR.

okay so three weeks we can do the two weeks and look at this and then look at the time then whether we have the chair to uh email the council to let them know yes and then we'll have staff bring the process back to us for review yes so if we have any input we can give it at that time okay anything else that was the last one one question um councilwoman miller anderson

Did I hear you all say that we're selecting them or the education board?

No, we said that we were going to review the process. But right now, the same process is in place where the board is doing the selection. But we are going to review the process.

But did I hear that? I hear Councilman Davis being your system about the applicant. We get the applications that were heard or no.

I did ask it and I thought the answer was yes.

Yes, we do get to review. Yes, the council, the advisory board reviews the proposals. If the council wants a copy of the proposals that can be arranged, they make a recommendation. Those recommendations come to the council. And of course, those recommendations are accompanied by their actual proposals.

So we we actually vote on the proposals that are submitted, make the final what they the the education committee chair.

No, I understood that. I understand when you all bring them to us, we're just approving versus we approve what you all give to us. But I'm trying to get in on the early part where I'm able to review what you all are voting on or be a part of that. So I'm not trying to wait till it comes before us to say, yes, okay, we agree with whatever you all selected.

It's the same process as the community grant. It's the same exact process, but the same way with the community grants, if the council, if there's a deadline and they have 26 proposals, the council can get those.

Okay, we're going to review the process. And if we want to make some changes, we can make some changes to the process. Okay, we need to keep the meeting moving. Madam Clerk, next item.

mr chair we are on an item that was on discussion that was moved up on the agenda to be heard after public comment which is item 12e resolution number 115-26 a resolution of the city council of the city of river beach palm beach county florida authorizing the chief financial officer to appropriate and disperse $5,000 from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund to Inlet Grove Community High School to support its football program and providing an effective date. Mr. Chair, there are no comment cards on this item. The acceptance of cards is closed.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. And you know what? I just entertain a motion now and on discussion, they can explain what it is and we can go from there. We can keep the meeting moving. I ENTERTAIN THE MOTION. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SPIRITUS. SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN LENIER TO SUPPORT THE CONTRIBUTION OF $5,000 TO INLET GROVE. STAFF, I'M SORRY.

I WANTED TO ADD THAT IF WE COULD MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO ADD ANOTHER $5,000 FROM THE EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

OKAY. MS. ATTORNEY, ARE WE AUTHORIZED TO DO THAT? AS LONG AS THE FUNDS ARE THERE, YES. MR. CHAIR?

YES. SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD TO DISCUSS THAT? I MEAN, I KNOW ULTIMATELY WE DO IT, BUT WE CAN JUST GO AROUND THEM WITHOUT THEM PROVIDING SOME KIND OF RECOMMENDATION OR SOMETHING?

Yeah, I just I just checked with.

Well, no, I wanted to be very specific about the question that was being asked, so that doesn't have to go through the Education Advisory Board at all.

Let's deal with this law enforcement first.

And if we want to come back, let her know that they're going to present next week to the OK. All righty.

We're dealing with the five. You have a motion for approval. Short presentation.

Absolutely. Thanks for supporting this initiative. The law enforcement trust fund dollars are dollars received from operations and seizure of drug money and different operations that we be involved in. And we use those funds to put back in the community as well as to support law enforcement initiatives. When this situation came about with Inlet Grow, we realized that there was a serious need within our community with our youth, which we take pride in being part of. So we heard outcry. We heard a lot of communities came together. Mr. Jamal Stewart put together a team of people all throughout the whole city and throughout Palm Beach County. And because of the serious need of our youth in our community, we decided to want to support that initiative in their grow, which he spoke about a hundred percent graduation rate. And we get a chance to impact our community with a small donation of five thousand dollars. These funds will be supported by other initiatives. When these schools play football on city property, we also want to provide security THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FREE, NOT FOR FREE, BUT THROUGH MY BUDGET TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE WHEN THEY PLAY FOOTBALL ON CITY PROPERTY. IF THE GAMES ARE PLAYED ON SCHOOL BOARD PROPERTY, THEY WILL HAVE TO FIND FUNDING. BUT AS LONG AS THEY PLAY ON CITY PROPERTIES, WE'RE GOING TO COVER THOSE SECURITIES AS WELL. SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT INITIATIVE.

THANK YOU. COACH, DO YOU WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS? VERY FEW.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, COUNCILWOMAN. uh lanier thank you so much for sammy in the beginning of this like dilemma um thank you to mayor to opening up the fields for us at the recreation center we were able to get our game off and we have two more games and i invite you to come see how hard these boys are fighting for this community um My biggest goal is to hopefully continue this partnership with the city and know and understand that we need help constantly annually for not just football, but for my ideas here, all of our athletics programs. We have no funding from the County. So we need partnerships throughout this community, business leaders, businesses. You know these people, we don't. We're teachers, we're educators. We are fighting those battles. We need help outside the school walls and outside the fences.

Okay, thank you very much. Madam Clerk.

Is my amendment attached? Is my amendment attached?

No, we were going to revisit that.

At this time?

No.

The reason why I ask is because they're coming next week to present to the Education Committee. And if we wait, this could be pending an approval from the Education Committee. Because they're going to come next week to do that.

That makes sense.

Okay. Chair?

Yes, Councilwoman Miller-Anderson.

Can we do it as a separate one, a separate vote, if it's going to be pending?

We can. Let's carry this vote. Madam Clerk.

Councilperson Lanier? Yes. Councilperson Miller-Anderson? Yes. Chairperson Spiridon?

Yes.

Chairperson Gieson?

Yes.

Item passes.

Now I entertain a motion to approve another 5,000 coming from the Education Committee pending their approval of it and making a presentation next week. It's been moved, seconded by Council Member Davis-Predeer, these hyphenated names. No more discussion. Madam Clerk.

Yes, Chair. Hello, can I talk?

Yes, Councilwoman Miller-Anderson.

Can we just see what, I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't be suggesting this if they didn't have any money, but can we at least someone send us what they have available in the Education Advisory Board account?

Yes.

Absolutely.

All right, thank you.