Nov 09, 2026 City Commission

[00:00:11]

REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY SIKES KLEIN HERE. BARBARA BLONDER HERE. CYNTHIA GARRIS HERE. JIM SPRINGFIELD HERE. JOHN PRATER HERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY VICE MAYOR BARBARA BLONDER.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR RESPECTING THAT SILENCE. PLEASE STAND IF YOU ARE ABLE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[2. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]

[3. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS]

WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS. AND I WILL READ THE PROCLAMATION. IT IS THE FIRST ONE ON THE AGENDA. IT IS PROCLAIMING NOVEMBER 18TH AS SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY DAY. SO, AND AFTER I READ IT, I WILL ASK MR. AND MISS CLARK TO COME FORWARD WITH THEIR THE FOLKS THAT HAVE ACCOMPANIED THEM, ALEXIS FERGUSON IS HERE, AS WELL AS SOME OF HIS FRIENDS, AND THEY WILL COME AND ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION AND MAYBE SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH US. SO WHEREAS THE CITY, SAINT AUGUSTINE, THE CITY, SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY LLC WAS FOUNDED IN NOVEMBER 18TH OF 2017 AND HOLDS THE HISTORIC DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM ESTABLISHED IN THE NATION'S OLDEST CITY, SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. AND WHEREAS, AT THE TIME OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDING, THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE WAS ALSO EXPERIENCED IMPORTANT COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS SURROUNDING ISSUES OF HISTORY, REPRESENTATION, AND UNITY, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR SPACES THAT BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE ACROSS DIFFERENCES. AND WHEREAS THE MISSION OF SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY IS TO CREATE A WINNING COMMUNITY THROUGH BASKETBALL, AND OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE ORGANIZATION HAS FULFILLED THIS MISSION THROUGH MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, MENTORSHIP, AND SERVICE INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT SAINT JOHNS COUNTY. AND WHEREAS, THE SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY HAS PARTNERED WITH NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND

[00:05:03]

WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. HELLO. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I THINK SOMEONE LEFT SOMETHING. ALL RIGHT. SO, SIR. GOOD SIR. WOULD YOU GIVE US A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION BEFORE WE. YOU ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION AND WE GET A PICTURE? SOUNDS GOOD.

OKAY. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE. WE'RE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS HONOR. I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, ALL THE GLORY FOR THE INSPIRATION THAT HE'S GIVEN ME OVER THE YEARS TO BE ABLE TO START A BASKETBALL TEAM. BUT I WANT TO THANK ALSO MAYOR NANCY FOR HER FORESIGHT, INSIGHT, AND BEING ABLE TO SEE THE VISION OF THE GLORY OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER AND OUR MEETING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR NANCY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY LOVELY WIFE, LATASHA. SHE'S BEEN A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS DREAM, WHICH YOU GOTTA IMAGINE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING A PRO SPORTS TEAM TO A CITY THAT'S NEVER HAD IT. SO WE'RE STILL ENDEAVORING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT. AMEN. SO Y'ALL CAN HEAR THE MINISTER IN ME. SO THAT'S KIND OF GOING TO COME OUT. ALRIGHT. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK MY MY FAMILY. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN THERE AS A ROCK FROM THE BEGINNING. SO I WANT TO THANK THE BRYANT FAMILY AND ALL MY FAMILY AT LARGE. I WANT TO THANK THE SAINT AUGUSTINE GLORY STAFF, INCLUDING SO MANY OF THEM OVER THE YEARS, BUT ALEXIS FERGUSON ALSO, AS WELL AS BEING A COMMUNITY LIAISON AND AN ADVISOR, OF COURSE, AND ALL OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WERE MENTIONED WHEN THAT INFORMATION WAS READ. FROM MY HEART. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GAME OF BASKETBALL HAS MEANT THE WORLD TO ME AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACKGROUNDS AND BRINGS UNITY AND CREATES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF A MARKET. YOU KNOW, SPORTS HAS THE POWER TO DO THAT. AND SO I THINK ABOUT THE INCEPTION OF THE GAME. WHEN JAMES NAISMITH CREATED THE GAME, HE CREATED THE GAME BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO BRING YOUNG MEN TOGETHER AT THE YMCA. AND TO THIS DAY, THAT ENDEAVOR, THAT EMBARKING OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO FELLOWSHIP. IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL IN DOING SO. SO ALL THE SMILES THAT WE'VE CREATED OVER THE YEARS ON KIDS FACES, OUR PLAYERS BEING ABLE TO COME IN AND DO MALE MENTORSHIP POSITIVELY. THESE THINGS RIGHT HERE ARE HUGE. AND NOT TO MENTION OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS AND OF COURSE, JUDD.

DAMON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR FAITH. HE WAS ACTUALLY THERE ON THE THE FIRST DAY. HE'S THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR FLAGLER. HE WAS ON THE FIRST DAY, OUR FIRST GAME RIGHT

[00:10:03]

WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING. GETTING THE PICTURE. AND I'LL. COME ON.

COME ON. READY? WE GOT ANOTHER ONE. I GOT IT. YEAH. I ALREADY CLOSED HIS PHONE.

ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT PROCLAMATION WE HAVE IS PROCLAIMING 2026 AS NOVEMBER 2026 IS MONARCH BUTTERFLY MONTH. WHEREAS THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS AN ICON, NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES WHOSE MULTIGENERATIONAL MIGRATION AND METAMORPHOSIS FROM CATERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. AND WHEREAS BOTH THE WESTERN AND EASTERN MONARCH POPULATIONS HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT DECLINES, WITH LESS THAN 1% OF THE WESTERN MONARCH POPULATION REMAINING, WHILE THE EASTERN POPULATION HAS FALLEN AS MUCH AS 90%. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE RECOGNIZES THAT HUMAN HEALTH ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON WELL-FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEMS AND THAT BIODIVERSE REGIONS CAN BETTER SUPPORT FOOD PRODUCTION, HEALTHY SOIL AND AIR QUALITY, AND CAN FOSTER HEALTHY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HUMANS AND WILDLIFE. AND WHEREAS CITIES, TOWNS AND COUNTIES HAVE A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY TO HELP SAVE THE MONARCH, BUTTERFLY AND THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE IS STRIVING TO BECOME A LEADER. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE HAS SIGNED THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION MAYORS MONITOR MONARCH PLEDGE, COMMITTING TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TO PROTECT THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY. AND WHEREAS EVERY RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE MONARCH BY PLANTING NATIVE MILKWEED AND NECTAR PLANTS TO PROVIDE HABITAT FOR THE MONARCH AND POLLINATORS IN LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, LEARN, PLAY AND WORSHIP. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE CITY COMMISSION DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2026 AS MONARCH BUTTERFLY MONTH AND ENCOURAGES ALL CITIZENS, BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS TO SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE MONARCH CONSERVATION AND WITNESS. THEREFORE, I HAVE SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF SAINT AUGUSTINE TO BE AFFIXED THIS NINTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2026, AND THE 461ST YEAR OF THE FOUNDING OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, THE SAINT NATION'S OLDEST CITY WITH THE TITLE OF MOST LOYAL

[00:15:04]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YEAH. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. DANIELLE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YES. THANK YOU. YES. SO I WOULD LOVE TO JUST THANK THE CITY. WE'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THIS PLEDGE SINCE 2021. AND WITHIN THAT TIME, THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO ANNUALLY PLANT MILKWEED IN THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM COURTYARD, AS WELL AS EDUCATE OUR CITY RESIDENTS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PLANT THEIR OWN POLLINATOR FRIENDLY PLANTS. SO WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING SUSTAINABILITY STEWARDS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR JOB I KNOW. THAT'S A HUGE ONE. OKAY. EVERYONE LIKES BUTTERFLIES. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE. OH I'M SORRY. WE HAVE. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. I'M SORRY. THAT'S YOURS. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE YARD OF THE YEAR 2026 WINNER TONY KERN. AND WITH THAT. ALL RIGHT, WE GO. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS STEPHEN SLAUGHTER, UTILITY AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. THIS PAST YEAR, THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE OPEN APPLICATIONS AND REQUESTED NOMINATIONS FOR YARD OF THE YEAR. THE CITY'S STREET TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY VISITED AND SCORED EACH YARD ON SEVEN SUSTAINABLE AND FLORIDA FRIENDLY CATEGORIES. I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE 2026 YARD OF THE YEAR MISS TONY KERN. MISS KERN'S HERE TONIGHT WITH HER HUSBAND. TO ACCEPT THIS.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ WHAT I HAVE HERE ON THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION BEFORE SHE COMES UP WITH WHOEVER SHE'D LIKE TO BRING. AND YOU PLEASE STAY THERE, MISTER SLAUGHTER. OKAY.

YOUR OUTSTANDING YARD, TONY, EXEMPLIFIES AN IMPORTANT ROLE RESIDENTS PLAY IN PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE BEAUTY OF OUR HISTORIC CITY. THE STREET TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE EVALUATES YARDS ON THE USE OF POLLINATOR FRIENDLY, NATIVE AND FLORIDA FRIENDLY PLANTS. SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, INCLUDING WATER CONSERVATION AND COMPOSTING, AND OVERALL CURB APPEAL. YOU RECEIVED HIGHEST SCORES FOR POLLINATOR FRIENDLY PLANTS AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES.

I'VE SEEN YOUR YARD AND I'VE SEEN THE POLLINATORS ALL OVER IT. IT'S REALLY AMAZING. WITH APPRECIATION FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP AND MAKING SAINT AUGUSTINE A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY THAT YOU. WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

CONGRATULATIONS. REPRESENTING. OF COURSE. I KNOW, OF COURSE. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THERE'S COMMITTEE MEMBERS. YEAH. WOULD YOU LIKE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GINA IS HERE FROM THE STREET TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND SHE'S GOING TO INTRODUCE THE MEMBER. OKAY. BRIEFLY, BRIEFLY.

OKAY. FREMONT LATIMER IS OUR CHAIRMAN. THERE HE IS. TIGHTEN UP A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. AND CJ

[00:20:02]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD. THANK YOU. THE CITY OF. OKAY. NOW WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.

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

OKAY. AFTER.

WE HAVE OVER AN HOUR OF SPEAKER CARDS. AS MUCH AS I LOATHE TO DO IT, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY SPEAKER CARDS TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO. ALLOW TWO MINUTES. HOW DO YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT? I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. HOW MANY CARDS DO WE HAVE? A LOT. 34 PLUS MORE THAN 34. I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE SAY IT IN TWO MINUTES, YOU KNOW. YES, THAT'S I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT. BUT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO GO THROUGH, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. 35 I WOULD AGREE WITH THE TWO MINUTES. AND I WILL SAY PUBLICLY RIGHT NOW THAT I HAVE A CONFLICT WITH MY EMPLOYER. I HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY, SO I WILL NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, PERSONALLY, I THINK WE HAVE A VERY SHORT AGENDA AND I THINK WE COULD WE COULD AFFORD THREE MINUTES PERSONALLY, JUST MY OPINION.

RIGHT. AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I WOULD HAVE SAID TO SHORTEN IT IS IN CASE VICE MAYOR COULD BE HERE. BUT SINCE THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN MEET THAT WINDOW AND I AND WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THOSE KIND OF OBLIGATIONS. AND SO WE'LL THEN WE'LL START WE'LL DO THREE MINUTES. 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 AND THOSE ARE COMMENTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE AND NOT INDIVIDUAL.

COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM SPEAKERS. 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 COMMENTS. WE WANT TO STAY AS VERY RESPECTFUL AND CIVIL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH IN THE ROOM, AND WE DO HAVE THAT

[00:25:01]

THAT WAY WE CAN KEEP MOVING. OKAY. AND, MISS PETRO, IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. MY NAME IS ANITA PETRO. I LIVE AT 12 OGLETHORPE BOULEVARD, SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. PULL YOURS IF YOU DON'T MIND. CAN YOU PULL THAT MICROPHONE DOWN OR DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THAT? THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. IS THAT BETTER? YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NOW, YOU MAY PROCEED. YES. OKAY. WHERE I LIVE IS WHERE A LOT OF THE CONGESTION IS FOR THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. WE HAVE PICTURES. EVERY ARTERY ROAD COMING OR GOING FROM MY HOUSE IS HAS SO MANY CARS THAT YOU CANNOT SEE THE END OF THEM. FOR ME. I FEAR IF MY HUSBAND AND I ARE IN OUR 70S, IF WE WERE TO HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT ANYBODY COULD GET TO OUR HOUSE UNLESS YOU HAD A HELICOPTER BECAUSE IT IT WOULD JUST BE IMPOSSIBLE. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE AND THEY'RE HOT AND UNHAPPY WITH THE SITUATION, THAT THEN THERE START TO BE DISAGREEMENTS AND THEY HAVE ARGUING CONFRONTATIONS OUT IN MY YARD TO WHERE I DON'T EVEN FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING IN MY FRONT YARD. IF WE PLAN ON DOING ANYTHING, WE HAVE TO DO IT IN THE MORNING. BECAUSE GETTING IN MY GETTING TO MY HOUSE AFTER 2:00, MOST OF DECEMBER AND PART OF JANUARY IS IMPOSSIBLE. UNLESS MY SAYING IS UNLESS WE PACK A LUNCH, BECAUSE IT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE I HAVE I MOVED HERE FROM SOUTH FLORIDA AND THOUGHT THE TRAFFIC THERE WAS TERRIBLE UNTIL I EXPERIENCED THIS WITH THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS. EVERY YEAR IT'S GOTTEN WORSE. WE'VE BEEN IN THIS HOUSE FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND EVEN TWO YEARS AGO IT WAS CROWDED, BUT IT WASN'T UNREASONABLE. LAST YEAR IT WAS A TOTAL NIGHTMARE AND I ASSUME THIS YEAR WILL ONLY BE WORSE. WE KNOW ON JULY 4TH THAT WE WILL HAVE THIS ISSUE, BUT IT'S ONE DAY AND WE DON'T MIND. WE ARE. WE WELCOME OTHER PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT OF THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS. BUT HAVING TWO MONTHS OF MISERABLE CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE IN IS JUST TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THIS MATTER, BUT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE FOR OUR PROTECTION, FOR OUR HEALTH, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN ALLOW THEM TO GO IN THEIR FRONT YARDS. IT'S JUST A VERY SAD, SAD SITUATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELINDA. FOLLOWED BY SCOTT YORK. MELINDA, 86 MAGNOLIA AVENUE. I'M HERE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, AND THIS IS ALREADY PUBLIC RECORD. BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, BACK IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, THE COUNCIL DID THIS SURVEY OF ALL THE RESIDENTS WHICH COVERED ALL THE AREAS OF THE CITY, AND THEN ALSO THE SAINT AUGUSTINE BUSINESS COALITION AT THE SAME TIME DID A SURVEY OF THE BUSINESSES. HOWEVER, THAT SURVEY WAS NEVER MADE PUBLIC OR GIVEN TO CITY STAFF TO HELP WITH THE PLANNING OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THIS WAS EXTENSIVE. ALL OF YOU HAVE A COPY OF IT AND SPECIAL. THIS WAS PUT ONLINE PUBLICLY. IT'S BEEN AVAILABLE

[00:30:03]

WE HAVE WORKSHOPS, WE HAVE EVERYTHING OUT IN THE OPEN, AND YET BUSINESSES, INSTEAD OF GETTING INVOLVED, WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT GO ALONG ALL THE MAJOR CORRIDORS OF BUSINESS CORRIDORS TO GO TO. IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO THEM, WORK THINGS OUT. BUT THIS THING OF WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, RIGHT BEFORE NIGHT LIGHTS AND COMING DOWN WITH A HUGE BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND JAMMING UP THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING WITH ALL THESE COMPLAINTS AND HOW UNFAIR IT IS TO THE BUSINESSES, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, AND TRYING TO PUT PRESSURE ON YOU GUYS AT THE LAST MINUTE TO CHANGE CITY STAFF'S WORK, HARD WORK AND PLANNING OVER THE YEAR. AND I JUST I DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO LET THIS BECOME A TECHNIQUE THAT, THAT THE PEOPLE USE TO TRY TO CHANGE POLICY BECAUSE WE'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO WORK WITH EVERYONE. AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE TESTIMONY FROM SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY WENT TO ALL THE BUSINESSES, TRIED TO WORK WITH THEM, TRIED TO SAY, WE'LL SEE ABOUT GETTING YOU ALL HANG TAGS AS WELL. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ASSOCIATED NECESSARILY WITH THE BUSINESSES THEY'RE ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD, BUT FROM VISITORS AND WORK STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN USING DAVIS SHORES AS FREE PARKING AND WALKING ACROSS THE BRIDGE. PLEASE KEEP THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM IN PLACE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, SCOTT YORK, FOLLOWED BY JOHN PETRO.

MELINDA. SOMEBODY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. GOOD EVENING, SCOTT YORK, 29 SPANISH STREET. THE MOST CHARMING STREET IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. TONIGHT. I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T DO NEARLY ENOUGH AT THESE MEETINGS. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THIS COMMISSION HAS ACCOMPLISHED SOME TRULY REMARKABLE THINGS FOR OUR CITY. AND WHILE WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERY ISSUE, I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO MAKING SAINT AUGUSTINE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND VISIT. YOU'VE TACKLED FLOODING WITH PROJECTS LIKE THE OPHELIA, LAKE MARIA SANCHEZ AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SEAWALL. YOU'VE ADDRESSED PUBLIC SAFETY MOVING FORWARD WITH MUCH NEEDED FIRE STATION OVER ON ANASTASIA ISLAND, IMPROVED PARKING AND MADE SIGNIFICANT. MAYBE NOT ACCORDING TO SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT YOU'VE IMPROVED PARKING AND MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT WE MANAGE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. YOU'VE INVESTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IMPROVED OUR PUBLIC SPACES AND WORK TO PROTECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THOSE OF US WHO ACTUALLY CALL DOWNTOWN HOME.

AND AFTER CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION AND COMPROMISE, YOU UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A NOISE ORDINANCE THAT RECOGNIZES SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN ISN'T JUST A TOURIST DESTINATION. IT'S ALSO A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, RAISE FAMILIES, AND DESERVE SOME PEACE AND QUIET. BUT THERE'S ONE ACCOMPLISHMENT I ESPECIALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TONIGHT, AND THAT'S A SPANISH STREET PEDESTRIAN PILOT PROJECT. AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES AND OPERATES BUSINESSES ON SPANISH STREET, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS FIRSTHAND WHAT THIS PROJECT HAS ACCOMPLISHED. WHAT WAS ONCE SIMPLY ANOTHER STREET CARRYING AUTOMOBILES AND BEER DELIVERY TRUCKS THROUGH OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT HAS BECOME A MORE WELCOMING, PEDESTRIAN, PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT, AND I BELIEVE THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN SPANISH STREET ITSELF. IT DEMONSTRATES WHAT OUR DOWNTOWN CAN BECOME WHEN WE BEGIN DESIGNING OUR STREETS AROUND PEOPLE INSTEAD OF AUTOMOBILES. MY SINCERE HOPE IS THAT SPANISH STREET BECOMES THE MODEL FOR ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY STREETS. THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A CITY WHERE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE CAN SLOW DOWN, EXPLORE, INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND TRULY APPRECIATE THE REMARKABLE PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME. THAT'S GOOD FOR OUR RESIDENTS, IT'S GOOD FOR OUR BUSINESSES, AND IT'S GOOD FOR THE FUTURE. OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, MAYOR. NANCY. SYKES KLEIN, COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF DEDICATION AND SERVICE. YOU BOTH MADE LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS COMMUNITY AND TO MAYOR

[00:35:03]

THE LANE OF TRAFFIC WAS BOTH SIDES. THERE ISN'T EVEN BOTH SIDES. THERE'S REALLY ONE WAY.

AND THEN IF SOMEBODY DECIDES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GO EAST ON OGLETHORPE, THEN IT REALLY JUST CLOGS THE WHOLE THING UP. GERALDO OPEKA ALL OF THESE STREETS, PEOPLE WERE DRIVING ON THE GRASS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SO THE NEWS CREW SHOWED UP AND I SAID TO HIM, I SAID, THEY STARTED TALKING WITH ME AND I SAID, NO, I KNOW WHERE IT STARTED. IT SAID THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE GERMAN SPEAKING AND THE NEW YORKER I SPOKE TO, AND I SAID, HOW DID YOU KNOW TO PARK HERE IN MY FRONT YARD? AND THEY SAID, I GOOGLED IT. AND I, IT SAID TO PARK HERE, WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE, FREE PARKING. I HAD SPOKE ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR AT THE CITY HALL HERE. AND THEY SAID, NO, WE DID NOT DO THIS. BUT THEN THE FOLLOWING DAY IT WAS PULLED FROM IT. SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ACTION JAX NEWS. I WAS ON THERE. I SPOKE ABOUT IT. IT'S YOU. I UNDERSTAND THE LOCALS ACTUALLY KNOWING AND EVEN SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT PARK IN MY FRONT YARD ALL YEAR LONG BECAUSE THEY WALK OVER, THEY WORK AT SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS THERE, AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. BUT WHEN YOU START TELLING PEOPLE THAT ARE FLYING IN TO SEE THIS, TO PARK OVER THERE, THEN IT JUST INFURIATED THE WHOLE THING. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I HAVE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT IT WAS, IT WAS IT WAS POSTED ON, ON, ON GOOGLE. SO THAT'S WHERE I REALLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. AND THAT JUST INFURIATED IT LAST YEAR. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CHRIS FULMER, FOLLOWED BY DONNA DOVE. GOOD EVENING, CHRIS FULMER. I LIVE IN DAVIS SHORES. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO VOTED LAST WEEK. VOTING IS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF BEING A CITIZEN. EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD VOTE, EVERY ELECTION, EVERY ISSUE, AND YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. PEOPLE DID, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE PARKING. I AM VERY CENTRIST ON THIS. I LIVE IN DAVIS SHORES. I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE. I GO TO THE BUSINESSES. I UNDERSTAND THEIR ISSUE. BALANCING IT IS GOING TO BE TOUGH. AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE OVER THERE AND I'M OVER HERE. BUT LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES, PLEASE, BECAUSE THE BUSINESSES HAVE A DEFINITE STAKE IN THIS AS WELL. I'D LIKE TO ECHO MR. YORK, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE, ESPECIALLY SPANISH STREET, WHICH IS WHEN WE DO PARK AND WALK INTO THE CITY. IT'S JUST REFRESHING COMING IN, GOING OUT. IT MAKES IT NICE. SO KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS COMING UP. BE KIND TO PEOPLE. TIP YOUR SERVERS, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, DONNA DOVE. FOLLOWED BY THOMAS REYNOLDS. DONNA DOVE 101 FERDINAND AVENUE IN DAVIS SHORES. KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS HAS GROWN INTO AN ENORMOUS EVENT, CREATING PARKING AND TRAFFIC DEMANDS THAT EXTEND WELL BEYOND DOWNTOWN. THE CITY HAS ENCOURAGED AND ACCOMMODATED THIS GROWTH, AND WITH THAT COMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREATIVE, FOR CREATIVELY MANAGING ITS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. WE UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTIONS HAVE NOW BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE PROCESS BY WHICH THESE PARKING RESTRICTIONS WERE APPROVED. THOSE QUESTIONS ARE FOR THE CITY TO ADDRESS, BUT WHATEVER PROCEDURAL ISSUES MAY NEED CLARIFICATION, THEY DO NOT DIMINISH THE VERY REAL SAFETY, ACCESS AND PROPERTY CONCERNS THAT PROMPTED DAVIS SHORES RESIDENTS TO SEEK THOSE PROTECTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE ASK THAT THOSE CONCERNS NOT BE LOST IN THE DISCUSSION.

[00:40:01]

I MISSED THE. THREE ACROSS HERE AND ONE FOR THE RECORDER. TOM REYNOLDS, 1244 MILE ROAD 32084. FIRST OF ALL, COMMISSIONERS, I I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW I AGREE WITH THOSE PEOPLE FROM DAVIS SHORES FOR THE FACT OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN'T GET IN. MAKES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BUT I WANT TO REITERATE ABOUT THAT BLUE BUILDING RIGHT OVER THE BRIDGE WITH THAT NICE PARKING LOT. RICH O'BRIEN IS THE REALTOR SHOULD BE BOUGHT, MAKE A NICE LITTLE PARKING LOT. BUT ANYWAYS, AS YOU KNOW, I EMAILED YOU EARLIER TODAY. MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE THREE YEAR HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE LEASE EXTENSION. LICENSE EXTENSION. IN RECONSIDERATION OF THE THREE YEAR EXTENSION. I PUT IN ALL THE REASONS. SO GOT THE BACKGROUND AND RECENT COMMISSION ACTIONS, GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND NEW EVIDENCE, FOLKS. $300,000 COVERAGE. THAT'S NOT GOING TO EVEN COME CLOSE. IF THERE'S A TRAGIC ACCIDENT WITH THE BARBARIC HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY. NOW, FOLKS, I SPELLED THIS OUT PRETTY CLEARLY IN THERE. AND I HOPE TONIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S UNDER 30 DAYS, THERE'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO BE SOME ACTION ON THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THAT ONE WORD, THAT ONE WORD THAT YOU FIVE MYSELF AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN THIS ROOM HAS IN COMMON.

THAT'S THE WORD ETERNITY. WE'RE ALL GOING TO FACE ETERNITY SOMEWHERE. AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE. THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT THIS VIOLATIONS PROVEN THAT IT IS A BARBARIC INDUSTRY. THERE IS A SOLUTION. THE ELECTRIC HORSELESS CARRIAGE IS THE SOLUTION. FOLKS. THEY'RE NOT PAYING THEIR WAY. WE ALREADY KNOW THE TAXPAYERS. IN FACT, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM BETTER REALIZE THEY'RE SUBSIDIZING THE VEHICLES FOR HIRE. NOW, IF THOSE FOLKS WOULD PAY THEIR WAY, YOU COULD EASILY BE BUYING THAT NICE BLUE BUILDING WITH THE PARKING LOT OVER THERE AND TAKING THE BUILDING DOWN, OF COURSE. ANYWAYS, FOLKS, TONIGHT'S IT AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THE MAYOR'S LEAVING. JIM SPRINGFIELD'S LEAVING, AND SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE PLACES AND THEY HAVEN'T LEFT IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO ANSWER FOR THAT. AND THIS IS DEFINITELY ANIMAL ABUSE. THE HORSE CARRIAGE INDUSTRY. ALL RIGHT. BRIAN BLISS FOLLOWED BY ERICA THOMPSON. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS BRIAN BLISS. I LIVE IN DAVID SHORES. AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE TALKING TO YOU, THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS. IT GETS EXCITING TO COME UP HERE AND TALK TO YOU. I LOVE LIVING IN THIS CITY. I OWN A BUSINESS CALLED ANCHOR EATS. WE'RE THE CONCIERGE SERVICE FOR THE HARBOR. AND I'M ALSO VERY ACTIVE IN A GROUP CALLED THE SAINT AUGUSTINE CRUISERS NETWORK, WHICH IS A IT'S A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO OUR BOATERS AND CRUISERS THAT COME TO SAINT AUGUSTINE. IT'S NOVEMBER NOW. WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR MIGRATORY PATTERN FOR ALL OF OUR BOATERS. THEY MAKE AN ANNUAL MIGRATION SOUTH, AND THEY USE SAINT AUGUSTINE AS ONE OF THEIR MAJOR STOPS. SO WE'VE PLANNED AN EVENT FOR THEM THIS SATURDAY, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU GUYS TO ATTEND IF YOU COULD. I KNOW IT'S SHORT NOTICE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO INVITE ANYBODY FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO DO AN EVENT, SO I FIGURED I'D DO IT AT THIS THING. BUT WE'RE HAVING A SAINT. WE'RE HAVING A CRUISERS BLESSING THIS SATURDAY, AND WE HAVE WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE FATHER JOHN TETLOW FROM THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA. HE'S GOING TO BE GIVING A NAUTICAL BLESSING OVER THE VHF RADIO FROM A MOTOR YACHT LOCATED AT SAINT AUGUSTINE MUNICIPAL MARINA. THE. THE BOATERS AND GUESTS WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY THIS BENEDICTION GIVEN TO THEM FROM THEIR BOATS, FROM THE SAFETY OF THEIR BOATS AT ANCHOR, IN THE MOORING FIELDS AND IN THE MARINAS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE

[00:45:05]

SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU GUYS ATTEND. AND IT WOULD JUST SHOW EVERYBODY THAT SAINT AUGUSTINE IS WELCOMING AND THAT WE'RE FRIENDLY AND WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR BOATING COMMUNITY. AND THEN THAT WOULD CREATE OUR BOATERS WOULD MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME HERE AND THEN WHEN THEY GET HERE, WHEN THEY GET HERE, THEY WOULD STAY HERE A LITTLE LONGER, WHICH IS GOOD FOR OUR CITY AND ALL OUR SHOPS, STORES AND RESTAURANTS THAT WE HAVE LOCATED IN THE CITY. SO I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU GUYS ATTEND AND Y'ALL HAVE A NICE EVENING. IT'S GOING TO GET REAL SPORTY HERE A LITTLE BIT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME TALK. THANK YOU. I LIKE THAT WORD.

SPORTY ERICA THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY MISTY LAKE. OH, BARBARA HAD TO LEAVE. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT. I OWN TWO BUSINESSES ON ANESTHESIA BOULEVARD IN DAVIS SHORES. MY HUSBAND'S ACTUALLY FOURTH GENERATION SAINT AUGUSTINE. HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD GROWING UP IN DAVIS SHORES AT HIS GRANDPARENTS HOUSE. IT WAS ALWAYS HIS DREAM TO HAVE A RESTAURANT IN DAVIS SHORES. AND SO HERE WE ARE, TEN YEARS IN WITH ONE AND OUR FIRST YEAR WITH OUR OTHER ONE. I'M HERE TONIGHT, THOUGH, TO TALK ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE. FIRST OF ALL, WE SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK A PETITION. SO FAR, 1200 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED IT. ALMOST A THOUSAND OF THOSE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE ASKING TO RECONSIDER THE NIGHT TO LIGHTS PARKING ORDINANCE AND HOW IT'S BEING HANDLED. WHAT'S MOST UPSETTING FOR ME IS WHY WERE THE BOULEVARD BUSINESSES NEVER REALLY CONSULTED IN THIS DECISION, AND WHAT BUSINESS IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAS ACTUALLY DONE? I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN WITH AT LEAST 10 TO 15 MAJOR BUSINESSES ON THE BOULEVARD, AND ALL OF THEM SAID, HAD SOMEONE COME TO THEM AND ASKED, WOULD THIS IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS? 100% OF THEM SAID, ABSOLUTELY. AND WE SAW IN UPTOWN WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WITH THE DECLINE IN BUSINESS, AND WE FEAR FOR THAT AS WELL WITH THIS DECISION. ONE THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS THE ROADS THAT WERE BEING CLOSED OFF, THE COMMERCIAL ROADS ON BOTH SIDES, FLAGLER AND ARCOLA. I KNOW THOSE ARE COMMERCIALLY ZONED, SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY ARE THEY BEING CLOSED OFF, AND IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO RECONSIDER THAT? I UNDERSTAND THE RESIDENTIAL ROADS. I EVEN THINK THEY SHOULD BE PAVED ON ONE SIDE SO THE RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EMERGENCY VEHICLES. THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN.

IF SOMEONE'S BLOCKING A DRIVEWAY OR BLOCKING A ROAD, THEY SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE FINE.

BUT IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL ROAD AND EVERY DAY I SEE LARGE TRUCKS GOING DOWN THE COMMERCIAL ROADS EVERY DAY WITH PEOPLE PARKED AND THERE'S NO ISSUES. SO CAN WE PLEASE CONSIDER KEEPING THOSE OPEN, NOT ONLY FOR OUR LOCALS AND REGULARS THAT DON'T LIVE IN DAVIS SHORES, BUT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? AND SO THE CITY I HEARD IS PROVIDING FOR PARKING PASSES PER RESIDENT IN DAVIS SHORES. BUT SO FAR, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MY EMPLOYEES HAVE NO PARKING PASSES AND I WANT TO KNOW WHERE ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO PARK? HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GET TO WORK ON TIME AND SAFELY RETURN TO THEIR CARS AT NIGHT? I HAVE PEOPLE THAT DRIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE FROM PALM COAST. THEY. ONE RESIDENT SAID THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE ISSUES WITH OUR EMPLOYEES MOST OF THE YEAR. SO WHY FOR THESE TWO MONTHS, IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN. PLEASE GIVE PASSES TO THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AND SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY, BUT NOT TO THE TOURISTS THAT ARE COMING REAL QUICKLY? JUST TO TOUCH ON THAT, I GOT A MESSAGE FROM A RESIDENT. IT SAID, HI, WE HAVE TWO EXTRA PASSES WE DON'T NEED. IF SOMEONE FROM YOUR WORK NEEDS THEM, WE'LL TAKE FREE TACOS. JUST SAYING. DON'T THINK IT WOULD HURT TO ASK AND JUST OFFER BETTER THAN YOU GUYS GETTING $100 TICKETS. AND I ONLY BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THIS IS GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT MY STAFF, THEIR SAFETY, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO PARK. AND PLEASE DON'T LET IT COME TO THIS WHERE WE'RE BEGGING RESIDENTS TO KEEP OUR STAFF SAFE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MISTY LAKE, FOLLOWED BY CHELSEA ORTON. HI, MISTY LAKE, 50 FLOWOOD DRIVE, SAINT AUGUSTINE. I OWN SUNDAY IN THE UPTOWN AREA. I WAS SELECTED AS A NIGHT OF LIGHT HONOREE, ERIC AND I BOTH TO REPRESENT MY BUSINESS DISTRICT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAME HERE TO DO TONIGHT. LAST YEAR, UPTOWN BUSINESSES CAME TO THESE MEETINGS. WE PROVIDED DATA ABOUT THE IMPACT WE'VE SHOULDERED. WE EMPATHIZED WITH OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS. WE OFFERED SOLUTION BASED REMEDIATION. TONIGHT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WHY. I'M IN HOSPITALITY. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE IN

[00:50:06]

HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE HERE FOR YOU? ALLOW US WHAT WE DO. ALLOW US TO DO WHAT WE DO BEST, AND THAT IS TO HOST AND CARE FOR YOU ALL. YOU CANNOT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND BE IN SUPPORT OF THESE RESTRICTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHELSEA ORTON, FOLLOWED BY LIZ SNYDER. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. HI THERE. MY NAME IS CHELSEA ORTON AND I WAS ONE OF THE FORTUNATE PEOPLE THAT WAS JUST GRANTED A MARRIAGE LICENSE. AND I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE CALLED UPON BY SOME INDIVIDUALS TONIGHT STATING THAT I AM RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT WAS SHUT DOWN. I AM NOT RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT WAS SHUT DOWN. I GOT INTO THIS BECAUSE I TRULY ENJOY DRIVING CARRIAGE HORSES AND SHOWING PEOPLE THE TOWN. SO I WAS GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A BUSINESS THAT WAS SHUT DOWN AS FAR AS ALL OF THEIR INVENTORY. I DID NOT BUY ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAME WITH THAT BUSINESS. YES, I WAS VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE OWNER AND HE WAS UNFORTUNATELY SHUT DOWN TO SITUATIONS THAT COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM NOT RUNNING AS A BUSINESS THAT WAS CLOSED. I AM RUNNING AS MYSELF AND IT'S VERY UPSETTING WHEN I PUT THIS MUCH TIME AND MONEY INTO INTO EVERYTHING TO GET CALLED OUT AND SAID THAT I'M RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT WAS CLOSED, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. C STAR CARRIAGES IS MY BUSINESS. I AM RUNNING IT SOLO AND I DO HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION. IF THE CITY COMMISSION WANTED IT WHERE THE SALES WERE DONE LEGALLY AND DONE THROUGH A LAWYER. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS UP BEFORE I GET SANDBLASTED UP HERE, SAYING THAT I AM RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS LIZ SNYDER. IS SHE HERE? LIZ. OKAY. FOLLOWED BY BRUNO DIFABIO. NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. SURE. LIZ SNYDER I LIVE IN FLOWOOD AT 44 BAYVIEW DRIVE AND OWN AND OPERATE RABBITS AT 61 SAN MARCO.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MISTY AND ERIKA IN PARTICULAR. THEY SAID WHAT I WANTED TO SAY, BUT TEN TIMES BETTER. BUT I'LL TRY AND FOLLOW UP AND REITERATE. BUT THANK YOU TO THEM. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY. YOU HAVE CONTINUED LISTENING TO US. I AM SO GRATEFUL. WE RECEIVED WORD THAT THE COMMERCIAL ZONE, THE PARKING AND COMMERCIAL ZONES IN UPTOWN WILL NOT BE CORDONED OFF FOR REGULATED OR LIMITED IN ANY WAY THIS SEASON, AND THAT IS A HUGE WIN FOR US. AND SPEAKING AS A FELLOW BUSINESS OWNER, I HOPE WE CAN SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR OUR ANASTASIA BOULEVARD BUSINESSES. WE MANAGED TO GET SOME OF THAT TO HAPPEN LAST YEAR AND IT SEEMED TO WORK PRETTY WELL. BUT SINCE I'M UP HERE, I JUST DO. I DO WANT TO FLAG JUST SO IT'S ON THE RECORD THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL MOVING FORWARD ABOUT SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. I DON'T EVER WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT EMERGENCY VEHICLES, OR ACCESS OR BLOCK DRIVEWAYS OR ANY OF THAT. I LIVED IN UPTOWN, JUST BEHIND SPINSTERS FOR OVER TWO YEARS, SO I UNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME REASONABLE COMPROMISE SUGGESTIONS THAT JUST HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS SO FAR, AND WE'LL JUST KEEP SAYING THEM. BUT IF WE COULD DO A 5 P.M. START TIME FOR NOT EVEN THE ENTIRETY OF THE WEEK, FRIDAYS THROUGH SUNDAYS WOULD BE AMAZING. I THINK IF FOLKS PAY ATTENTION THIS YEAR TO WHEN THE HIGHEST PRESSURE IS DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, THAT IS THE TIME AFTER 5 P.M. FOR AN EVENING EVENT AND DURING THOSE WEEKEND NIGHTS. IF WE COULD WORK ON THAT, PLUS FINDING ADDITIONAL PARKING AND UNUSED AREAS, YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

[00:55:03]

LASTLY, I DO I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A SOLUTION. YOU KNOW, WE HAD WHETHER YOU VOTED FOR IT OR NOT, AMENDMENT THREE PASSED AND WE CAN ANTICIPATE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE FUNDS THAT WE NEED TO OPERATE THE CITY AND OPERATE IT WELL AND KEEP IT A PLACE THAT WE KNOW AND LOVE OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, WE PAY INTO THE TAX BASE, WE PAY FEES TO THE CITY. WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT, WHICH IS A WEIRD THING TO SAY, BUT WE DO, AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET TIGHTER, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO TO DO THAT. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

I'VE NEVER FINISHED BEFORE THREE MINUTES BEFORE. SO THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, BRUNO DIFABIO, FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH POZNIAK POZNYAK. YES, I CALL TWO NAMES AT ONCE. IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME CALLED, PLEASE COME UP AND SIT AT THE FRONT ROW. BRUNO DIFABIO, WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU. IS HE NOT HERE? OKAY, WE'LL PUT HIS CARD ASIDE. ELIZABETH POZNIAK, FOLLOWED BY LYNN WEEKS.

HI. I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE SAID. I'M ELIZABETH POZNIAK, I'M A PARTNER OF MUUMUU VINTAGE IN UPTOWN, AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID. MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES WANT EMERGENCY VEHICLES BLOCKED. WE DON'T WANT THAT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES EITHER, OR ANYONE ON SITE. WE WANT EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO GET WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO. ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE BLOCK OUR DRIVEWAY AT MUUMUU AND WE FOLLOWED PROTOCOL, WHICH IS CALL A TOW TRUCK OR CALL THE CITY AND REPORT THE INCIDENT. IT'S BEEN CLEARED UP RIGHT AWAY. HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM. TO LIZ'S POINT. IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HERE AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WE'VE EXPRESSED THAT. I KNOW PERSONALLY, WE EXPERIENCED A 30% DECLINE IN THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR. THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE COUNT ON TO PAY RENT AND MONTHS LIKE SEPTEMBER WHEN WE'VE HAD NO ONE COME IN THE DOOR. THIS IS DEVASTATING. I WAS SO EXCITED TO OPEN A BUSINESS IN SAINT AUGUSTINE AND I REALLY WANT TO STAY, BUT IT TOOK ME NINE MONTHS TO GET OPEN BECAUSE WE HAD TO COME BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH ABOUT DIFFERENT ISSUES, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE, YOU KNOW, A MISTAKE THAT WAS ON AN OLD MAP FROM LONG AGO. BUT WE WERE ENGAGED TOGETHER DOING THIS, RIGHT AS TO WHERE LAST YEAR WITH THE PARKING, THERE WAS NO ENGAGEMENT. NO ONE ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WAS GOING TO IMPACT MY BUSINESS. IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED IN OCTOBER THAT THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE PARKING FOR THE LOCALS THAT SUPPORT US, AND FOR THE VISITORS THAT SUPPORT US. A SOLUTION I THOUGHT OF THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING AT COULD BE A SITE. ALSO, ALONG WITH THE TIME CHANGE THAT LIZ HAD MENTIONED.

YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD REALLY FOCUS ON THOSE REALLY CRAZY TIMES, THE WEEKENDS, FRIDAY NIGHT, SATURDAY NIGHT, THOSE ARE CRAZY, I UNDERSTAND. BUT ALSO, IS THERE A PLACE WHERE WE COULD OFFER A HOLIDAY PARKING PASS TO SAINT JOHNS COUNTY? LOCALS THAT COME TO THESE BUSINESSES AND LITERALLY SUPPORT US? I MEAN, MOST MOST OF WHAT SUSTAINS US IS A LOT OF OUR LOCAL SUPPORT. AS A LOCAL, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO OVER TO ANASTASIA BOULEVARD AND SUPPORT THEIR BUSINESSES DURING THE BUSY SEASON. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO DO THAT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE COULD COME PICK IT UP, YOU KNOW, AT CITY, THE CITY LIKE WE DO WITH OUR OTHER PARKING PASSES. YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT OF WHERE ALL THE LOCALS THAT PAY TAXES AND ALL THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT PAY TAXES COULD GET SOME RELIEF. I'M TERRIFIED GOING INTO THIS SEASON. I'M TERRIFIED THAT WE WON'T MAKE IT NEXT YEAR IF WE DON'T GET SOME RELIEF ON THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AND WE WANT TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR NEIGHBORS OVER ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD SUFFER SIGNIFICANT LOSS IF WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AHEAD OF TIME. SO THANK YOU. I'VE ALSO NEVER FINISHED ON TIME. THANK YOU.

LYNN WEEKS, FOLLOWED BY WOLFGANG CHOW. GOOD AFTERNOON, LYNN WEEKS, 62, HIGH STREET. I DIDN'T COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS OR PARKING. HOWEVER, IF I HAVE ANY TIME LEFT, I WILL. I CAME HERE TO THANK NANCY SYKES AND JIM SPRINGFIELD FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY TO YOU, MAYOR SYKES KLEIN, FOR YOUR 18 YEARS ON THE CITY COMMISSION. AND AS MAYOR, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. I THINK YOU'VE EVOLVED AND

[01:00:05]

AND, AND I KNOW THE PARKING COMMITTEE WAS SUNSETTED YEARS AGO, BUT MAYBE IT'S TIME TO BRING THAT BACK UP. WHEN I RAN FOR THE CITY COMMISSION AND MAYOR 30 YEARS AGO, MY NUMBER ONE TOPIC WAS PARKING. WE'VE IMPROVED A FEW THINGS, BUT IT HAS NOT IMPROVED ENOUGH. AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, AS NIGHTS OF LIGHTS CONTINUES TO GROW. AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT. NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. IT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD BLESSING FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE RESIDENTS TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS ISN'T THE PROBLEM. WE JUST HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH THE SUCCESS OF IT. SO AGAIN, NANCY, CONGRATULATIONS. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE. AND JIM, YOU ALSO AND DAVID, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, WOLFGANG SHAO, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE SODA NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, IT'S A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE AGAIN.

WOLFGANG XIAO FROM THE INLET DRIVE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE, DAVIS SHORES. I WANT TO ECHO WHAT LENNOX JUST SAID. SIX NO. EIGHT YEARS AGO, WE HAD A MOBILITY COMMITTEE HERE UNDER COMMISSIONER HORWATH, AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION WE NEED MINIMUM FOUR PARKING GARAGES IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. NOW, EIGHT YEARS LATER, LATER, WE HAVE ONLY ONE. A SECOND ONE IS IN PLANNING, WHICH WE TAKE WILL PROBABLY TAKE YEARS. BUT I ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT A MISPERCEPTION HERE. THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND I DO UNDERSTAND THEM, BUT THEY MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IF THEIR CUSTOMERS CANNOT PARK IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THAT THEIR BUSINESS IS NOT WORKING. THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE. I RENT A RESTAURANT ON KING STREET, AND I HAD TO PROVIDE TO THE CITY PROOF THAT THIS RESTAURANT HAS ENOUGH PARKING SPOTS FOR OPERATING THEIR BUSINESS. AND I THINK THE SAME APPLIES FOR THE RESTAURANTS AND THE BARS ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD. THEY MUST HAVE ENOUGH ON SITE PARKING, OTHERWISE THEY CANNOT GET A LICENSE TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO. THESE PEOPLE WHO PARK IN DAVIS SHORES, CLOSE TO THE LIONS PARK, THESE PEOPLE, THEY CLOG OUR ROADS, THEY PARK FOR FREE AND THEY WALK DOWNTOWN. THEY DO NOT GENERATE ANY BUSINESS ON ANESTHESIA BOULEVARD. THEY JUST EVEN SCARED THEIR BUSINESS AWAY BECAUSE THE AREA IS TOTALLY BLOCKED, TOTALLY BLOCKED. AND IT ALSO HURTS THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC IS UNBEARABLE. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN LAST YEAR. THE CITY COULD HELP. AND I UNDERSTAND A BIG CONCERN OF THESE BUSINESSES IS THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE CITY COULD HELP THE SAME WAY THEY HELP US. GIVING PARKING PERMITS FOR THE RESIDENTS, ALSO GIVING PARKING PERMITS TO THE BUSINESSES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. THIS WOULD HELP THEM A GREAT DEAL BECAUSE WE LOCALS, WE RESIDENTS, HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE EMPLOYEES OF THE RESTAURANTS PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, CATHERINE. FOLLOWED BY JENNY MASTER. MOORE. MORE, MORE MORE MORE MORE. SEEING IS BELIEVING BILL CUSHION OF COUNTRY CARRIAGES WAS BACK IN ACTION SATURDAY NIGHT, OVERSEEING HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE

[01:05:02]

THIS IS ANIMAL ABUSE AND THE COMMISSION IS SENDING A MESSAGE THAT BEATING A HORSE INTO SUBMISSION IS ACCEPTABLE. THE CITY HAS NEVER PUBLICLY ADDRESSED THIS DISTURBING VIDEO.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET GHOST FOUND DEAD AT CITY STABLE LAST JANUARY, ONE OF MANY COUNTRY CARRIAGE HORSES WHO DIED UNDER THE COMPANY'S POOR MANAGEMENT. THIS COMPANY HAS YEARS OF ONGOING, EGREGIOUS VIOLATIONS THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE TERMINATION OF ITS FIRST FRANCHISE. GRANTING ANOTHER FRANCHISE TO THIS COMPANY IS A SERIOUS FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP.

THE COMMISSION HAS JUST SET A PRECEDENT, AND THE BAR IS AT THE BOTTOM. THIS DECISION MUST NOT STAND. THE CITY NOT ONLY ALLOWED COUNTRY CARRIAGES BACK ON OUR STREETS, IT ALLOWED THE COMPANY TO RETURN UNDER A FICTITIOUS NAME. NEW BEGINNINGS CARRIAGE SERVICE. YES, NEW BEGINNINGS. BUT NEW BEGINNINGS IS NOT A NEW COMPANY WITH A CLEAN HISTORY. IT IS COUNTRY CARRIAGES OPERATING UNDER ANOTHER NAME. THE CITY KNOWS THAT. BUT DOES THE UNSUSPECTING TOURISTS KNOW SOMEONE? BOOKING A RIDE WITH NEW BEGINNINGS MAY NEVER DISCOVER THE VIDEO, THE COMPANY'S HISTORY OF VIOLATIONS, OR THE DAMAGING REVIEWS ASSOCIATED WITH COUNTRY CARRIAGES. BY APPROVING THIS COMPANY UNDER A DIFFERENT PUBLIC FACING NAME, THE CITY ISN'T ENABLED IT TO DISTANCE ITSELF FROM A HISTORY THAT THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW. THIS IS NOT A NEW BEGINNING. THE CITY'S LATEST FAILURE MAKES ONE THING CLEAR NO ORDINANCE CAN FIX THIS INDUSTRY. IT'S TIME TO END HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. NEXT SPEAKER JENNY MASTER, FOLLOWED BY OSCAR PERALEZ. I'M SORRY, I PROBABLY PRONOUNCED THAT INCORRECTLY.

JENNY MASTER. SHE HAD TO GO. OSCAR PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY LAUREN ELLIOTT. OSCAR PERALEZ, PELAEZ.

HILLEL. OSCAR PROBABLY ONE OSCAR. OKAY, I'LL PUT IT ASIDE. LAUREN ELLIOTT IS LAUREN ELLIOTT HERE? LAUREN. WE HAVE OSCAR. OKAY, OKAY. IF YOU'LL COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE, AND YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. OSCAR PEREZ I RESIDE AT 107 CORONADO STREET HERE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. I CLOSED ON MY HOUSE ON JANUARY OF 2006, SO I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO QUITE A BIT IN 20 YEARS. THE MAIN CRITERIA HERE IS A LOT OF THESE FACILITIES THAT ARE OPENED UP AS RESTAURANTS WERE ACTUALLY DESIGNATED. OTHER BUSINESSES, MOSTLY GAS STATIONS, CAR REPAIR SHOPS, WHERE THEY HAD AMPLE ROOM IN ORDER TO HAVE OFF STREET PARKING FOR THEIR BUSINESSES. NOW THAT HAS BEEN TRANSITIONED TO OTHER TYPES OF BUSINESSES WHERE THEY NO LONGER HAVE ADEQUATE OFF STREET PARKING. I TOOK AN APPROXIMATE MEASUREMENT OF FLAGLER, WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE KEY STREETS. IT'S ABOUT 22FT WIDE. YOU GET TWO PICKUP TRUCKS, ESPECIALLY THE ONE WITH TANDEM TIRES. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO PASS. I LITERALLY TOOK PICTURES TODAY OF CARS WALK WHEN I WAS COMING HERE INTO TOWN THAT THEY'RE PARKED WHERE THE CURBING IS PAINTED YELLOW. THE YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'M TRYING TO STAY CALM AND NOT EMOTIONAL. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS. I AM A HEART PATIENT AT MAYO

[01:10:01]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AARON DWYER, FOLLOWED BY DESTINY MCNAMARA. GOOD EVENING. I DON'T KNOW THAT NEIGHBOR, BUT I APPRECIATE HER COMMENTS. AND SHE HIT ON SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT ABOUT SO FAR, WHICH IS PEDESTRIANS. I AM AN AVID WALKER. I LIVE ON MONROE AVENUE. I WALK EVERY NIGHT. MY DOGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS AND WE DON'T HAVE STREET LIGHTS. SO DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, THE TRAFFIC PEOPLE LOOKING FOR PARKING, IT CREATES AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE SIMPLY WALKING TO TRY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES WALKING THEIR DOGS, GOING ANYWHERE. I'D ALSO JUST POINT OUT A LOT OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS WHO ARE POSTING ONLINE ABOUT THIS DON'T EVEN SERVE FOOD. SO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE GOING TO BARS AND THEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THIS CHAOS WHO ARE NOT SOBER. AND IT WAS QUITE EVIDENT LAST YEAR THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DRUNK DRIVING AND DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE RHETORIC THAT THESE SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN USING ONLINE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBORS.

ONE SAID. RESIDENTS JUST WANT TO COMPLAIN. NO WE DON'T. WE SUPPORT THE SMALL BUSINESSES.

WE SUPPORT NIGHT OF LIGHTS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I'VE PULLED SOME DATA ON THE VOLUME OF THE VISITORS WE'RE GETTING. I LIVED IN WASHINGTON, D.C. I LIVED IN NEW YORK. NEW YORK'S ANNUAL TOURISM VOLUME IS ENORMOUS, BUT IT'S DAILY VISITOR EQUIVALENT IS ABOUT 2.1% OF ITS RESIDENT POPULATION. D.C. IT'S 10.8% IF YOU DO THE SAME MATH FOR DAVID SAINT AUGUSTINE DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, LIGHTS. THE ATTENDANCE AVERAGED OVER THE FESTIVAL IS EQUIVALENT TO APPROXIMATELY 41% OF THE CITY'S RESIDENT POPULATION. SO WE'RE NOT COMPLAINING. WE ARE DEALING WITH A MASSIVE INFLUX OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO PARK FREE. IF YOU GO TO DISNEY WORLD, YOU PAY TO PARK. IF YOU GO DOWNTOWN, YOU PAY TO PARK. I'M NOT REALLY

[01:15:02]

PARKING SPACES SAT UNUSED WITH NO APPARENT SHORTAGE OF RESIDENTIAL PARKING. I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE COMMISSION, AND THAT RAISES AN IMPORTANT QUESTION WERE THE RESTRICTIONS PROPORTIONATE TO THE ACTUAL PROBLEM? THERE'S ALSO A LONGER TERM CONSEQUENCE THAT CONCERNS ME. WHEN CUSTOMERS REPEATEDLY ENCOUNTER PARKING RESTRICTIONS, THEY BEGIN TO DEVELOP NEW HABITS. THEY STOP THINKING OF UPTOWN AS AN EASY PLACE TO VISIT. THEY CHOOSE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR DINNER, SHOPPING, OR AN EVENING OUT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE HABITS CAN CONTINUE LONG AFTER THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN LIFTED.

THE SIGNAGE ITSELF ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THAT PERCEPTION. RATHER THAN OFFERING HELPFUL GUIDANCE, IT CREATED AN UNNECESSARY, UNWELCOMING IMPRESSION. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO EXPLORE UPTOWN SAINT AUGUSTINE, NOT INADVERTENTLY TEACHING THEM TO AVOID IT. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO DISREGARD THE CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS. THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS TREMENDOUSLY, BUT OUR BUSINESSES MATTER TO A PARKING SPACE THAT SITS EMPTY ALL EVENING DOESN'T HELP A RESIDENT WHO DOESN'T NEED IT, BUT IT MAY REPRESENT A LOST CUSTOMER TO A SMALL BUSINESS THAT DOES. I'M SIMPLY ASKING THE COMMISSION TO RECONSIDER THE SEVERITY OF THESE RESTRICTIONS. LET'S TRY ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING. LET'S CONSIDER LIMITING RESTRICTIONS TO THE BUSIEST WEEKENDS. LET'S EVALUATE THE RESULTS BEFORE IMPOSING RESIDENTIAL ONLY PARKING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE CAN PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORS WHILE PRESERVING ACCESS TO THE BUSINESSES THAT MAKE UPTOWN SAINT AUGUSTINE SPECIAL. I'M NOT ASKING FOR THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING REGULATIONS. I'M ASKING FOR A REASONABLE BALANCE. THANK YOU. NICOLE. WELCOME. THANK YOU. ABOUT YOUR NAME, I APOLOGIZE. OH NO PROBLEM. MY NAME IS NICOLE. PLEASE. AFTER NICOLE WILL BE BOBBY HUTCHERSON.

I WILL CALL BOBBY HUTCHERSON AFTER NICOLE. PLEASE PROCEED. SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION.

IT'S OKAY. NO WORRIES. MY NAME IS NICOLE YANUSHKEVICH. I WORK DOWNTOWN AT PROHIBITION KITCHEN,

[01:20:07]

EVERYBODY NEEDS, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY CONTACTS TO COME THROUGH EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

AND I THINK IF WE DID HAVE SPACE TO ALL JUST TALK AND WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE DETAILS, IT WOULDN'T BE THIS TENSE RIGHT NOW. SO MY ASK TO YOU GUYS IS THAT MAYBE OVER THE SUMMER WE

[01:25:06]

THANK YOU. TOM DREISBACH, FOLLOWED BY KELLY SINCLAIR. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY ALL THE DIFFERENT DISCUSSION GOING ON. WE ARE LIKE 10 OR 11 DAYS FROM NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BUILD TWO PARKING GARAGES IN THAT TIME FRAME. GOOD JOB. AND I'M A LITTLE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING THERE'S THREATS OR IMPLIED SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE OF THIS CROWD OUT HERE AND PARKING PASSES. THAT'S VERY EMBARRASSING FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. SO THAT BEING SAID, LAST YEAR THE CITY IMPOSED A $100 DOWNTOWN PARKING FINE, WHICH FORCED PARKING INTO THE RESIDENTIAL DAVIS SHORES AREA, CREATING AN ISSUE. THE CITY ASKED THE ISLAND RESIDENTS FOR A YEAR FROM THAT POINT TO DEVELOP A PLAN. THE RESIDENTS PATIENTLY WAITED. WHY ARE WE HERE TONIGHT? WHEN TWO WEEKS AGO, THE PLAN WAS VOTED ON AND APPROVED BY THIS COMMISSION. THE PLAN, WHICH OFFERS PARKING PERMITS, ADDITIONAL PARKING AND FREE SHUTTLES FOR THE RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND THE TOURISTS. PLEASE KEEP TO THAT PLAN.

PLEASE KEEP TO THAT PLAN. REMEMBER, SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN. LAST YEAR, I PERSONALLY WITNESSED AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING TWO CHILDREN ON ELECTRIC BIKES IN A CONGESTED OGLETHORPE PARK AREA. FIRST RESPONDERS WERE HINDERED BY THE CONGESTION IN GETTING TO THESE CHILDREN AND THE OTHER PERSON INVOLVED WITH THE ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP A PHOTO FOR THAT, BUT. NOTE A BIG FACTOR IS THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC TRYING TO BEAT THE LINE TO THE BRIDGE. PROBABLY MORE SO I THINK, THAN PARKING, BUT THAT'S NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. I SUGGESTED THAT TWO WEEKS AGO, CLOSED THE SAINT AUGUSTINE BOULEVARD NORTHBOUND AT THE BRIDGE OF LIONS. IF YOU STOP THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE ISSUE. LAST THING THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF AVAILABLE PARKING PERMITS AND AVAILABLE. ROGER WHITE AND SANDS HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED, CONTACTED AND OFFERED TO SHARE WITH THE BUSINESSES AS NEEDED. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION BY THE BUSINESSES ABOUT THIS.

PLEASE CONTACT ROGER SANDS MYSELF. THE CITY. THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF PASSES. FOR 25 YEARS, SANDS AND MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE SUPPORTED ANASTASIA BUSINESSES. THE BUSINESSES HAVE SHOWN NOT NO REAL SUPPORT EVEN THEMSELVES IN TRYING TO GET A MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION GOING. THERE'S JUST BEEN NO TRACTION. SO MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD THING. IF I'M MAKING LEMONADE HERE. HOWEVER, BUSINESSES HAVE NO RIGHT OR EXPECTATION TO PARK ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS AT ANY TIME. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT OUR NEEDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, KELLY SINCLAIR, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER WILSON. HI, I'M KELLY SINCLAIR, 208 ALCAZAR STREET. I'M HERE TO STAND UP FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ALONG ANASTASIA

[01:30:05]

SO THE FACT THAT THESE BUSINESSES ARE REPORTING A DROP IN 25% IN SALES MAKES ME THINK THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A FACTOR OF PARKING SITUATION. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT THE DATA. IT'S EASY TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE WE CAN FIGURE OUT FROM THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HEATHER WILSON, FOLLOWED BY JUSTIN. LERMAN.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ACCORDING TO YOUR NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, SECTION 1554, TO ENSURE COMPETITION AND LIMIT MONOPOLISTIC OWNERSHIP, A GRANTEE MAY NOT OWN, OPERATE OR HAVE ANY FINANCIAL, LEGAL OR OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN MORE THAN ONE FRANCHISE YET WE HAVE HERE THE THREE HORSES LISTED IN THE EAST COAST INVENTORY ARE ALL FORMER COUNTRY CARRIAGES HORSES. SO WHO ACTUALLY OWNS THESE ANIMALS AND IS THERE A BILL OF SALE? IS THERE A PROOF OF OWNERSHIP? I DID ASK FOR THESE RECORDS FROM THE CITY AND THERE WAS NOTHING RESPONSIVE TO MY REQUEST. SO THIS IS A MONOPOLY. NEXT, BILL KUSHEN ADDED AGAIN WITH HIS BIG PICKUP TRUCK PARKING WHEREVER HE PLEASES. THIS IS AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE CITY BLATANTLY PARKING A GIANT PICKUP TRUCK RIGHT UNDER NO PARKING SIGNS. THIS IS AN EYESORE, AND ON PAGE THREE OF THE EXECUTED FRANCHISE AGREEMENT SIGNED BY COUNTRY CARRIAGES IN 2021, IT'S VERY CLEAR THE CITY WILL NOT ACCEPT PARTIAL PAYMENT YET. JULY 9TH, 2025. THE CUSHIONS OWED THE CITY ALMOST $14,000, AND THEN NINE DAYS LATER, THERE IS A PAYMENT PLAN THAT THEY DEFAULTED ON. AND THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE NOW HAVE A FRANCHISE AGAIN WITH THE CITY IS ALARMING, AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER THEY PLEASE. SO RIGHT HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT. ITEM D FRANCHISES ARE NONTRANSFERABLE, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING. HERE IS THE COASTAL CARRIAGES WEBSITE. IT IS LIVE. IT IS UP AND RUNNING. AND AS WE KNOW, FRED PEZZA LOST HIS FRANCHISE DUE TO A UNCLEAR OR UNCLEARED BACKGROUND CHECK. AND NOW HIS FRANCHISE IS OWNED BY SOMEONE WHO HAS AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT FOR HER ARREST. WHEN YOU CLICK ON BOOK A TOUR ON THE COASTAL CARRIAGES WEBSITE, IT TAKES YOU TO FRED PEZ'S PHONE NUMBER. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF ALARMING. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. YOU TERMINATED THIS FRANCHISE, YET IT SEEMS TO STILL BE UP AND RUNNING, AND THEY STILL HAVE A VERY ACTIVE ONLINE PRESENCE. WHEN YOU GO TO GOOGLE AND YOU GOOGLE COASTAL CARRIAGES, YOU GET SEA STAR. AND THEN WE SEE FORMERLY KNOWN AS COASTAL CARRIAGES, AND THAT IS SEA STAR. SO IF WE'RE NOT TRANSFERRING A FRANCHISE, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS? I MEAN, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY

[01:35:03]

NIGHTS LIGHTS IS 60 DAYS A YEAR. SO IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF THE LOCALS VERSUS THE SMALL BUSINESSES. IT'S THAT THERE'S NOT ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE. SO NOW THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, I GUESS, LEFT TO SHOULDER IT. YOU KNOW, IF THE PROCESS WASN'T FOLLOWED RIGHT NOW IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX IT. BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MAYBE DO NOTHING TONIGHT, AND THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO GO START WRITING $100 TICKETS, AND EVERYBODY GETS $100 TICKET IS GOING TO CHALLENGE THE FACT THAT IT WAS NEVER PUBLICLY NOTICED PROPERLY. IT WAS NEVER AN AGENDA ITEM. THERE WAS NEVER EX-PARTE. THERE WAS NEVER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO COME UP AND SPEAK THEIR TRUTH IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS. IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT, YOU KNOW? AND SO IT'S REALLY NOT A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHO'S RIGHT OR WHO'S WHO'S WRONG HERE. IT'S JUST THE CITY DIDN'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN RULES. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY DOESN'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN RULES, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT. JUST LIKE IF A RESIDENT DOESN'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN RULES, DOESN'T FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE CITY, RIGHT? LIKE THEY GET FINES, THEY GET VIOLATIONS. THERE'S CODE ENFORCEMENT. WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DOCUMENTATION JUST DOESN'T SUPPORT THE ACTIONS THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN TO THIS POINT. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A BIG GAP THAT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE YOU GUYS WRITE A SINGLE TICKET FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. ARIANNA PATTERSON, FOLLOWED BY KATIE SAWYER. NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE.

HELLO, MY NAME IS ARI. I'M PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE MANAGERS AT SAAB'S ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD. THIS BUSINESS HAS BEEN SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AND ITS TOURISTS FOR ALMOST 13 YEARS NOW, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DAVIS SHORES, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES ON MANY OCCASIONS, AND WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT ISN'T EASY TO HAVE A BUSINESS IN THE YEAR 2026, AND ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP AN ENTIRE BOULEVARD OF BUSINESSES THRIVE SHOULD BE A NO BRAINER. THAT IS WHY I IMPLORE THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE TO RECONSIDER THIS NEW PARKING MORATORIUM, THE EFFECT OF BOTH EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS HAVING TO LOOP THE COMMUNITY 5 TO 10 TIMES IN ORDER TO FIND A SPOT IS DETRIMENTAL FOR BUSINESS FUNCTION. OUR REGULAR CUSTOMERS THAT LIVE IN TOWN ARE SOMETIMES WILLING TO STRUGGLE TO FIND PARKING BECAUSE THEY LOVE OUR BUSINESS. BUT TOURISTS GIVING US A SHOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS SEASON SIMPLY DO NOT TAKE THAT TIME OUT OF THEIR LIMITED SCHEDULE TO WORK THAT HARD. THIS IMPACTS OUR SALES AND THE TIPS OUR EMPLOYEES TAKE HOME, AND THAT THEREFORE AFFECTS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AT THE LEAST, EMPLOYEES OF THESE BUSINESSES SHOULD BE ALLOCATED PARKING PASSES LIKE THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. FROM LISTENING TONIGHT, IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE DAVIS SHORES

[01:40:01]

I LIVE ON THE ISLAND, AND I HAVE A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND A COUPLE BUSINESSES ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD. A LOT OF THIS HAS ONLY COME TO MY ATTENTION SINCE THURSDAY. SO WHEN EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT PRE-PLANNING WITH DAVIS SHORES AND ALL THAT, EVERY BUSINESS OWNER I'VE TALKED TO HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. I'VE SEEN THE PARKING RATES GO UP FROM 30 TO $100 DOWNTOWN WHERE I HAVE ANOTHER BUSINESS, BUT I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY FOUND THE SOLUTIONS HERE. IT SHOULD BE ONE WAY PARKING. IT IS ALL PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.

LIKE THE GENTLEMAN JUST SAID, IT'S NOT RESIDENTIAL STREETS, IT'S NOT BUSINESS STREETS. IT'S ALL FOR THE PUBLIC AND TO ISSUE PARKING PASSES TO SOME, NOT TO OTHERS. IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT'S. TO ME IT'S VERY. THE EASIEST WOULD BE TO ONE WAY STREETS. AND IF THE TOWN SEEMS TO NEED EVEN MORE MONEY BY RAISING THE PRICES, MAYBE THEY SHOULD PUT PARKING METERS EVERYWHERE. AND THAT WAY IT'S THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY SHOULD BE EQUAL. BUT I THINK TO JEOPARDIZE THE BUSINESSES BY, OH, YOU GET A PARKING PASS. YOU DON'T. YOU DO. WE EVERYBODY CAN GET A PARKING PASS JUST LIKE WE DO DOWNTOWN. THE EASIEST TO BE ONE WAY STREETS. EVERYONE'S SAFE. IF YOU PARK ON THE YELLOW, GET A TICKET. BUT AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I PAY $28,000 A YEAR FOR TAXES. ARE MY TAXES GOING TO NOW HAVE TO GO TO POLICE WRITING TICKETS ALL NIGHT LONG? I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE GOT TOGETHER AND HAD MORE INFORMATION, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE ALL SHOWED UP TODAY BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW ABOUT THESE ISSUES. YOU KNOW, THE TOWN MAY HAVE HAD OR THE DAVIS SHORES, LIKE, I LOVE DAVIS SHORES, RIGHT. BUT I THINK WE COULD ALL WORK OUT SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE ONE WAY STREETS. AND THAT'S IT FOR ME. I'M NOT A GOOD SPEAKER. THANK YOU. JACOB WERNICK, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA. RARELY. I MEAN, I'M MESSING THAT NAME UP TOO, BUT HER NAME WILL. WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT. THANK YOU, MR. WERNICK. HELLO. HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING? ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. MY NAME IS JACOB WERNICK. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK. I'M A THIRD GENERATION SAINT AUGUSTINE LOCAL, A HOMEOWNER IN DAVIS SHORES, AND MY FAMILY HAS PROUDLY OWNED AND OPERATED NOBBIES ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THIS CITY ISN'T JUST WHERE I LIVE OR WHERE MY FAMILY OPERATES BUSINESS. IT'S MY HOME. IT'S WHERE MY FAMILY HAS BUILT OUR LIVES FOR GENERATIONS. IT'S A COMMUNITY I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT. I'M HERE TODAY TO STAND ALONGSIDE THE FELLOW LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING VERY CLEAR. I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST MY NEIGHBORS OR DISMISS THE CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS. I'M BOTH A RESIDENT AND A BUSINESS OWNER, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BOTH SIDES DESERVES TO BE HEARD. WE ALL WANT SAFER STREETS, BETTER LIGHTING, AND A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS CAN ENJOY. WE'RE NOT ASKING THE CITY TO ALLOW ILLEGAL PARKING OR COMPROMISE ANYONE'S SAFETY.

WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING MUCH SIMPLER. WE'RE ASKING FOR A SEAT AT THE TABLE. WE'RE ASKING OR AFTER HEARING FROM THE BUSINESSES, OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES FROM UPTOWN ABOUT HOW THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS HAVE AFFECTED THEIR BUSINESS AND LIVELIHOODS, I'M GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT SIMILAR RESTRICTIONS COULD MEAN FOR US ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD, AND THERE IS ONE QUESTION I'D REALLY LIKE FOR THE CITY TO ANSWER. HOW DID THE CITY DETERMINE THAT THESE PARKING RESTRICTIONS WOULD HAVE ZERO ECONOMIC IMPACT WITHOUT CONSULTING THE BUSINESS OWNERS, WHO WOULD BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'VE HEARD ACCOUNTS OF DECLINING REVENUES FROM UPTOWN BUSINESSES FOLLOWING SIMILAR RESTRICTIONS?

[01:45:02]

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S JOBS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SPENT DECADES SERVING THIS COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE PETITION. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT OVER 60% OF THE HOMEOWNERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNED IT. YET, AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN DAVIS SHORES, I'VE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL OF MY NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE TOLD ME THEY'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THE PETITION LIKE ME. ALSO, I'M NOT QUESTIONING THE CONCERNS OF THOSE WHO SIGNED IT, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S FAIR TO ASK HOW THE COMMUNITY WAS INFORMED AND WHETHER EVERYONE AFFECTED HAS A REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. AS A HOMEOWNER ON FLAGLER BOULEVARD. I DRIVE THESE ROADS EVERY DAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING CAN SOMETIMES BE INCONVENIENT. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT TAKES A FEW EXTRA MINUTES TO GET HOME, BUT PERSONALLY, I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO. I'VE NEVER BEEN UNABLE TO ACCESS MY HOUSE BECAUSE OF PARKING, AND MUCH OF THE PARKING BEING DISCUSSED SERVES COMMERCIALLY ZONED AREAS WHERE ACCESS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESSES OPERATING. I BELIEVE THERE ARE REASONABLE SOLUTIONS WORTH EXPLORING, WHETHER THAT'S IMPROVING LIGHTING, BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING PARKING RULES OR PARKING PLAN THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES. BUT THOSE SOLUTIONS NEED TO COME FROM A CONVERSATION THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE AFFECTED. THIS SHOULD NOT BE BUSINESSES VERSUS RESIDENTS WHERE NEIGHBORS OR FAMILIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. MELISSA AND GEMINI. I DON'T KNOW, MISS MELISSA AND GEMINI. FELICIA. NOEL. FELICIA, NOEL, EMORY. RUSSELL.

WELCOME NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. THANK YOU. HI, I'M FELICIA NOEL, RESIDENT AT 377 OLD HICKORY FOREST ROAD AND OWNER OF CAFE 135 KING STREET. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS FELICIA NOEL. I'M HERE TODAY NOT ONLY AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES DEEPLY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE SAINT AUGUSTINE WHAT IT IS. I'M ASKING YOU TO RECONSIDER THE TWO PARKING ACTIONS AFFECTING DAVIS SHORES AND ANASTASIA BOULEVARD, BECAUSE THEIR IMPACT REACHES FAR BEYOND THE RESIDENTIAL STREETS THEY WERE INTENDED TO PROTECT. LET ME BE CLEAR. I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE CONCERNS OF DAVIS SHORES RESIDENTS. NOBODY SHOULD HAVE THEIR DRIVEWAY BLOCKED, THEIR STREETS OBSTRUCTED, OR THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE COMPROMISED DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. THEY DESERVE SOLUTIONS. BUT THE BUSINESSES ALONG ANASTASIA BOULEVARD DESERVE CONSIDERATION, TOO. FOR MANY OF US, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IS NOT SIMPLY A BUSY SEASON. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REVENUE GENERATING PERIODS OF THE ENTIRE YEAR.

SMALL BUSINESSES DEPEND ON THOSE VISITORS TO CARRY US THROUGH SLOWER MONTHS, PAY OUR EMPLOYEES, MEET OUR EXPENSES, AND KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN BY ELIMINATING ACCESSIBLE STREET PARKING IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR CUSTOMERS TO REACH THE VERY BUSINESSES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S ECONOMY, TOURISM AND CHARACTER. AND WHAT ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND OTHER BUSINESSES CANNOT OPERATE WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THEM. OUR EMPLOYEES ALREADY FACE CHALLENGES FINDING AFFORDABLE, SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE PARKING. MANY WORK EARLY MORNINGS, LATE EVENINGS, WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, EXPECTING THEM TO PARK FARTHER AWAY WITHOUT A REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE CREATES AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON SORRY ON AN ALREADY DIFFICULT WORKFORCE SITUATION. WE CANNOT TELL VISITORS TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MAKING THOSE BUSINESSES HARDER TO ACCESS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS HAS TO BE A CHOICE BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. WE ARE NEIGHBORS. WE ARE PART OF THE SAME COMMUNITY AND WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER. I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER REVISITING THESE RESTRICTIONS AND IMPLEMENTING PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES. PRESERVE REASONABLE CUSTOMER PARKING ACCESS ALONG ANASTASIA BOULEVARD IN NEARBY COMMERCIAL AREAS. ESTABLISH DESIGNATED EMPLOYEE PARKING PERMITS THAT BUSINESSES CAN DISTRIBUTE TO THEIR STAFF AND BE SUFFICIENT.

CONSIDER ADJUSTING THE RESTRICTED HOURS TO ACCOMMODATE BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND EMPLOYEE SHIFTS. WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE AFFECTED BUSINESS OWNERS BEFORE IMPLEMENTING

[01:50:03]

WE NEED PARKING LOTS AND PARKING GARAGES ON THE ISLAND. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE LIKE THIS, EVEN HAVING ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING FOR THE ROADWAYS, THIS KIND OF THING IMPACTS EMPLOYEES, LOCALS, AND CUSTOMERS. AS A LOCAL, I CAN CLEARLY SEE THE IMPACT THIS IS ABOUT TO HAVE ON THE ISLAND AND BOULEVARD. BUSINESS PEOPLE HAVE BOUGHT IN DAVIS SHORES FROM OUT OF TOWN AND DIDN'T KNOW. THE AREA SHOULDN'T DICTATE THE LIVELIHOODS AND EXPERIENCES OF HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE NEED A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE AND NOT JUST A DELETION HERE. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR COMMUNITY ABANDONED AND LET'S NOT RUSH INTO SOMETHING WE CAN'T TAKE BACK. THANK YOU. MELISSA GANGLIONI OR BRITTANY TICKLE. OKAY, BRITTANY. BRITTANY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK. YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IF YOU SO DESIRE. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BRITTANY TICKLE.

MY ADDRESS IS 1575A1A SOUTH. IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE AMPHITHEATER. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I DO SYMPATHIZE WITH ALL SAINT AUGUSTINE RESIDENTS DURING NIGHT OF LIGHTS. I AM A RESIDENT. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN, 12 AND 17. WE ARE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY JUST AS MUCH AS THE RESIDENTS IN DAVIS SHORES. MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE A PLACE THAT MY KIDS AND I GO TO MEET WITH OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. THE BOULEVARD IS OFTEN THE ONLY PLACE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL WHERE WE CAN DO THIS. WE'RE BUILDING MEMORIES. THIS IS THEIR CHILDHOOD. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULDN'T LOSE JUST BECAUSE NIGHT OF LIGHTS TAKES OVER FOR THREE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. I BELIEVE THAT WE DO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC AND PARKING VIOLATIONS. IF SOMEONE'S PARKED IN YOUR YARD, IF SOMEONE'S BLOCKING THE DRIVEWAY, IF SOMEONE IS PARKED ON A YELLOW BUMP ON A YELLOW LINE, TOW THEM, GIVE THEM THE CITATION, AND TOW THEM. THAT'S HOW WE LEARN. CONSEQUENCES GIVE YOU RESULTS. AND ACCORDING TO THIS CHANGE, IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY DAVIS SHORES RESIDENTS AND SOME BUSINESS PERMITS ARE BEING PROVIDED. THAT COMPLETELY EXCLUDES EVERYBODY OUTSIDE OF DAVIS SHORES THAT RELIES ON PARKING THERE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ATTEND NIGHT OF LIGHTS, WE HAVE TO PARK IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER WAY FOR US TO GET THERE. THE CLOSEST SHUTTLE PICKUP, I BELIEVE, IS A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH PARKING NEAR THAT SHUTTLE WITH ALL THE OTHER TOURISTS PARKING THERE AS WELL. AND IT JUST SEEMS THAT NIGHT OF LIGHTS SHOULD REALLY NOT BE ALLOWED TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE ACCESSIBILITY AND EVERYDAY CONVENIENCE OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE AROUND THERE AND OUTSIDE OF THERE. I DID LIKE THE IDEA THAT I BELIEVE HER NAME WAS SARAH KENNEDY SAID TO PARK ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I MOVED UP FROM MIAMI ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. THAT WAS A SOLUTION. WE ALWAYS HAVE AN INFLUX OF TOURISM. IT'S YEAR ROUND AND THAT IS ALWAYS A SOLUTION. ENFORCING THE PARKING WAS ALWAYS A SOLUTION, ALLOWING RESIDENTS WITHIN THE SAINT JOHNS COUNTY SAINT JOHNS COUNTY AREA WITH, YOU KNOW, REGISTERED TAGS, ALLOWING THEM TO PARK IN THESE AREAS. ALL, YOU KNOW, INCLUSIVE IS A SOLUTION. BUT I KNOW MYSELF $100 PARKING TICKET WOULD COMPLETELY MAKE ME HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING MY LIGHTS OR FEEDING MY CHILDREN. I WORK HERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF US WORK HERE. WE LIVE HERE, AND WE LIVE HERE BECAUSE WE LOVE IT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO SACRIFICE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE BECAUSE TOURISTS. I UNDERSTAND TOURISTS ARE IMPORTANT. I'M A HAIRSTYLIST. TOURISTS DEFINITELY BRING ME MONEY, BUT WE ALSO LIVE HERE AND MY KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO CARE ABOUT NIGHT OF LIGHTS. THEY WANT TO SEE THEIR FRIENDS. THEY WANT TO GO TO THE PLACES THAT WE GO TO. WE FREQUENT EVERY RESTAURANT ON THE BOULEVARD, AND IT'S BETWEEN THE HOURS OF LIKE 3 P.M. AND 8 P.M. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

MELISSA GANZINI OKAY, THAT'S THE LAST I'M GOING TO CALL THAT CARD. I AM NO LONGER ACCEPTING

[01:55:07]

HELLO. LEANDRA BURGESS, 16 PP. AVENUE. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO, EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEES DO. I KNOW IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T DO THIS LIGHTLY. I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD JUST HOLD OFF FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

WHILE THE CITY LOOKS AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES TO ADDRESS OUR PARKING ISSUES AND OUR SAFETY ISSUES, WHICH WE DID. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING A WEBSITE, HAVING SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THE CITY IS CONSTANTLY PUSHING OUT THE INFORMATION ON EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON IN THE CITY AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND ADDRESSING. QUITE HONESTLY, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE SHOCKED THAT NONE OF THESE THINGS WERE THAT THESE THINGS WERE BEING ADDRESSED, BECAUSE I'VE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS ALREADY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE OTHER THING THAT I DO WANT TO ADDRESS WITH THIS, AND AGAIN, I'VE SHOWN YOU THESE PHOTOS BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO PUT THEM UP AGAIN. THIS IS MY STREET. I CAN TELL YOU THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE PARKING ON MY STREET ARE NOT GOING TO THE LOCAL BUSINESSES ON ANASTASIA AVENUE OR BOULEVARD. WHERE THEY'RE GOING IS THEY'RE USING OUR STREET AS FREE PARKING TO WALK DOWNTOWN. INSTEAD OF USING THE SHUTTLES AND THE OTHER PARKING FACILITIES THAT THE CITY HAS PROVIDED. AND I KNOW THAT YOU CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE. YOU'VE PROVIDED SHUTTLES TO HELP PEOPLE, BUT THEY CHOOSE TO DO THIS. IT'S ALSO NOT JUST ABOUT THE PARKING AS FAR AS THE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS SAFETY AND IT'S TRAFFIC FLOW. SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT PEOPLE ARE FINDING A PLACE TO PARK, IT'S THAT, OR THEY WANT A PLACE TO PARK. IT'S A TRAFFIC FLOW PROBLEM. THERE'S SO MUCH CONGESTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS PHOTO, WHICH I TOOK FROM MY HOUSE. PEOPLE WERE SO ANXIOUS TO GET THROUGH THAT THEY IGNORED THE FOUR WAY STOP. IT WAS LIKE, I'M JUST GOING TO GO BUMPER TO BUMPER BECAUSE IF I WAIT, LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN A FOUR WAY STOP, THEN SOMEBODY ELSE WILL GET IN FRONT OF ME. THE OTHER THING THAT I DID WITNESS, AND I'VE TALKED TO YOU ALL ABOUT THIS BEFORE, IS SOME OF THEM THAT WERE A LITTLE BIT SMARTER KNOW ABOUT OUR ALLEYWAYS. SO NOT ONLY WAS THERE CONGESTION ON THE STREETS, THERE WERE CONGESTION IN THE ALLEYWAYS THAT THEY ACTUALLY BLOCKED THE ALLEYWAYS AS WELL.

DARREN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREG BURKE, FOLLOWED BY ROGER WHITE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TONIGHT AS WE HEAD INTO ANOTHER HOLIDAY SEASON IN OUR SPECIAL VILLAGE, WHAT STARTED 33 YEARS AGO TO BOOST OFF SEASON ECONOMY HAS EVOLVED INTO AN OVERTOURISTED EVENT. THE SHEER VOLUME OF VISITORS IS SEVERELY STRAINING OUR LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, CROSSING A THRESHOLD WHERE THE NEGATIVE OF IMPACTS OUTWEIGH THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS. TRAFFIC AND PARKING ARE STRETCHED BEYOND THEIR LIMITS. THE CITY AND AREA BUSINESSES ENCOURAGED THIS GROWTH, AND WITH THAT COMES A RESPONSIBILITY TO MANAGE ITS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. WE RESIDENTS VALUE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES. WE VISIT THEM YEAR ROUND AND WISH THEM NOTHING BUT SUCCESS. I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH BUSINESS UNDERGOES A SITE PLAN REVIEW WITH SPECIFIC PARKING REQUIREMENTS, AND THOSE PLANS NEVER INCLUDE RESIDENTIAL STREETS. IT CANNOT FALL UPON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO PROVIDE PARKING FOR THE CITY'S TOURISM.

WE AS RESIDENTS, TAXPAYERS DESERVE SAFE STREETS, SAFE ACCESS TO OUR HOMES, AND THE

[02:00:01]

THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBORS. WE LOVE THEM. WE LOVE GOING TO THEIR BUSINESSES, EATING, DRINKING.

THEY. THEY MAKE OUR LIVES SPECIAL. PLEASE DO NOT REVOKE THE THOUGHTFUL, WELL-PLANNED PARKING RESTRICTIONS THIS COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED AND AS SOME OTHERS HAVE SAID, IT WAS. WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT A YEAR LAST. A YEAR AGO IN SEPTEMBER, NOTHING HAD OCCURRED AND WE SAID, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN? AND THEY SAID, GET YOUR. GET SIGNATURES, GET 60%.

WE GOT OVER 60%, 65% SIGNATURES. AND WE MADE IT HAPPEN. MAYBE WE CAN FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE. WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE HISTORIC TOWN HERE. LET'S FOCUS ON GETTING PEOPLE HERE ALL YEAR ROUND AND ROUND OUT THE BUSINESS TO BRING MORE BUSINESS TO THESE BUSINESSES ALL YEAR ROUND, NOT JUST FOR 59 DAYS. LET'S FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CAPITALIZE ON THE INCREDIBLE HISTORY THAT SAINT AUGUSTINE OFFERS AND ALL THAT IT OFFERS HERE, AND MARKET THE THE TOWN DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ROGER WHITE, FOLLOWED BY BJ LADY, WHO IS OUR LAST SPEAKER. WELL, MAYBE I'LL DO IT. ROGER WHITE THREE, MURAT STREET, PRESIDENT OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, NORTH DAVIS SHORES. AGAIN, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING WITH YOU TONIGHT. ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. EXCUSE ME, SEPTEMBER 30TH. I DROPPED THIS OFF AT EVERY BUSINESS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF A ONE A FROM THE CHOP SHOP TO NOBBIES. THE ONLY TWO. WELL, I WILL CORRECT THAT.

THE ONLY THREE WHO CALLED ME WERE CHOP SHOP, AND I GOT THEIR FOUR NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT PARKING PASSES AND BLACK FLY. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO GET THEM PARKING PASSES ON THE MORNING THAT ON WEDNESDAY THE THIRD, I THINK I GOT A CALL FROM ERICA THOMPSON, BUT SHE NEVER I CALLED HER BACK. I NEVER HEARD AGAIN. SO WHEN I WENT, I DROPPED OFF A FORM THAT LOOKED LIKE THIS. BECAUSE I FIGURED MAYBE I'M NOT GETTING THE UPSIDE DOWN. I THOUGHT IT WAS ME. YEAH. I THOUGHT MAYBE PEOPLE AREN'T UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN I SAY WE CAN PROVIDE PASSES, THAT WE COULD PROVIDE PASSES. SO I DROPPED OFF THIS FORM. THAT WAS THE DAY THEY WENT NUCLEAR. SO. WHEN WE HEAR THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE RESIDENTS, IT'S SPECIOUS. I ONLY GOT THREE CALLS IN A MONTH AND I WENT A SECOND TIME TO HORN SKIS BECAUSE I HEARD TIM POLETTI NEEDED PASSES. AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHEN MR. HORN JUMPED DOWN MY THROAT. SO WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE NEIGHBORS. WE GO. BUT MY DAD USED TO TELL ME, DON'T EXPECT THE WORLD TO GIVE YOU A LIVING. SO IF YOU DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THE CITY, YOU DON'T WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORS, BUT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM FOR YOUR PARKING. WE FEEL ABUSED, HONESTLY. SO WHY WOULD YOU SACRIFICE WHAT? WE HAVE 600 HOMES IN DAVIS SHORES FOR 40 DAYS IN NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM OTHER RESIDENTS, WE'RE STILL OPEN TO WORKING TOGETHER, BUT NOT WHEN YOU PUT A GUN TO OUR HEADS.

IT'S JUST NOT THE WAY TO DO BUSINESS. AND I WANT TO SAY ONE OTHER THING ABOUT WAITING A YEAR. IF YOU WAIT, IF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS CAN'T GET TO YOUR HOME, ONE MINUTE GOES BY, YOU HAVE A 10% CHANCE OF LIVING LESS LIVING. IF YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK, IF YOU HAVE A STROKE, 1,000,901.9 MILLION BRAIN CELLS ARE GOING TO DIE. THANK YOU. LET'S NOT WAIT.

[02:05:08]

THIS WHOLE RESIDENTIAL PARKING THING HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR WELL OVER A YEAR, ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW. BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN INFORMED, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN INFORMED, IT'S BEEN PUBLICIZED ON THE WEBSITE. IT'S BEEN PUBLICIZED THROUGH NOTICES. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANY BUSINESS TO SAY THAT. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS COMING. MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALL I'VE HEARD IS BUSINESSES SAY THAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED PLANS OF THEIR OWN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN HEARD OR NOT, WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN AGREED TO OR NOT, TO COME UP HERE AND SAY THEY DIDN'T KNOW, I THINK IS A LITTLE SILLY. AND WHEN YOU GO IN FRONT OF THE NEWS, THE MEDIA AND ALL OF THE EMPATHY FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTS HERE AND ALL OF THE WELL WISHES AND THE KINDNESS AND, OH, I WANT TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THEN GO TO THE GO TO THE NEWS, YOU GO TO THE MEDIA AND ALL YOU DO IS SAY HOW THE RESIDENTS ARE AGAINST THE BUSINESSES, AND HOW WE ARE TRYING TO PUT THE BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS. I FIND IT FRUSTRATING. I FIND IT FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THAT THESE BUSINESSES FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHILE A WHILE ESPOUSING TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE NOT SUPPORTING US. WHILE ALL WE HAVE DONE 365 DAYS A YEAR IS SUPPORT THEM. SO WE HAVE A VERY SIMPLE ASK. WE CAME TO YOU. IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING. WE CAME UP WITH A PLAN AND THAT PLAN MAKES SENSE. IT WORKS FOR THE RESIDENCES AND IT WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. BUSINESSES HAVE THEIR OWN PARKING. YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN FIT INTO A BUSINESS. YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN PARK NEAR YOUR BUSINESS, CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOU CAN SERVE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME. THAT DOESN'T CHANGE WHETHER IT'S NIGHTS OF LIGHTS OR NOT. FOR ALL OF THIS IDEAS OF WE CAN DO ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING, YOU CAN. IF EVERYTHING IN SAINT AUGUSTINE WAS ONE WAY. THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF A STREET IS 22FT. THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF A TRUCK IS EIGHT FEET. EVERY STREET IN. IN DAVIS SHORES IS TWO WAYS. IF YOU PARK ON ONE SIDE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE WAY STREET DRIVING.

OTHERWISE CARS ARE GOING TO RUN INTO EACH OTHER. IT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES ON TWO WAY STREETS. IF YOU DO ONE SIDE, IF YOU DO ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING, YOU HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING UNLESS YOU TURN ALL OF SAINT AUGUSTINE INTO A ONE WAY ZONE, AND YOU REROUTE ALL TRAFFIC USING ONE WAY ZONES. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS DAVIS SHORES IS THERE'S ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT, AND THAT IS WEST. EVERYTHING EAST IS BLOCKED OFF BY THE WATER. SO YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A TON OF ACCESS TO GET IN. SO THE CONGESTION IS TWICE AS BAD AS MANY OF THE PLACES DOWNTOWN OR EVEN NORTH SAINT AUGUSTINE, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF OTHER OTHER DIRECTIONS AND OTHER WAYS TO GET AROUND. SO THERE'S NO REASON I CAN SEE TO, TO ROLL BACK WHAT WE'VE AGREED UPON AND WHAT OVER AND OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD VOTED FOR, WHICH IS TO RESTRICT PARKING SO THAT RESIDENTS CAN BE SAFE. AND AS ALL THE NEWS LINES I HAVE, I HAVE A HEADLINE POTENTIALLY FOR YOU GUYS.

RESIDENT DIES BECAUSE PUBLIC BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY COULDN'T GET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR ITEM. WE GO ON TO THE

[5. CONSENT AGENDA]

[02:10:09]

SWEARING IN CEREMONY AND A DECEMBER 14TH, 5 P.M. REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 12TH REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING, THE.

OCTOBER 26TH, 3 P.M. CITY COMMISSION MEETING AND THE OCTOBER 26TH REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE THE ALBERTSON'S OPIOID SETTLEMENT. WE HAVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2526 CARRY FORWARD REQUESTS FROM MELISSA BURNS, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR. WE HAVE THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR A LIVE LOCAL PROJECT CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 0.46 ACRES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST KING STREET, NORTH WEST OF NORTH WHITNEY STREET, WHICH IS PARCEL 1124200000 AND PARCEL 112430 FOLLOWED BY FOUR ZEROS. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A SATISFACTION AND RELEASE OF LIEN FOR 675 NORTH MCLAUGHLIN STREET. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. COMMISSIONERS. ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'LL SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE ON TO ITEM SEVEN A NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, MADAM MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A

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

EXTRAS? YES. AS MANY EXTRAS AS YOU CAN GET OUT THERE. APPRECIATE THAT. AND WE'LL MAKE THIS AVAILABLE AFTER THE MEETING FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE IT. OKAY. WEBSITE. THAT'S GOOD. I THINK THIS IS VERY HELPFUL. YES. YES. SO THIS IS A MORE DETAILED VERSION OF WHAT'S BEEN USED. THIS ACCURATELY DEPICTS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKING THAT EXIST IN DAVIS SHORES. AND MISS PERKINS IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS. JAMIE PERKINS, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR. MR. CITY MANAGER. MR. BERTRAM IS CORRECT. THIS DEPICTION OF THE MAP IS KIND OF AN OVERLAY OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU ALL IN OCTOBER. WHEN WE DID DISCUSS THE ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS THE ADOPTION OR THE APPROVAL OF THE TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING IN NORTH AND SOUTH DAVIS SHORES.

WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS AN OVERLAY OVER OUR COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIALLY ZONED AND RESIDENTIALLY ZONED PARK OR AREAS. YOU CAN SEE THE DARK RED LINES SHOWS THE RESIDENT ONLY PARKING, WHICH WAS APPROVED FOR THE ENTIRETY OF NIGHTS OF LIGHT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 1 P.M. TO 9 P.M. THAT ORANGE AREA IN THE SOUTH DAVIS SHORES IS THE APPROVED TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING FOR THE ENTIRETY OF NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. BUT ON FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS ONLY FROM 1 TO 9 P.M. AND THEN WE HAVE THIS DEEP BLUE COLOR THAT INDICATES THE FREE PUBLIC PARKING, WHICH IS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. AND AS YOU NOTICE, NONE OF THE COMMERCIAL PARKING IS RESTRICTED. THERE IS NO RESTRICTIONS IN ANY OF THE COMMERCIAL AREAS, AND THAT HAS BEEN THAT WAY SINCE WE APPROVED. YOU ALL APPROVED THE TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING. SO WHERE THERE IS COMMERCIALLY ZONED AREAS, THE PARKING REMAINS UNRESTRICTED. AND WE DID

[02:15:06]

AGAIN, THERE'S ABOUT 60 SPACES THERE. THEN WE HAVE THE THE YELLOW STARS, WHICH ARE PRIVATE PAY TO PARK PARKING LOTS. AND ALL OF THOSE ARE SIX OF SIX PRIVATE PAID PARKING LOTS ON THE ISLAND ALONG THE BOULEVARD. AND ALL OF THOSE SPACES QUANTIFY AT ABOUT 80 PARKING SPACES AT THE PAY TO PARK SPOTS. THE CITY HAS ALSO WORKED REALLY DILIGENTLY TO INCORPORATE THE FREE STAR CIRCULATOR. THE PURPLE STAR INDICATES BOTH OF THE ANASTASIA BOULEVARD STOPS, WHERE PEOPLE CAN TAKE THE FREE CIRCULATOR THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND. ON THIS, THE ANASTASIA SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, AND THEY'LL STOP RIGHT ON THE ISLAND AND THEY CAN WALK THE BOULEVARD, OR THEY CAN CROSS THE BRIDGE TO GET DOWNTOWN. AND THEN, OF COURSE, JUST ON FRIDAY, WE INTRODUCED OUR NEW BIKE SHARE PROGRAM, WHICH IS ALSO THERE'S A DOCKING STATION, A HUB ON ANASTASIA ISLAND. YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN STAR THERE. AND THAT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO BIKE OR TO BE MOBILE THROUGHOUT THE THE BOULEVARD AREA. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I POINT OUT FOR THIS COMMISSION AND MAYBE ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT WE BEGAN PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR THE TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING PRIOR TO THE 2025 KNIGHTS OF LIGHT SEASON. WE HOSTED IN THIS ROOM FOUR WORKSHOPS WHERE THE BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS ALIKE WERE INVITED TO PROVIDE INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON THE NEXT STEPS FOR PARKING CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE FACING. BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS VISITATION DURING THOSE FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, DAVID SHORES WAS MENTIONED MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT BEING THE NEXT STEP IN ROLLING OUT TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING. NOT ONLY DID WE HEAR ABOUT DAVID SHORES DURING THOSE FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE DID MENTION TO THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS DURING THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE WOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL THE 2026 SEASON TO IMPLEMENT ANY RESIDENTIAL, TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING IN DAVIS SHORES FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT MAINLY LIMITED RESOURCES WITH STAFFING AND TIME TO ROLL OUT THAT TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING. AND SO THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. WE ALSO MENTIONED TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING IN DAVIS SHORES DURING OUR FEBRUARY KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS AFTER ACTION REPORT, WHICH MR. BERTRAM PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION IN FEBRUARY.

ADDITIONALLY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESENTED IN MARCH THE SURVEY DATA THAT CAME FROM 463 EXCUSE ME, 443 RESIDENT RESPONSES THAT TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACED DURING THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT SEASON. AND WE USE THAT DATA TO IMPLEMENT SOME POLICY CHANGES, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE BEING ROLLED OUT IN THE TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING PROGRAM. AND THE THE FIND THE INCREASE TO ILLEGAL PARKING FINES. AGAIN, NO COMMERCIAL ZONES HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED. THIS IS THE SAME MAP FROM WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS BACK IN OCTOBER.

WE JUST USED THIS TO KIND OF MORE CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHERE PARKING IS AVAILABLE.

PREVIOUSLY, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH JUST SEEING THE RED AREAS THAT WERE CONSIDERED RESIDENTIAL OR TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL PARKING. NOW WE WANT TO CALL OUT WHERE THE AVAILABLE PARKING IS THAT IS FREE. AGAIN, WE QUANTIFIED OVER 200 AVAILABLE PARKING SPACES ALONG THE BOULEVARD. WE DON'T OWN ANASTASIA BOULEVARD, SO WE HAVE NOT RESTRICTED PARKING ON ANASTASIA BOULEVARD. IT IS STILL OPEN, FREE ACCESS PARKING. THE BLUE WATER SITE IS AVAILABLE. AND THEN WE DO ALSO HAVE THE FREE PARK AND RIDE SHUTTLE. SO THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE TO TRY TO HELP THE BUSINESSES AND THE RESIDENTS BE ABLE TO GET TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN IF THEY WANT TO ENJOY THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT SEASON. SO WE HAVE THE THREE PARK AND RIDE SHUTTLE SPACES. WE WORK WITH THE CITY'S DEVELOPERS, THE BROUDIE GARAGE

[02:20:01]

THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO WE DID GET IN THE BEACH TO CITY SHUTTLE TOO. SO CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? THAT'S NEW THIS YEAR. SO THERE'LL BE A SHUTTLE COMING IN FROM THE BEACH, RIGHT. PICKING UP PEOPLE IN THE HOTEL. SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL DIMINISH SOME OF THE TRAFFIC. AND COULD YOU TELL US WHERE THAT STOP IS AT ON THE BOULEVARD THERE. IS THAT YOUR GERARDO. YES, THERE'S ONE ON THE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BOULEVARD, WHICH IS THAT GERARDO STREET. AND THEN ON THE EAST SIDE RIGHT BEFORE, I'M SORRY, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET BACK TO THE BRIDGE. RIGHT. SO THAT'S SO THAT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THIS AREA. YES. CENTRAL IN THE AREA. AND THEN WE HAVE THE NEW BIKE SHARE. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN COULD YOU JUST I THINK MAYBE JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE IT, THAT THE TWO ROADS, THE TWO ROADS THAT RUN NORTH AND SOUTH PARALLEL TO THE BOULEVARD ARE BLUE ON ONE SIDE. AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT A HEAVY BLUE, PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SEE IT. SO AM I, AM I, I DON'T I DON'T THINK I'M MISTAKEN TO SAY THE SOUTH SIDE OF FLAGLER AND THE NORTH SIDE OF. WHAT'S THAT ONE THERE? ERIC COLA. COCA-COLA. ARE YOU OR ARE UNRESTRAINED COMMERCIAL PARKING WHERE PEOPLE CAN PARK? RIGHT. I CAN'T GET MY MOUSE TO WORK, BUT YES. YEAH. I'M SORRY.

JUST SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT ARE OUT IN THE CROWD THAT CAN'T SEE IT, THAT WHOLE STRIP THERE ON BOTH SIDES, THE SIDES. AND THE REASON THAT UNLESS I'M WRONG, THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THOSE ARE COMMERCIALLY ZONED PARCELS, A FULL BLOCK. SO THE BACK SIDE OF THAT IS COMMERCIAL. SO THE RATIONALE IS FOR HAVING THAT. THERE IS IT'S A COMMERCIALLY ZONED AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS ON THAT. PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO PARK THERE. CORRECT. SO THE THINNER LINES OF BLUE AND THEN ORANGE AND RED ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF DAVIS SHORES ARE ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET. SO RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL ON ONE, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A COMMERCIALLY ZONED. AND THE OTHER SIDE RESIDENTIAL IS CORRECT. SO THE DISTINCTION WE'RE MAKING IS THAT THE THE USE THE ZONING AND LAND USE OF THE PROPERTIES AS ARE DESCRIBED IN OUR LAW. THAT'S THE RATIONALE WE'RE USING, I THINK. CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO DID ANY THOUGHT GO INTO THE. SO WE I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO CONFIRM WAS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT THE 2522 FOOT WIDE STREETS AND THAT ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING IS NOT REALLY PHYSICALLY FEASIBLE TO ALLOW FOR. SO I WONDERED IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THAT. WE DID NOT TRY TO DESIGN THE RESIDENTS ONLY PARKING IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON ONE SIDE, BUT NOT THE OTHER. THAT WOULD BE A MUCH MORE DETAILED EMERGENCY SERVICES ASSESSMENT TO SEE WHICH STREETS WERE WIDE ENOUGH TO HAVE PARKING ON ONE SIDE BUT NOT THE OTHER, AND WHICH SIDE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE OKAY. AND THEN THE NEIGHBORS WOULD ALSO HAVE A VOICE IN WHICH SIDE THE PARKING WOULD BE ON AND WHICH SIDE THE PARKING WOULD NOT BE ON. SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE MAP, THE ONLY STREETS WHERE THERE'S ONLY PARKING ON ONE SIDE ARE STREETS WHERE ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IS COMMERCIAL, AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET IS RESIDENTIAL, FOLLOWING FORM WITH THE WHAT WE DID IN UPTOWN, WHICH IS PARKING ADJACENT TO COMMERCIAL IS IS NOT IS NOT RESTRICTED BY RESIDENTIAL PARKING PASSES. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA OF BUSINESS PARKING PASSES THAT WE WE DID GIVE TO UPTOWN. WE DID GIVE THEM, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER SPRINGFIELD THAT MADE THE SUGGESTION FOR TWO PARKING PASSES FOR BUSINESSES, AND I. I HAVE HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORS THAT THEY'RE NOT OPPOSED TO THAT. IT'S. HAVE. HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO THAT? DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR.

WE. IT'S YOUR DECISION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES, YOU CAN. WHAT YOU DID ALONG THE SAN MARCO CORRIDOR WAS YOU MADE. EVERY BUSINESS IS ELIGIBLE FOR

[02:25:09]

THE MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT THE BUSINESSES ON ANASTASIA STAY OPEN MUCH LATER IN THE EVENING, THEIR RESTAURANTS AND BARS. BUT IT'S UP TO YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PARKING PASSES FOR BUSINESSES AVAILABLE. I'D LIKE TO HEAR. I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND WITHOUT THE 530 RESTRICTION. BUT JUST TO MAKE IT PASSES, SINCE WE DO HAVE NUMEROUS BARS ON THE BOULEVARD, THAT'S PAST 2 A.M. AND I WOULDN'T I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM SUPPORTING THAT.

OKAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ABOUT. I DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED TO HAVE PASSES FOR FEMALES GETTING OFF. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY COULD BE DRUNK AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY AND THAT WOULD PREVENT CRIME. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION SO THEY CAN GET TO THEIR CARS SAFELY IF THEY'RE CLOSE TO THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, DO A AND THEY COULD BE LIKE A PASS. LIKE WHEN ONE COMES IN, THE OTHER ONE GETS IT AND SO FORTH.

THAT WAY MORE MULTIPLE PEOPLE CAN USE IT AT DIFFERENT SHIFTS. SO I THINK WE NEED TO CATER TO THAT MAYBE FOR BECAUSE YOU NEVER HAVE ONE PERSON CLOSING AT NIGHT, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE JUST TO GET THEM SAFELY IN THEIR VEHICLES AND BE ABLE TO GO HOME. I DID THINK THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO A STREET ASSESSMENT, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE THAT INDICATED THEY HAD HEALTH ISSUES TO SEE WHAT STREETS THAT WE COULD, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, MAKE ONE SIDE PARKING JUST SO EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN GET DOWN THOSE ROADS. I KNOW THEY DID THAT IN FULWOOD. THERE WERE SOME SMALL STREET. THERE WAS A SMALL STREET, AND THE PEOPLE SAID THEY WOULD RATHER GIVE UP ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE MAYOR, GARDNER'S WIFE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE AND THERE WAS A BABY. AND THE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A HARD TIME GETTING THERE. AND WE JUST NEED TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME STREETS. I'M NOT SUGGESTING ALL STREETS, BUT SOME STREETS THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT. SO AMBULANCE CAN GET OVER THERE. SO THANK YOU. IF WE CAN GET AN ASSESSMENT AND YOU CAN BRING IT BACK TO US AT A LATER TIME.

THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME COMMENTS, BUT I'LL RESERVE THOSE UNTIL YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE. I'VE HAD ONE SHOT AT IT. SO IN FAIRNESS, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION FOR MYSELF. AND THAT IS, EVERY BUSINESS ON THE BOULEVARD HAS GONE THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS, AND IN THAT PERMITTING PROCESS, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE EXCLUSIVE PARKING FOR THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT WILL LIKELY USE THEIR BUSINESS. IS THAT CORRECT? WHEN A BUSINESS RECEIVES A BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, WHICH IS COLLOQUIALLY CALLED A BUSINESS LICENSE, THERE IS A REVIEW PROCESS BY CITY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, AND EACH TYPE OF BUSINESS HAS THEIR OWN FORMULA FOR PROVIDING ON SITE PARKING AND FOR BUSINESSES LIKE RESTAURANTS. THE FORMULA IS BASED ON SEATING IN THE RESTAURANT AND ALSO THE NON PATRON AREA, WHICH WOULD BE THE REST, THE KITCHEN AND THE OFFICE. AND THAT FORMULA IS BUILT AROUND TRYING TO PROVIDE PARKING FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND FOR THE STAFF. AND THAT PARKING HAS TO BE ON SITE. OUR COMMUNITY IS OLD AND A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES PREDATE OUR ZONING CODE AND HAVE BEEN GRANDFATHERED IN. AND WHEN A BUSINESS DOES NOT CHANGE, USE. SO LET'S SAY IT'S A RESTAURANT AND WITH TEN SEATS AND IT JUST CONTINUES TO FLIP OVER. AS A RESTAURANT WITH TEN SEATS, THERE IS AN ABBREVIATED REVIEW FOR THAT BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT. SO. THERE IS A REVIEW PROCESS,

[02:30:01]

BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT THOSE BUSINESS PASSES WOULD GO TO THE RED STREETS HERE, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT IMPACT THEIR OWN PERSONAL CUSTOMER PARKING. CORRECT. POSSIBLY. OR THEY DON'T NEED A PASS TO PARK IN THE BLUE. THEY WOULD ONLY GET A PASS TO PARK IN THE RED STREETS. I THINK THE LOGIC WOULD BE THEY WOULD HAND OUT THE PASSES TO STAFF WHO WOULD PARK IN THE RED. CORRECT. THEN THE BLUE WOULD BE RESERVED FOR THE CUSTOMERS OR ANYBODY ELSE OR ANYBODY ELSE. CORRECT. AND DID I HEAR THAT THE THE SANDS WAS WILLING TO TAKE RESIDENTS PARKING AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE BUSINESSES? IS THAT WHERE THEY WERE GETTING THE FOUR PARKING PASSES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE OUT? THAT WAS BEING DONE SOLELY BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES? THE CITY WAS NOT A PARTY TO THAT, AND THAT'S ALLOWED. NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. AGAIN, THAT'S BETWEEN THE BUSINESSES AND THE AND THE IT DOESN'T VIOLATE ANY RULE THAT WE HAVE NO. OKAY. SO THE BUSINESSES COULD GET FOUR FROM SANDS IF IF THEY HAVE AVAILABLE PASSES TO GIVE. PUBLIC SAFETY HAS GOT TO BE OUR NUMBER ONE. AND YES, I LIVE IN FULL OF WOOD AND YES, WE EXPERIENCE THAT. AND YES, IT'S MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR ONE WAY STREETS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I KNOW IT'S A HUGE ORDEAL TO STUDY AND TO MAKE EVERYONE SATISFIED WITH ONE WAY STREETS. I KNOW THAT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS TO DO THIS. I ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT LENGTH A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR TWO YEARS, NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY DAVID SHORES, BUT THE ENTIRE PARKING PROBLEM.

BUILDING A GARAGE STARTED, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO. WE STARTED WITH THE GARAGE OUT ON KING STREET 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO. IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR 6 OR 7 YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THAT'S THE WAY BUSINESS GOES IN A CITY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT AS FREE AS REGULAR BUSINESSES ARE, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. AND YES, WE DO NEED MORE PARKING GARAGES IN ALL QUADRANTS OF THE CITY, AND IT SHOULD BE A GOAL. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT IN SOME PLANS. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO GIVING BUSINESSES SOME PARKING SPOTS IN THE RED ZONES. I AM WANTING TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS. IT ALSO NEEDS TO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS TAXES SUPPORT THIS CITY BY ABOUT 50%. THE REST ARE OTHER FEES, BUT THEY'RE NOT MAJORITY SALES TAX. SO WE DO NOT PROMOTE THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHT NIGHT OF LIGHTS, AND WE DO NOT PROMOTE PARKING IN ANY AREA. THIS IS TOTALLY DONE THROUGH TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX. THEY DO ALL THE PROMOTIONS, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX THAT WE EARN IN OUR HOTELS AND OUR AIRBNBS. THEY GO TO THE TDC AND WE GET A MINUSCULE AMOUNT OF THAT MONEY BACK FOR OUR USE. SO THIS PROBLEM OF US HAVING NO PARKING, POOR COMMUNICATION ABOUT ISSUES IS IS BIG. BUT I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT IN THE WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS AS A CITY COMMISSION OF PROMOTING BUSINESS. THAT IS THE BUSINESS'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT IS TOURIST DEVELOPMENT'S COMMISSION'S RESPONSIBILITY.

AND WE ARE HERE TO MAKE RESIDENTS AND HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE. AND WE'RE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT BUSINESSES HAVE THE ABILITY TO EARN MONEY. SO WE DO NEED SOME KIND OF COMPROMISE. I THINK A COUPLE OF PASSES IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO SOME OF THE LARGE RESTAURANTS. MAYBE WE OUGHT TO COME UP WITH A FORMULA ON THE NUMBER OF SEATS RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPOTS THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE IN ORDER FOR US TO GIFT PARKING PASSES IN THE RED STREETS. AND WE OUGHT TO MAKE SURE WE STUDY HOW MANY THAT WOULD BE BEFORE WE MAKE AN IMPACT ON THOSE STREETS. SO LET'S FIND A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPROMISE. BUT WE HAVE BEEN

[02:35:01]

YEAH. WELL, NO, IT IS, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S A IF I HAD A BUSINESS, I'M JUST SAYING IF I HAD A BUSINESS, I WOULD BE DOING THIS. SO I'M SPEAKING MORE PRIVATELY THAN A COMMISSIONER AND WE WILL GET THIS OUT I'M SURE. BUT. AS FAR AS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAME IN, ALSO ON OUR EMAIL WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF A MORE COMMUNICATION. AND I THINK ONE OF THEM WAS THAT THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WOULD ON THE BOULEVARD WOULD FORM, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU IT'S EASIER TO DEAL WITH AN ORGANIZATION SOMETIMES THAN IT IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT WOULD WOULD GET JUST. I'M THINKING OF IT AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT THAT WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU CAN SOMETIMES GET BETTER REACH. SO EVERYTHING ELSE I THINK I'VE SAID, AND I WOULD BE READY TO DO THIS, JUST DETERMINE HOW MANY HANG TAGS THAT WE NEED. OKAY, WELL, I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE EXTRA THINGS TO SAY. I HAVE FOUND IT DISTURBING THE AMOUNT OF MISINFORMATION. AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S PRODUCTIVE TO POINT FINGERS, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF GETTING THIS MAP OUT OR, YOU KNOW, A PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE ACTUAL LIKE WHAT WE VOTED ON BECAUSE I'M HEARING THE INFORMATION AND IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S A BASIC LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PROGRAM WAS. I HEARD DIFFERENT WORDS, BUT IT CREATED THAT SAID, IT CREATED A LOT OF FEAR. AND I DON'T. I FEEL BAD WHEN EVERYBODY HAS TO COME OUT AND THEY'RE AFRAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE THE RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE PEACEFUL ENJOYMENT AND SAFETY OF THEIR HOMES. AND THE BUSINESSES ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES, YOU KNOW, TO PAY THEIR BILLS. AND, YOU KNOW, SO I HATE TO GET INTO THIS SITUATION. AND BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S WE'VE WE'VE GOT SOME SOLUTIONS. OBVIOUSLY, THE MAP IS GOOD. WE CAN SEE THAT. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE COULD MAKE BLUE WATER AVAILABLE. THE FIRE STATION FUTURE FIRE STATION SITE IS AVAILABLE FOR THAT PARKING TO TAKE UP. YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF ABSORB SOME SOME OF THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT FOREVER. THAT'S TEMPORARY. SO WHAT I LIKE TO SAY IS I'M KIND OF FOLLOWING ON WHAT LIZ SNYDER SAID, AND I HAPPEN TO THINK SHE'S A VERY SMART PERSON. AND I TAKE EVERYTHING THAT SHE'S SAYING TO HEART UP THERE ON SAN MARCO AVENUE AND WHAT THE KIND OF IMPACTS THE BUSINESSES ARE GETTING, I'D LIKE TO, SHE SAID. WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONS MOVING FORWARD, AND I AGREE WITH THAT. AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE UP TO ME, BUT I THINK IN THE FUTURE IT WOULD PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO HAVE A PARKING AND TRAFFIC COMMITTEE AND TO CONTINUE STUDYING THESE, THESE IMPACTS THE CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, CONTINUE THE ASSESSMENTS IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY. BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, PARKING AND TRAFFIC IS LIKE A THE THE MOBILE OVER YOUR BABY'S CRIB. IF YOU TOUCH ONE PIECE, THE WHOLE THING MOVES. SO WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH PARKING AND TRAFFIC NEIGHBORHOOD OVER HERE, NEIGHBORHOOD OVER HERE, NEIGHBORHOOD OVER HERE. AND IT'S AND THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE. IT FEELS DISJOINTED. IT DOESN'T FEEL CONNECTED. IT FEELS PIECEMEAL. SO MY, I WOULD VERY MUCH SUGGEST THAT IN THE

[02:40:02]

BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN, IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS. NO, EXCEPT MAKING $100. FINE. IF YOU CAUGHT THERE. IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME AS AN IDEA. NOW, THIS IS JUST A BRAINSTORM, BUT WHY COULDN'T WE MAKE THE 65 PARKINGS AT BLUEWATER BAY AT BLUEWATER JEWELRY ONLY FOR EMPLOYEES? BLOCK IT OFF AS RESTRICTED PARKING, AND GIVE THOSE PASSES TO THE BUSINESSES FOR THEM TO USE AS PARKING, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY'RE GOING TO BE FILLED WITH TOURISTS. THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY ENSURE THAT ANY OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE USED FOR THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PEOPLE COULD COME IN AND LOOK AT THIS AND JUST PARK THEIR CAR HERE AND WALK OVER. BUT I KNOW THE PAST.

I MEAN, IF WE GIVE PASSES AND WE BLOCK THAT PARKING LOT, THE ONE THING, ONE COMMENT THAT I DID SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF I SAW IT ONLINE, WAS THAT THEY WOULD THEY THINK IT'S TOO FAR FROM THE SITE TO SOME OF THE PLACES THAT FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE. BUT AT. I HAVE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT ONE. YEAH, WE MEASURED IT OFF AND IT'S IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEES PARKING ON OUR SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IN DAVIS SHORES. AND IT'S NO FURTHER FROM BLUE WATER SLASH FIRE STATION TO THE END OF THE BOULEVARD AT THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE. AND IT IS FROM RIVER AND FORD TO THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE. I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT IF WHEN IT COMES TO DISTANCE AND WALKING. FRANKLY, I WOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO SAY THAT IF I WAS, I COULDN'T WALK A HALF A MILE IF I COULD. BUT ANYWAY, AS IT IS, I THINK THAT THE THING WAS THE SECURITY ON THE BOULEVARD. I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY IF THAT'S A FACTOR, BUT I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE LEAVING THAT OPEN FOR CUSTOMERS AND DOING THE THE HANGTAGS IN THE RESIDENCE, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT THAT I CIRCULATOR THOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS, YOU KNOW, REALLY, HONESTLY, MY THING IS, IS THAT IF PEOPLE WANT TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS DON'T DRIVE A CAR. WHEN YOU GO DRIVE A BIKE AND WALK. THAT'S THE WAY YOU SUPPORT THEM. BUT BUT THAT'S JUST ME, OKAY. BUT THE REALITY IS ALL OF BLUE IS GOING TO BE TAKEN UP AT 5:00 AT NIGHT. I LIKE YOUR IDEA AND I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY DO. COULD YOU DO AN ENFORCEMENT ZONE WITH A TAG FOR FOR BUSINESSES? AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF EXTRA STUFF, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GO TO MAKE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS IN THIS. IN THIS CASE, YES, WE COULD ISSUE HANGTAGS TO BUSINESSES AND WE COULD MAKE, IF YOU WANTED TO, WE COULD ALSO MAKE THE BLUE WATER SITE RESERVED FOR PARKING FOR BUSINESSES THROUGH A LOTTERY, WHICH IS HOW WE EQUITABLY DO IT. EVERYONE, EVERY BUSINESS IS ELIGIBLE FOR ONE TAG AND THERE'S A LOTTERY FOR THE REMAINDER. OTHER SPACES. OKAY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO. YEAH, WELL, THERE'S THERE'S 340 TOTAL. IF YOU TAKE THE PRIVATE AND THE PUBLIC AND YOU TAKE THE 60 AWAY, THAT WOULD LEAVE 280. SOME OF THEM WOULD BE PARKING, BUT YOU WOULD GUARANTEE THAT THEY HAVE IT AND YOU WOULD NOT BE HAVING THOSE TAGS GOING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, 60 SPACES. SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, MAYBE THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, SINCE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A MEETING, A BUSINESS MEETING AGAIN UNTIL MID DECEMBER, AUTHORIZED STAFF TO WORK THROUGH THIS. BUT GIVE THEM WHAT GENERALLY THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO IN, WHICH I THINK YOU MAY UNDERSTAND. I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE DIVIDED EQUALLY WITH THE BUSINESSES AND NOT DO A LOTTERY BASED. BECAUSE IF I DIDN'T GET CALLED, I WOULD BE UPSET. IF I WAS A BUSINESS OWNER, I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO SEE HOW MANY BUSINESSES, SEE HOW MUCH STAFF, AND THEN SIGN THEM THE PERMITS ACCORDINGLY TO SO THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES TO PARK. THEY ALSO CAN ONES THAT HAVE BUSINESSES RIGHT OUTSIDE THAT ARE GOING DOWN INTO DOWNTOWN, THAT USUALLY WALK OVER TO OVER THE BRIDGE. THEY CAN CATCH THE RIDER OVER BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T STOP THE 10:00 AT NIGHT, AND ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS WALK BACK TO GET TO THEIR PARKING SPOT DURING DURING NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, THE STAR RIDER WILL STOP AT 3 P.M. AND IT WILL NOT CROSS THE BRIDGE. GO ACROSS SO YOU'LL. SO YOU'LL ONLY. YOU'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO STOP ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE AND CROSS OVER, BUT WE HAVE THE FRAMEWORK FOR WORKFORCE PARKING ALREADY, SO WE COULD UTILIZE THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE ARE USING ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE DOWNTOWN THAT WE USE FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, FLAGLER GARAGE, GRANADA, LOT TOLOMATO. OKAY, I'M SORRY, TOE SLOT. SO WE

[02:45:06]

WELL, I COULD MAKE A MOTION AND IT'S FORMALIZED IS EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS. IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF MISINFORMATION. SO I'LL JUST MOVE THAT WE DIRECT STAFF TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY, WHICH YOU ALREADY DO. BUT THIS IS CEREMONIAL ALMOST TO MAKE WORKFORCE USE FRAMEWORK OF WORKFORCE PARKING ON THE ISLAND, WITH THE SITE THERE AT THE FUTURE FIRE STATION AND THE STREETS, AND DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PASSES THAT THAT YOU'LL DISTRIBUTE TO THE BUSINESSES. BUSINESS PASSES. DOES THAT MAKE IS THAT TOO MUCH WORKFORCE? I'M SORRY. WORKFORCE PASSES. OKAY. WE CALL IT WORKFORCE. SORRY. SECOND. OKAY.

NOW DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE? WELL HOW MANY? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE PARKING PASSES AVAILABLE TO EACH BUSINESS, WOULD EQUITABLY, THERE WOULD BE EITHER A MAXIMUM NUMBER PER BUSINESS OR THERE WOULD BE A FORMULA I USE TO DETERMINE. EARLIER YOU SAID FOR PER BUSINESS, I SAID TWO. LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT IS THE FRAMEWORK THEN? IS IT A TWO OR HOW DO YOU WORK THE FRAMEWORK ON THE WORKFORCE PARKING DOWNTOWN? SO THE GRANADA LOT IS A HUNT FOR PASS, AND IT'S CURRENTLY OPERATING AS A HYBRID LOT, WHICH IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING CERTAIN HOURS OF THE DAY AND THEN OPENS FOR WORKFORCE PARKING AND CAN BE SOLD TO BUSINESSES OR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THE SAME GOES FOR THE FLAGLER GARAGE, WHICH IS SOLELY FOR EMPLOYEES.

AND THEN THE TOLOMATO LOT IS, I'M SORRY, SLOT IS STILL IT'S OPEN FOR BUSINESSES. AND THAT FRAMEWORK WAS DESIGNED FOR FOR LARGER BUSINESSES WITH 50 OR MORE EMPLOYEES. SO WHEN I SAY USE THE FRAMEWORK, I DON'T MEAN DESIGN THE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY THE WAY THAT WE HAVE THE SLOT, BUT JUST USING SOME OF THAT IDEOLOGY AND DETERMINING ONE, HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE ALONG ANASTASIA BOULEVARD BEFORE WE DETERMINE HOW MANY PASSES THEY WOULD OBTAIN, WE COULD JUST THROW SOMETHING OUT. COULD WE JUST DO A HUNTING PASS FOR THE BLUE WATER JEWELERS, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO? I JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY I'M GOING TO MAKE AVAILABLE PER BUSINESS.

SO THIS IS HOW I WOULD DO IT. GO AHEAD. IF THERE'S 60 PARKING SPACES AT BLUE WATERS, I'M GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY BUSINESSES THERE ARE ALONG THE BOULEVARD. IF THERE'S LESS THAN 60, EVERYBODY GETS ONE. THE REMAINING SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT BLUE WATERS, THE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT WANT WANT MORE THAN ONE PASS CAN APPLY. AND THERE WOULD BE A LOTTERY.

WE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO RANDOMLY PICK FOR THE REMAINING SPACES AT BLUE WATERS.

YEAH. AND IF YOU WANT PASSES TO PARK IN THE RED ZONES, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE RED ZONES, THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, YOU CAN HAVE, HOW MANY DO YOU WANT? FOUR WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM. YEAH.

IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE THIS WITHOUT KNOWING. THE NEED IS. SO SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES HAVE. THERE'S JUST THIS IS JUST GENERICALLY ME DRIVING DOWN THE STREET A LOT. THERE ARE SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE A LOT MORE CAPACITY THAN MIDTOWN. SOME OF THE BUSINESSES HAVE A LOT GOOD. SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T EVEN SIGNED THIS LIST THAT HAVE THE, THE CAPACITY. SO I WOULD JUST SAY, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES, RIGHT. SO YOU'D HAVE TO DIVIDE IT BY THE SIX. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. THERE'S LIKE THE HOTELS ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO KNOW. THERE'S SOME OF THE BIGGER, SOME OF THE BIGGER RESTAURANTS HAVE. RIGHT. I

[02:50:02]

I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO DO IT TO GET IT DONE IN TIME, BECAUSE WOULD WE SAY, NICE PLACE TO START? WHAT? CAN I JUST INTERJECT FOR A MINUTE? I THINK WE SHOULD DO YOUR FORMULA.

AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD NOT CHARGE THE BUSINESSES FOR THESE PASSES, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ACT LIKE THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS. AND WE DID NOT DO LIKE THE COMEBACK AND HAVE PEOPLE COME AND TALK. THEY SAY THEIR SIDE. THAT'S WHY THEY ALL SHOWED UP HERE TONIGHT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND IT'S ONLY A TEMPORARY THING THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE A COST FACTOR. WE SHOULD JUST RATION OUT THE THINGS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM, SO THAT THEY HAVE SOME PLACE FOR THEIR STAFF TO PARK, AND THEY ARE SAFE OVER THERE ON THE ISLAND. BECAUSE IF SOME OF WHAT THEY SAID WITH THE PICTURES THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE DRUNK DRIVING OVER THERE, THEY CAN GET TO THEIR CARS AND GET HOME SAFELY. OKAY. AND, AND WE OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE FANS TO CONTINUE TO GIVE UP AVAILABLE PASSES FROM THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT ADDING PARKING. I'M NOT SURE I FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT THAT. THAT'S THAT'S A SEPARATE I THINK THAT'S UP TO THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S CREATING GOODWILL BETWEEN THEM AND THAT WE SHOULD STAY OUT OF THAT BUSINESS. BUT I DO LIKE MAYBE THE IDEA OF A MINIMUM OR A MAXIMUM SETTING A MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM. GOT ANY IDEAS? I MINIMUM OF TWO. WELL, I WOULD SAY JUST A MAXIMUM OF, OF, OF 3 OR 4 PER BUSINESS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PARKING PASSES FOR THE BUSINESSES, MAXIMUM FOR MAXIMUM FOUR IS FINE. IS THAT TOO MUCH. I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST, I JUST I OKAY. ALL RIGHT, JUST KEEP MOVING AND THEN NO, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THIS. SO SO THE QUESTION IS FOR, FOR EACH BUSINESS UP TO UP TO PARKING PASSES FOR IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. YES. AND THEN BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO HAVE A RESERVED SPOT AT THE BLUE WATER JEWELRY SITE, WE WILL MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE AS WELL. WE JUST NEED TO DETERMINE HOW MANY WILL MAKE AVAILABLE PER BUSINESS. GOTCHA. OKAY. AND THEN THE FOUR IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS TOTALLY SEPARATE. THAT'S TOTALLY SEPARATE. CORRECT. OKAY. DOES EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE AND YOU CAN JUST SHOOT US AN EMAIL BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE A MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS. WE WILL, WE WILL FIGURE THIS OUT AND WE WILL. AND, AND WHEN YOU COME TO THAT DECISION, COME NEARLY LOUDLY COMMUNICATE ANY WAY POSSIBLE. WE SHALL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I THINK I THINK WE HAD A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. YEAH WE DO. OKAY. THE MOTION IS WHAT HE SAID.

SECOND. SECOND. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY. SYKES. KLEIN. YES. CYNTHIA. GARRIS. YES. JOHN. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I DID HAVE ONE FINAL LITTLE ITEM ON THIS TOPIC. OKAY. I KNOW THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HAD SOME EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE FROM AN ATTORNEY WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE FILING LITIGATION ON BEHALF OF ONE OF THE BUSINESSES. SO I THINK STAFF JUST NEEDS DIRECTION ON IF THERE IS LITIGATION THAT CHALLENGES THE $100 FINE. IF YOUR DIRECTION IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE $35 FINE, WHICH ALREADY EXISTS AND WAS NOT PART OF THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. SO IF WE CAN'T ENFORCE THE 100 THIS GO AROUND BECAUSE IT'S IN LITIGATION, YOU STILL DO WANT US TO ENFORCE THE $35 FOR A MOTION FOR THAT. I'D LIKE ONE IF YOU COULD. WE JUST WANT CLARITY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT MEETING UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER. AGAIN, CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT A JUDGE HAD TOLD US WE CAN'T DO THE $100. NO.

THE WAY THERE'S A PECULIAR STATUTE THAT WAS PASSED, I THINK, TWO LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AGO, THAT SAYS THAT IF SOMEONE FILES A SUIT, IT FREEZES OUR ABILITY TO ENFORCE UNTIL THERE'S A RULING. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT MY UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR DIRECTION TO ALL OF US WAS, WELL, THAT'S FINE. IF THE $100 FINE IS UNDER LITIGATION AND CAN'T BE ENFORCED, YOU STILL WANT TO ENFORCE THE EXISTING RULES, WHICH IS $35. AND OUR ACTION LAST YEAR TO MAKE THIS IN ONE PART OF TOWN DOESN'T PRECLUDE US FROM DOING IT ANY OTHER. IT

[02:55:01]

YES. THAT CLARIFICATION. SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A. YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TAKE MISS LOPEZ'S ADVICE. AND BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF 100, IF THE SUIT IS FILED, THAT WE CAN FALL BACK ON THE $35 FINE. I'LL SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. ALL ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES. CAN WE TOW THEM? TOW? I'M SORRY. ILLEGAL PARKERS. CAN WE TOW THEM? IT DEPENDS. I MEAN, IT BLOCKING SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY, RIGHT? IF THEY'RE BLOCKING SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY AND SO ON. YES. SO IT DEPENDS. ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ILLEGAL PARKING. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL PARKING RIGHT NOW. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ILLEGAL PARKING.

NO, IT WOULD BE THE RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE IT'S ILLEGAL. CORRECT? YES. AND SO CAN WE TOW AGAIN, NOT JUST FOR STREET PARKING, BUT IF SOMEONE IS BLOCKING SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY WHERE THEY CANNOT COME IN AND OUT. YES, THE ANSWER IS YES. WE DO TOW FOR ILLEGAL PARKING, BUT NOT MOSTLY WE TICKET. BUT IF SOMEONE'S PARKING ILLEGALLY IN FRONT OF A FIRE HYDRANT OR SOME OTHER UTILITY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO, OR A DRIVEWAY, THE CAR CURBING. SO IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA FOR A PERSON TO PARK AND DOESN'T HAVE A RESIDENTIAL PASS, THAT'S NOT ILLEGAL. IT IS ILLEGAL, AND IT WOULD BE A TICKET. I'M CONFUSED. IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T WARRANT TOWING IS WHAT I'M HEARING. IF YOU'RE BLOCKING SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY, YOU'RE PREVENTING THEM FROM GOING HOME. I GET ALL THAT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN ENFORCE PARKING ILLEGALLY IN THE DRIVEWAY AND NOT ENFORCE ILLEGAL PARKING FROM ANOTHER PARTICULAR RULE THAT WE'VE MADE JUST MY. I'M JUST SAYING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. YEAH. OKAY. ARE WE ALL FINISHED WITH DEBATE AND DISCUSSION? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. JOHN. YES. NANCY. YES. CYNTHIA.

HARRIS. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. OKAY. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING, AND I APPRECIATE WE DO LISTEN TO INPUT, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU ALL ARE SPENDING HERE. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT NO ONE DOES TRY TO CHALLENGE THIS PARKING FINE. BUT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S PROBABLY A POSITIVE THING FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO WITH THAT SAID, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. AND IF Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE WELCOME TO. LEAVE THE ROOM, WE'LL WAIT FOR YOU. I KNOW SOMETIMES THEY FEEL AWKWARD ABOUT LEAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEETING, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET THEM. NOPE, NOPE NOPE. THEY'RE VERY GOOD.

VERY WELL MANNERED. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S SEE. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A GOOD, GOOD MEETING. IT

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

THESE BONDS WILL BE REPAID USING LEGALLY AVAILABLE NON REVENUES. MEETING THE CITY'S COMMITTED TO REVENUES OTHER THAN PROPERTY TAXES TO MAKE THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.

THE RESOLUTION ALSO ESTABLISHES A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR ISSUING THE BONDS, INCLUDING HOW THE PROCESS PROCEEDS WILL BE USED AND HOW THE DEBT WILL BE REPAID. THAT'S ALL I GOT ON THAT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. AND I DID HAVE ONE LITTLE CORRECTION ON THE VERSION THAT YOU WILL SIGN, WHICH IS NOT THE VERSION THAT IS IN THE BOOK. THERE WAS A CORRECTION ON PAGE SEVEN TO REMOVE REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE LEASE THAT WE MAY HAVE WITH THE GARAGE. IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL VERSION BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE THE TIMING ON THAT LEASE, BUT IT ISN'T AVAILABLE TODAY. SO THAT'S BEEN STRICKEN FROM PAGE SEVEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. DO I

[03:00:02]

JOHN PRATER. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. CYNTHIA. HARRIS. YES. NANCY KLEIN. YES.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 2026-35. SUPPLEMENTAL RESOLUTION FOR 2026. BOND ISSUANCE FOR FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION. YES. RESOLUTION 2026-35 IS A SUPPLEMENTAL RESOLUTION TO THAT WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH 2026-34. ESSENTIALLY, THIS RESOLUTION ALLOWS THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BOND SALE WHILE ENSURING FINANCING STAYS WITHIN THE PARAMETERS ADOPTED BY THE OR APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION. SPECIFICALLY, IT SUPPLEMENTS THE AUTHORIZED RESOLUTION BY DETAILING THE SUMMARY OF NOTICE OF SALE AND OFFICIAL SALE NOTICE OUTLINING THE PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT PROVIDING A DISCLOSURE DISSEMINATION AGREEMENT. PROVIDING A CERTIFICATE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR, ASSIGNING A PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR AGREEMENT AND PROVIDING A ESCROW DEPOSIT AGREEMENT. ALSO AUTHORIZING CERTAIN CITY OFFICIALS TO EXECUTE DOCUMENTS.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION. PAVING THE WAY? YES. PAVING THE WAY FOR EXCITING.

IT'S TAKING A LONG TIME. I'LL MAKE A. MAY I MAKE A MOTION, PLEASE? PLEASE? YEAH. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026-35 SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ANY DEBATE OR DISCUSSION? NO. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. JOHN. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. YES. YES. THANK YOU. GO.

DO GOOD. THAT'S VERY EXCITING NEWS. AND IT'S GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER, I THINK, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TOO. YES. SO 100% WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM IS MY FAVORITE RESOLUTION 2026-38 PRESERVATION AND REUSE OF BRICKS ON CITY STREETS. AND THAT IS YOU, MR. SLAUGHTER. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MADAM MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS STEVEN SLAUGHTER, UTILITY AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, BEFORE YOU TONIGHT FOR RESOLUTION 2026-38. CITY STAFF RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING BRICK ROADS IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. STAFF PRIORITIZES THE REUSE OF EXISTING BRICKS ON CITY STREETS. WHEN THE REUSE OF EXISTING BRICKS IS NOT FEASIBLE. ENGINEERING AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT A REPLACEMENT BRICK THAT BEST MATCHES THE EXISTING BRICK AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES. SIZE AND ESTHETICS. UNUSED BRICKS ARE THEN PALLETIZED PRESERVED AND STORED FOR REUSE ON OTHER PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WITH RESOLUTION 2026-38, THE CITY WISHES TO FORMALIZE THIS WORK IN RELATIONSHIP AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING HISTORIC BRICKS IN OUR CITY. WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. ONE QUESTION IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST FOR STREETS, BUT ALSO SIDEWALKS. IT'S IT'S THE RIGHT OF WAY. YES, THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE ENTIRE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. I DO HAVE TO QUALIFY THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH MATERIALS ON PEDESTRIAN WAYS. IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM ADA COMPLIANT. SO WE ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ACCESS. NOW A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND COMMITTED TO MAKING ANY NEW NEW IMPROVEMENTS, ADA COMPATIBLE.

SOMETIMES BRICK MATERIAL IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE MEDIUM FOR ADA COMPATIBILITY. IT CAN'T BE SHAVED DOWN FOR EVENNESS. SO THAT'S MY ONLY QUALIFIER THERE. IS THAT YES, THIS IS INTENDED

[03:05:06]

YEAH. WELL THEY WERE DONE AN ABANDONED. THERE WERE COQUINA WITH BANDED BRICKS AND AROUND FLAGLER COLLEGE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEIR REQUEST. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S MORE DESIRABLE AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY EXPRESSED, IS THAT WE WOULD RATHER USE THE BRICK IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. YES. IF WE CAN, WE WILL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PRACTICALITIES AND. BUT I THINK THAT IS THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT IT INCLUDES THE SIDEWALKS AND ALSO SAVING THEM OUT OF SIDEWALKS TO WHERE WE CAN'T USE THEM. WE'RE USING THEM USING THE BRICKS. SO. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOPE. I MOVE THAT WE PASS ORDINANCE 26-38 AS RESOLUTION 26. I'M SORRY, RESOLUTION 2020. AND I SECOND THAT. 638 MY EYES. ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. NANCY. SYKES.

KLEIN. YES. JIM. SPRINGFIELD. YES. CYNTHIA. CARRIES. YES. THANK YOU, MR. SLAUGHTER.

APPRECIATE THAT. HE SAT THROUGH A LONG MEETING FOR THAT ONE RESOLUTION. SO THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ARE ON TO STAFF REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY.

NONE. OKAY. I'M NOT SURPRISED. ITEMS BY CITY ATTORNEY. ALL RIGHT. NONE. ITEMS BY CITY

[12. ITEMS BY CITY CLERK]

[13. ITEMS BY CITY MANAGER]

[14. ITEMS BY MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS]

[03:10:04]

[03:15:01]

AND THEY DON'T AGREE FOR SURE. THEY DON'T AGREE ALL THE TIME. BUT THAT'S THE WAY. THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS. THERE'S BEEN SOME PERSONAL ATTACKS ONLINE, BUT MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY UNINFORMED ABOUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS AND WHAT THE BACKGROUND IS. SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD TONIGHT. WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST KIND OF MISINFORMED ABOUT THAT. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH. I THINK THE FATE OF THE CITY IS LOCKED. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, WELL, LET'S GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS WHEN WE COULD DRIVE ON SAINT GEORGE STREET.

WELL, FOLKS, THAT AIN'T GONNA EVER HAPPEN. AND WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO ACCEPT THAT AND WORK TO WORK TO MAKE IT WORK. COMFORTABLE FOR RESIDENTS AND PROFITABLE BUSINESSES. I BELIEVE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE WITH AMENDMENT THREE. I KNOW Y'ALL WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU MY LAST WORDS. I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PUBLIC WORKSHOPS AND PLENTY OF BRAINSTORM SESSIONS, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC, BUSINESSES, AND RESIDENTS, SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE THEIR INPUT ABOUT WHERE WE SHOULD CUT BACK SERVICES IF WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY CUT BACK SERVICES. I THANK FOR THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF TO MAKE THAT. AN ISOLATION WOULD BE A POOR IDEA. I'VE ADVOCATED FOR AN EMPLOYEE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN MY CAMPAIGN THAT I DIDN'T GET, AND I'VE ACTED. I'VE ADVOCATED FOR AN EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS DIRECTLY WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH THE STATE. AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A LOBBYIST, BUT IT'S A PERSON WHO CONCENTRATES ON WHAT'S COMING, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, AND SPEAKS WITH THOSE PEOPLE. AND THE REASON I BELIEVE THAT EVEN MORE TODAY IS THAT ISABEL LOPEZ SPENDS A LOT OF TIME REVIEWING WHAT'S COMING UP, AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB IN INFORMING US IN WHAT'S COMING UP AND THE IMPACT IT MAY HAVE. BUT SHE DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL THE THE LEGISLATORS AND TELL THEM WHAT OUR PRIORITY IS. WE HAVE A NEED TO LET THEM KNOW, BECAUSE THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES IS REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE GLOBAL ISSUES THAT WE TALK ABOUT, LIKE AMENDMENT THREE, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP, AND THEY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE. BUT SAINT AUGUSTINE HAS VERY UNIQUE SITUATIONS THAT WE NEED CONCENTRATING ON. WE SHOULD HAVE A BEVERAGE AND FOOD TAX, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD HAVE ONE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OUR LEGISLATORS IN ORDER TO GET THAT DONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GIVE US THAT PERMISSION. AND I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT A PERSON IS GIVEN THAT TASK. AND THE REASON I THINK IT'S SUCCESSFUL IS WE HAD THIS ISSUE IN 2008, WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD CABINET, AND

[03:20:02]

THEY MAKE US, IN MANY OCCASIONS, ACT DIFFERENTLY THAN WE WOULD HAVE IF THEY HAD NOT STEPPED FORWARD. AND TONIGHT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT. WE CAME UP WITH LOTS OF INPUT FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE, AND I BELIEVE WE MADE SOME HEADWAY TO MAKE IT BETTER. SO I JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY NOW THAT I'M GETTING OFF THE COMMISSION, COME TO THE MEETINGS AND AND VOICE YOUR OPINION, NO MATTER HOW LATE THE COMMISSION HAS TO STAY. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO. AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE MEETINGS, DON'T JOIN THE COMMISSION. THE CITY OFFERS MANY WAYS TO FORMALLY SERVE. AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT ONLY TO COME HERE AND SPEAK, BUT TO TALK TO DARLENE AND FIND WAYS TO SERVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMITTEES.

WE PROBABLY HAVE 100 PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEER THROUGH PCB AND THE TREE COMMITTEE. AND I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEER, AND IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LEARN AND IT'S A GREAT WAY TO SERVE YOUR CITY. I WANT TO THANK DAVID BURCHAM AND JOHN REGAN, PARTICULARLY DAVID. THEY WERE THE MANAGERS THAT HAVE SERVED WHILE I'VE BEEN SERVING. THE POSITION IS WHAT MAKES IT RUN LIKE A CLOCK AND NOT A TIME BOMB. AND THE CITY IS RUNNING LIKE A CLOCK. AND I THANK DAVID FOR HIS PART IN THAT, IN THAT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. JOHN LEFT A PRETTY GOOD RUNNING CITY, AND DAVID HAS MADE IT BETTER, AND HE'S DONE IT WITH SUCH GRACE AND HE'S DONE IT WITH CALMNESS. AND HE'S DONE IT WITH WITH THINKING. AND HE'S DONE IT THANKS TO A GREAT STAFF BEHIND HIM. ISABEL IS KNOWN STATEWIDE FOR HER EXPERTISE IN CITY LAW. I KNOW SHE GETS CALLS FROM OTHER CITIES, AND SHE'S BEEN PROVIDING GOOD INFORMATION, ALTHOUGH I'VE DISAGREED WITH HER ABOUT IT. EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A LAWYER. DARLENE GALAMBOS, SHE'S DONE GREAT WORK. SHE'S SHE GREW UP IN THE SYSTEM HERE AS AN EMPLOYEE. AND NOW SHE IS THE KEEPER OF A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMETHING, YOU ASK DARLENE AND HER STAFF AND HER STAFF IS SMALL, BUT THEY THEY REALLY MAKE THINGS REALLY, REALLY WORK. THANKS TO MARION AND ELISE FOR KEEPING THESE CITIES, THESE CITY MEETINGS GOING GREAT AND ALL THE MEETINGS GOING GREAT. AND REUBEN FRANKLIN AND MEREDITH BREIDENSTEIN HAVE BEEN GREAT EXPERTS FOR ME TO CONTACT, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO. THEY. THEY ARE EASY TO CONTACT BY ANYONE AND THEY'RE EASY TO TALK TO. AND THEY SPEAK ENGLISH WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT FINANCES AND WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT ZONING ISSUES. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND TO ALL THE CITY STAFF, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THANKLESS JOBS. YOU KNOW, I GOT STUCK BEHIND THE THE GARBAGE TRUCK TODAY. I JUST WATCHED THEM WORK AND THEY WORK INCREDIBLY HARD, AS DO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVISIBLE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THEIR OFFICES DOING WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. AND I JUST WISH THERE WAS A WAY FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THEM MORE OFTEN AND DO IT. AND TO THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE. IT WAS FUN RUNNING WITH YOU. WE HAD A WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD LAUGHS. BUT I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT WE ARE.

WE'VE ENDED MY FOUR YEARS COMPLETELY. AS PROFESSIONALS. I WAS NEVER APPROACHED BY ANYONE TO TALK OUT OF THE SUNSHINE. WE HAD SEVERAL TIMES IN OUR LITTLE GATHERINGS AT EVENTS WHERE WE WOULD REMIND EACH OTHER, HOLD ON, WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT INTO THE AND OUT OF THE SUNSHINE THERE, AND THAT IS A CREDIT TO YOUR DIGNITY AND A CREDIT TO YOUR RESPECT FOR THE LAW. AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WILL EVER BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T TALK BEHIND THE BACK, BUT WE DID NOT.

AND I REALLY RESPECT YOU FOR THAT. WE LIKE LIKE JOHN SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO PUBLICLY DISAGREE, BUT IT NEVER LEFT A BURDEN ON THE NEXT ISSUE. WE WOULD GO WITH SOME HEAT, WE'D CHANGE SUBJECTS AND WE WOULD GO ON. AND IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. AND TO NANCY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE YOU'VE REALLY BEEN A GREAT MAYOR THE WHOLE FOUR YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, RIGHT? YEAH. I DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER MAYOR. I WATCHED TRACY AND RESPECTED HIM. AND YOU'VE

[03:25:01]

THAT'LL BE FUN, AND I CAN'T GO WITHOUT THANKING GINA BURRELL. SHE YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW GINA WELL. SHE DOES NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. AND SHE'S THE ONE WHO CALLED ME AND SAID, WOULD YOU RUN FOR COMMISSIONER? AND I'M SO GLAD SHE DID. SHE REALLY LOVES THE CITY AND SHE LOVES SERVING IT. AND SHE LOVES ALL OF US. AND SHE DOES SUCH WORK. AND OF COURSE, I NEED TO THANK PATTY. MY WIFE PATTY AND I HAVE DONE THIS TOGETHER. SHE'S HERE TONIGHT, BUT SHE'S BEEN WATCHING EVERY SINGLE MEETING. AND THEY PATRICIA, AND SHE'S ONE OF THOSE LOCAL CITIZENS WHO DIDN'T REALLY EVEN KNOW THEY WERE BROADCAST BEFORE. NOW SHE'S AN EXPERT. AND TRUST ME, WHEN I GET HOME, SHE LETS ME KNOW HOW AN EXPERT SHE IS AND WHAT THINGS I COULD DO TO MAKE IT BETTER. WE OFTEN AGREE, BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T. AND SHE'S A CITIZEN. SHE'S A RESIDENT, AND SO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO HER. BUT. SHE REALLY WAS A BIG PART OF ME RUNNING AND AGREEING TO TO SUPPORT ME. JUST AS ROGER HAS SUPPORTED NANCY IN ALL OF HER YEARS. AND I DID WORK FOR THE CITY AS A VOLUNTEER FOR TEN YEARS BEFORE I WAS THE COMMISSIONER, AND SHE SUPPORTED THAT AS WELL. SHE'S BEEN SUPER SUPPORTIVE AND I LOVE HER, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE BACK FULL TIME. GOOD LUCK TO THE NEW COMMISSIONERS. MY ADVICE ON NEW COMMISSIONERS AND ANY COMMISSIONER IS NOT TO GET TOO HYPED UP ABOUT BEING INTRODUCED AND CALLED COMMISSIONER. IT'S NOTHING SPECIAL. IT'S JUST SPECIAL THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SERVE. IT'S SPECIAL THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SERVE AND THAT YOU'RE JUST YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER CITIZEN AND SHOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT. AND I WAS NEVER OFFERED A BRIBE. I WAS NEVER OFFERED ANYTHING SPECIAL. AND I, AND I RESPECT ALL THE BUSINESS OWNERS FOR THAT. AND I RESPECT STAFF FOR THAT. THEY NEVER ASKED ME PERSONALLY FOR SOMETHING FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAPPENS IN CITIES. AND I JUST I'M JUST FULL OF RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY. A COUPLE OF LAST COMMENTS. ONE IS EVERY DAY WE SAY THE PLEDGE SINCE I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, AND I HAD TO LEAD THAT ON PA SYSTEM, I WOULD END THE LAST SENTENCE WITH MY OWN WHISPER. AND THE LAST SENTENCE GOES, YOU KNOW, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL RIGHT. AND I ALWAYS WHISPER MYSELF WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, MOST EVERYONE. WE STILL DON'T HAVE TOTAL JUSTICE FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR EFFORTS TO GIVE EVERYBODY EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW. AND WE HAVE DONE THAT HERE AS THE CITY.

AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING AT THAT PODIUM AND WATCHING YOU ON TV, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE QUITE ENTERTAINING FOR ME. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? THANK YOU FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE. THAT WAS SO FUN. THANK YOU, PATTY, AND BOTH OF YOU, FOR BEING OUR LITTLE LEADERS. AND GINA, THAT WAS A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN, JIM. WELL, JIM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO BE QUITE AS LONG I.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT. DON'T LOVE THE ATTENTION SO MUCH. BUT I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO LOVE ATTENTION TO A DEGREE. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG EGO. YOU DO BECAUSE YOU TAKE SO MANY SLINGS AND ARROWS. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, DAVID. IT'S BEEN JUST, YOU KNOW, DELIGHTFUL WORKING WITH YOU, WHICH WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WORKED CROSS PATHS, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS IN THE PAST, BUT WE GOT ALONG REALLY WELL BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOUR YOUR FRANKNESS. YOU HAVE AN ABILITY TO EXPLAIN THINGS IN NICE, SIMPLE WAYS. ISABELLE. YES. YOUR, YOUR. YOU'RE AWESOME THOUGH. REALLY. YOU KNOW, I HOPE NOBODY WANTS TO MESS WITH YOU. I MEAN, THERE'S A THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST. SO YOU'RE A BOSS AND I ADMIRE THAT. AND DARLENE, JUST

[03:30:01]

SPEAK FOR WHAT I, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE LOVE I HAVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. I DIDN'T WANT TO NOT SAY ANYTHING TO MISS LADY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE ME. SHE'S BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME. AND MISS LADY, I'M HOPE THAT THIS COMMUNITY, THIS CITY HAS. I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE WARMTH AND CARING OF THIS CITY AND THESE EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR GREATEST CHAMPIONS. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY. I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD THE CONVERSATION, BUT I CAN SAY THE EMPLOYEES HERE LOVE YOU, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE SPENT THE MANY TIMES COMING UP HERE FAITHFULLY REMINDING US OF WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY STRUCK HOME. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED. WE HAVEN'T AGREED. WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN ON THE BEST TERMS, BUT I DO THINK THAT YOU HAVE A VALUABLE ROLE TO PLAY HERE, AND IT MATTERS. WHAT YOU DO HAS MATTERED TO THIS CITY. SO I REALLY WANTED TO SAY THAT OTHER THAN THAT, I'M GOING TO STICK TO THE SCRIPT NOW. AND THIS IS A HARD. AS MY TERM AS MAYOR COMES TO A CLOSE. I WANT TO BEGIN WITH TWO SIMPLE WORDS, AND THAT IS THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING YOU TO SERVE. THE CITY I LOVE HAS BEEN AN HONOR. I WILL CARRY MY HEART FOREVER. TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK. YOU HAVE BROUGHT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE, BUT MY HOPE HAS BEEN THAT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESPECTFUL, ALWAYS BEEN RESPECTFUL, AND WE'VE BEEN RESPECTFUL WITH EACH OTHER AND WE'VE GIVEN EACH OTHER PATIENCE FREELY. SORRY, MY NOSE IS RUNNING TO OUR TO OUR CITY STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THE CARE YOU BRING TO YOUR WORK. SO MUCH OF PUBLIC SERVICE SERVICE HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF THE SPOTLIGHT, YOU KNOW, DONE QUIETLY. AND THAT'S REALLY THE WAY WE WANT IT. WE WANT IT TO RUN SMOOTHLY, LIKE CLOCKWORK.

WE DON'T WANT OUR WORK TO SHOW. WE WANT EVERYTHING TO GO SMOOTHLY. RIGHT? SO BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR DEDICATION DOES REALLY MATTER. IT MATTERS A LOT, AND THAT YOU HAVE MY DEEP APPRECIATION, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT SOMETIMES. I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOU, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD OUR MOMENTS, PROBABLY EVERY ONE OF US HAVE HAVE HAD OUR MOMENTS. BUT WE'VE ALL BEEN PROFESSIONALS AND MANAGED TO MOVE ON AND WITH THE SAME GOALS IN MIND, WHICH IS TO MAKE THIS THE BEST CITY THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY BE AND LEAVE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT TO THE RESIDENTS, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES. THANK YOU FOR CARING ENOUGH TO PARTICIPATE. WHETHER YOU OFFERED ENCOURAGEMENT OR RAISED A CONCERN OR CHALLENGED A DECISION, YOUR VOICE DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DEMOCRACY IS MESSY AND IT'S FRAGILE. BUT A CITY IS STRONGER WHEN ITS PEOPLE STAY ENGAGED. AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP AND LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER AND TAKE PART.

AND TO MY FAMILY, MY ROGER, WHO HAS LISTENED TO JUST A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF VERBIAGE

[03:35:04]

PINK HAIR MEANS SOMETHING. IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE A GENDER REVEAL OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA, Y'ALL. IF Y'ALL DON'T ALREADY KNOW, I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERYBODY I'M GOING TO BE GRANDMA. SO THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN REALLY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU FOR COMING ALONG FOR THE RIDE. AND I'M JUST SO, SO GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE YOU TO GO HOME TO AND BEGIN THIS NEXT ADVENTURE WITH. AND AS I LOOK AHEAD, I HOPE FOR SAINT AUGUSTINE IS THAT WE REMAIN A COMMUNITY WILLING TO FACE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS WITH OPENNESS. AND I'M LOOKING AT YOU NEXT, MAYOR. OPENNESS, HONESTY AND RESPECT, WHICH I KNOW WE WILL, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL ABOUT THAT. SORRY. ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO CARRY THIS WORK FORWARD. AND IT'S ALL OF YOU. I OFFER MY VERY BEST GOOD WISHES. I HOPE YOU FIND STRENGTH IN THIS COMMUNITY LIKE I HAVE. I HOPE YOU KEEP LISTENING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE DIFFICULT OR EVEN MORE UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE THEY CAN BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. WITH THAT SAID, IT'S JUST BEEN AN HONOR TO BE YOUR MAYOR. AND AS I SAID, I LOVE YOU, SAINT AUGUSTINE, AND THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. I DID IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, SWEET. I LOVE YOU ALL. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. SO UNLESS THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS. NO. WE A

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.