Dec 11, 2023 City Commission

[00:00:02]

ALL RIGHT.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE.

THIS MEETING IS COMING TO ORDER.

UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? UM, WE HAVE PASTOR DOW COMING TO GIVE US THE INVOCATION.

HE IS FROM MEMORIAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE MARTYRS.

IF YOU WILL PLEASE STAND, WE WILL HAVE THE INVOCATION AND FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY VICE MAYOR ROXANNE HORVATH.

HERE ARE SOME BRIEF THOUGHTS FROM AN AUTHOR WHO WAS PROMINENT DURING HIS CAREER, WHICH EMBRACED THE DISCIPLINES OF MEDICINE, PSYCHIATRY AND THEOLOGY, AND WHO CONTINUES TO INSPIRE SINCE HIS DEATH IN 2005.

PLEASE PERMIT ME TO OFFER A QUOTE.

IN AND THROUGH COMMUNITY LIES SALVATION IN THE WORLD.

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT, YET IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE COMMUNITY MEANINGFULLY TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED IT.

AND MOST OF US HAVE NEVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE OF TRUE COMMUNITY.

THE PROBLEM IS ANALOGOUS TO AN ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE THE TASTE OF ARTICHOKES TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER EATEN ONE.

STILL, THE ATTEMPT MUST BE MADE FOR THE HUMAN RACE TODAY STANDS AT THE BRINK OF SELF-ANNIHILATION.

SOME OF THE VICTIMS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI ARE DESCRIBED AS WALKING BLINDLY DOWN THE STREET AFTER THE BLASTS, DRAGGING BUNDLES OF THEIR OWN SKIN BEHIND THEM. I'M SCARED FOR MY OWN SKIN.

I'M EVEN MORE SCARED FOR THE SKIN OF MY CHILDREN.

AND I'M SCARED FOR YOUR SKINS.

I WANT TO SAVE MY SKIN.

I NEED YOU AND YOU NEED ME FOR SALVATION.

WE MUST COME INTO COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER.

WE NEED EACH OTHER, HE SAYS.

IN MY EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNITY, I DISCOVERED ITS EXTREME IMPORTANCE IN MY OWN LIFE AND IN THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF MY FELLOW HUMANS.

AS WE STRUGGLE TOGETHER TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT SUPERFICIALITY OR DISTORTION OR ANIMOSITY.

THE QUOTE IS FROM M SCOTT PECK IN HIS BOOK THE DIFFERENT DRUM.

LET US PRAY.

GRACIOUS GOD, GRACIOUS AND WISE AND LOVING A MAN LIKE SCOTT PECK, WHEN HE FINDS HIMSELF STRIVING FOR A COMMUNITY THAT LIVES IN HOPE, TALKS ABOUT RECONCILIATION WITH OTHERS IN PLACES WHERE SO MUCH IS DIFFERENT THAN US AND DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS A MOMENT AGO.

EMPOWER US TO STRIVE FOR THAT COMMUNITY, TO LISTEN, TO BE AWARE OF EACH OTHER'S NEEDS, TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN A SPIRIT OF COMPASSION. WE PRAY THAT THIS IS WHO WE ARE.

WE PRAY THAT THIS IS WHO YOU WILL KEEP LEADING US TO BE, IN THE NAME OF THIS GOD WHO SO LEADS US.

AMEN. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE.

THANK YOU, PASTOR DOWELL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS, UM, MODIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR AGENDA.

[2. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]

UH, MADAM MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE TWO CHANGES TO THE AGENDA THIS EVENING.

THE FIRST IS TO REMOVE CA9 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THAT'S THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE POLICE OFFICERS UNION.

THE UNION IS NOT PREPARED AT THIS TIME TO HAVE THAT HEARD.

AND THE SECOND IS TO ADD A SPECIAL PRESENTATION UNDER THREE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS FROM THE CITY'S FIRE CHIEF, CARLOS AVILES, CONCERNING THE CITY'S ISO RATING.

ALL RIGHT. SO I WILL MAKE A NOTE WHEN WE GET TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ITEM FIVE.

SO WE HAVE A DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MODIFICATIONS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE OFFERED ONE UM MODIFICATION TO ADD UM, CHIEF CARLOS AVILES PRESENTATION IN ITEM THREE. DO I HEAR A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. THANK YOU.

THE REGULAR AGENDA HAS BEEN MODIFIED.

THANK YOU. SO WE MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE WHICH IS SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.

[3. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS]

[00:05:16]

UH, I'M CARLOS AVILES, FIRE CHIEF FOR THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

PARDON ME, PARDON ME.

IF YOU'LL PUT YOUR TEAM BEHIND YOU.

SURE. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

THEN WE COULD SEE THEM ON THE SCREEN.

WE ALL WANT TO SEE THEM.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM.

EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT, Y'ALL SQUEEZE IN.

ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT THEN.

SO A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE EMBARKED ON RENEWING OUR SURVEY WITH THE INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE, WHERE THEY LOOK AT EVERY FACET OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FROM TRAINING TO WATER SUPPLY, EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL, COMMUNICATIONS.

AND THEN THEY PUT ALL OF THAT INTO AN ALGORITHM, AND THEY ISSUE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, A PUBLIC PROTECTION CLASSIFICATION.

UH, THE PUBLIC PROTECTION CLASSIFICATION RANGES FROM 9 TO 1, ONE BEING THE VERY BEST.

UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY AN ISO RATED ONE ORGANIZATION.

UH, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU TODAY THAT WE RETAINED OUR ISO CLASS ONE RATING AND MANAGED TO IMPROVE ON OUR OVERALL SCORE.

SO OUT OF A POSSIBLE 105.5, WE SCORED 102.12.

SO REALLY THE ONLY AREA WHERE WE WERE DINGED WAS IN STAFFING AND PERSONNEL, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLANNING TO ADDRESS HERE IN THE FUTURE.

UM, BUT THIS PUTS THE SAINT AUGUSTINE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN AN UNBELIEVABLY ELITE CLASS OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

UH, PROBABLY GIVING US THE SECOND HIGHEST ISO SCORE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BUT LEAVING JUST ENOUGH MEAT ON THE BONE TO GIVE US SOMETHING TO SHOOT FOR IN FIVE YEARS. AND SO THE REASON YOU HAVE EVERYBODY HERE WITH YOU TODAY IS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENT IN AND BY ITSELF, THAT WE CONSIDER THIS AN ABSOLUTE CITY ACCOMPLISHMENT.

UM, AND IT IT STARTS WITH CITY ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED WATER, AND WATER IS 40% OF THE OVERALL SCORE.

WE MAXED OUT OUR WATER SCORE.

SO IT ALSO SIGNIFIES AN INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT TO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FROM THIS COMMISSION AND FROM CITY ADMINISTRATION, UTILITIES, OUR FLEET MAINTENANCE.

WE CAN'T GET TO CALLS IF THE TRUCKS AREN'T RUNNING RIGHT.

WE CAN'T GET THERE QUICKLY IF THE ROADS AREN'T SMOOTH.

UM, IT TAKES ALL OF US TO PULL THIS TOGETHER.

AND SO WE'VE GOT REPRESENTATION UP HERE FROM PUBLIC WORKS, FROM UTILITIES.

UM, OUR GIS PARTNERS HERE IN THE CITY THAT DID A LOT OF WORK ON THE FRONT END TO HELP PREPARE THE SURVEY.

IT REALLY DOES TAKE EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF THE CITY FUNCTIONING WELL.

AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T CONSIDER THIS SOLELY A FIRE DEPARTMENT ACHIEVEMENT, BUT RATHER A CITYWIDE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

AND THAT'S NOT TO DIMINISH THE WORK THAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THEY ARE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ANSWER THE CALL AT 2 OR 3 IN THE MORNING.

THESE ARE THE SAME FOLKS THAT WILL RUN 24 CALLS IN A 24 HOUR SHIFT, AND GIVE THE SAME LEVEL OF COMPASSION TO SOMEBODY AT THREE IN THE MORNING THAT THEY WOULD GIVE TO A LOVED ONE. UM, THEY TRAIN EVERY SINGLE SHIFT.

THEY PULL HOSES EVERY SINGLE SHIFT.

THEY'RE DIRTY, THEY'RE TIRED, BUT THEY KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND THAT LEVEL OF DEDICATION IS REFLECTED IN THIS SCORE.

THEY ARE AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE GROUP OF PEOPLE.

WE'RE VERY, VERY BLESSED TO HAVE THEM SERVING THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

AND LASTLY, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION OUR AMAZING PARTNERS AT SAINT JOHNS COUNTY FIRE RESCUE.

WE HAVE AN AMAZING WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

UH, I THINK THE WORLD OF THAT ORGANIZATION.

OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS HAVE COME A VERY, VERY LONG WAY.

UM, AND IF I CAN JUST TAKE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO TO SHARE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON ME PERSONALLY.

RIGHT. SO I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY NOW FOR 18.5 YEARS.

AND THE ONLY REASON I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS BECAUSE AN ENTIRE SHIFT HAD UP AND LEFT TO JOIN A NEIGHBORING AGENCY.

AND THE FIRST 3 OR 4 YEARS WHILE I WAS WITH THE ORGANIZATION, THERE WERE TALKS OF MERGERS.

THERE WERE TALKS OF THE DEPARTMENT BEING DISSOLVED, AND WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS, TO PUSH THROUGH THEM.

AND SO, IN MY OPINION, 18 YEARS IS A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO SEE THIS LEVEL OF TRANSFORMATION.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK AT BILL HARRIS, AT JOHN REGAN AT NOW, DAVID BIRCHAM, UH, CHIEF OWENS, CHIEF ARNOLD, CHIEF CASTERA, AND NOW MYSELF, IT'S A MULTI-DECADE COMMITMENT TO TRYING TO OFFER AND IMPROVE THE SERVICES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE CITY.

[00:10:01]

WE'RE VERY PROUD AND VERY HAPPY.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S ALSO A WONDERFUL BENEFIT TO, UM, INSURANCE RATES.

YEAH. SO MOST INSURANCE AGENCIES WILL LOOK AT A DEPARTMENT'S PPC, UH, TO HELP DETERMINE THEIR FIRE INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR THE AREA.

AND SO THE IT DOES WEIGH MORE HEAVILY ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE THAN IT DOES THE RESIDENTIAL, BUT IT'S NO DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU HAVE CLEAN, SAFE STREETS, THAT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, AND THAT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BUILD BUSINESSES AND SET UP COMMERCE, AND THEY WON'T MAKE THAT INVESTMENT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES UNLESS THEY FEEL LIKE THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE GOING TO BE PROTECTED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COMMISSIONERS. ANY COMMENTS? WE'RE VERY HAPPY. [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WILL INDULGE US NOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH.

UM, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, I THINK, COMMISSIONERS, IF WE'LL STEP FORWARD OR BACKWARDS, IF WE HAVE TIME, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

SO WE'LL JUST INVITE THEM UP AND WE'LL BRING YOU OUT.

OH, THAT WAS A VERY HAPPY MOMENT.

SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS OR FOR AGENDA ITEMS NOT REQUIRING A SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING]

HOLD ON A SECOND.

YOU PUT SOME UNDER YOUR NOTEBOOK TOO.

YES, THOSE ARE READY.

ARE THEY IN THE NOTEBOOK? YOU HAVE MORE. THEY CAME IN BATCHES, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'RE ALL.

OKAY. OKAY.

UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH MARTHA.

MARTHA MICKLER, FOLLOWED BY VIKKI PEPPER. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

I'M MARTHA MICKLER.

I LIVE AT 30 SPANISH STREET.

AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS ON SPANISH STREET.

AND I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THEM THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT.

UM, WE WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS REGARDING TRAFFIC AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS VERY HISTORIC AREA OF DOWNTOWN SAINT AUGUSTINE.

WE KNOW IT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE EVERYONE INVESTIGATING A WAY TO LIMIT TRAFFIC IN THIS HISTORIC AREA AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

AS YOU WELL KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN CLOSED TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FOR ALMOST FIVE MONTHS NOW.

CITY STAFF AND WORKERS HAVE DONE THEIR VERY BEST TO MAKE LIVING WITH CONSTRUCTION AS COMPATIBLE AS POSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, AND WE ALL APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORTS.

WE WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU, OUR CITY MANAGER, DAVID BERTRAM, ASSISTANT MANAGER REUBEN FRANKLIN AND MOBILITY COORDINATOR XAVIER PELLICER FOR LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS AND OUR SUGGESTIONS.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND TO THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO OUR EMAILS.

AND SOME OF YOU HAVE EVEN COME AND VISITED OUR STREET RECENTLY.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SO WE THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THAT FOR US.

[00:15:07]

ALL RIGHT. SO, UM I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT BEFORE WE MOVE ON, MISS PEPPER, IF YOU WILL.

JUST. UM, CAN WE, UH, LET'S DO THIS.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

AND I'D LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK TO CITY MANAGER SO THAT HE CAN ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS, UM, HERE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU. SO, MISS PEPPER, THIS IS YOUR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.

I NOTICED YOU HAVE TWO CARDS.

YEAH. UM. SO I'LL DO THAT ONE.

GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS VICKI PEPPER.

I LIVE ON HARBOR VISTA CIRCLE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING MYSELF AND CARE.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR RACIAL EQUITY.

WE'RE AN INFORMAL, INDEPENDENT CIVIC ACTION GROUP THAT GREW OUT OF SAINT AUGUSTINE'S ONGOING COMMUNITY CONVERSATION EFFORT.

ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WHY WE NEED A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY IN SAINT JOHNS COUNTY.

ALTHOUGH CARE AND MANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED THE TOOLS THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD ADD TO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOOLKIT, A BELIEF I HOPE THE CITY'S LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO SHARE.

INSTEAD, TODAY, I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT CARE AND THE COMMUNITY OF WEST AUGUSTINE, AN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED PART OF OUR CITY AND COUNTY WHOSE LEADERSHIP CARE WORKS WITH AND SUPPORTS WITH OUR ADVOCACY, CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY TO CREATE A VIBRANT NEW COMMUNITY ON THE CITY'S PROPERTY AT 450 NORTH HOLMES BOULEVARD IN WEST AUGUSTINE.

AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, AS A COMPASSIONATE CITY, SAINT AUGUSTINE SHOULD BE A LEADER IN FOSTERING THE BELOVED COMMUNITY ENVISIONED BY DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, FOR ALL OF US HERE IN SAINT JOHNS COUNTY.

BUT WE'VE HEARD VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE PLANS FOR THE CITY'S NORTH HOLMES BOULEVARD PROPERTY OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

SO ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC, I'LL ASK, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THIS EFFORT, INCLUDING WHAT ARE THE CITY'S PROJECTED TIMELINES FOR MOVING FORWARD? SECOND, A FAR LESS COSTLY AND MORE IMMEDIATE WAY TO PROMOTE BELOVED COMMUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE WOULD BE FOR THE CITY TO SUPPORT COMPASSIONATE SAINT AUGUSTINE'S PURPLE BENCH PROJECT BY SPONSORING SEVERAL PURPLE BENCHES TO BE PLACED IN PUBLIC SPACES AROUND SAINT AUGUSTINE.

IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS INITIATIVE, THE COMPASSIONATE SAINT AUGUSTINE LAUNCHED LAST MONTH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH IT.

THE IDEA IS TO CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF COMPASSION THROUGH CONVERSATIONS ACROSS DIFFERENCES.

CIVIL DISCOURSE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS FOSTERS HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS AND AFFORDS EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER OUR COMMON HUMANITY.

THIS, IN TURN, FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPASSION, A BENEFICIAL LIFE SKILL THAT MUST BE TAUGHT, LEARN AND PRACTICE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A JUST ECONOMY AND A PEACEFUL SOCIETY.

WITH YOUR LEAVE, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THIS LATER AFTER THE STAFF REPORT FOR AGENDA ITEM TEN A, BUT A GOOD PLACE TO START WOULD BE TO OBTAIN A COUPLE OF PURPLE BENCHES FOR ZORA NEALE HURSTON PARK.

THANK YOU. AND, MADAM MAYOR, I CAN GIVE A REAL BRIEF UPDATE ON THE 450 NORTH HOLMES BOULEVARD.

WE'LL DO THAT AFTER I TAKE THE, WE DO THIS AFTER WE GET EVERYBODY'S PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE RECORD, AND THEN WE'LL THAT'S THE SECOND ITEM THAT WE'LL ASK YOU TO ADDRESS.

OKAY. I HAVE A MR. SCOTT YORK.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A MOMENT FOR ME.

I DIDN'T SEE THE CARDS WHEN I WALKED IN, BUT I WANTED TO ALSO SPEAK ON THE ISSUE THAT MRS. MICKLER BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE SPANISH STREET.

AND AS THE PASTOR MENTIONED DURING THE INVOCATION, IT'S HARD TO TEACH SOMEBODY ABOUT COMMUNITY TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH COMMUNITY.

I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH A COMMUNITY WHILE LIVING IN LITTLE SAN FELIPE ON SPANISH STREET.

MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION HAVE BROUGHT UP AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS THE IDEA OF, UH, EITHER CHANGING TRAFFIC PATTERNS OR RESTRICTING TRAFFIC ON SPANISH STREET AND DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, THIS CONSTRUCTION THAT'S BEEN GOING ON HAS, UH, HELPED US TO BECOME EVEN STRONGER.

OUR BOND WITH EACH OTHER EVEN STRONGER.

BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER WITHOUT THAT VEHICULAR TRAFFIC PASSING BY US, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER IN OUR DRIVEWAYS AND AT THE WORLD FAMOUS PORCH TIME GATHERING SESSIONS.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING RUN OVER BY THESE VEHICLES AND ALSO HAVING TO HEAR THEIR BLASTING STEREOS LATE AT NIGHT, EARLY MORNINGS AND ALL HOURS OF THE DAY. SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND TO LOOK INTO IT FURTHER.

[00:20:03]

AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS BJ KALAIDI.

BJ KALAIDI, WEST CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

TEN A, APPROVED CONCEPT A FOR PARK AT SOUTHEAST CORNER OF US ONE AND KING STREET.

QUESTION, DOES THESE PLANS INCLUDE CLEAR CUTTING TREES ON THE PROPERTY? QUESTION. WHERE IS THE BENCH AND TRASH CONTAINER? THE REMAINING $235,000 CAN HELP PAY FOR PARCEL 1622100010 ON FISH ISLAND PRESERVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN EMAIL DATED OCTOBER 4TH, 2023 TO MR. BIRCHIM FROM OWNERS OF THE PARCEL.

ACCORDING TO C 2020 3-0447 REPORT, ROOSTERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM BROUDY'S PROPERTY AND EMAIL DATED OCTOBER 31ST, 2023 FROM MR. BIRCHIM STATED HE WOULD COVER $1,600.

ROOSTERS WERE STILL ON THIS BLIGHTED PROPERTY AS OF TODAY.

QUESTION, WAS THE $1,600 MR. BIRCHIM DOLLARS OR TAXPAYER DOLLARS? ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2023 AT NINE ALTHEA STREET.

A-L-T-H-E-A, WHERE S PAXTON MARSHALL, WHO IS THE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, IS ON THE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ROSTER AT FLAGLER COLLEGE LIVES HELD AN OPEN HOUSE PARTY WITH 50 TO 100 STUDENTS.

EIGHT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS RESPONDED, INCLUDING A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY.

SAP D REPORT, 259771, SJSO REPORT, 259763 ON NOVEMBER 12TH, 2023, OUR CHIEF OF POLICE MET WITH NEIGHBORS AFFECTED BY THIS LARGE WILD PARTY.

QUESTION, DID COACH BRIAN BELL TALK WITH HER, TAKE HER OFF THE ROSTER, OR TAKE AWAY HER SCHOLARSHIP? QUESTION, DID MISS PAXSON OR ANY OF THE 5100 INDIVIDUALS APOLOGIZE IN WRITING TO THE COMMUNITY? IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SUCH INCIDENTS IN THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE TEACH DISRESPECT, SINCE TALKING OVER THE YEARS CONTINUES TO LEAD TO SUCH DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR.

AGAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE VERSUS THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR IS REALLY TAKEN OVER THIS CITY AND THIS COUNTY.

I THANK YOU MISS KALAIDI.

I HAVE NO MORE SPEAKER CARDS.

SO PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW CLOSED.

MR. UM, CITY MANAGER.

SO I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF EMAILS MYSELF FROM RESIDENTS ON SPANISH STREET, AND I HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS AND TRIED TO FOLLOW UP, UM, BEFORE I DID, UM, RESPOND TO THE EMAILS, I WANTED YOU TO GIVE US AN I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE US ON, UM, THIS REQUEST ON SPANISH STREET.

OKAY. I'D BE HAPPY TO.

I'D LIKE TO BRING REUBEN FRANKLIN UP TOO, HE'S, THE PROJECT MANAGER.

OKAY, WONDERFUL. WE ARE OPEN TO THE IDEA OF OF USING NORTH SPANISH STREET AND LOOKING AT REVERSING THE ONE WAY OF, OF NORTH SPANISH STREET AND REVERSING KUHNA STREET.

THERE ARE SOME TECHNICAL DETAILS WE NEED TO LOOK AT, AND SPECIFICALLY TURNING RADIUSES FOR TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

UM, BUT I'LL HAND IT OVER TO RUBEN.

OKAY. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, REUBEN FRANKLIN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

UH, SO WE HAVE, UH, I RECEIVED THE EMAILS AS WELL.

SO I'VE ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION WITH SOME ALTERNATIVES TO CONSIDER, WHICH ARE PLANNING TO BRING MAYBE THE SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY.

OKAY. UH, THAT WILL COINCIDE WITH HOPEFULLY WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOMETHING, UM, BEFORE WE OPEN THE STREET.

IT MAY NOT BE EVERYTHING, UH, WITH THIS FIRST PHASE, UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE THE TOTAL MODEL LOT.

THE TOTAL MODEL LOT YET.

AND SO THE TRASH COMPACTOR IS STILL GOING TO REMAIN ON THE STREET AS WELL AS THE LOADING ZONE, UNTIL WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TOTAL MODEL PLAN.

SO, UM, BUT I DO PLAN TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, WE'LL WE'LL MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PLANS AS WELL.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, UH, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO ADD ON THAT ISSUE? NO, MA'AM. OKAY. UM, ALL RIGHT, SO THE OTHER REQUEST WE HAD WAS, UM, CONCERNING AN UPDATE ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON HOLMES BOULEVARD.

AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? DID YOU WANT TO UPDATE US NOW OR, UM, SCHEDULE PRESENTATION? I'D LIKE TO UPDATE YOU NOW.

OKAY. UH, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THAT PRESENTATION ON THIS AGENDA, BUT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO

[00:25:02]

AND AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN IT WILL BE SCHEDULED.

I CAN TELL YOU IT WILL BE IN THE SPRING.

UM, BUT WHEN WE LOOKED AT HOW COMPLICATED THIS PROJECT WAS, WE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT WE NEEDED TO WE NEEDED TO PROVIDE YOU AND THE COMMUNITY A LOT MORE INFORMATION. THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY. THANK YOU. BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ANTICIPATING THE DATA THAT WE NEED MOVING FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU BEFORE WE CAN MAKE ANY DECISIONS.

SO ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO CONSENT AGENDA.

[5. CONSENT AGENDA]

ANYONE HAVING A CHANGE.

OKAY. I, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM CA EIGHT CONCERNING A REQUEST FOR A LOGO, THE USE OF A LOGO OR A, UM SCHOOL, A CHURCH T SHIRT, SWEATSHIRT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND, UM, I HAVE, UM, A REQUEST FROM CITY MANAGER TO REMOVE ITEM CA9.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO I THINK WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA, CAN YOU FLESH OUT ITEM CA8 AND WHAT THAT REQUEST IS.

I RECEIVED, UM, EXCUSE ME, AN ONLINE, UM, APPLICATION FOR REQUEST TO USE THE CITY CREST.

UM, IT'S GENERAL PRACTICE THAT WHENEVER WE RECEIVE THESE, WE GET THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED, AND WE PUT IT ON AN AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

AND WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR IS TO USE THE CITY SEAL ON NINE SWEATSHIRTS FOR NINE OF THEIR SENIOR, UM, GRADUATES. UM, THEY DID NOT SPECIFY, UM, REALLY WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS OTHER THAN TO GIVE, UH, THEY DID PROVIDE A GRAPHIC OF WHAT THEY PROPOSE IT TO LOOK LIKE.

UM, AND.

THAT WAS REALLY ALL WE GOT FROM THEM.

IT WAS JUST FOR THE NINE SWEATSHIRTS.

AND WHERE IS THIS? UM, IT IS A CHURCH.

YES. I BELIEVE IT'S OUT IN THE WORLD.

GOLF IN WORLD GOLF VILLAGE.

UM, VILLAGE AREA.

UM, ALL RIGHT, I'M NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN, UH, LEGACY TRAIL, BUT IT IS IN THE COUNTY.

AND JUST A REMINDER, TWO YEARS AGO.

THE CITY COMMISSION PASSED A RESOLUTION, RESOLUTION 2020 DASH 28, AND ESSENTIALLY SET OUT WHAT APPLICANTS WHO WANTED TO USE OR SEAL NEEDED TO PROVIDE. UM, AND ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES IS A NARRATIVE STATEMENT DESCRIBING HOW THE REQUESTED USE OF THE CITY SEAL FURTHERS THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE'S VISION PLAN. SPECIFICALLY, IDENTIFY HOW THE REQUESTED USE OF THE CITY SEAL WILL FURTHER THE GOALS OF LIVABILITY, AUTHENTICITY, VITALITY, AND CHARACTER OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AS A DISTINCTIVE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF YOUR CRITERIA.

ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, I.

I'M REALLY NOT FEELING THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE USE OF THIS OFFICIAL CITY LOGO.

AND I WOULD, UM, ENTERTAIN, DEBATE OR MAKE A MOTION.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THE VICE MAYOR AND I BOTH REMEMBER THE DISCUSSION WE HAD PREVIOUSLY THAT, UM, WAS THE IMPETUS FOR, UM, MAKING THIS RESOLUTION. AND WHILE IT'S A NICE GESTURE TOWARD THE CITY, I THINK IT IS INAPPROPRIATE.

YES. UM, TO APPROVE IT.

OKAY. SO THANK YOU.

UM, YES, I WE APPRECIATE THE ENTHUSIASM AND, UM, WANTING TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR GREAT CITY'S LOGO AND IN THEIR ACTIVITIES.

HOWEVER, I WILL OFFER A MOTION TO, UM, DENY THE, UM, USE OF THE LOGO.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER DEBATE, DISCUSSION AND, UM.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM MR., WE I GUESS I DIDN'T DO I NEED TO OFFICIALLY REMOVE CA9? I GUESS WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION.

I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO REMOVE CA9.

[00:30:04]

OKAY. SECOND. SECOND.

UM, ANY FURTHER DEBATE? UM. THOSE SIGNIFY BY THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. I'M GETTING THIS BACKWARDS.

UM, PERFECT.

SO AYE, MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE READY TO FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO READ THE CONSENT AGENDA.

CONSENT AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING IS AS FOLLOWS.

THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCES ARE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SECOND READING ON JANUARY 8TH.

ORDINANCE 2023-32 AMENDS THE SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.

A REMINDER OF UPCOMING MEETINGS.

JANUARY 8TH AT 5 P.M.

IS A REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING.

JANUARY 22ND AT 3:30 P.M.

IS A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING.

JANUARY 22ND AT 5 P.M.

IS A REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING.

FEBRUARY 12TH AT 5 P.M.

IS A REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PRIOR COMMISSION MEETINGS INCLUDE THE REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 23RD, THE SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023, AND THE REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 18TH.

NO. I'M SORRY.

SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 13TH AND REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING ALSO OF NOVEMBER 13TH.

WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE NOMINATION OF ROY HUNT FOR THE 2024 DIABELLI'S AWARD.

AND WE HAVE APPROVAL TO REVISE THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT SPENDING PLAN.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.

I MOVE, WE PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA AS MODIFIED.

SECOND.

ANY DEBATE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ALL RIGHT, WONDERFUL.

NEXT WE HAVE WE HAVE NO GENERAL PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS.

[7.A.1. Annual report by Christina Parrish-Stone, Executive Director, St. Johns Cultural Council of the events and activities hosted St. Augustine Waterworks. (C. Sakryd, Director General Services)]

WELCOME. GOOD EVENING.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU TO UPDATE YOU ABOUT THE WATER WORKS.

WE HAVE HAD A WONDERFUL FIRST 18 MONTHS AT THE WATER WORKS AND ARE EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.

UM, IS THE PRESENTATION UP ON THE SCREEN? YES. THANK YOU.

YES IT IS.

SO YOU'LL RECALL THAT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE FINALIZED THE NEGOTIATION OF THE CULTURAL COUNCIL'S LEASE FROM THE CITY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF THE SAINT AUGUSTINE WATER WORKS, WHICH HAD JUST BEEN BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED THROUGH THE CITY'S EFFORTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANTS.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE HOSTED MORE THAN 400 EVENTS AND SERVED MORE THAN 12,000 VISITORS, PARTNERING WITH MORE THAN 150 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PERFORMERS TO PRESENT PROGRAMING THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE HAD SEVERAL PRIMARY PARTNERS WHO WERE INCLUDED IN OUR LEASE, WHO WOULD HAVE PRIORITY USE OF THE WATER WORKS.

THAT WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, THE MAIN LIBRARY, AND A CLASSIC THEATER.

THEY HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERS.

WE JUST CELEBRATED THAT PARTNERSHIP AT OUR HOLIDAY EVENT LAST WEEK.

THE MAIN LIBRARY HAS PRESENTED DOZENS OF PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES, FROM SMALL CHILDREN THROUGH SENIOR CITIZENS.

THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THEY'VE DONE.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT IN 2022, THE STATE OF FLORIDA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NAMED THE WATER WORKS THE MEDIA PARTNER OF THE YEAR FOR ANY PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE STATE.

A CLASSIC THEATER HAS PRESENTED FOUR DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES.

IT'S ACTUALLY SIX PERFORMANCES OF FOUR DIFFERENT SHOWS EACH YEAR.

THE MOST RECENT ONE THIS WEEKEND, WAS LIKE ALMOST ALL THE OTHER ONES COMPLETELY SOLD OUT.

I ATTENDED YESTERDAY THAT WAS SILENT SKY, ABOUT SOME WOMEN ASTROLOGERS FROM THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

JUST A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE AND A FULL HOUSE.

WE HAVE HOSTED MANY, MANY MEETINGS OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ITSELF, THE MAIN GROUPS THAT USE OUR FACILITY REGULARLY ARE FULLER WOODLANDS AND OLD CITY SOUTH AND RAVENSWOOD, AND WE'VE ALSO HOSTED SOME CANDIDATE FORUMS HOSTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

THE CULTURAL COUNCIL HOSTS LOTS OF DIFFERENT EVENTS, INCLUDING HANDS ON CRAFT WORKSHOPS, OUR GRANT WORKSHOPS, AND MARKETING WORKSHOPS FOR DIFFERENT NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY.

OUR RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE ARTS AWARDS.

WE'RE ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THAT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.

IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN NOMINATING SOMEONE AND OUR STATE OF THE ARTS GRANTS AWARDS, WE JUST, UM, GAVE SIX GRANTS LAST WEEK TO SIX SAINT AUGUSTINE ORGANIZATIONS SO

[00:35:09]

ANOTHER PARTNER THAT'S BECOME IMPORTANT TO US IS THE GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL.

WE PRESENT A CONCERT SERIES WITH THEM WHERE EVERY MONTH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'RE BRINGING IN A NATIONALLY KNOWN ARTIST.

MANY OF THEM ARE GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS, INCLUDING THE ONE COMING THIS SATURDAY, JOHN PAUL WHITE.

AND THEY HAVE USUALLY A LOCAL OPENER SO WE CAN SHOWCASE LOCAL TALENT ALONG WITH A WELL-KNOWN PERFORMER.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE SHOWS HAS SOLD OUT.

UM, WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAINT AUGUSTINE MUSIC FESTIVAL.

WE ARE HOUSING A BEAUTIFUL STEINWAY GRAND PIANO THAT SOMEONE DONATED TO THEM.

WE HAVE PROVIDED FUNDING TO RESTORE THE PIANO, AND SO IT'S AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE AT THE WATERWORKS.

AND IT'S BEEN USED FOR EVERYTHING FROM SMALL, UH, PIANO RECITALS OF PIANO TEACHERS, STUDENTS, TO CLASSICAL CONCERTS FEATURING NATIONALLY OWNED, NATIONALLY KNOWN ARTISTS. I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL THESE PARTNERS, BUT YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF SOME OF THE PARTNERS WE'VE WORKED WITH.

IT'S A WIDE VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS.

HERE'S OTHERS.

UM, I COULD ADD A FEW MORE PAGES, A COUPLE OF THINGS IN 2020 FOR SOME FOLKS WE HAVEN'T WORKED WITH IN THE PAST WHO WILL BE JOINING US.

WE DO A LOT TO SUPPORT ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE USING THE WATER WORKS.

WE CREATE MONTHLY RACK CARDS, LIKE THE ONE YOU SEE HERE THAT ARE IN THE STATE VISITOR CENTERS AND THE LOCAL VISITOR CENTER.

WE SEND OUT WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS.

WE DO USE PAID SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE THOSE, UH, OUR WEBSITE AND LOTS OF OTHER WAYS OF ADVERTISING.

THAT'S ONE REASON THE EVENTS ARE SO SUCCESSFUL AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING SO WELL.

WE HAVE A WEBSITE THAT FEATURES THE WATERWORKS AND HAS ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FACILITY.

AND IF YOU LOOK IN THE TOP RIGHT, THERE'S A BUTTON YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON THERE, FILL OUT THE FORM, AND SOMEONE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITHIN A DAY OR TWO TO TALK ABOUT THE EVENT THAT YOU WANT TO HOST AT THE WATERWORKS.

IN ORDER TO HAVE ALL OF THIS PROGRAMING, WE HAVE HAD TO EXPAND OUR STAFF.

WE HIRED TWO PROGRAM ASSISTANTS PART TIME AS SOON AS WE MOVED IN.

THEY ARE THERE TO ASSIST WITH EVENTS.

THEY ATTEND ALL OF THE EVENTS, OR AT LEAST ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS DOES, TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE DONE CORRECTLY AND TO HELP THE ORGANIZATIONS.

BUT WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, WE HAD SOME FUNDING INCREASES, SO WE HIRED A FACILITIES MANAGER WHO IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.

UM, IT'S HAROLD GEORGE WHO WAS WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

SO HE'S A GREAT ASSET, KNOWS LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE EXPECT TO DO EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS NOW THAT HAROLD IS THERE WITH US.

SO OUR EVERYONE ON OUR STAFF WORKS AT THE BUILDING LOTS OF NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS.

IF YOU STOP BY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ME THERE.

ARE MOST DAYS OF THE WEEK AND IF NOT ME, SOMEONE ELSE.

AND BUT WE ALL LOVE IT.

IT'S A WONDERFUL HOME FOR US.

IT HAS REALLY HELPED OUR ORGANIZATION TO GROW AND, UM, ACHIEVE OUR MISSION IN WAYS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO IN THE PAST.

WE'VE MADE A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING.

I WON'T GO OVER ALL OF THESE, BUT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE SUPPLIES THAT ARE ON HAND THAT WE'VE PURCHASED THAT THE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO USE THE BUILDING HAVE ACCESS TO AT NO CHARGE.

WE ARE ADDING, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THIS YEAR.

THE MOST EXCITING ONE IS A REALLY NICE PROJECTOR, SPEAKER AND MICROPHONE SYSTEM THAT IS ON ORDER.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S INSTALLED IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS THE HISTORIC BUILDING, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE INSTALLED WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH.

AND IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT US, THIS IS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.

I THINK ALL OF YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND US.

AND, UM. OTHER THAN THAT, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE WATERWORKS SOON.

UH, IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NO QUESTION. BUT I'M SO, SO HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I MEAN, THAT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'VE SERVED SO FAR.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YEAH, I HAVE, UH, BEEN REAL ACTIVE WITH THE WATERWORKS THROUGH THE FORUM WE HAD DURING OUR CANDIDACY AND ALSO WITH THE FULLERWOOD COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE.

AND ALSO I WAS ABLE TO HELP PRODUCE A PLAY THERE, AND THE STAFF WAS INCREDIBLE.

UM, IT'S IT'S SUCH AN EASY PLACE TO WORK WITH, UH, TO PUT ON AN EVENT.

AND I'VE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE GAMBLE ROGERS FESTIVAL, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE I REMEMBER THE MAYOR SAYING BEFORE I WAS A COMMISSIONER THAT THIS WAS THE SAINT AUGUSTINE RESIDENTS THEATER AND SPACE, AND IT'S PROVEN TO BE THAT.

AND WE STILL NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT SO THAT WE HAVE IT, UH, PRIMARILY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

AND HAROLD IS GREAT.

HE REALLY DOES HIS JOB WELL.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND MAKING SURE THAT HAPPENS.

THANK YOU. YES, WE ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOVE THE MOST IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COME BACK, NOT JUST WEEK AFTER WEEK.

WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WERE THERE SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WHO GO TO ALL OF OUR EVENTS, AND IT'S LIKE A SECOND HOME FOR THEM.

[00:40:06]

THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SOME PARKING, IT'S EASY ACCESS, AND MOST OF THE EVENTS THERE, THE MAJORITY ARE FREE.

UH, SOME OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE TICKETED.

WHEN YOU BRING IN GRAMMY WINNERS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO PAY THEM.

BUT OUR TICKETS ARE STILL ONLY 15 OR $20.

IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE.

AND, UM, WE LOVE SEEING THOSE HAPPY FACES COMING BACK TO, UM, MULTIPLE EVENTS EVERY MONTH.

AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO ACTIVATE THE BUILDING.

ABSOLUTELY. COMMISSIONER GARRIS.

I JUST WANT TO SAY I'VE BEEN TO, UH, AT LEAST A HANDFUL OF EVENTS, AND PARKING IS GREAT.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE FOR THE POETRY TO, UM, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS, THAT WAS THE ARTIST THAT WAS FROM FLAGLER, THAT CAME FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY RECENTLY THAT I WAS ABLE TO WITNESS.

AND IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING GOING IN THERE, KNOWING HOW LONG THAT BUILDING WAS EMPTY.

UM, IT'S JUST GREAT THAT IT'S BACK AND IT'S ALIVE AND YOU'RE DOING GREAT THINGS THERE.

THANK YOU. YES.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I THINK THE DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMING THAT YOU'RE OFFERING, IT'S CLEARLY TARGETED TOWARD THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S A GREAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

IT'S A WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP.

THANK YOU. WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING FOR MANY MORE YEARS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK WE ALL FEEL THE LOVE ON THAT AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING THAT SERVICE AND USING THAT BUILDING IN SUCH A GOOD WAY FOR US.

ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S MOVE ON UM, TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM

[8.A.1. Ordinance 2023-34: Creates Section 22-168 naming an unnamed alley in the Model Land Co. St. Augustine subdivision "Kelley's Alley". (T. Grant, Director Public Works)]

THIS IS MR. GRANT. WELCOME AND GOOD EVENING.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU, I APOLOGIZE, I WAS SHOVING M&MS IN MY MOUTH THINKING REUBEN WAS AHEAD OF ME AND THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

OKAY. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS TODD GRANT, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.

UM, YOU HEARD FIRST READING AT THE LAST MEETING FOR THE ADOPTION OF KELLY'S ALLEY.

THIS IS THE SECOND READING.

SO A PUBLIC, UM, UH, INPUT IS REQUIRED.

SO I WAS GOING TO STEP BACK AND ALLOW YOU TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.

OKAY. YOU HAVE NO.

OKAY. SO ALL RIGHT.

GOOD. SO THEN COMMISSIONERS, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

PUBLIC COMMENT IS OPEN I HAVE NO SPEAKER CARDS.

DOES ANYONE HERE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE.

PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.

MR. GRANT. RIGHT.

SO YOU HAVE HEARD, UH, THE STORY, UH, THE BACKGROUND OF KELLY'S ALLEY.

AND SO THE LOCATION IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LEMON STREET, BOUNDED BY RIBERIA STREET TO THE EAST AND US ONE TO THE WEST.

UH, IT IS AN ALLEYWAY THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO THE MOTHER, WHERE I GUESS HER DAUGHTER HAD PLAYED A LOT AND, UM, SPENT A LOT OF HER LIFETIME.

AND SO, UM, AS AN HONOR TO HER, UM, SHE'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST TO NAME THAT AS KELLY'S ALLEY.

LOVELY COMMISSIONERS.

UM. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OF, UM, MR. GRANT? ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS? UM, ANYONE WISH TO OFFER A MOTION? I WILL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE 20 2334.

UM, NAMING UM, THE ALLEY.

KELLY'S ALLEY.

A SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023-34, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, CREATING CHAPTER 22, ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION 20 2-1 68, THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE NAMING OF A PREVIOUSLY UNNAMED ALLEY LYING IN MODEL LAND COMPANY UM SAINT AUGUSTINE SUBDIVISION AND BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY BLOCK D, TO THE SOUTH BY BLOCK C, EAST OF NORTH PONCE DE LEON BOULEVARD AND WEST OF RIBERIA STREET AS KELLY'S ALLEY, PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES, PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE OF INVALID PROVISIONS, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

PERFECT. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

THANK YOU. ON TO ITEM AB ONE.

[8.B.1. PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED: Ordinance 2023-32: Amends the St. Augustine Historic Area Community Redevelopment Agency's Redevelopment Plan and modifies the Agency's operational timeframe. (R. Franklin, Assistant City Manager)]

AND THAT IS MR. FRANKLIN.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

UM, BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE 2023-32, WHICH WILL AMEND THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA TRANSPORTATION AND

[00:45:06]

UH, SO THIS WILL BE FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.

UH, TO GET TO THIS POINT, WE'VE HAD EXTENSIVE PUBLIC INPUT.

UH, WE'VE ALSO PREVENTED PRESENTED THE PLAN TO THE AGENCY, WHICH IS ALSO THE CITY COMMISSION.

UM, SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MOVE FORWARD WITH MOVING THE ORDINANCE TO SECOND READING.

ALL RIGHT. OH, I SEE, I'M SORRY, I MISSPOKE.

THIS IS FIRST READING.

ALL RIGHT. UM, IT IS, BUT WE DO HAVE IT ON.

HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. CORRECT.

I DO SEE THAT. THAT'S A LITTLE CONFUSION ON MY PART, BECAUSE I'M USED TO SEEING PUBLIC HEARINGS COME WITH OUR SECOND READING, SO.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN AND I ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER CARD AND THAT IS MISS BJ KALAIDI.

BJ KALAIDI, WEST CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.

THIS IS JUST QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION AND UH, INFORMATION I WAS ABLE TO READ.

QUESTION, DOES THIS CRA ORDINANCE EXTEND THE TIME FROM 2039 TO 2054? QUESTION, DOES IT RENAME THE TRUST FUND TO SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA TRUST FUND? QUESTION, HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE IN THE TRUST FUND? QUESTION, IS THIS AMENDMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN GARAGE HACRA TO INCORPORATE ANOTHER CRA AT US1 AND KING STREET TO ALLOW 31 YEARS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER GARAGE ON BROUDY'S BROWNFIELD BLIGHTED PROPERTY? THE TIME SHOULD NOT BE EXTENDED.

THE DEVELOPER OF US ONE AND KING STREET WOULD HAVE 16 YEARS FROM 2023.

TO 2039 TO COMPLETE THE GARAGE, NOT 31 YEARS FROM 2023 TO 2054.

SO IF ANYONE CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TONIGHT, OR IF IT CAN BE ANSWERED SO THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE TRULY ABOUT.

THANK YOU. UM, MISS KALAIDI, THAT IS, SO THIS IS OUR FIRST, UM, READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.

SO WE DO HAVE TIME TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK MR. FRANKLIN TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS, PLEASE.

I THINK YOU HAD FOUR QUESTIONS THAT I WROTE DOWN.

SO. YES. AND I'LL JUST GIVE HIM MY PAPER, WHICH CAN BE GIVEN.

GREAT. PERFECT. THAT'LL APPRECIATE THAT.

OKAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKER CARDS, SO PUBLIC COMMENT UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO SPEAK.

PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.

MR. FRANKLIN, UM, ARE YOU PREPARED TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT? IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE KIND OF STRAIGHTFORWARD TO ME.

UH, YES, MOST OF THEM.

UH, THE FIRST QUESTION WAS, DOES THE THE CRA ORDINANCE EXTEND THE TIME FRAME FROM 2039 TO 2054? THE ANSWER IS YES. YES.

UM, THE NEXT ONE I MIGHT NEED SOME HELP WITH.

BUT DOES IT RENAME THE TRUST FUND TO SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA TRUST FUND? UM, WE'LL HAVE TO GET THE QUESTION ANSWERED.

WE CAN GET THAT ONE FOR NOW.

BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, WE'LL GET THE NEXT ONE.

HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE IN THE TRUST FUND? I DON'T KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE CAN, UM, HAVE THAT.

UM, AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, IS THIS AMENDMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN GARAGE HACRA TO INCORPORATE ANOTHER CRA AT US ONE AND KING STREET TO ALLOW 31 YEARS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER GARAGE ON BROUDY'S BROWNFIELD BLIGHTED PROPERTY? UH, THE ANSWER IS THAT WILL BE A SEPARATE IF IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FINDINGS OF NECESSITY.

AND IF THOSE FINDINGS COME BACK THAT IT, UM, WE CAN ESTABLISH A CRA THAT WILL BE ITS OWN SEPARATE, UM, AREA.

AND I CAN ANSWER THE ONE THAT'S BEEN LEFT UNANSWERED.

IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION TWO, IT DOES RENAME IT.

I THINK THE PROCESS OR THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT IT WAS SORT OF A LONG, CONVOLUTED NAME.

AND SO IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT ABRIDGED.

SO SECTION TWO DOES INDEED, UH, RENAME, UM, THE HISTORIC SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT CRA AREA, UM, TO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE MANAGEABLE.

THANK YOU. VERY HELPFUL.

SO WE JUST HAVE THE ONE OUTSTANDING QUESTION.

AND THEN THAT'S THE NUMBER OF WELL, CAN I CAN I ASK TO RUBEN, JUST TO CLARIFY ONE THING, THE LAST QUESTION YOU ANSWERED ABOUT WHETHER THIS CRA, THE HACRA WOULD INCORPORATE THE BROUDY PROPERTY.

THE ANSWER IS NO. NO.

[00:50:01]

ALL RIGHT THEN, UM.

COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS, DEBATE.

I WOULD WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

YEAH. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023-32 FIRST READING.

I SECOND THAT.

ALL RIGHT. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023-32, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, SAINT JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADJUSTING THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY'S OPERATIONAL TIME FRAME, MODIFYING THE SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, AND EXTENDING THE TIME CERTAIN IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.

PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.

PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ALL RIGHT. UM, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

FRANKLIN. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON.

[10.A. Landscaping concepts for the Zora Neale Hurston Park are presented for review and discussion. (T. Grant, Director Public Works)]

UM, ITEM 10 A, WE HAVE A LANDSCAPING CONCEPTS FOR THE ZORA NEALE HURSTON PARK, UM, PRESENTED FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION.

AND THAT IS YOU, MR. GRANT. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS TODD GRANT, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.

UH, I WAS HOPING THAT I'D HAVE, UH, BRETT CALZONE, WHO IS THE OWNER OF CASTLE BAY DESIGN AND STUDIO, BUT HE CALLED LAST MINUTE.

HE'S STILL GETTING OVER A SICKNESS, AND HE FELT LIKE THE COUGHING WOULDN'T GET HIM THROUGH.

SO I WILL DO MY BEST TO CHANNEL MY BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGNER TO, UM, EXPRESS THE HIS CONCEPTS HERE.

UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THIS PRESENTATION IS JUST A DECISION ON ONE OF THE CONCEPTS, NOT GET INTO DISCUSSIONS OF EXACT PLANTS OR PLANTINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT'S JUST WHICH OF THE THREE CONCEPTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DEVELOPED FURTHER? UM, IF WE CAN GET A SELECTION OF ONE OF THOSE CONCEPTS, THAT WAY WE CAN FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE PLANT SELECTION, LIGHTING OR ANY OF THE OTHER, UM, ACCESSORIES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.

HOWEVER, PRIOR TO GIVING THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON PENDING LEGISLATION REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS THAT MIGHT BE INCORPORATED IN THIS CONCEPT.

YES, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

SO WE'RE DOVETAILING A LITTLE BIT, UM, PRIOR TO MY ITEM, BUT HOUSE BILL, UM, 395 HAS BEEN FILED.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO VARIOUS BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED OVER THE YEARS.

UM, SINCE THE WHOLE, UM, NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS, UM, OCCURRED IN LIGHT OF, OF VARIOUS PROTESTS. UM, AND THIS PARTICULAR BILL ECHOES A LOT OF THE SAME THEMES WE'VE SEEN IN PRIOR BILLS.

UM, IN PRIOR YEARS, INCLUDING.

AND WHAT'S GERMANE TO THIS CONVERSATION, BUT IS A BIGGER DISCUSSION, IS WHENEVER A CITY CHOOSES TO PLACE, UH, EITHER A PLAQUE, A MEMORIAL, A STATUE, UH, EVEN VEGETATION THAT IS PLACED IN HONOR OF A SIGNIFICANT PERSON, UM, OR EVENT OR, UM, WAR EFFORT, UH, EVEN TO SOME DEGREE IDEOLOGY.

UM, THESE, THIS BILL AND PRIOR BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED ALL DOVETAIL INTO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE LIVED THROUGH.

UM, WHEN WE HAD TO DEAL WITH OUR OWN CONFEDERATE MONUMENT AND MOVING IT.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE SUED BOTH IN STATE COURT AND FEDERAL COURT OVER SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.

UM, ONE OF WHICH BEING OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL.

UH, THE OTHER BEING THAT THIS BE GOVERNMENT SPEECH.

OUR SPEECH, NOT AN ORGANIZATION'S SPEECH, NO MATTER HOW LAUDABLE.

UM, THIS PARTICULAR BILL ALSO, UH, CREATES SIMILAR, UM, PENALTIES, UH, AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST IN PRIOR BILLS, UH, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF REMOVAL FROM OFFICE FOR UM OFFICIALS WHO WOULD REMOVE A, A PLAQUE, A MEMORIAL, A STATUE THAT FALLS UNDER THE DEFINITIONS OF THIS BILL, UH, ONCE IT'S PLACED.

SO THE IMPORTANCE OF US ALL KIND OF THINKING ABOUT THIS ON THE FRONT END IS IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING STATUARY, PLAQUES, MEMORIALS, MONUMENTS TO BE PLACED, UH, IN, UH, IN PUBLIC PARKS, PUBLIC SPACES THAT THE CITY OWNS AND CONTROLS.

UH, ONE MAKES SURE THAT YOU DO OWN AND CONTROL THE ITEM, THAT IT'S NOT ON LOAN OR OTHERWISE CONTROLLED BY ANOTHER GROUP.

BUT SECONDLY, TO REALLY THINK, UM, VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT.

[00:55:02]

HUMAN BEINGS ARE COMPLEX CREATURES, RIGHT? WE ALL HAVE, UM, COMPLICATED HISTORIES.

AND SO, UH, THIS ISN'T DIRECTED AT THIS PARTICULAR AUTHOR OR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT.

BUT SIMPLY THINK ABOUT VERY CAREFULLY.

HAVE, UH, A FULL VETTING OF OF WHO AND WHAT YOU WANT TO MEMORIALIZE BECAUSE, UH, WHETHER IT'S UNDER THESE BILLS OR EVEN PRIOR TO THESE BILLS BEING PRESENTED THE WAY WE WERE SUED IN THE PAST, ONCE YOU PLACE THAT MEMORIAL, THAT STATUE, THAT PLAQUE, IT BECOMES A POINT OF LITIGATION AND CONTENTIOUS CONTENTION IF YOU MOVE IT.

UM, THIS BILL, LIKE I SAID, WOULD WOULD HAVE SOME PENALTIES DIRECTLY, UH, BOTH FINANCIAL AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE, UH, TO FOLKS WHO OFFICIALS WHO WOULD REMOVE THE ITEM AFTERWARDS.

UM, BUT IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT, IF YOU DO HAVE TO REMOVE IT DUE TO, SAY, A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OR A ROADWAY PROJECT, NOW YOU HAVE TO PLACE IT BACK IN A PLACE OF EQUAL PROMINENCE WITHIN YOUR MUNICIPALITY.

SO YOU GET INTO, I HATE TO CALL THEM CULTURE WARS, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE THAT.

THAT'S SORT OF AN EASY PHRASEOLOGY TO USE.

UM, AND SO IT'S JUST A CAUTION TO YOU ALL THAT, UH.

OTHER THAN PURE ART.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ART COMMITTEE THAT IS LOOKING AT STATUARY THAT IS PUBLIC ART.

PUBLIC ART IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BILL OR SIMILAR BILLS THAT WERE FILED IN THE PAST, NOR WOULD IT HAVE THE SAME DIFFICULTIES.

BUT IF YOU START PUTTING UP STATUARY TO FAMOUS, UM, FOLKS IN OUR HISTORY, UH, OR MONUMENTS OR PLAQUES OR MEMORIALS, NOW YOU'RE GETTING INTO THESE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES WHERE THERE MAY BE RAMIFICATIONS IF IN THE FUTURE, A FUTURE COMMISSION WANTS TO MOVE THE THE PLAQUE, THE STATUE AND SO ON.

JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

CAUTION TO YOU ALL ON THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE SKETCHES SHOWED A STATUARY I ASSUME WAS INTENDED TO BE OF THE AUTHOR HERSELF.

SO NOT TO MAKE THINGS TOO COMPLEX.

UM. WE'LL CONTINUE.

SO, UM, AS YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE PRESENTATION, THIS IS THE CURRENT OR EXISTING CONDITIONS.

UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, THIS USED TO BE A SELF SERVICE CAR WASH.

UH, MANY YEARS AGO THE CITY PURCHASED IT.

AND IT'S IT'S ROUGHLY A QUARTER PIECE OF PIE SHAPE.

IT IS A PROMINENT ENTRYWAY INTO THE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR FROM KING STREET AND US ONE.

UM, IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, THE COMMISSION HAS ASKED TO TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT, UM, HOW THE PARK HAS BEEN PRESENTED AND WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WE COULD WE COULD LOOK AT. SO WHAT? WELL.

THANK YOU. SO AS YOU SEE THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, EACH OF THE CONCEPTS WILL BE PRESENTED AT PLAN B IN STREET VIEW. SO CONCEPT A IS IS STRICTLY LOOKING AT A LANDSCAPE FEATURES ONLY.

YOU HAVE YOUR TREES, FLOWERING UH SHADE TREES, FLOWERING TREES AND GROUND COVER.

UH, IT PRESENTS ITSELF.

UH, I THINK WHAT BRETT WAS TRYING TO CAPTURE HERE IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT ANGLE YOU'RE LOOKING AT, SINCE IT HAS A CIRCULAR FEEL TO IT, YOU'RE GETTING A GOOD PERSPECTIVE OF THE THE SAME VEGETATION.

THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

ITS STREET VIEW KIND OF IF YOU'RE ON, UH, US ONE.

CONCEPT B IS JUST LIKE CONCEPT A, BUT WHAT HE'S ADDED IS A COQUINA KNEE WALL OR A SMALL RETAINING WALL.

THAT FEATURE HAS ZORA NEALE HURSTON'S SIGNATURE WITH THE Z ON IT TO, UH, REPRESENT THE PARK ITSELF.

AND THEN LASTLY, WHICH IS MORE COMPLEX, YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A FOUNTAIN, A A BRICKED AREA, UH, HE'S CALLING IT AN ELEVATED PLAZA WITH A SCULPTURE.

IT STILL INCORPORATES THE KNEE WALL.

AND AGAIN, FROM WHATEVER PERSPECTIVE YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU THE SAME FEEL BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A CURVATURE WITH THE LANDSCAPING AND WITH THE WALL. AND SO WITH EACH CONCEPT COMES A COST.

AND SO, UM, MR. CALZONE HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME PROBABLE CAUSE.

THIS IS A I'M SORRY, THE STREET LEVEL VIEW WITH THE STATUARY AND EVEN THE SIGNAGE THAT MRS. LOPEZ WAS TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS IT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.

SO A, UM, ROUGH ORDER OF MAGNITUDE ESTIMATES, YOU SEE, FOR CONCEPT A, B, AND C.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION OF THE THREE CONCEPTS AND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

SO, MR. GRANT, I TAKE THIS THAT YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO JUST GET US IN, TRYING TO GET US KIND OF HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF WHAT?

[01:00:06]

AND THEN FROM THAT, WE CAN TAKE IT FURTHER TO DEVELOP THE PLANT LISTS.

THE ACTUAL. IF FOR SOME REASON YOU PICKED CONCEPT B, UM, IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE FOR SIGNAGE, OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A PLAQUE OR SOMETHING ELSE RATHER THAN WHAT YOU SEE HERE, ETC.

WITH THIS, DO YOU WANT THE STATUE? DO YOU WANT THE PLAZA? DO YOU WANT. GOT IT.

THANKS. UM, COMMISSIONERS.

UM, I MY FIRST QUESTION IS THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT TREES ON THE ON THE PROPERTY NOW, AND I GATHER THEY ALL GO AWAY.

CORRECT. THIS IS A CLEAN SLATE CONCEPT.

AND WHEN WE WHEN I SAY GO AWAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CUT THEM DOWN.

SOME OF THEM CAN BE RELOCATED.

RELOCATED AS FAR AS WITH THE LARGE SPADE AND BROUGHT SOME OF THEM.

HOPE SO. UM MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, AND WE WOULD REPLACE THEM AS NECESSARY.

OKAY. YEAH, I WAS LOOKING AT IT THE OTHER DAY, AND, I MEAN, WE'VE WAITED A NUMBER OF YEARS FOR THEM TO GROW, YOU KNOW, SO WE NOW HAVE SOME.

CORRECT. EVEN IF WE REMOVE SOME IF YOU LOOK AT THE PLAN WHERE WE'RE PLANTING EQUAL TO OR MORE TREES FOR THE, FOR THE ACTUAL PROPOSALS.

RIGHT. SO THEY, THE UM CEDARS THAT ARE ON SITE, WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED INTO WHETHER THEY CAN BE WHERE THEY CAN BE REPLANTED.

YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.

UM, I AM NOT ENAMORED WITH THE SIGNATURE Z.

UH, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO ME.

I DON'T THINK IT'S VERY READABLE.

UM, AND I WOULD BE LEANING TOWARDS THE SCHEME ONE OR SCHEME TWO.

UH, SCHEME TWO IF, IF WE COULD SEE THAT ONE.

UM, IN ELEVATION.

YES. IF THAT, UH, WALL COULD BE RAISED IN THE CENTER A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE THE NAME OF THE, UM, THE AUTHOR COULD BE EMBOSSED ON THE WALL AS A PART OF THE WALL, I THINK COULD BE VERY SIMPLY DONE.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE HANDLE OUR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS.

THAT HAS ALWAYS BOTHERED ME WITH THE WOODEN STRUCTURE THAT WE STICK OUT THERE.

I THINK SOMETHING COULD BE, UM, RELATED TO THE WALL THAT ACCEPTS SOME POSTS THAT COME IN THAT HOLD UP THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS.

UM, THERE'S ALSO, I MEAN, THIS IS A PERSONAL OPINION.

THE HAVING THAT SIGNAGE THERE, I DON'T THINK DOES ANYTHING AS FAR AS FROM A DIRECTIONAL OR SOMEBODY IS LIKE, OH, GREAT, THIS IS WHERE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS.

SO IN THIS CONCEPT, THERE WASN'T THE THOUGHT OF BRINGING BACK THE NIGHTS OF LIGHT SIGNAGE.

UH, BUT IT COULD BE INCORPORATED IN A DIFFERENT MANNER.

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM IS THAT TWO BY FOUR SETUP WITH NIGHTS OF LIGHTS ON IT.

ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

OKAY, IS THAT THE LOWER WALL COULD ACCEPT SOME METAL PIECES THAT COME IN DURING THE SEASON TO HOLD UP THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IN SOME MANNER, OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT IT COULD BE ON TOP OF THE WALL BETWEEN THE FLOWERING? I'M THINKING FOR TEMPORARY.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S OFF, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT CAREFULLY.

BUT THE POINT IS.

WE SHOULD LOOK AT EVERY LOCATION THAT WE HAVE THE WOODEN STRUCTURE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, AND CERTAINLY IN THIS APPLICATION.

BUT I DON'T SEE ADDING A STATUE, A FOUNTAIN AND ALL OF THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE EXPENSE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S A RIGHT PLACE FOR IT.

SO THAT'S MY COMMENTS.

THANK YOU. AND, UM, IF YOU'LL BEG MY PARDON, UM, I DO HAVE A SPEAKER CARD FROM VICKI PEPPER, AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HER TO COME UP AND SPEAK, IF YOU DON'T MIND THE INTERRUPTION.

I KNOW YOU REMINDED ME BY WAVING HER HAND FROM THE AUDIENCE, AND I DO HAVE THE CARD, SO PLEASE, MISS PEPPER, WELCOME TO THE PODIUM.

UM THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, AS I MENTIONED DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS, I'M VICKI PEPPER.

I LIVE ON HARBOR VISTA CIRCLE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING MYSELF AND CARE, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR RACIAL EQUITY.

WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE CITY'S MOVING FORWARD ON LONG DISCUSSED PLANS TO UPGRADE THE SMALL PARK ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF KING STREET AT US ONE ZORA NEALE HURSTON PARK.

ZORA NEALE HURSTON IS NOT ONLY IS AN IMPORTANT FLORIDIAN, BUT ALSO IS AN HISTORIC FIGURE OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE DUE TO HER SIGNIFICANT ROLES AS AN AUTHOR AND ANTHROPOLOGIST, AND IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN NEW YORK CITY DURING THE 1920S.

SHE VISITED OUR CITY SEVERAL TIMES AND HAS IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS TO SAINT AUGUSTINE, INCLUDING THAT SHE VISITED IN 1927 AND WROTE AN IMPORTANT ARTICLE THAT

[01:05:06]

SHE ALSO LIVED IN A HOUSE ON WEST KING STREET FOR A YEAR IN 1942, WHILE EDITING HER MEMOIR, DUST TRACKS ON A ROAD.

DURING THIS LATER TIME, SHE ALSO SERVED AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT FLORIDA MEMORIAL COLLEGE.

SHE WAS ALSO, UM, THINKING ABOUT, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S, UH, CAUTIONARY NOTE.

SHE WAS A VERY INTERESTING AND A VERY COMPLICATED PERSON.

BUT CITY SHOULD EMBRACE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND FURTHER HONOR ZORA NEALE HURSTON BY PICKING A MORE ROBUST CONCEPT, PERHAPS WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS, FOR UPGRADING THE PARK NAMED AFTER HER, THE WATER FEATURE AND STATUE, AND SOME SIGNAGE THAT WILL EDUCATE ALL WHO VISIT THE PARK ABOUT HER LIFE AND CONNECTIONS TO SAINT AUGUSTINE, ALONG WITH THE ADDITION OF A COUPLE OF PURPLE BENCHES, CAN MAKE THIS SMALL PARK A VERY PLEASANT, IF NOT NECESSARILY A LENGTHY STOP FOR VISITORS AS WELL AS RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, AND IT WILL PROVIDE A MORE FITTING TRIBUTE TO AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL FIGURE WITH IMPORTANT TIES TO OUR CITY.

MOVING FORWARD WITH UPGRADING THE PARK SHOULD PROCEED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THAT SAID, ALTHOUGH LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE NOT LIKELY TO GATHER AT ZORA NEALE HURSTON PARK AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY SHOULD ALSO MAKE SOME PROVISION TO ENSURE THAT A SMALL NUMBER PERHAPS, I DON'T KNOW, TWO THREE, FOUR PARKING SPACES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE OF THE PARK. FINALLY, THE CITY SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER, OR PERHAPS ALTERNATIVELY, CONSIDER, WHETHER MAKING THIS PARK A STOP ON A FUTURE VERSION OF THE DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR BUS, UH, IS OR CAN BE MADE FEASIBLE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I DO SEE ANOTHER SPEAKER WHO WISHES TO SPEAK.

THIS IS ALWAYS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE OPEN IT UP.

A LOT OF PARTICIPATION.

A GOOD THING. WELCOME.

BJ KELLY, WEST CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, I DIDN'T KNOW OR ELSE I WOULDN'T HAVE MENTIONED IT EARLIER IN MY GENERAL COMMENTS, BUT MISTER TODD, UM, ALREADY SAID ABOUT THE TREES, SO I'M GLAD WE'RE GOING TO LOSE THEM. UH, BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT I WAS LOOKING AT, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WHERE THE BENCH IS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BENCH THERE AND THERE'S A TRASH CONTAINER.

SO IF HE COULD ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND, UM I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I COULD REPEAT IT AGAIN, BUT I REALIZE THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THE MONEY FOR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT FISH ISLAND, THAT, UH, SLIVER OF PROPERTY THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THAT DEAL AND CLOSE IT, GIVE THE PEOPLE THEIR MONEY AND MAKE SURE THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.

UM, WHENEVER WE'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY HERE, I'M CONCERNED MOSTLY ABOUT THE PRESERVE, BECAUSE WE STARTED THAT AND IT HASN'T BEEN FINISHED.

SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP WHENEVER, UH, THIS CAME UP HERE.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE BENCH, BECAUSE WE MAKE ALL THIS STUFF IN THE MIDDLE HERE.

THAT'LL BE NICE FOR THEM.

EVERYBODY BE SITTING OVER THERE.

I JUST HOPE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS TO ELIMINATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT OUR HOMELESS PROBLEM.

OKAY. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

SO, UM, WE'RE BACK IN DISCUSSION AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS.

COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS WE HEARD FROM VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONER GARRIS.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

ONE, I DEFINITELY DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD GO WITH A FOUNTAIN BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WE DO HAVE A HOMELESS SITUATION OVER THERE AT THAT PARK AND THAT WOULD JUST BECOME A BATH.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND MAINTAINING THE FOUNTAINS, AND I KNOW THAT FROM BEING IN FACILITIES, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN A FOUNTAIN.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PRICE HAS DOUBLED AS FAR AS THE COST FACTOR IN THAT.

UM, I AGREE WITH VICE MAYOR ABOUT THE Z, I QUESTIONED THAT.

I THOUGHT THAT THE WALL WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, I GUESS THAT'S PROBABLY GOING WITH THE B, UM, PART.

AND I THOUGHT IF WE HAD DID THE STATUE TO SIT, UM, THE FIGURE ON THAT WALL.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND PAY BECAUSE MONUMENTS HAVE TO BE CLEANED AND TAKEN CARE OF IN TIME BECAUSE THEY GET, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CLIMATE'S FROM THE ELEMENT.

BUT I THINK IF WE PUT THE WORD ZORA INTO THAT WALL, UM, THAT WOULD STAND OUT.

[01:10:04]

SO IF YOU HAVE THAT IN THE CENTER, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD WORK WELL.

I THINK THE EXISTING TREES SHOULD BE PART OF THE LANDSCAPE.

THE THOUGHT OF MOVING TREES AND TRYING TO RELOCATE THEM.

I THINK THIS HERE DESIGN CAN BE MODIFIED TO INCORPORATE THE TREES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE COME BEFORE US AND, UM, I'M SURE, UM, COMMISSIONER BLONDER WOULD APPRECIATE THE TREES NOT BEING TAMPERED WITH.

UM, I THINK WE NEED TO RECONSTRUCT.

CONSIDER RECONSTRUCTING THE BLEND THE NEW TREES IN WITH THE EXISTING TREES.

UM. I THINK, UM, WELL, WE NEVER HAD A DEDICATION TO THAT PARK, AND I ONCE WE PUT THE NAME ON THERE AND WE CLEAN IT UP, I THINK IT WILL BE A NICE, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WALKING TO GO AND MAYBE ACTUALLY SIT ON PERHAPS A PURPLE BENCH.

I HAVEN'T FALLEN THE PURPLE BENCH THEME.

AND IT'S WHERE TWO PEOPLE THAT DON'T LOOK ALIKE ACTUALLY SIT ON A BENCH AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OTHER'S CULTURE.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD SHOW THAT THE CITY IS WILLING TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE DIVERSE AND UNDERSTAND PEOPLE THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE THEM.

THANK YOU. WELL, I'M GONNA BE CONTROVERSIAL AGAIN.

UM, I ACTUALLY LOVE THEIR COMMENTS ABOUT THE NO FOUNTAIN AND NO STATUE.

UH, I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS A PARK.

UM, IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO.

I KNOW, I KNOW THAT VICKY MENTIONED PARKING SPACES.

IT'S JUST NOT A PLACE YOU'RE GOING TO GO.

ESPECIALLY DRIVE TO AND GET OUT AND GO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW? UM, SO IT'S KIND OF A MISNOMER TO ME.

SO IN THAT, IN THAT VEIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I LIKE THE NUMBER TWO, UM, DRAWING WITH THE WALL, BUT I'D LIKE TO EXTEND THE WALL AROUND THE SIDEWALK.

AND I KNOW MISS KALAIDI IS GOING TO ACCUSE ME OF BEING ANTI-HOMELESS, BUT I HOPE THAT NO ONE IS HOMELESS.

UM, BUT ANYWAY, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WALL AROUND THE FRONT AND EXTEND THE SIDEWALK WIDTH A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S REALLY NOT A PATH FOR, UH, MOST PEOPLE TO WALK AROUND THE PARK.

THEY COME ACROSS KING STREET ON US ONE AS WELL, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE SOME KIND OF MODIFICATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IF WE EVER DO, UH, ACTUALLY END UP WITH A GARAGE BUILT, BECAUSE THERE'LL BE A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME KIND OF MODIFICATION TO FOOT TRAFFIC FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PASS ACROSS US.

ONE. UH, I HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT THE TREES, AND I, I, UH, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO MOVE THEM.

I DON'T AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARRIS THAT WE INCORPORATE, UM, THOSE TREES ARE IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE, AND THEY NEED TO BE TRIMMED AND STRAIGHTENED.

SOME OF THEM ARE LEANING OVER SIDEWAYS, BUT I THINK WE CAN PICK THEM UP AND MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER PARK, ANOTHER VENT FIELD, THE FRANCIS FIELD FOR JUST STORAGE, MORE OR LESS. UM, BECAUSE WE COULD USE SOME OR FIND A GOOD SPOT FOR THOSE TREES TO BE, UM.

WE DO NEED A MARKER OF SOME HISTORICAL MARKER FOR, UH, ZORA HURSTON ON THE SITE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE PARK IS FOR.

I AGREE WITH THAT COMPLETELY.

AND IF WE'VE NEVER DEDICATED THE PARK, MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER NOT HAVING IT BE THE ZORA HURSTON PARK, UH, BUT HAVE IT AS AN ENTRY AND HAVE A PARK LATER NAMED FOR HER. UM, BECAUSE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY BE A PARK.

UM, JUST WANT TO THROW OUT ALL THE IDEAS.

AND I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY.

UM, BECAUSE I DID READ THROUGH HOUSE BILL 395 A LITTLE BIT.

THERE'LL BE NO, UH, MONUMENTS THAT WILL BE GRANDFATHERED.

UM. IN THAT IT'S ACTUALLY, WEIRDLY ENOUGH, RETROACTIVE.

SO. NO, NO, UH, IS IT A POSSIBILITY? HAVE YOU READ THE WHOLE THING? WELL, YOU PROBABLY HAVE, BUT, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A QUESTION THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY WORK AROUND.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE COULD IF WE WANTED TO.

WE COULD MAKE IT TIME LIMITED ANYWAY.

WE COULD DEDICATE WE COULD SAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MONUMENT FOR TEN YEARS AND WE'D HAVE TO BE RENEWED.

ANY ACTION ESSENTIALLY THAT WOULD THAT WOULD MOVE A PHYSICAL THING.

RIGHT. SO THIS ISN'T ABOUT NAMING NECESSARILY.

IT'S ABOUT PICKING UP AND MOVING A STATUE, PICKING UP AND MOVING A PLAQUE.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

THAT'S IT. OKAY, THEN.

UM, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

UM, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I THINK I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO BRING UP THAT WE NEEDED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PARK.

UM, I DON'T KNOW, SOME TIME AGO, BECAUSE IT HAS REALLY FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR AND DISUSE.

AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVES.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THOSE FORWARD.

UM, I, I GUESS I WILL START WITH, UM, THE TREES.

I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER GARRIS.

UM, JUST PLUCKING A TREE OUT OF ITS EXISTING SPOT AND PLANTING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SUCCESS RATE IS FOR THAT TREE TO, UM, TO SURVIVE, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER ORGANISMS THAT GO ALONG WITH THOSE TREES WITHIN THE ROOT SYSTEMS AND SO FORTH. UM, AND SO I WOULD PREFER THAT WE ALSO WORK AROUND THE EXISTING TREES THAT THE DESIGN DOES, THAT IT'LL BE LESS EXPENSIVE, FOR ONE THING, THAN PLANTING ALL NEW

[01:15:09]

WHATEVER TREE DOMINANT TREE WAS THERE, HICKORY OR WHATEVER ELSE IT MIGHT BE, IT'S HICKORY HICKORY SUBDIVISION.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US KEEP THE TREES THAT ARE THERE TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE.

UM, I'D ALSO I DON'T HAVE A REALLY ONE OF THESE PREFERRED DESIGNS BECAUSE I CAN'T VISUALIZE IT WITH THE RETENTION OF THE TREES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THERE. UH, I THINK IT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME FEATURES, LIKE A RAIN GARDEN POTENTIALLY, WHERE WE HAVE SOME SUSTAINABLE FEATURES THAT WE CAN USE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE IF IT'S NOT TOO EXPENSIVE.

UM, AND RETAIN WATER ON THE SITE.

UM, THAT HELPS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT GOALS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR VISION PLAN.

IT COULD POTENTIALLY IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BIG.

AND I, I THINK THAT THIS ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE A PARK.

I KNOW THAT PEOPLE DO UM, UH, WALK BACK AND FORTH, UM, GOING DOWNTOWN, UM, INTO WEST AUGUSTINE.

THERE IS NO SHADE.

UM, AND THIS IS THE FIRST SPOT OF SHADE THAT THEY'LL HIT.

UM, COMING FROM WEST TO EAST.

AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO HAVE IT AS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN STOP AND APPRECIATE THIS GREAT AUTHOR.

UM, AND WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER IN ITS ENTRYWAY.

SO I THINK THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS THAT I HAVE AT THIS POINT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. SO I WANTED TO JUST LET YOU KNOW SOME KIND OF AN INTERESTING LITTLE TIDBIT.

SO AS YOU KNOW, I SIT ON THE TDC AND THIS THIS AFTERNOON AND UM, EARLIER MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD PROPOSAL FROM A GROUP THAT IS PLANNING TO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR TDC DOLLARS TO PAY FOR A, UM, STATUARY OF ZORA NEALE HURSTON.

AND, UM, THEY HAVE CONSIDERED THIS AREA.

HOWEVER, THEY'VE REJECTED IT AND WANT IT THE MARKER TO GO AT THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM.

SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT'S GOING ON.

UM, I DID SPEAK WITH THEM AND ASKED THEM TO RECONSIDER.

PERHAPS, BUT I DO THINK, UM, AND THEY SAID NO, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE IT THERE.

THEY WANT IT. AND I THINK WHAT IT IS IS JUST IT'S SO CAR CENTRIC THERE.

THERE'S JUST IT'S SUCH A BIG INTERSECTION.

THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON.

AND THEY WANT IT TO BE A MORE QUIET, CONTEMPLATIVE PLACE.

SO I THINK THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM IS THERE, BUT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING ON SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED.

I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.

UM, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF KEEPING THE TREES.

UM, IF POSSIBLE, I REALIZE IT MAY NOT.

EVERY SINGLE 1ST MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE SAVED.

UM, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE WALL.

I LIKE NUMBER TWO.

UM, UM, IT IS A PARK.

WE NAMED IT A PARK.

UM, ORIGINALLY IT WAS BOUGHT.

IT WAS A CAR WASH.

AND, UH, WE BOUGHT IT FOR A VERY AFFORDABLE PRICE, UH, TOWARD THE CAR WASH DOWN AND THEN JUST SORT OF PLANTED THINGS OVER THE YEARS.

YOU KNOW, IT REALLY WAS NEVER, UM, DESIGNED, SO TO SPEAK.

HOWEVER, I WILL SAY, AND IT WAS NAMED, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY TO RECOGNIZE ZORA NEALE HURSTON'S CONNECTION TO US. UM, I HAVE TO SAY, I, I FEEL LIKE IT HAS WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING US HAS THAT SORT OF ENTRANCE TO AN HOA LOOK, AND I KIND OF DON'T LIKE THAT.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, A NATURAL, UM, I LOVE THE PEANUT, UM, PLANTS THAT ARE GROWING THERE AND THE VINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM.

LESS STRUCTURED. AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, AND I GUESS WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THE TREES ARE JUST EQUIDISTANT APART AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S PERFECTLY BALANCED.

AND THAT'S NOT THE PARK THAT WE HAVE.

NOW, I DO AGREE WITH THE PARK MARKER.

SO ANYWAY, SO THAT'S WHERE I AM WITH IT.

IS THE B, B WITHOUT THE Z.

UM, AND PERHAPS EVEN ADD TO UM VICE MAYOR HORVATH COMMITTEE.

MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. I'M NOT SAYING MAYBE PHASE TWO.

UM, THE ART COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER A STATUARY THERE, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND THE BILL AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT WE'VE ALREADY NAMED THE PARK.

AND, YOU KNOW, ZORA NEALE HURSTON ISN'T GOING TO DO ANY MORE DAMAGE THAN SHE'S ALREADY DONE AS A SHE'S PASSED NOW, YOU KNOW, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THAT.

SO NO DISRESPECT TO ZORA NEALE HURSTON, ALTHOUGH SHE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE IT IF I DID DISRESPECT HER A LITTLE BIT.

SHE WAS PRETTY SASSY.

UM, BUT IF YOU WOULD, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MY THINKING IS MAYBE, UM, THE STATUARY AT SOME POINT COMBINED WITH THE MARKER AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOUR COMMITTEE COULD

[01:20:06]

OKAY. WELL, WE'LL THINK ABOUT THAT.

SO IN SYNOPSIS FOR MISTER GRANT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING PERHAPS AT B.

B. WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, COULD THE CONCEPT ACCEPT SOME OF THE EXISTING TREES THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE WORTH SAVING, AND MAYBE WE JUST CHANGE OUT WHATEVER TREES HE'S SHOWING IN THE BACKGROUND HERE.

MAYBE THEY'RE CEDARS, I DON'T KNOW.

WELL, YEAH, I HAVE THE EXISTING CONDITIONS UP RIGHT NOW OF IT.

SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD'S POINT, QUITE A FEW TREES THAT ARE NOT HEALTHY.

THE ONES ON THE RIGHT ARE DOING BETTER.

UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY A COUPLE OF REASONS.

UH, THE APPROACH THAT WAS TAKEN WAS ONE THAT ALTHOUGH IT'S A PARK, A DESIGNATED PARK, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU, LET'S GO HAVE A PICNIC. LET'S GO HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

LET'S GO PHYSICALLY PARK OUR VEHICLE.

IT'S AN ENTRY WAY.

AND SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN ABOUT AN ENTRYWAY TO A GATED COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER, IT LENDS ITSELF TO THAT TYPE OF LANDSCAPING BEING A CORNER PIECE AND A PEDESTRIAN.

TRAVEL BY IT.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEDESTRIANS WITH WALKWAYS AND OTHER FEATURES.

BECAUSE IN THIS CONCEPT WE WERE NOT PLANNING ON BENCHES AND TRASH CANS.

IT WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH A VEGETATIVE ENTRYWAY TO THE DOWNTOWN.

THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S WHY WE BOUGHT IT.

THAT'S WHY WE BOUGHT THE CAR WASH WAS TO BEAUTIFY THAT CORNER AND REALLY HAVE IT BE SIGNIFIED LIKE, HERE'S AN ENTRANCE, HERE'S A IT'S THAT SENSE OF ARRIVAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE WITH THE CITY.

UM, AND IT'S THE SAME THING ON THE NORTH, THE PROPERTY UP AT THE CITY GATE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE HAVE THE WATER FEATURE AT CITY GATE.

UM, BUT CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE.

IS THAT WOODEN THING UP? IT'S THERE. IT IS.

OKAY. KEEP IN MIND THE PERENNIAL PEANUT DOESN'T BLOOM YEAR ROUND.

SO RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD.

WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY DECLINING BECAUSE OF THE TEMPERATURE, BUT, UM, I UNDERSTAND RAIN GARDENS AND SO RAIN GARDENS AND EDUCATIONAL.

IT'S OKAY. SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO APPROACH THAT? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET PEOPLE THERE.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO INCORPORATE.

WHETHER ARE THERE PATHS, ARE THERE STATIONS ARE THERE OR IS IT OKAY? I PERSONALLY I GET THE IDEA OF YOU WANT TO DO THE BENCHES AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMENITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SIT THERE IN A CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO LEND ITSELF WELL TO THAT.

I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT.

I'M ASKING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE, SO AM I, I FALL ON THE SIDE OF IT'S A SENSE OF ARRIVAL.

IT'S A VISUAL THING.

UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I WOULD I DON'T SEE IT AS A, UM, AN ACTIVE USE PARK.

I AGREE WITH THAT.

OR EVEN MAYBE A PASS.

I THINK IT'S..

YOU KNOW, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD UM, COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD'S COMMENT ABOUT BRINGING THE WALL FORWARDS. UM, IT COULD PERHAPS BE.

AND WIDENING THE SIDEWALK THERE BECAUSE WE ARE ANTICIPATING A LOT MORE TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS COMING ALONG THERE, AND PERHAPS A WALL COMES UP AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, CANTED LIKE THIS, AND MAYBE SOME FORM OF HER POETRY COULD ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE A PLAQUE EXPLAINING WHO SHE IS.

IT COULD BE SOME OF HER POETRY.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT AS YOU'RE WALKING ALONG, IT KIND OF LIKE, UM, WHAT THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS ON THEIR POSTS WHERE WHERE THEIR PARKING LOT IS, THEY HAVE LIKE LITTLE. BITS OF INFORMATION.

I THINK THAT COULD BE VERY POWERFUL.

UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN, THAT MIGHT TAKE THE ART COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING.

BUT I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF MR. GRANT FURTHERING, I THINK HE HEARD THAT WE LIKE NUMBER TWO, MAYBE YOU CAN INVESTIGATE BRINGING THE WALL FORWARD.

UM, IT SOUNDS EVERYBODY I DON'T HEAR ANYONE SAY NO, NO, NO, I'M NOT I'M THINKING AND I DISAGREE WITH THE NOT INVITING PEOPLE INTO IT. UM, I THINK IT CAN SERVE BOTH PURPOSES.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PURPLE BENCHES WERE, BUT NOW THAT I DO, I KIND OF LIKE HAVING THAT FLAVOR TO IT, TO WHERE THERE'S JUST A SPOT WHERE AND BENCHES THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE CONDUCIVE TO SLEEPING ON THEM, BUT JUST TO SPOT WHERE PEOPLE CAN STOP WHERE THEY'RE WALKING, YOU KNOW, WHILE THEY'RE WALKING ON A HOT DAY, SIT DOWN, HAVE A DRINK OF WATER, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WATER BOTTLE THAT THEY BRING WITH THEM, GET SOME SHADE AND MAYBE TALK TO SOMEBODY ELSE SITTING NEXT TO THEM.

[01:25:03]

YEAH, ON THE EDGES. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

AND I DON'T NEED A PATH FOR THAT.

BUT I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT WE, WE ARE ALMOST LOSING IN THIS DISCUSSION.

AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN IT SOMEHOW.

I CAN GIVE UP THE RAIN GARDENS.

THAT'S FINE. I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME KIND OF THING.

IF WE HAVE THE DESIGN FOR THE PARK BEHIND A SHORT WALL, EXTEND THE SIDEWALK TO LIKE A PLAZA.

SO AS YOU'RE COMING WALKING ACROSS, YOU HAVE A PLACE TO GATHER THERE BEFORE THE WALL WITH THE WITH THE LANDSCAPING BEING BEHIND IT.

SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING PEOPLE WALK UP THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE AND DESTROYING IT, RIGHT? RIGHT. YOU KNOW, YOU PRESERVE THAT AS A, AS A MEMORIAL, UH, PIECE OF ARTWORK WITH, WITH PLANTS.

I MEAN, YOU CAN DO THAT KIND OF A MEMORIAL, BUT ALSO HAVE THE GATHERING SPOT IN THE FRONT.

AND I LIKE THAT IDEA.

SO, UM, WITHOUT BELABORING IT FURTHER, I THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

I THINK YOU HEARD WHAT WE'VE HAD TO SAY.

UM, MY ONLY DISAGREEMENT WITH WHAT'S BEEN SAID HERE WAS I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING ZORA NEALE HURSTON TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HER HISTORY TO US, HER, YOU KNOW, NOT SO MUCH A POETRY, POETRY OR ANYTHING, BUT MAYBE YOU WANT TO PUT ONE OF HER POEMS IN THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S A TEACHING MOMENT THAT SHE WAS PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

SHE DID LIVE HERE.

SHE DID GET MARRIED HERE.

YOU KNOW, HERE ARE HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO I'D RATHER HAVE IT CONNECTED LIKE THAT.

I THINK THERE'S A MARKER.

WE PUT A MARKER WHEN I WAS AT THE COUNTY ON THE HER HOME, HER ACTUAL HOME.

AND, UM, WHO KNOWS, MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MORE LIKE A WITH TEXT AND THINGS.

SO THAT WAS MY ONLY EXTRA POINT, BUT WITHOUT BELABORING IT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING IT.

IT'S KIND OF EXCITING.

AND WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN A WHILE.

AND MAYBE, WHO KNOWS, IT'LL BE THE BEGINNING OF MORE WORK LIKE THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD HAS BROUGHT UP, UM, THE SPECIAL EVENTS FIELD.

HOW? YOU KNOW, OUR ENTRANCE INTO THE CITY THERE.

WE HAVE NO SENSE OF ARRIVAL.

REALLY? WELL, NOT. NO, BUT VERY LITTLE SENSE OF ARRIVAL INTO TOWN.

UM, AS WE APPROACH THE MUNICIPAL PARKING GARAGE.

UM, THERE'S NO SIGN THERE.

THERE'S NO NOTHING. BUT MAYBE THIS IS THE BEGINNING.

AND WHATEVER WE DESIGN, MAYBE LET'S KEEP IN MIND WE MIGHT WANT TO REPEAT IT.

IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, WE MIGHT WANT TO REPEAT IT THERE.

SO. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

UM. ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO.

[11.A. 2024 pre-legislative session update. For Information Purposes Only, No Presentation. (I. Lopez, City Attorney)]

I'LL KEEP IT VERY BRIEF.

HERE'S YOUR FIRST ITERATION OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

UM, IT STARTS JANUARY 9TH, I BELIEVE IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SESSION.

COMMITTEES HAVE ALREADY MET.

AND THE KEY, UM, BILL THAT HAS BEEN FILED IS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL BILL, WHICH WOULD, UM, ESSENTIALLY MODIFY OR PREEMPT OUR, UH, PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR SHORT TUM RENTALS AND OUR MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY.

UM, WE DO WE ARE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE BILLS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN FILED, INCLUDING UNSAFE STRUCTURES BILL, BUT THEY'VE NOT YET BEEN FILED.

BUT THE BIG ONE RIGHT NOW IS SHORT TUM RENTAL.

ALL RIGHT. AND SO, COMMISSIONERS, UM, I WILL BE GETTING WITH, UM, MISS LOPEZ AND WE'LL BE BRINGING YOU RESOLUTIONS, UM, SUPPORTING AND OPPOSING SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THEM.

UM, ACTUALLY, THE CITY MANAGER AND MYSELF ARE TRAVELING TO TALLAHASSEE TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING.

UM, THAT IS THE FIRST COMMITTEE STOP FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL BILL.

SO, UM, WE'LL BE REPRESENTING THE CITY THERE.

WE'RE HOPING IT'S ONLY GOT TWO COMMITTEE STOPS, WHICH IS NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR US.

IT MEANS IT'S KIND OF AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF BEING ADDRESSED BEFORE IT GETS TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE FLOOR, SO TO SPEAK.

SO, UM, WE DON'T REALLY LIKE THE LOOKS OF THAT, BUT WE'RE READY TO GO AND REPRESENT YOU.

UM, ITEMS BY CITY CLERK.

OH, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.

OH. I'M SORRY. ON YOUR TRACKING.

UM, THE, UM, HB 47, WHICH IS ON YOUR PAGE TWO, UM, YOUR SPREADSHEET AND SB 104, THE MUNICIPAL WATER AND SEWER RATES THAT WOULD IMPACT US, WOULDN'T IT? CORRECT. THOSE ARE BILLS THAT I NEED TO DO A DEEPER DIVE WITH.

I DID FORWARD ALL OF THIS TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.

RIGHT. UH, FOR US TO CIRCLE BACK AND SEE HOW IT WOULD.

OKAY, GREAT.

AND, UM, ON PAGE THREE, I ONLY HAVE A FEW OF THESE.

UM, THERE'S A SINGLE BILL FROM THE HOUSE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COMPANION BILL.

[01:30:01]

THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT LAST YEAR.

IS THIS A WAY TO RESCIND THAT? REVERSE IT? IT'S A REPEAL.

OKAY. UM, THAT WOULD GIVE US BACK CONTROL OVER ALL.

YEAH. YES. OKAY.

WHICH WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO SUPPORT, UM, THE STATE RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS.

UM, LOOKS TO ME TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS IN LINE WITH OUR, UM, OUR VISION OR OUR VISION PLAN, COMP PLAN, IN A LOT OF WAYS.

SO I'D LIKE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT ONE.

THAT'S ON PAGE FOUR YOUR PAGE FOUR HB 193, SB 144.

UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD.

THERE WAS A BALLOON BUILT.

OH, THE BALLOON, YEAH, I KNOW, I SAW THAT.

I WAS LIKE, OH, SO GOOD.

WE'RE OUT IN FRONT OF THE STATE FOR A CHANGE.

UM, OKAY. THAT'S IT.

THAT'S ALL I HAD. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. SO, UM, WE WILL BE BRINGING YOU AH MORE ON THAT.

AND OF COURSE WE GET GREAT UPDATES FROM HIM.

SHE'S PRETTY GOOD AT KEEPING TRACK OF THINGS.

AND WE DID LEARN ABOUT SOME, UM, NOT SO WONDERFUL BILLS AT OUR LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE LAST WEEK.

UM, WAS IT LAST WEEK? LAST WEEK IN ORLANDO.

AND, UM, IT'S, UM, WE HAD THOUGHT THAT SENATE BILL 170, WHICH WAS THE, UM THE ONE THAT CREATES THE BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

THEY HAD PROMISED US THAT THAT BILL WOULD BE THE MOTHER OF ALL PREEMPTION BILLS, AND THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE SOLUTION TO GETTING THIS WHOLE SLEW OF PREEMPTION BILLS.

AND GUESS WHAT? IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT.

WE'RE STILL GETTING THE PREEMPTION BILLS.

SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES IS BRINGING FORWARD IS WHY WHAT WHY DID YOU PASS THAT IF, UM, YOU'RE STILL DOING IT. SO AND BE INTERESTING.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT INDULGENCE.

AND UM, UNLESS WE HAD ANY OTHER COMMENTS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD TO THE CITY CLERK.

[12.A. Review and discussion of the 2024 Commission Meeting and Holiday calendar. (D. Galambos, City Clerk)]

UH, THE FIRST IS OUR PROPOSED MEETING DATE, UM, AND HOLIDAY SCHEDULE.

UH, I DID WANT TO NOTE ONE QUICK LITTLE TYPO, UH, FOR DECEMBER.

IT SAID WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND WHAT WAS IN THE PACKET? BUT CLEARLY IT'S, UH, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, NOT WEDNESDAY.

THURSDAY. UM, WE DO HAVE TWO MEETINGS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY HOLIDAYS.

UM, NEXT YEAR, THE FIRST ONE IS MAY 27TH, UH, FOR MEMORIAL DAY.

UM, SO I WOULD LIKE YOUR CONSIDERATION TO EITHER, UH, CANCEL THAT MEETING, UM, IN, UH, LIGHT OF THE HOLIDAY, OR WE CAN RESCHEDULE.

UM, I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE CANCEL IT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING IF MAY COMES AROUND AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO. UM, MY SECOND IS THE NOVEMBER UM, MEETING.

WE'RE REQUIRED TO HOLD AT LEAST ONE MEETING PER MONTH.

AND SINCE IT'S ALREADY GOING TO BE CANCELED FOR THANKSGIVING, VETERANS DAY, UM, CREATES A CONFLICT FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING THAT WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER. SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO EITHER RESCHEDULE THAT MEETING FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH AT 5 P.M., OR WE CAN, UH, PUSH IT OFF TO THE NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH.

BUT WE DO HAVE TO SCHEDULE ONE FOR NOVEMBER.

COMMISSIONERS, WOULD YOU TRY TO? I KNOW IN THE YEARS PAST WE'VE JUST DONE THE TUESDAY INSTEAD OF THE MONDAY.

DOES EVERYONE FEEL OKAY ABOUT THAT.

SO LET'S SHOOT FOR THE 12TH.

PERFECT. THAN RATHER THAN GO DEEPER INTO THE MONTH, WHICH GETS US CLOSER TO THE HOLIDAYS AND, UM, MORE CHAOS.

THAT WOULD BE OUR PREFERENCE AS WELL.

AND ARE WE OKAY WITH, UM..

THE MAY. CANCELING THE MAY 27TH MEETING AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING WE COULD SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING IF NECESSARY.

YES, I THINK I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

YES I, YES OKAY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MIGHT CREATE SOME LONG MEETINGS BUT OKAY I MEAN THAT'S.

FINE. I THINK MEMORIAL DAY IS IMPORTANT.

ALL RIGHT. SO YOU DON'T HAVE A MOTION ON ANY OF THAT? I DO NEED FORMAL APPROVAL OF THE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE, AS, UM, DISCUSSED AND MODIFIED.

SO MOVED.

I'LL SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. WHAT ELSE? AND MY NEXT ITEM IS A REQUEST FOR ONE APPOINTMENT FOR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS BOARD.

[12.B. Request for one re-appointment to the Code Enforcement Adjustment and Appeals Board (CEAAB), two openings remain resulting from two term expirations on December 27, 2023. (D. Galambos, City Clerk)]

[01:35:02]

UM, BUT WE'VE ONLY RECEIVED ONE APPLICATION SO FAR, AND THAT'S FROM, UH, CURRENT BOARD MEMBER MR. TOM DAY. SO, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING HIS APPOINTMENT AND OR HIS REAPPOINTMENT TONIGHT.

TONIGHT? YES. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE TOM DAY.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

THANK YOU. AND WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE, UM, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR, FOR THOSE POSITIONS.

UM, MY LAST ITEM IS, UH, REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT FOR, UM, TWO POSITIONS ON OUR FIREFIGHTERS PENSION TRUST FUND.

[12.C. Request for two appointments to the St. Augustine Firefighters' Pension Trust Fund - Board of Trustees. (D. Galambos, City Clerk)]

UM, WE ADVERTISE THESE POSITIONS.

UM, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, UM, MR. RICK HERNANDEZ, HAS DECLINED TO REAPPLY.

HE'S BEEN A WONDERFUL MEMBER FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND HE'S, UM, JUST MOVING ON, AND WE WISH HIM WELL.

AND WE THANK HIM DEEPLY FOR HIS SERVICE ON THIS BOARD.

UM, WE DID RECEIVE AN APPLICATION FOR CURRENT BOARD MEMBER, MR. MICHAEL CLUKEY. HE IS ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT AND FOR MR. PAUL LEONARD.

UM, SO, UH, I RECOMMEND APPOINTING BOTH OF THESE APPLICANTS.

DO I HEAR A MOTION? YEAH, I MOVE TO APPROVE PAULA LEONARD AND, UM, MICHAEL CLUKEY.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT AND THAT IS CONCLUDES.

THAT IS ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU.

MR. CITY MANAGER.

[13. ITEMS BY CITY MANAGER]

I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE CITY EMPLOYEES TUESDAY, THE 26TH OF DECEMBER OFF.

THAT'S THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

IT'S NOT A SCHEDULED HOLIDAY, BUT I'M ASKING FOR YOUR PERMISSION TO ADD THAT TO THE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE.

I'M 100% IN FAVOR.

I AM ALSO.

ME TOO. YES.

YEAH. MY ONLY CONCERN, WHICH I MENTIONED, WAS THE GARBAGE PICKUP, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOME KIND OF ARRANGEMENT FOR.

I DO HAVE THAT HERE.

OH, GOOD. SO FOR FOLKS WHO'S, UH, NORMALLY, UH, HAVE THEIR GARBAGE PICKED UP ON MONDAY, THEY WILL HAVE A TUESDAY PICKUP.

AND FOLKS WHO NORMALLY HAVE THEIR GARBAGE PICKED UP ON TUESDAY WILL HAVE A WEDNESDAY GARBAGE PICKUP.

SO EVERYONE'S GARBAGE DAY JUST GETS PUSHED BACK A DAY.

OKAY. EXCELLENT.

DO YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT, PLEASE? OKAY, I MOVE, I MOVE.

WE ADD TUESDAY IS A HOLIDAY.

SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. WAIT, I'M SORRY I GAVE YOU BAD INFORMATION.

OKAY. IF YOU NORMALLY HAVE A TUESDAY GARBAGE PICKUP, IT'S WEDNESDAY.

YEAH, RIGHT. RIGHT.

OKAY. IT'S JUST ONE DAY LATER.

YEAH, IT'S ONE DAY LATER. SO WE'RE TUESDAY.

WE MOVE TO WEDNESDAY. OKAY.

PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. TUESDAY GETS MOVED TO WEDNESDAY.

UM, UM.

UM YOU WILL.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ALSO SHARE ABOUT THE FIRE STATION STATUS? UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE DID NOT RE DESIGNATE THE STATE OWNED PROPERTY ACROSS FROM THE AMP THAT THE CITY WAS INTERESTED IN BUILDING A NEW ISLAND FIRE STATION. THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.

UH, STAFF IS GOING TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES FOR SITES FOR A NEW ISLAND FIRE STATION.

WE'RE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE STATE CHOSE NOT TO RE DESIGNATE THAT PROPERTY.

AND, UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY ABOUT IT UNTIL WE MEET INTERNALLY AND I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS INDIVIDUALLY TO TALK ABOUT OUR OPTIONS.

YES. CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION? SURE. UM, THE THAT DESIGNATION, UM, HAD TIED TO IT A LAND PURCHASE THAT WAS TO BE, UM, OFFERED AS A AS PART OF THE ENTICEMENT.

UM, YES. AND THAT LAND PURCHASE WOULD BE THE HOLE IN THE DONUT, SO TO SPEAK, AT, UM, FISH ISLAND, AS MISS KALAIDI BROUGHT UP.

UM, IS THERE SOME WAY WE COULD CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT? UM, REGARDLESS OF THE ARK DECISION ON THE FIRE STATION PROPERTY DESIGNATION? THE ANSWER IS YES.

I CONTACTED THE PROPERTY OWNERS AFTER THE STATE FAILED TO REDESIGNATE THEIR PROPERTY AND LET THEM KNOW.

UM, YOU CAN STILL MAKE THE OFFER TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS.

IT WOULD CHANGE, OF COURSE, THE INTENT OF THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO THEN DONATE THAT PROPERTY TO THE STATE, OR WE KEEP THAT PROPERTY AS CITY PROPERTY.

THE ANSWER IS YES.

AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE PART OF THE FUTURE DECISION MAKING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BRING BACK TO YOU.

UM, AND ALSO THAT THE OWNERS WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION AS WELL.

[01:40:04]

THANK YOU. THERE'S A, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S, UM, SEVERAL THINGS THAT WERE TIED TO THIS.

YEAH. RIGHT. YEAH. UH, ONE WAS THE ROUNDABOUT.

TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY CONCERNS AND DEATHS ON THE HARD CURVE THERE.

AND THAT A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED INTERSECTION.

YEAH. UM, INTERSECTIONS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, A STATE, UH, SPECIAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE COST OF, UH, FOR SIX. WAS IT 600, $750,000? THEY HAD, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAD, UM, APPROVED AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED.

CORRECT. UM, TO HELP WITH THE COST OF, UH, DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TIED TO THIS THAT HAVE BEEN DECONSTRUCTED.

UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE STAFF, I WANT TO COMMEND STAFF FOR SPENDING YEARS, UM, YEARS ON THE PROPOSAL.

AND EVERY TIME I THOUGHT I HEARD IT, IT GOT BETTER AND BETTER.

BUT ENOUGH SAID, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM YOU ABOUT THAT.

UM, ALL RIGHT. ITEM IS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

[14. ITEMS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS]

UM, I, AS A LOCAL, KNOW BETTER THAN TO GO OUT TO DOWNTOWN ON NIGHTS OF LIGHTS WEEKEND, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S THE BOAT PARADE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT, UM, IT WAS MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY.

WE WANTED TO TRY A NEW RESTAURANT, AND USUALLY WE WALK, BUT I'M UNABLE TO DO THAT NOW.

SO WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GRIDLOCK.

UM, UH, IT TOOK US 25 MINUTES TO GO 8/10 OF A MILE TO GET TO OUR HOUSE.

UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES I WONDER IF.

AND I KNOW OUR ROADS ARE OUR ROADS, BUT I KNOW IF WE CAN GET.

I WONDER IF THERE WERE SOME WAY.

I'M KIND OF AIMING THIS AT MR. FRANKLIN IN PARTICULAR.

WE CAN WORK BETTER WITH, UM, DOT TO HAVE SOME MESSAGING, UM, SOME, UH, INTERVALS CHANGING IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE NIGHT FOR THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS.

UM, AND, UM, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IT.

MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO ON THAT.

I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING LOVED TO DEATH.

I ACTUALLY HAD A A RESTAURANT OWNER TELL ME THAT HE LOST A LOT OF RESERVE TABLES THAT NIGHT, SEATING THOSE TABLES BECAUSE PEOPLE COULD NOT GET TO THEIR RESTAURANT IN THAT IN THE TIME PERIOD THAT THEY HAD THE RESERVATION.

UM, SO CLEARLY I KNEW TO LEAVE WELL AHEAD OF TIME, AND I'M GLAD I DID.

UM, BUT I DON'T THINK VISITORS ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT THEY SHOULD COME IN EARLIER, OR THEY SHOULD REALLY PARK ON THE SATELLITE AREAS AND RIDE SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.

THIS IS COMPLETELY UNSUSTAINABLE.

AND IT'S NOT JUST ON US.

UM, WE NEED A LOT OF HELP FROM A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE, THERE MUST BE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN WHAT WE SAW.

UM, AND IT'S REALLY, UM, IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYBODY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT ACTUALLY WAS A SUBJECT AT THE TDC MEETING TODAY.

SO, UM, AND I BROUGHT IT UP AND ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER BROUGHT IT UP, AND THE VQB HAS RECOGNIZED THAT.

AND, UM, CERTAINLY THEY CONTRIBUTE TO AND THEY'RE, THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO AND I KNOW YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THAT, THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO CREATE, UM, OTHER AREAS THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO AND DO, DO THINGS SO THAT IT'S NOT SO MUCH FOCUSED ON THE DOWNTOWN.

SO DEFINITELY HEARD AND A GREAT CONCERN.

AND, UM WORKING ON IT.

THANK YOU. YEAH, YEAH, IT WAS A BUSY WEEKEND.

IT WAS A LOT GOING ON.

IT WAS A HALF MARATHON.

IT WAS A MERE.

WHAT WAS IT CALLED ULTRA MARATHON THAT CAME THROUGH TOWN.

IT WAS THE, UM, REGATTA.

UM, THERE WERE CONCERTS.

UM, UH, THERE WERE JUST, UH, EVERY TIME I TURNED AROUND, I SAW SOMETHING NEW.

SO WE'VE JUST REALLY PILED ON DOWNTOWN.

SO, UM, COORDINATION WOULD BE BETTER.

SO. ANYONE ELSE? EVERYBODY, I HAVE SOMETHING YOU DO.

OKAY, OKAY.

A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE IS, YOU GUYS KNOW I'M ON THE BOARD WITH HOME AGAIN, AND IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AT A FEW OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE ARE NOT PROVIDING A POLICE PRESENCE. UM, AND THAT OUR TIME WHERE THEY'RE SERVING FOOD, UM, THEY, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN PRIOR APPROVAL, UM, BEFORE I GOT ON THE COMMISSION, THAT THERE WOULD BE A POLICE OFFICER THERE WHILE THEY'RE FEEDING, UM, THE HOMELESS.

AND THAT'S AN HOUR OF TIME FROM, I GUESS, 6 TO 7.

[01:45:03]

SO, UM, AND THEY GET ROWDY AND THERE'S A GUY, JOE, THAT'S THERE TO ALL THE MEETINGS, UM, WHEN THEY'RE FEEDING THE PEOPLE.

AND HE SAID THAT HE HAS A GRAPH THAT HE SAYS WHEN THEY COME AND WHEN THEY DON'T COME.

I KNOW, UM, OUR CITY MANAGER HAS TALKED TO THE CHIEF AND THEY HAVE COME DOWN AT 5:00, BUT THEY DON'T SET UP TO LIKE 5:30.

SO I JUST WANT US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A OFFICER THERE FROM THAT WINDOW OF TIME FROM 6 TO 7, WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY SERVING, BECAUSE PEOPLE GET EDGY, THEY GET IRRITATED. THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT ARE FALLING, TRAPPED TO FINANCIAL DESPAIR, THAT ARE EVEN GOING DOWN THERE AND HAVING FOOD.

SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR SUPPORT AS A COMMISSION TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN FROM 6 TO 7 THAT WE GET A POLICE OFFICER.

I KNOW THEY JUST HIRED SOMEBODY IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, TO BE AN OUTREACH PERSON, BUT THEY GOT TO BE TRAINED.

AND IN THE MEANTIME, ONCE WE GET TO OUR NEW LOCATION, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN FEBRUARY, WE'LL HAVE A DESIGNATED PERSON THERE TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IF WE COULD PROVIDE THAT WITH THE TOURIST BEING HERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON, OUR CITY IS REALLY BUSY.

WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE HOMELESS ACTING A FOOL DOWN THERE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM AND FEED THEM.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU.

IS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT DINING WITH DIGNITY? YES. OH, OKAY.

BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE.

DINING WITH DIGNITY. HOME AGAIN.

THAT IS SAME THING. WELL HOME AGAIN IS ORGANIZES IT.

BUT IT'S ON OUR PROPERTY.

YES, IT'S ON CITY PROPERTY.

YES. AND BEFORE, WHEN I WAS AN EMPLOYEE, THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER THAT WAS ACTUALLY TWO DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME.

IT'S EVERY NIGHT.

EVERY NIGHT. SO IT'S SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK.

6 TO 7.

YES THEY ARE IN THE PARKING LOT EVERY NIGHT, UM, ON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

AND THEN THE OTHER TWO DAYS THEY ARE OVER AT UM, EDDIE VICKERS PARK.

THEY FEED THEM OVER THERE.

THEY DON'T BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S SO BUSY DOWN HERE THAT THEY NEED THESE PARKING SPOTS.

SO THEY MOVE THEM OVER TO THAT LOCATION SO THAT THEY'RE OUT OF THE WAY.

OKAY. UM, SO IT'S SEVEN HOURS A WEEK.

SEVEN HOURS A WEEK, A POLICEMAN.

YEAH, THEY THEY RIDE BY, BUT THAT'S I MEAN, JUST LIKE ANYTHING.

IS THIS A FORMAL REQUEST FROM HOME AGAIN? THEY HAVE ASKED.

THEY SAID IF THEY HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION AND ASK, THEY WILL.

BUT I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BRING IT UP AT A COMMISSION MEETING AND WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE COMMISSION SUPPORTED THEM HAVING A POLICE OFFICER.

OKAY. UH, I JUST THINK WE ASKED THE MANAGER TO INVESTIGATE IT WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND GIVE US A KIND OF A REPORT ON IT NEXT MEETING.

AND THAT WAY WE'LL KIND OF KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHAT IT WOULD COST.

AND IF IT'S AVAILABLE NOW, JUST BY REASSIGNMENT.

BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THEM DO SOME.

WELL, WE CAN ASK DAVID BECAUSE DAVID'S BEEN HELPING ME DEAL WITH THIS AND OUR MEETINGS.

WE CAN DO THAT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK NEXT MEETING AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND LEARN HOW WE CAN DO THIS.

THAT'S GOOD. WE'LL PUT IT ON THE LIST AND WE'LL WORK ON THAT.

BECAUSE IN A VERY AND I'M HOPING IN A VERY SHORT ORDER, WE WILL BE MOVING DINING WITH DIGNITY TO THE CAMPUS ON 207.

THAT'S THE GOAL. THAT IS THE GOAL.

SO BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW SOON.

THAT'S NOT HAPPENING UNTIL FEBRUARY OR MARCH.

OKAY. SO THIS IS A TEMPORARY SITUATION UNTIL SUCH A TIME.

UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THERE'S ONE OTHER THING? OKAY. UM, I'M GOING WITH, UM, BARRY FOX.

THAT'S THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSON, AND I HAVE THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN THE MEETINGS.

THERE IS, UM, A BUS, UM, THAT PROVIDES SHELTER.

UM, IT'S PLACES, 20 PEOPLE ON THIS BUS WHERE HOMELESS PEOPLE DOWN IN VERO BEACH AREA HAVE REDESIGNED A BUS.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE A TRAIN, UM, THAT THERE'S BEDS, THERE'S 20 BEDS.

THERE'S, UM, PLACES UNDERNEATH THAT THE HOMELESS CAN STORE THEIR STUFF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY HAVE BEING TAKEN.

THEY COULD GET BENDS AND IT TAKES ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO CREATE THIS.

THE PRICE IS, UM, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 150,000, BUT MONTHS, UM, DAYS LIKE TODAY WHEN IT'S EXTREMELY COLD OUTSIDE, WHEN IT'S RAINING, UM, A LOT OF CHURCHES OPEN UP THEIR FACILITIES AND PROVIDE TEMPORARY SHELTER.

I KNOW WE PROVIDE SOME BEDS AT THE SAINT FRANCIS HOUSE, BUT IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.

ONCE OUR SITE GETS OPEN, UM, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING A BUS AND WE CAN STORE IT ON THE YARD WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE.

UM, THE YARD BEING OVER THERE IN PELLISIER LANE THAT WE HAVE THAT RESOURCE FOR OUR HOMELESS PEOPLE.

[01:50:06]

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME FORM OF HOUSING THROUGH THIS BUS.

AND WE WILL HAVE A CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSON AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME THAT WORKS THIRD SHIFT.

SO WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE THAT COULD BE ON THE BUS TO MAINTAIN ORDER ON THE BUS.

WE WILL BRING BACK, WHEN WE GO DOWN THERE, WE'LL BRING BACK BOOKS SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE WHAT THE BUS LOOKS LIKE AND HAVE A BETTER PERCEPTION OF IT.

I'VE SEEN ALL THAT BEING IN THE HOME AGAIN MEETINGS.

SO THIS IS YOU'RE GOING YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.

YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.

I'VE SEEN PICTURES. OH YOU'VE SEEN PICTURES.

THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IS THESE BUSSES DON'T REALLY MOVE AROUND.

THEY'RE JUST. IT'S A BUS.

NO. IT DRIVES. IT STAYS IN ONE PLACE, THOUGH.

IT'S PRETTY STATIONARY.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE.

WELL, THE, UM, THE FACILITY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IS GOING TO BE FENCED IN, SO IT COULD TECHNICALLY STAY THERE, BUT WE COULD MOVE IT TO ALSO TO THE YARD.

IT'S DRIVABLE. IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT JUST STAYS IN ONE SPOT.

OKAY. UH, THIS IS A BRAND NEW CONCEPT, AND IT'S BEING USED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS AND WHAT THE COMPLICATIONS ARE. UH, BEFORE WE COMMIT TO IT.

AND IT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PURSUING IT.

BUT BEFORE WE COMMIT TO IT, WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING OURSELVES INTO.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING 20 INDIVIDUALS SLEEP ON A BUS ON CITY PROPERTY AND UM, AND THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU GOING DOWN TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT WITH BARRY AND JUST CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.

I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

YEAH, YEAH. WE'VE, UM I KNOW THEY'VE APPROACHED US BEFORE, SO IT'S THE CONCEPT.

SO IT SOUNDS VERY INTRIGUING.

SO IT'D BE INTERESTING.

AND THE LAST THING.

I'M SORRY. THE LAST THING IS, UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING DOWN TO SPANISH STREET ON SATURDAY AND SEEING THE, UM, ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND ACTUALLY SEEING, UM, HOW TIGHT THAT COMMUNITY IS.

IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO WITNESS A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF ON TV WHERE THE COMMUNITY GETS TOGETHER AND THEY ACTUALLY DO.

THEY DO CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER.

THEY DO HAVE A GREAT BOND.

AND I WATCHED PROBABLY OVER EVEN WITH ALL THAT FENCING.

AND IT'S REALLY CRAZY DOWN THERE, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN THERE, UM, PEOPLE STILL SAW THE HOUSES AND SAW THE COZINESS OF THAT STREET AND WAS STILL WALKING BY THROUGH THAT WHOLE CAGED IN FENCE AREA.

UM, IT WOULD BE A GREAT TO MAKE THAT, UM, DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO LIKE CUNA STREET, AND I'M SURE, UM, RUBEN'S GOING TO COME BACK WITH A DESIGN WHERE THEY PUT THAT THING IN THE ROAD TO BLOCK PEOPLE FROM DRIVING DOWN THAT PARK CORRIDOR AND SECURING THAT AREA, AND THEN THE RESIDENTS CAN COME THROUGH THE TOLOMATO PARK AND PARK INTO THEIR THEIR RESIDENCE.

I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THOSE RESIDENTS.

THOSE HOUSES ARE OLD.

SOMEONE ACTUALLY HAD TURNED THAT CORNER AND WENT TO SOMEBODY'S BEDROOM.

UM, AND THEY WERE THERE AND THEY DIDN'T GET INJURED.

SOMEBODY EXPLAINED TO ME, BECAUSE I DID GET TO TALK TO DIFFERENT RESIDENTS, THAT THEIR WALL CRACKED FROM THOSE LOUD BOOM BOXES.

WE NEED TO PROTECT THAT, UM, CULTURE.

WE NEED TO PROTECT THAT THOSE HISTORIC HOMES BECAUSE, UM, LIKE, YOU WORK ON THE HISTORICAL THING, THAT'S YOUR THING, UM, PRESERVING THINGS.

UM, WE CAN'T PRESERVE THOSE THINGS FROM, UM, THE NOISE AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE CAN'T CONTROL WHO GOES DOWN THERE WITH THOSE BOXES THAT YOU CAN HEAR ALL THE WAY FROM JACKSONVILLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD CONSIDER, UM, ONCE RUBEN COMES BACK WITH HIS, HIS DESIGN, HIS APPROACH.

GREAT. SOUNDS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.

ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR.

WELL, SPEAKING ABOUT BOOMBOX THINGS, THERE WAS I WAS AT THE EVENT WHERE THE CULTURAL COUNCIL OF PONTEVEDRA CAME DOWN AND I WELCOMED THEM, AND I WAS ON TREASURY STREET, AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

THIS NOISE CAME DOWN THE STREET.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS INSIDE A COURTYARD, BUT IT WAS SO LOUD.

IT WAS SOME KIND OF MOVING VEHICLE GOING DOWN TREASURY STREET.

UM. AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT WITH, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T CALL THE POLICE FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH THEM, SO.

UM, CITY ATTORNEY CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

YES, THERE IS A STATE STATUTE, AND IT'S A CLEARLY AUDIBLE TYPE STANDARD.

SO AS YOU MENTIONED, THE ISSUE IS ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER BE ABLE TO WRITE THE CITATION AND CATCH THEM IN THE ACT.

UH, MUCH LIKE SPEEDING, I SUPPOSE.

[01:55:02]

ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S AN ASIDE.

UM, ONE THING I'D ASKED OUR CITY MANAGERS THAT SOMETIME DURING THIS NEXT YEAR, HOPEFULLY EARLIER IN THE YEAR, THAT WE COULD CONVENE AS A COMMISSION AND SPEAK ABOUT OUR MISSION PLAN, OUR MISSION VISION PLAN, LIKE KIND OF UPDATE IT, KIND OF GET OUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER ON IT.

AND, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT SOMETHING I'M HOPING FOR THIS YEAR.

THE OTHER IS THAT, UM, I'M WISHING EVERYBODY A HAPPY HOLIDAY.

AND, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024.

IT'S GOING TO BE A BETTER YEAR.

SO THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE.

I TOO, WANT TO THANK THE EXPERIENCED COMMISSIONERS FOR MY YEAR OF IN SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION AND, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER GARRIS, FOR OUR CELEBRATION.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME. AND ALSO TO THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY THE BACK ROW, UH, THEY TRY TO HIDE, BUT THEY DON'T GET AWAY WITH IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND FOR THE FRONT ROW, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE THE LAST YEAR AND FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE CITY.

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

AND TO OUR TWO CHIEFS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE THINGS TO DO.

I WAS GOING TO MENTION WHEN WE DID THE FIRE, UH, RECOGNITION, UH, THAT'S WHY I TELL PEOPLE WE LIVE IN THE CITY.

WHY DO YOU WHY DO YOU LIVE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE WHEN YOU CAN MOVE OUT AND HAVE $1,000 LESS TAXES? WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BEST FIRE AND THE BEST POLICE.

AND ON THE SURVEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW SOMETIME IN JANUARY, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS THE TOP OF THE LIST WAS SERVICES BY EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY.

THAT IT WAS, IT WAS IT HAS IMPROVED AND IT'S VERY HIGH.

AND I JUST THANK THE SERVICE OF EVERYBODY THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.

THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? EVERYBODY OKAY? I ONLY HAD ONE THING.

UM, THE CITY MANAGER POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE, UM, THE BRONZE PLAQUE THAT WAS ON THE SPANISH TRAIL BALL, WHICH IS LOCATED SOUTH OF THE VIC, SEEMED TO GO MISSING.

AND, UM, HAVE WE SOLVED THAT MYSTERY YET? UH, I GOT AN UPDATE.

I WENT OUT THERE AND LOOKED AT IT TODAY AND MET WITH JESSICA, OUR VIC CHIEF.

IT'S NOT THE MARKER ON THE TRAIL.

THE BALL. IT'S THE MARKER THAT MEMORIALIZED THE THE VIC BUILDING ITSELF.

THE WPA BUILDING.

OKAY, THAT IS MISSING.

IT'S BEEN MISSING FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS.

SO WE WENT BACK AND RECONSTRUCTED WHAT THE MARKER SAID.

AND I MET WITH JULIE COURTNEY AND AMY SKINNER THIS AFTERNOON TO TALK ABOUT, UM UPDATING THAT MARKER, PERHAPS, AND BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU AND REINSTALLING IT.

PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S, UM, WONDERFUL.

WE'RE NOT SURE IF IT WAS STOLEN OR IF IT FELL DOWN OR IF WE, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED TO IT.

OKAY. EXCELLENT.

SO THAT'S, UM, IT'S A WONDERFUL BUILDING.

AND, UM, I FOUND IN MANY CASES, PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THAT BUILDING.

UM, AND IT IT REALLY IS A FASCINATING STORY.

AND, UM, WHEN YOU NEED IT, I HAVE THE FRONT PAGE HEADLINES OF THE LOCAL PAPER.

WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT, UM, THAT PROJECT.

SO, UM, FOR YOUR RECORDS, IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT.

UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM.

EVERYBODY. WONDERFUL.

WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AND, UM, HOPE YOU GET TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.

WELL, THERE'S A CHRISTMAS PARTY.

YEAH, YEAH. THE 13TH.

SORRY, I WON'T BE THERE.

ADJOURNED. SORRY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.