[1. CALL TO ORDER ] [00:00:02] THIS MEETING OF, THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION IS CALLED TO ORDER. IF EVERYBODY COULD PLEASE TAKE THEIR SEATS. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY SYKES-KLEIN. HERE. BARBARA BLONDER. HERE. CYNTHIA GARRIS. HERE. JIM SPRINGFIELD. HERE. JOHN DEPRADER. HERE. ALL RIGHT, EXCELLENT. WE WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY VICE MAYOR BARBARA BLONDER. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLEASE STAND IF YOU ARE ABLE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALL RIGHT. [2. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS] THE NEXT ITEM IS MODIFICATION AND APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR AGENDA. COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY MODIFICATIONS? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO PASS THAT. I MOVE WE PASS THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY. YES. OH, DO WE? OH, WELL, WE DO. SORRY. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, I BELIEVE, THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO RESOLUTION 9B1. OKAY. WHICH IS SETTING THE DATES FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, SHOULD WE HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THAT AT THE RESOLUTION, OR SHOULD WE HAVE THAT AT THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT STAGE OF THE AGENDA? I THINK AT THE RESOLUTION. OKAY. IS THAT A MOTION? I WILL MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. YOU WILL AMEND YOUR MOTION ON THE FLOOR. FOLKS CAN SEE BOTH PRESENTATIONS. YOU'LL AMEND YOUR MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND YOU'LL SECOND THE AMENDMENT? IT'S HIS. IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND, BUT YES. OTHER WAY AROUND. OKAY. WE ALL LOOK ALIKE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, EXCELLENT. ANY COMMENTS OR DEBATE? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. WONDERFUL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. SORRY, I ALMOST SKIPPED RIGHT OVER YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE THREE [3. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS ] PROCLAMATIONS TONIGHT. THE FIRST ONE IS APRIL 2026, IT'S LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MONTH, AND THAT IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER JIM SPRINGFIELD, AND I WILL PASS YOU THE... PROCLAMATION. IT'S OUR PROCEDURE THAT I READ THE PROCLAMATION AT THE SEAT AND THEN WE INVITE THE REPRESENTATIVES UP AND MEET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS FOR A PHOTO. WHEREAS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IS A MULTIFACETED PROFESSION THAT ENCOMPASSES THE ANALYSIS, DESIGN, PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT. PLAYING A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. AND WHEREAS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS DESIGN AND CREATE COMMUNITY MASTER PLANS, WORKABLE, WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS, GREEN STORMWATER SYSTEMS, AND ACCESSIBLE SPACES SUCH AS PUBLIC PLAZAS, PARKS, SCHOOLS, RESIDENTIAL COMMON AREAS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND TRAILS THAT LEAD TO ACTIVE LIFESTYLES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS ARE LICENSED. PROFESSIONALS HAVING CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE BY DESIGNING ACCESSIBLE AND SAFE PUBLIC SPACES, PROMOTING ACTIVE LIFESTYLES, AND FOSTERING RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS IN ST. AUGUSTINE. AND WHEREAS ST. AUGUSTINE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE IMPACT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS IS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY, THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRACTICE CREATING RESILIENT AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES TO WITHSTAND AND RESPOND TO SEVERAL WEATHER EVENTS, ULTIMATELY REDUCING THE BURDEN ON STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. AND WHEREAS LANDCAPE ARCHITECTS MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE PROFESSION'S TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE, THE [00:05:01] THOUGHTFUL DESIGN ANALYSIS MANAGEMENT STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS IN ST. AUGUSTINE CONTRIBUTING TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF ITS RESIDENTS. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE HEREBY PROCLAIMS THE MONTH OF APRIL 2026 AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MONTH IN THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND ENCOURAGES ITS CITIZENS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR ROLE IN CREATING, INVITING, AND SAFE SPACES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY. WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY... PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND IS SIGNED BY OUR MAYOR THERE WAS A STICKY NOTE SO IF WE COULD HAVE KEVIN WHITE AND ANY REPRESENTATIVE THEY HAVE TO COME FORWARD WELL, WE DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SOME PARKS TO DESIGN. WE HAVE A GROUP OF ARCHITECTS THAT HAVE WORKED ON ALL OUR PARKS. WE SURE APPRECIATE IT. AND WE'D LIKE TO OFFER YOU THIS PROCLAMATION AND GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT, MADAM MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR PROFESSION. WE APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AS A PROFESSION THAT IS LICENSED AND HELPS PROTECT THE SAFETY AND HEALTH AND WELFARE FOR THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING. ALL THOSE VISITORS, MILLIONS OF VISITORS WE HAVE ANNUALLY, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT PROCLAMATION IS MARCH 29, 2026 IS EDUCATION SHARING DAY. WHEREAS EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR CITY. AND IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, WE SEEK TO INSTILL EACH CHILD AND ADOLESCENT WITH A GOOD EDUCATION. AND WHEREAS BY PREPARING OUR STUDENTS. FOR THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FUTURE, EDUCATION DEVELOPS THE INTELLECT THROUGH LESSONS ON LITERACY, MATH, AND SCIENCE. WHEREAS THE RABBI MENACHEM SCHNEERSON, OF RIGHTEOUS MEMORY, DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE BETTERMENT OF MANKIND AND TIRELESSLY ADVOCATED FOR A BETTER EDUCATION FOR ALL AMERICANS. AND WHEREAS THE RABBI TAUGHT THAT EDUCATION SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO THE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION FOR A CAREER, BUT ALSO ON CHARACTER BUILDING WITH EMPHASIS ON THE UNIVERSAL MORAL AND ETHICAL VALUES THAT ARE THE BASIS OF ANY PEACEFUL, CIVILIZED SOCIETY. AND WHEREAS THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS HAS ESTABLISHED EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY, USA, AS AN ANNUAL NATIONAL DAY TO COMMEMORATE THE REBBE, ACHIEVEMENT AND THE LESSONS AND THE VISION HE SET FORTH ARE RELEVANT TO US ALL TODAY. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 29, 2026, AS EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, CALLS UPON ALL EDUCATORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND CITIZENS TO REACH OUT TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND WORK TO CREATE A BETTER, BRIGHTER, AND MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR ALL. AND IF RABBI VOGEL, WOULD YOU JOIN US IN THE FRONT? WE'LL PRESENT THIS TO YOU. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO. ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GIVE YOU THE MICROPHONE IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK. I KNOW YOU WOULD. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, MOST NOTABLY THE MAYOR, THE CITY COMMISSIONERS, AND ALL THE GREAT CITIZENS OF OUR CITY. [00:10:01] FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. THE REBBE REMINDED US THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE AND HIS LEADERSHIP ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL AND HOW EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING CAN MAKE AN IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITIES, STARTING WITH OUR FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND FROM THERE OUTWARD. THERE'S NO DEED THAT'S TOO SMALL. THERE'S NO PERSON WHO'S INSIGNIFICANT. EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE SOCIETY, AND THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE HAVE ONE PROCLAMATION REMAINING, AND THAT IS... WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PRESENTED BY VICE MAYOR BARBARA BLONDER. THANK YOU, I'M HUMBLED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. WHEREAS EACH YEAR AMERICANS OBSERVE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IN MARCH TO COMMEMORATE AND ENCOURAGE THE STUDY, OBSERVANCE, AND CELEBRATION OF THE VITAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY. AND WHEREAS THE 2026 WOMEN'S HISTORY THEME, LEADING THE CHANGE, WOMEN SHAPING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, RECOGNIZES THAT SUSTAINABILITY INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE VITAL ROLE WOMEN PLAY IN ADVANCING INNOVATION, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES, AND CREATING SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT BOTH PEOPLE AND THE PLANET. AND WHEREAS FROM CLASSROOMS TO BOARDROOMS AND FROM GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS TO GLOBAL INITIATIVES, WOMEN EDUCATORS AND LEADERS HAVE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN NURTURING MINDS AND INSPIRING TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION. AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE BEEN LEADERS NOT ONLY IN SECURING THEIR OWN RIGHTS OF SUFFRAGE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO IN THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT, THE EMANCIPATION MOVEMENT, THE INDUSTRIAL LABOR MOVEMENT, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND OTHER MOVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE PEACE MOVEMENT, WHICH CREATE A MORE FAIR AND JUST SOCIETY FOR ALL. AND WHEREAS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT THE UNHERALDED LEGACIES OF WOMEN FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE, HIGHLIGHTING THEIR UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS AND DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, INCLUDING SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ETHNICITY, RACE, CULTURE, ABILITIES, AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE ST. AUGUSTINE CITY COMMISSION, HEREBY PROCLAIMS MARCH 2026 AS NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND ENCOURAGES ITS CITIZENS TO OBSERVE THIS MONTH WITH APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS, CEREMONIES, AND ACTIVITIES THAT HONOR THE HISTORY, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN WOMEN. AND THIS IS SIGNED BY THE MAYOR, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO COME UP. TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM FOR A PHOTO OP. ACTUALLY, THIS PROCLAMATION, I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR CURRENT MAYOR TO ACCEPT IT. I KNOW THIS IS A SURPRISE. THIS MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR CITY CLERK. AND SO SHE HAS KINDLY PREPARED A BIO THAT IS A BIT LENGTHY, SO I'M SORRY FOR THE TIME WE'LL BE STANDING, BUT IT'S WORTH DOING. NANCY SYKES-KLEIN, NATIVE FLORIDIAN AND CURRENT MAYOR OF ST. AUGUSTINE, HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY SINCE 1984, DEDICATING NEARLY 30 OF THOSE YEARS TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. SHE EARNED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, GO GATORS, WHICH PROVIDED THE BACKGROUND FOR HER WORK IN URBAN PLANNING, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, SHE HAS RECEIVED HER CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION FROM THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES AND SCOTT DAILY ADVANCED INSTITUTE FOR ELECTED MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS, LEVEL THREE TRAINING PROGRAM AND COMPLETED TRAINING FROM THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION ADVISORY COUNCIL TRAINING INSTITUTE. MAYOR SYKES-KLEIN HAS SERVED ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE CITY COMMISSION SINCE 2008 AND WAS SELECTED TWICE BY HER FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AS VICE MAYOR BEFORE BEING ELECTED. BEING ELECTED MAYOR IN 2022 AND AGAIN IN 2024. EXCUSE ME. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO NUMEROUS LOCAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, INCLUDING THE HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, PARKING AND TRAFFIC COMMITTEE, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER, AND PAST CHAIRPERSON OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE AND MUSEUM, AND PAST PRESIDENT OF THE JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE. CURRENTLY SERVING ON THE... FOLLOWING BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, WAR COMMITTEES, [00:15:01] MEMBER BOARD OF ADVOCATES, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, BOARD MEMBER NORTH FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION, MEMBER ST. JOHNS COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, VICE PRESIDENT, NORTHEAST FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES, MEMBER 2055 FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE, MEMBER LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, MOBILITY, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES AND MEMBER LEITNER MUSEUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS INCLUDE LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE FROM THE ENTERPRISING WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, INCORPORATED IN 2011, ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN 2017, FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES HOME RULE HERO AWARD CONSECUTIVELY 2018 THROUGH 2025, WHICH IS HUGE, ST. JOHN'S COUNTY CULTURAL COUNCIL DURING... WOMEN IN HISTORY MONTH IN 2021 AND GOLD FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE FOR ELECTED MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS IN 2023. IN 2026, THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE WAS SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS 11TH BERNARDO DE GALVEZ AWARD, RECOGNIZING ITS ROLE IN PRESERVING AND STRENGTHENING THE HISTORIC TIES BETWEEN SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES. MAYOR SECK'S CLIENT HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN STRENGTHENING THE HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ST. AUGUSTINE AND SPAIN BY FOSTERING EDUCATIONAL AND TOURISM EXCHANGES AS WELL AS JOINT PROJECTS AIMED AT PRESERVING HISTORICAL HERITAGE. THE MAYOR IS SCHEDULED TO ATTEND THE AWARD CEREMONY IN AVILES AND IN ON JUNE 12TH IN 2026 REPRESENTING THE CITY IN THIS INTERNATIONAL HONOR. FINALLY, HER LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON BALANCING GROWTH WITH PRESERVATION, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND MAINTAINING THE UNIQUE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL LEGACY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. MAYOR SYKES-KLEIN, IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO SAY TO YOU THAT YOU REPRESENT A VERY DIVERGING PERSON TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH THIS PROCLAMATION FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. THANK YOU. THERE'S REALLY NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO SAY. I THINK MY DEEDS SHOW WHERE MY HEART IS, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. DARLENE, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S HUMBLING. ALL RIGHT, THAT'S WITH ALL OF THE PROCLAMATIONS THIS EVENING. I'M HOPING TO MAYBE SAVE ONE SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW IF POSSIBLE. WE COULD LEAVE ONE. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A VACANT SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW? BECAUSE I THINK IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE COMMENTING. WHAT WE'VE JUST DONE, JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, IS WE'VE... TAKEN THE SPEAKER CARDS, THE SPEAKERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK DURING THE RESOLUTION WHEN WE WILL CONSIDER THE TIMES AND DATES OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. WE WILL TAKE THOSE COMMENTS AT THAT TIME. THIS PERIOD WILL BE OUR JUST GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, OTHER THAN THAT TOPIC. SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO STICK AROUND A LITTLE BIT. WE'VE GOT SOME BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF, BUT WE WILL GET TO IT IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER. SO WE'LL ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE. IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT A CARD, A SPEAKER CARD, THEY ARE IN THE BACK. YOU CAN GIVE THEM TO THE OFFICER. I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I GET THAT. BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I'M GETTING A MESSAGE FROM THE BACK. I BELIEVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO EMPHASIZE THAT IF THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE INSIDE, IF PEOPLE CAN MOVE IN AND SIT DOWN IN THE AUDIENCE, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE WHO ARE TRYING TO GET IN BUT CAN'T BECAUSE OF THE OCCUPANCY. IF THERE'S AN EMPTY SEAT NEXT TO YOU, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. WE HAVE ONE EMPTY SEAT HERE IN THE BACK. [00:20:02] THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE. SO THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. I'M GOING TO READ FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP BRINGING. I FEEL LIKE CARDS WILL CONTINUE [4. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS OR FOR AGENDA ITEMS NOT REQUIRING A SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING ] TO COME UP FORWARD. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS THAT ARE NOT SCHEDULED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. ANY PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION SHOULD FILL OUT A SPEAKER CARD, AND I WILL CALL YOU TO THE PODIUM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND SHALL COMPLY WITH THE CITY'S RULES OF DECORUM. COMMENTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, NOT INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS. COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM SPEAKERS IMMEDIATELY. NO PERSON MAY ADDRESS THE COMMISSION WITH PERSONAL, IMPROPER, OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS OR WITH BOISTEROUS BEHAVIOR. MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WILL REFRAIN FROM ANY CLAPPING OR DISRUPTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS OF APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF ANY COMMENT. AND FINALLY, I WOULD ASK THAT IF ANY SPEAKER WHO USES THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR TO PLEASE SUBMIT THOSE ITEMS TO THE CITY CLERK TO BE ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. AND WITH THAT SAID, WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL CALL TWO NAMES. AND I WOULD LIKE, SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY CARDS TONIGHT AND SO MANY PEOPLE TO GET THROUGH, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY, I HAVE A NUMBER OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS. I'M GOING TO CALL TWO NAMES AT A TIME. FIRST SPEAKER, COME UP. THE SECOND SPEAKER'S NAME THAT YOU HEAR, PLEASE SIT IN THE VACANT SEAT UP HERE. BE ON DECK, IF YOU'LL BE ON DECK, SO THAT WE CAN JUST EXPEDITE THIS. FIRST SPEAKER IS ROBIN THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY JOANNE WORLING. ROBIN THOMAS, THERE'S, HI ROBIN, THERE YOU ARE. OH, I GUESS WE DON'T, SORRY, YEAH, THERE WE GO. GOOD EVENING, I'M HERE TO READ THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION 2.0. CHARTER FOR COMPASSIONATE TRANSFORMER FOR INNER HEALING TO PLANETARY FLOURISHING. THE GREAT TURNING. WE, THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF EARTH, STAND AT THE THRESHOLD MOMENT IN HUMAN AND PLANETARY HISTORY. THE PRINCIPLE OF COMPASSION, WHICH HAS ALWAYS RESIDED AT THE HEART OF ALL RELIGIOUS, ETHICAL, SPIRITUAL, AND INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS, NOW CALL US TO PROFOUND TRANSFORMATION FOR SEPARATION TO KINSHIP, FROM CHARITY TO JUSTICE, FROM COMPETITION TO CORPORATION, AND FROM HUMAN-CENTERED THINKING TO UNIVERSAL AWARENESS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT AUTHENTIC COMPASSION BEGINS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT INNER HEALING EXTENDS OUTWARD THROUGH JUST RELATIONSHIPS, REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS, AND REVERENT CARE FOR ALL LIFE. COMPASSION IS BOTH A DEEP AWARENESS OF SUFFERING AND COURAGEOUS COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORMATION, ADDRESSING SYMPTOMS AND ROOT CAUSES THROUGH INTENTIONAL ACTIONS AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE. CALL TO TRANSFORMATION. WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE COMPASSION A CLEAR, LUMINOUS, AND DYNAMIC FORCE IN OUR WORLD AS IT AWAKENS TO GREATER INTERCONNECTION AND WHOLENESS. ROOTED IN INNER HEALING AND MANIFESTED AS JUSTICE, THIS EXPANDED COMPASSION CAN DISSOLVE THE FALSE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN SELF AND OTHER, HUMAN AND NATURE, PAST AND PRESENT AND FUTURE. BORN OF OUR DEEP INTERDEPENDENCE WITH ALL LIFE. COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL TO HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND TO THE CONTINUATION OF LIFE ITSELF ON EARTH. IT IS THE PATH TO COLLECTIVE HEALING AND INDISPENSABLE TO THE CREATION OF REGENERATIVE, ECONOMIC, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND A THRIVING PLANETARY COMMUNITY. WE CALL UPON ALL THINGS TO JOIN THIS GREAT WORK OF OUR TIME. THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR CIVILIZATION FROM SYSTEMS TO DOMINATION TO CULTURE, A PARTNERSHIP FROM ECONOMIES TO EXTRACTION OF ECONOMIES OF CARE, FROM A PATTERNED CONSCIOUSNESS OF SEPARATION TO AN EXPANDED AWARENESS OF SACRED KINSHIPS WITH ALL LIFE, THE LIVING PROMISE. THIS CHARTER IS OUR SACRED PROMISE TO LIFE ITSELF, A COMMITMENT TO EMBODY THE CHANGE WE SEEK. TO HEAL THE WOUNDS WE HAVE INHERITED AND TO PLANT SEEDS OF FLOURISHING FOR GENERATIONS YET TO COME. IT IS AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, THE STORY [00:25:02] OF LIFE'S AWAKENESS TO ITS OWN SACRED NATURE AND CHOOSING LOVE OVER FEAR, CORPORATION OVER DOMINATION, AND HEALING OVER HARM. MAY OUR WORDS BECOME ACTIONS AND OUR ACTIONS BECOME CULTURE AND OUR CULTURES BECOME THE FOUNDATION FOR A WORLD WHERE ALL BEINGS CAN THRIVE IN DIGNITY, BEAUTY, AND BELOVED COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOANNE WERLING, FOLLOWED BY NANCY MURPHY. GOOD EVENING. NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU'RE SO INCLINED, PLEASE. MY NAME IS JOANNE WERLING. I'M FROM JBL PETTY CAB. I WANTED TO... PREFACE ALL OF MY COMMENTS BY SAYING I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND TIME AND SACRIFICE THAT CITY COMMISSIONERS AND POLICE DEPARTMENT PUT INTO REGULATING THE DRIVER FOR HIRE SECTOR. SO ANY CRITICISMS I PROVIDE ARE JUST TO MAKE IT AS PERFECT AS IT COULD POSSIBLY BE. LAST MEETING, I BROUGHT UP DRUNK DRIVING WITH PEDICABS AND I WANTED TO YOU CLARIFY THAT OUT OF, LET'S SAY, 14 OPERATORS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, WE HAVE MAYBE ONE OR TWO PROBLEM PEOPLE. BUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE EVEN WITH ONE OR TWO PROBLEM PEOPLE, IT'LL PAINT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY IN A BAD LIGHTING. SO IN ORDER TO CURB THOSE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THAT THOSE... INSTANCES SHOULD BE TAKEN EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY. IF WE SEE THOSE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE CORRALLED, COMPLAINTS WOULD PROBABLY GO DOWN ABOUT 80 TO 90% WITH PEDICABS OVERALL. WE ALSO BROUGHT UP THE CAP. ME AND OTHER DRIVERS HAVE NEGOTIATED AMONGST OURSELVES. WE FEEL A CAP OF... 40 TO 45 PEDICABS WOULD BE SUITABLE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WITH THOSE NUMBERS, I KNOW RUBEN AND CHRIS TAYLOR HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING COMPANIES OWNING MAYBE THREE PERMITS EACH. SO THAT WOULD, FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, MEAN THAT YOU COMPANIES WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OWN MORE THAN 7.5 TO 6.6 PERCENT OF THE MARKET. THE AMPHITHEATER WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP. I DON'T FEEL THE AMPHITHEATER IS NECESSARILY DANGEROUS TO WORK, NOT MORE SO THAN IT IS TO DRIVE TO OR WALK TO. I THINK A LOT OF THOSE PROBLEMS COULD BE CURVED WITH MAYBE A STOPLIGHT OR A CROSSWALK OR THE CROSSWALK STOPLIGHT KIND OF THAT'S IN FRONT OF SARBEZ WOULD BE A GREAT. SOLUTION TO THAT, I KNOW THE CITY IS GOING TO FACE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH FUNDING, WITH PROPERTY TAX, BUT I FEEL THE AMPHITHEATER BRINGS SO MUCH MONEY TO THE CITY, IT WOULD BE WELL WORTH THE EXPENDITURE. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS NANCY MURPHY, FOLLOWED BY LAUREN GEIBER. HI, NANCY MURPHY, 22 VERONESE, AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ROBIN READ THE CHARTER. I WILL NOT READ IT AGAIN, BUT I WILL REMIND EVERYBODY GATHERED. THAT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA WAS THE FIRST COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THE 20TH IN THE WORLD. AND WE HAVE BEEN A COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS. I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE AS WE CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE INTENTIONALLY COMPASSIONATE GOING FORWARD. I'M ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TABLE THAT THE CITY AND FLAGLER COLLEGE ARE HOSTING TOGETHER ON FRIDAY AND GRATEFUL TO GET TO BE A PART OF THAT. I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT INTERNATIONALLY, APRIL 5TH, I KNOW IT'S EASTER THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO GOLDEN RULE DAY, AND THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION WAS FOUNDED ON THE GOLDEN RULE AS SOME VERSION OF THE GOLDEN RULE IS FOUND IN EVERY SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS TRADITION. SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO DO IS SAY THANK YOU, AND I'M WEARING MY TLC BADGE BECAUSE I'M OFFICIALLY A TLC TRAINER NOW, AND I PLAN ON OFFERING THE FIRST TRAINING IN... MAY. MORE ON THAT LATER. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU. LAUREN GEIBER, FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA RAMOS. MS. RAMOS, YOU CAN COME RIGHT UP FRONT. WE HAVE A SEAT FOR YOU. [00:30:08] IS THERE THE OVERHEAD? WE NEED THE OVERHEAD. YEAH, IF POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. GO THIS WAY? YES? OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT UP FRONT. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS. I AM HERE FOR THE COMPASSION OF THE NEIGHBORS ON SOUTH ST. AUGUSTINE, SOUTH RIBERIA STREET, AND OUR NEED FOR SPEED TABLES OR SPEED CUSHIONS, BUT TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES ARE NECESSARY. AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY STREET WITHIN ST. AUGUSTINE THAT NEEDS THIS, BUT I WOULD ASK VERY MUCH FOR A PILOT PROGRAM SO WE CAN TRY THESE DEVICES OUT AND SEE IF OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN MANAGE THEM. NACTO MAKES DEVICES THAT ARE VERY MODERN AND WOULD FIT WITH EMERGENCY VEHICLES. SO PLEASE, I AM PLEADING FOR COMPASSION FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IN 2002, WE... ENDED UP HAVING A PETITION AND WE HAVE EIGHT PAGES FULL OF NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO SIGNED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASKING FOR CALMING STREETS. I WILL HAND IT BACK INTO FOR YOU TO REVIEW. BUT LIVING ON RIBERIA STREET SOUTH HAS ITS CHALLENGES. I'VE REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR SPEED STUDIES FOR NACTO SPEED CUSHIONS AS WELL AS PATROL CARS TO BE... STATIONED ON RIBERIA STREET. IN 2013, THE STREET UNDERWENT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF PAVING AND STRUCTURAL IMPLEMENTS, BUT SINCE THEN, MORE THAN 21 HOUSES HAVE BEEN BUILT ON RIBERIA STREET SOUTH. SO WE WENT FROM 40 TO 61, AND MANY OF THEM ARE MULTIPLE HOMES WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE AND SEVERAL CARS. SO WE ALSO HAVE VERITAS SCHOOL, WHICH BRINGS IN 100 STUDENTS PER DAY AND THEIR PARENTS GO BACK AND FORTH. THAT'S 400 TRIPS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS GROWN. WE HAVE THE BAYFRONT. WE HAVE THE COAST GUARD, COUNCIL ON AGING THAT HOLDS CLASSES. AND WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS TO EDDIE VICKERS AND ROBERT HALING, THERE WILL BE MORE TRAFFIC AGAIN ON RIBERIA STREET. OUR SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MILES PER HOUR, AS OPPOSED TO NORTH RIBERIA STREET IN FLAGLER MODEL, WHICH IS ONLY 20 MILES PER HOUR. SO MAYBE THAT WOULD HELP TO BE REDUCED. BUT ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP US WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT IN WHAT WE ALREADY... HAVE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOTHING. IT TOOK ME FOUR YEARS TO GET STOP SIGNS PUT ON RIVERIA STREET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS PATRICIA RAMOS, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER WILSON. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PATRICIA AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK UP FOR THE HORSES AS WELL AS THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC. IT IS OUR RIGHT TO COME UP AND SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. IRONIC THAT A SPEECH OF DECORUM IS READ BY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS YET AT THE SAME TIME IGNORED. FAVORITISM TOWARDS SOME CONSTITUENTS WHILE OTHERS FACE RUDENESS AND CONTEMPT IS UNACCEPTABLE. INTERRUPTING A MOMENT OF SILENCE TWICE FOR VICTIMS SHOWS A SHOCKING LACK OF RESPECT. THERE WERE OVER 32 SECONDS LEFT IN THE COMMENT WHICH... LET ME REMIND YOU A MOMENT OF SILENCE IS A FORM OF FREE SPEECH. CUTTING INTO MY LIMITED SPEAKING TIME, A CLEAR FIRST AMENDMENT CONCERN DEMONSTRATES THE SAME DISREGARD FOR RULES AND CODES BY THE HORSE INDUSTRY THAT IN TURN ENDANGERS EVERYONE. MY COMMENT THREE OF THE SEVEN VICTIMS THAT EVERYONE. [00:35:04] LISA SPEAKING. THANK YOU. YOUR EXCUSE. IT IS NO WONDER THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED AND SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE. I FIND IT ABSOLUTELY APPALLING THAT SECONDS AFTER HEARING CONFIRMATION THAT A HORSE DIED IN TOWN LEASED PROPERTY, MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION, SEEMINGLY UNFAZED, WERE ABLE TO LAUGH, EVEN IF IT WAS ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. THAT REDUCTION. SHOWED A SHOCKING LEVEL OF INDIFFERENCE AND DISRESPECT TOWARDS A TRAGIC AND SERIOUS MATTER. THIS IS A THANKS THESE EXPLOITED ENSLAVED HORSES GET AFTER HAVING SERVED ST. AUGUSTINE AND WITH THEIR LIFE. TO FEEL SO EMBOLDENED BY THEIR AUTHORITY TO TRY TO INTIMIDATE THE PUBLIC FROM SPEAKING IS UNACCEPTABLE. NO WONDER THEY ALLOWED FOR THIS TYPE OF ABUSE TO BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. IT IS WAY PAST TIME THAT THIS CRUEL, ARCHAIC, AND UNSUPERVISED INDUSTRY ENDS. SHOW COMPASSION AND STOP PUTTING THESE HORSES AND THE PUBLIC IN DANGER. TIME ALLOWING, I WILL ONCE AGAIN... AS TO END WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THREE OF THE SIX VICTIMS THAT HAVE HORRIFICALLY DIED IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. REST IN PEACE, LISA, GHOST, AND TITAN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. IS HEATHER WILSON, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS REYNOLDS. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENT, I'VE PRINTED UP AND STUDIED, AGAIN, THE RULES OF DECORUM, AND THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT FORBIDS A MOMENT OF SILENCE. EVERYONE HAS NOW SEEN ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. WHEN A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WAS USING A PORTION OF HER ALLOCATED THREE MINUTES TO HONOR DECEASED ST. AUGUSTINE CARRIAGE HORSES WITH SILENCE, AND SHE WAS ANGRILY AND RUDELY INTERRUPTED BY AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. THIS IS NOT A GOOD LOOK. THESE DECEASED HORSES HAVE SERVED YOUR COMMUNITY. THEY HAD NO BODILY AUTONOMY. THEY HAD NO FREEDOM. ALL OF THEIR NATURAL INSTINCTS AND DESIRES WERE ROBBED FROM THEM. THEY PULLED HEAVY LOADS DAY AFTER DAY, NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, POUNDING THE PAVEMENT ALONGSIDE LOUD CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES, TROLLEYS, FORCED TO INHALE CIGARETTE AND VAPING SMOKE FROM THEIR DRIVERS. YET THEY CONTINUED THIS WORK THROUGH NO CHOICE OF THEIR OWN. THESE ENSLAVED ANIMALS SUFFERED MISERABLY. EVEN IN THE LAST MOMENTS OF THEIR LIVES, THEY DID NOT KNOW FREEDOM. GHOST DIED OF BASTARD STRANGLES. TITAN DIED OF COLIC. KATE, HER ONLY VET EXAM WAS NOVEMBER OF 2023, AND SHE IS SAID TO HAVE DIED IN A TRAILER ACCIDENT. SAM, WHO HAD EXACTLY ONE VET EXAM IN JUNE OF 2025, IS APPARENTLY ALSO NOW DECEASED. LORI, DECEASED, WHO SEEMED TO HAVE ULCERS. LISA DIED FROM HERNIA COMPLICATIONS. DUTCH, WHO WAS ALSO LISTED AS RETIRED ALONGSIDE LORI AND LISA, IS ALSO REPORTED AS DECEASED. AND RETIRED IS NOT THE SAME AS DECEASED. THAT IS JUST A EUPHEMISM TO SOOTHE YOUR CONSCIENCE. AND THESE ARE ONLY THE HORSES THAT WE KNOW OF. THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY HORSES ON THESE INVENTORIES. THAT HAVE SIMPLY FALLEN OFF THE RADAR AND NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY HAVE GONE. HOW MANY OTHER ST. AUGUSTINE CARRIAGE HORSES HAVE DIED, BEEN SENT TO AUCTION, SOLD OFF FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER? IT IS IN YOUR MUNICIPAL CODE THAT THESE HORSES CAN BE DISPOSED OF HUMANELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF EQUINE PRACTITIONERS WHO ADVOCATE FOR HORSE. SLAUGHTER. IT IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR ALL OF THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN DECEASED. CARRIAGE HORSES. [00:40:06] THANK YOU. THOMAS, EXCUSE ME, THOMAS REYNOLDS, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE ZOTA. THOMAS F. REYNOLDS, 112 ARI, 32080 AI. COMMISSIONERS, FIRST OF ALL, I HOPE YOU GOT A CHANCE THIS WEEKEND TO WATCH THE AFRO MAN TRIAL. I REALLY, REALLY THINK THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS COULD LEARN SO MUCH BY THAT. IN CASE YOU ARE UNAWARE, AFRO MAN IS A VERY POPULAR RAPPER. AND SEVEN DIRTY, CROOKED COPS RAIDED HIS HOUSE. AND HE USED THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, AND HE MADE VIDEOS OUT OF THEM. AND HE JUST WON BECAUSE THE SEVEN DIRTY, CROOKED COPS SUED HIM. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S A GREAT TRIAL. NOW, THIS THING ON THE HORSES, THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT. THIS IS A HORSELESS CARRIAGE RIGHT HERE. THIS IS INFERNA DINA BEACH. IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. AND IT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE AT. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HORSES. AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T PICKED THE PHONE UP OR TALKED TO YOUR VET ABOUT IT, WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE. BECAUSE TRULY, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD THOSE... ELECTRIC HORSE CARRIAGES, WE WOULDN'T HAVE DEAD HORSES. I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IMAGE, AND THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT. I ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER IT ANIMAL ABUSE. AND THAT POOP BAG, CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE HAVING A POOP BAG RUBBING ON YOUR LEGS? IT'S MIND-BLOWING TO ME. BLINDERS, BIT, POOP BAG, EVERY STEP YOU TAKE. THE WAGONS ARE OVERLOADED. ANYWAYS, I REALLY DO LIKE YOU FOLKS. I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE TO PUT INTO THESE DECISIONS, BUT YOU REALLY GOT TO STEP IT UP BECAUSE TRULY, LIKE I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, ONE DAY WE'RE ALL CALLED AND THAT YOU DON'T GO IN THE SAME DOOR THE REST OF US DO. YOU GO IN THE HIGH-RANKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL DOOR, AND THE FATHER ALMIGHTY IS GOING TO ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE? AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, DON'T FIB, BECAUSE HE REALLY DOES KNOW EVERYTHING, AND HE DOESN'T WANT THOSE ANIMALS TORTURED. AND YOU'RE IN CHARGE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT'S OLD AND NOT NEEDED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS CATHERINE ZOTTO, FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY LEIBOVITZ. I'M CATHERINE ZOTA. JUST WHEN IT SEEMED THINGS COULDN'T GET WORSE, THE ST. AUGUSTINE CARRIAGE HORSE CRISIS CONTINUES INTO 2026. THIS IS A PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE STATE. THIS IS GHOST, ONE OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S CARRIAGE HORSES, FOUND DEAD AT THE CITY STABLE IN JANUARY FROM A NORMALLY CONTROLLABLE DISEASE. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HORSES ARE PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS. THE REALITY BEHIND THE QUIET IMAGE THE CITY PROMOTES. [00:45:01] HIS DEATH FOLLOWED PROLONGED OVERWORK DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, A TIME WHEN EVEN BASIC NEEDS LIKE WATER AND REST ARE COMPROMISED. EVEN DURING BREAKS, HORSES REMAIN IN FULL TACK, STILL HITCHED, RESTRAINED BY METAL BITS, AND UNABLE TO MOVE FREELY. HE NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO BE FREE OF THE SUFFERING THIS INDUSTRY SUBJECTED HIM TO. THE CITY HAS PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE CODE AS A SOLUTION, BUT UPDATING THE CODE IS MEANINGLESS WHEN EXISTING RULES ARE NOT ENFORCED OR FOLLOWED, AND IT CANNOT ELIMINATE THE INHERENT CRUELTY AND RISK OF HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES. SHAMEFULLY, THE PROPOSED UPDATES STILL ALLOW CARRIAGE HORSES TO BE SOLD INTO THE SLAUGHTER PIPELINE. CITY CODE STATES THAT ANIMALS SHALL NOT BE SOLD OR DISPOSED OF EXCEPT IN A HUMANE MANNER, BUT THOSE GUIDELINES ALLOW FOR THE SLAUGHTER OF UNWANTED HORSES. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW A PHOTO FROM AN ANIMALS ANGELS INVESTIGATION. FOR MANY HORSES, THIS IS WHERE THE SLAUGHTER PIPELINE BEGINS. THIS IMAGE SHOWS HORSES AT A LIVESTOCK AUCTION, ONE FRAIL AND DOWN, OTHERS TIED TO RAFTERS, UNABLE TO DRINK OR MOVE FOR HOURS. FOR MANY, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A TERRIFYING JOURNEY TO SLAUGHTER. FROM AUCTION, MANY ARE FUNNELED THROUGH KILL PENS, SUBJECTED TO VIOLENT HANDLING, AND SHIPPED FOR EXPORT, WHERE THEY FACE THE BRUTAL REALITIES OF SLAUGHTER. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO SEE THE REALITY ST. AUGUSTINE'S CARRIAGE HORSES ENDURE IN LIFE AND IN DEATH. THIS IS A PHOTO OF GHOSTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JEFFREY LEIBOVITZ, FOLLOWED BY GINA FUENTES-BLEVINS. EVENING, COMMISSIONER JEFFREY LEIBOVITZ. I WANTED TO JUST TOUCH UPON ONE ITEM BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE FOR THE MEETING REGARDING, I CALL THEM GUERRILLA TROLLEYS, BUT I WAS CORRECTED. THEY'RE THE TIER TWO TROLLEYS THAT YOU ALL HAD A MEETING ABOUT, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S GOING TO BE A WORKSHOP IN MAY. I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S IT. HAVE A PLAQUE, BIG ENOUGH, WITH NUMBERS ON IT, OKAY, A LICENSE, IF YOU WILL, FOR THESE TROLLEYS SO THAT THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO SEE THEM IN AREAS WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE. CAN IDENTIFY THEM AND CALL THEM IN. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS GINA PUENTE-BLEVINS, FOLLOWED BY BJ KALEIDI. MAYBE SHE'S OUTSIDE. WE'LL JUST WAIT A MINUTE. MAKE SURE WE GET HER. HELLO, GINA BLEVINS, 138 MARKLAND PLACE. SORRY, I WAS OUTSIDE, DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING. ALL RIGHT. JUST WANTED TO COME SPEAK QUICKLY ABOUT A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING LATER. FIRST ONE, NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL. I HOPE THAT, I KNOW IT'S A TON OF PAGES, BUT I HOPE YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF SCROLL TO THE END AND LOOK AT THE COMMENTS THAT WERE LEFT BY RESIDENTS. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE REALLY A LOT OF COMMON THEMES. ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I THINK WILL HELP PLAN FOR THIS UPCOMING SEASON. AND I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR PUTTING THAT WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE IT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION. ANOTHER THING, SORRY, QUANTITY DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY. AND I REALLY, REALLY HOPE THAT AS WE LISTEN TO THE VCB'S PRESENTATION TONIGHT, WE DON'T GET BOWLED OVER BY NUMBERS. I HOPE THE NUMBERS ARE VERY COMPARATIVE FROM 2024 TO 2025. MY EXPERIENCE THE LAST FEW YEARS HERE HAS BEEN THE NUMBERS ARE NOT DROPPING AS FAR AS VISITORS, BUT THE QUALITY OF THAT VISITOR IS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT ANY NICER THAN THAT. IT'S JUST I HEAR A LOT OF BUSINESS OWNERS COMING HERE AND TELLING US THAT THEY'RE DOWN 20% OVER LAST YEAR, SOME EVEN 50%. BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS. [00:50:02] FROM VCB PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, AND I'M SEEING OCCUPANCY YEAR OVER YEAR IS NOT DOWN THAT MUCH. AND SO I HAVE TO SAY, IS IT THE TYPE OF TOURIST THAT WE'RE DRAWING IS NOT SPENDING THE TYPE OF MONEY THAT OUR BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING FOR? ARE WE NOT DRAWING THAT RIGHT TOURIST? I DO HOPE THAT, I KNOW I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT OCCUPANCY RATES, I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE VCB PRESENTATION. I HOPE THE NUMBERS, THEY CAN SHOW THE NUMBERS OF ATTENDEES OF 2024 VERSUS 2025. I SEE THE 2025 NUMBERS. I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THEY'RE SHOWING THAT 25% ARE FROM WITHIN THE COUNTY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN FOR DAY TRIPS. THAT'S HOW THOSE SHUTTLES WORK FOR US. BUT AGAIN, I JUST HOPE ALL THESE NUMBERS KIND OF ADD UP AND ALIGN YEAR OVER YEAR. AND YOU TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ON THE DATES FOR NIGHT TO LIGHT NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. B.J. CULLETTY. MS. DUNN. DO YOU WANT TO SHOW ME HOW TO PUT THIS THING STRAIGHT, PLEASE? I'M TRYING TO SHOW IT TO EVERYBODY ELSE. A LITTLE BIT LIKE THAT. OOH. YOU GOING? YOU GOING? TELL ME WHEN TO STOP. OKAY. THAT WAY. MS. DARLENE, CAN YOU READ IT? THAT'S A JOKE. BJ KALEI, WEST CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AT THE FEBRUARY 23, 2026 PROPERTY TAX REFORM MEETING, IT WAS STATED 73 POSITIONS IN THIS BUILDING MAY BE CUT. THREE STAFF WITH 15 TO 29 YEAR EMPLOYMENT ARE PAID $654,000 IN PROPERTY TAX. TRAVEL BY CITY STAFF AND ELECTED POLITICIANS WHO RECEIVE FROM 22,000 TO 200. $34,000 IN SALARY FROM PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS. THAT'S ABOUT TRAVEL. FROM MARCH 23 TODAY TO NOVEMBER 6, 2026, ALL TRAVEL EXPENSE SHOULD BE PAID WITH STAFF'S INCOME, NOT PROPERTY TAXES. FLAGLER COLLEGE CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO MAKE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES. NO PROPERTY TAXES SHOULD BE USED MARCH 27 TO CLOSE CITY STREET SO INDIVIDUALS CAN EAT. THEY CAN DO EATING AT 92 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY, WHICH IS DINING WITH DIGNITY. PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO BUILD A SIDEWALK AT US 1 AND KING STREET PARK. SO FLAGLER COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM THE CRAYOLA HOTEL AND DORM, WHICH PAYS NO PROPERTY TAX, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE SIDEWALK ALREADY THERE. LET THEM USE A SIDEWALK THAT'S THERE. THIS PHOTO OUGHT TO BE EASIER. GETTING BETTER, 129. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN JANUARY 3RD, 2026 AT DEIDRE PROPERTY AT 115 LA QUINTA PLACE, SHOWING AN ILLEGAL SIGN. THIS CODE VIOLATION WAS REPORTED JANUARY 5TH, 2026. ON JANUARY 14TH, 2026, WHEN CODE ENFORCEMENT AT PROPERTY, THE ILLEGAL SIGN WAS GONE. AFTER DEVELOPING AN INSTRUMENTED CAMERA, SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES, IN MARCH THIS YEAR. THIS PHOTO HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT TO BE PART OF THE RECORD ON THIS PROPERTY. PROPERTY OWNERS VIOLATE CODES, WHICH LEADS TO BLIGHT IN THE CITY LIMITS. TIRES ARE STILL A BLIGHT AT US 1. AND KING STREET, NORTHWEST KING STREET. WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. [00:55:01] WE JUST LISTEN. THAT'S BROWDY'S PROPERTY. USE SHORT-TERM RENTAL DOLLARS TO HIRE A CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSON WHO JUST LEFT FOR $76,000 SALARY. THERE'S FIVE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SAVE MONEY ON AND NOT CUT SALARIES OF PEOPLE THAT NEED THE MONEY AND NEED THEIR JOBS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO MORE SPEAKER CARDS, SO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. [5. CONSENT AGENDA ] WE HAVE NO APPEAL. OH, HERE WE GO. CONSENT AGENDA. MR. CITY MANAGER. MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COMMISSIONERS, TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES A REMINDER OF UPCOMING MEETINGS. WE'VE GOT A WORD PRESENTATION TO JEN LOMBERG FOR THE RED CEDAR AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON... APRIL 13TH AT 4.30. ALSO ON APRIL 13TH AT 5 P.M. WE HAVE A REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. ON APRIL 27TH AT 3 P.M. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING. AND ON APRIL 27TH AT 5 P.M. A REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. TONIGHT WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 9TH REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. THE FEBRUARY 23RD SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING. AND THE FEBRUARY 23RD REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE AN UPCOMING PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING APRIL 13TH THROUGH 20TH, 2026 AS INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY WEEK, SPONSORED BY VICE MAYOR BARBARA BLONDER. AND WE HAVE SIX REMNANT DEFENDANTS OPIOID SETTLEMENT, WHICH IS DUE MAY 4TH, 2026. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN ANSWER THEM. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, I MAKE A MOTION WE PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. MOTION TO OPPOSE. UNANIMOUSLY CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [7.A. General Public Presentations ] NO APPEALS TONIGHT. WE DO HAVE GENERAL PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS. SO THIS EVENING, OUR FIRST GENERAL PUBLIC PRESENTATION WILL BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL KNIGHTS OF LIGHT'S RESIDENT SURVEY. REPORT, MR. FRANKLIN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. THIS EVENING, MELINDA RACONTE WITH THE ST. AUGUSTINE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL WILL BE GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION ON A SURVEY THEY CONDUCTED. THANK YOU. SORRY, THE COMPUTER'S REBOOTING AGAIN. THAT HAPPENED TO ME LAST MEETING. I MISS CONTEE YOU CAN HAND THOSE TO THE CLERK SHOW MARION CAN YOU BOG ME IN GOOD EVENING, MELINDA RECONCE, PRESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO GIVE THE RESIDENTS A SURVEY REGARDING THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS REPORT. OKAY, WELL, WE'RE TRYING TO ADVANCE. SAID SPACE BAR. NO, HE SAID ARROW. OH, ARROW? OKAY. WELL, HE SAID SPACE BAR, BUT YOU'RE SAYING DOWN? OH. OH, THIS ONE? OKAY. AS YOU CAN SEE [01:00:01] IN YOUR PACKET, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED AND IT'S TOO MUCH TO DIGEST EVEN IN ONE SITTING, MUCH LESS COVERED IN 10 MINUTES. SO I'VE GIVEN YOU A NOTEBOOK WITH A COPY OF THIS POWERPOINT. AND PLUS I'VE UPDATED SUMMARIES OF HOW THE DIFFERENT AREAS AND NEIGHBORHOODS WERE IMPACTED. ALSO INCLUDED ARE SUMMARIES OF ALL THE WRITTEN COMMENTS BY EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. I RECOMMEND PUTTING THE PACKET PORTION THAT YOU'VE GOT. INTO THESE NOTEBOOKS SO THAT YOU CAN CONVENIENTLY READ THEM AS PLANNING IS DONE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR. THAT WAY YOU'LL HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER. THE SURVEY WAS SENT OUT TO 12 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ON JANUARY 20TH. AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY SENT IT OUT TO THEIR MAILING LIST AND THE SURVEY WAS CLOSED ON FEBRUARY 8TH. WE RECEIVED 443 RESPONSES. WE ASKED CHATGTV THAT IF WE WANTED TO DO A SURVEY OF A TOWN. 15,000 WHAT SIZE SAMPLING WILL YOU NEED THE ANSWER WAS 375 SO WE HAVE A LARGER THAN NEEDED SAMPLING THE SURVEY WAS DESIGNED SO YOU COULD NOT ANSWER IT MORE THAN ONCE OUR PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE THE CITY STAFF WITH AS MUCH DATA AS POSSIBLE IN PLANNING FOR FUTURE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS THIS WILL ENABLE THEM TO PINPOINT THE SUCCESSES AND PROBLEMS BY AREA AND NEIGHBORHOOD THE RESPONSES WERE ANONYMOUS UNLESS PEOPLE CHOSE TO PROVIDE THEIR EMAIL AT THE END OF THE SURVEY. THE EMAIL ADDRESSES WERE REMOVED FOR PRIVACY PURPOSES BECAUSE OF THE PACKET PUBLICATION. HOWEVER, THE CITY STAFF'S COPY HAS THE EMAIL ADDRESSES SO THEY CAN CONTACT PEOPLE IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR IDEAS THEY WANT TO PURSUE, AND THE CITY STAFF WILL MAKE ALL THOSE EMAILS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF YOU IF YOU WANT TO WRITE AND CONTACT. RESIDENTS AS WELL. THERE WERE 93 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS FOR FULL-TIME RESIDENTS. ALMOST 60 HAVE LIVED HERE OVER 10 YEARS. SO MANY OF THE ANSWERS CAME FROM LONGTIME RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND EXCHANGES OVER THE YEARS. THE SURVEY WENT OUT TO THE COUNCIL NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH REPRESENT ALL AREAS OF THE CITY. WE RECEIVED GOOD RESPONSE FROM ALL 12 NEIGHBORHOODS. 60% INTENTIONALLY ATTENDED. OF THE 40% THAT DID NOT ATTEND, MANY SAID IN THE WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT THEY USED TO, BUT IT'S BECOME TOO DIFFICULT AND TOO TACKY TO ATTEND NOW. SO THAT BIG DROP USED TO BE 100% WENT DOWN. COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR, 49% THOUGHT IT WAS MUCH OR SOMEWHAT BETTER. 29% THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT THE SAME. AND 22% THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEWHAT OR MUCH WORSE. THE CAPACITY LEVEL, 62% FEEL THAT KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS HAS EXCEEDED ITS CAPACITY. 24% FEEL LIKE IT'S AT CAPACITY, BUT ONLY 6% FELT LIKE IT HADN'T REACHED CAPACITY YET. 8% WERE UNSURE. 89%... OF THE RESIDENTS BELIEVE THAT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS PRIORITIZES TOURISM OVER THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE QUALITY OF LIFE FACTORS THAT WERE IMPACTED THE MOST, YOU'LL SEE IN THE BLUE BARS, WAS TRAFFIC, ACCESS TO PEOPLE'S HOMES, AND PARKING WERE ALL VERY IMPACTFUL. THEN NOISE, TRASH, AND PEDESTRIANS CAME IN AT SOMEWHAT IMPACTFUL. DISRUPTION OF NORMAL DAILY LIFE. 66% WERE MODERATELY TO SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPTED. 28% SAID A LITTLE DISRUPTED. AND I WANT TO SAY OF THE ONES THAT SAID A LITTLE, WHEN YOU READ THEIR COMMENTS, IT'S BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO GO OUT IN IT. SO THEY'VE GIVEN UP. SO THEY DON'T FEEL THAT IMPACTED. AND 6% NOT AT ALL. OF THE FOUR QUESTIONS, WERE ALLOWED WRITTEN COMMENTS. WITH OVER 440 RESPONDENTS TIMES FOUR, THAT'S OVER 1,600 WRITTEN COMMENTS TO GO THROUGH. I HAD HELP IN SUMMARIZING THOSE WHICH ARE IN YOUR THING BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND INCLUDED THOSE SUMMARIES. I READ THEM ALL, SO IT TOOK A WHILE. WE DID GET FEEDBACK FROM BUSINESS OWNERS THAT LIVED INSIDE THE BUSINESS, SO THEIR OPINION IS REFLECTED IN THE DATA. MANY RESIDENTS UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM IN ST. AUGUSTINE. HOWEVER, MANY FELT THAT THOSE WHO HAVE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES BUT DO NOT LIVE INSIDE THE CITY NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE NO WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT AND INCONVENIENCE THAT NIGHTS OF [01:05:01] LIGHTS IS PUTTING ON THEIR DAILY LIVES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENT WHO MAKES ST. AUGUSTINE A LIVING CITY AND NOT JUST A TOURIST DESTINATION. THINGS THAT WERE CLEAR WHEN I READ THE WRITTEN COMMENTS WERE, ONE, WHILE THE BCP IS GIVING A REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, MANY SAID THAT THEY WERE TIRED OF MONEY BEING THE ONLY THING THE CITY CARED ABOUT. WHAT ABOUT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE? WHAT'S HAPPENED TO BEING A LIVABLE CITY? WHY AREN'T WE FOLLOWING OUR VISION STATEMENT TO PRESERVE A SMALL-TOWN HISTORIC CHARM? MANY COMPLAINED ABOUT BEING STUCK IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO OUT. ON WEEKENDS OR AFTER 3 TO 4 P.M., DAILY ERRANDS, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, AND SEEING FRIENDS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WERE GREATLY IMPACTED BY THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. MANY MISSED OUT ON HOLIDAY PARTIES, VISITING FRIENDS AND FAMILIES, AND BEING ABLE TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON BECAUSE OF THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS CONGESTION. MANY WORRIED ABOUT EMERGENCY SERVICES, BEING ABLE TO REACH THEM. AND MANY FELT THEY PAY HIGH TAXES FOR GETTING NO BENEFIT FROM THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. MANY FELT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS PUTTING A STRAIN ON THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES, WHICH IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF THOSE SERVICES THE OTHER 10 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. SOME SUGGESTED CONSIDERING A BUSINESS MODEL THAT CATERED TO THE LOCAL YEAR-ROUND AND NOT ONE THAT DEPENDS ON NIGHTS OF LIGHTS TO SURVIVE. AT ONE TIME, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS BUSINESSES DID QUITE WELL ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL BUSINESS AND DIDN'T DEPEND ON THESE HUGE CROWDS. MANY SAID THAT THEY ONCE LOVED IT BUT NO LONGER ATTEND BECAUSE OF THE CROWDS AND HOW UGLY IT'S GOTTEN BECAUSE OF THE NEEDED BARRICADES, PORT-A-LETS, AND OVERFLOWING TRASH CANS. POST-COVID ADVERTISING SEEMS TO BE ATTRACTING A DIFFERENT KIND OF VISITOR THAN FROM THE PAST. MANY FELT THAT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS NO LONGER SHOWCASED THE OUTLINES OF OUR HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND TREES, BUT WAS TAKING ON A CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE. DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS COMPLAIN OVERWHELMINGLY ABOUT THE RUDENESS OF THE GOLF CARTS. TOURS AND THE GRINCH TOURS. ALSO THE TOUR TRAINS AND TROLLEYS WERE DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CAUSING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, BLOCKING INTERSECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO SOME KIND OF ORDINANCE IS NEEDED TO CONTROL THE LICENSING, THE ROUTING, THE NOISE LEVEL AND THE BEHAVIOR OF THESE BUSINESSES. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT ONE IN THE WORKS. ALL IN ALL MOST RESIDENTS WANT IT TO BE SHORTENED BECAUSE OF THE FATIGUE THEY FEEL AFTER HAVING TO LIVE UNDER THE PROBLEMS OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THE DURATION TIME, IT TURNS OUT, UNFORTUNATELY, WE ONLY GAVE PEOPLE THREE CHOICES. FROM THE WRITTEN COMMENTS, IF WE HAD LISTED ENDING IT ON JANUARY 5TH, SOME WANTED IT ONLY FOUR WEEKS OR ENDING IT ALTOGETHER, BUT THOSE WEREN'T CHOICES. BUT THEY CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME OF THE PERCENTAGE THAT HAD GONE TO THOSE ANSWERS. OF THE THREE CHOICES, 80% DID NOT WANT TO RETURN TO THE OLD TIME PERIOD OF THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY. THE BIGGEST, THE 58, SAID THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING UNTIL THE 15TH, AND COMING IN SECOND WAS DECEMBER 1ST TO JANUARY 30TH. THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIKED THE JANUARY FOR THE LOCALS AND THE FACT THAT THINGS WERE QUIETED. AND THAT'S A MATTER IF THE BUSINESSES NEED IT IN JANUARY BECAUSE IT'S A SLOW TIME, THEN MOVE THE START DATE LATER. IN THE FUTURE OF KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS, ONLY 19% FEEL IT SHOULD CONTINUE AS IT IS. A TOTAL OF 76% WANT MAJOR CHANGES AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN THE TIME AND INTENSITY TO REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS. IN CONCLUSION, WHILE AT ONE TIME THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS WAS AN EVENT THAT LOCALS ONCE ENJOYED, THE CROWDS HAVE GROWN TO SUCH AN UNMANAGEABLE SIZE THAT IT IS DISRUPTIVE TO MOST PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES TO SOME DEGREE. MOST ARE WILLING TO LET IT GO FOR EIGHT WEEKS IF MAJOR CHANGES ARE MADE TO REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THE RESIDENT. THANK YOU. AND THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS... SORT OF A BOIL IT DOWN OF WHERE THINGS WORKED AND DIDN'T, BUT YOU CAN REVIEW THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME ON THIS. THANK YOU. [01:10:01] PLEASE, LET'S HOLD OUR APPLAUSE. PLEASE, NO APPLAUSE, PLEASE. WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND KEEP MOVING. WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS IN THE ROOM, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND KEEP IT WITHOUT APPLAUSE. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH US ON THAT. THE NEXT ITEM IS KNIGHTS OF LIGHT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT. PRESENTATION BY THE ST. JOHN'S COUNTY VISITOR AND CONVENTION BUREAU, MS. LISSELL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COMMISSIONERS. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SUSAN PHILLIPS. SHE IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE, PONTE VEDRA, AND THE BEACHES VISITOR AND CONVENTION BUREAU. SHE WILL BE PRESENTING THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT, AS WELL AS PROVIDING OCCUPANCY DATA FOR KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COMMISSIONERS. IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS EVENING. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS GOING ON, BUT WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GET INTO SOME OF OUR DATA. I LOVE THE PRESENTATION THAT MS. MCCONSEY JUST SHARED WITH US, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT FURTHER, BUT I'D LIKE TO INVITE ISAIAH LEWIS FROM DOWNS AND ST. GERMAIN RESEARCH TO COME PRESENT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND VISITATION ANALYSIS, WHICH PROVIDES IMPORTANT CONTEXT ON HOW NIGHTS OF LIGHT SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE. AND THEN IF TIME PERMITS, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH A FEW SLIDES. AND I JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND STATE ON THE RECORD, THIS IS THE FIRST EVER ECONOMIC IMPACT AND VISITATION STUDY. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE THAT DATA. WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT BEFORE TO HELP US GUIDE US WITH OUR DECISIONS. BUT I HOPE THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO YOU. AND WE DO PLAN ON CONTINUING THIS IN THE FUTURE, NOW THAT WE'RE AT 32 YEARS OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. SO ISAIAH, IF YOU CAN COME JOIN US, PLEASE. AND THEN THIS IS NOT MY SLIDE DECK. ALL RIGHT. SORRY, GIVE ME ONE SECOND. ALL RIGHT. HI, I'M ISAIAH LEWIS WITH DOWNS AND ST. GERMAIN RESEARCH, AND I'LL BE PRESENTING ON THE NIGHT TO THE LIGHTS ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND JANUARY OF NOVEMBER 2025 TO JANUARY 2026, THE OBJECTIVE OVERALL WAS TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND OVERALL ATTENDEE EXPERIENCE AT THE 2025-2026 NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS HELD IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. THE DATA IN THIS REPORT IS BASED ON 662 TOTAL SURVEYS THAT WERE COLLECTED IN PERSON, ONLINE, AS WELL AS THROUGH EMAIL OUTREACH, QR CODES, AND SOCIAL MEDIA. FOR THE RESEARCH NERDS IN THE ROOM, THAT IS A SAMPLING ERROR OF AROUND 3.8. AND TO PUT THAT INTO LAYMAN TERMS, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE, HEY, WHAT IS THE GENERAL SAFE ASSUMPTION OF A NORMAL RANGE? IT'S AROUND 4% TO 5% FOR THAT SAMPLING ERROR. SO WE ARE WITHIN AND UNDER THAT SAMPLING ERROR WITH THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED HERE. ALL RIGHT, GETTING INTO KEY TAKEAWAYS. I'LL BE QUICK HERE. SO THE KEY TAKEAWAY OVERALL ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS THAT WE HAD 279,600 OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEES TO THE 2025, 2026 AND NIGHT OF LIGHTS. WHICH PRODUCED A DIRECT SPENDING FIGURE OF $93,707,600, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERALL AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $120,704,200. LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THE ATTENDANCE, WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL ATTENDEES, WE SAW AN ATTENDANCE ESTIMATE OF JUST UNDER $372,000, WITH... 75% COMING FROM THOSE WHO ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN AND 25% COMING FROM OUR RESIDENTS. THAT IS DISPLAYED HERE. LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE VISITOR, THE AVERAGE VISITOR ON AVERAGE OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEES SPENT 2.2 NIGHTS IN THE AREA. AND THE AVERAGE OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEE TRAVEL PARTY SIZE WAS AROUND 3.5 PEOPLE. LOOKING AT DIRECT SPENDING, THE DIRECT SPENDING, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WAS JUST UNDER $94 MILLION. WHICH LED TO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF JUST UNDER 121 MILLION. THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT IS CALCULATED LOOKING AT INDIRECT EFFECTS AND INDUCED EFFECTS OF THE OVERALL ECONOMY. SO IF WE'RE PUTTING THIS INTO CONVERSATIONAL TONES, SAY SOMEONE COMES INTO TOWN, THEY SPEND $200. THE INDIRECT EFFECTS ARE GOING TO BE, HEY, THAT MONEY THAT IS CIRCULATING AROUND THE AREA BASED OFF OF, HEY, THAT $200 IS GOING TO GO TOWARDS. THE BUSINESS OWNER IS SPENDING MORE MONEY TO THEN, IN HIS COMMUNITY, TO THEN BRING THAT IN. YOUR INDUCED EFFECTS, THAT IS, HEY, SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE TAKING THAT MONEY DIRECTLY, SAY [01:15:01] IT'S EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GETTING EXTRA TIPS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. THEY ARE THEN TAKING THAT MONEY AND SPREADING THAT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW YOU GET THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT. SO $93 MILLION IS THE DIRECT SPENDING THAT WE SAW, AND THEN THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS WHAT IS EXTENDED BEYOND THAT BASED UPON THE DOLLARS SPENT IN THE COMMUNITY. LOOKING AT ROOM NIGHTS, WE SAW JUST UNDER 166,000 ROOM NIGHTS FOR ATTENDEES WHO LIVED OUTSIDE OF ST. JOHN'S COUNTY FOR THE 2025-2026 AND NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS. THAT INCLUDES IN PAID ACCOMMODATIONS, HOTELS, MOTELS, AS WELL AS VACATION RENTAL. LOOKING AT YOUR VISITOR TYPE, WHEN WE BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER HERE, YOU'RE SEEING THAT HOTEL, MOTEL, AND RESORTS, 43% OF THE VISITORS WHO ARE OUT OF COUNTY, THAT'S THE ACCOMMODATION CHOICE THAT THEY STAYED IN. SO WE'RE SEEING THAT NEARLY THREE IN FOUR OUT OF COUNTY ATTENDEES STAYED IN PAID ACCOMMODATIONS, SO JUST UNDER 75 PERCENT WERE STAYING IN PAID ACCOMMODATIONS. WE SAW ANOTHER 11 PERCENT THAT WERE CONSIDERED WHAT WE CALL DAY TRIPPERS. THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T SPEND THE NIGHT, THEY CAME IN FOR THE DAY TO EXPERIENCE AND THEN LEFT. LOOKING AT THEIR ACCOMMODATION LOCATION, SO WE ASKED IN OUR SURVEY, HEY WHERE SPECIFICALLY DID YOU STAY WHILE YOU WERE IN YOU WERE HERE FOR NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS? WE SAW A BREAKOUT OF 47% SAYING THEY STAYED IN HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE AREA. WE SAW ANOTHER ONE IN THREE SAID THAT THEY STAYED AT A BEACHFRONT ACCOMMODATION. ANOTHER 16% SAYING THEY STAYED NEAR I-95. AND THEN 2% IN PONTE VEDRA, AND THEN THE REST THERE, 1% DON'T KNOW, AND LESS THAN 1% WITH OTHER. GETTING TO OUR SECOND KEY TAKEAWAY, OVER THREE IN FOUR OUT-OF-COUNTY KNIGHTS OF LIGHT ATTENDEES CAME TO THE ST. AUGUSTINE-PONTE VEDRA AREA MAINLY TO SEE THE LIGHTS. WITH THAT, WE SAW NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS WAS A SINGULAR DRAW TO THE AREA FOR NEARLY 7 IN 10 OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEES. AND WHILE MANY VISITORS TRAVELED FROM ELSEWHERE IN FLORIDA, THE TOP OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEE MARKET WAS NEW YORK CITY. AND FINALLY, THE EVENT'S ABILITY TO DRAW A LARGE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA HIGHLIGHTS ITS KEY ROLE AS A VISITOR DRAW. LOOKING AT THE ORIGIN MARKETS, AS I MENTIONED THERE, WE'RE SEEING NEW YORK CITY AS THE TOP ORIGIN MARKET AT 11.6%, FOLLOWED BY ORLANDO, DAYTONA. DAYTONA BEACH MELBOURNE DMA AT 9.7%, AND THEN JACKSONVILLE AT 7.4%. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THEIR MAIN REASON, WE SAW THAT 77% SAID THE PRIMARY REASON FOR COMING TO THE AREA WAS FOR KNIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS FOR THIS TRIP. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT OTHER MAIN REASONS, WE'RE SEEING THAT NEARLY 7 IN 10 OUT-OF-COUNTY RESIDENTS SAID THEY WERE ONLY COMING HERE FOR KNIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS. SO WE ASKED THEM, HEY, IN ADDITION TO KNIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS, WERE THERE OTHER MAIN REASONS FOR YOU COMING TO THE AREA? WHEN WE ASKED THAT, NEARLY 70% SAID THAT IT WAS ONLY TO COME FOR KNIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS. WE SAW ANOTHER 12% WHO SAID THEY WERE HERE TO VISIT FRIENDS OR RELATIVES AS WELL AS GOING TO NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS AND ANOTHER 12% SAYING THEY'RE VISITING FOR LEISURE OR TO SEE HISTORICAL SITES AS WELL AS NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS. THE NEXT KEY TAKEAWAY WOULD BE FIRST TIME AND REPEAT ATTENDEES. WE SEE THAT NEARLY FOUR AND FIVE OUT OF COUNTY NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS ATTENDEES HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE EVENT BEFORE SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRST TIME VISITATION AMONGST OUR VISITORS FOR NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS FOR 2025-2026. WORD OF MOUTH IS IMPORTANT. ATTENDEES MOST COMMONLY HEARD ABOUT THE EVENT FROM FRIENDS OR FAMILY, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, OR IN ONLINE TRAVEL REVIEWS. LOOKING AT FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES, WE SAW THAT NEARLY 80 PERCENT, SO NEARLY FOUR IN FIVE OUT-OF-COUNTY ATTENDEES, WERE ATTENDING NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. SO THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME IN THE AREA TO ATTEND NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS. AND WE LOOK AT THEIR AWARENESS SOURCES, WE SAW THAT OVER THREE IN FOUR OUT OF COUNT ATTENDEES. HEARD ABOUT NIGHT TO THE LIGHTS FROM FRIENDS OR RELATIVES, FOLLOWED BY NEARLY HALF, NEARLY ONE IN TWO, SAYING PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ANOTHER 46% SAYING ONLINE TRAVEL REVIEWS, BLOGS, OR STORIES. SO DEFINITELY A HEAVY PULL FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY. AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LARGER DECK, BUT I WANTED TO CUT IT SHORT FOR YOU GUYS FOR THE MOMENT HERE TODAY WITH THE TIME CONSTRAINTS. AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO SUSAN. YOU CAN HELP ME LOAD UP MY... YEAH. WELL, I WANT TO GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION. AND THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, BOTH ISAIAH AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RESIDENT FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD EARLIER THAT WAS SHARED BY MS. RACONCE. IT CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT CONGESTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THE OVERALL INTENSITY [01:20:01] OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, AND ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS ARE VALID. THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THEM? AS THE SURVEY REFLECTS, THE GREATEST CHALLENGES OCCUR DURING PEAK HOLIDAY PERIODS, PARTICULARLY IN DECEMBER, WHEN DEMAND AND CONGESTION ARE AT THEIR HIGHEST. AND THAT'S WHERE I'D LIKE TO CONNECT THIS TO THE DATA IN OUR OCCUPANCY TRENDS. WHAT THESE SLIDES SHOW IS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE SEASON WAS SHORTENED. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT NOVEMBER, OUR OCCUPANCY FOR HOTELS WAS PRETTY MUCH FLAT. IT WAS DOWN 3.3 PERCENTAGE POINTS. WHEN WE GET IN, THIS IS JUST ZIP CODE 32084. THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. FOR DECEMBER, WE WERE RELATIVELY FLAT ON OUR OCCUPANCY, WHICH THAT WAS FINE. BUT THEN WHEN YOU GET TO JANUARY, YOU SEE THAT WE HAD A 12% DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR. AND I FURTHER WANTED TO BREAK THAT DOWN AND LOOK AT IT FROM A WEEKLY PERSPECTIVE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TIME PERIOD FOR STARTING JANUARY 11TH, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE COUNTY, ST. JOHN'S COUNTY, WAS DOWN 3.6 PERCENTAGE POINTS. HOWEVER, 32084 WAS DOWN 10.9 PERCENTAGE POINTS. YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER NUMBERS, AND YOU SEE THAT BY LOSING THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY, IT DID NOT ONLY IMPACT ST. JOHN'S COUNTY, THEY WERE DOWN 21%, BUT AGAIN, DOWN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE 32084 ZIP CODE. DOWN 32.6 PERCENTAGE POINTS. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IF WE WANT TO SHORTEN THE SEASON FURTHER, WE RISK CONCENTRATING MORE ACTIVITY INTO THAT ALREADY INTENSE WINDOW, INCREASING THE VERY IMPACTS RESIDENTS ARE ASKING US TO REDUCE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT REDUCING DEMAND, WE'RE COMPRESSING IT. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE. COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. I GUESS, WERE THERE OTHER... SO YOU JUST DID BED NIGHTS, NOT BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND NOT ATTRACTIONS. AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BIG PICTURE IS, BUT WE DO KNOW WHAT THEY SPENT IN THE HOTEL. THAT'S CORRECT. AND AGAIN, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU JUST WITH FACTS. YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, WE DO, AND I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SHARE THIS WITH YOU, A LITTLE BIT OF A SPOILER ALERT. THE VCB PAID FOR THIS STUDY. AND WE REALLY WANT DATA, YOU KNOW, BEING DATA DRIVEN IS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT TO US MOVING FORWARD SO THAT EVERYONE MAKES THE RIGHT DECISIONS. SOMETIMES THERE'S DATA THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE. WE CAN'T DRILL DOWN TO WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES DO OR DON'T DO. THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO THAT. BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS STUDY MOVING FORWARD AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE DATA. IT WILL NOT COST ANYTHING. THE VCB WILL PAY FOR THAT, SO IT WON'T COST THE RESIDENTS. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD TOOL TO HELP YOU ALL MAKE GOOD DECISIONS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE. AND THAT WAY WE TAKE THE EMOTION OUT OF IT AND WE TRY TO REALLY FOCUS ON THIS PROPERLY. WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD IN OUR SURVEY, WE WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU, SEE IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO INCLUDE. SO, AGAIN, WE LOOK AT THIS AS A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. AND, AGAIN, I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE MAYOR FOR OVER A YEAR AGO CONTACTING ME AND SAYING, WE NEED SOME HELP. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WAY TO GO. WHAT CAN YOU DO? SO WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING. THERE'S A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. DO WE KNOW THE VISITOR SPEND? YEP. SO THAT $93 MILLION IS THE VISITOR SPEND FOR NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS? SO I GUESS WE JUST DIVIDE. IT'S $330. $330 PER VISITOR. BUT DO WE KNOW ANYTHING? SO THIS IS OUR FIRST, THIS IS OUR BASELINE. SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL HAVE THAT. AS A STANDARD, OKAY? DID WE ASK THEM, WILL THEY BE COMING BACK? YES, THERE IS A QUESTION ON THE LARGER SURVEY THAT DOESN'T ASK FOR THAT. OKAY, WELL, WE'LL CIRCLE BACK ON THAT. YES, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK. COMMISSIONERS? IF YOU DON'T, I'LL GO FIRST. YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND RELATED TO WHAT YOU SAID, CAN WE ASSUME, THOUGH, THAT HOTEL OCCUPANCY UP OR DOWN WOULD BE RELATED TO RESTAURANTS AND TOURISM. SITES? SO IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION CORRECTLY, IF THERE'S A CORRELATION TO THAT, MEANING THAT IF THE HOTELS ARE DOING OKAY OR FLAT, THEN WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THOUGH IS THAT THE OTHER BUSINESSES AREN'T NECESSARILY DOING AS WELL. THE REASON FOR THAT IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TARIFFS, YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMY, YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE STILL CHOOSING TO COME. THEY'LL STILL PAY THE RATES FOR THE HOTELS, BUT THEY SOMETIMES STOP THEIR SPENDING HABITS. THEY MAY ONLY GO OUT TO ONE RESTAURANT INSTEAD OF THREE. THEY MAY DECIDE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO AS MANY ATTRACTIONS, ET CETERA. SO THAT'S WHY WE START WITH OUR BASELINE OF REALLY LOOKING AT THE HOTEL LODGING AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT SO THAT THEN WE CAN DETERMINE IF IT'S MORE SKEWED, [01:25:01] IF THERE'S A WORSE PROBLEM FOR THE OTHER ATTRACTIONS AND RESTAURANTS. OKAY, THAT'S GREAT. IF I'M CORRECT, 24-25, WE HAD NINE WEEKS. AND THEN IN 25, 26, WE HAD EIGHT WEEKS ABOUT, BECAUSE WE CUT ONE WEEK SHORT. BUT EVERY PERIOD OF TIME WAS DOWN. SO BY SHORTENING THE AMOUNT OF WEEKS, WE DID NOT COMPACT PEOPLE INTO THOSE WEEKS. OTHERWISE, WE'D HAVE SEEN A BIG INCREASE IN THOSE WEEKS THAT WE WERE AVAILABLE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT. IN ASSUMING THAT? YEAH, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO ANSWER. I'M SORRY, I'M JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING. OKAY, ACCORDING TO HOTEL OCCUPANCY, IN 2024, 2025, WE HAD MORE PEOPLE THAN WE DID IN 2526. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A STUDY FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. WELL, YOU HAVE THE OCCUPANCY RIGHT HERE ON THE ORANGE. SO WE HAD MORE PEOPLE IN 2425 THAN WE DID IN 2526. YEAH, WHY DON'T YOU CHECK ON THE CAMERA. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN LET SUSAN. FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE LOOKING AT OUR RESEARCH, SO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LOOKING AT THE RESEARCH AND HOW WE COLLECT IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT DAY TRIPPERS, PAID VISITORS, AND UNPAID VISITORS IN OUR STUDY. RIGHT. YEAH, I'M NOT LOOKING AT YOURS. I'M LOOKING AT THE OCCUPANCY RATE. OKAY. YES, TO ANSWER THAT IS YOU CAN'T MAKE A DIRECT. FROM A RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE, YOU CAN'T MAKE A DIRECT COMPARISON OF AMOUNT OF VISITORS TOTAL BASED OFF OF JUST... OKAY, I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT OCCUPANCY RATE, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT. EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER THAT YOU WISH TO INTRODUCE? WELL, I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY ON THIS WHILE WE'RE TALKING, I'D RATHER MAKE SURE ALL THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M ANSWERING THEM CORRECTLY FOR YOU. BUT IF WE COULD HAVE MR. IRVING CASS JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT ON THIS VERY BRIEFLY. MADAM MAYOR, I'M SORRY. I JUST NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WAS A LIMIT FOR 10 MINUTES FOR THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG THIS ONE HAS GONE. I THINK SHE WAS SHORT, AND THEN NOW WE'RE IN QUESTIONS. I THINK IT'S OKAY. I THINK MR. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD IS TRYING TO GET HIS QUESTION. I'M TRYING TO GET IT. MAYBE I'M NOT ASKING THE QUESTION RIGHT. BUT LET'S ASSUME THAT IN 2024, 20, 24, 25, WE HAD 1000 PEOPLE COME VISIT IN 2526. WE HAD LESS THAN 1000. THAT'S CORRECT. BY HOTEL. I MAY SPEAK. I CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND. FIRST OF ALL, YOU CAN INFER... I'M JUST TALKING... CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE? OKAY. SUSAN, YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF. JUST NAME AND ADDRESS. THIS IS MR. IRVING CASS, AND I DON'T KNOW HIS ADDRESS EXACTLY. HE'S IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. JUST SO THAT WE KNOW FOR THE RECORD. YEP. THANK YOU. IRVING CASS, 887 GARRISON DRILL. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU CAN'T... ONE WAY OR THE OTHER YOU'LL GET AN INACCURATE CONCLUSION THE REASON BEING IN THE NUMBERS IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY 40% OF THE SPEND WAS NOT IN HOTELS AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SPEND WAS A YEAR AGO IF IT WAS 30% OR 50% SINCE THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN IMPACTED MORE PEOPLE MAY HAVE STAYED AT OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES THAN THEY DID A YEAR AGO. SO YOU CAN'T INFER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WITHOUT A BASELINE, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. YOU CAN ASSUME THAT IF OCCUPANCY IS DOWN, SPENDING WOULD BE DOWN IN RESTAURANTS, BUT THERE'S NO MATHEMATICAL WAY OF KNOWING IF THAT'S TRUE. OKAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ANSWER, BUT I'M STILL NOT, I'M NOT ASKING IT RIGHT. OKAY. THERE WAS A FEAR. THAT BY REDUCING IT ONE WEEK, WE WERE GOING TO COMPACT A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE DATA INDICATES THAT ACCORDING TO OCCUPANCY OF HOTELS, WE HAD LESS PEOPLE IN LESS WEEKS THAN WE DID LAST YEAR. AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IF YOU GO DAY BY DAY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE WEEKENDS WERE AT MAX CAPACITY. AND SO THE PEAK DAYS WERE AS BUSY IF NOT. BUSIER THAN THE YEAR BEFORE. BUT THERE ARE OTHER DAYS, [01:30:02] FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, MIDWEEK WAS A LOT WORSE THAN IT WAS A YEAR BEFORE. SO WHEN YOU PUT ALL THE NUMBERS TOGETHER, YOU DON'T SEE IT. THE COMPRESSION DAYS WERE AS BUSY AS THEY WERE THE YEAR BEFORE. THE NON-COMPRESSION DAYS WERE SOFTER. IF I COULD ALSO ADD ONE OTHER THING, TOO, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS. THERE'S SO MANY FACTORS INVOLVED. BUT SUPPLY INCREASED. WE HAD SOME NEW HOTELS COME ON BOARD, SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE SUPPLIES. THAT'S THE ANSWER. HOW MANY NEW HOTELS CAME ON? EXCUSE ME. HOW MANY HOTELS DID WE HAVE COME ONLINE SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP? PROBABLY TWO. I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT, BUT PROBABLY TWO. 200? TWO HOTELS. TWO HOTELS, BUT HOW MANY ROOMS? ROUGHLY, IF YOU LOOK AT, I KNOW ONE HOTEL HAD 142 ROOM NIGHTS AND ANOTHER ONE WAS PROBABLY THE SAME. SO THERE'S OTHER FACTORS INVOLVED. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL GET TO YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, OKAY. WAS NEW YORK CITY TARGETED? THAT'S AN INTERESTING DATA POINT. YEAH. NEW YORK CITY IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR PRIMARY MARKETS. RIGHT. AND IT KIND OF EBBS AND FLOWS, BUT THEY DO COME DOWN HERE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON. SO, YES, WE LOVE THAT. THAT WAS INTERESTING. ALL RIGHT. INTERESTING. OKAY. SO I KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THAT. OKAY. I'M SORRY BECAUSE THIS IS FRUSTRATING. I UNDERSTAND. CAN YOU TELL US? THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE AND THE ACTUAL TDT TAX, WHICH IS A REFLECTION OF THE BED RATE. SO AS I'VE BEEN POINTING OUT AS THE SEASON HAS WENT ALONG, THE TDT RATE SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR ZIP CODE WAS UP 9.9% IN NOVEMBER, 5.5% IN DECEMBER, AND DOWN 7% IN JANUARY. IN TOTAL FOR THE ZIP CODE FOR ALL THOSE THREE MONTHS, IT WAS UP 3.1%. SO WHEN I LOOKED AT THE CHARTS, I WAS AT EXACTLY THE QUESTION MR. SPRINGFIELD HAD, AND THAT WAS, I GOT A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT... ONE OF THEM WAS, WELL, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO JIVE. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT WE HAD MORE COME ONLINE, AND THAT MIGHT HAVE SKEWED THE OCCUPANCY RATE. AND MAYBE PEOPLE RAISED THEIR RATES, AND THAT RAISED THE MONEY COLLECTED. EXACTLY. BECAUSE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY, AND THE AUDIENCE THAT I REALLY ULTIMATELY WANT TO TALK TO IS THE TDC. SO WE ARE UP 3.1% IN THE ZIP CODE IN TOURIST DOLLARS. THAT'S THE TRUEST, I THINK, REPRESENTATION, AGGREGATE, OF HOW MANY PEOPLE STAYED HERE. THAT COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE RATE IS A RELATIVE NUMBER. IT'S NOT THE DIRECT NUMBER. SO MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU CAN COME IN WITH AN ACTUAL NUMBER OF BEDS AND NOT DO THE PERCENTAGE THING. THAT'S NOT SAYING I WANT TO SEE THE HOTEL RATES GO UP, PARTICULARLY THE ONES HERE, FOR MOBILITY REASONS. BUT THAT'S JUST POINTING OUT WHAT... THE CONFUSION MAY BE AROUND. AM I CORRECT? EXACTLY. AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT AT A LATER TIME. THERE WAS SOME DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE, SOME THAT WAS NOT. THIS SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST A START FOR THE CONVERSATION. RIGHT. TALK ABOUT THE OCCUPANCY BECAUSE THOSE ARE REAL NUMBERS. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CALCULATE ANYTHING. RIGHT. OKAY. SO CAN I GO ON? OH, PLEASE, PLEASE. SO I SAID AT THE VCB MEETINGS, I KNOW SUSAN DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB, AND I SIT, AND THE BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TALKING. THE JOB IS TO BRING THE PEOPLE INTO . OUR CITY FOR THE NIGHT'S LIGHTS. AND THEN I SIT THERE AS YOU AS I SAID BEFORE MY JOB AND OUR JOB IS FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM WHEN THEY ONCE THEY GET HERE ESSENTIALLY. SO WHAT I DID, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET THIS, BUT I DID DO SOME ANALYSIS ON WHERE THE PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM IN WITH A FOCUS ON MOBILITY BECAUSE I THINK THAT FOR ME THE ISSUE STILL REMAINS TO BE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESIDENT SURVEY, IT'S PARKING, IT'S CARS, IT'S CONGESTION. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ISLAND, I THINK IT'S HIGH ON THE ISLAND BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO GO OVER THE BRIDGE AND GO THROUGH TOWN TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR IT, BUT I WENT THROUGH ALL THE THINGS. I NOTICED THAT YOU HAD A COUPLE LITTLE THINGS DOWN THE CORNER SAYING THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE DAY TRIPPERS AND STUFF. SO I'M OFFERING TO THE COMMISSION A LITTLE ANALYSIS ON WHERE THE PEOPLE, TOTAL PEOPLE, CAME FROM. SO IF YOU TAKE OUT, SO WE HAD 92,300 RESIDENTS. WE HAD 279,600 PEOPLE FROM OUT OF COUNTY. WE HAD 165,790 THAT LODGED. SO THAT MEANS 113,810 PEOPLE CAME BY SHUTTLE OR BY CAR AND JUST SPENT THE DAY. SO WHAT I DID WAS I PUT DOWN 25% ST. JOHN'S COUNTY RESIDENTS, 45% LODGING. AND 30% ARE DAYTRIPPERS. [01:35:03] SO I WANTED TO ASK MYSELF WHERE THEY STAYED BECAUSE AS A GUY THAT WANTS TO MOVE THEM AROUND, I FIGURED IF THEY'RE IN OUR HOTELS HERE AND THEY CAN WALK, OR IF THEY'RE CLOSE TO ONE OF THE SHUTTLE STOPS, OR IF THEY'RE ON THE BEACH NOW, WE GET A BEACH SHUTTLE. SO WHERE DID THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF VISITORS STAY? THIS IS NOT JUST OUT-OF-COUNTY PEOPLE. THIS IS TOTAL VISITORS TO THE EVENT. AND WHAT I GOT WAS THE ST. AUGUSTINE HISTORIC AREA. I'M NOT 100% SURE WHAT THAT IS, AND MAYBE NEXT TIME I HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THAT ACTUAL DEFINITION IS, WHAT THAT IS. BUT 21% OF THE VISITORS STAYED IN OUR HOTELS HERE. ON THE BEACHFRONT, WHICH IS ANOTHER MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN IMPROVE, LIKE, GRANULARLY, IS THAT I SAW YOU DIDN'T HAVE PONTE VEDRA ON, BUT YOU DID. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE ISLAND, BUT IT COULD BE VOLANO AND STUFF. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ME TO KNOW, WANTING THEM FOR THE MOBILITY PURPOSES, WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE. SO THAT WAS 15% OF THE VISITORS STAYED AT THE BEACHES, 7% STAYED AT I-95, AND PONTE VEDRA WAS 1%. AND I SAW THAT FIGURE ABOUT NEW YORK, AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT TOTAL VISITORS TO THE EVENT IS 5%. SO EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S ALL JUST NEW YORKERS OUT THERE. TO GET INTO A PROBLEM. SO IN THE END, 293,979 PEOPLE ARRIVED OUTSIDE THE DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS A VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, WHICH TO ME DOESN'T CALL YOUR QUESTIONS INTO FIGURE. I'M NOT DOING THIS FOR THAT REASON. I'M JUST SAYING THIS REALLY HIGHLIGHTS A PROBLEM FOR ME RIGHT HERE. SO I DID SAY FOCUS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN STILL. WELL, I THINK WE'RE IN QUESTIONS. THAT'S MY QUESTION. OKAY. SO YOU HAVE THE QUESTION. THAT'S IT. YOU'RE FINISHED. SO YOU HAD A QUESTION. I JUST THINK THE QUESTION TO ME IS DO WE WANT TO HAVE THE VCB FOCUS ON LESS DAY TRIP MARKETING AND MORE LODGING MARKETING? OKAY. AND LET ME JUST CLARIFY ON THAT, COMMISSIONER. WE DO NOT ADVERTISE OR FOCUS ON BRINGING DAY TRIPPERS IN. THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK INTO SOCIAL MEDIA. FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND RELATIVES. WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT. SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS IN OUR PURVIEW, BUT WE DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT IS A BIG IMPACT ON US. IT CERTAINLY IMPACTS THE MOBILITY. YOU SEE THE FOLKS COME IN, THEY MAY NOT BE EITHER DAY TRIPPERS, THEY MAY NOT BE SPENDING AS MUCH MONEY. THEY MAY NOT GO TO THE RESTAURANT, THEY MAY JUST COME IN. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE UNDER STRONG CONSIDERATION MOVING FORWARD. AND WE CAN HELP WITH THE HELP OF ISAIAH, WE CAN HELP STRUCTURE QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD TO TRY TO BE HELPFUL IN THAT REGARD. ANOTHER THING I WANT TO MENTION TOO IS THE OCCUPANCY NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE HERE. I SPECIFICALLY HAD TO INCLUDE ZIP CODE 32084, WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE I-95 CORRIDOR, STATE ROAD 16, VOLANO BEACH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THESE REPORTS COME OVER TO US. AND I JUST COULDN'T BREAK IT OUT TO GIVE YOU ANY FURTHER GRANULARITY ON THAT. I-95 IS IN THAT? WE CALL IT THE I-95 CORRIDOR. SO BASICALLY OVER TO, NOT GOING ALL THE WAY OVER TO A WOLGOFF VILLAGE. BUT STATE ROAD 16, THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR THERE, AND THEN ALL THE WAY TO VOLANO BEACH, THAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR NUMBERS TOO. SO THAT'S, I KNOW THAT WE HAD, WE'RE TRYING TO BREAK OUT THE CITY. SO ANYTHING, WELL, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER. ANYTHING MORE GRANULAR WOULD HELP. ABSOLUTELY. AND HAPPY TO HELP OUT. YEAH. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER GARRIS, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? THANK YOU FOR THE RESEARCH. WE APPRECIATE GETTING THE DATA BECAUSE DATA IS REALLY IMPORTANT. TO HELP US MAKE SOME GOOD DECISIONS. THE WORD OF MOUTH PROBABLY IS, I SEE A LOT OF RELATIVES TOLD THEIR FAMILY ABOUT COMING AND ALSO FOUR OUT OF FIVE WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY EVER CAME TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN RATED CONSTANTLY IN MAGAZINES BEING NUMBER ONE FROM ONE TO TEN IN THE WORLD TO COME FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. SO YOU OF COURSE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SHARING THAT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT THROUGH ADVERTISEMENTS, BY THOSE MAGAZINES OR WHATEVER. SO THE CURIOSITY AND OF COURSE, IS GOING TO DRAW MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. AND I THINK WE WOULD HAVE HIT THESE NUMBERS A LOT SOONER IF COVID HADN'T HAPPENED. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS A LOT SOONER. BUT BECAUSE OF COVID, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GRAND DAY OF OPENING AND SO FORTH. SO, UM... I THINK ABOUT THE TAXES, THE BED TAXES, AND THAT'S, WE GET A PERCENTAGE OF THAT THAT COMES THROUGH THE TDC, ET CETERA. I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE DOWN, CORRECT? [01:40:02] AND WE STILL DON'T, YOU KNOW, THE REPORTING ON THE BED TAX NUMBERS IS TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, A MONTH, TWO MONTHS BEHIND. IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE WE GET THAT, SO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. FROM PROVIDING US WITH THAT INSIGHT, BECAUSE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. ALL RIGHT, OTHER QUESTIONS? VICE MAYOR. YES, COULD YOU SCROLL BACK TO THE BAR GRAPHS THAT YOU HAVE? 3 NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY. YEAH. START WITH NOVEMBER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GRAPHS. I'M HAVING A HARD TIME READING THEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW 67.8% IS 3.3% DECREASE. I MEAN, 59.4% IS A 3.3% DECREASE FROM 67.8%. THAT IS LIKELY PERCENT CHANGE. SO... PERCENT CHANGE FROM WHAT? I THOUGHT IT WAS YEAR OVER YEAR. YEAH, YEAR OVER YEAR PERCENT CHANGE. SO TO CALCULATE PERCENT CHANGE, I CAN GET REAL NERDY HERE. OKAY, SO THAT'S A GOOD POINT. OKAY, GREAT. IT'S PERCENT CHANGE. IT'S PERCENT CHANGE. GREAT, OKAY. WONDERFUL. WHAT IS THE SCALE ON THE Y-AXIS? WHAT IS THE Y-AXIS AND WHAT IS THE X-AXIS AND WHAT'S THE SCALE ON THAT? AS FAR AS YOUR OCCUPANCY? NO, I DON'T SEE ANY NUMBERS AND I DON'T SEE ANY LEGENDS. OKAY, WELL, BASICALLY WHAT THIS SHOWS IS JUST A VERY SIMPLIFIED CHART. PREVIOUSLY, THE PRIOR YEAR, WE WERE AT 67.8% OCCUPANCY FOR ZIP CODE 32084. THAT WAS FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH IN NOVEMBER. JUST FOR THAT ZIP CODE. AND THEN THE AMOUNT IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR WAS 59. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. ARE WE LOOKING AT STARTING AT ZERO AT THE ORIGIN, AND IS IT 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, AND SO ON? IT GOES UP TO, YES, ZERO TO 100. THERE ARE INCREMENTS OF 10, PERCENTAGES OF 10? ROUGHLY, YES. OKAY. HOW ABOUT ON THE X-AXIS? WHAT IS THAT? I DIDN'T PUT THESE TOGETHER, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF LOOKING AT THIS AND LIKE MY RESEARCH BRAIN GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE INCREMENTS FROM LINE TO LINE ARE 2% FOR THAT. IF THAT MARK AT 59.4 GOES UP FROM THERE, THAT'D BE 60%. WIDTH. THEY'RE THE SAME WIDTH. YEP. OKAY. I'M USED TO USING IT, LOOKING AT GRAPHS ALL THE TIME. IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE. AND SO I'M VERY CONFUSED BY THIS. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JUST TO SUMMARIZE. IS THAT THIS IS A PERCENT CHANGE, A DECREASE IN NOVEMBER WHEN WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL WEEK? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT VERY CLEAR. THAT IS MY QUESTION. I AM CORRECT ON MAKING THAT ASSERTION. YOU ARE CORRECT ON THAT. YES, MA'AM. SO THEN YOUR PERCENT CHANGE IS LESS THAN 1% IN DECEMBER DOWN. AND IT'S 12% IN JANUARY WHERE WE HAD ONE WEEK LESS. WE DIDN'T REALLY, WELL, I MEAN, WE HAD EIGHT DAYS LESS. SO I'M JUST QUESTIONING THE NUMBERS IN NOVEMBER JUST SEEM INTERESTING WITH, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE AN UNEXPECTED RESULT BECAUSE WE WERE OPEN AN ADDITIONAL WEEK IN NOVEMBER. AND I'M JUST MAKING THAT POINT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER POINT. RESIDENTS INCLUDES, QUOTE UNQUOTE, RESIDENTS. DOES THAT INCLUDE EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN THE COUNTY? SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT THE ATTENDANCE ESTIMATE? I CAN'T HEAR YOU. I'M SORRY. ARE YOU SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT THE ATTENDANCE ESTIMATE? NO, NO, NO. I'M ASKING YOUR DATA, THE COMPILATION OF YOUR DATA. WHEN YOU USE THE TERM RESIDENTS, DOES THAT MEAN PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTY OF ST. AUGUSTINE? YES. I MEAN, COUNTY OF ST. JOHN'S. YES, SORRY. YES. NOT THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. OH, YEAH. RESIDENTS ARE COUNTIES. BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RESIDENT SURVEY IS... THE SURVEY THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS THAT ARE NOT 32084. MY PARENTS LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS AND HAVE THE SAME ZIP CODE THAT I DO. SO 32084 IS NOT JUST RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. I'VE JUST BEEN CLARIFYING THAT'S THE CASE. AND THAT'S THE TERM THAT YOU USED IN CATEGORIZING RESIDENTS, RIGHT? THESE FIGURES HERE, ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THAT IS... I'M JUST USING IN GENERAL WHENEVER YOU SAY THE TERM RESIDENTS, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COUNTY OF ST. JOHN'S. [01:45:01] SO FOR THE VISITOR TRACKING STUDY, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE STUDY THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE ON THE SCREEN HERE, OR THESE FIGURES THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE, THE FIGURES THAT I HAVE PUT TOGETHER, I AM SHOWING YOU RESIDENTS, WHICH ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF ST. JOHN'S. OR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN ST. JOHN'S COUNTY. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. VISITORS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING FROM BOTH SIDES OF ST. JOHN'S COUNTY. GOTCHA. I WANTED TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION BECAUSE I HAVE A DIFFERENT FRAME OF REFERENCE BECAUSE I AM A CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE COMMISSIONER. YEP. SO COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO... I HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN TERMS OF MY JOB HERE. IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE. GOTCHA. OKAY. AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ASKED FOR IN THE STAFF AFTER ACTION REPORT WAS A YEAR OVER YEAR ACCOUNTING FOR HOW MANY VISITORS WE HAD THIS SEASON, THE MOST CURRENT SEASON VERSUS THE LAST SEASON. WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION FROM YOU. AM I CORRECT? YOU'RE SAYING BASELINE STARTING THIS YEAR. THIS IS BASELINE STARTING THIS YEAR. OKAY, SO WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY VISITORS WERE EITHER UP OR DOWN. ALL WE HAVE IS OCCUPANCY RATES. I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. YEAH, SO WHICH WE'VE ALSO SAID IS A RELATIVE TERM GIVEN THE VARIABLES THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. MORE QUESTIONS? YEAH, ONE LAST ONE. HOW DID YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WERE 379,000? HOW DID YOU GATHER THAT? A TOTAL ATTENDANCE FIGURE. SO OUR ATTENDEES ESTIMATE IS LOOKING AT OVERALL, OUR SURVEY WAS INCORPORATED IN A LARGER VISITOR PROFILE SURVEY OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. SO WE LOOKED AT OUR TOTAL VISITOR NUMBER, WHICH IS LOOKING AT, HEY, THE LENGTH OF STAY, YOUR TRAVEL PARTY SIZE, FOLLOWING ALONG WITH YOUR OCCUPANCY TO FIGURE OUT A GENERAL, HEY, THIS IS HOW MANY PAID ACCOMMODATIONS VISITORS THERE ARE. AND THEN FROM THERE, IF WE HAVE INFORMATION ON SPECIFICALLY THE PERCENTAGE OF VISITORS WHO ARE STAYING IN PAID ACCOMMODATIONS, UNPAID AND DAY TRIPPERS. WE'RE ABLE TO ESTIMATE OUT THE AMOUNT OF DAY TRIPPERS AND THE AMOUNT OF VISITORS. ONCE WE HAVE THAT, WE'RE THEN ABLE TO LOOK AT, HEY, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO SAID NIGHTS OF LIGHTS WAS THEIR MAIN REASON FOR ATTENDING, AND WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT AND MULTIPLY THAT BY OUR OVERALL ATTENDANCE ESTIMATE DURING THAT TIME PERIOD TO GIVE US AN ATTENDANCE ESTIMATE SPECIFICALLY OF NIGHTS OF THE LIGHTS, PEOPLE WHO SAID IT WAS THEIR MAIN REASON FOR COMING TO THE AREA. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO IT WAS BASED ON SURVEY RESULTS? YES, IT WAS BASED ON EXTRAPOLATED OUT, BUT THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL. WE DIDN'T HAVE A PHYSICAL... NO, I MEAN BY LOOKING AT THE SQUARE FEET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S ALL COMING FROM THE... OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW. WELL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST A COMMENT. THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER, THOUGH, TO HAVE AS LONG AS WE USE THE SAME PROCEDURE IN THE FUTURE. THAT IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S REALLY GOOD, USEFUL INFORMATION, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU SPENT WITH US TO EXPLAIN IT. SO WITH THAT... IF WE HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE MOVING ALONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. [9.A.1. Ordinance 2026-01: Amendments to General Employees' Pension Plan (M. Breidenstein, Assistant City Manager) ] I THINK WE'LL JUST KEEP PUSHING ON. MOVING ALONG TO ORDINANCES, FIRST READING, WE HAVE, LOOKS LIKE THREE ORDINANCES, FIRST READING. MS. BRIDENSTONE, YOU'RE HERE TO PRESENT. YES. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COMMISSIONERS. THE FIRST ORDINANCE I'M HERE, MEREDITH BRIDENSTINE, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. THE FIRST ORDINANCE I'M HERE TO PRESENT IS ORDINANCE 2026-01. IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE'S PENSION PLAN. THE INITIAL ONE IN YOUR PACKET WAS A CLEAN VERSION. WE'VE SINCE DISTRIBUTED A RED LINE VERSION. WE APOLOGIZE THAT THAT DID NOT GO OUT INITIALLY. THE RED LINE VERSION THERE IN FRONT OF YOU IS WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU ALL. IN GENERAL, OVERALL, THIS ORDINANCE PROVIDES AMENDMENTS TO CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE 1977 GENERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM PENSION FUND. IT CLEANS UP OUTDATED REFERENCES. THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TRANSITION YEARS AGO WHEN THE PENSION PLAN WAS ESTABLISHED. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES THAT THOSE SECTIONS OF THE CODE RELATE TO ANYMORE. SO WE'RE REALLY CLEANING OUT JUST BIG CHUNKS. OF THE CODE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE TO REFERENCE IN THE FUTURE. WE'VE ALSO CLEANED UP A LOT OF THE HIS HERS LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT GENDER NEUTRAL. WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED CLARITY ON WHO IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE PENSION SYSTEM AND SOME CLARITY ON A SPECIFIC EDITION OF A CHIEF'S BENEFIT AND THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE CHIEF IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE PLAN BEFORE RECEIVING THAT BENEFIT. SO OVERALL THIS IS CLEANUP, CLARITY, OH FINALLY SORRY ONE OTHER THING. THIS ALSO REMOVES ALL THE REFERENCES THAT WE HAD AT ONE TIME TO ELIGIBLE DOMESTIC PARTNERS BECAUSE STATE LAW NO LONGER REQUIRES THAT SPECIFICALLY STATED BECAUSE EVERYONE COULD BE A SPOUSE. [01:50:02] WE HAVE ALSO REMOVED LANGUAGE THERE. I CAN GO THROUGH PAGE BY PAGE. THAT IS GENERALLY, REALLY SPECIFICALLY, EVERYTHING THAT THIS CODE CHANGE REFERENCES. IN THE RED LINE VERSION THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH PAGE BY PAGE. YOU WILL SEE MOST OF THE CHANGES REFERENCE THE WORD PARTICIPANT AND MEMBER, CLEANING THAT UP. AND AGAIN, A LOT OF HIS AND HERS LIKE THAT. I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO GO THROUGH IT MORE SPECIFICALLY. SO THE TERM, I'M SORRY, I JUMPED IN THERE. SO THE TERM IS ELIGIBLE SPOUSE, NOT ELIGIBLE DOMESTIC PARTNER, SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER. CORRECT. IT'S SPOUSE. YES. IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE SPOUSE. YES. NO NEED FOR THE OTHER DISCUSSION. CORRECT. OKAY. WELL, IN THAT CASE, YOU JUST HAVE ONE TINY LITTLE TYPO ON PAGE. SEVEN IN THE FIRST SENTENCE. OKAY, THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS. THIS WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE PENSION BOARD? YES, IT WAS. THIS WAS WORKED ON BY MYSELF, THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, ALL WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER, AND THEN IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL PENSION BOARD PRIOR TO IT COMING TO YOU. GREAT, THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YES, I HAVE QUESTIONS. SO, UM... THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE IN DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIPS. WHY IS IT BEING CHANGED? BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE CAN NOW GET MARRIED. AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS PUT IN, THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THAT OPTION WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN FLORIDA. SO SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE PENSION. NOW IT'S SPOUSE BECAUSE THE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP CAN BECOME A SPOUSAL RELATIONSHIP. AND I'LL ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO CORRECT ME IF I'VE SAID ANY OF THAT INCORRECTLY. NO, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I THINK WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO SAY IS A GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGAL NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NO, I'LL MOVE. WE APPROVE ORDINANCE 2026-01, READ BY TITLE ONLY. I'LL SECOND THAT. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-01, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 20, ARTICLE 4. OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SAN AUGUSTINE, PROVIDING FOR REVISED PROVISIONS TO THE 1977 CITY EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM, PROVIDING FOR GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY, PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF SAN AUGUSTINE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, DEBATE? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. JIM SPRINGFIELD? YES. JOHN DEPRADER? YES. [9.A.2. Ordinance 2026-12: Amendments to St. Augustine Police Officer's Retirment System (M. Breidenstein, Assistant City Manager) ] CYNTHIA GARES? YES. BARBARA BLONDER? YES. NANCY SEXFINE? YES. ALL RIGHT, MS. BRIMSTEIN, NEXT ORDINANCE. ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT ORDINANCE YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS ORDINANCE 2026-12. THESE ARE AMENDMENTS TO THE POLICE OFFICER'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM. THIS ALSO MAKES A FEW CHANGES. ONE OF THOSE IS TO CLARIFY, I'LL SAY CORRECT, THE TERM POLICE OFFICER'S RETIREMENT, I'M SORRY, ST. AUGUSTINE POLICE BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATION INCORPORATED. IT WAS LISTED AS ASSOCIATION, SO THAT'S A SMALL CLEANUP JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT. ORGANIZATION LISTED. ALSO HAS LANGUAGE TO CLEAN UP AND CLARIFY ANY HIM, HER, OR REFERENCE TO GENDER, MAKING IT GENDER NEUTRAL. THERE'S ALSO LANGUAGE THAT WAS ADDED TO THE POLICE PLAN SIMILAR TO THE GENERAL AND THE FIRE. AND JUST LIKE YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. THAT LANGUAGE IS RELATED TO FORFEITURE OF PENSION IN THE CASE OF CHARGES OR CONVICTION OF CRIMES. THE POLICE BOARD WANTED TO GO A STEP FURTHER AND NOT JUST RELATED TO A CONVICTION, BUT ALSO PAUSING PENSION PAYMENTS IF CHARGES WERE MADE UNTIL THERE WAS A CONVICTION OR CLEARING OF THAT CRIME. AND FINALLY, A CLEANUP OR AN ADDITION TO THE CODE RELATED TO WORKERS' COMP AND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS SO THAT YOU CANNOT RECEIVE THOSE AND YOUR PENSION BASICALLY CANNOT DOUBLE DIP TO RECEIVE MORE THAN YOU WOULD HAVE OVERALL, JUST LIKE THE GENERAL AND THE FIRE. CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE. WE CAN GO THROUGH ANY RED LINE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO. QUESTIONS? THIS IS MY IGNORANCE, BUT THIS IS NOT A NEGOTIATED ITEM BETWEEN THE POLICE UNION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD RECOMMENDS TO US. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OKAY. YOU SEEM VERY REASONABLE. I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE. VERY MUCH. VERY MUCH NEEDED. VERY MUCH NEEDED. OKAY. I MOVE THAT WE PASS ORDINANCE 2026-12 ON FIRST READING READ BY TITLE ONLY AND PASSED. SECOND. [01:55:01] ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-12 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA AMENDING CHAPTER 20 ARTICLE 6 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. PROVIDING FOR REVISED PROVISIONS TO THE ST. AUGUSTINE POLICE OFFICERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM. PROVIDING FOR GENDER NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY CORRECTING THE NAME OF. THE POLICE OFFICERS BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATION PROVIDING FOR FORFEITURE OF FUNDS PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SAN AUGUSTINE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, DEBATE? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY SYKES-KLEIN. YES. JIM SPRINGFIELD. YES. JOHN DEPREDER. YES. CYNTHIA GARRIS. [9.A.3. Ordinance 2026-09: Vacate Right of Way, 81 Magnolia Drive (S. Slaughter, Utilities and Public Works Director) ] YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'LL SEE THOSE ON SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING. ORDINANCE 2026-09, VACATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY MR. SLAUGHTER. MAY I? YES. I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF. I'M NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR TO THIS. MADAM ATTORNEY. YES, I RECUSE MYSELF ON THIS AND I WROTE THE PAPERS FOR IT LAST TIME. IS THAT CORRECT? OH, YOU DID? OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WONDERFUL. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND FILLING THEM OUT FOR THIS HEARING, THAT WOULD BE LOVELY. AND I THINK ELISE HAS A COPY OF IT. DO I DO IT AT EACH MEETING? SURE, YEAH. OH, OKAY. BECAUSE YOU'RE RECUSING YOURSELF FROM VOTING EVERY TIME, SO YOU DID IT LAST TIME. OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT THIS TIME. NO PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT, AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT IN THE BACK IF YOU'D LIKE. WE'LL COME AND GET YOU WHEN WE'RE FINISHED VOTING. SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO GO ANY FARTHER. ABSOLUTELY, NO WORRIES. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, MR. SLAUGHTER. WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM, SO. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. STEPHEN SLAUGHTER, UTILITY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-09. IT'S AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE A SECTION OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. MORE SPECIFICALLY, 81 MAGNOLIA DRIVE, PORTIONS OF LOT 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, AND 9. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS A SCRIVENER'S ERROR WITH SECTION 1. THE LOTS NEED TO BE UPDATED, AND I WILL DO THAT IF THIS PASSES BETWEEN NOW AND SECOND READING. AND THIS IS FIRST READING FOR THIS ORDINANCE. AND MR. SLAUGHTER, I THINK YOU HAD A LITTLE LANGUAGE ON THE BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT THAT YOU NEEDED TO CLARIFY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE WILL SERVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, MORALS, AND THE WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC AND SERVES AS A PUBLIC PURPOSE. GREAT. SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, THIS IS VACATION, IS, ARE THE OTHER SEGMENTS CONTIGUOUS TO THIS SEGMENT ALSO VACATED? THE SECTIONS OF THIS RIGHT-OF-WAY TO THE SOUTH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN VACATED. SO, YES. SO TO THE SOUTH, YES, BUT NOT TO THE NORTH. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS. STRAIGHTFORWARD. I MOVE THAT WE PASS ORDINANCE 2609 ON FIRST READING, MOVE TO PUBLIC HEARING AND READ BY TITLE ONLY. SECOND. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-09, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. VACATING, DISCONTINUING, AND ABANDONING THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF AN UNNAMED, UNOPENED ALLEYWAY LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF ST. AUGUSTINE ON PROPERTY KNOWN AS 81 MAGNOLIA DRIVE, PORTIONS OF LOTS 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, AND 9, BLOCK A, CAPOS, ADDITION, ANASTASIA, LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF ST. AUGUSTINE, AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED HEREIN, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES. PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. EXCELLENT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY SYKES-KLEIN. YES. JIM SPRINGFIELD. YES. CYNTHIA GARES. YES. BARBARA BLONDER. YES. ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SLAUGHTER. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK BECAUSE WE HAVE NO CLERK. SO IF WE'LL JUST DO 10 MINUTES. HOW'S THAT? EVERYBODY. 10 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL GET RIGHT TO IT. [9.B.1. Resolution 2026-07: Setting Dates for Nights of Lights (M. Wissel, Communications Director)] GOOD. WE'RE ON. ARE WE ON? HERE WE ARE. OKAY, LET'S GO. LET'S DO IT. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, MADAM VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I'M MELISSA WHISTLE, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY. I BRING BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING RESOLUTION 2026-07 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING DATES FOR THE TRADITIONAL KNIGHTS OF LIGHT CELEBRATION. THIS IS A SHIFT IN THE DATES THAT WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2024, WHICH ALSO WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING GREATER CONSISTENCY AND IMPROVING LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR BOTH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. FOR THE 2025 SEASON, THE DATES WERE RESCHEDULED TO INCLUDE ONE ADDITIONAL WEEK IN NOVEMBER AND REDUCE THE [02:00:02] TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS IN JANUARY, ENDING ON JANUARY 11TH OF THIS YEAR, ONE WEEKEND PRIOR TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY. THIS RESOLUTION WOULD SET THE SEASON TO BEGIN TWO SATURDAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND END THE SECOND SUNDAY OF JANUARY. CITY CODE AUTHORIZES THE COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH THE ILLUMINATION PERIOD FOR SEASONAL LIGHTING WITHIN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, SPANNING FROM THE FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER THROUGH THE FIRST SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY, WHICH THESE DATES FALL WITHIN. I HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU FIVE PRINTED CALENDARS OF THE UPCOMING FIVE YEARS SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE DATES WOULD FALL. SOMETHING TO NOTE, IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO PROTECT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY SO THAT IT IS EXCLUDED FROM NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION IN THE LANGUAGE WHEN THE SECOND SATURDAY FALLS ON MLK WEEKEND, SUCH AS WOULD HAPPEN IN THE 2028-2029 SEASON. I ASK YOUR CONSIDERATION. FOR THIS RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. CAN I? ALL RIGHT, YES, PLEASE, GO AHEAD. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MLK IN 28? IF WE'D HAVE TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION? SO THE WAY THE RESOLUTION IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN GOES TO THE SECOND SATURDAY IN JANUARY. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I SAW THAT, YEAH. ONE OF THAT SECOND SATURDAY IS MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. PART OF THE... THE PREAMBLE TO THE RESOLUTION WAS PROTECTING THE MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. READY TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. ALL RIGHT, THEN. DO WE? OKAY. SO WE DO HAVE A VACANT SEAT UP HERE ON THE FRONT ROW. I WILL CALL AGAIN. I'LL READ THE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE. EVERYBODY'S STUCK WITH THIS. I WON'T DO THE RULES OF DECORUM AGAIN. BUT EVERYBODY WILL HAVE JUST QUICKLY, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. I WILL CALL TWO NAMES. AND IF THE SECOND PERSON WOULD PLEASE COME AND SIT IN THIS VACANT SEAT UP FRONT, THAT WILL HELP EXPEDITE US THROUGH THE EVENING. I HAVE QUITE A FEW CARDS YOU'LL SEE HERE. SO I DO HOPE THAT YOU WILL BRING YOURSELF FORWARD. JACKIE HURD, FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY SEXTON. IS MR. SEXTON IN THE ROOM? IF YOU'LL COME UP HERE, WE'VE GOT A SEAT FOR YOU, SIR. COULD I MAKE A COMMENT? SURE. WE HAVE A VERY LOUD AIR CONDITIONER HERE. IF YOU WOULD MIND, MAKE SURE YOU SPEAK LOUD AND INTO THE MIC SO WE CAN BOTH HEAR, WE CAN ALL HEAR ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JACKIE HURD, 122 LA QUINTA PLACE, ST. AUGUSTINE. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE FOR THE LAST 37 YEARS AND A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER FOR THE LAST 22 YEARS. I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT THIS PAST YEAR FELT IMPROVED. I NOTICED MEANINGFUL CHANGES, ESPECIALLY WITH RESIDENTIAL PARKING AND SOME OF THE TRAFFIC EFFORTS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN ONGOING DISCUSSION ABOUT DETERMINING THE FUTURE DATES FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHT, AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS SIMPLY WHAT I OBSERVED. EVEN THOUGH THE TRAFFIC ENDED EARLIER LAST YEAR, AROUND JANUARY 15TH, THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC AND VISIT INTENSITY DID NOT DROP OFF DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF JANUARY. IT STILL FELT BUSY, VERY SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE SEASON, AND THE REAL DROP-OFF DIDN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY. SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PEOPLE WERE STILL COMING. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS THAT CHANGING THE DATES MAY NOT ACTUALLY REDUCE CONGESTION, IT MAY EXTEND THE SAME TIME, THE SAME LEVEL OF INTENSITY OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. AT THE SAME TIME, ONE YOU ISSUE I CONSISTENTLY NOTICED WAS THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT ABOUT POP-UP PARKING. THOSE LOTS WERE STILL OPERATING, AND THEY WERE ACTIVELY DRAWING MORE CARS INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND INTO THE CITY. AND WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING, IT REALLY UNDERMINES ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS. I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT WHEN CITY RESIDENTS WERE ASKED WHAT DURATION BEST BALANCES NIGHTS OF LIGHTS WITH LIVABILITY, OVER 75% SUPPORTED STARTING THE SEASON THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. TO ME, THAT REINFORCES THAT RESIDENTS AREN'T AGAINST THE EVENT. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A BALANCE THAT WORKS. SO WHILE WE'RE DISCUSSING DATES, I THINK IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON HOW THE EVENT IS BEING MANAGED, CONTINUING TO IMPROVE ENFORCEMENT OF POP-UP PARKING, PROTECTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, AND MAKING IT EASIER TO GET IN AND OUT OF TOWN. THOSE THINGS WILL HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON BOTH LIVABILITY AND THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE A BALANCED APPROACH, ONE THAT FOCUSES NOT ONLY ON HOW LONG THE EVENT RUNS, [02:05:01] BUT HOW WELL IT WORKS FOR EVERYONE ELSE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ANTHONY SEXTON, FOLLOWED BY JOANNA INGLE. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I'LL FIRST START OFF WITH... THANKING YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT JOB YOU DID IN CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC AND THE LIVABILITY OF THE CITY DURING NIGHT LIGHTS THIS YEAR. ALTHOUGH I DON'T NO LONGER LIVE IN THE CITY WITH MY BUSINESS. I'M IN AND OUT OF THIS CITY AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX TIMES A DAY, EVERY DAY, RUNNING ERRANDS FOR MY BUSINESS. SO I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DID. BEFORE RUSHING TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF NIGHTLIGHT SEASON TO THE DOWNTOWN SMALL BUSINESSES. EACH WEEK OF NIGHTLIGHTS TO US, TO MY BUSINESS, AND LOTS OF BUSINESS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE, REPRESENTS THREE WEEKS TO A MONTH OF EXPENSES TO COVER OUR EMPLOYEES, VENDORS, INSURANCE, RENT, AND LIABILITIES. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR. ALL OF THE EVENTS, INCLUDING SPRING BREAK, BIKE WEEK, HOLIDAYS, NIGHT OF LIGHTS, ADDS UP TO ROUGHLY ABOUT 20 WEEKS OF THE YEAR WHERE WE ARE BUSY. THE REST OF THE TIME, WE'RE DEPENDING ON THE LOCALS TO SUPPORT US AND THE REVENUE FROM THE NIGHT OF LIGHTS TO CARRY US THROUGH THAT LONG, HOT SUMMER. THIS YEAR'S ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, SHORTER NIGHT OF LIGHTS SEASON, THE LOSS OF THE TOKS LOT. FOR THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, THAT'S CRUCIAL. WE'RE LOSING OUR LOCALS THAT WANT TO COME VISIT US. AND ALSO THE LOSS, ALTHOUGH IT'S ONLY FOR THIS YEAR, I GET IT, THE LOSS OF THE SING OUT LOUD AT THE ST. FRANCIS FIELD IN 2026, ALL COMBINED HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE VIABILITY OF OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. PLEASE REMEMBER, WHEN EVERYBODY'S THINKING ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY MONEY OUT OF NIGHT OF LIGHTS, 40% OF ST. AUGUSTINE REAL ESTATE IS OFF THE TAX ROLL. SO, YOU KNOW. PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION TOO. OUR BUSINESSES PAY SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAXES. AND THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES PAY RENT AND PROPERTY TAX TO THE CITY. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. LET'S NOT MAKE THIS A, LET'S HELP TO MAKE THE CITY BE SUCCESSFUL AND NOT FAIL. NONE OF US WANT TO SEE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS JOANNA ENGEL, FOLLOWED BY SUSAN PHILLIPS. GOOD EVENING. I'M JOANNA ENGEL. I AM ONE OF THE CO-OWNERS OF THE TASTING TOURS. NORMALLY I BRING LIKE ALL THESE GREAT REMARKS AND MY BULLET POINTS, BUT TONIGHT GUYS I'M JUST GOING TO TALK FROM MY HEART. NIGHTS AND FLIGHTS IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AND TO OUR BUSINESS. 2018-2019 WAS HARD. IT WAS HARD ON US SMALL INDEPENDENT OPERATORS AND THEN 2020 HIT. COVID ABOUT CRUSHED US. AND THEN LO AND BEHOLD, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, 2021 CAME AND THEY CAME BACK AND THEY BROUGHT A FRIEND AND THEY BROUGHT ANOTHER FRIEND AND ANOTHER FRIEND. THESE WERE A BLESSING. AND YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THAT BLESSING. I DON'T WANT TO JUST SHOVE THAT ASIDE AND SAY, OH WOW, WE RECOVERED. YEAH, WE RECOVERED. BUT I DON'T WANT TO BOTTLENECK THESE PEOPLE NOW. I DON'T WANT TO GO, NOW WE'RE GOING TO SHOVE YOU INTO A SMALLER AND A SMALLER AND A SMALLER TIME FRAME YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PRAYED FOR YOU TO COME BACK, YOU CAME BACK, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOMED. I DON'T WANT TO JUDGE THEM IF THEY'RE COMING IN HERE AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GO SEE THE LIGHTS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND TONS OF MONEY. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL A BLESSING TO US. THEY'RE STILL COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY. AND FOR ME AND OUR BUSINESS, WE WERE DOWN ABOUT 17% LAST YEAR. THAT'S PROBABLY TWO EMPLOYEES. IT MAY NOT MEAN A LOT TO YOU, BUT THOSE TWO EMPLOYEES HAVE FAMILIES. WE COULDN'T SUPPORT THEM. WE COULDN'T KEEP THEM ON BECAUSE EVERYTHING KIND OF GOT BROUGHT IN A LITTLE BIT. AND EVEN THOUGH, LIKE, WE NORMALLY WOULD RUN TOURS UNTIL ABOUT 9 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, WE HAD TO KEEP GOING, LIKE, 10 O'CLOCK, 11 O'CLOCK. I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO MY STAFF. I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. AND I AM GOING TO SAY ONE LITTLE TINY THING. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE GRINCH. I AM SO SORRY. HE IS ONE OF OUR STAFF, AND WE HAVE TAKEN HIM TO HR. HE HAS GONE THROUGH SENSITIVITY TRAINING, AND YOU CAN REST ASSURED. THE GRINCH YOU SEE NEXT YEAR, THIS COMING UP SEASON, IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT, SWEETER, KINDER, MORE LOVING GRINCH. THANK YOU. SUSAN PHILLIPS, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS DAY. WELL, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AND THE CITY STAFF FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE CHANGES TO KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS THIS PAST YEAR, INCLUDING PARKING, TRAFFIC FLOW, SHUTTLES, AND PUBLIC SAFETY. BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE'VE GAINED A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN THIS YEAR. I WANT TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONCERNS WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, [02:10:01] PARTICULARLY AROUND CONGESTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THE INTENSITY OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THESE CONCERNS ARE REAL AND THEY DESERVE A THOUGHTFUL AND MEANINGFUL RESPONSE. AT THE SAME TIME, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS REMAINS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, JOBS, AND OUR ECONOMY DURING THE WINTER SEASON. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE US ISN'T WHETHER TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, IT'S HOW TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT IS BALANCED, AND I USE THE WORD BALANCE WITH AN UNDERLINE, RESPONSIBLE AND GROUNDED IN DATA. WITH THAT IN MIND, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A COMPROMISE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND THAT WOULD BE AN EIGHT-WEEK NIGHTS OF LIGHT SEASON BEGINNING THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND ENDING ON MLK WEEKEND. THIS APPROACH DIRECTLY RESPONDS TO WHAT WE'RE HEARING. FIRST OF ALL, IT REDUCES THE OVERALL DURATION FROM 10 WEEKS TO EIGHT WEEKS, PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH A MORE DEFINED AND MANAGEABLE SEASON. SECOND, IT PRESERVES A LATER JANUARY TIMEFRAME, WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN LESS CONGESTED AND MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR LOCALS. WE DO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT OUR LOCAL FOLKS WHO WANT TO COME DURING A LESS CONGESTED TIME PERIOD. AND LAST, IT REFLECTS SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. AND THAT SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WITH BUSINESSES WILLING TO GIVE UP TWO WEEKS BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE NIGHTS OF LIGHT SOMETHING RESIDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY AND NOT JUST ENDURE. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT THE GREATEST CHALLENGES OCCUR DURING PEAK HOLIDAY WEEKS. SHORTENING THE SEASON FURTHER RISKS CONCENTRATING THAT DEMAND INTO AN EVEN SHORTER WINDOW, INCREASING PRESSURE WHEN THE SYSTEM IS ALREADY AT ITS LIMITS. SO RATHER THAN COMPRESSING THE IMPACT, I THINK THAT THIS APPROACH HELPS US BETTER MANAGE IT. AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE A DATA-DRIVEN PATH FORWARD. RATHER THAN PERMANENTLY CODIFYING DATES TONIGHT OR WHENEVER YOU SO CHOOSE, LET'S PILOT, AND I USE THE WORD PILOT, THIS EIGHT-WEEK SCHEDULE FROM THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. THROUGH MLK WEEKEND FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON. BASED ON THE SURVEY OF RESIDENTS, 56% OF THE RESIDENTS SURVEYED PREFERRED THIS EIGHT-WEEK SCHEDULE THAT I'M PROMOTING TODAY AS A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE VCB WILL FUND A COMPREHENSIVE IMPACT STUDY ANALYZING PERFORMANCE WITH THESE NEW DATES AT NO COST TO THE CITY OR RESIDENTS. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. SO THAT FUTURE DECISIONS ARE BASED ON REAL DATA, INCLUDING RESIDENT EXPERIENCE, TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE ACTION TONIGHT IF YOU SO CHOOSE, WHILE ENSURING WE GET IT RIGHT FOR THE LONG TERM. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT BALANCE. NOT CHOOSING ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, BUT FINDING A SOLUTION THAT TRULY WORKS FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE THIS APPROACH DOES THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. THOMAS DAY. FOLLOWED BY CHARLES ROBLES. CHARLIE. GOOD EVENING. THOMAS DAY, 19 SARAGOSSA STREET. THAT'S A RESIDENCE. JUST POINT THAT OUT. I THINK THE SURVEY THAT WAS JUST REFERRED TO COULD BE CONTRADICTED BY THE SURVEY THAT MELINDA RECONCE DEVELOPED. THAT SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER EVERYBODY WAS THAT HAPPY. AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY AND JUST TELL YOU, IN MY FEELINGS, YOU HAVE AN UNHAPPY CITY. IT IS NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT WENT ON AND THE LENGTH OF WHAT WENT ON. AND YOU GET IN THERE AND READ ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WERE WRITTEN OUT BY THE CITIZENS AND NOT BY ALL THE NUMBERS. ALL THESE PEOPLE BACK HERE ARE TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, RIGHT? OKAY. HOW DO THE PEOPLE FEEL? THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO LIVE HERE, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHOSE DAYS, THEIR DAY GETS STRETCHED OUT, AND THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW TO TURN LEFT WHEN THEY CAN'T TURN LEFT OFF THE BRIDGE OF THE LIONS TO GET INTO DOWNTOWN. THEY'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY AROUND TO GET IN, AND THAT INCREASES THEIR TIME ENORMOUSLY. I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THE CITY DID THIS YEAR TO AID MOBILITY WERE TERRIFIC. THE BARRIERS UP ON ROUTE 1 WERE GOOD, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE DID TAKE THE LIBERTY TO MOVE THEM ON THEIR OWN. AND THEN THE PARKING PLAN WAS VERY GOOD. THE BEST PART OF IT WAS YOU PUT A SIGN UP THAT SAID $100 FINE. I THINK MORE PEOPLE LOOKED AT THAT AND RAN AWAY BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THAT. I THINK THE THING ABOUT THE GRINCH, WE'RE LAUGHING ABOUT THE GRINCH. THE GRINCH. GOES AROUND AND INSULTS PEOPLE FROM HIS LITTLE CART. AND HE SAYS, YOU'RE FAT, LADY. OR INSULTS THEIR DOG. MY WIFE HAS BEEN INSULTED. SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE JUST, [02:15:03] HE HAS TO BE DONE. BUT JUST REMEMBER, YOU'VE GOT AN UNHAPPY VOTING PUBLIC. THANK YOU. MR. CHARLIE ROBLES, FOLLOWED BY GEORGE DECKER. HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, I COMMEND YOU FIRST ON THE GREAT IMPROVEMENT YOU ACCOMPLISHED THIS LAST NIGHT'S LIGHTS. THE PAST YEAR YOU DID A GREAT JOB IN BRINGING COUNTY, CITY, BUSINESSES, AND RESIDENTS TOGETHER. I'VE BEEN HERE NINE YEARS. I STARTED AS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE COLLECTOR, LUXURY IN AND GARDENS. I SEMI-RETIRED LAST YEAR, ALTHOUGH I SEEM TO BE WORKING MORE HOURS NOW. AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE VCB. I WILL ADD TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT SUSAN SAID PREVIOUSLY. AS A HOTELIER, I CAN TELL YOU THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN DECEMBER, WE FILLED UP 100%. THE SECOND TWO WEEKS, WE LOST 40% OF OUR BUSINESS BECAUSE OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS BEING CANCELED. 80% OR 70% OF MY EMPLOYEES ARE CITY RESIDENTS. THEIR HOURS WERE CUT. THEY LIVE IN THE CITY. THEY ENJOY IT. JANUARY IS A TIME FOR LOCAL PEOPLE TO COME AND VISIT FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND BY LOCAL PEOPLE, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. I LIVE UP AT WORLD GOLF, AND UP THERE, MY ADDRESS IS ST. AUGUSTINE. AND THOSE PEOPLE SEE THE SAME THING. I WENT AROUND. AND POSTED PLACARDS TALKING ABOUT THE APP THAT WE CREATED. PEOPLE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY. THEY WERE LIKE, WE LIVE HERE, WE CAN GO, WE'RE GONNA DRIVE. THE FACT THAT WE EDUCATED THEM WAS HUGE. I HOPE THAT YOU RECONSIDER ADDING AN EXTRA WEEK TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND COMPROMISING BY PUTTING THAT EXTRA WEEK IN JANUARY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. GEORGE DECKER, FOLLOWED BY JAMES EDWIN YOUNG, THE FOURTH. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. GEORGE DECKER, VISTA COVE, CO-OWNER OF THIRD SPACE IMPROV ON MALAGA. AS SOMEBODY WHO RUNS THE BUSINESS, I'VE ALSO DONE SOME OF THE TOURS IN TOWN. I WANT TO COMMEND THE CHANGES THAT WERE DONE TO MOVE TRAFFIC AROUND. JUST SEEING IT, YOU KNOW, IN BEING IN A GOLF CART TWO YEARS AGO AND THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA, JUST BY PUTTING THE EXTRA POLICE THERE REALLY MOVED TRAFFIC ALONG. IT WAS GREAT. BUT FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, LIMITING SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC FLOW THAT GOES AROUND THE PLAZA, BEING RIGHT OUT THERE AT MALAGA STREET WHERE THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION, ESPECIALLY NOW, PUTTING UP THE BARRICADES, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF... POLICE PRESENCE OR SOMETHING FUNNELING THE TRAFFIC. I PERSONALLY AND EMPLOYEES OF MINE STANDING OUT IN OUR PARKING LOT HAVE PEOPLE CUTTING THROUGH THERE LEFT AND RIGHT, NEAR MISSES TO HEAD-ON COLLISIONS, ALMOST RUNNING ME OVER, GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, CURSING ME BECAUSE I'VE TRIED TO BLOCK THE FLOW AS THE WAY THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, COMING OFF OF US 1. AND PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING AROUND THERE, DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT. THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE SOME CONTROL THERE. AT US 1. LASTLY, I'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS PART BUSINESS OWNER, YOU KNOW, I HEAR FROM THE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH BUSINESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE THEY'RE ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE IN AND OUT QUICKLY AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT STEADY FLOW. YOU KNOW, BUSINESS SUCH AS MINE DEPENDS ON THE SEASON TO PUT PEOPLE INTO SEATS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE SHOW A WEEKEND. WE'RE NOT THERE THE ENTIRE TIME. SO SHORTENING THE AMOUNT OF LAYING, YOU KNOW. TOURISM WAS A GREAT ASSET FOR US. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO AFTER NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. YOU KNOW, WE ADDED ON A SHOW, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR NORMAL SHOW BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF AFTER HOURS ENTERTAINMENT AFTER NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND IT REALLY BENEFITED US. SO BY SHORTENING THE LENGTH OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, TO A BUSINESS SUCH AS MINE IS, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BE VERY IMPACTFUL. AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE DETERMINING THE TIME THAT NOT ALL BUSINESSES ARE, YOU KNOW. JUST FUNNELING PEOPLE THROUGH. SOME OF THEM ARE JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING PEOPLE IN FOR THAT ONE PARTICULAR NIGHT, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS. [02:20:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JAMES EDWIN YOUNG, THE FOURTH, AND THEN EDITH STEIN. HELLO, JAMES YOUNG'S 181 SOUTH TWIN MAPLE ROAD. I'M THE MANAGER OF THE MEDIEVAL TORTURE MUSEUM, AND THE BIGGEST THING WITH NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS... PARKING FOR EMPLOYEES. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE YEARS. I'VE BEEN THE MANAGER THERE FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS. COMING TO ST. AUGUSTINE, THEY LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE, THINGS LIKE THAT. COMING FROM THERE TO WORK AT 10, 11 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, AND THE PARKING GARAGE IS EITHER SHUT DOWN OR CLOSED, OR ALL THE OTHER PARKING LOTS ARE FULL, AND THEY HAVE A PARKING PASS FOR THE PARKING GARAGE, BUT IT DOESN'T DO THEM ANY GOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING $30-SOME DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THAT PASS. THE PARKING GARAGE IS FULL OR SHUT DOWN. SO, NIGHT FLIGHTS. I LOVE IT. IT'S GREAT. IT DOES BRING IN A LOT OF BUSINESS, BUT I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR PARKING FOR DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY COME TO THEIR JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. EDITH STEIN, FOLLOWED BY ISABEL RENAUD. I'M EDITH STEIN. I LIVE AT 4 PONCE DE LEON AVENUE IN LIGHTHOUSE PARK. I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 35 YEARS AND I'VE LIVED IN ST. AUGUSTINE FOR 58 YEARS, SO I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED. AND I'M AFRAID THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS HAS JUST RUN ITS COURSE. IT'S OUT OF HAND. THERE'S GRIDLOCK. US 1 AND SAN MARCO ARE GRIDLOCKED EVERY WEEKEND THAT THERE'S AN EVENT, NOT JUST KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. PARKING NEEDS TO BE AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH ENDS OF TOWN AND SHUTTLING PEOPLE IN. THE GARAGE, PARKING GARAGE, SHOULD BE FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR WORKERS. ALL OF THE PARKING THAT WAS ELIMINATED IN TOWN JUST PUSHED PEOPLE ONTO THE ISLAND. SO NOW ANASTASIA ISLAND HAS A HUGE PARKING PROBLEM, A TRASH PROBLEM, GRIDLOCK. NICE OF LIGHTS NEEDS TO BE LIMITED. THERE ARE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND IN ST. AUGUSTINE. BUSINESS OWNERS CAN MAKE MONEY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. NIGHTS OF LIGHT SHOULD BE LIMITED TO FOUR WEEKS ONLY. THANK YOU. ISABEL RENAULT, FOLLOWED BY LOIS BYRD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER. I'M ISABEL RENAULT, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE ST. JOHN'S COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE 250 CHAMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE AFFECTED BY THIS RESOLUTION. THE CHAMBER APPRECIATES THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO CREATE A PREDICTABLE ANNUAL SCHEDULE FOR THE NIGHTS OF LIGHT, BUT WE RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU NOT TO MAKE THE SHORTENED JANUARY END DATE PERMANENT. WE KNOW RESIDENTS ARE FRUSTRATED BY THE IMPACT OF THE NIGHTS OF LIGHT DURING THE BUSIEST WEEK, AND THOSE CONCERNS ARE REAL, BUT PERMANENTLY SHORTENING JANUARY IS NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE EFFECT. OF THAT CHANGE IN PRACTICE. A YEAR AGO I URGED CAUTION ABOUT SHORTENING THIS SEASON SINCE THEN BUSINESSES HAVE TOLD US THE EARLIEST JANUARY AND HURT REVENUE AND IN SOME CASES REDUCING STAFF, REDUCE STAFF FOR THEM. THIS IS NOT A THEORY. THIS IS OUR BUSINESS ARE EXPERIENCING. SO TONIGHT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST THAT BEST APPROACH. BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED. YOU HEARD THE ECONOMIC REPORT STILL SHOWING THAT THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT REMAINS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY'S MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DRIVERS. THOSE NUMBERS ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO THE COMMISSION. IF THE CONCERN THAT THE CITY BEARS THE COST OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT WITHOUT DIRECTLY SHARING IN REVENUE IT HELPS GENERATE, THEN THE ISSUE IS NOT THE LENGTH OF THE EVENT. THE ISSUE IS HOW THE BENEFIT IS STRUCTURED. RATHER THAN PERMANENTLY SHORTENING THE SEASON, WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO BETTER ALIGN THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT WITH THE OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. IF THERE IS AN IMBALANCE, LET'S JUST ADDRESS THAT DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF REDUCING ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC DRIVERS THIS COMMUNITY HAS. IN ADDITION, JANUARY MATTERS TO RESIDENTS TOO. FOR MANY LOCALS, IT IS THE BEST TIME TO ENJOY NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AFTER THE HOLIDAY CROWDS HAVE PASSED WHILE HELPING SPREAD THE ACTIVITY BEYOND THE BUSIEST WEEKS. I ALSO WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING I HEARD FROM A MEMBER OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE LEGACY ATTRACTION [02:25:01] FAMILY WHO CALLED ME LAST WEEK. SHE WANTED TO REMIND ME THAT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS WAS CREATED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. CREATE JOBS FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS, AND INCREASE THE PROSPERITY OF THIS COMMUNITY. KNIGHTS OF LIGHT WAS CREATED TO LIFT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. AND WHEN IT IS STRUCTURED WELL, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT DOES. SO TONIGHT WE RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU NOT TO TURN THE LAST YEAR'S SHORTENED JANUARY SCHEDULE INTO A PERMANENT POLICY. INSTEAD, EXTEND KNIFE TO THE LIGHT THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY OR AT LEAST AT THE MINIMUM TO MLK WEEKEND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LOUIS, LOUIS BIRD, FOLLOWED BY MELINDA RECONCE. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. LOUISE BIRD, 157 MARINE STREET. I DON'T THINK THAT VOTING TONIGHT ON THE TIME FRAME IS REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. MAYBE YOU WANT TO POSTPONE THAT BECAUSE AS MELINDA WAS SAYING IN HER COMMENTS THAT, AND I READ A LOT OF MYSELF, ALMOST ALL OF THEM, THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT, WE DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE TIME FRAME, IT'S THE TRAFFIC. AND IF YOU CAN SOLVE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM, THEN IT DOESN'T AFFECT US. WE'RE TRAPPED IN OUR HOUSE OR OUT OF OUR HOUSE TRYING TO GET BACK IN FOR TWO MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. AND I THINK THAT'S A LOT TO ASK. I DON'T SEE OUR COMPASSIONATE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WANTING TO TRAP US IN OUR HOUSE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN THE MEETING THAT MR. CASS HELD IN FEBRUARY, HE SAID, WHAT WE BELIEVE IS WE HAVE TO GET THE CARS OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN CORE. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DO IT. ACTUALLY, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS A SYSTEM THAT IS BEING USED IN CERTAIN CITIES LIKE ORLANDO AND TAMPA FOR CONGESTION PRICING OR WHATEVER ELSE. AND USING THOSE METHODS TO ELIMINATE THE CARS. TRACK COULD HAVE EXCEPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS, HOTELS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND OTHERS TO BE DETERMINED THAT WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCH A HARD THING. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REINVENTED AND THERE ARE WAYS TO DO IT EVEN WITHOUT CONGESTION PRICING. FOR INSTANCE, BARRIERS PUT UP FOR RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY. THE OTHER THING THAT REALLY ATTRACTS PEOPLE, WHICH I WAS VERY SHOCKED WHEN I DOWNLOADED THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS APP AND WENT TO THE PARKING SECTION AND FOUND THAT THE APP WAS DIRECTING PEOPLE ALL OVER THE DOWNTOWN TO PARK. AND THEY DID THAT. THEY PARKED EVERY, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE COMING IN HERE. THEY NEED TO KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT THERE IS NO PARKING DOWNTOWN. RESIDENT AREAS THAT HAD THAT PROHIBITION LAST YEAR WORKED REALLY WELL FOR THEM, BUT THEY DID. IT'S LIKE SQUEEZING A BALLOON. THEY WENT OVER TO DAVIS SHORES. THEY CAME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A PROHIBITION FROM THE TOURISTS TO PARK DOWNTOWN. WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE CONGESTION PRICING. IF WE DO THIS, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT... SUCH A WAY THAT WE, THE RESIDENTS, AREN'T TRAPPED IN OUR HOUSE FOR TWO MONTHS, THEN WE DON'T REALLY MIND HAVING THE LONGER PERIOD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MELINDA RECONCE, FOLLOWED BY SUSAN GREGORY. MELINDA RECONCE, 86 MAGNOLIA AVENUE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT ADD ANY TIME TO NOVEMBER. HOLIDAY SEASON STARTS EARLY ENOUGH AS IT IS. AND THE BIG PROBLEM WE'VE GOT IS TRYING TO CRAM TOO MANY PEOPLE INTO TOO SMALL OF A SPACE. LIKE I SAID, THAT'S OUR PROBLEM. AND I APPRECIATE SUSAN PHILLIPS AGREEING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE KEPT AT EIGHT WEEKS. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT EIGHT WEEKS? I REMEMBER ORIGINALLY, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE 46 YEARS, I'VE BEEN HERE THE WHOLE 33 YEARS OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, I REMEMBER WHEN IT OPENED, AND THE IDEA WHEN IT OPENED, WAS TO HELP THE JANUARY PERIOD BECAUSE IT'S COLD UP HERE. IT'S NOT REALLY, AND ALL THE KIDS HAVE GONE BACK TO SCHOOL. SO BY HAVING, AND THEY WERE CALLED THE WINTER LIGHTS. IT WASN'T REALLY TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. THE IDEA WAS TO OUTLINE THE BUILDINGS AND THE TREES AND [02:30:01] THESE NICE WHITE LIGHTS. ANYWAY, I'M NOT A BUSINESS, BUT MY POINT IS THE BUSINESSES NEED JANUARY, THEN START IT LATER. START IT NOVEMBER 1ST. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY OUT SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS AS IT IS. YOU DON'T NEED TO ENCOURAGE THAT. I DID FINALLY HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT THE VCP REPORT. NOW, I FOUND SOME THINGS THAT WERE KIND OF INTERESTING WHERE OUR SURVEYS KIND OF STARTED SHOWING THE SAME THING. I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT ONLY 25% WERE FROM ST. JOHN'S COUNTY. THAT USED TO BE THAT THIS WAS A LOCAL EVENT THAT PEOPLE FROM NOT ONLY ST. AUGUSTINE, BUT THE AREA CAME IN FOR IT. SO THEY'RE SHOWING THAT THAT'S DOWN. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT VERY GOOD, ONLY 25% BEING FROM ST. JOHNS COUNTY. IT'S TALKED TO 80% WERE FIRST-TIME VISITORS. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT WHEN THE QUESTION OF HOW MANY RETURNED, THEY SAID THAT ONLY 8% HAVE RETURNED MORE THAN FOUR TIMES. THAT KIND OF TELLS YOU THAT THE GUY THAT COMES FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE AIN'T DECIDING THAT COMING BACK IS A VERY, THIS IS A VERY ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE. AND IT USED TO BE ENJOYABLE. LIKE I SAID, THE FACT THAT 40% SAID THEY'RE NOT, LOCALS SAID THEY'RE NOT COMING DOWN ANYMORE, WHEN IT USED TO BE 90 TO 95% ALL WENT DOWN AS PART OF THEIR HOLIDAY. SO, AND IT'S GOTTEN TACKY, IT'S GOTTEN CARNIVAL-LIKE. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BESIDES THE TIME PERIOD ON THIS, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE... LIKE I SAID, I'M A LOCAL. I DON'T MIND PUTTING UP WITH 4TH OF JULY, THESE ONE-DAY EVENTS. YOU WORK AROUND IT, BUT TWO MONTHS, EIGHT TO TEN WEEKS TO EXPECT PEOPLE TO HAVE TO GIVE UP A DAILY LIFE? THAT'S WHAT CAME THROUGH LOUD AND CLEAR. SO ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE IT. I'LL BE WORKING WITH RUBEN ON MOBILITY THROUGH ALL THIS. THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION ON WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, WHERE THE SUCCESSES ARE, BLOCK BY BLOCK. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN USE THIS. THANK YOU. SUSAN GREGORY, FOLLOWED BY JUDY GLAZEBROOK. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. SUSAN GREGORY, 23 LOCUST. I WONDER, CAN WE PUT THIS ON WHILE I SPEAK? OKAY. THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT SIMPLY HOW LONG NIGHTS OF LIGHTS SHOULD RUN OR HOW MUCH REVENUE MIGHT BE GAINED OR LOST BY EXTENDING IT. THE DEEPER ISSUE IS THIS. TOURISM IN ST. AUGUSTINE GENERATES SIGNIFICANT REVENUE, BUT VERY LITTLE OF THAT REVENUE IS RETURNED DIRECTLY TO THE CITY THAT SUPPORTS IT. LET'S TALK ABOUT LIVED EXPERIENCE, NOT MODELS OR PROJECTIONS. THIS IS WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. THE MONEY FLOWS UP AND OUT. WHEN A VISITOR SPENDS $100 IN ST. AUGUSTINE, ABOUT SIX GOES TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, ONE TO 150 GOES TO ST. JOHN'S COUNTY, AND FIVE TO SIX DOLLARS OF ITS LODGING GOES TO THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WITH RESTRICTED USES. WHAT DOES THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE RECEIVE? VERY SMALL PORTION. ST. AUGUSTINE IS PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES, LOCAL BUSINESS TAXES, AND LIMITED SHARED REVENUE. SO WHILE TOURISM IS STRONG, AND WE ALL WANT IT TO BE, THE CITY IS LEFT MANAGING THE IMPACT WITHOUT A PROPORTIONAL SHARE OF THE RETURN. AND THAT IS WHERE THE CONVERSATION CAN BEGIN TO SHIFT. THIS IS NOT ABOUT LIMITING TOURISM. IT'S NOT ABOUT ASKING BUSINESSES TO DO LESS. OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL TO WHAT MAKES THIS CITY SPECIAL. THEY CREATE THE CHARACTER, THE EXPERIENCE, THE SENSE OF PLACE THAT BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS VALUE. THIS IS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ASKING FOR MORE TIME. ONE WAY TO BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION IS THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS. TIP. TOURISM IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP. TIP ST. AUGUSTINE. A SIMPLE IDEA. A SMALL 1% TO 3% CONTRIBUTION COLLECTED FROM VISITORS BY TOURISM-RELATED BUSINESSES, HOTELS, SHORT-TERM RENTALS, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, POTENTIALLY OTHERS OVER TIME. AND THIS FEE REINVESTS LOCALLY. NOT A TAX ON RESIDENTS, NOT A BURDEN ON BUSINESSES, SIMPLY A PASS-THROUGH. THIS CREATES A WAY FOR BUSINESSES TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE. VISITORS TO CONTRIBUTE, TO TIP THE PLACE THEY ENJOY, AND THE CITY TO BE BETTER ABLE TO SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, MOBILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE TOURISTS. SO PERHAPS THE QUESTION IS NOT HOW LONG SHOULD WE EXTEND ONE SEASON, BUT INSTEAD HOW DO WE BUILD A PARTNERSHIP WHERE TOURISM HELPS SUSTAIN THE CITY YEAR-ROUND? IF TOURISM IS GOING TO BE A DEFINING PART OF THE CITY, AND IT IS, THEN IT SHOULD BE A PART OF SUSTAINING IT, AND IT CURRENTLY DOESN'T. LET'S FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER. AND TIP ST. AUGUSTINE. THANK YOU. [02:35:01] THANK YOU. JUDY GLAZEBROOK, FOLLOWED BY CINDY STABLEY. GOOD EVENING, JUDY GLAZEBROOK, 30 RHODY AVENUE. AND SUSAN PRESENTED A REALLY INTERESTING CONCEPT, AND I'M GOING TO KIND OF WORK OFF OF THAT IN THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE FEELING THE BRUNT OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT. SO BEFORE YOU VOTE ON THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT SCHEDULE, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE MANY CITIZEN CONCERNS THAT DON'T HAVE SATISFACTORY ANSWERS YET. BUT IF THE FINAL SCHEDULE IS PASSED TONIGHT, I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU ADD STIPULATIONS THAT REQUIRE THE COUNTY OR BUSINESSES OR TIP FROM SUSAN TO COVER ALL COSTS OF AN ORDERLY EVENT. AND I'M GOING TO PUT EMPHASIS ON ORDERLY. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, I'VE SPENT HOURS GOING OVER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL'S NIGHTS OF LIGHT RESIDENTIAL SURVEY. MANY ST. AUGUSTINE RESIDENTS ARE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED ABOUT PAYING AN UNFAIR BURDEN OF PROPERTY TAXES WHEN MEASURED AGAINST THE CURRENT LIFESTYLE INTRUSIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE DECLINES. I'D LIKE TO GIVE VOICE TO THE TAXPAYERS' CONCERNS. MANY RESIDENTS NOTED THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING THE GREATEST SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, BUT GET THE LEAST BENEFITS. RESIDENT TAXPAYERS ARE SHOULDERING AN UNFAIR COST BURDEN AND HAVING TO ENDURE ALL THE NEGATIVES, WITH BENEFITS PRIMARILY GOING TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. EVEN IF THE COUNTY PROVIDED FOR ALL THE COSTS, WHICH THEY DON'T, THE CITY AND THE TAXPAYER ARE SHORTCHANGED BECAUSE THERE'S A HUGE STRAIN ON THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CITY'S SERVICES. IN ADDITION, CITY STAFF IS SPENDING AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO SOLVE THE MANY PROBLEMS PRESENTED BY NIGHTS OF LIGHT, AND THEN THAT'S DIVERTING THEM AWAY FROM THEIR DAILY NECESSITIES. RESIDENTS FEEL THEY ARE GETTING A NEGATIVE RETURN ON THEIR TAX INVESTMENT, COUPLED WITH A HORRIFIC ASSAULT ON THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AND HERE ARE SOME DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE SURVEY. THAT MELINDA HAD PRESENTED EARLIER. FROM FLAGLER MODEL LAND, WE PAY HIGH TAXES AND GET ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM NIGHTS OF LIGHT EXCEPT HEADACHES AND TRAFFIC WOES. FROM OLD CITY SOUTH, IF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE WANTS TO PROMOTE BUSINESSES OVER RESIDENTS, THEN GIVE THE RESIDENTS A TAX CREDIT FOR THE LOSS OF QUALITY OF LIFE DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHT EVENT. FROM NELMARK TERRACE, WE PAY TAXES TO LIVE HERE. BUT TWO MONTHS A YEAR, THE CITY IS NOT LIVABLE. AND THEN THIS FINAL QUOTE IS AN EYE-OPENER FROM SOUTH DAVIS SHORES. I FEEL LIKE I'M PAYING TO BE TORTURED. I'M ASKING YOU TO POSTPONE VOTING ON THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT SCHEDULE UNTIL CITIZENS ARE CLEARLY SATISFIED THAT THEIR TAXPAYERS ARE GOING TO SUPPORT, NOT SUPPORT THIS INTRUSION. AND IF YOU DO SCHEDULE IT, CAN YOU ADD A STIPULATION TO HAVE THE COUNTY PAY FOR PART OF IT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS CINDY STAVELY, FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA LUKE. HELLO, EVERYBODY. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE ATTENTION THEY BROUGHT IN THE LAST YEAR TO MAKE CHANGES. BUT I THINK WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THOSE CHANGES CAN'T HAPPEN IN ONE YEAR. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ARE TALKING ABOUT DOWN THE ROAD, THINGS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE BETTER AND BETTER AS WE WORK MORE WITH DOT TO MAKE LANES FOR THE SHUTTLE BUSES TO BRING PEOPLE IN TO KEEP THE CARS FROM DOWNTOWN, WHICH I THINK IS THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE TRAFFIC, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE BELIEVES TOO. BUT IF WE CAN BE PATIENT AND ANTICIPATE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS LIKE WE SAW THIS YEAR AS WE FIGURE OUT MORE AND MORE THINGS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND DOT TO BRING MORE SHUTTLE BUSES AND TO PUT MORE SATELLITE PARKING. NORTH OF THE CITY, SOUTH OF THE CITY AT THE BEACH, AND BRING MORE SHUTTLE BUSES IN, THAT'S GOING TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER THING THAT I WAS GOING TO MENTION IS IF YOU DECIDE TO SHORTEN IT IN JANUARY, I KNOW THAT THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED IN JANUARY ARE MINIMAL. WE DON'T NEED THE SHUTTLE BUSES. WE DON'T NEED THE EXTRA POLICE HELP WITH THE CROWDS AND EVERYTHING BECAUSE THE CROWD, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS. I'VE SEEN THE EVOLUTION. OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND I KNOW THAT JANUARY IS WHEN ALL THE LOCALS LIKE TO COME DOWN AND WALK AROUND AND THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN SEE IT. SO EVEN IF WE OFFICIALLY CLOSE THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS ON A CERTAIN DATE... [02:40:01] POSSIBLY ALLOW THE BUSINESSES JUST TO KEEP THE LIGHTS UP FOR AN ADDITIONAL WEEK OR SO. JUST SO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN COME, WE'RE NOT ADVERTISING IT, BUT IT'S FOR THE LOCALS THAT CAN COME DOWN AND STILL ENJOY THE AMBIANCE AND BE ABLE TO WALK AROUND THEIR CITY AND ENJOY IT WITHOUT THE CROWDS. THANK YOU. JOSHUA LUKE, FOLLOWED BY AARON JOCKERS. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER. HOW ARE YOU? I THINK I'M GLAD. I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL. MY NAME IS JOSHUA LUKE. I'M AT 220 LASSET DRIVE. I OWN THE PEAR PATROL, AND I GIVE TOURS, HISTORICAL RIDES, AND RIDES AROUND TOWN. AND NIGHT SLIDES IS REALLY GOOD FOR ME. I HAD CUSTOMERS FROM 27 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES LAST YEAR. THERE'S ONLY 195 ON THE PLANET. SO FROM MY CART, I'VE HAD IMPACT ON 13.8 PERCENT OF... THE GLOBAL MARKET. SO THE POINT OF THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORD'S OUT. IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. KNIGHTS ALLIANCE IS A WELL-KNOWN GLOBAL ISSUE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REAL HARD TO KIND OF PUT THEM PONIES BACK IN THE BARN ONCE YOU'VE LET THEM OUT. I DON'T THINK SHORTENING IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY A SOLUTION. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU MIGHT BE TRYING TO PACK TOO MUCH, A GROWING EVENT INTO A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT'S GOING TO PRESENT SOME, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S. ALREADY, I IMAGINE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING LOGISTICAL ISSUES. AND PLUS, I'M NOT REALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF ALL THIS, ABOUT WHAT I LIKE TO DO. THERE'S ENOUGH OF THAT TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF IT. SO NICE LIFE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I GET TO DO WHAT I LOVE TO DO. I LOVE THIS PLACE. I LOVE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE. I LOVE TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD. AND I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY RIGHT HERE ENJOYS DOING THEIR JOB. AND JUST SHORTEN IT BY EVEN JUST TWO WEEKS IS, IS, IS LESS TIME FOR ME TO DO WHAT I LOVE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC. AND I REALLY ENJOY THAT. AND I JUST, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DON'T SHORTEN THE NICE LIGHTS, KEEP IT AROUND. LET US DO WHAT WE LOVE TO DO. AND LET US SHARE THIS PLACE WITH THE, WITH THE WORLD. THIS IS GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AARON JOCKERS FOLLOWED BY MANDA GERBER. MR. TANEY, THE OVERHEAD CAMERA, PLEASE. OKAY. SO AS EVERYONE CAN SEE, AND I KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD A LOT MORE FOOTAGE, NOT GOOD AT ALL, ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS IN TRAFFIC. FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SEE IT UP CLOSE, IT'S A MASSIVE TRAFFIC JAM. 95-16 IS BACKED UP, BACKED UP, AND PEOPLE CAN'T HANDLE IT, OF COURSE. THAT'S TODAY. SO SPRING BREAK IS RIDICULOUS. ANYONE WHO CAME TO DRIVE ON THE SIDE AND TRIED TO GET AROUND, YOU KNOW, AS BEST YOU CAN, HAD A HARD TIME LAST WEEK. IT'S BEEN THAT WAY. IT'S GOING TO BE THAT WAY. SEE, I'M NOT REALLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT NIGHT LIGHTS. REALLY, THIS IS AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. I'VE SAT HERE FOR YEARS NOW COMING TO MEETINGS EVERY SINGLE TIME TALKING ABOUT NIGHTLIFE ORDINANCES OR CUTTING SHORT AND DONE ROADS JUST TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. AND REALLY, WE'RE... ARGUING OVER A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ISSUE. THIS IS NOT ABOUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS WHATSOEVER. ST. JOHN'S COUNTY IS GOING TO DOUBLE BY 2050. I SAY THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME I COME UP. THE ANSWER IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLIDAYS. IT'S INDICATIVE OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION. WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY IT WAS MANAGEABLE LAST YEAR? BECAUSE THE ECONOMY WAS TERRIBLE. THAT'S WHY. GAS PRICES WERE ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THEY ARE NOW, BUT STILL, THINGS WERE DOWN. AND THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY DOES NOT COUNT FOR THE EXPLOSION OF AIRBNBS. AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO CAME AS DAY TRIPPERS. THE ISSUE IS ACTUALLY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME HERE. AS THE SPEAKER BEFORE JUST SAID, THIS IS A GLOBAL EVENT. I BELIEVE MR. BERSHAM'S OFFICE SAID THERE'S ABOUT 200,000 PEOPLE THAT CAME FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, AND IF THE ECONOMY GETS BETTER, WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE AND MORE. AND THE ANSWER IN CLOSING WEEKS DOWN, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY THE WEAKEST TRAFFIC WEEKS OF THE YEAR, MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. I REALIZE SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PLACATE CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION. I REALIZE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING, BUT IN REALITY THE SITUATION IS WE'RE DEALING WITH A PROBLEM WHICH IS JUST, ACTUALLY IT'S A HAPPY PROBLEM, BUT TRAFFIC IS GOING TO INCREASE NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. AND THERE HAVE TO BE SOLUTIONS THAT MANAGE TRAFFIC BETTER. WE HAVE NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WHATSOEVER. IT'S KIND OF A JOKE. WE'RE WORKING ON IT. IT HAS TO GET BETTER. BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THE SURVEYS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS, AND I WAS ACTUALLY IMPRESSED, MOST OF THEM SAY THAT THE CHANGES THAT CITY ENACTED LAST YEAR WERE ACTUALLY PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. AND I AGREE WITH THE SPEAKERS [02:45:01] BEFORE ME TOO, THAT SAID, LET'S KEEP DOING THAT. LET'S KEEP WORKING TOGETHER. BUT BY MAKING THIS INTO A BUSINESS VERSUS RESIDENTS, WHICH WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS NOW, ALL THAT DOES IS PIT US AGAINST EACH OTHER. ALL IT DOES IS HELP US GET VOTES FROM THIS PERSON OR THAT PERSON, AND WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH THE ACTUAL SITUATION. IT'S NOT BASED ON REASON. IT'S NOT BASED ON LOGIC. THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS POPULAR. KNIGHTS OF LIGHT IS A WORLDWIDE EVENT. WE'RE GOING TO DRAW PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, AND THAT CAN BE A GOOD THING IF IT'S EFFECTIVELY MANAGED WELL. I THINK THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE, I THINK THE REPAIRS WE'VE BEEN DOING, I THINK ALL THE MODIFICATIONS WERE A GREAT START. WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT WE DID ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS. I THINK THAT CONTINUES IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. AMANDA GERBER, FOLLOWED BY SHEILA MCCARTHY. HELLO, I'M AMANDA GERBER. I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, I THINK. I ACTUALLY OWN A BUSINESS CALLED PANDA TOURS. IT'S A GOLF CART TOURISM COMPANY, AND I LIVE IN LINCOLNVILLE. SO I CAN SEE BOTH. SIDES OF THE STORY AND I DO AGREE WITH EVERYBODY HERE I THINK THERE IS A WAY TO COMPROMISE I THINK IF WE MIGHT SPREAD OUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS LONGER THEN WE WON'T HAVE SUCH A HIGH CONCENTRATION IN A SMALL PERIOD OF TIME LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF MY OWN GUESTS IS THAT A LOT OF THE LOCALS LIKE TO COME IN JANUARY AND THEY WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED THIS YEAR THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO COME AND IT SEEMS TO HELP THAT IF US AS THE BUSINESSES WORK TOGETHER, MAYBE WE CAN ALSO WORK TOGETHER AND DO SOME PRICE DECREASES FOR JANUARY SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN REALLY LOWER OUR PRICES SO WE CAN HAVE LESS, ESPECIALLY FOR LOCALS, HAVE BETTER DISCOUNTS FOR LOCALS TO COME IN JANUARY. IF WE TRY TO CRAM IT INTO A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, MY CONCERN IS THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO PUT A HUGE AMOUNT OF POPULATION IN A VERY SMALL PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH THIS CITY IS JUST GETS OVERWHELMED REALLY EASILY. BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO IS IF WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE MAYBE THE SAME DATES EVERY YEAR. BECAUSE THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY, WHEN THE LAST TIME WITH NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, MY GUESTS, THEY LIKE TO SAVE UP, THEY LIKE TO BUDGET, THEY LIKE TO PLAN OUT THEIR TRIPS ALMOST A YEAR IN ADVANCE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DATES OF THAT LAST YEAR. AND A LOT OF MY GUESTS DID BOOK AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS LIGHT UP NIGHT AND THEY GOT VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY REALIZED IT WASN'T. SO MAYBE IF WE CAN HAVE THE SAME DATES EVERY YEAR SO THAT OUR... GUESTS WHO COME TO ST. AUGUSTINE CAN PLAN IN ADVANCE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE IT DOES COST A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S STUFF THAT THEY DO SAVE UP FOR FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO DO IT. SO I THINK THERE'S A WAY WE CAN COMPROMISE. ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DID REALLY DID MAKE A HUGE IMPACT AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT. IT REALLY DID. I MEAN WITH US BEING THE GOLF CARTS, IT HELPED US GET THROUGH THE CITY A LOT EASIER, IT HELPED US BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC A LOT EASIER. THE CROSSING GUARDS WERE A LIFE SENSE OF THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. IT REALLY DID HELP. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. SHEILA MCCARTHY, FOLLOWED BY FREDERICK RUSSELL. HI, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU. NORMALLY, I'M BEHIND THE SCENES. I'M NEVER IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE. SO FORGIVE ME FOR NOT BEING GOOD AT THIS. I AM A RELATIVELY NEW ST. AUGUSTINIAN, FOUR YEARS OLD. I'M HOME. I LOVE BEING HERE. I'M A HAPPY VOTER. THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO BE FOREVER NOW. I BOUGHT MY VERY FIRST HOUSE, AND I'M SO PROUD TO BE HERE. I'M CALLING ALL MY FRIENDS DOWN FROM D.C. I'M A NEW YORKER. I WAS BORN IN MANHATTAN. I GREW UP IN MANHATTAN, AND I LIVED IN TRAFFIC MY WHOLE DAMN LIFE. FORGET ABOUT IT. NEW YORK CITY, RIGHT? AND THEN I WORKED FOR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE DC. TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC. UNBELIEVABLE. AND I SURVIVED. LOOK, I'M HERE. AND IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY TO JUST BE IN DAMN TRAFFIC. IT'S GONNA PASS. PUT ON THE RADIO, PUT ON SOMETHING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. SO YOU SIT ON THE BRIDGE FOR A WHILE, OR WHEREVER. IT'S BEAUTIFUL HERE. THERE'S ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. SO I'M BRINGING MY PERSPECTIVE. I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S GOT A PERSPECTIVE. I PUT MYSELF THROUGH COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, ST. NOW I'M A PATRON AT A RESTAURANT. I DON'T HAVE TO WAITRESS, BUT I UNDERSTAND THESE PEOPLE. THEY NEED THE TIPS. I KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE. TEENS, 20S, 30S. I PUT MYSELF THROUGH COLLEGE AS A WAITRESS. THEY NEED TO MAKE THE MONEY. PLEASE DON'T, WHAT MY POINT IS, PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE DECISION RIGHT NOW. LET'S TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE. THERE'S A FEW OTHER [02:50:01] PERSPECTIVES. PEOPLE NEED THE TIME TO MAKE THE MONEY IN THE WINTER. I SAY LET'S HAVE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS THROUGH FEBRUARY. THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFUL. WHY NOT? LET'S GIVE IT A TRY. OKAY, THAT'S IT. AND THE PARKING, LET ME TELL YOU, I'M A NEW YORKER. I GET IT. WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIX THIS OR MAKE IT BETTER. I LOVE, SOMEONE SUGGESTED YOU DRIVE THE CARRIAGES, NOT THE HORSES. PLEASE, GOD, LISTEN TO, ANYWAY, THE CARRIAGES. HAVE SOMEONE DRIVING AN ADORABLE CARRIAGE. THAT WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN. FAMILIES IN A CARRIAGE. THERE'S WAYS AROUND THIS. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. PLEASE DON'T MAKE A DECISION YET. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. FREDERICK RUSSELL, FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER GOODRICH. HI, GOOD EVENING. I RUN A DEEP TECH STARTUP. I'M A FOUNDER. I RUN A COMPANY CALLED WEIRD WHERE WE DO B2B INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT. I ALSO WORK AS A SERVER AROUND THE CORNER. I'M AT 21 WILLIAM STREET, SO I'M AROUND THE CORNER TOO. AND THEN I ALSO AM A TOUR GUIDE. I JUST THINK WE SHOULD EXTEND THE NIGHT OF LIGHTS BECAUSE IT IS A BOTTLENECK SITUATION. I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE FROM PEOPLE FROM EUROPE AND ALL THAT, THEY DON'T CHECK THE DATES. THEY JUST SHOW UP. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THAT JUST SHOWED UP. THIS THIS YEAR THINKING THEY DIDN'T THEY GOT THE DATES WRONG THERE'S A LOT OF THAT SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT AND ALSO UM YOU KNOW THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THAT AND WE COULD DO SO MUCH MORE WITH AUGMENTED REALITY AND HELP UH YOU KNOW THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH YOU KNOW NAVIGATING UH THE AREAS ESPECIALLY WITH PARKING I HEARD THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH AN APP UH PRIOR WITH THE NIGHT OF LIGHTS WE CAN WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE TECH WISE ESPECIALLY BETWEEN NOW AND THEN TO INCREASE THAT AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO COLLABORATE I'LL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST AS WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. AND I LIKE WHAT YOU GUYS DONE SO FAR. AND WE COULD DO SO MUCH MORE, INCLUDING IN TECH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JENNIFER GOODRICH, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT YORK. HI, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JEN GOODRICH. I'M A NATIVE FLORIDIAN, NOT MANY OF US, BUT I WENT TO FLAGLER COLLEGE, LEFT THE AREA. AND THEN CAME BACK IN 2015. I'M ACTUALLY A FORMER EDUCATOR HERE IN ST. JOHN'S COUNTY, TURNED ENTREPRENEUR. I OPENED PEACE, LOVE, AND LITTLE DONUTS, A LITTLE DONUT SHOP RIGHT ON THE PLAZA IN LATE 2022. SO I'VE HAD A FEW NIGHTS OF LIGHTS UNDER MY BELT AS A BUSINESS OWNER. AND THIS YEAR, THERE WERE A LOT OF POSITIVES. THE BATHROOM SITUATION WAS A LOT BETTER. THE TRASH SITUATION WAS A LOT BETTER. THE BARRICADE... KIND OF, OH, YOU'RE SEEING ALL MY NOTES. THE BARRICADES KIND OF WERE ROUGH. I'LL SPEAK FOR ALL THE BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE ON THE PLAZA. I CAN TELL YOU ATHENA'S GREEK RESTAURANT, WHICH HAS BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME SINCE I ATTENDED FLAGLER COLLEGE. THEY WENT FROM $3,000 LUNCHES TO $1,000 LUNCHES BECAUSE PEOPLE COULD NOT PARK IN FRONT OF THEM. SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THROWING NUMBERS OUT THERE. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY NUMBER I HAVE TO THROW OUT, AS WELL AS MY LITTLE DONUT THAT WAS. OUR FIRST MONTH THAT WE DIDN'T SHOW POSITIVE GROWTH WAS JANUARY. SO THAT WAS A BIG BUMMER FOR ME. BUT THE HARDEST THING THAT I DEALT WITH WAS WHEN THEY TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS, JANUARY 11TH AND THEN JANUARY 12TH. THEY WERE OUT IN THE PLAZA AND THEY WERE TAKING DOWN THE WREATHS AND SOME OF THE RIBBONS AND THEY TOOK HALF OF THE ORNAMENTS. DOWN ON THAT TREE AND I NEVER SAW ANYBODY AGAIN UNTIL I SENT AN EMAIL ON JANUARY 27TH AND JANUARY 29TH, 18 DAYS AFTER, THEY FINALLY CAME TO OUR PLAZA AND TOOK DOWN THE REST OF THE TOP OF THE ORNAMENT, THE TREE, AND WE HAD HAD A FEW NOR'EASTERS SO BY JANUARY 26TH AND 29TH, WHATEVER, SOME OF THE LIGHTS WERE HANGING DOWN SO KIDS COULD JUMP AND SWING LIKE TARZAN. THERE WERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITHIN THE PLAZA. I, YOU KNOW, AS A FORMER TEACHER, I DID A LOT OF LESSON PLANNING AND I HAD TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH MY PLANS GRADING AND ALL THAT. SO I THINK PLANS ARE GREAT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE FOLLOW UP AND THE FOLLOW THROUGH. AND I DIDN'T SEE THAT. AND SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH HAVING PHASES OF TAKING DOWN NIGHTS OF LIGHTS FOR THE CITY BECAUSE YOU KIND OF SHOWED THAT LIKE THE DAY AFTER YOU TOOK THE RECENT STUFF DOWN. BUT WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST KEEP THE LIGHT? THROUGH MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND, I THINK HE WOULD APPROVE [02:55:01] OF THE LIGHT. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SCOTT YORK, FOLLOWED BY MARTHA MEICHLER. GOOD EVENING. SCOTT YORK, 29 SPANISH STREET, THE MOST CHARMING STREET IN ST. AUGUSTINE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS ROOM THIS FULL SINCE THE NIGHTLIFE ORDINANCE A FEW YEARS AGO. IT MEANS THAT WE'RE REACHING SOME PEOPLE NOW AND PEOPLE ARE CARING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S A GREAT THING. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID, DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS, ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE, ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT. WHAT IS CLEAR TO ME TONIGHT IS THAT IF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WANTS TO GROW KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS REVENUES, THEN THEY MUST MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET THE RESIDENTS TO EMBRACE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I'M A RESIDENT WHO ABSOLUTELY LOVES KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I WENT OUT AND ENJOYED IT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT FOR ALL 58 KNIGHTS OF KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND IF IT IS LONGER NEXT YEAR, I'LL DO THE SAME THING. IF IT'S SHORTER, I WILL DO THE SAME THING. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT BECAUSE THE TOWN LOOKS DIFFERENT TO ME FOR THOSE 58 OR 68 NIGHTS, WHATEVER YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO DO. TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO COME IN, TO ALLOW VISITORS TO COME IN AND SEE THE CITY IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND CAME ON A FOURTH GRADE FIELD TRIP. WE CAN'T KEEP VISITORS FROM COMING TO THE CITY. WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK. WE WANT THEM TO BE REPEAT BUSINESSES, REPEAT CUSTOMERS, AND REPEAT VISITORS BECAUSE THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY A LOT CHEAPER TO GET IN HERE THAN IT IS TRYING TO MARKET TO SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA AND GET THEM TO COME. IF YOUR BUSINESS DOESN'T DO WELL DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, IT'S NOT GOING TO DO WELL THE REST OF THE YEAR. MY BUSINESSES DON'T REALLY BENEFIT FROM NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. ONE OF MINE DOES, BUT THE REST OF THE THREE ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. BUT I STILL MAKE A GOOD LIVING, ENOUGH TO LIVE ON SPANISH STREET. THERE'S PLENTY OF MONEY TO BE MADE IN THE TOWN. IF YOUR BUSINESS ISN'T DOING WELL, YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOOK OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR AND FIGURE OUT WHY PEOPLE AREN'T COMING THERE. IT'S NOT THE CITY'S JOB TO BRING PEOPLE TO MY BUSINESS. THAT'S MY JOB. THE CITY'S JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF THE SIDEWALKS, TAKE CARE OF THE TRASH, TAKE CARE OF THE ROADS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF PARKING. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING. I'M VERY HAPPY WITH LETTING IT RUN THROUGH MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND. WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR IT NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE I'M GRATEFUL TO LIVE IN THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MARTHA MEICHLER, FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONER ANN TAYLOR. WE HAVE TO TURN THAT ON. YEAH. READY NOW? MARTHA MEICHLER, 30 SPANISH STREET. TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF. AND MY HUSBAND, RON, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE. AND WE ARE SPEAKING AS LONGTIME RESIDENTS OF THE SPANISH QUARTER AND HP3. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THEY'RE NATIVE FLORIDIANS. RON AND I ARE BOTH NATIVE. WE WERE BORN IN ST. AUGUSTINE, SO WE'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. WE'VE BEEN RESIDENTS LONG BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, SO WE'VE PERSONALLY WITNESSED ALL THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE PAST... 30 PLUS YEARS. RON AND I EACH THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES SURROUNDING OUR CITY DURING NIGHT OF LIGHT. WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, WHICH REPRESENTS 12 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, GIVING US THE RESIDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR OPINIONS. I'VE READ THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SURVEY ONLINE AND ALSO YOU THE ST. JOHN'S COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU. I'VE LEARNED A LOT TONIGHT SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, AND I'VE HEARD MANY DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR DECISION TONIGHT SO THAT WE ALL KNOW WHEN WILL NIGHT OF LIGHTS TAKE PLACE. MAYBE I'VE HEARD IF IT NEEDS TO BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE IT SHOULD START DECEMBER 1ST. I ACTUALLY LIKE... IT'S STARTING EARLIER IN NOVEMBER. I DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN IT STARTED ON THE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND BECAUSE THAT INTERFERED WITH FAMILY EVENTS. I ALSO HEARD A SUGGESTION ABOUT THE BUSINESSES KEEPING THEIR LIGHTS ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME AND I SEE THAT THAT'S IN YOUR RESOLUTION TONIGHT WHERE THE VERY FIRST THING POINTS OUT THE SIGN CODE OF ST. AUGUSTINE. ALLOWS COLORLESS LIGHTS OR WHITE SEASONAL HOLIDAY LIGHTS FOR COMMERCIAL AND [03:00:01] INSTITUTIONAL USES WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT ONLY DURING THE PERIOD FROM THE FIRST SATURDAY OF NOVEMBER THROUGH THE FIRST SUNDAY OF FEBRUARY. SO THE LIGHTS COULD STAY ON IN SOME OF THESE COMMERCIAL PLACES BECAUSE THAT'S IN THE CITY CODE, SIGN CODE. SO I THINK YOU'VE HEARD LOTS OF SUGGESTIONS. I KNOW IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT DECISION SO THAT WE ALL KNOW WHEN NIGHTS AT LIGHTS IS GOING TO START AND END. AND I'M ACTUALLY IN FAVOR OF YOUR RESOLUTION FOR WHEN YOU HAVE WHAT YOU'VE PRINTED TO START IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER AND END THE SECOND WEEK OF JANUARY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ANN TAYLOR, BRANDON, FOLLOWED BY BRANDON INGRAM. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, ANN TAYLOR, COUNTY COMMISSIONER IN DISTRICT 5, WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE CITY. AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU, MAYOR, AS WELL, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, OTHER COMMISSIONERS. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT... I DEFINITELY HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR LAST YEAR FROM SO MANY RESIDENTS, AS ALL OF YOU DID, JUST THAT WE DEFINITELY HAD CHANGES TO MAKE THIS PAST YEAR. AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT WE, I DO FEEL LIKE THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY. I APPRECIATE THAT WE HAD SOME MEETINGS TOGETHER AND THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THE RESIDENTS. AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT, AS WELL AS WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BALANCE WITH OUR BUSINESSES AND THAT, AND TO SUPPORT OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY. I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, THOUGH, A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD THIS AFTERNOON. WITH SOMEONE THAT, THIS IS A RESIDENT THAT LIVES HERE AND WORKS IN THE CITY. HE'S A WORKFORCE RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE, AND WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME TALKING TODAY, AND HE SHARED WITH ME JUST HOW SHORTENING THE NIGHT OF LIGHTS HAS HAD SUCH AN IMPACT ON HIS FAMILY. AND, THERE WE GO, AND HE'S VERY CONCERNED. JANUARY, HE HAD A VERY HARD TIME PAYING HIS BILLS. HE'S GOT A LITTLE ONE, AS YOU CAN SEE. DIAPERS ARE NOT CHEAP, AS WELL AS A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT. AND HE WAS VERY CONCERNED, AGAIN, ABOUT HIS LOSS OF REVENUE IN JANUARY, JANUARY ESPECIALLY. BUT I WANT TO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, BECAUSE I DID GET A NUMBER OF EMAILS REGARDING THIS, BUT THE KEY WAS I DIDN'T GET COMPLAINTS IN JANUARY. JANUARY WAS NOT THE ISSUE. AND ALSO I DID WANT TO SHARE. THAT I WAS DOWN OVER MLK WEEKEND, BOTH FRIDAY EVENING AND SUNDAY EVENING. IT WAS A GHOST TOWN. IT WAS SO DEPRESSING FOR A LONG WEEKEND HERE IN THE CITY. IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE. I KNOW A LOT OF EMPLOYEES WERE SENT HOME THAT WEEKEND, AND IT WAS DEVASTATING. SO MY HEART BREAKS FOR FAMILIES, LIKE I JUST SHARED, THAT DO HAVE FAMILIES AND BILLS. AND JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MAKING MONEY OR THE VISITORS AREN'T COMING TO ST. JOHN'S COUNTY, DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE STILL NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE BILLS. AND WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT. THE OTHER THING I KNOW EARLIER THAT SOMEBODY DID MENTION REGARDING FUNDING IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY WORKING TOGETHER. AND AGAIN, WE DID DO THAT. AND I DID WANT TO SHARE THAT. RESIDENT MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT THERE WAS A TOTAL OF $850,000 THAT WAS GIVEN FROM THE COUNTY, INCLUDING AN INCREASE THIS YEAR. SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT IN ANY WAY THAT THE COUNTY DOESN'T HEAR HER. WOULD AN ISSUE THIS IS AS WELL. AND I DID WANT TO JUST SHARE AS WELL THAT WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS REGARDING TRAFFIC, I HEAR ABOUT ALL THE TIME. I KNOW WE JUST HAD SOMEBODY MENTION WHERE THEY LIVE IN WORLD GOLF VILLAGE AND OFF OF 210. SO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON HERE IN THE CITY, I HEAR ABOUT. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY EMAILS, HOW MANY PHONE CALLS I GET FROM PEOPLE. OUR COUNTY IS BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. UNFORTUNATELY, WORD HAS GOT OUT THAT WE'RE A GREAT PLACE TO BE. AND LIKEWISE, THERE IS TRAFFIC ALL THE TIME, EVEN ON US 1, REGARDLESS OF NIGHT LIGHTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND PLEASE CONSIDER KEEPING IT AT LEAST THROUGH MLK WEEKEND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BRANDON INGRAM, FOLLOWED BY ISABEL DIXON. BRANDON LEFT. OKAY. ISABEL DIXON, FOLLOWED BY GABRIELA MORENO. MS. DIXON, I SEE YOU IN THE BACK. OKAY. WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH GABRIELA MORENO THEN. HI. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GABRIELA MORENO. 79 LINCOLN STREET AND ALSO DIRECTOR OF SALES OF THE AC HOTEL DOWNTOWN ST. AUGUSTINE. I AM ONE OF YOUR NEW HOTELS [03:05:01] THAT JUST POPPED UP THIS LAST YEAR ADDING 142 ROOMS TO OUR COMMUNITY BUT I'M ALSO A RESIDENT. I ON A PERSONAL LEVEL HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS WAITING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE IN THIS INDUSTRY TO REPRESENT THIS CITY IN A CAPACITY THAT MY EDUCATION AND MY EXPERIENCE AFFORD. I'M SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS. IT'S MY FRIENDS, IT'S MY CO-WORKERS, IT'S MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE ALL BEEN AFFECTED BY THE SHORTENING OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. BUT I HEAR SO MANY OF US RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE REALLY WANT TO WORK TOGETHER. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, IS FIGURING OUT WHAT'S ALL OF OUR NEEDS TOGETHER. MAKING THAT WORK, MAKING THAT COHESIVE, AND MAKING THIS EVENT NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, AS SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED TOO, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE JUST THIS EVENT. IT'S THIS COUNTY. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. WE'RE A GREAT PLACE TO BE AND A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS OF BRINGING THAT BRIDGE TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY IN A COHESIVE SOLUTION. I DID NOT PLAN ANYTHING I WAS GOING TO SAY TONIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO VOICE MY OPINION THAT I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY. I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT, AND I WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE DO TOO. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ISABEL DIXON, FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY LEIBOVITZ. ISABEL DIXON, 1 ST. ANDREW'S COURT, ST. AUGUSTINE. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT THIS PAST NIGHTS OF LIGHTS TO KEEP THE TRAFFIC FROM COMING DOWN SARAGOSSA AND SEVERAL OTHER AND OFF OF CORDOVA BECAUSE IT MADE A HUGE IMPACT. BECAUSE THE YEAR BEFORE LAST, I WAS TRAPPED, HAD TO PARK AT THE END OF SARAGOSSA STREET AND TWO NIGHTS. AND THEN TWO NIGHTS I COULDN'T GET OUT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT OF CLOSING THOSE STREETS. HOWEVER, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAPPY WITH THE TRAFFIC. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE TRAFFIC BECAUSE IT IS REALLY BAD. HAVING SATELLITE PARKING NORTH AND SOUTH. OF TOWN IS A GOOD IDEA. AND I GUESS THE PARKING GARAGES ARE FILLED UP. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING SPACES IN TOWN AND PEOPLE'S BEHIND PEOPLE'S, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS. AT ONE ST. ANDREW'S COURT, THERE'S PARKING, WHICH KEEPS ME AWAKE WHEN PEOPLE COME HOME AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, BECAUSE THE PARKING IS LIKE... EIGHT FEET FROM MY HOUSE AND THERE'S 30 CARS THERE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SITUATION IS TO DO WITH SOMETHING WITH THE PARKING BUT KEEP IT OUT OF DOWNTOWN IS WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP IT OUT OF DOWNTOWN THANK YOU THANK YOU JEFFREY LEIBOVITZ FOLLOWED BY CARL BEDFORD NO, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT. MAYBE IT COMES UP. MY NAME IS JEFFREY LEBO. IT'S 157 MARINE STREET, RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF LINCOLNVILLE. THIS IS ME AT 8.15 AT NIGHT ON DECEMBER, I THINK, 17TH, TRYING TO GO TO WINN-DIXIE. OKAY? I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE IT. IT'S GRIDLOCK UP AND DOWN KING STREET. IT TOOK ME 10 MINUTES AND THREE LIGHT CYCLES JUST TO GET OFF OF RIBERIA TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN. SO SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS HERE. ALSO, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF AND THE POLICE FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR... PATIENCE AS WELL. I MEAN, IT'S A THANKLESS JOB SOMETIMES. I THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO SET SOME DATES BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVEN'T. YOU'RE JUST GETTING INPUT RIGHT NOW FROM THE NEIGHBORS, OKAY, AND HOW WE'VE BEEN IMPACTED. OBVIOUSLY, TRAFFIC IS A MAJOR CONCERN. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TRAPPED? BEEN TRAPPED IN AN ELEVATOR? BEEN TRAPPED ANYWHERE? IF YOU HAVEN'T, COME STAY WITH ME DURING THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. YOU'RE WELCOME TO BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET OUT. WE CAN'T GO SHOPPING. WE CAN'T GO ANYWHERE. GO TO A RESTAURANT ON THE ISLAND. [03:10:01] YOU COME BACK OVER THE BRIDGE. I CAN'T TURN LEFT TO GO TO MY HOUSE. I'M FORCED TO TURN RIGHT, GET INTO THIS TRAFFIC, GET BACK ON US 1, FOLLOW THAT WHOLE COMMOTION BACK TO MY HOUSE. IT'S NOT FAIR TO ME. I'M A TAXPAYER. I LIVE HERE. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 25 YEARS. OKAY. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. SO SOME RANDOM QUESTIONS AND SOME... IT'S JUST SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS. SOMEONE BAN ALL PARKING DOWNTOWN. ALL OF IT. GET THE CARS OUT OF HERE. WE CAN COEXIST. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MAJOR PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ALL FACED WITH. INSTITUTE CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. WE CAN DO IT. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. MAKE THE BUSINESSES SPEND SOME MONEY, OKAY, TO INSTITUTE THESE PROGRAMS. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KEEP SAYING, YOU KNOW, LOSS OF REVENUE AND WANT MORE REVENUE. ALL RIGHT. WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE MAKING MONEY, SO THEY NEED TO PAY FOR IT. HOW MUCH IS THE CITY PAYING TO HOST THIS EVENT, RIGHT? I'M PAYING TAXES. HOW MUCH ARE YOU GUYS, HOW MUCH ARE WE ALL SPENDING TO HOST THIS EVENT? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MONEY. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STRAINED DURING THIS PERIOD. NOW, I KNOW YOU GOT SOME SUPPORT FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, OKAY? BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICERS THAT REALLY HAD ANY TRAINING IN TRAFFIC CONTROL. I MEAN, I GOT STUCK ON RIBERIA ON KING STREET, WEST KING STREET, TRYING TO COME HOME AND AN OFFICER STOPPED A CAR, WOULDN'T LET ANYBODY THROUGH, AND HE'S DIRECTING US TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, OKAY, THAT WHAT IT DOES IS IT PREVENTS US FROM MAKING A LEFT TURN TO GO BACK OVER TO US-1. WE HAVE TO GO BACK AROUND AGAIN. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS DOING. SO IT'S A WASTE OF HIS RESOURCE. WE NEED BETTER TRAINING FOR THE OFFICERS, OR WE NEED PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THIS. TRAFFIC SEEMS TO BE THE KEY HERE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO SOLVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR PATIENCE. THANK YOU. CARL BEDFORD, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS REYNOLDS. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, EVERYONE HERE. MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, VICE MAYOR, EVERYBODY HERE FOR SKIPPING DINNER TO COME TO THIS MEETING TONIGHT. SO MY NAME IS CARL BEDFORD. I HAVE WORKED IN ST. AUGUSTINE FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS. I FIRST STARTED WORKING DOWN HERE, WALKING ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF LIONS TO WORK EVERY DAY IN DOWNTOWN. I WORK FOR A LITTLE FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS RIGHT AT THE NORTH END OF ST. GEORGE STREET. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR ALMOST A DECADE. AND AROUND THE SAME TIME I STARTED THAT JOB, I BECAME A TOUR GUIDE. HERE IN ST. AUGUSTINE, BOTH WITH WALKING TOURS AND WITH GOLF CART TOURS. AND I'VE BEEN DOING THAT EVER SINCE. MY COUSIN IS ONE OF THE TOUR GUIDES WHO PLAYED THE GRINCH THIS LAST YEAR. MY WIFE IS ALSO A TOUR GUIDE WHO DOES HISTORIC TOURS ALONGSIDE ME AND ON HER OWN AS WELL, AND ALL KINDS OF RESTAURANT TOURS AND GHOST TOURS AND PUB CRAWLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO NOT ONLY DO I LOVE ST. AUGUSTINE, I'M EMPLOYED BY IT, I'M MARRIED TO IT, AND I'M RELATED TO IT. SO, YEAH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CITY. I LOVE ST. AUGUSTINE SO MUCH AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HERE. I THINK ONE THING I THINK WE'VE ALL KIND OF LEARNED TOGETHER IN THIS MEETING TONIGHT IS WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. YOU KNOW, THERE IS SORT OF A THREEFOLD PROBLEM WE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF HERE IN ST. AUGUSTINE. AND THAT IS THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DECREASE TRAFFIC AND IMPROVE TRAFFIC FOR THE RESIDENTS, BE ABLE TO AT THE SAME TIME HELP OUT THE BUSINESSES IN ORDER TO. YOU KNOW, MAKE REVENUE AND CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES WHILE ALSO, YOU KNOW, INCREASING A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR TOURISTS AND TOURISM IN ST. AUGUSTINE, WHICH IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF FLORIDA. I CAN SAY THAT SHORTENING THE NIGHT TO LIGHT SEASON, I DON'T THINK THAT SOLVED THAT PROBLEM AT ALL. WE DID MAKE SOME REALLY GREAT CHANGES THIS LAST YEAR, WHICH AS A GOLF CART TOUR GUIDE, I AM A BIG FAN OF BLOCKING OFF CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STREETS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW. DRIVING AROUND TOWN, I WILL SAY I HAVE MANY TIMES HAD THE THOUGHT OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THESE PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT ME DRIVING RIGHT PAST THEIR HOUSE, BLARING CHRISTMAS MUSIC AT, YOU KNOW, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT WHEN I'M TAKING PEOPLE ON TOURS AROUND TOWN. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR DEFINITELY HELPED OUT THE RESIDENTS BIG TIME FOR THIS LAST SEASON. AS FAR AS. YOU KNOW, TORESCO AND THE, YOU KNOW, TOUR COMPANIES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. I THINK WE STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF WORK TO DO. BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER AND COME TO A RESOLUTION AND FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN SOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS AT ONCE. BUT I THINK IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF HARD WORK AND QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. BUT I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR OUR VOICES THIS EVENING. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS THOMAS REYNOLDS. FOLLOWED BY KAREN ZANDER. [03:15:04] THOMAS REYNOLDS, 112, ARI, AI, 32080. FOLKS, I THINK THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS WAS PERFECT. THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF TIME. I REALLY DO THINK MR. BURCHAM DID AN AWESOME JOB AND THE STAFF DID A GREAT JOB. I THINK THE HOURS THAT YOU HAVE SET AND THE DATES IS PERFECT. AND THEN WHEN YOU SHUT THEM LIGHTS DOWN, YOU TAKE FIVE DAYS, YOU CHANGE THE ENTIRE LIGHTS TO A VALENTINE'S THEME. BIG HEARTS, RED LIGHTS, A REAL LOVE THEME BECAUSE AS WE KNOW TODAY, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH LOVE. AND QUITE HONESTLY, WHEN YOU ROLL AROUND JANUARY 1ST AND YOU HEAR CHRISTMAS SONGS AND PEOPLE SINGING IN THOSE RED TRAINS, OH, I JUST WANT TO THROW UP. I THINK TRULY IT'S BURNT OUT. IT'S OVER. SO, BUT THEN THIS WHOLE LOVE IS IN THE AIR, THE WHOLE THEME, WE COULD FILL THESE RESTAURANTS, FILL THESE HOTELS, AND THEN AROUND FEBRUARY 25TH, YEAH, YOU'RE READING IT, AREN'T YOU? WE'RE GOING TO SHUT THEM LIGHTS OFF AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO A ST. PATRICK'S THEME. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BECAUSE ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE ENGINE ROOM. YOU'RE THE MONEY MAKERS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY BECAUSE WE KNOW AND EVERYBODY WHO LIVES HERE KNOWS THAT THOSE MEGA TRUCK REPUBLICANS THAT ARE SITTING ON THAT COUNTY COMMISSION HAVE FAILED TO BRING IN JOBS IN THIS COUNTY FOR 12 YEARS. SO YOU ARE THE MONEY MAKERS. AND I DID HEAR TAYLOR BOAST ABOUT $850,000. $800,000. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE GOT $1.2 MILLION. YEAH. AND I FURTHERMORE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE POLICE, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT REALLY A FAN OF THE POLICE, BUT I DO KNOW THEY WORK HARD. THEY COULDN'T TAKE TIME OFF DURING CHRISTMAS. SO THEY ALL SHOULD HAVE GOT A $5,000 OR $7,500 BONUS JUST FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE TIME OFF AND NOT TAKE VACATION. SO THEN AFTER THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY THEME, YOU GOT IT, EASTER BUNNY. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO DO BECAUSE THAT IS WHO YOU ARE. AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO WRAP IT UP WITH THE ISLAND DID A GREAT JOB WITH THOSE SHUTTLES. THAT WAS AWESOME. YOU SAVED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CARS FROM COMING DOWN ANASTASIA BOULEVARD. AND I WATCHED EVERY BIT OF IT. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I'M JUST GLAD THAT MR. BERTRAM WAS IN CHARGE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS OUR... THIS IS... ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO TURN IN A SPEAKER CARD? THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR LAST CALL. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. I'M KAREN ZANDER. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT FOR THE ST. AUGUSTINE BUSINESS COALITION. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER BLONDER FOR BRINGING UP THE IDEA OF MAKING MORE PERMANENT DATES FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THE BUSINESS COALITION DOES SUPPORT THAT. WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE SHORTENED NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, BUT WE DO SUPPORT A MORE PERMANENT SET OF DATES. JUST SO YOU KNOW, OUR VENUES CAN'T BOOK WEDDINGS BECAUSE WEDDINGS BOOK OVER A YEAR IN ADVANCE, AND WE DON'T KNOW NIGHTS OF LIGHTS DATES. THE HOTELS CAN'T BOOK FOR THOSE WEDDINGS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW NIGHTS OF LIGHTS DATES. SOME BRIDES WANT, SOME BRIDES DON'T WANT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. SO WE'RE ALL IN LIMBO. I IMAGINE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR YOUR STAFF AS WELL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SIGN CONTRACTS FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. SO WE DO NEED AN OPINION TONIGHT. WE NEED A RESOLUTION TONIGHT. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS FROM THE BUSINESSES. OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY TOLD US NOT EVERYONE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF BUSINESSES SAID THAT THEY WERE DOWN 20%. YOU THIS YEAR FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, OVERALL, 20%. THERE IS A BIG DOWNTOWN BAYFRONT RESTAURANT THAT WAS DOWN 35%. IN JANUARY. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANS. RESTAURANTS RUN ON 5 TO 7 PERCENT PROFIT MARGINS. WHEN YOU'RE DOWN 35 PERCENT, THAT IS A MASSIVE, MASSIVE HIT. THAT MEANS YOU'RE LAYING OFF STAFF, THAT MEANS YOUR STAFF ISN'T MAKING INCOME OR TIPS, AND THAT MEANS THAT AS A RESTAURANT, YOU CANNOT SUSTAIN YOUR RESTAURANT. SO THAT'S A BIG, BIG DEAL. WE TALK ABOUT TAXES. SO I MADE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST TO YOUR STAFF. I WANT TO THANK DARLENE. YOU ALWAYS GET BACK TO ME SO QUICKLY. YOU'RE WONDERFUL. [03:20:01] THANK YOU SO MUCH, DARLENE. MELISSA BURNS, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND DARLENE GOT BACK TO ME IN TWO HOURS WITH MY REQUEST. IT DIDN'T TAKE AN IN-DEPTH STUDY TO GET THE INFO. SO 37% OF THE CITY'S TOTAL TAX REVENUE FOR THE MOST RECENT YEAR YOUR STAFF HAD COMES FROM HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES. THOSE ARE THE ONLY PROPERTIES. THAT YOU CAN SAY FOR SURE ARE RESIDENT OCCUPIED. 37% OF THE TOTAL TAX REVENUE CAME FROM HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES. 63% OF YOUR TOTAL TAX REVENUE CAME FROM COMMERCIAL OR NON-HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAXPAYERS, 63% WERE NOT RESIDENTS. IN THE RESIDENTS OWN COLLECTION OF OPINIONS, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS DID NOT SUPPORT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS SHOULD BE REDUCED IN DURATION, SCOPE, OR INTENSITY TO LESSEN IMPACTS ON NEIGHBORHOODS. 57.6% DID NOT SUPPORT THAT. AND AS A REAL ESTATE BROKER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE MOVED HERE IN THE LAST FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS. THEY'VE MOVED HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT THE RESTAURANTS, THE GALLERIES, AND THEY WANT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THEY DON'T MOVE TO PALATKA AND THEY DON'T MOVE TO JACKSONVILLE. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE BACK TO THE COMMISSION. ANYONE HAVE A PASSION THEY WANT TO PURSUE QUICKLY OR SHALL I BEGIN? OKAY. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A VERY POSITIVE MEETING. I'M DELIGHTED BY THAT. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, LIKE I SAY, COME BACK AND ONE OF THE SPEAKERS SAID, GIVE UP DINNER TONIGHT. I APPRECIATE THAT SOME PEOPLE CAME OUT AND ACTUALLY SAID, EVEN THOUGH I THINK WE KIND OF ALL SAID IN OUR OWN WAY, HOW MUCH WE LOVE ST. AUGUSTINE. I THINK EVERYBODY HERE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ST. AUGUSTINE. I THINK THAT WE CARE ABOUT IT. I THINK THAT MAYBE HAVE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR CARING ABOUT IT. AND THERE LIES THE RUB. I DID HEAR TONIGHT THAT PRETTY CLEARLY THAT EVERYBODY SAYS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE SHUTTLES, CONTINUE WORKING ON THE PARKING AND JUST GENERAL ACCESS, BATHROOMS. I THINK WHAT THE CITY DID IS THE NUMBERS SHOW IN THE SURVEY THAT PEOPLE WERE PRETTY HAPPY FOR THE MOST PART WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING IN GENERALLY SO THAT'S VERY POSITIVE. BUT I THINK FOR THE RESIDENTS THIS SURVEY THAT I READ TELLS US THAT THIS EVENT HAS REALLY GONE VERY FAR BEYOND OUR ABILITY FOR MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT AT THIS POINT. I THINK MANY OF THEM DO SUPPORT IT, BUT I THINK MANY OF THEM ARE REALLY BEARING THE BURDEN OF IT AND NOT SEEING THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, SO TO SPEAK. IT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO AN ECONOMIC, VIBRANT ECONOMY. AND QUALITY OF LIFE. SO THAT IS ALWAYS, IT WAS, WE HAD A SPEAKER SAY THAT, IT'S ALWAYS, I THINK IT WAS MR. JOCKERS CAME AND SAID, I'VE SEEN THIS DISCUSSION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER BEING INVOLVED IN ST. AUGUSTINE POLITICS, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A DISCUSSION. AND IT'S A TOUGHIE. SO THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT BALANCE, BALANCE, BALANCE. SO IN THE, FOR ME, SHORTENING THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS BY A FEW DAYS AND SHIFTING THE DATES LAST YEAR WAS REALLY ABOUT PROVIDING A BIT OF RELIEF TO OUR CITY RESIDENTS. JUST SOME, EVEN AS SMALL AS A FEW DAYS TO GIVE THEM THAT RELIEF. AND I DON'T THINK THE PRICE THAT THE BUSINESSES PAID FOR THAT WAS EXTREME. IT WASN'T COMFORTABLE FOR THEM, BUT IT WASN'T SO TERRIBLE. SO, SO, SO TERRIBLE. MAYBE FOR SOME IT WAS, BUT FOR OVERALL, AND I THINK THAT IF YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT NUMBERS, LIKE OUR PARKING GARAGE, THE PARKING GARAGE NUMBERS WERE UP. THEY WERE GOOD. SO YOU HAVE THIS NUMBER FROM THIS SECTOR OVER HERE AND THIS NUMBER [03:25:02] FOR THIS SECTOR OVER HERE. IT DEPENDS ON. WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ATTRACTIONS OR WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND BARS OR WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOTEL ROOMS, OR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PARKING GARAGES, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SEGMENTS AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT DATA. BUT WE DO HAVE REALLY GOOD DATA, WE FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE, REALLY GOOD SOLID DATA FROM THE RESIDENTS. SO MY BOTTOM LINE IS I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS. AS A STARTING PLACE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE SUGGESTION IS HERE IN THE ORDINANCE, IF I'M CORRECT. LEAVE THE DATES WHERE THEY ARE PERMANENTLY TONIGHT. MAKE THAT DECISION. I WOULD PREFER TO SEE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT EVERYONE, IN ALL FAIRNESS, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, EVERYONE IS GIVING UP A LITTLE BIT. THE RESIDENTS ARE GIVING UP. THEY'VE BEEN GIVING UP. UM, THE BUSINESSES LAST YEAR GAVE UP A LITTLE BIT. SO SADLY, THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY COMPROMISE WORKS. WE ALL GIVE UP A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME KIND OF BALANCE AND PEACE. UM, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I FALL WITH IT. SO, COMMISSIONER GARRIS. THANK YOU. WE HAVE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT ABOUT DATA ABOUT THE RESIDENTS. I'M A FLORIDIAN. I WAS BORN HERE IN ST. AUGUSTINE, AND I HAVE, LIKE, I KNOW OVER FOUR GENERATIONS THAT WERE BORN HERE, AND ALL OUR PROPERTY THAT WE OWNED HAS BEEN IN THE CITY LIMITS. THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS, FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF IT, I DIDN'T COME DOWN HERE FOR THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS, AND THEN LATER I STARTED COMING DOWN FOR THE GRAND OPENING AND SO FORTH, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TIME HERE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY CAN APPRECIATE. THE BEAUTY OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES BACK WHEN WE CHANGED THE DATES LAST YEAR PLEADED THAT WE HAVE THIS UNTIL AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING'S WEEKEND AND I AGREE WITH THEM FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. NO IT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO MARTIN LUTHER KING HOWEVER IT IS A THREE-DAY WEEKEND AND PEOPLE LIKE TO TRAVEL DURING THOSE THREE-DAY WEEKENDS SO IT CAN BE THAT EXTRA PUSH FOR THEM TO MAKE BUSINESS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY. I THINK IT NEEDS TO START LATER IN NOVEMBER LIKE IT ALWAYS HAS. WE JUST SET THE DATES IN 2024 ABOUT PERMANENT DATES STARTING THAT WEEK AND ENDING THE LAST SUNDAY IN JANUARY. NO, WE DON'T HAVE TO END THE LAST SUNDAY IN JANUARY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO COVER MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND AND THEN MAYBE START TAKING THE LIGHTS DOWN THAT TUESDAY AFTERWARDS. FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, A LOT OF MY PEOPLE COME INTO TOWN FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING. TO CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING AND IT WOULD BE A BLESSING FOR THEM TO SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR CITY IS IN THAT GLORIFIED TIME. SO IT WOULD ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS FOR THEM. THEY GET TO CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THEY ALSO GET TO SEE THE PURE ESSENCE OF THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. SO I THINK IT NEEDS TO DECREASE BACK TO LATER IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN YOU GO INTO A WALMART AND THEY GOT THE CHRISTMAS STUFF IN OCTOBER. YOU REALLY START THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS AROUND THANKSGIVING, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT. YOU REALLY START THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS IS A MONTH AWAY AND SO FORTH. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT WOULD DECREASE THE TIME. IT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO START PREPARING THEIR MINDS FOR CHRISTMAS. AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT PEOPLE DO COME DOWN HERE THAT LIVE IN ST. AUGUSTINE AS A WHOLE. I MEAN, WE JUST HAD THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAY HOW MANY CALLS SHE HAS, AND THEY WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US THE EXTRA MONEY LAST YEAR. AND I'M SURE AT THIS POINT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEKING FUNDS AGAIN. SO WE GOT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE. WE GOT TO WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES. AND I'M NOT SAYING SLIGHT WHAT THE RESIDENTS ARE SAYING BECAUSE I'M A RESIDENT. AND IT WAS COMING ALL THE WAY OVER TO WEST CITY. SO IT IS TRAFFIC. AND YOU KNOW SOMETHING? THERE'S TRAFFIC WHEN THERE AIN'T NIGHT LIGHTS. YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO GET DOWN HERE? AND HOW THESE CARS DO THAT, BLOCK THE BOX? IT TAKES A LOT OF LIGHTS JUST SITTING THROUGH, WHETHER THERE'S NIGHTS OR LIGHTS OR NOT. LET'S BE REALISTIC. NIGHTS OR LIGHTS, WHEN THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO CUT PEOPLE, IT'S THOSE KIDS THAT COME HERE FOR COLLEGE. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GET THESE LITTLE RESTAURANT JOBS, YOU KNOW, TO SUSTAIN THEIR INCOME, TO PAY THOSE EXTRA FEES, MAYBE FOR THEIR BOOKS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO IT'S NOT JUST CUTTING OUT... THE RESIDENTS, IT'S GIVING PEOPLE A CHANCE. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME BEFORE US TONIGHT EXPLAINING HOW THEIR BUSINESSES ARE SHORT, AND THEY'RE SHOWING US ECONOMIC AND DATA IS WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THE RESIDENTS. AGAIN, I'M A RESIDENT. [03:30:02] HOWEVER, IT'S ONCE A YEAR, THE BEAUTIFIER CITY, TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THIS PLACE, WHETHER IT'S... AND A LOT OF THIS NOW IS WORD OF MOUTH, BECAUSE ONCE YOU COME, AND SOMETIMES... YOU HAVE PEOPLE COME ONE TIME ONLY BECAUSE YOU'VE CAPTURED IT. THEY PROBABLY VIDEOED IT. NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GAWKY STUFF LIKE THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THAT LITTLE BOX THAT THEY'RE DOING ON THE FRONT OF THE LIGHTENER. THAT NEEDS TO GO BYE-BYE. BUT THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO STILL HAVE THE PURE ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO NEXT. IT'S BEEN A LONG CONVERSATION, A LONG YEAR REALLY FOLLOWING THIS STUFF. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE QUICK POINTS. WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT WAS THAT EIGHT WEEKS IS AN ACCEPTABLE NUMBER. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MOVING IT. I THINK LAST YEAR WE MOVED IT BECAUSE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WANTED TO MOVE IT. NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY MIGHT MOVE IT BACK. MY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT IN HERE IS WITH THE EASTER TRAFFIC. SO I LOOK AT... THIS IS AN INTENSITY USE, NOT JUST IN TRAFFIC, BUT IN JUST, WELL, MOSTLY TRAFFIC, BUT JUST PEOPLE IN THE CITY. SO WE HAVE A SURGE IN NOVEMBER, WE HAVE A SURGE IN DECEMBER, AND THEN WE HAVE A SURGE STARTING IN FEBRUARY. AND I DON'T KNOW, I FEEL TO MYSELF, THE RESIDENTS APPRECIATE THE BUFFER, I'M GOING TO CALL IT THE BUFFER ZONE, BETWEEN THESE THINGS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS FOR THE TDC REVENUE, WHICH I'LL GET TO IN A SECOND, NOT TOO TECHNICAL, YOU'LL SEE THE CITY KIND OF GOES UP AND DOWN THAT WAY. AND I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED IF WE MOVE IT TO MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, MOVE IT FARTHER BACK, THAT THERE'S REALLY NOT, I'M CONCERNED THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME FOR THE RESIDENTS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES I WOULD HAVE WITH THAT. PLUS, I HONESTLY FEEL THAT MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY IS ITS OWN. AND I THINK THERE'S A POTENTIAL WORKING WITH THE TDC AND SUSAN AND HER GROUP TO PROMOTE IT DIFFERENTLY AND GET A DIFFERENT KIND OF CUSTOMER DOWN HERE, MAYBE A CUSTOMER THAT WILL STAY A COUPLE NIGHTS. AND I THINK THERE'S A BIT OF A BRAND IDENTITY WITH THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS THAT'S ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT. AND THAT IS THAT REALLY IT'S A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION UP UNTIL CHRISTMAS OR AFTERWARDS. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS. CURRENTLY, I HAVE NOT FOUND ANOTHER CITY-SPONSORED CHRISTMAS EVENT THAT RUNS PAST SIX WEEKS, AND THAT'S THE ONE IN LOUISIANA. MOST OF THEM, EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD, END ABOUT EPIPHANY DAY, WHICH MAYBE YOU KNOW MORE AS JANUARY 6TH, 7TH, 8TH, OR SOMETHING. SO IF WE DO THIS AT EIGHT WEEKS, I WANT EVERYBODY JUST TO KNOW WE WILL BE RUNNING THE LARGEST. LONGEST RUNNING CITY SPONSORED CHRISTMAS EVENT. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I JUST WANT TO DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED ANTI-BUSINESS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S A FACT UNLESS SOMEONE CAN FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO DO IT. THIS IS AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME FOR PEOPLE. SO I THINK THE EIGHT WEEKS IS A REALLY GOOD CHOICE. SECOND OF ALL, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, OVER THIS YEAR, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOME ECONOMIC DATA TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS SOME BIG DOWNTURN. I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THAT. THE ONLY ACCURATE INFORMATION I CAN GET IS THE TDT TAX RETURNS. AS WE FOUND OUT, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY IS A RELATIVE THING. ACTUALLY, THE NUMBERS WERE UP IN TAX COLLECTION, BUT THERE'S MORE ROOMS ON, MAYBE THE RATES WERE DIFFERENT. AND SO A COUPLE, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, A COUPLE... MEETINGS AGO, MS. BRIDENSTINE, OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, BROUGHT IN THE TDT REVENUES FOR NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY FOR THE COUNTY AND IT WAS $23,000, $24,000 MORE, WHICH IS MINIMAL, REPRESENTS MAYBE ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT, BUT IT WAS A GAIN. AND IN THE ZIP CODE HERE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IT'S NOT OUR SPECIFIC ZIP CODE. WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THIS TO BE MORE GRANULAR. IT WAS A 3% RISE. THAT'S THE ONLY INFORMATION I CAN USE BECAUSE THE ONLY ACCURATE STUFF THAT I CAN SEE. SO THAT WAS MY BIG FEAR LAST YEAR. THE SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR I HAD WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE LIMITING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE EVENT IN SOME SIGNIFICANT WAY THAT WOULD CONCERN ME WHEN I COME BACK THIS TIME. THE OTHER UNSPOKEN THING IS I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR. I THINK THAT THIS PROPOSAL WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THAT, KEEPING THE DATE THERE AND STOPPING IT BEFORE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING. BUT IF PEOPLE ARE OPEN TO CHANGING IT, IT'S EIGHT [03:35:02] WEEKS, JUST FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY. BUT WE CAN ONLY FUND 13 DAYS OF THIS. AND THIS IS THE THIRD LEG TO THE STOOL. WE HAVE THE I DON'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE. WE HAVE THE RESIDENTS. WE HAVE THE BUSINESSES. BUT WE DO HAVE TO GO OUT AND ASK ANOTHER AGENCY FOR THIS MONEY. SO IF I PASS THIS, I AM GOING ON THE ASSUMPTION, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET A CITY MANAGER INTO IT NOW, JUST MAKING IT VERY CLEAR TO EVERYBODY THAT WE NEED TO GO TO AN AGENCY TO FUND THIS BECAUSE AS THE EXPERIMENT THAT WE DID A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO SHOWS, WE CAN ONLY FUND THIS FOR 13 DAYS. SO THAT TO ME IS A BIGGER QUESTION THAN WHETHER IT'S EIGHT WEEKS OR EIGHT DAYS OFF. I DON'T THINK THE EIGHT DAYS OFF IS STATISTICALLY DID NOT. CAUSE ANY DAMAGE. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO MELINDA AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. WE ALWAYS GET REPORTS FROM THE BUSINESSES, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I KNOW IT CAN SEEM LIKE A DAVID AND GOLIATH STRUGGLE SOMETIMES, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORT. VERY WELL. THANK YOU. YEAH. I WANT TO THANK SUSAN AND MELINDA FOR THE DATA. IT'S A GOOD START FOR FUTURE YEARS. AND I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT RANDOM. YOU KNOW, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS PARKING AND TRAFFIC. EVERYBODY SAID THAT. IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHEN THE EIGHT WEEKS ARE. I HEARD SUSAN SAY, AND I HEARD SOME OTHER BUSINESS PEOPLE SAY, THEY WOULD RATHER IT START LIKE IT USED TO THE SATURDAY BEFORE OR WHATEVER IT WAS. AND THEN... AND BEFORE MARTIN LUTHER KING, AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT AS LONG AS IT'S EIGHT WEEKS. I'M NOT HUNG UP ON THAT A WHOLE LOT. I DID NOTICE IN THE DATA, THOUGH, THERE WERE 49 PERCENT OF THE HOTEL STAYS THAT WERE NOT IN THE CITY. SO ONLY HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO STAYED IN HOTELS COULD WALK. SO AS WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, WE KNOW NOW THAT THE HOTELS OUT ON 16, THE HOTELS. ALL OVER, WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON SHUTTLING SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE, NOT JUST AT THE PARKING LOTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE DRIVING. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DRIVE FROM 16 AND COME IN. WE NEED TO EITHER MARKET TO THEM TO PARK AT THE SPOTS, OR WE NEED TO GO PICK THEM UP. WE'RE ALL BRAGGING ABOUT BEING FLORIDA RESIDENTS, AND I WAS BORN IN FLORIDA, AND I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 89, SO I WAS HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND I WAS A BUSINESS OWNER WHEN I MOVED HERE, AND I USED TO CLOSE MY RESTAURANT AT 9 AND THEN GO TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T COOK TO EAT. AND THE ONLY PLACE WAS VILLAGE INN. YEAH, IT STAYED OPEN ALL NIGHT. AND WE WERE SOME WEIRD PEOPLE THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. BUT I USED TO ALWAYS SAY, WHY CAN'T WE GET ENOUGH BUSINESSES TO STAY OPEN? WELL, WE BIT THE CAKE, AS THEY SAY. AND WHEN YOU BITE THE CAKE, YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND PUT IT BACK IN. ALL RIGHT? WE ASKED FOR IT AND WE GOT IT. SO WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO FOUR WEEKS. WE'RE NOT CANCELING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THE ECONOMIC DISASTER THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THOSE KIND OF EXTREMES WOULD BE... UNEXCUSABLE. SO I THINK EIGHT WEEKS WE SURVIVED. I THINK MS. ZANDER IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YOU CAN'T PLAN WITHOUT HAVING THE DATES. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS ABOUT THIS SINCE THE LAND OF LIFE WAS OVER. SOMEBODY'S SAYING THAT WE'RE JUST NOW TALKING ABOUT IT. WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE FOR A MONTH, A COUPLE MONTHS, AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT. SO WE WE KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE PROBLEM IS... WE NEED TO SET THE DATES AND WE NEED TO START PLANNING NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE LIGHTS UP QUICK, NOT IN OCTOBER, GET THE LIGHTS DOWN RIGHT AFTER IT'S OVER, AND THAT THE VCB DOES THEIR JOB ADVERTISING. THE BUSINESSES THEN CAN PLAN THEIR HIRING. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED. AND LET'S HOPE THE ECONOMY GETS BETTER BECAUSE THE ECONOMY WAS DOWN THIS YEAR COMPARED COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE. AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS COMING YEAR IS GOING TO BE, BUT BUSINESSES WILL HAVE TO PLAN ON THAT. AND I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THE TDC AND THE COUNTY COMING THROUGH WITH SUPPORT. THIS IS A COUNTY EVENT. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DATES AND FOR DOING ALL THE WORK, IT'S A COUNTY EVENT. AND WE ALL PAY COUNTY TAXES, WHICH DOESN'T COUNT FOR THE TDC MONEY. SO MAYBE IN OUR REQUEST THIS YEAR, WE ASK FOR SOME OF OUR TAX MONEY BACK, LIKE. OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAVING TO PUT UP SOME [03:40:01] OF THEIR TAX MONEY. AND ALSO, MS. ZANDER REMINDED EVERYBODY THAT THIS CITY IS 50%, AROUND 50% FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAX. IT'S NOT 100% PROPERTY TAX FUNDED. AND ABOUT 50% OF THAT IS RESIDENTS AND ABOUT 50% OF THAT IS BUSINESSES. THE BUSINESSES ARE HELPING. FUND THIS. THE DOWNSIDE OF THE CAKE THAT WE BOUGHT AND THAT WE BIT OUT OF IS THAT WE'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL, PROPERTY VALUES HAVE SKYROCKETED AND SO HAVE RENTS. SO EVERY YEAR WHEN THOSE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTIES RAISE THEIR RENTS, IT PUTS THE PRESSURE ON THOSE BUSINESSES. SO WE ASKED FOR IT. WE GOT IT. AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. I WOULD PROBABLY SUPPORT THE IDEA OF GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL START DATE. I WAS THE ONE THAT RECOMMENDED MOVING IT BACK A WEEK IN LAST YEAR'S DISCUSSION. I'D RECOMMEND THAT WE START AT THE OLD DATE AND END AT MARTIN LUTHER KING. THANK YOU. MADAM MAYOR. OH, THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THERE'S A LOT. AND I DID WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE OF THINGS COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD SAID. ONE IS THAT IT'S MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. WE WENT THROUGH AN EXHAUSTIVE PROCESS FOR NOW OVER A YEAR, WELL OVER A YEAR, WITH ALL OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FROM ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS ALL THROUGH LAST SPRING AND SUMMER. AND SO WE, THIS IS NOT NEW TO US. BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. SO I AGREE WITH SEVERAL OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ON THAT. AND I WILL SAY TOO THAT I'VE GOTTEN SOME COMPELLING FEEDBACK FROM MR. YORK, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO IS A BUSINESS OWNER, OTHER LONGTIME BUSINESS OWNERS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY THAT IN SOME CASES, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM AND THEIR BUSINESS MODEL. AND SO I'M NOT ANTI-BUSINESS. BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, I AGREE WITH YOU. WE MOVED HERE AND I WANTED A THAI RESTAURANT. IT TOOK A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE COULD HAVE SOME DIVERSITY IN OUR RESTAURANT OFFERINGS. AND WE DO HAVE THOSE BENEFITS. THOSE ARE TRUE BENEFITS. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TODAY, EVERYBODY WHO EMAILED US, STOPPED US TO TALK IN THE STREETS AND SO FORTH. THIS IS A TOUGH ONE, AS THE MAYOR SAID, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COME TO A GOOD DECISION TONIGHT. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD SAID IS THAT WE WERE NOT FULLY FUNDED, ALTHOUGH WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE FUNDS THAT CAME TO US, THE $850,000. WE WERE NOT FUNDED LAST YEAR. AND IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, I DON'T WANT OUR TAXPAYERS TO PAY THAT 13 DAYS THAT WE CAN AFFORD, THAT WE HAVE AS A SEPARATE BUDGET LINE IN THIS CITY. I DON'T WANT OUR TAXPAYERS TO HAVE TO PAY THAT. THERE IS NO BUDGET LINE. FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSION THAT IS DEDICATED TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND I THINK THAT'S UNFAIR BECAUSE I PAY TAXES TWICE. A LOT OF THE COUNTY RESIDENTS COME TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND ENJOY IT, AND I'M GLAD THEY DO. BUT I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO ASK OUR TAXPAYERS WHO FACE THE BURDENS OF THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS TO PAY FOR THAT, ABOVE AND BEYOND THE THINGS. SO I WANT TO, THE OTHER THINGS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A CONCEPT THAT I LEARNED A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE I'M IN AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO'S AN ECONOMIST AND SHE WAS USING THE TERM OPPORTUNITY COST A LOT. AND I'M GOING TO BRING THAT UP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I HAD MORE THAN A FEW RESIDENTS OF THE CITY CONTACT ME DURING THE TWO MONTHS ESSENTIALLY OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS ASKING FOR A POTHOLE TO BE FILLED. OR INVASIVE SPECIES TO BE REMOVED FROM A PARK OR ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. AND I ASKED THEM, I SAID, PLEASE REMIND ME TO GET BACK TO YOU AFTER NIGHTS OF LIGHTS BECAUSE OUR CITY STAFF ARE WORKING OVERTIME AND THEY ARE OVERBURDENED AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THE PRIORITIES, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT I THINK OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT. I KNOW I EXPECT BECAUSE WE ARE OUT THERE. MANAGING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY COST HERE IS ESSENTIALLY MEASURING THE UNSEEN COST OF A SPECIFIC CHOICE BY LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF [03:45:01] ALLOCATING RESOURCES ELSEWHERE. SO WE'RE ALLOCATING RESOURCES TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, WHICH IS COSTING OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE. IT'S COSTING FATIGUE OF OUR STAFF. THERE ARE MANY, MANY PRIORITIES IN THIS CITY THAT ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED. BECAUSE WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I MEAN, NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY CITY COMMISSIONERS, NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY STAFF, AND NOT BEING ADDRESSED FINANCIALLY. SO IN THE CONTEXT OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, WHAT RESOURCES ARE BEING USED? TAX DOLLARS, LABOR, THAT'S CITY WORKERS, EVEN THINGS SUCH AS THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE SITTING IN TRAFFIC. THAT IS NOT AN EFFICIENCY. IT'S A LOST EFFICIENCY AND IT'S LOST PRODUCTIVITY. AND THESE CAN BE CONSIDERED PART. OF THE COST OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, AND THEY ARE QUANTIFIABLE. THEY DO COST DOLLARS. THEY COST TIME AS WELL. IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF THIS EVENT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT THESE RESOURCES COULD BE USED FOR, IF NOT FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. WHERE WOULD WE BE SPENDING THE TAX DOLLARS THAT WE USE FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS RIGHT NOW? WHAT ELSE COULD THE CITY WORKERS HAVE BEEN DOING DURING THOSE MONTHS? IF THE TRAFFIC WASN'T AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE, WHAT COULD RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DOING? WHERE COULD THEY HAVE BEEN SPENDING THEIR MONEY? WHEN THEY DON'T GO OUT DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND I SPEAK FROM ONE WHO KNOWS BECAUSE I DON'T GO OUT TO RESTAURANTS DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS. I LOVE THE IDEA OF NOT HAVING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN THE CITY DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, PEAK TIMES. I WOULD LOVE TO PURSUE THAT. I KNOW I CAN SEE MOBILITY PUT PEOPLE GOING CRAZY OVER HERE, HAPPY ABOUT IT. I THINK THAT WAS A WONDERFUL ELEMENT OF FEEDBACK THAT BOTH... BOTH, WHATEVER, STAKEHOLDER GROUPS COULD AGREE ON IN SOME WAYS, AND THERE MAY BE SOMETHING TO THAT THAT WE COULD PURSUE. I THINK THAT'S ALL. OH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF WE DO MOVE THIS FORWARD, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT MOVING FORWARD AS THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF US CURRENTLY PROPOSES. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY WANT TO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE EXCEPTION. THAT WHEN MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY FALLS ON THE SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, THEN WE MOVE THE END OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS ACCORDINGLY. SO MS. WHISTLE SAID IT BETTER THAN I HAVE JUST SAID IT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN. I REALLY AGREE THAT THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND SO FORTH COULD REALLY HELP MARKET MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY. AS A ADVANCE GOING INTO BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN MARCH, AND I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SHIFT OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM LIGHTS AND INTO OUR HERITAGE. OKAY. IS THAT A MOTION? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE THE DATE BACK AND HAVE IT END THE DAY AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING. SO YOU WANT TO MODIFY THE... I WANT IT MOVED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL STARTING TIME IN NOVEMBER THAT WE VOTED FOR IN 2024 AND ENDING IT RIGHT AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING THAT TUESDAY. SO YOU WANT IT BACK TO THE... SECOND SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. NO. NO, THE FIRST. THE WEEKEND BEFORE THANKSGIVING. THE WEEKEND BEFORE THANKSGIVING. SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. RIGHT, AND RIGHT AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY. THAT MONDAY AFTER. TUESDAY AFTER. SO THE LIGHTS WOULD END ON MARTIN LUTHER KING MONDAY. NO, THAT TUESDAY. IT WOULD BE ON ON TUESDAY AS WELL. THE TUESDAY AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING. NO, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THEY'RE ON OR THEY COME DOWN? THEY COME DOWN. THEY COME DOWN ON TUESDAY. AND THEN WE CAN PREPARE FOR BLACK HISTORY. THAT'S WHAT I... SO IT WOULD RUN UNTIL MARTIN LUTHER KING ON TUESDAY. WE START TAKING IT APART. THANK YOU. I SECOND THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS... MORE OF THE REQUEST OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY KIND OF SAID EIGHT WEEKS WAS GOOD WITH THEM RIGHT UM YOU KNOW MY MY CONCERN WAS THAT IT WOULD CONFLICT WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING BUT IT DOES NOT STOP THE BCB FROM STILL DOING A PROMOTIONAL PART AND THEY GET TO SEE THE LIGHTS I MEAN I WAS SAYING BEFORE BEFORE CHRISTMAS THE CHRISTMAS EVENT AFTER THAT IS KIND OF A LIGHT SHOW SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM MOVING THERE. YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A BUFFER ZONE AND THAT WOULD BE LARGELY LOST IF WE DID THAT. RIGHT. WELL, IT WOULD BE EIGHT DAYS. THE BUFFER WOULD BE EIGHT DAYS, YEAH. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A [03:50:01] SECOND. OKAY. AND WE'RE IN DEBATE. YEAH. HE'S SECONDED. AND, OKAY, ARE WE READY TO VOTE? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. CYNTHIA GARRIS. YES. JIM SPRINGFIELD. YES. JOHN DEPRADER. YES. BARBARA BLONDER. NO. NANCY SEIXKLEIN. NO. THERE WE GO. THREE TO TWO. THERE WE GO. OKAY, WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, THIS MEETING IS CALLED BACK TO ORDER AND I'D LIKE A MOTION TO EXTEND OUR TIME BY 20 MINUTES MAX. SO MOVED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. [10. STAFF REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ] AYE. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. I MADE THE MOTION, BARBARA MADE THE SECOND. I APOLOGIZE. VICE MAYOR MADE THE SECOND. OKAY, SO CONSIDERATION OF A PETITION TO... VACATE RIGHT OF WAY. THAT IS MR. SLAUGHTER. SURE GOT QUIET IN HERE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, STEPHEN SLAUGHTER, UTILITY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. BEFORE YOU TONIGHT FOR CONSIDERATION IS A PETITION TO VACATE A RIGHT-OF-WAY, A PORTION OF PRADO AVENUE. THE APPLICANT ORIGINALLY REQUESTED A PORTION OF RAMBLA AND PRADO. THIS WENT TO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE. STAFF COMMENTS ARE ATTACHED. AFTER WHICH, THE APPLICANT MODIFIED THE PETITION TO INCLUDE ONLY A PORTION OF THE UNIMPROVED PRADO AVENUE AS SHOWN HERE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF PRADO AVENUE HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN VACATED AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS? YEAH. I MEAN, I LOOKED AT IT. I WASN'T HERE FOR THE ONE YOU DID, PROPERTY NEXT TO MINE, SO I THINK THIS IS JUST AN OKAY. OKAY, THE PETITION SO THAT IT COMES BACK FOR A FIRST HEARING AND THEN IT COMES AFTER ANOTHER HEARING, RIGHT? YEAH, SO I'VE LOOKED AT IT AND I THINK IT'S KIND OF RIPE TO MOVE ALONG. IT SEEMS LIKE A REASONABLE REQUEST, THE ONE I COULD SAY. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. IS THAT A MOTION? I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION. ALL RIGHT, THEN. SECOND. ALL RIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WE'LL CALL THE ROLL. JOHN DEPRAITER? YES. JIM SPRINGFIELD? YES. CYNTHIA GEHRS? YES. BARBARA BLONDER? YES. NANCY SEXKLINE? YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE FIRST READING. THANK YOU. THAT WAS IT. RESOLUTION. CONSIDERATION OF PETITION. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ITEMS BY CITY ATTORNEY. NOTHING? THANK GOD. NOTHING. OH, YES. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. REAL QUICK, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT YOU SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO US ABOUT THE DEI LEGISLATION. DIRECT IMPACTS TO THE CITY? OR CAN SOME EXAMPLES, IF YOU DON'T MIND? WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, MENORCAN HERITAGE MONTH. IRISH HERITAGE MONTH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THERE'S A LONG LAUNDRY LIST BY FEDERAL STATUTE AND BY STATE STATUTE OF RECOGNIZED RECOGNITIONS, MEMORIALS, AND HOLIDAYS. AND REALLY, UNLESS WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ON THOSE OFFICIAL LISTS, WE WON'T BE ABLE [12. ITEMS BY CITY CLERK] TO TAKE ANY OFFICIAL ACTION ON IT. SO THAT'S THE SYNOPSIS, AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT MAYBE NEXT MEETING IF IT'S... OKAY, THAT'D BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. I'D APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT. ITEM BY CITY CLERK. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, MADAM VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I HAVE A FEW THINGS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST THING THAT I HAVE ON THE AGENDA WAS A REQUEST TO APPOINT FOR THE CORRIDOR REVIEW COMMITTEE. WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN UPDATED APPLICATION FOR MR. BLAKE AND HE HAS APPLIED FOR HARB. SO I WOULD LIKE TO DELAY THIS REQUEST AND BRING HIS APPLICATION BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR HARB. HE IS QUALIFIED TO SERVE. ALL RIGHT. MY NEXT ITEM IS JUST A [03:55:01] NOTIFICATION OF ONE VACANCY ON OUR PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD. SO WE WILL START ADVERTISING FOR THAT. AND THEN MY MEMO FOR OPEN POSITIONS AND BOARD COMMITTEES. BUT ONE ITEM THAT WE DID HAVE IS WE REQUESTED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS ORDINANCES 2026-10 AND 2026-11. THAT IS THE VEHICLES FOR HIRE AND FRANCHISE ORDINANCES. SO I PROVIDED A MEMO THAT HAD SOME RECOMMENDED DATES. THOSE ARE MAY 8TH, WHICH IS A FRIDAY, OR THURSDAY, MAY 14TH, OR FRIDAY, MAY 15TH, ALL OF THESE BEGINNING AT 9 A.M. TILL NOON. YES, PLEASE CONFER WITH YOUR CALENDARS. WE REQUEST CONSENSUS TO CHOOSE ONE OF THOSE THREE DATES. MAY 8TH, 14TH, AND 15TH. AND I'VE CHECKED MY CALENDAR AND I'M FREE ALL THREE OF THEM. I AM AS WELL. IS THAT APRIL THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? MAY. MAY. I CAN, 8TH IS MY DAY. 8TH, NOTHING ELSE. MAY 8TH GOING 3, DO I HEAR 4? THE 15TH IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE GOOD FOR ME IN CASE I DECIDE TO GO VISIT MY MOM FOR MOTHER'S DAY. SO I DON'T WANT TO LOCK IN ANYTHING. WOULD MAY 8TH WORK FOR YOU? YEAH. EVERYBODY? AND COMMISSIONER DEPRADER. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION I NEED BECAUSE I'M GOING TO MANHATTAN SOMETIME THEN. I JUST DON'T HAVE IT ON MY CALENDAR YET. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. CAN WE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULE THAT FOR THE 8TH AND YOU JUST LET ME KNOW IF IT CONFLICTS? I HAVE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MY WIFE. OTHERWISE. SHE'S THE TRAVEL AGENT. I JUST PACK THE BAGS AND DRIVE THE CAR. WOULD OUR SECONDARY DATE BE THE 14TH? OF MAY IF COMMISSIONER DEPRADER IS UNAVAILABLE. IF. YEAH. IS THAT OKAY? I'M GOOD. I'M NOT. YOU CAN DO IT. YOU CAN DO IT. WAIT, WHAT? MAY 8TH. MAY 8TH WOULD BE IDEAL BECAUSE THEN WE'D ALL BE HERE IF WE CAN DO THAT. HOPEFULLY. OKAY. OKAY. 9 TO NOON. OKAY. MAY 8TH. 9 TO NOON. I'LL LET YOU KNOW. OKAY. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. [13. ITEMS BY CITY MANAGER] AND THAT IS ALL. ALL RIGHT, THAT IS MY CITY MANAGER. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, I DO HAVE TWO ITEMS OF BUSINESS THAT I NEED TO RUN BY YOU. WE HAVE TWO FRANCHISES, HORSE CARRIAGE FRANCHISES, THAT ARE UP FOR RENEWAL ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, AND OUR DEADLINE TO TELL THEM WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO RENEW THOSE FRANCHISES IS MARCH 30TH. WE WOULD LIKE TO TELL THOSE FRANCHISES THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO RENEW THEM, BUT WE WILL GIVE THEM... FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL TO RENEW THEM AS SOON AS THE NEW FRANCHISE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED. THEY CAN DO THAT IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE ADOPT A NEW FRANCHISE ORDINANCE OR THEY CAN WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH. THAT'S THEIR OPTION. BUT WE'D LIKE TO GET ALL OF OUR FRANCHISES ALIGNED WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE WHEN IT'S ADOPTED AND NOT HAVE PEOPLE GRANDFATHERED IN. THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GAVE US IN FEBRUARY WHEN YOU VOTED NOT TO RENEW COUNTRY CARRIAGES FRANCHISE AND TO APPLY A CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY TO THE OTHER FRANCHISE HOLDERS. SO I'D LIKE JUST AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT I'M MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANYBODY OUT OF BUSINESS. THOSE TWO COMPANIES WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO RENEW UNDER THE NEW FRANCHISE LAWS. I THINK THAT SOUNDS GOOD. ME TOO. THE OTHER TWO, WHAT'S... THEY'RE NOT UP FOR RENEWAL, SO THEREFORE THEY WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED ANYWAY? THERE IS SOME DEBATE AS TO WHETHER THAT IS THE CASE, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE UP FOR RENEWAL. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR YOUR ATTORNEY TO ANSWER. TECHNICALLY, OUR CODE DOES SAY UNDER THE FRANCHISES THAT THEY MUST COMPLY WITH OUR FRANCHISE CODE AS IT MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME. SO ARGUABLY, YES, THEY ARE ON NOTICE. THAT THE RULES MAY CHANGE. I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SOMETHING SEAMLESS, AT LEAST FOR THESE TWO. WE'VE GOT A SIMPLE WAY TO ADDRESS IT, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE MORE COMPLICATED ONES WHO ARE [04:00:01] FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE FRANCHISES THAT ON PAPER, THEIR PAPER FRANCHISE IS INTENDED TO EXTEND. THE NEW TERMS OF THE NEW ORDINANCE, WHENEVER IT'S ADOPTED, WOULD APPLY TO THE OLD FRANCHISE. FRANCHISEES EVEN IF THEY ARE GRANDFATHERED. OKAY, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE WE'RE TREATING TWO OF THEM DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO BE UP FOR RENEWAL. WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO TREAT THEM ALL IN A SIMILAR MANNER, SO YOU CHOSE NOT TO RENEW THE FRANCHISE FOR COUNTRY CARRIAGES. IF THOSE MEDALLIONS HAVE COME BACK INTO PLAY, THEY WILL HAVE TO BE FRANCHISE UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE. AND SO EVERY TIME A NEW FRANCHISE HOLDER COMES BACK FOR RENEWAL AND WE HAVE TO TELL THAT FRANCHISE HOLDER WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO RENEW THEIR FRANCHISE OR NOT, WE JUST WANT TO HAVE A VERY CLEAR SIGNAL THAT WE WILL RENEW THEM UNDER THE UPCOMING NEW FRANCHISE ORDINANCE. ISN'T THIS STILL LIKE THE... PART OF THE VEHICLE FOR HIRE, ISN'T THAT ALL PART OF THAT? ISN'T THAT? SO HOW CAN WE DO THAT IF WE STILL HAVEN'T HAD THE WORKSHOP ON THAT? YEAH. THAT'S WHAT HE'S SUGGESTING IS THAT WE PUT THEM ON NOTICE BECAUSE OUR DEADLINE TO PUT THEM ON NOTICE IS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. SO YOUR CITY MANAGER IS SAYING, LET'S PUT THEM ON NOTICE. THAT WE'RE NOT RENEWING UNDER THE EXISTING TERMS BECAUSE WE'RE FIXING TO CHANGE THE RULES, BUT THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO APPLY UNDER THE NEW RULES, WHATEVER THOSE MAY BE. AND THEY'LL HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH TO DECIDE. IT MAY BE OVERKILL, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION BY FOLKS WHO MAY CLAIM THAT THEY'RE GRANDFATHERED IN UNDER THE OLD FRANCHISE ORDINANCE. I THINK IT MANAGES EXPECTATIONS VERY WELL. THE MOST WE COULD HOPE FOR AT THIS POINT. OKAY. SO I'M GETTING A CONSENSUS THAT THAT'S THE RIGHT DIRECTION? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. MY SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS IS WE ARE SEEING A PROPERTY ON ABILENE STREET IN VERY POOR CONDITION. 7 ABILENE STREET IS THE ADDRESS. IT'S A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. IT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE SPANISH MILITARY HOSPITAL. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THAT... BUILDING WILL HAVE TO BE DEMOLISHED UNDER AN EMERGENCY DEMOLITION PROCESS. WE HAVE ENGAGED OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, JUDE COSTAGE, OR I SHOULD SAY THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS, AND WE ARE AWAITING AN ENGINEERING REPORT FROM THE ENGINEER. WE'RE PREPARING TO HOLD A SPECIAL HAARP MEETING TO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION OF THAT BUILDING. IT IS AN UNRECOVERABLE, THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, CONDITION. AND IT IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS BUILDING THAT MAY COLLAPSE INTO THE ROADWAY OR TO ADJACENT BUILDINGS. IT'S UNFORTUNATE. THIS JUST CAME UP LAST FRIDAY WHILE I WAS OUT OF TOWN. I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT IN MAKING THIS PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL HAARP MEETING LATER THIS WEEK FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THIS DEMOLITION REQUEST. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. CAN WE GET SOME PICTURES OF THAT? BECAUSE LIKE THAT OTHER BUILDING THAT TIME, THAT HOUSE THAT GOT DEMOLISHED, WE DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. SO LIKE MELINDA CAME IN HERE WITH THE PICTURES, JUST SO WE'LL KNOW THE LOCATION OF THIS BUILDING MAYBE BY EMAIL JUST SO THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THE LOCATION? OH, YEAH. THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WENT IN THIS MORNING. HE'S BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING SINCE FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN THE CONTRACTOR CALLED HIM. THE ENGINEERING REPORT SHOULD ALSO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT SHOW THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS, THE BAD CONDITION OF THE BUILDING, AND OUR STAFF WILL HAVE A STAFF REPORT THAT'S GENERATED THAT GOES TO HARB. OKAY. IT WILL ALSO CONTAIN ALL THAT DOCUMENTATION. SO, YES, WE WILL HAVE... YEAH, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. I DON'T LIKE RESIDENTS TELLING ME ABOUT SOMETHING GOING ON, AND WE'RE BLINDSIDED. SO WE COULD JUST GET SOME PICTURES. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH HORROR, BUT WE'LL JUST GO FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. THANK YOU. [14. ITEMS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS ] OKAY. THAT'S IT? OKAY. THAT'S NOT GOOD NEWS. DON'T LOVE TO SEE ANY EMERGENCY DEMOLITIONS BY BUILDINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY. OKAY, ITEMS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING? WE HAVE A FEW? OKAY. I DO, QUICKLY. I WAS TEXTED BY MY TRAVEL AGENT, AND I WILL BE HERE MAY 8TH. [04:05:04] YAY THANK YOU, SWEETHEART. VERY NICE. VERY NICE. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR. YEAH. I WANTED TO BE SURE TO RECOGNIZE PAUL WEAVER FOR 23 YEARS ON THE BOARD YOU JUST MENTIONED, HARB. HE JUST RETIRED FROM IT AND IT'S A BIG LOSS, BUT HE HAS CERTAINLY MADE A BIG IMPACT ON THE CITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO FROM ACROSS THE STREET FOR ME WHERE I HEAR GO GATORS A LOT. SECONDLY, I WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DROUGHT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW WITH THE WIND, THE DROUGHT AND THE FREEZE KILL. I THINK COMMISSIONER DEPREETER SHARES A WILDFIRE BACKGROUND WITH ME. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A 1998 SITUATION AGAIN AND ANYTHING PEOPLE CAN DO TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WATER RESTRICTIONS THAT WENT OUT ON NEWS AND NOTES. BUT I STILL SEE PEOPLE WATERING THEIR LAWNS. EVERY DAY AT TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. AND I'D LIKE CITY IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO BE CHECKED AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLYING WITH THESE WATER RESTRICTIONS RIGHT NOW. WONDERFUL. ANYTHING ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT TO HELP US MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT NIGHTS AND LIGHTS, THE BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS THE RESIDENTS. AND I THINK THAT WE IMPLEMENTED A LOT OF THINGS. LAST YEAR TO HELP THE RESIDENTS BY BARRICADING THOSE STREETS, HEADING THE PARKING. AND I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT SAID THAT THEY WERE PLEASED WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE HAD. AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE YEAR BY YEAR TO GET STRONGER AND BETTER WITH HOW WE PROJECT THE NIGHTS AND LIGHTS MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. I HAD ONE ITEM. MS. LAUREN GEIBER HAS COME REPEATEDLY AND EXPRESSED HER CONCERN ABOUT SPEEDING ON RIBERIA STREET. AND I THOUGHT TONIGHT SHE MADE A VERY GOOD CASE ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL RESIDENCES. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TRAFFIC COUNT ON RIBERIA STREET IS, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE A LOT MORE THAN IT EVER WAS. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD LOOK AT SPEEDING. I DON'T THINK WE COULD PROBABLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TRIPS, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK INTO SOME IDEAS ABOUT WAYS TO REDUCE THE SPEEDS ON RIBERIA. THE CITY COMMISSION DID VOTE NO TO PUTTING SPEED PUMPS. TABLES IS WHAT SHE ASKED FOR. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT. WHATEVER. TRAFFIC DELINEATORS, BACK WHEN TRACY UPCHURCH WAS THE MAYOR, SO IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS, THAT WAS DONE MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF EMERGENCY TRAFFIC THAT GOES DOWN RIBERIA STREET AND THEN TURNS ON SOUTH STREET RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE TO SERVE THE BAYVIEW, THE THE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY ON MARINE STREET. SO THERE IS A CONSTANT FLOW OF FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES AND THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT ANY WAY THAT WOULD REDUCE THEIR RESPONSE TIME COULD LEAD TO HEALTH CONSEQUENCES FROM PEOPLE WHO CALL 911 FROM BAYVIEW. SO WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO BACK AND SEE IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS SPEEDING WHILE NOT REDUCING THE RESPONSE TIME FROM OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES. WELL, AND GETTING SOME DATA ON THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO MAKE OUR DECISION ON. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SPECULATION AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HOW MANY TRIPS ARE, WHAT ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THEIR VISIT? I MEAN, THOSE I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE SPEEDING AT TOP SPEED. SPEED OR IF THEY'RE JUST REALLY CARRYING PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH TO THEIR HOSPITAL VISITS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I THINK THAT WE, I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT IF THE COMMISSION IS OPEN TO THE IDEA OF, THERE MAY BE OTHER SOLUTIONS. I'M NOT NECESSARILY SAYING SPEED TABLES ARE THE SOLUTION, BUT I MEAN, I'M OLD SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, YOU BUILD A ROAD LIKE A SHOTGUN AND PEOPLE DRIVE LIKE A BULLET. YOU KNOW, AND WE, THERE JUST HAS TO BE SOME WAYS TO KEEP THAT CALMER FOR THE RESIDENTS. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT FOR ME. ANYONE ELSE? WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU. [04:10:02] IT WAS A GREAT MEETING. APPRECIATE EVERYBODY. WE'LL SEE YOU IN A COUPLE WEEKS. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.