Oct 26, 2026 City Commission

[00:00:10]

COMMISSION MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY. SYKES. KLEIN HERE. BARBARA. BLONDER HERE. CYNTHIA. GARRIS HERE. JIM. SPRINGFIELD HERE. JOHN PRATER HERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE WILL. EXCUSE ME. 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. UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[2. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK IN NOVEMBER. SO I WILL WE'LL MOVE THAT TO THE FUTURE AGENDA. SO THAT IS ALSO A MOTION SECOND FOR BOTH. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION. EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. I. OKAY. WONDERFUL. SO FOR THE ATTENDING AUDIENCE, WE IF YOU SIGNED UP A CARD, IF YOU SIGNED A CARD FOR THE MUSEUM BLACK HISTORY ITEM, YOU WILL BE SPEAKING WHEN WE HEAR THAT ITEM, NOT DURING REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENTS. WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE

[3. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS]

GET A PICTURE. ALL RIGHT. WHEREAS THE SAINT AUGUSTINE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1985 TO SUPPORT THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE'S ARCHEOLOGICAL PRESERVATION ORDINANCE AND TO ADVANCE THE PRESERVATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AND THE SURROUNDING REGION. WHEREAS THE SAAA IS A FLORIDA CHARTERED, NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND THE REGIONAL CHAPTER OF THE FLORIDA ANTHROPOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY, BRINGING TOGETHER PROFESSIONALS, AVOCATIONAL, ARCHEOLOGISTS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL ENTHUSIASTS WHO SHARE A RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE AND CULTURES WHO PRECEDED US.

WHEREAS, FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, THE SAAA HAS PROMOTED THE DISCOVERY, INTERPRETATION AND PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGHOUT ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, VOLUNTEERISM, EDUCATION, AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND WHEREAS SAAA ENRICHES OUR COMMUNITY BY OFFERING MONTHLY PUBLIC LECTURES ON ARCHEOLOGICAL TOPICS OF LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, ORGANIZING FIELD TRIPS TO ARCHEOLOGICAL AND

[00:05:03]

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU. LOVE IT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE IS. FLORIDA CITY WEEK. PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS CITY GOVERNMENT IS THIS GOVERNMENT CLOSEST TO MOST CITIZENS AND THE ONE WITH THE MOST DIRECT DAILY IMPACT UPON ITS RESIDENTS, PROVIDING SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS MAKING THEIR CITY THEIR HOME. WHEREAS, CITY GOVERNMENT IS ADMINISTERED FOR AND BY ITS CITIZENS AND IS DEPENDENT UPON PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF ITS MANY RESPONSIBILITIES. AND. WHEREAS, CITY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS ALONG THE UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND THEIR BENEFITS AND.

WHEREAS, FLORIDA CITY WEEK OFFERS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY STAFF TO SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL CITIZENS OF FLORIDA THAT THEY CAN SHAPE AND INFLUENCE THIS BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. AND WHEREAS, THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES AND ITS MEMBER CITIES HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO TEACH CITIZENS ABOUT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH A VARIETY OF

[00:10:05]

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU DID A GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MELISSA DID SUCH A NICE JOB THIS WEEK. ORGANIZING COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH STAFF AND PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. SO I WANT TO LET HER SAY A FEW WORDS. THANK YOU. I REALLY NEED TO GIVE CREDIT TO RACHEL MURPHY. SHE'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT SHE WAS THE ONE WHO DID ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING AND SCHEDULING ALL OF OUR MEET WITH THE DIRECTORS. I WANT TO THANK OUR DIRECTORS AND STAFF WHO CAME OUT TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS. WE ALSO HAD A WALK THROUGH FISH ISLAND, WHICH IS ALWAYS VERY POPULAR, AND OUR FIRST EVER SHOW AND TELL AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THANK YOU TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. WE WILL BE BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR. WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME NEW IDEAS OF SOME OTHER WAYS TO CHANGE UP HOW WE DO IT, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST ALL ABOUT ENGAGEMENT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WE CAN ALL CLAP NOW.

THAT'S WHAT WE DID BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO. EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. TOM.

MAYBE. ALL RIGHT THEN OUR NEXT ITEM. OH, OKAY. OH, MY. OH, JEEZ. OKAY. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO. DAVE ASSURES. BLACK HISTORY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO ASK THE COMMISSIONERS FOR A BRIEF MODIFICATION. I HAVE SO MANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR THE BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM. I WOULD LIKE TO. I WOULD LIKE TO LIMIT PUBLIC COMMENT TO ONE MINUTE. IN THAT CASE, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF HERE AT 730 TONIGHT, I HAVE BETWEEN DAVIS SHORES REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I PROBABLY HAVE AN HOUR OF SPEAKERS. SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LIMITING? YOU MEAN AN HOUR TOTAL OR AN HOUR FOR THE HISTORY MUSEUM TOTAL? WELL. I DON'T I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COULD SPEAK IN A MINUTE. I MEAN, MAYBE TWO MINUTES. I MEAN, AS SOON AS THEY SAY THEIR NAME AND STUFF, IT'S LIKE 30S IS ALREADY GONE. THERE'S. IS THERE AN URGENCY TO HEAR THIS TONIGHT ON THE MUSEUM FOR THE PEOPLE? THEY'RE HERE. SO, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD LET THEM.

OKAY, WELL, I SUPPOSE WE COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND TRY AND GIVE THEM TWO. IF TWO, DOES EVERYONE THINK TWO IS BETTER? OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT AGAIN. 78782782. OKAY. THOMAS RUBENS. ALL RIGHT. JUST GET ORGANIZED HERE FOR A

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

[00:15:06]

THAT IS A DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATING ITS OWN LEADERSHIP. AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE FULL INVESTIGATIVE REPORT YET. BUT I KNOW THAT THE FINDINGS WERE NOT SUSTAINED.

HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT COMPLAINT. CASTAGNE AFFIRMED UNDER OATH THAT SAPD HAD POSSESSED BODY WORN CAMERAS FOR APPROXIMATELY ONLY TWO MONTHS. WHEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT BODY WORN CAMERAS WERE MADE IN 2023, THE DEPARTMENT'S AXON CONTRACT THAT CASTAGNE HIMSELF SIGNED IS DATED SEPTEMBER 2020, WITH IMPLEMENTATION BEGINNING IN 2021. HE COULD HAVE SAID HE DIDN'T REMEMBER. HE COULD HAVE SAID THAT HE NEEDED TO FIND OUT.

INSTEAD, HE INFERRED, HE AFFIRMED AN INACCURATE TIMELINE AND SUPPORTED PORTRAYING LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS AGAINST OFFICERS AS HARASSMENT. THESE ARE NOT DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS.

THEY ARE CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN SWORN TESTIMONY AND DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE. IT ISN'T ABOUT FINDING A LEGAL LOOPHOLE TO ALLOW CASTAGNE TO STAY. IT IS ABOUT WHETHER A POLICE COMMANDER TOLD THE TRUTH UNDER OATH. I KEEP ASKING MYSELF WHY? WHY WOULD A COMMANDER COME INTO A COURTROOM IN UNIFORM, REPEATEDLY INVOKE HIS TITLE AND HIS AUTHORITY, AND GIVE TESTIMONY CONTRADICTED BY HIS OWN DEPARTMENT'S OFFICIAL RECORDS? THIS ISN'T SPECULATION WITHOUT EVIDENCE. MY COMPLAINT INCLUDED DOCUMENTED COMMUNICATIONS DEMONSTRATING PERSONAL BIAS, HOSTILITY TO THOSE THAT RAISE COMPLAINTS, AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DELAYING PUBLIC RECORDS FROM THOSE COMPLAINANTS. THOSE COMMUNICATIONS RAISE SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT RETALIATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HEATHER WILSON, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS REYNOLDS. WE DO HAVE A SEAT FREE IN THE FRONT. IF I CALL YOUR NAME SECOND, PLEASE COME AND SIT IN THE SEAT UP FRONT SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. WITH HALLOWEEN RAPIDLY APPROACHING, IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO TALK ABOUT THE SPOOKY THINGS HAPPENING IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. FIRST, IT IS TERRIFYING THAT AN ELECTED CITY OFFICIAL WOULD SUGGEST TO A CONVICTED FELON WHO JUST LOST HIS HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE FRANCHISE THAT PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE A TRUSTED FAMILY MEMBER TAKE OVER THE FARES FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS NEXT. IT IS ESPECIALLY SCARY THAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED TO GIVE COUNTRY CARRIAGES THEIR FRANCHISE BACK, ESPECIALLY AFTER CONSIDERING THE INNUMERABLE LEASE VIOLATIONS ON THE IBERIA STABLES, DEFAULTING ON PAYMENTS TO THE CITY, THEN DEFAULTING ON THE AGREED PAYMENT PLAN. AND SCARIEST OF ALL, THE ANIMAL ABUSE, MULTIPLE HORSES HAVE PASSED AWAY WHILE IN THE CUSHIONS, SO-CALLED CARE BILL CUSHION WAS INFAMOUSLY CAUGHT ON VIDEO BEATING A MINI HORSE AT THE CITY STABLES WHERE THIS POOR ANIMAL DID NOT EVEN BELONG.

LACEY SANCHEZ, WHO IS NOW DECEASED, HAS FILED POLICE REPORTS AGAINST THE CUSHIONS.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS LACEY STATED SHE WITNESSED MULTIPLE TIMES BILL CUSHION HITTING THEIR HORSES WITH A FEED BUCKET OR A METAL POOP SHOVEL. LACEY STATED THE CUSHIONS OWN STABLES ON STRATTON AND THE HORSES AT THIS SITE WERE ALSO BEING MISTREATED AND HAD UNCLEAN STABLES. PHOTOS OF THESE HORSES WERE SAID TO BE ATTACHED TO THE POLICE REPORT, BUT THEY WEREN'T THERE. I CALLED THE SAINT AUGUSTINE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PHOTOS HAVE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY VANISHED. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE CUSHIONS HAVE A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE CITY. IT IS UNCLEAR WHY THE CITY IS NOT EMBARRASSED BY REINSTATING THIS FRANCHISE TO KNOWN ANIMAL ABUSERS, HORSE KILLERS, CODE VIOLATORS, AND DEBTORS. AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU FIND US EMBARRASSING. WE ARE JUST EXERCISING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH, TO SPEAK UP FOR INNOCENT HORSES THAT WE KNOW DON'T WANT TO BE HERE PULLING THESE HEAVY LOADS ON CIR OUR INTENTION TO EMBARRASS ANYONE, BUT THAT THE CITY IS ALLOWING THE CUSHIONS TO COME BACK AND OPERATE ANOTHER FRANCHISE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THOMAS REYNOLDS, FOLLOWED BY JAMES BELL. THOMAS REYNOLDS, 1244 MILE. I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THE LAST MEETING. AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU FOLKS ARE ALL UPDATED ON WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK CITY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENDING THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY. YES. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 105,000,105 MILLION IS WHAT THAT CITY IS GETTING SUED FOR. AND DID YOU READ IT? HOW ALL THE SAME THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE. NEGLECT OF THE CITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITATIONS OR DO ANYTHING FOR THE HORSE ABUSE. SO THAT'S WHY THE CITY IS REALLY SET UP. NOW LET'S GO -300,000. I COULD NOT

[00:20:01]

I HAVE THE CITY POLICY. I CONTACTED THEM TODAY, THE BROKER AND I SAID, HOW COULD YOU KNOW? YOU WANT TO INSURE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO IT. THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY SHOULD BE CARRYING $5 MILLION WORTH OF LIABILITY. A HORSE CAN GO OFF AT ANY TIME. THE HORSE IS UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF STRESS. NOISY CITY. WE ALL KNOW IF YOU'RE IN BETWEEN HERE, ANYWHERE NEAR THE SLAVE MARKET, WHEN A SIREN GOES OFF, OH MY GOD, IT'S FRIGHTENING. IT ACTUALLY SHAKES MY BODY. WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE ANIMAL BLINDED FOLKS? I WANT TO TELL YOU, I HOPE YOU CHANGE YOUR WAYS BECAUSE THAT 3 TO 2 VOTE WAS WRONG. AND COMMISSIONER BLOND OF BEING CUT OFF WAS REALLY WRONG AND CUTTING OFF JIM SPRINGFIELD. HE WANTED ACCOUNTABILITY AND YOU DIDN'T ALLOW IT. THANK YOU. JAMES BELL, FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA RAMOS.

GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF ITEM TEN B, OUR APPLICATION FOR THE PROPERTY AT 104 GASPAR STREET TO BE PART OF A CONSERVATION APPLICATION. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN IN OUR FAMILY FOR 25 YEARS. WE WERE TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT AND CONSIDERED DEVELOPMENT, BUT WHEN WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A CONSERVATION PROGRAM, WE REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BEST OPTION FOR US. AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF FRONTAGE ON THE SAN SEBASTIAN, AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE IT BECOME PART OF AN EVENTUAL PARK AND PART OF THE CITY'S CONSERVATION EFFORTS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SPEAKER PATRICIA RAMOS, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE ZOTA.

MISS DOHERTY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO THE FRONT AND SIT IN THE SEAT. DON'T START IT YET. I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF MARIN EVER RECEIVED MY VIDEO. CAN SHE PLAY THE VIDEO FOR ME? I MAKE SURE THAT THE TIME GOES BACK TO TWO MINUTES, PLEASE. SHE NOT HAVE IT OKAY? NO, NO, SHE DOES NOT.

OKAY. IT'S THAT VIDEO THAT'S PLAYING BUT OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PATRICIA AND I'M HOPING TO FIT SOME OF THIS IN. I'M HERE TO SPEAK UP FOR THE HORSES. THE HYPOCRISY OF DENYING PEZZA OF COASTAL CARRIAGES WHILE APPROVING COUNTRY CARRIAGES IS AN ASTOUNDING COUNTRY. CARRIAGES HAD DOUBLE, EVEN TRIPLE THE VIOLATIONS OF COASTAL CARRIAGES.

AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DOCUMENTED IN THE PAST YEAR THROUGH RESEARCH AND PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS. IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD HAVE UNCOVERED IN THE PAST 20 YEARS. OUR PUSH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY ULTIMATELY LED TO THEIR EVICTION, WHICH IT WAS WELL BEFORE THEIR EXPIRATION.

SO HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY AWARDING A MEDALLION TO OPERATORS WHO OWED THE CITY NEARLY 14,000 ARREARS IN 2025 ALONE, WHERE THE CODE SAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO PARTIAL PAYMENTS, EVERYTHING MUST BE PAID UP FRONT. WHAT IS THE CONNECTION WITH THE CUSHIONS AND WHY IS THE WHY IS THERE EXTRAORDINARY LENIENCY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME OF THEIR VIOLATIONS WERE DESCRIBED AS, IN YOUR OWN WORDS, GRAVE. AND JUST MINUTES AFTER WE REMINDED YOU OF THEIR APPALLING HISTORY, YOU APPROVED THEM. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PREVENTABLE HORSE DEATHS UNDER UNAUTHORIZED ANIMALS. THERE WAS IMPROPER USE OF THE TRANSFER STATION. LET'S NOT FORGET, CARLY ZERVOS, WHO IS NOW PART OF COASTAL CARRIAGES, WAS ON, WAS NOT ON THE STABLE LEASE YET.

SHE HAD HER HORSE, WINCHESTER, HOUSED THERE. AND IMAGINE WHAT THESE HORSES ENDURE ARE DOING, BEING DESENSITIZED WHILE SO THAT THEY CAN BE CONTROLLED AND FORCED TO WORK IN ONE OF THE MOST UNNATURAL ENVIRONMENTS IMAGINABLE. THAT IS ENSLAVEMENT. HUMANS DO NOT OWN THAT WORD.

SPEAKING OF DESENSITIZATION, IF DRIVERS ARE SO EASILY IRRITATED BY TOURISTS QUESTIONING OVERCROWDED CARRIAGES OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ASKING THEM TO FOLLOW SAFETY BASIC CODES, PERHAPS THEY ARE THE ONES WHO NEED DESENSITIZATION AND ANGER MANAGEMENT. THIS INDUSTRY IS NOT ONLY BARBARIC, BUT IT IS OUTDATED AND PLAGUED BY SERIOUS ACCOUNTABILITY FAILURES. WHAT COLD DOES THIS INDUSTRY HAVE OVER THE COMMISSION THEN? TO HAVE TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO THE MAYOR AS SHE DISRESPECTFULLY INTERRUPTED AND SILENCED A COMMISSIONER WHO WAS TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL AND NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO GET HER POINTS ACROSS OR HAVE HER VOICE BE HEARD, WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND HARD TO WATCH. IT SHOWS THE COLD DISREGARD THAT YOU HAVE, NOT ONLY FOR THE HORSES, BUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL. LIKE THE OTHER COMPASSIONATE CITIES LIKE NEW YORK. PLEASE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CATHERINE ZOTA.

[00:25:13]

YET THE VIOLATIONS CONTINUED. THE CITY FINALLY ACTED, REFUSING TO RENEW COUNTRY CARRIAGES FRANCHISE AND ULTIMATELY TERMINATING IT. JUST MONTHS LATER, COUNTRY CARRIAGES WAS AWARDED ANOTHER FRANCHISE, THIS TIME UNDER AN ORDINANCE WITH EVEN STRICTER STANDARDS.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY JUSTIFY THAT DECISION? GRANTING COUNTRY CARRIAGES? ANOTHER FRANCHISE REPRESENTS A GLARING FAILURE OF OVERSIGHT BY THE THREE COMMISSIONERS WHO APPROVED IT.

THAT APPROVAL DEMANDS A PUBLIC EXPLANATION AND WARRANTS RECONSIDERATION. DOES THIS POINT TO A LARGER PROBLEM WITH THE COMMISSION'S OVERSIGHT? CONSIDER WHAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE FRANCHISE APPROVALS. ONE COMMISSIONER ACCUSED THOSE DOCUMENTING DRIVER MISCONDUCT OF PROVOKING THE INCIDENTS WITHOUT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT ACCUSATION. SHE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT AN APPLICANT DISQUALIFIED BY HIS CRIMINAL HISTORY USE A FAMILY MEMBER TO REMAIN INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS? LAUREN WISE. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I KNOW THAT MONEY MOVES A LOT OF THINGS HERE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS ARE SO RESISTANT TO BANNING THE HORSES OR TRYING TO DO BETTER FOR THEIR WELL-BEING. YOU HAVEN'T SET UP RESOURCES IN ANY WAY TO GET A GRIP ON AN INDUSTRY LIKE THIS. AND IT PROVED SO LAST MEETING TO ABSOLUTELY LIKE, THINK THAT IT'S OKAY FOR ANY PERSON WHO HAS ABUSED AND KEPT ANIMALS. WHEN YOU HAVE A FORMER OPERATOR, AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS GIVING YOU EVIDENCE, LIKE WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO MEET WITH A WOMAN WHO IS A WHISTLEBLOWER IN THIS CASE, ABOUT THE TREATMENT AND DEATHS AND THE WAY THAT THESE OPERATORS UNDER HORSE FRANCHISES ARE OPERATING? YOU SAID THAT IT'S EMBARRASSING IN THE SAME SENTENCE THAT YOU SAID THAT WE SHOULD BE BANNING HORSES. DO YOU KNOW HOW TERRIBLE THAT LOOKS? I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED, THAT WE EVEN NEED TO HAVE PROTESTERS WHO ARE OUT THERE SHOWING ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE SEEN LIABILITIES OF THE CITY FOR BOTH THE HORSES AND THE HUMANS THAT ARE ENJOYING OUR CITY. I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT THE HORSES HAVE HAD THE HISTORY TO OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR ELECT ABOUT HOW THERE'S HISTORY AND HOW THEY BUILT OUR CITY, HELPED BUILD OUR CITY. WELL, GUESS WHAT? HORSES WERE AROUND FOR MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YEARS BEFORE WE WERE AROUND. OKAY, THEY HAVE GONE TO WAR FOR US. THEY HAVE BUILT CIVILIZATIONS. DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE NEED TO BE BACK IN TIME? THIS ISN'T ROMANTIC, THIS ISN'T BEAUTIFUL. AND IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE IT HAPPEN, I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR SOMEBODY, IT JUST HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE COME AND STAND AND WATCH WHAT THE PROTESTERS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS MUCH LONGER THAN ME AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO, WE AREN'T DOING ANYTHING BESIDES SOMETIMES BEING PROVOKED BY THEM OR THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO RIDE. VERY MUCH. SO THANK YOU. I HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKER CARDS, MISS BJ LADY.

[00:30:06]

THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN USE OUR MONEY MORE WISELY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES

[5. CONSENT AGENDA]

REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. A DECEMBER 7TH, 5 P.M. REORGANIZATION, SWEARING IN, MEETING A DECEMBER 14TH, 5 P.M. REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 28TH REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE APPROVAL OF PROCLAMATION 2026-23, WHICH PROCLAIMS NOVEMBER 18TH AS SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY DAY, SPONSORED BY MAYOR NANCY. SYKES. KLEIN. WE HAVE AN APPROVAL OF THE USE OF THE CITY CREST BY THE JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN GOVERNMENT APPRECIATION EVENT, AND WE HAVE THE QUARTERLY CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. AND THAT CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU. ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I MOVE WE PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA. ANYONE HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE NO APPEALS. WE ARE MOVING ON TO

[7. GENERAL PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, ITEMS OF GREAT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE, AND OTHER ITEMS REQUIRING PUBLIC HEARINGS]

MR. FRANKLIN, YOU'RE HERE TO INTRODUCE. YES. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, WITH ME TONIGHT I HAVE MR. PICKERING AND MISS DE GREGORIO, COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPECIALIST FOR THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. AND I'LL PULL UP THEIR PRESENTATION REAL QUICK AND.

THERE YOU GO. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. MY NAME IS RENATA. THIS IS JACOB. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS OR A COUPLE DIFFERENT PROJECTS TO GO THROUGH IN THIS PRESENTATION, STARTING WITH THE ACTIVE PROJECTS. THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS GOING AROUND IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED FOR ACTIVE PROJECTS, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SEAWALL, THE KING STREET BRIDGE, REHABILITATION, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ON A ONE A AND THEN FOR FUTURE PROJECTS. ALSO SOME EXCITING THINGS GOING ON ON A1, INCLUDING AN INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AND THEN PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME TRAILS. SO THE FIRST THING WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ARE THE ACTIVE PROJECTS, STARTING WITH THE SAINT AUGUSTINE SEAWALL REPLACEMENT.

SO THIS STARTED IN JUNE AND WE'RE EXPECTING TO BE COMPLETE BY FALL OF 2020. EXCUSE ME, FALL 2027. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON DOWN THERE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THE AREA.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO STRENGTHEN THE PROTECTION OF STATE ROAD A1 A AGAINST KING TIDES AND PRESERVE THE ESTHETICS OF THE HISTORIC AREA, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS WANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL. AS FAR AS THE SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS, THE PROJECT'S GOING TO INVOLVE REPLACING THE POST IN CHAINS WITH A SOLID WALL, 3.5FT WALL AND RECONSTRUCT THE PROMENADE

[00:35:04]

THAT WAY, THE WHOLE SEAWALL ISN'T BEING WORKED ON AT THE EXACT SAME TIME, AND MUCH OF THE CONSTRUCTION IS TAKING PLACE ON THE BARGES. WE HAVE THOSE BARGES AND CRANES OUT THERE. SO THAT'S REALLY MINIMIZING THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS. ALSO, WE HAVE THESE SIGNS THAT ARE ON THE FENCING OUT THERE AS WELL. SO WE HAVEN'T GONE QUITE AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I EXPECTED.

HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND SAYING, HEY, WHAT IS THIS? ARE YOU ABLE TO SCAN THE QR CODE AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE? SO AS FAR AS PEDESTRIAN DETOURS, WE DO HAVE THE NEW ONE THAT YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME WORK GOING ON AT GIBBS PARK AND THEN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH AS WELL. BUT FOR THE DETOURS, IT'S REALLY ONLY GOING AROUND ON THE SIDEWALK. SO NOT TOO MUCH OF AN IMPACT. AND WE'RE TRYING TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST MAKING AS FEW IMPACTS AS POSSIBLE TO THE AREA AND EVERYONE THAT'S HERE AND NEXT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE OVER FROM FOR NOW FROM HERE I'M JACOB PICKERING. PLEASURE. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO KING STREET BRIDGE REHABILITATION PROJECT. WE DID BEGIN THIS PROJECT IN SPRING. WE DID BEGIN THE DETOUR OF THE BRIDGE FOR REHABILITATION WORK IN JUNE. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE ARE STILL ON TRACK TO REOPENING THE KING STREET BRIDGE IN EARLY NOVEMBER, PRIOR TO THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT. SO THAT WAS OUR GOAL AND WE WE VERY MUCH ARE REMAINING ON TRACK FOR THAT GOAL. SO YES, THE GOAL HERE IS TO REHABILITATE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BRIDGE. A LOT OF THE WORK HAS BEEN UNDERNEATH AS WE ARE GOING TO REHABILITATE THE SURFACE AS WELL. SO YOU'LL SEE SOME PICTURES FROM CONSTRUCTION HERE. WE ARE ALSO ADDING A SHARED USE LANE MARKINGS ON TOP OF THE BRIDGE. BUT AGAIN WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OPENING THE BRIDGE SOON. YOU'LL HAVE THE DETOUR ROUTE THAT'S ACTIVE RIGHT HERE, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO REOPENING THE BRIDGE IN NOVEMBER. AFTER THE BRIDGE IS OPEN, THERE WILL BE SOME NIGHTTIME WORK AND LANE CLOSURES STILL NEEDING TO OCCUR ON MALAGA STREET NEAR US ONE FOR US TO REMOVE THE TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES THAT WE'VE SET UP, AND RETURN THIS INTERSECTION CONFIGURATION TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, SO THAT WORK STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE BRIDGE IS OPEN. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THAT DONE AT NIGHT. ALSO, YOU'LL NOTICE HERE I'VE INCLUDED A COUPLE PICTURES OF THE BRAND NEW PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS AT BOTH THE HILTON HISTORIC BAYFRONT AND HYPOLITA STREET IS WHERE WE ARE INSTALLING THESE. SO THESE ARE REPLACEMENTS OF THE EXISTING HYBRID BEACONS. SO THIS IS AN ACTIVE PROJECT THAT WE BEGAN THIS YEAR. PART OF THIS PROJECT ALSO HIGHWAY SIGNAGE, CURB AND GUTTER, SIDEWALK INCIDENTAL CONSTRUCTION ALL THE WAY FROM KING STREET TO CASTILLO. AGAIN, THE EXISTING CROSSWALK FLASHING BEACONS ARE NOW REPLACED TO CROSSWALK SIGNALS. SO THE BENEFITS OF THIS, OF COURSE, INCREASED VISIBILITY. ALSO, YOU HAVE A MUCH MORE CLEAR TIMED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AND MUCH MORE INTEGRATION WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW CONTROL. OKAY, SO THAT'S YOUR ACTIVE PROJECTS. HERE'S SOME FUTURE THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO. REALLY SOME CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE FOCUSED ONES. SO HERE IS THE PROJECT THAT I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO. AND ALSO THIS IS THE LATEST DESIGN FROM FDOT ENGINEERS ON THE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FOR STATE ROAD A1 A AT AT BRIDGE OF LIONS. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE LATEST DESIGN. THIS WILL BE HAVE THIS WILL HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE PUBLIC COMMENT AVAILABLE BEFORE WE FINALIZE THE DESIGN. BUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS A BRAND NEW INTERSECTION DESIGN RIGHT HERE THAT REDUCES THE QUEUE LENGTHS FOR WESTBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY HEADING SOUTH ON A ONE A, AND ALSO RELOCATES YOUR PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, REDUCES MULTIPLE CONFLICT POINTS, AND IN SIMULATION, THIS EXACT INTERSECTION IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE TOTAL TRAVEL TIME FOR ALL VEHICLES BY NEARLY 60%.

AGAIN, FOR THOSE TO GO BACK, WE ARE LOOKING FOR HOPEFULLY BEGINNING THIS PROJECT IN LATE 2027. OKAY. AND A LOT OF FOLKS ALSO ARE INTERESTED IN WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN OUR PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON PROJECT AT MADEIRA, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SAINT AUGUSTINE AMP. SO THIS PROJECT, WE DID HAVE A BIT OF A DELAY FOR UTILITY RELOCATION. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY PRETTY MUCH ALL YEAR ON GETTING THOSE MOVED OVER. AND THEY ARE DONE. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR TO BEGIN THE PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY

[00:40:03]

SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS. YEAH, I'VE GOT ONE.

WELL, I GOT ONE IN A COMMENT. THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T CONTROL US ONE AND WE DON'T CONTROL A ONE. A I HAPPEN TO STOP AT THE HARDWARE STORE ON THE WAY TO THE MEETING, AND THEY SAID, FIX SAN MARCO. I SAID, WELL, SORRY, IT'S NOT OURS. SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE THING FOR THE FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT. AND I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE LIGHT AT MALAGA, THE TEMPORARY LIGHT, AND IT'S PROVEN TO BE A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL THING. AND I KNOW TRAFFIC STUDIES HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE WITH A LIGHT THERE. AND WITH KING STREET OPEN. AND MY REQUEST WOULD BE, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT WE CAN LEAVE THEM BOTH ON FOR A WHILE AND DO A TRAFFIC STUDY TO SEE IF THAT LIGHT AT MALAGA IS ACTUALLY SERVING A GOOD PURPOSE? AND MY THOUGHT IS THAT PEOPLE HEADING WEST ON KING STREET AND ARE INTENDING TO GO NORTH ON US, 1ST MAY TAKE THE MALAGA ROUTE INSTEAD, AND THAT WOULD HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CARS AT US ONE AND KING STREET. RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S BUILT IS MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY. I DON'T THINK IT'S MEANT TO NECESSARILY STAY THERE FOR FOR OVER AND OVER UNTIL 2027. A TRAFFIC STUDY CAN CERTAINLY BE DONE. HOWEVER, THE FDOT DOESN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO THROW MORE TRAFFIC ON MALAGA. THAT'S REALLY NOT OUR GOAL. FOLKS ON MALAGA ALREADY DON'T LIKE US PUTTING PUTTING PEOPLE ON THEIR STREET ANYWAY. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT TO BE CONSIDERED THOUGH. YES, A TRAFFIC STUDY CAN CERTAINLY BE DONE ON YOUR BEHALF. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. OH. I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING AS COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD, THAT IF WE COULD HAVE THAT DURING THE COURSE OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

AND THEN MAYBE AFTER THAT'S OVER, THEN IT CAN BE DONE. THAT WAY. WHEN WE GET THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THAT WE GET, IT DOES GIVE ALTERNATE ROUTES FOR PEOPLE TO GO COME INTO. AND WITH THE LIGHT THERE ON WEST KING STREET, RIGHT THERE BY THE WINERY AND THE POLICE STATION, IT GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO STOP AND THEN FUNNEL CARS IN. SO EVERYBODY'S NOT JUST STUCK HANGING ON TO US, ONE COMING OVER THE BRIDGE. SO IT GIVES THEM OFF THE ROAD. AND I THINK IF WE COULD GET TO AFTER NIGHTS AND LIGHTS, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL ON SO MANY WAYS. AND EVEN THOUGH MALAGA IS PROBABLY NOT HAPPY ABOUT ME SAYING THIS, IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO CONTROL THE TRAFFIC. YES, I, I AGREE WITH YOU. YEAH. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY WE CAN. I DO THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE LIGHT WILL STAY UNTIL AFTER NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I HAVE THE PROJECT GUY BEHIND ME, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF WORK TO ON THE ROADWAY ITSELF TO EVEN BEGIN TO GET THAT LIGHT DOWN. SO IT'S MOST LIKELY THAT IT WILL STAY UP DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. VERY, VERY LIKELY. BUT I CAN CONFIRM AND GET BACK TO YOU.

THANK YOU. YEAH. QUICK. THE SECTION OF A ONE A GOING FROM RED TO POPE ROAD. YES, SIR.

THAT'S MY NEIGHBORHOOD, SAN MIGUEL. A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON IT. YES, SIR. MY RESIDENTS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. SO AS I SEE IT, JUST JUST A COUPLE QUICK CONFIRMATIONS. NEW MULTI USE PATH, THE EIGHT FOOT WIDE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THEN THE TWO BIKE LANES THAT ARE THERE NOW STAY THERE FROM THE PICTURE. THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. SO THERE ARE THERE ARE CERTAIN SPOTS NEAR SOUTH OF MENENDEZ PARK WHERE ESPECIALLY NEAR THE CURVE THAT I, THAT I

[00:45:03]

SO IF YOU CAN COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THOSE PROJECTS, I JUST WANT THIS TO BE NOT FORGOTTEN. I DON'T WANT THEM TO STAY IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE. I WANT US TO TO MOVE THEM FORWARD. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST. CERTAINLY. YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING HAS TO DO WITH THE NORTH FLORIDA TPO AND GETTING THE FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE FOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT. AND A LOT OF WHAT FDOT DOES IN OUR PLANNING OFFICES IS TAKE THE LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT YOU SUBMIT TO THE NORTH FLORIDA TPO AND PUT THEM INTO THE FIVE YEAR WORK PROGRAM. SO AND THAT PROCESS DOES TAKE A WHILE. SO FORGIVE US IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN LOST IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE. BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THERE ARE WAYS TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS WITH THE NORTH FLORIDA TPO BY JOINING THOSE SORT OF MEETINGS AS WELL AND GETTING THEM HIGH INTO THE IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN, THE NORTH FLORIDA TPO COMMUNITY MEETINGS IS THE VERY FIRST PLACE TO GO. WELL, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT, THAT ORGANIZATION WHO HAS BEEN A LONG TIME AND VERY ACTIVE REPRESENTATIVE SITTING TO MY LEFT. AND WE'LL BE TALKING. YES. AND WE'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AT THE END OF THE MEETING. SO YES, OF COURSE. HAPPY TO HELP. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING. IT'S VERY SPECIAL TO HAVE YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF YOU IN THE FUTURE. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MUSEUM OF BLACK HISTORY PRESENTATION, AND THIS IS BY MR. BIRCHAM. I THINK THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. I TURN THE TURN IT OVER TO THE BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE, SIR. MY NAME IS HOWARD HOLLY, CHAIR OF THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MUSEUM OF BLACK HISTORY, 29 OLD MISSION AVENUE. SO I'M

[00:50:01]

[00:55:07]

JACKSONVILLE. CERTAINLY. JACKSON. CERTAINLY. JACKSONVILLE. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU WENT TO THE COUNTY WITH THIS ASK AS WELL, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. PREVIOUSLY, AND I DON'T RECALL HOW MUCH THEY CONTRIBUTED 125,000. THANK YOU. IT'S ALSO VIEWED AS A ONE TIME INVESTMENT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. WHAT IS THE $25,000 EXACTLY. GO TO. IT'S GOING TO GO ACROSS THOSE. NOT ANY SPECIFIC, BUT PROBABLY. SO THESE THIS IS THE LIST. SO WE DON'T HAVE IT TARGETED. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE RAISING SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $400,000 FOR THIS CAPACITY BUILDING. OKAY. SO DOES THE CHECK GET WRITTEN TO THE FOUNDATION, TO YOU, TO THE TO THE FOUNDATION, TO THE FOUNDATION? THE FOUNDATION IS A 501 C THREE, OKAY. AND IT'S A FUNDRAISING FOUNDATION. THAT'S FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING MONEY ONLY. THAT'S CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. NICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC HEARING. WE'VE GOT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HOLLY, IF YOU'LL HAVE A SEAT AND WE'LL BE BACK TO YOU WITH POSSIBLY MORE QUESTIONS. FIRST, SPEAKER, WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES EACH. AND FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE ROBERT NIMMONS, FOLLOWED BY

[01:00:06]

NO, SIR. YES. THANK YOU. CHAIRING THE WEST AUGUSTINE CRA. THAT MEETING HE WAS TALKING ABOUT MONDAY NIGHT. OKAY. YES. THAT'S ME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER IS. GREGORY BERNARD WHITE SENIOR, FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY BRITTON. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS GREG WHITE. GREG WHITE, NOT GREGORY BERNARD WHITE SENIOR. SO GREG WHITE, IT FIT ME. OKAY. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU WITHOUT GREG WHITE. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, AND I'M HERE TO ASK THAT YOU GIVE TOTAL SUPPORT TO THE BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM FOUNDATION TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD. MY BROTHER, HOWARD HARLEY, IS VERY HUMBLE. HE WILL NOT STATE HOW MANY HOURS THAT HE PUT INTO MOVING THE NEEDLE. HE'S TRAVELED THE ENTIRE STATE ADVISING PEOPLE OF THE BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM IN SAINT JOHN, SAINT AUGUSTINE, THE PEOPLE THAT WAS ON THE BUS. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING TO TALLAHASSEE WITH COMMISSIONER GARRISON, 54 MORE RESIDENTS. THE BURNING BUS, WE CALL IT. WE BOUGHT THE SMOKE. THAT'S THE TERM THAT WE USE IN THAT PRESENTATION IN TALLAHASSEE, SAINT AUGUSTINE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED FOLKS TO COME TO THAT CHAMBER AND SAID, WE WANT THE MUSEUM TO COME TO SAINT AUGUSTINE. SAINT JOHNS COUNTY. SO TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO KEEP IT ONE MINUTE, AS THE MAYOR SUGGESTED. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. AND ANY QUESTIONS FROM GREGORY BERNARD WHITE SENIOR. PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. NOW THAT THAT'S CLEARED UP ANTHONY BRITTON FOLLOWED BY MATT BROWN. MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU. I'M PASTOR ANTHONY BRITTON FROM NEW MOUNT MORIAH CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. AND I'M ALSO HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE ACTS THAT MISTER HOLLY GAVE. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING, Y'ALL, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS MUSEUM AND HOW WE HAVE A UNITED VOICE, HOW WE HAVE A UNITED VISION FOR AS YOU DO FOR OUR COUNTY AND FOR OUR CITY. BUT SOMETHING VERY, I THINK IMPORTANT IS HAPPENING. AND THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF SAINT JOHNS COUNTY. AND US COMING TOGETHER. AND THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE THAT WAS HAVE COME TOGETHER SPECIFICALLY OF THAT DAY THAT MISTER WHITE IS TALKING ABOUT. AND WHEN THAT BUS CAUGHT FIRE, HOW THE SHERIFF JUMPED IN, HOW BAKER COUNTY JUMPED IN, HOW TALLAHASSEE JUMPED IN AND EVERYBODY BEGAN TO WORK TOGETHER. WE COULD HAVE DIED. PEOPLE COULD HAVE LITERALLY DIED ON THAT BUS. BUT WE DIDN'T. AND WHEN WE SHOWED UP AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHOW UP AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A UNITED VOICE, A UNITED VISION, AND WELL WITH VOLUME.

AND THIS MUSEUM IS GOING TO HELP US TO FIGHT FOR THIS COUNTY, THIS CITY THAT I, MY

[01:05:01]

SO I THINK THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE HAS A REAL INTEREST IN THIS MUSEUM. AND SEEING IT SUCCEED, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE PLAYED AN EXTRAORDINARY ROLE IN BLACK HISTORY. WE HAVE FORT MOSE LINCOLNVILLE, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ALL HAPPENED HERE. AND HAVING A MUSEUM HERE IS MEANINGFUL IN ITS OWN RIGHT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADD SOMETHING DIFFERENT, RIGHT? SO THERE IS AN INVESTMENT. THIS IS AN INVESTMENT OF OUR CITY'S FUTURE. IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AS A CITY. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND STAY LONGER FOR OUR HISTORY TO EXPERIENCE MORE THAN JUST A FEW BLOCKS. WE WANT BETTER TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS. WE WANT TO PRESERVE AND CONNECT OUR HISTORIC RESOURCES, AND WE WANT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT IN OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. SO THIS MUSEUM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE GOALS. AND IN FACT, THE PROPOSAL SPECIFICALLY ENVISIONED US WORKING THE CITY, WORKING WITH FDOT. I'D LOVE TO TALK AFTERWARDS, JUST PLUGGING THAT TO EXTEND THE STAR CIRCULATOR TO THE MUSEUM. THEY'VE IDENTIFIED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WEST KING. SO WHILE THE MUSEUM'S PROPOSED LOCATION IS OUTSIDE THE CITY, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRANSPORTATION, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY DOESN'T STOP AT AN INVISIBLE BORDER. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT, SIGNIFICANT FUND RAISING, AS WE'VE HEARD AND PLANNING, STILL REMAIN AHEAD, WHICH IS, AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR EXPLAINED WHEN THE COUNTY APPROVED ITS CONTRIBUTION. I'M READING QUICKLY THAT EARLY SUPPORT MATTERS, AND I'M THRILLED THAT THEY WANT NOT JUST THE CHECK, BUT ALSO OUR INPUT. I THINK THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PROJECT THAT HELPS SHAPES HOW SAINT AUGUSTINE AND OUR BROADER COMMUNITY CAN BENEFIT. SO I'M A HUGE SUPPORTER AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, TONY COLEMAN, FOLLOWED BY GRACE DELAUGHTER.

TONY COLEMAN, HE'S NOT HERE. HE LEFT. OKAY. THANK YOU. GRACE DELAUGHTER FOLLOWED BY RUTH HOPE. AND WE DO HAVE A SEAT UP FRONT. GOOD EVENING. I AM A RETIRED EDUCATOR FROM THIS COUNTY, AND I WAS EXTREMELY. PRIVILEGED TO RIDE ON THAT BURNING BUS AND TO GET OFF THE RIDING BUS. BURNING BUS. SORRY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT THAT TIME WAS AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE MADE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MAKING THEM TO THE LEGISLATOR WAS, WAS HEARING IT WAS OPEN FOR ANYBODY TO COME UP AND SPEAK. AND THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO THAT. BUT WHAT I REMEMBER IS A PARTICULAR GRANDMOTHER SAYING, THIS IS THIS IS FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN. AND PASTOR BRITTON SAID THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE INSPIRING THE FUTURE. YOU KNOW, WE WANT WE WANT THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN. AND I KNOW THIS MUSEUM IS GOING TO BE A PART OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS GRACE. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT AND SPEAKING WITH US. RUTH HOPE, FOLLOWED BY NANCY MURPHY. GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU. I GREW UP IN THE

[01:10:09]

AND TO GET TO BE A PART OF THAT IS A TREMENDOUS GIFT IN MY LIFE. AND I ENVISION WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE FLORIDA BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM AS BEING A TREMENDOUS ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANT TO SHOW MY SUPPORT. AND I'M ALSO A SURVIVOR OF THE BUS. OKAY, THOMAS REYNOLDS, FOLLOWED BY VICKY PEPPER. THOMAS REYNOLDS, 1244 MILE. FOLKS, I'M KIND OF BUMMED OUT TO HEAR THAT. MR. REYNOLDS, WILL YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE? WE WERE KIND OF BUMMED OUT TO HEAR THEY'RE ONLY GETTING 125,000 FROM THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY HAS A $1.9 BILLION BUDGET, AND THEY'RE ONLY GIVING THEM 125,000. I WAS THERE THE DAY THEY CAME FOR 200,000, AND CLAY DIDN'T EVEN OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. IT WAS ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE WANTING TO SPEAK. AND HE DID THE OLD CONSENSUS WE'LL FIND THE MONEY, THE RAZZLE DAZZLE. SO I GOT TO TELL YOU, THAT'S EMBARRASSING. NOW, 25,000. SERIOUSLY, PLEASE ADD A ZERO TO THAT. YOU CAN COME UP WITH IT. I MEAN, 25,000. HELL, I THINK I HAD A BAR TAB THAT WAS 25,001 TIME. ANYWAYS, FOLKS, I SUPPORT THE WHOLE PROJECT, THE WHOLE IDEA. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, I REALLY HOPE THESE FOLKS ARE GOING TO THE TDC, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. I HOPE THEY'RE GOING TO GET 250,000 OVER THEIR MINIMUM BECAUSE, I MEAN, THIS REALLY, REALLY PLAYS IN RIGHT INTO WHAT THEY DO. TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

AND YOU KNOW, THEY GOT THE BUCKS. AND I JUST HOPE THAT THEY GET MORE MONEY BECAUSE.

125 FROM THE COUNTY. THIS IS. 25 I ALMOST DON'T WANT YOU TO APPROVE 25 GRAND. I WANT YOU TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR MORE MONEY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS A SMALL AMOUNT, I GUESS GIVE THEM 25,000 AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AFTERWARDS COMMIT TO LIKE A WHOLE LOT MORE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICKI PEPPER FOLLOWED BY BJ. KOLODY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS VICKI PEPPER. I LIVE ON HARBOR VISTA CIRCLE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING MYSELF AND CARE COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR RACIAL EQUITY CARES PURPOSE IS TO SERVE BLACK AND OTHER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN SAINT JOHNS COUNTY BY IDENTIFYING RESOURCES, INCLUDING FUNDING SOURCES, LINKING THEM WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS AS DEFINED BY COMMUNITY LEADERS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION DURING THE PANDEMIC, HAS SOUGHT TO USE ITS ADVOCACY IN SUPPORT OF WEST AUGUSTINE, A HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. THE FIRST COMMUNITY LEADERS MET WITH WHEN WE STARTED OUR WORK, WHERE BILL LAZARRE AND JOHN REGAN. THE SECOND WERE GREG WHITE AND PASTOR ANTHONY BRITTON, FOUNDER OF THE NEHEMIAH PROJECT. MANY OF OUR CARE MEMBERS, SEVERAL OF US WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING ATTENDED PLANNING MEETINGS AT NEW MOUNT MORIAH AND WERE ON THE BURNING BUS TO TALLAHASSEE IN APRIL 2024 WHEN, WITH THE HELP OF THE SHERIFF, OUR COUNTY

[01:15:04]

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPENED HERE. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE. ON YOUR EFFORTS. I KNOW YOU'LL BE DOING SOME PRIVATE FUNDRAISING, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE MY OWN PRIVATE CONTRIBUTION AS WELL. I APPRECIATE THAT, COMMISSIONERS. I SUPPORT THE ASK. I THINK MR. BROWN MADE IT A REALLY STRONG CASE THAT IT'S IT'S A SEAT AT THE TABLE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS. YEAH, I WILL OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THIS TOO. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, THOUGH. WE DO HAVE SOME MUSEUMS HERE THAT HAVE NEVER RECEIVED OUR SUPPORT AS A CITY. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE OF HOW WE CAN DO THAT, TO OFFER OTHER IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO BE REPRESENTED. THIS MUSEUM IS GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THIS COUNTY AND TO THE CITY, AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED TO THE FUTURE. AND I ALSO WANTED TO COMMENT THAT, LIKE MISS PEPPER, DID, FLORIDA MEMORIAL, ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN ON THEIR CAMPUS IS A BIG DEAL. MY BEST FRIEND WAS A BASKETBALL PLAYER IN 1967 AT FLORIDA MEMORIAL, AND THEY WOKE HIM UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SAID, GET ON THE BUS, YOU'RE GOING TO MIAMI. AND SINCE THAT TIME, HE'S ALSO SERVED ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THAT LAND. AND HE TOLD ME ONE TIME, THAT LAND WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING. SO FOR FLORIDA MEMORIAL TO HAVE STEPPED IN AS

[01:20:03]

SO I JUST WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE AGAIN, THAT THE COUNTY ITSELF, WE ARE MAKING A MUCH HIGHER CONTRIBUTION PER RESIDENT TO THIS THAN THE COUNTY IS. I JUST WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE. THE OTHER TWO TWO THINGS ARE THE OTHER TWO REQUESTS. BESIDES THE MONEY.

THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF HAVING A DESIGNATED LIAISON, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO TONIGHT, OR IF THIS ACTION ITEM IS SIMPLY THE $25,000. BUT HE DID MAKE A REQUEST. AND THE SECOND ONE IS A TASK FORCE AFTER THE LEGISLATION PASSED. THAT WAS A MORE COMPLICATED FOR ME, AND I KNOW MISS LOPEZ WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IS TASK FORCE ARE DIFFICULT FOR US. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR RIGHT NOW. THE GENTLEMAN MADE A REQUEST TO BRING UP TO DISCUSS THESE OTHER THINGS. SO I'M I'M GOOD WITH THE MONEY. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND ON HIS OTHER REQUESTS. ALL RIGHT. I THINK BEFORE WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A FUTURE DISCUSSION FOR IN CASE THAT THERE IS THE BILL BY SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR. SO I ALMOST KIND OF IN MY MIND THINKING WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY TAKE THAT UP TONIGHT, BUT I DO. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM MAYOR ELECT GARRIS ON HER FEELINGS ABOUT OUR DELEGATE AND GIVE YOU THE AND THE LAST WORD. THANK YOU. MAYBE A MOTION. THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF THINGS. HAVING BEEN ON THE BUS AND THE WITNESSING THE WHOLE PROCESS OF THIS AND FIGHTING TO BE THE PLACE THAT WAS CHOSEN, IT WAS SYMBOLIC. IT WAS SYMBOLIC, AND IT WAS REWARDING. AND I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WRITING YOUR LETTER. I WROTE ONE AS WELL TO SUPPORT THIS ENDEAVOR. BUT IF YOU'RE A PART OF IT, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD SO MANY SPEAKERS TONIGHT, IF YOU'RE PART OF THE WHOLE PROCESS, THEN IT HITS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN JUST HEARING ABOUT IT. AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I DID NOT DO THE JOB HE JUST DID AND PRESENTED IT TO YOU. WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN HERE AND TRIED TO JUST THROW YOU THE HANDOUTS. AND HE WAS MORE THOROUGH AND HE BECAUSE IT'S HIS BABY, YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S OVER THIS AND HE'S PUSHING TO MAKE THIS OUR REALITY. HE WAS ON THE TASK FORCE AND SO WASN'T REGINA FLOYD AND HER HUSBAND. THEY WERE BASICALLY PART OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND SHE TOLD ME THE ONLY REASON SHE WASN'T GOING TO COME AND SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE ON A TRIP. AND SO THEY UNDERSTAND IT. AND GWEN DUNCAN AS WELL, THAT HAS THE OTHER MUSEUM, IT'S VERY GREAT WHEN A COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER FOR A PURPOSE. IT'S VERY GREAT THAT I HAVE COMMISSIONERS. THE COMMISSION ITSELF IS CONSIDERING THIS. IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT LIES IN OUR FUTURE. THERE'S A COUPLE OF POINTS THAT I WANT TO BRING OUT. NOT ONLY WILL THE MUSEUM AND THE PERFORMING ARTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT ON THAT SITE, IT'S GOING TO CREATE A LOT OF JOBS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY MIGHT NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL TO JACKSONVILLE OR PALATKA OR ANY OF THAT. IT'S

[01:25:02]

WE'RE CITY RESIDENTS TOO, AND WE PAY TAXES. SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. AND, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GRANT THE $25,000 TO THE FOUNDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING THE REVENUE THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THIS MUSEUM OUR REALITY. ALSO, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE TASK AS OUR DELEGATE, NOT THAT I WOULD BE AS A DELEGATE. I WOULD BE INTERESTED, BUT I JUST HEARD ASHLEY BARNES SPEAK ABOUT IT, AND SHE'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS. SO I WOULD RATHER WAIT TILL THE NEW COMMISSION IS IN PLACE TO GIVE EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO BE ON IT. OKAY, PERFECT. ALL RIGHT THEN. SO I'LL SECOND YOUR MOTION. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? OKAY. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. YES, NANCY. YES. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. BARBARA. YES.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. HAWLEY. THANK YOU ALL. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SPOKE. AND I JUST WANT TO CLOSE WITH THIS. THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE BUS, WE SAY THEY BROUGHT THE SMOKE. THEY ALSO BROUGHT THE MUSEUM HERE. BUT EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, THEY REPRESENTED THIS CITY AND THIS COUNTY AND THE COMMITMENT TO THIS CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLE.

SO THANK YOU ALL, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT ITEM. AND SO WE DO HAVE ONE HOUR LEFT BEFORE OUR MEETING WILL HAVE TO END SO WE CAN GET EVERYBODY OUT HERE BEFORE THE FLOODING STARTS AGAIN. WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH ITEM SEVEN C ONE GHOST AUGUSTINE LIMITED TO YOUR TWO FRANCHISE AGREEMENT. MR. FRANKLIN? YES. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. MAYOR ELECT COMMISSIONERS. THIS EVENING WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL TIER TWO FRANCHISEE. WE MISS THEM. WHEN WE SENT OUT THE INITIAL NOTIFICATION, WE FOUND THEM OPERATING ON THE STREET AND GOT WITH THEM. SO THEY HAVE FILLED OUT THEIR APPLICATION. THEY MEET THE CRITERIA TO BE A TIER TWO OPERATOR. SO THE ASK TONIGHT IS TO APPROVE THEM FOR THE TEN YEAR AGREEMENT LIKE WE DID WITH THE OTHER OPERATORS. THIS DOES REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING. RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. QUESTIONS FOR MR. FRANKLIN BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN. I HAVE NO SPEAKER CARDS. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK, PLEASE STEP FORWARD.

CONCERNING THE TIER TWO. TWO MINUTES. TOM REYNOLDS, 1244 MILE. THERE WAS SOME NOISE IN THE BACK. I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR MR. GRAHAM THAT WELL, BUT OKAY, SO. BUT WE GOT HIS 17 GHOST VEHICLES AND THEN WE HAVE GREEN AND ORANGE TRAINS, AND THEN WE HAVE RED TRAINS. YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE THAT THIS WHOLE. I HOPE THIS GHOST THING, I HOPE THEY'RE PAYING THEIR WAY BECAUSE WE KNOW THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY IS NOT. I HOPE THE MEDALLION FOR A GHOST VEHICLE IS AT LEAST $5,000 A YEAR, BECAUSE IF NOT, ALL THESE VEHICLES FOR HIRE VEHICLES, YOU CAN'T SUBSIDIZE THAT. MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY THEIR WAY. AND BUT ANYWAYS, 17 GHOST VEHICLES. THAT'S A LOT. THANK YOU FOR TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

[01:30:03]

HELLO MAYORS AND COMMISSIONERS. I JUST THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS AMBER ATTERBURY AND I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF GHOST AUGUSTINE. I AM THE OFFICE MANAGER AND I'M HERE WITH OUR TOUR MANAGER TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING IN SAINT AUGUSTINE FOR ORDER OVER A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. THIS WITH OUR STORE.

THIS MARKS OUR 22ND YEAR PROVIDING RIDING, SIGHTSEEING TOURS. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL HAUNTED PUB TOURS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AND I. WE DRIVE TOURISM DIRECTLY TO SAINT AUGUSTINE. WE HAVE BEEN ON TELEVISION SHOWS. WE HAVE BEEN ON YOUTUBE CHANNELS. WE HAVE BEEN VISITED INTERNATIONALLY. WE ARE THE DESTINATION. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE TOURIST.

OF COURSE, THEY'LL NEED TO EAT AT OUR RESTAURANTS. THEY'LL SEE OUR OTHER TOURISM SITES, THEY STAY AT OUR HOTELS. WE OPERATE SAFELY, WE OPERATE LEGALLY, WE OPERATE CONSCIENTIOUSLY, AND WE ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC. WE DON'T ADD TO IT. WE ONLY OPERATE WHEN WE HAVE CONFIRMED BOOKINGS. OUR LOW SPEED EVS, THEY NEVER CRUISE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT EMPTY. EVERY TOUR WE DISPATCH TAKES MULTIPLE VISITOR CARS OFF OUR OFFER STREETS AND REPLACES THEM WITH ZERO EMISSION TRANSPORT. WE SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES. WE HAVE 11 LOCAL PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDES WHOSE LIVELIHOODS DEPEND ON THESE TOURS. WE AS A COMPANY AND AS LOCALS, WE LOVE OUR CITY, WE RESPECT OUR CITY AND WE ARE PROUD TO BE LONG STANDING, RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE'S HERITAGE AND SHARED COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS.

QUESTIONS. CONSIDERATION. YES. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS THAT WHEN WE BEGAN THE DISCUSSION OF THE TIER TWO FRANCHISES WE WERE GOING TO, THE GOAL WAS TO GET EVERYBODY WHO WAS OPERATING GRANDFATHERED, AM I RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT THIS CLARIFY THIS WILL BE THE 17TH TIER TWO OPERATOR, NOT 17 TOTAL VEHICLES. 17 THIS WILL BE THE 17TH ONE APPROVED, RIGHT? YES.

AND SO THIS IS REALLY JUST KIND OF LIVING UP TO WHAT WE SAID IN THE BEGINNING AND JUST KIND OF THAT'S CORRECT. INCLUDING THEM IN OKAY, WELL, THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH IT. ALL RIGHT. WONDERFUL. IS THAT A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. OH, JUST AN ITEM REQUIRING PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE ACCEPT THE THE ADDITIONAL TIER TWO FRANCHISE AGREEMENT FOR APPROVAL. SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. JOHN. OPERATOR. YES. JIM.

SPRINGFIELD. YES. CYNTHIA. GARRIS. YES. BARBARA. BLONDER. YES. NANCY KLEIN. YES, THANK

[8. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS - PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED]

THAT'S ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR CLOSER TO A HALF AN HOUR. OR WE CAN DO TWO MINUTES. I WOULD I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO TWO MINUTES. IN FAIRNESS TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAD TO BE OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. EVERYBODY, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY DOES UNDERSTAND WE'RE ABBREVIATED TONIGHT BECAUSE OF WE DO WANT TO GET YOU OUT AND HOME SAFELY BEFORE HIGH TIDE. SO. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE MISS PERKINS. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. JAMIE PERKINS, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR. TONIGHT FOR SECOND READING IS BEFORE YOU. ORDINANCE 2026-23, WHICH IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EXPANDING THE ILLEGAL PARKING ZONE, ESSENTIALLY TO DAVIS SHORES. THE BOUNDARIES ARE OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE, AND THIS IS BEFORE YOU FOR SECOND READING AND DOES REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING. I AM AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL START PUBLIC HEARING NOW WITH TWO MINUTES. MR. ROGER WHITE, FOLLOWED BY DONNA DOVE.

ROGER WHITE, THREE, MURAT STREET AND PRESIDENT OF THE SAINT AUGUSTINE NORTH DAVIS SHORES NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE MET ABOUT 3 OR 4 WEEKS AGO AND RALLIED THE TROOPS, AND WE

[01:35:04]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DONNA DOVE, FOLLOWED BY WOLFGANG. CIAO. DONNA DOVE 101 FERDINAND AVENUE, AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH DAVIS SHORES NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SOUTH DAVIS SHORES AND SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED MEASURES ADDRESSING ILLEGAL PARKING DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, INCLUDING INCREASING THE FINE PARKING FINE TO $100. SOUTH DAVIS SHORES IS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT A PUBLIC PARKING FACILITY. DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, THE INFLUX OF VISITORS, EXCUSE ME, CREATES PARKING PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT RESIDENTS ABILITY TO SAFELY ACCESS THEIR HOMES AND NAVIGATE OUR NARROW NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, AS WELL AS OUR STREETS BEING NARROW, WE HAVE NO SIDEWALKS MAKING ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES AND EVEN GREATER CONCERN FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, AND EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS. WE RECOGNIZE THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND WELCOME VISITORS TO OUR HISTORIC CITY. HOWEVER, THE SUCCESS OF THIS EVENT SHOULD NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE YEAR ROUND. WE ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION NOT ONLY TO APPROVE THE INCREASED FINE, BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT PARKING RESTRICTIONS ARE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED AND CONSISTENTLY ENFORCED. A $100 FINE CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT. THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTS THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND FINE BEING ENFORCED. THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE COMMISSION AND TO CITY STAFF THESE FOR TAKING THESE CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE NEEDS AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I LIVE ON THE VERY SOUTHERN END OF SOUTH DAVIS SHORES, AND THIS PARKING PROBLEM DOESN'T AFFECT ME PERSONALLY, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ME THAT I MYSELF WENT DOOR TO DOOR IN THE SECTION OF SOUTH DAVIS SHORES, WHERE THESE SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED, AND OVERWHELMINGLY, THE RESIDENTS ARE DESPERATE FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND POSSIBLY ENJOY NIGHTS OF LIGHTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WOLFGANG. CIAO. FOLLOWED BY NEIL BACK. I THINK. NEIL WOLFGANG 146 INLET DRIVE IN DAVIS SHORES. I WAS AMAZED HOW QUICKLY OUR ACTIVISTS SPRUNG INTO ACTION AFTER WE HAD THE MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER JAMIE ABOUT THIS IDEA TO EXTEND RESIDENT PARKING ONLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS, DURING NOT ONLY THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, WE SHOULD EXTEND IT TO THE ENTIRE HOLIDAYS. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT, IT WAS PROPOSED A FINE OF $35, WHICH IS A JOKE. $35 WILL NOT DETER ANY ILLEGAL PARKERS BECAUSE EVENT PARKING IS ALREADY $2,025. SO THEY DON'T CARE AND THEY STILL PARK HERE. $100 IS WHAT WE NEED. AND WHY SHOULD DAVID SHORES HAVE A DISCOUNT PARKING COMPARED TO THE HISTORIC PART? BECAUSE HERE IN THE HISTORIC PART OF THE CITY, DEFINED AS $100 AND THE SAME FINE SHOULD BE FOR DAVID SHORES. LASTLY, I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF YOU. MANY YEARS AGO I WAS PART OF THE MOBILITY STUDY, AND PART OF THIS MOBILITY STUDY REQUESTED FOR PARKING GARAGES AT THE FOUR QUADRANTS OF THE CITY AND TAKE FLORENCE, THE HOME OF OUR LIONS AND A RADIUS OF ABOUT A MILE. IT'S RESIDENTS ONLY. NOT ONLY PARKING, EVEN DRIVING, IT'S LOCKED. WE SHOULD HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS NEIL BACK? I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK. OKAY. THANK YOU. TOM DREISBACH FOLLOWED BY. LEANDRA BURGESS. HELLO COMMISSIONERS AND MADAM MAYOR AND FUTURE MAYOR TOM DREISBACH 132 INLET DRIVE. A SHOUT OUT TO EVERYBODY STILL IN DAVIS SHORES DRINKING

[01:40:06]

SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FOUR WAY STOPS, THERE IS NO FOUR WAY STOP. EVERYBODY WAS JUST FIGHTING TO GET THROUGH. AND I SAT AND WATCHED THIS AND TOOK PICTURES OF IT. AND THEN OF COURSE, WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THEY'RE RUSHING TO TRY TO GET THROUGH. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY LOOKED AT THE ALLEYS AND IT WAS LIKE, OH, WELL, LET'S RACE DOWN THE ALLEYS BECAUSE WE CAN FIGHT AND GO DOWN THE ALLEYS. AND SO THEY WERE NOT ONLY GOING THROUGH THE STREET AND DOING THIS, THEY WERE DOING THE ALLEYS. AND THEN WHEN SOME OF THEM COULDN'T GET THROUGH, AND I ACTUALLY OBSERVED THIS MYSELF, THEY LITERALLY JUMPED THE CURB AND DROVE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE CURB. AND THAT'S HOW THEY GOT THROUGH. AND THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WALKING THROUGH. SO AND THEN OF COURSE, WHEN IT GETS TO NIGHTTIME, IT GETS EVEN WORSE. AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO WALK. THEY'RE WALKING BACK AND FORTH TO THEIR CARS. IT'S A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SO I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS GREG BURKE, FOLLOWED BY JASON SINCLAIR.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY. GREG BURKE, 103 INLET DRIVE. AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US AND OUR CONCERNS AND AND GETTING NORTH DAVIS SHORES, HOPEFULLY AS BACK TO A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY THAT WE PURCHASED HOMES IN, AS JUST SHOWN IN THOSE PHOTOS THERE. THAT IS A NIGHTLY EVENT FOR SIX STRAIGHT WEEKS THAT THAT THE CARS ARE BACKED UP LIKE THAT. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY YOU COULD POSSIBLY THINK OF GETTING AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE THROUGH THAT. THOSE STREETS AND LITERALLY SITUATIONS. LAST YEAR, FRIENDS HAD CARS ON OGLETHORPE THAT THAT DECIDED TO TURN AROUND. THEY WENT ACROSS MY FRIEND'S YARD, RIGHT ACROSS HIS IRRIGATION AND, AND CUT BACK INTO HIS DRIVEWAY TO GET OUT OF TO GET OUT OF THERE. I LIVE AT 103 INLET DRIVE. THAT'S ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END. THIS FORTUNATELY DOESN'T DOESN'T COME ALL THE WAY BACK TO THERE EVERY NIGHT, ONLY ON THE BIGGEST NIGHTS, BUT ON THE BIGGEST NIGHTS. IT COMES ALL THE WAY BACK AND PAST MY HOUSE AND DOWN BACK TOWARDS THE CONCH HOUSE. IT AND IT JUST IT IT DOESN'T, IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY. THE DOWN. WE SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES. WE LOVE OUR BUSINESSES. WE WANT THE. WE NEED THE BUSINESS TO SURVIVE. AS A FORMER MARKETER, I'D LOVE TO HELP THE BUSINESSES BRING MORE PEOPLE IN, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PARKING IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA, CREATING UNSAFE SITUATIONS FOR EVERYBODY. AND AS MENTIONED BY OTHER PEOPLE UP HERE ALREADY, $100 IS, IS, IS ENOUGH, HOPEFULLY OF A DETERRENT TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DOING THAT. AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO MAKE IT SAFE AND NICE FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE. I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THE OTHER CLOSEST TO THE BRIDGE OF

[01:45:03]

TOM REYNOLDS, 1244 MILE. I SUPPORT A $50 FINE. I DON'T SUPPORT $100. TO ME, $100 FINE.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE WANTING HEARINGS ON IT AND ALL KINDS OF THAT. BUT I SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE. I DID HAVE MY ONE YEAR LIVING IN DAVIS SHORE. I DIDN'T CARE FOR IT AT ALL. FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO OVER THE BRIDGE OF LIONS AND YOU GO ON TO THE ISLAND, LIKE RIGHT NOW, THAT BLUE BUILDING WITH THAT DECENT SIZED PARKING LOT IS FOR SALE.

AND I COULDN'T THINK OF A FINE, A PLACE THAT THE CITY COULD BUY KNOCKED DOWN THE BLUE BUILDING.

IT'S KIND OF A LARGE BUILDING AND HAVE A LOT OF NICE PARKING SPOTS, YOU KNOW, AND I HOPE THAT THIS PLAN, I DIDN'T REALLY LOOK AT IT, BUT I TELL YOU, I HOPE IT'S NOT ON THE ROAD WITH ALL THE RESTAURANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT PART OF A ONE. A BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND THESE FOLKS BECAUSE I TELL YOU, JUST SEEING THE PHOTOS OF ALL THOSE CARS KIND OF OVERWHELM ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I, I ALWAYS DO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE TO GET AN AMBULANCE AND CAN THEY GET IN. SO YEAH, THEY HAVE REAL, REAL CONCERN. AND I GOT TO ADMIT, POPPED INTO MY HEAD, WHERE'S THE POLICE? PEOPLE GOING ACROSS LAWNS, PEOPLE DOING THAT. SURE SOUNDS LIKE WE COULD USE A POLICE CAR AND A POLICE OFFICER STATIONED OVER THERE. MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE OF DECOY CARS, AND PLUS A COUPLE OF OFFICERS. BUT ANYWAYS, THANKS FOR TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC HEARING OR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM, MISS PERKINS. MADAM MAYOR, I HAVE NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHARE ON THIS ORDINANCE. JUST BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION AND EMOTION AND DECISION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS WHO WHO WOULD LIKE TO START? WELL, I KEEP COMING BACK TO CAR DIET. I THINK I'M GOING TO BE USING THAT A LOT. I LIVE VERY CLOSE.

THAT'S YOUR TERM. I SAID ROAD DIET. I KNOW, I KNOW. BECAUSE I LIVE CLOSE TO THERE AND I HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET IT. EVERYTHING THAT THESE FOLKS SAID ARE ABSOLUTELY TRUE. I USED TO OWN A HOME ON OUR PIKE DOWN AT THE VERY END, AND IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. IT'S DANGEROUS, AND I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF DOING IT, BUT I DO.

AS AN ASIDE, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT MAYBE CUTTING SAINT AUGUSTINE BOULEVARD OFF AND STUFF, BUT I LIKE THE LOOK AT THAT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY TONIGHT, BUT TOTALLY IN SUPPORT

[01:50:02]

[01:55:01]

SPRINGFIELD. YES. ALL RIGHT. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING.

[9. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS – NO PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED]

[10. STAFF REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS]

LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SWITCH BOXES AND TRANSFORMERS OR. YEAH THEY'RE THE GREEN BOXES. SWITCH BOX. COUPLE SWITCH CABINETS AND THEN ADD GRADE TRANSFORMERS. SO THOSE BIG CYLINDER CANISTERS THAT YOU SEE IN THE AIR, THEY GOT TO BRING THOSE DOWN TO THE GROUND. YEAH, I SAW THAT. I SAW AND I SAW THAT WHERE THEY'RE LAID OUT AND THEY'RE COMING IN FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH. WHAT ABOUT THE LINES THEMSELVES? DOES THAT GO. WHERE'S THAT. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? THE LINES GO UNDER THE GROUND THROUGH CONDUITS IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY. THE. THOSE ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. THE WHAT? WE NEED THE PRIVATE EASEMENTS FOR THE FPL EASEMENTS FOR IS FOR THE EQUIPMENT. THE AT GRADE EQUIPMENT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE LINES. BUT THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THE LINES. OKAY. YOU GOT IT. NO, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE. I WOULD MAKE A MOTION IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED. OKAY. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FPL EASEMENTS FOR UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC ON KING STREET, AS PROPOSED BY MR. FRANKLIN. ALL RIGHT, I'LL SECOND THAT. OH. YOU SECOND. YES, I'D LOVE TO SECOND THAT, BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M SO VERY HAPPY TO SEE THIS MOVING ALONG. YEAH. AND AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE HICCUPS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE TREADING NEW TERRITORY HERE. SO BUT THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT COMMISSIONERS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE. ANY DEBATE OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. JOHN. YES, NANCY. YES.

CYNTHIA. GARRIS. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. BARBARA. BLONDER. YES. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM. MR. FRANKLIN, YOU'RE UP HERE. YOU'RE UP ON THIS ONE 2026 CONSERVATION PROGRAM. YES.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MR. MILLER UP TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION. I MADE HIM WEAR A JACKET AND TIE TONIGHT. YOU MUST WANT SOME. NO, NEITHER OF THOSE TWO. USE A BATHROOM. OKAY,

[02:00:15]

YOU IN YOUR PACKET IS A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT I'M GOING TO PROVIDE. SO WITH THAT.

VERY BRIEFLY, THE CONSERVATION PROGRAM, WE'VE MADE THREE OFFICIAL ACQUISITIONS TO DATE.

THERE'S THE ACREAGES AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND I ALSO WANT TO THROW IN FLORIDA AVENUE BECAUSE TO ME, THAT WAS KIND OF THE PRECURSOR TO ALL THIS OCCURRING. I'M KIND OF OVERSIMPLIFYING IT. AND I ALSO WANTED TO BRING THAT IN. TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE FOR BOTH THE FLORIDA AVENUE PROPERTY AND THE EVERGREEN AVENUE PROPERTIES, WE SOUGHT AND HAVE RECEIVED 50% REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST PROGRAM FOR THE FLORIDA AVENUE PROJECT. AND WE HOPE TO RECEIVE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE 50% REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EVERGREEN AVENUE, AND THAT IS THE. MAKES THE CURRENT FUND BALANCE $671,000 AND 955. SO THE LOCATION OF THE TWO SITES, THEY'RE BOTH IN RAVENSWOOD AND THEY'RE BOTH ON THE EAST SIDE ALONG THE SAN SEBASTIAN RIVER. AND I KIND OF WANT TO THROW THIS SLIDE IN TO SHOW YOU WHERE EACH OF THOSE PROPERTIES KIND OF SIT WITHIN THE ACQUISITIONS THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY MADE.

SO THEY SIT RIGHT IN THERE ALONG WITH ALL THESE ACQUISITIONS. AND I'M GONNA GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. I'LL TAKE GASPAR STREET FIRST. THERE ARE SIX CONTIGUOUS PARCELS TOTALING SIX AND A HALF ACRES, APPROXIMATELY QUITE A BIT OF SHORELINE ALONG THE SAN SEBASTIAN RIVER. I SAY THREE OWNERS. IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE MORE CONVOLUTED THAN THAT, BUT THERE'S BASICALLY THREE MAIN OWNERS. ONE OF THOSE PARCELS CONTAINS A HOUSE AND I SAY A BARN IN HERE, BUT IT'S REALLY OUTBUILDINGS AS WELL. AND IN A DISCUSSION THEY CAME TO WHEN WE DID THE RANKING, THEY, THE, THE OWNERS CAME AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO CUT THOSE OUT IF WE COULD, DEPENDING ON WHAT PLANNING AND ZONING WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. BUT AS AN OPTION, WE DON'T HAVE TO. THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO BUY THE HOUSE AND THE BARN. AND THERE'S AN AERIAL, EXCUSE ME, AN AERIAL OF THOSE SITES, AND THOSE ARE IN YOUR PACKAGE AND HOW IT KIND OF SITS WITH OTHER CONSERVATION AREAS EAST OF THE AVERY STREET ACQUISITION IS THE COUNTY'S SPANGLER ISLAND CONSERVATION AREA. SO THERE THEY ALL SIT IN VERY NICELY WITHIN ALL THE CONSERVATION AREAS. I'D REMISS NOT TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT FLOODING ON THESE PROPERTIES, BECAUSE IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHY WE LOOK AT THESE PROPERTIES IS WILL THEY HELP WITH RESILIENCY? AND IN THIS CASE, ABOUT 50% OF THE OF THE GAS PARK PARCELS, THE SIX OF THEM IS UPLANDS. AND ABOUT I THINK IT'S 51% UPLANDS AND 49% WITHIN THE FEMA FLOODPLAIN. JUST SOME. LET ME GO. THAT'S RIGHT. JUST A FEW PICTURES ON THE PROPERTY TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THERE'S A THERE'S A ROAD IN THERE RIGHT OFF OF AVERY STREET.

THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS KIND OF LOOKING TOWARDS THE MARSH TO THE EAST OF THE HOUSE.

THERE'S. FROM THE. NOW YOU'RE LOOKING FROM THE MARCH TOWARDS THE HOUSE AND THE BARN, AND THEN THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, LOWER RIGHT IS LOOKING STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE SALT MARSH. THE SALT MARSH VIEWS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND THERE'S A. I KNOW VICE MAYOR BLONDER WAS REALLY ENJOYED THE VIEW OF LOOKING TOWARDS THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY SPECTACULAR VIEW TOWARDS THE CITY. THE CAVANAUGH PROPERTY IS THE SECOND ONE. ACTUALLY, I HAVE ONE PARCEL.

TECHNICALLY, THERE ARE TWO PARCELS TOTALING A LITTLE OVER A HALF AN ACRE. THERE'S ABOUT 100FT OF SHORELINE. THERE'S ONE OWNER AND THERE ARE NO STRUCTURES. IT IS ON FLORIDA AVENUE TO THE EAST TOWARDS THE MARSH. THERE'S HOW THE PROPERTY SITS. CAVANAUGH THERE IN THE MIDDLE, RIGHT ABOVE RAVENSWOOD PARK. SAME THING WITH A FEMA FLOODPLAIN. IT'S ABOUT 58%

[02:05:02]

AND THEN THE NEXT PICTURE IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE MARSH. AND THEN I GOT CLOSER TO THE MARSH. AND FINALLY, YOU CAN WALK OUT THERE AND ACTUALLY SEE THE SALT MARSH LOOKING ACROSS THE SAN SEBASTIAN. SO THAT IS A REALLY, REALLY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROPERTIES. EVEN THOUGH YOUR PACKAGE HAS A LOT MORE INFORMATION. SO ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS. I'M SURE WE HAVE QUESTIONS. COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE BUILDINGS PARTICULARLY TO THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT THOSE TWO BUILDINGS ARE THE HOUSE AND THE BARN, THE CONDITION THEY'RE IN AND WHAT'S THE PRICE REDUCTION IF THEY IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO GET IT? WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE CONDITION. THE OWNERS ARE HERE. IF WE WANT TO ASK THAT. IF YOU WANT TO ASK THAT QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS SOMEBODY LIVING IN THE HOUSE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRICES WOULD BE. WE HAVE NOT DONE APPRAISALS BECAUSE THAT'S THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE IF YOU WANT TO MOVE ANY OF THESE FORWARD, THEN APPRAISAL WILL BE MADE. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR ALL THAT PROPERTY THAT CONNECTS TO THAT. ONE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. IF WE'RE GOING TO TURN THAT INTO A PARK, A STRUCTURE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A POSITIVE THING FOR US IN THE FUTURE. I DON'T KNOW, I JUST IT'S IT'S UP FOR A GOOD DISCUSSION. I THINK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO KEEP THAT, KEEP THAT IN THE PROPERTY OR NOT. I THINK CARVING IT OUT IS TO ME IS A PROBLEM TO HAVE SOMEBODY ALWAYS LIVING RIGHT THERE. IF WE DO TURN IT INTO SOME KIND OF CONSERVATION PARK, CARVING IT OUT WOULD REQUIRE A REPLAT OF THE PROPERTY, AND WE'D HAVE TO CREATE A CONFORMING LOT THAT MET ALL OF OUR SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS.

AND THAT'S A TRIP TO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD. SOME TITLE WORK WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE. IT MAY TRIGGER A REASSESSMENT OF THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THAT LOT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'D HAVE A HOUSE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CONSERVATION LANDS. I CAN SEE WHY THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD LIKE TO DO IT, BECAUSE IT'S ALL CONSERVED AROUND THEM. AND I THINK RIGHT NOW, THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS JUST WHETHER WE WANT TO SPEND THE FUNDS ON ON APPRAISALS, RIGHT? YES, SIR. YEAH. SO I WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE BOTH SITES, AND THEY WERE BOTH INTERESTING ENOUGH FOR ME. I KNOW WE LOOKED WE HAVE 600,000 IN THE CONSERVATION FUND, RIGHT. SO THE MONEY FOR THE APPRAISAL WILL COME OUT OF THAT UNLESS I'M WRONG. AND I THINK BOTH OF THEM, THE THE GASBARRE ONE IS MORE INTERESTING TO ME FOR ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS, PROBABLY WHY IT SCORED HIGHER. BUT I WOULD LOOK AT A APPRAISAL FOR THE ONE ON FLORIDA AVENUE. WHAT KIND OF CONCERNING ME THAT I THINK THAT'S RG ONE OR SOMETHING. SO THAT COULD BE MULTIFAMILY. SO THERE'S A BIT OF PROTECTION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE. SO I WOULD JUST I'M IN SUPPORT OF GOING AHEAD WITH BOTH OF THE APPRAISALS. AND THEN ONCE WE GET THEM, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE BUILDINGS ARE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. SORRY I HAD TO RUN OUT FOR A MINUTE, BUT DUTY CALLED. I'M INTERESTED IN GETTING APPRAISALS FOR BOTH TWO. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND WE HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY IN THE FLORIDA AVENUE AREA. AND SO I WOULD HATE FOR US TO HAVE SPENT THE RESOURCES ALREADY TO RESERVE PROPERTY AND THEN LOSE THIS AREA, AND THEN IT'D BE ALL IN VAIN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GET APPRAISALS ON BOTH. AND THEN WE CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE AT AFTER THAT. SO. NO NO COMMENTS. OKAY. SO I, I DO, OH, I'M SORRY, BUT AFTER YOU, I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD. OH THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I HAVE TO AGREE WITH WHAT SAID. I'D LIKE TO SEE APPRAISALS ON BOTH. BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT THE KAVANAUGH PROPERTY IS, IS ISOLATED AS IN THE SENSE OF NOT CONTIGUOUS TO OTHER PROPERTY THAT THE CITY ALREADY OWNS. SO BUT THAT SAID, WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND GET AN APPRAISAL? AND THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT I'M NOT SEEING. THAT'S ALL. I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THE MAYOR HAVING GONE OUT THERE AND TAKEN A LOOK AT THEM AND NOTING THE RANKING FOR THE PROPERTIES. IF THERE HAVE BEEN 4 OR 5 PROPERTIES, I'M THINKING THE KAVANAUGH PROPERTY MIGHT HAVE DROPPED OFF JUST BECAUSE OF THAT ISOLATION AND THE SIZE. AND SO I'M NOT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO GETTING AN APPRAISAL ON BOTH OF THEM. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT. MARIN, WOULD YOU JUST PUT THAT ONE PICTURE UP? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A PRETTIER PICTURE OF WHAT IT REALLY COULD LOOK LIKE. SO THAT'S THE

[02:10:03]

IS THAT THAT'S THE, THE, THE GAS GAS PART. YES. SORRY. I COULDN'T JUST VANISH FROM MY BRAIN. THAT'S THE GAS GAS PART PROPERTY. AND I THINK WE, WE WITHOUT A DOUBT WE GO AHEAD AND GET APPRAISALS ON THE ON AT LEAST ONE OF THEM. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF THAT'S OKAY THAT WE.

WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION. BALLPARK. WHAT WOULD APPRAISAL BE ON THE KAVANAUGH PROPERTY COST BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION? OH, I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY BOTH APPRAISALS ARE GOING TO BE ROUGHLY THE SAME COST, BUT A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR SO FOR EACH APPRAISAL. WE CAN AFFORD IT. YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF MONEY IN THERE. IF WE I WAS GOING TO SAY IF WE USE THE STATE APPROVED APPRAISERS, EXCUSE ME, THE FDEP APPROVED APPRAISERS, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER BECAUSE IF WE WANT TO TRY AND GET REIMBURSEMENT, THEY WON'T ACCEPT JUST ANY APPRAISAL. YEAH. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE EVERGREEN APPRAISAL WAS ABOUT ABOUT THERE WERE 3 TO $4000 A PIECE. OKAY. I THINK THEN AND THAT IT'S THAT WOULD OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION AND ANYBODY CAN MODIFY IT THAT WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH BOTH APPRAISALS AND THAT UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THEY BE APPRAISED BY FDA APPROVED APPRAISERS. SECOND. SHOULD WE CONSIDER HAVING THE THE THE HOUSE PROPERTY SEPARATED AS A SEPARATE. YEAH. OKAY. I'D LIKE THAT MODIFICATION. ALL RIGHT. EVERYONE READY FOR A VOTE? OKAY, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. BARBARA. BLONDER. YES. CYNTHIA. HARRIS. YES. JOHN DE PRATER. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. NANCY. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JB YES THANK YOU.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. EXCITING TO SEE THIS THIS PROGRAM MOVE FORWARD AND SUCH WONDERFUL SUPPORT FROM STAFF AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS. I LOVE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL BE MOVING RIGHT ALONG. ITEMS BY CITY ATTORNEY I HAVE NOTHING THANK YOU. YOU HAVE NOTHING BY CITY

[12. ITEMS BY CITY CLERK]

[14. ITEMS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS]

JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, SO THAT WHEN YOU SAY THE SWIMMING POOL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ALCAZAR CAFE, WHICH IS IN THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. AND WHEN YOU SAY JUST THE SWEARING IN. SO NORMALLY WE HAVE THE REORGANIZATION RESOLUTION THAT ACCOMPANIES THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY. IT WOULD BE IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM IF WE MOVED

[02:15:01]

SO MY QUESTION IS, SO THERE'S A GIFT TO THE CITY. YES. BECAUSE THIS I'M A PART OF THIS TOO, IF I'M RECEIVING A GIFT, BECAUSE IF I'M RECEIVING A GIFT, THEN I'M REPORTING A GIFT. JUST, JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THE GIFT IS NOT TO YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT. NOW, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE PERSON WHO OFFERED THE GIFT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S A GIFT TO THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AS A CORPORATION, NOT TO YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY, SO WOULD NOT BE A REPORTABLE GIFT TO YOU PERSONALLY. OKAY, IT'S A GIFT TO THE CITY. GOOD, BECAUSE I WOULDN'T I DON'T WANT TO BE OBLIGATED. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO WANT TO MAKE FUTURE COMMISSIONERS OBLIGATED. NO, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I DON'T WANT TO CREATE OBLIGATIONS. SO THE QUESTION NEXT THAT QUESTION I HAVE IS WHO IS GIVING THE GIFT? DO WE KNOW THE PERSON'S NAME THAT'S GIVING THE GIFT? I SPOKE TO JOHN ARBIZU. HE RENTS THAT SPACE FROM THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE CORPORATE ENTITY IS THAT'S IDENTIFIED ON THE LEASE, BUT HE WAS THE INDIVIDUAL I SPOKE TO AFTER I SPOKE TO MAYOR ELECT GARRIS ABOUT THIS AS AN IDEA, AS A CONCEPT. AND SO THAT'S THE INDIVIDUAL, IF YOU WANT TO.

OKAY. SO. MR. IS GIVING A PERSONAL GIFT. AND WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE GIFT THAT. I DON'T KNOW, HE SAID, THEY'RE RESERVING THE ROOM FOR THIS EVENT. WHAT DOES A WEDDING COST? IT'S THE SAME VENUE AS A WEDDING, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT A WEDDING WOULD COST TO RESERVE THE ALCAZAR ROOM, THE ALCAZAR CAFE, THE ALCAZAR CAFE. SO WE DON'T KNOW THE VALUE OF THE GIFT. SO I'M JUST I'M A LITTLE IT'S A LITTLE ODD TO. THIS IS A VERY. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING I'VE EVER COME ACROSS. OKAY. I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO IT. OKAY. I'M JUST SAYING I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR MOVING FORWARD, WHAT THE CITY'S OBLIGATING ITSELF TO IN THIS GIFT FROM THIS INDIVIDUAL. AND WE'RE NOT SURE.

IS IT FROM THE INDIVIDUAL OR IS IT FROM THE CAFE? THE REAL ESTATE IS OWNED BY THE MUSEUM, SO IT'S THE LEASE HOLDER THAT OPERATES THE BUSINESS, WHICH IS THE ALCAZAR CAFE THAT IS GIVING US ACCESS TO THE CAFE FOR THIS EVENT. OKAY. THERE'S NO FOOD OR ANYTHING. THEY'RE SETTING UP CHAIRS AND TAKING THEM DOWN. WE'RE NOT OBLIGATED RENTALS OF CHAIRS AND WE'RE JUST SITTING IN SOME CHAIRS AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEM UP. THERE'S NO COST. THEY'RE JUST SETTING UP 300 CHAIRS AND THEY'RE TAKING THEM DOWN. WE JUST GO IN, DO THE SWEARING IN, AND THEN WE LEAVE. IS THERE A MICROPHONE SYSTEM? AND I MEAN, HOW DOES ALL THAT KNOW WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THE MICROPHONE SYSTEM? WILL IT BE TELEVISED AND BROADCAST? IT WILL BE RECORDED.

BUT WE CANNOT LIVE STREAM IT. SO WE WILL RECORD IT AND THEN TELEVISE IT THE NEXT DAY. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'LL SEE IT LIVE, IT WILL BE YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE ROOM TO SEE IT, TO WITNESS IT. AND. THE COST WILL BE. ZERO TO IT'S OUR STAFF TIME, NOT IN THIS ROOM. ACCOMMODATING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE WORKED IT OUT. YOU'VE TRIED REALLY HARD. I WILL GIVE YOU THAT. I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'LL BE A NICE EVENT. I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MY GUESTS THERE. AND AN INCREDIBLY I'VE BEEN TO WEDDINGS THERE. IT'S JUST A GORGEOUS SPACE. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SPACE. AND I HOPE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WANTS TO COME IS ABLE TO COME. SO WITH THAT SAID, HOW HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL? I HAVE SOME

[02:20:05]

SHOULD I MEAN, ALSO LIKE, IS WHAT'S IS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS GIFT OR TO USE THIS AS A TAX WRITE OFF OF SOME IN SOME WAY? IS THAT AN INCENTIVE? I'M NOT A TAX ATTORNEY AND I DON'T KNOW HIS CORPORATE STRUCTURE. POSSIBLY IT IS A GIFT TO A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. GENERALLY SPEAKING. AGAIN, I'M NOT A TAX ATTORNEY. YOU CAN GIFT THINGS LAND AND SO ON TO GOVERNMENT. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOME POSITIVE YEAH TAX. I KNOW THERE IS WITH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR EXAMPLE. SO THERE THERE IS THAT'S MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE IS THE SAME IS THAT MY ONLY MY CONCERN WOULD BE ANY KIND OF. PERCEPTION OF OBLIGATION AS A RESULT OF THE GIFT GOING FORWARD. THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS STAFF TIME FOR GETTING THAT AVE. IT'S NOT FREE. I MEAN, THEIR STAFF TIME COSTS TIME. IT COSTS MONEY, IT COSTS TAX DOLLARS. SO BUT I THINK THIS IS OVERALL I THINK THIS IS A POSITIVE SOLUTION TO A TO A SITUATION YOU'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO. AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, I THINK THAT I GUESS THAT IS THE THING THAT I'M CONCERNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS THAT IN. IF THIS AGREEMENT IS IN TRANSACTIONAL IN ANY WAY. BUT I THINK THAT IF WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT FROM THE GIFTER THAT THIS IS NOT A TRANSACTIONAL AGREEMENT, IT'S A STRICTLY A GIFT, THERE'S NO OBLIGATIONS MADE. CAN YOU PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOGETHER FOR US? I MEAN, IT WOULD IT WOULD LITERALLY JUST BE AN OFFER TO GIFT THE SPACE FOR A PARTICULAR DATE AND TIME AND A STATEMENT THAT IT'S A GIFT TO THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE WITH NO EXPECTATION OF ANYTHING ELSE. IT'S IT'S JUST A GIFT. I MEAN, WE CAN GET FAR MORE COMPLEX IF YOU SO WISH. THAT'S UP TO YOU. I TAKE MY DIRECTION FROM YOU AGAIN, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE INDIVIDUAL, SO I HAVE NO DIRECT SENSE OF WHAT HE MAY HAVE IN HIS MIND OF WHAT HE'S PROPOSING, OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE HEARD SECOND HAND. HERE'S THE SPACE. YOU GET IT FOR A MONDAY NIGHT.

NOBODY ELSE IS USING IT THAT NIGHT. HE HAS, I GUESS, SOME STAFF AND SOME, I GUESS, CHAIRS TO SET UP. AND THEN THE REST IS OUR AUDIO VISUAL FOLKS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I KNOW IT IN THE SAME WAY YOU DO. AND IN THAT THUMBNAIL SENSE. SO OKAY, WELL, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN. I MEAN, THE COMMISSIONERS AGREE THAT I, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN IS I DON'T WANT TO OBLIGATE STAFF OR COMMISSIONERS OF THE FUTURE OR YOU TO, TO ANYTHING IN LIEU OF THIS GIFT, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF, LIKE I SAID, ANYTHING TRANSACTIONAL WHATSOEVER. I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS CAME UP IN A CONVERSATION WITH ME A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE NATURE OF THE GIFT IS AN IMPORTANT THING. SO WE GET SOME KIND OF WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION FROM THE GIFTER THAT IT IS A GIFT TO THE CITY AND NOT TO AN INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATE OR PERSON. THAT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL A GREAT DEAL MORE COMFORTABLE. AND I THINK IT'S GETTING CONFUSED. WELL, IS INHERENTLY CONFUSING BECAUSE IT'S A GIFT. IT'S REALLY A PERSONAL ACCOMMODATION TO YOU IN A WAY BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY OF THIS. BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS A HISTORIC MOMENT AND THEN IT BECOMES PUBLIC. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE MAYBE HAVING THIS. WE'RE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, BUT I'M PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE WITH DOING IT AS LONG AS WE HAVE IT ON THE RECORD THAT IT WAS A GIFT TO THE CITY ITSELF. I'M GOOD WITH THAT, AND I'M VERY HAPPY. THE PART THAT I CARED ABOUT THE MOST IS THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE OVER THERE, AND THEN WE GO INTO AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. SO I VERY MUCH LIKE THE IDEA BECAUSE I GOT IDEAS FOR REORGANIZING MEETINGS, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE SITTING IN A RIGHT IN A SWIMMING POOL. YEAH. HAVING A BUSINESS MEETING UNDERWATER REALLY QUICK, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A BUSINESS MEETING. SO TO ME, THAT'S STRICTLY THE MOST THE POSITIVE THING IS WE'VE ACCOMMODATED COMMISSIONER GARRIS DURING THIS HISTORIC MOMENT, AND WE HAVE SEPARATED IT. AND THAT'S WHY WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE. AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. OKAY. CAN I JUST SAY A

[02:25:02]

THAT'S VERY LOVELY. DID I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE THE ACTUAL NIGHT? WHAT WHAT IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOR THAT? BECAUSE I HAVE TO COME BECAUSE IT'S MY LAST MEETING. SO WHAT IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS? WELL, WE DO HAVE A SCRIPT AND WE WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCEDURAL SCRIPT WITH YOU. I DON'T THINK IT'S WE DON'T HAVE TIME TONIGHT. WE'RE AT 730, BUT THE ACTUAL CEREMONIAL SCRIPT IS THE CITY CLERK HAS THAT. AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.

YES. GOOD, GOOD. WE'VE WE'VE HYPED UP ALL THE PEOPLE WATCHING ON TV THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT. I JUST WANT TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, NOW THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN. NO, IT'S GREAT. I AM IN FAVOR OF IT. I EXPECT THAT THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE'LL HAVE SOME SOMETHING FROM YOU AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. I THINK EVERYBODY SUPPORTS THIS. YES, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL SPACE. AND YOU WORKED VERY HARD TO GET THESE DETAILS WORKED OUT FOR US.

SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND YES, I DO HAVE GUESTS COMING. SO AND IT IS A SPECIAL NIGHT FOR ME AS WELL. SO BUT I'M ALSO MINDFUL THAT IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT ME ANYMORE. IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE FUTURE. SO WHICH IS ALSO VERY EXCITING. WELL THAT'S OKAY. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN NOVEMBER MEETING. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT. OKAY. SO COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE'RE AT 730. I HAD ONE MINOR THING. I WANTED TO REMIND US THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE A TPO NORTH FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US. IT'S A VERY LABOR INTENSIVE JOB.

IT'S MONTHLY GOING TO JACKSONVILLE FOR VERY LONG MEETINGS AND A LOT OF TRAINING.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST JOHN PRATER, THEY DID TELL ME THE LAST MEETING THEY LIKED TO ONBOARD OUR NEXT MEETING MEMBER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT IT IS THE MAYOR'S DECISION BECAUSE IT IS THE MAYOR'S SEAT. SECOND. SO I IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE UP TO. I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO END THIS.

[02:30:01]

EVERYBODY F

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.