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Order. It is Tuesday, June the 30th. It is just after 9 o'clock. And before we begin the meeting,

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it's obvious to everybody that the mayor is not present at the meeting. Unfortunately, the

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mayor's mother had a very serious accident like yesterday. She was, I believe it was a hit

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run accident where she was very seriously injured. She is in intensive care. As we speak,

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the mayor is on route up to, to as he would expect to be with his family and with his mother

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at this time. So he will not be attending this meeting. So I'm sure I can say for my colleagues here,

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all of our thoughts and prayers are with the mayor right now who's going through obviously a very

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different time with his, with the action to his mother. And so we obviously wish him well.

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And I believe John, you had a message from the Mayor that you wanted to help us with.

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I do, Vice Mayor, thank you. So this isn't going to be a message from the Mayor that we received

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this morning. Just sent this morning said I'm unable to be there this morning and I would request

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the City Council vote to excuse my absence as my mom is in a horrible accident and is in ICU

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and I'm headed to New York City now but I would appreciate if you could read this statement

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into the record. As I've expressed to both you, both of you, it was sent to both the City Manager

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and myself. As I've expressed to both of you at my pre-agenda briefing and I'm not in favor of

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the City passing a mandatory mask requirement, I believe this is overreach by the government.

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I believe there are strong legal concerns against a mandatory mask requirement which could

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It costs the city a lot of money and court fees.

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I've always been for strongly encouraging people over mandating.

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I do believe everyone should take personal responsibility and not require any government intervention.

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Thank you, John.

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So that's, that was a mayor received this morning, John?

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It was, Vice Mayor, just shortly before the meeting.

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Okay, thank you.

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I appreciate that.

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Do you need a motion to excuse the mayor?

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We need to have an invocation first, and then we have a roll call, and then we do it.

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That's the order of play.

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So, may we have an invocation, which you may have led by Jason Morn.

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Thank you.

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Before I say this, I draw some sadness from the fact that I wrote this originally three invocations ago,

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and I hope it was the only time that I was going to read it.

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We're now 114 meetings later and I'm going to read it for a third time.

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Dear God, lay cam and tranquility upon our people in this most trouble time.

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Gift our medical scientists and researchers with new insights.

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Bless deeply our police officers, emergency services and staff.

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Visit wisdom, clarity and foresight upon the city council.

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The stow, indefatigable strength upon our most vulnerable citizens.

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Grant untroubled sleep and waking joy to our young.

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join with us your children and defend against this virus and together let it

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seat it damned to history forever. Amen.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

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One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Thank you, George.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Chair.

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So I have a roll call, please, please.

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Ms. Smith.

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Here.

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Mr. Johnson.

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Here.

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Mr. Dory-Wayne.

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Pardon me.

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Mr. Denham.

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Here.

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Mr. Mon.

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Here.

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Thank you.

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Okay, thank you.

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Move to excuse, Mayor Ruein.

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Second.

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We have a motion.

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Excuse me.

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I just a voice.

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It will be sufficient.

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All those in favour?

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Aye.

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Aye.

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The mayor is excused and we understand the reason for

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Williams, Diane, once again, he's going to have a very troubled time and we have thoughts

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are all with him.

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I would like, after roll call, to go to Council comments. So, is there

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any brief comments you have to make? We'll obviously be discussing the agenda items in detail,

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but if there's any comments we have before we start the meeting, Richard, do you want to

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kick us off?

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Vice Mayor, thank you. I just as soon, I think my comments would all be related to the topic,

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So I'm going to pass. Thank you.

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Okay. Thank you.

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Mine as well.

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Okay.

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Send my best wishes to the Mayor and his family.

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Yeah, of course.

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Do you want to join with both the four of you?

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Okay.

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Okay.

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So the agenda this morning is going to be

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We dedicated to the COVID-19 issue that we have confronting us, and we will have public comment

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and the public comment will be on every item which is on the agenda. I would remind people

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that this meeting is a special meeting designed for the COVID-19 issue that we have in

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confronters. Any other important issues you may have are rather keep those to air. The next

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Council meeting which is going to be July 14th. So with that I want to kick this meeting

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off with the discussion whether we go on to face mask which you can imagine has had

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an enormous amount of interest by people. We have received a lot of emails and public

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comments and will not be reading those into the record but we all have a copy and they will

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be part of the record. I don't know how many we had but there was how many how many

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most did we get?

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377 pages and 77 pages. 377 pages so we are not going to read them

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in the record but I will kind of assure you they will be part of the record. So let

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we begin by talking about the face mask issue. Each of you do not have the

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proclamation in front of you, but we do have a proclamation for that.

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So what I'm going to try and do is to go briefly through the notes that I've prepared for

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this draft emergency proclamation.

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And this draft emergency proclamation is mandating the use of face coverings all-sanible, and this

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of course is my necessary as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus.

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virus.

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All believe this is necessary.

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The coronavirus pandemic is still with us, it is not over, and all of the most recent

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science suggests that in our state and locally cases are increasing.

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So the reason for the emergency proclamation is that the best intelligence from CDC and

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other health experts recommend hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask.

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is our best defense against the spread of the pandemic.

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This is not an ambiguity about this message.

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Unfortunately, in our community, it is evident that two of these three regulations

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are not being practiced.

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Mic observations suggest that is particularly true of our visits to the island.

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Because of this, it makes our citizens people who live here,

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where their home is or made more vulnerable to contracting the virus.

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The city has done an effective job in opening up our community, going a long way to getting

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islanders back to work, allowing business to open and hospitality establishments but didn't

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to work and guess.

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It is now necessary, too, when there's laws to pivot and provide an extra degree of protection

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for the citizens of Sanibel. Therefore, this emergency

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proclamation requiring the wearing of masks is deemed necessary to provide that extra

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protection to our citizens.

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There are some sensibly explosions from this proclamation, past

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masks would not be required while visiting the beach or on the shared youth path, on the

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golf course, or any open space where social distancing is not difficult.

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So most would be required by anyone entering any public building to include food and general

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retail stores,

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restaurants prior to being seated, restaurants prior to being seated.

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In other words, when you enter a restaurant, there's usually a period of time when everyone

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mills around until they seat his fan for them, a master's required at that time.

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But when they are seated, they are not required, obviously, to wear a mask.

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city hall, theaters, and library or any location where social distancing is difficult are required

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to wear them off.

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The population reads that an emergency proclamation of the mayor of the city of Sanable relating

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to the declared state of local emergency resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus disease

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is COVID-19, expanding the declared state of local emergency,

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mundane to use of face coverings and providing an effective date.

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That is the draft proclamation, which is before us.

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I would like to open it for you.

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Council, comments on this proclamation?

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Hold it, you want to start off? Yeah, Mr. Vice-Mayor, what I would like some clarification from our city attorney, I appreciate. The mayor did have some comments that he related to us, and I would like it publicly spoken about regarding the constitutionality of us being able to pass on sort of an ordinance. Thank you, Premier. I'm meant to invite the attorney up to tell us of the policy situation we face with the men not being here.

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So I meant to do that, and I forgot, I'll wonder if you could brief us on what the policy

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that we are faced with right now.

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The clerk, too, Vice Mayor and Councilwoman Smith.

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So one thing important to know is that this is not an ordinance, it's not a law,

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in a sense, we're not going through the process that we would pass an ordinance,

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which requires a first reading and a second reading and a public hearing on the matter.

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These emergency-related restrictions are being issued pursuant to the proclamation

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powers that the mayor has within Chapter 22 of the Sanibel Code, as far as the

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constitutionality and how that flows, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

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provides that basically any powers that aren't provided to the Federal Government

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that are reserved to the States, and there's police power within that, flowing down from that to the States.

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You then have state emergency powers, that is chapter 252, chapter 252 within that of the Florida

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statutes, provide certain emergency powers to local government, to municipalities, to county governments.

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And then looking at our specific charter and our code, chapter 22 of the code,

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provides that those emergency-related powers are housed with the authority of the mayor,

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or in the absence of the mayor, with the vice mayor.

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So when we are talking about, our council is talking about this morning potential

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restrictions and has over the past three or four months, it's all through that same lens

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with that power flowing down. So I am very comfortable that it is a constitutional

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act to, you know, require the wearing a face mask in these times if that's what

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Council chooses to do. And I have this a little more history than Council would want, but that theory

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where, you know, individual liberties are subordinated to public health has been something that has been a part of the fabric of society and a holding by the United States Supreme Court since at least 1905 and 1905 trying to eradicate smallpox.

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And there was an individual who challenged the mandate for vaccination against smallpox, a pandemic worldwide pandemic.

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challenged it in the State of Massachusetts, and ultimately that court case went all the way up

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to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court said, no, your individual liberties are subordinated

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to those of the public good.

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So, in essence, the United States Supreme Court said, state, if you want to strap that individual

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down and stick a needle in their arm to vaccinate them for the public good, then you may do so.

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And that person's individual liberties are subordinated to the greater good.

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And I would say in parallel to this, certainly looking at the potential of mandating

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a mask is a less intrusive way to address a pandemic than would be a mandatory vaccination.

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And so I am confident that if a case ever flowed all the way up to the United States Supreme

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Court, that same precedent would hold, and it would be a non-issue.

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It's not to say anybody can't sue anybody over anything, it happens.

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We certainly saw that happen almost immediately after Orange County enacted their emergency

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order.

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One of their state representatives elected to sue them, so anybody can sue anyone for

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anything, but I don't believe that ultimately that argument is one that wins the day.

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So therefore, John, should we make a decision to support this particular proclamation or any

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Any other proclamation we might bring up today, we can make it effective today.

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We may not make it effective putting practice today, but we can make it proclamation effective

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today.

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Is that correct?

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Yes.

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So with respect to Vice Mayor, any action that Council takes today, same as any action taken

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in the last three months, as long as, you know, those, you know,

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The actions are deemed by Council to be in furtherance of public health and safety and good and in protection and light of the state of local emergency that we're under. I absolutely, you can pass those and you can make them effective whenever you wish. Okay. Is there any questions from Council of John to the attorney about about the policy that we're facing right now? Not specifically, but the general arrangements about what we're trying to do today.

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and our powers of this council today, with the mayor being absent.

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No, I think that he has answered the main question.

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I did have a discussion with him on some other items in regards to that, but that was

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probably the main question that I did want to have answered because we want to make

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sure that we're certainly following the Constitution and we are not in breach of anything

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by doing so on anything that we are possibly passing.

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Richard, are you happy with that?

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Vice Mayor, I'm fine.

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I think I have general information.

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Councilwoman Smith had the question that I had, so thank you.

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You know, we can certainly call on John, again, if we need to, so I'm good.

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Yes, and what about you, you had Tony on the Court here?

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I yield to Court Council's opinion on this to avoid the question, but I also would note

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that it's not a question if the issue is not presented.

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Indeed.

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Okay, so I think we've cleared out the policy issues.

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Holly, did you want to kick us off with this particular proclamation?

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Does he find of us the drug proclamation?

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Sure, I'd be happy to.

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And first of all, I'd like to say I was in a position last week.

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I was down in Monroe County and Monroe County two days before we went on our fishing trip,

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put the mask, ordinance in place, and while I was there, they even strengthened the mask

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ordinance.

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I just wanted to let the council know what I saw.

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I mean, basically it was when you were under a roof,

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you were required to wear a mask.

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I did reach out, actually I'll throw it

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to the Florida League of Cities,

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the benefit that we have through the Florida League of Cities,

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we get to meet a lot of people.

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So I was able to call on several of the commissioners

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in some of the municipalities while I was there

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to get kind of a feel of what was going on from their end.

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And as you know, the keys is very much like Sanibel.

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It's a tourist destination.

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Everybody else comes from somewhere.

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They were a lot, they kept their economy open

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to in many ways, but did close it off to tourists

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and this masks ordinance that they put in place

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was through the county commission,

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but then each municipality did have their own.

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The county commission, because it's a tourist-based area,

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All of Monroe County, they did come together the Mayors and the County Commission when they drew up their proclamation.

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But then some of the areas, just like if Lee County chose not to have their mask ordinance,

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there are some areas that may choose to have theirs on their own because their demographics might be different like ours.

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So I thought it was very beneficial being down there.

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I want to thank you for bringing forward this proclamation.

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I think it's important.

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I think for the record, there has been two attempts at this.

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and both have failed. I think that we are five weeks from when we were able to fully open our economy.

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I can tell you in speaking to many of the island hoteliers, managers, businesses going very well.

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I have not had anyone that I have spoken to, certainly I haven't spoken to the whole realm,

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that said that they would be against a mask ordinance at this point.

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Many of them already have it in place in their own businesses.

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And that's what we did want to encourage when we tried to encourage.

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Unfortunately, it is not being held around the island, which is, I believe,

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why looking at the ordinance, why you brought this forward.

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In terms of questions, just a, if you want me to look at the ordinance itself.

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If you have some questions, if you have questions regarding the ordinance,

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Would we have the opportunity to amend or adjust this? Should we see that to be appropriate?

252
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Very good. One of the areas, I do support this ordinance, something I put that very clearly.

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One area that I did look at is when we looked and I looked at other ordinances that have gone in place

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is on the last one of the last warehouses, when we are mandating it through Labor Day.

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There are many municipalities that have not put an end date on there. As you may or may not

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No, Monroe County is through June of 2021 and I thought that was pretty lengthy and I asked the question to some of the commissioners their concern was not their slow time but next season and that was their reason for extending that many of the ordinances and I did speak with the attorney about this if there was some other wording that we could use that maybe doesn't have the end date right after Labor Day maybe it's open until the commission are

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our...

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Council chooses to end it, or maybe it extends for as long as our executive order extends. So that was one, one area that I did have a question on. Another area was on, on the violation part. Now, it talked about businesses and other places of public accommodation are encouraged to adopt a no-mass no-service policy. To me, if we are putting in place a mask ordinance, then they're required to have a no-mass, you know, well, they're not required to have a no-mass

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No service policy, but I think that's a little bit vague because I think if we're looking at having masks as a

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requirement, then I'm not sure if that's a little redundant saying, you know, you can't have service.

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But again, that's for consideration.

262
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Do you have a recommendation, Aaron?

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I wrote it to you just to say.

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Well, I do.

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So I looked at, since Monroe County and others have put through their

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their ordinances. I will tell you right now 14 counties throughout the state of Florida

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have a mask ordinance and I believe 46 municipalities have passed those. I did pass a link

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to Olive Council, the city attorney and the city manager. That's a great link that we

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can go to that has every ordinance and all the wording in each ordinance. I thought one

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area if it was council's pleasure today to pass some sort of an ordinance for a mask recommendation

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requirement, is a question came up of signage, you know, who provides the signage.

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Palm Beach County actually has a link to some signage.

273
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It could be tailored.

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This is something, if it were to pass, that the city attorney could work with the city with a vice mayor on or the mayor upon his return depending on how quickly we need to do this.

275
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But it's actually a hot link, so people can print these.

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They have one for the restaurants, they have one for the businesses.

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So basically it's a signage saying it's a requirement.

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I will say when I was in the keys, any place that you walked into, there was the signage there of the requirement.

279
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And it showed the municipality that called that.

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I can tell you for the businesses, they would much rather say the city of Santa Bel did this and it's not our call aid.

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And it does put a little bit of some of the feedback back to the city and

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not to the businesses that are trying to encourage.

283
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And I think they have been trying to encourage signage.

284
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So this is one consideration that that way they can print out what they need, if it's approved.

285
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All right, well, I told you when I had in mind, holy was that, you know,

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So, every ought to appear is to pass policy on a particular issue, and I was going to suggest

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that should we pass this policy, we should leave it to the staff, and the chief to worry

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about how we enforce it, and how we communicate this to them, and that would be a good suggestion,

289
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and I would leave it to the staff who are much more able to meet the decision on how we should

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do that.

291
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But that is a very excellent recommendation.

292
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I'll leave it to the staff to do that.

293
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And I'm happy to, you know, if this went through, happy to help in any way that it can

294
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or provide that because it's always good to just have some extra set of eyes yours

295
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possibly.

296
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If we certainly don't know how long the mayor is going to be gone, I've looked at other

297
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proclamations with accommodations so if there's someone that wants to kind of look at this,

298
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I think it's good for all of us to have that litmus test.

299
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And you had some comments with regard to timing of this.

300
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My thoughts on this was that we're going to meet Freddie Reggley, we can amend or adjust

301
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or extend it or shorten it, depending on the situation that we find at the time.

302
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And so, you know, I'm open to any suggestions of putting something different with regard

303
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to timing, but to me, I believe it's something we'll meet regularly on and extend it.

304
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And as we think, as with Councilor things, if I could, one of the reasons that I did say

305
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something about maybe not having a September 7th is because we, as you know, we're getting

306
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emails, the city's getting emails, the management associations are getting emails, the hotel's

307
00:24:06,580 --> 00:24:12,840
saying, what's going to happen on this date? And we don't know. So if we didn't have

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a date firm like September 7th, the day after Labor Day, people might already be saying,

309
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okay, on September 8th, we have to wear masks. So we might not know that now. So it's really

310
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encouraging people that this is fluid. We're not sure.

311
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what would you have you a recommended date? I would we did speak to the city I did

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talk to the city attorney about that and maybe looking at for as long as the

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emergency order is an effect and I'd certainly like to have some input from

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from my fellow council members as well but we were looking at as long as the

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emergency order is an effect or until council votes to what is the date when

316
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and these orders in effect is about a jose in effect.

317
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Is there a date?

318
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When the mayor has got in place an emergency order, what is the date of that? When is that?

319
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What's the termination of that?

320
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So, just two things, and as I'm hearing, I know Council is speaking about it as an ordinance,

321
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but I just want to clarify, for those that are listening, this is not an ordinance.

322
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An ordinance can note something that is permanent in nature, and I just want to clarify

323
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The proclamation is a temporary restriction, and that is important from the timing

324
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perspective of effectiveness because these are temporary in nature, and the authority

325
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to do so, excuse me, stems from the powers as long as the title of local emergency

326
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is in place.

327
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And so the State of Local Emergency was originally enacted, I believe, in May 18.

328
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and it has been extended, the State of Local Emergency has been extended every single week by proclamation.

329
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And so every seven days it is.

330
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So just to circle background to the broader question, when Council has suggested to the mayor to issue proclamations in the past for certain restrictions,

331
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It's done so in different ways, and some of them you've provided a date certain, and

332
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in other ones, you have simply stated until, you know, for the duration of the state

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of local emergency, until and unless council or the mayor extends it or shortens it.

334
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Would you have any problem with doing, like Holly suggested, and that is have something

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on the Labor Day as a date when this would last or should we pass this ordinance?

336
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And then review it as time goes by to see whether we need to extend it or reduce it.

337
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Would that be appropriate?

338
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So it would be Vice Mayor, I will say I won't speak for Councilwoman Smith, but the way

339
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:07,120
the proclamation is currently written provides for Labor Day as an end date.

340
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And certainly Council could extend it or shorten it at any time before then, Councilor

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the mayor, I should say, I believe Councilman Smith's point was, should we make it, instead

342
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of having a date certain, have it open-ended, and you can do any of those things?

343
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Well, I wonder, I would like to get the decision from that from my colleagues here.

344
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Just the other point I would make is my thoughts on this proclamation, should we pass it, it would

345
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:43,520
coming to effect on, I believe, Thursday, Friday, 1 a.m. or 12 o'clock, is that correct?

346
00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:44,460
The way the draft is...

347
00:27:44,460 --> 00:27:45,100
What's the...

348
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:46,740
12 o'clock, 1 a.m. Friday.

349
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And what would it date with that?

350
00:27:48,180 --> 00:27:52,820
12 o'clock, 1 a.m. Friday, July 3rd.

351
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:58,920
Okay. So if indeed this comes, we decide to make this effective, it will come into place

352
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:05,800
at that date and be extended to when, folks, have you got any thoughts on that, Jason?

353
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,780
I just had a quick question, no matter what we call this, this is going to carry

354
00:28:08,780 --> 00:28:13,040
whether the full force of the rule of law with the city behind it.

355
00:28:13,420 --> 00:28:14,920
It will, temporary otherwise.

356
00:28:15,340 --> 00:28:20,320
Have you any thoughts on the date when this should be extended to?

357
00:28:21,220 --> 00:28:22,760
No, because I oppose it.

358
00:28:23,620 --> 00:28:23,800
Okay.

359
00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:32,020
If I could comment, just so happens that Labor Day September 7th is my birthday, and

360
00:28:32,020 --> 00:28:38,620
I can't think of a greater birthday gift than to be able to have the comfort level

361
00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:41,300
that mask are no longer required in public spaces.

362
00:28:42,820 --> 00:28:48,860
But having said that, I also have concerns that just as we've experienced over the last

363
00:28:48,860 --> 00:28:56,860
100 days, we don't know what we're going to be faced with, and we don't know what's, you know,

364
00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:02,260
September 7th rolls my other than my birthday. Well, there's nothing special about

365
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September 7th of the Labor Day, I guess you could consider it that way.

366
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So my concern is, is that if we set that date, we set an expectation that we're going

367
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to be held to, and I think as Councilman Smith pointed out, there may be some folks

368
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that are making long-term plans and such based on that date, and I don't know that

369
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I'm comfortable with setting that.

370
00:29:26,020 --> 00:29:30,740
I think I'm more comfortable with not setting an end date, and then this council

371
00:29:30,740 --> 00:29:32,260
gets together on a regular basis.

372
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:37,880
We can make decisions as the environment changes, and as we see fit, we can tack

373
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with that way.

374
00:29:39,060 --> 00:29:42,000
So, wording on that would you would find more appropriate?

375
00:29:42,460 --> 00:29:42,820
Yes, sir.

376
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:44,920
Okay, and I think, Holly, you feel the same way?

377
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I do.

378
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:47,340
Okay. Okay.

379
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,860
Judge, have you got any thoughts comments on this?

380
00:29:52,020 --> 00:29:55,420
I know that's one of those things you wrestle with, and we've been talking about it for a long time,

381
00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:59,980
and as your counsel Winston and Polly said correctly, we've run this up.

382
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:13,080
I've got the flagpole. I'm disgusted a great deal. There are a lot of people who have opinions on this, and a lot of the people that I talk to today are either at work or looking after their children, so they're not here.

383
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:29,980
I suppose I'll run citizen thoughts I had about this regarding where my opposition is coming from. I believe at this time a ban is unenforceable, frankly, without turning one citizen against another.

384
00:30:29,980 --> 00:30:37,420
citizen. I think this particular ban actually breeds contempt for the law, and for the rule of law,

385
00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:43,820
because people are not going to follow it in large numbers. The will of the people is what is

386
00:30:43,820 --> 00:30:49,160
required for the actual executions of the law, not the police department or not code enforcement,

387
00:30:49,540 --> 00:30:56,900
and not convinced of that will. Frankly, there's not enough code enforcement officers, and the thought of

388
00:30:56,900 --> 00:31:11,280
I'm putting the police in a situation where they now need to oppose families having a nice day on the beach or wherever else we're just going to decide to ban this is a horror to me because of the current media oppression, they're suffering nationwide.

389
00:31:11,900 --> 00:31:16,340
I don't think we should be teeing up their negative interactions with the citizenry.

390
00:31:16,740 --> 00:31:23,880
I expect to see personal responsibility carry the day in this and not citizens naming names.

391
00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:28,320
I expect businesses that wish to enforce this kind of a rule to just do so.

392
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:34,520
If it's the old saying, no shirts, no shoes, no masks, no dice, well then so be it and enforce it.

393
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:41,060
I'm not going to give cover for commercial enterprises who say one thing and then don't do the other.

394
00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:46,040
I expect citizens to regulate their activities, not regulate other people's.

395
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:50,480
If you do not want to be exposed to this and I suggest you do not, I did not expect everybody

396
00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:56,400
in a business or in summer that I wish to go to change their beliefs or lifestyles

397
00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,500
in order to make me feel better about myself.

398
00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:04,300
It's a dead end path and it leads to conflict and disunity in the community.

399
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,380
I think all of us need to come together and help each other.

400
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:14,380
And that's why on the issue solely of personal responsibility, not solely, but on the issue

401
00:32:14,380 --> 00:32:18,840
of personal responsibility, that duty that citizens have to each other to do their part.

402
00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:24,460
If you're, besides somebody who's 70 or 80 years old, you should be doing your best to make sure that they're okay.

403
00:32:24,780 --> 00:32:27,400
That does not mean I expect you to carry 15 masks with you.

404
00:32:29,620 --> 00:32:35,620
I am opposed to this and I'm making it clear from the start I have spent so much time

405
00:32:35,620 --> 00:32:40,340
wrestling with this particular issue and I do not see the effectiveness when weighed against the

406
00:32:40,340 --> 00:32:45,740
destructiveness to the community itself and its members, which is my first responsibility and I think

407
00:32:45,740 --> 00:32:50,480
the real public safety and public health issue that's a foot on this particular issue.

408
00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:51,100
Vice Mayor.

409
00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:53,000
Okay, thank you.

410
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,140
Vice Mayor Fickett, ask some additional comments.

411
00:32:58,380 --> 00:33:04,000
The first one I had jotted down to myself is the no-mask, no-service policy.

412
00:33:05,540 --> 00:33:11,280
And I, speaking as a business person, I have some concerns about that.

413
00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:16,480
But the reason saying is that each of our businesses are very different.

414
00:33:16,940 --> 00:33:21,240
And while that may be appropriate for some, it may not be appropriate for all.

415
00:33:22,380 --> 00:33:29,300
Speaking for myself, we've found ways to work around that and work around it effectively

416
00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:35,200
so that if we do have folks that are concerned about their personal liberties and whether they

417
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:39,360
wear a mask or not, there's alternatives to that and we've been able to be successful with

418
00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:39,560
that.

419
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,880
I'd like to continue that.

420
00:33:43,220 --> 00:33:46,460
I don't see, I

421
00:33:48,890 --> 00:33:54,930
don't think that extends into, you give the person a choice when they're

422
00:33:54,930 --> 00:34:00,170
inside a building with other people where you're not able to socially distance.

423
00:34:00,830 --> 00:34:05,910
I don't think that that's an alternative to this, but there are other alternatives.

424
00:34:05,910 --> 00:34:09,470
For instance, we use delivery and curbside pickup.

425
00:34:09,470 --> 00:34:12,630
We do it very effectively and it works well for us.

426
00:34:13,070 --> 00:34:14,350
We found that to be true.

427
00:34:16,170 --> 00:34:20,330
I am a very strong proponent of personal responsibility.

428
00:34:20,870 --> 00:34:27,750
You have heard me here on the day as speak of that and specifically to these ideas.

429
00:34:28,970 --> 00:34:34,290
And it guided me in my last decision when we took this topic up.

430
00:34:35,590 --> 00:34:43,150
And I feel very confident about the vote that I took then and I'll feel very confident about the vote I take today as well.

431
00:34:46,550 --> 00:34:56,950
Unfortunately, what we've seen is that personal responsibility has not taken care of this, if you will.

432
00:34:58,290 --> 00:34:59,970
and just I would like to go on.

433
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:29,920
On the record it's saying, one, I feel very strongly about my personal responsibility and my personal rights to live my life as I choose to. But I also will point out, and I've done so many times in the past, and I'll continue to do so as my personal right to live my life the way I want to extends all the way up into the point that it infringes on someone else's personal right to live their life as well. And that's where I settle on this.

434
00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,520
this topic, and I have very serious concerns.

435
00:35:35,420 --> 00:35:42,800
As you all know, we instituted a policy in my place of business back in the very beginning.

436
00:35:43,780 --> 00:35:46,880
We put our staff and mask as a matter of fact.

437
00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:54,920
I wore my original mask that we issued to staff members on day one as soon as we could get them in our hands.

438
00:35:54,920 --> 00:36:02,140
We have since followed a policy of requiring masks inside the building and

439
00:36:02,140 --> 00:36:04,120
applying to continue to do so.

440
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:11,860
I had hoped that businesses on the island, much as Jason spoke of, had followed

441
00:36:11,860 --> 00:36:16,060
that and gone that direction and had that happened.

442
00:36:16,380 --> 00:36:18,580
I don't think we would be here discussing it today.

443
00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:23,820
But I very much appreciate the conversation we're having today and I look forward

444
00:36:23,820 --> 00:36:29,620
to hearing from everyone and making a good decision in the best interest of all concern.

445
00:36:30,540 --> 00:36:32,060
You know, Richard, thank you for that.

446
00:36:33,740 --> 00:36:37,800
I feel the same way you do with regard to personal responsibility.

447
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,720
I think it's the way we should be running our life.

448
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:51,100
Unfortunately, with this scourge, which is upon us, and clearly wearing a face mark mask is

449
00:36:51,100 --> 00:36:57,660
indeed a means by which we can curtail, possibly, and be one of the things we can curtail the

450
00:36:57,660 --> 00:37:03,700
spread of this pandemic. Unfortunately, people are not adhering to that and are not taking

451
00:37:03,700 --> 00:37:09,200
the personal responsibility, and it appears to me to be, from my observation, that the

452
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:17,180
citizens that live on the island, the people that have a home here, the people that, well,

453
00:37:17,180 --> 00:37:21,080
they call us their home and they live on the island, I think they are indeed practicing

454
00:37:21,780 --> 00:37:27,940
this sort of discipline in where I'm asking. It seems to me, from my observation, that

455
00:37:27,940 --> 00:37:37,660
the visitors to where I'm on, are less likely to where I'm asking, and I'm only bringing

456
00:37:37,660 --> 00:37:46,840
this proclamation forward because of my observations that it's not being a dear to on our island.

457
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:51,680
and in the protection of our citizens, I think it's necessary now to make the wearing

458
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:57,140
of masks a mandatory requirement. I wish I didn't have to do this, but unfortunately,

459
00:37:57,860 --> 00:38:02,700
the responsibility which you refer, and I agree with, is not being a dear to, so therefore

460
00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:05,040
I have brought this proclamation forward.

461
00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:11,020
I would like at this time I have read the proclamation

462
00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:20,080
and I would like to enter a motion to accept this proclamation and to do this to allow

463
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:27,540
continued conversation by City Council and to allow the people that are here in the City

464
00:38:27,540 --> 00:38:32,940
Hall to make their comments, so I would make a motion to approve this proclamation and I

465
00:38:32,940 --> 00:38:34,240
would look for a second for that.

466
00:38:34,740 --> 00:38:37,700
I would second with a question, if I may, with a date.

467
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,560
Could we make an adjustment or?

468
00:38:40,820 --> 00:38:41,980
No, I agree with you.

469
00:38:42,180 --> 00:38:47,120
There should be, I don't know what the right wording is, but we would keep it as an

470
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:47,680
indefinite.

471
00:38:48,540 --> 00:38:49,600
What's the correct wording for that?

472
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:56,960
Just a point of order, Vice Mayor, since you are chairing the meeting, it would be, it

473
00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:01,300
wouldn't be proper for you to make the motion, it would be proper for someone else.

474
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:02,820
I will offer that to somebody else.

475
00:39:02,820 --> 00:39:09,080
I would, I would enter, I would make that motion to accept the proclamation with the amended

476
00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:14,100
language to the end date being left open. I would leave that to the City Attorney and the

477
00:39:14,100 --> 00:39:16,800
Vice Mayor to work on that language. Thank you, Councilman Smith.

478
00:39:17,820 --> 00:39:23,780
So that we may continue conversation and discussion and fully discuss this and hear from all concerned,

479
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:29,600
I'll second. Thank you. We have an emotional second and we're now going to open out for discussion and

480
00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:34,760
And I'm going to invite the people that are here with us today to make a brief comment.

481
00:39:35,300 --> 00:39:38,640
I'm going to start with the people that are on my right or you're left hand side.

482
00:39:39,260 --> 00:39:41,920
Karen, I see your hand up, so for

483
00:39:45,380 --> 00:39:48,560
anybody that's not familiar with this, the routine is

484
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:53,600
that you state your name and you come to the front of the hall to make your statement.

485
00:39:54,140 --> 00:39:54,920
Thank you.

486
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:56,620
Good morning.

487
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,580
Can you hear me with the mask on or should I take it off?

488
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:08,140
Kannon, story, Hans, Sinabell, resident. And frankly, loads to be here today, but I think

489
00:40:08,140 --> 00:40:13,580
this situation is of enough moment that I'm willing to take the risk. I believe our

490
00:40:13,580 --> 00:40:19,440
community would be best served if you required masks in all businesses. We did the

491
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:27,100
hard work of shutting down, distancing, and masking, thereby making the island relatively

492
00:40:27,100 --> 00:40:34,460
safe. Unfortunately too many of our visitors are not following simple medical

493
00:40:34,460 --> 00:40:41,620
guidelines. Mask went out, distance went possible. The order would give cover to

494
00:40:41,620 --> 00:40:48,480
businesses that have not gotten on board. They should know that many residents, the

495
00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:54,840
people that they depend upon year around, are already noting who was helping to

496
00:40:54,840 --> 00:41:03,860
keep us all safe and who isn't. I am sure that they will no doubt remember long after

497
00:41:03,860 --> 00:41:04,640
this is over.

498
00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:11,920
Surely, if you can go to get a haircut, which my husband did, with the

499
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:20,780
barber masked and him masked, you can shop with a mask on. As always, thank you for the

500
00:41:20,780 --> 00:41:22,920
your service to the island and be well.

501
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:24,180
Thank you.

502
00:41:24,420 --> 00:41:24,880
Thank you.

503
00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:26,660
Anybody else on the my right hand side?

504
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:27,700
Yes, please come forward.

505
00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:31,300
I don't recognize people with a mask on any more.

506
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,250
Okay, that's better.

507
00:41:35,490 --> 00:41:37,530
You're okay, thank you.

508
00:41:39,850 --> 00:41:41,150
If you don't mind, I will.

509
00:41:41,430 --> 00:41:42,090
Thank you.

510
00:41:42,170 --> 00:41:42,610
That's better for me.

511
00:41:42,670 --> 00:41:44,150
I'm hard enough to hear to start with.

512
00:41:44,910 --> 00:41:46,730
Claudia Burns, Senate Bill resident.

513
00:41:47,150 --> 00:41:48,430
Thank you for being here.

514
00:41:49,250 --> 00:41:52,610
And thank all of you for donating your time

515
00:41:52,610 --> 00:41:59,430
and expertise to our community, with the purpose of protecting the sanctuary quality of this island

516
00:42:00,110 --> 00:42:07,750
and the well-being of its residents, all of which takes hours and hours of your time and energy.

517
00:42:08,710 --> 00:42:13,510
And although your efforts seem at times not to be appreciated, I can assure you they are.

518
00:42:15,230 --> 00:42:21,250
What you have voluntarily gathered today to discuss may be one of the most crucial considerations of

519
00:42:21,250 --> 00:42:27,090
your tenure, but I'm confident you will weigh all facets of our situation carefully,

520
00:42:27,610 --> 00:42:31,590
and your decision will be the best possible for the residents of Sanibel.

521
00:42:33,290 --> 00:42:41,790
Unfortunately, that decision may have adverse effects on our economy, but that is a dilemma

522
00:42:41,790 --> 00:42:48,270
facing our entire nation, and we don't have the resources to solve it on our own.

523
00:42:49,730 --> 00:42:55,310
Just when it seemed, we might be able to return to the old, comfortable, normal.

524
00:42:56,330 --> 00:43:02,530
COVID-19 reminded us that it may not be such a good idea, that we'll just have to accept

525
00:43:02,530 --> 00:43:06,190
a new normal once we figure out what that is.

526
00:43:07,490 --> 00:43:12,270
There's no way we could have known what the consequences of reopening our island to

527
00:43:12,270 --> 00:43:19,010
short-term rentals would be unless we gave it a try and it made sense to follow the

528
00:43:19,010 --> 00:43:24,770
lead of our new governor who's had a pretty good track record so far. But we are not the

529
00:43:24,770 --> 00:43:30,690
only small resort community in Florida that's suffering the consequences of doing so.

530
00:43:32,170 --> 00:43:36,350
The other day I was talking to someone who lives in a small town in the panhandle called

531
00:43:36,350 --> 00:43:42,950
nice bill, by the way, which is also inundated with vacationers during the summer months.

532
00:43:43,730 --> 00:43:51,330
She told me that before they reopened to renters, her county had under 10 cases of the virus.

533
00:43:52,610 --> 00:43:55,090
Now they have over 700.

534
00:43:57,620 --> 00:44:04,060
I know you don't want to see that happen on Sanibel, so I trust you to wrestle with this very

535
00:44:04,060 --> 00:44:11,360
difficult dilemma until you arrive at a decision that puts our citizens and our environment

536
00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:13,860
ahead of financial interests.

537
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:18,640
There is no decision that will be right for everyone, of course.

538
00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:26,920
But I trust you will pull all of the experience and wisdom you bring to your leadership positions

539
00:44:27,390 --> 00:44:30,100
to make the very best decision possible.

540
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:39,800
Thank you again for volunteering to devote hours and hours of your time to benefit the residents of our beautiful island.

541
00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:47,120
We truly do appreciate your willingness to donate your expertise and dedication to our benefit.

542
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:48,240
Thank you.

543
00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:48,860
Thank you.

544
00:44:48,860 --> 00:44:51,900
Is there anybody else on the right hand side, Mr. Herty?

545
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:53,480
Mayor Herty,

546
00:44:59,050 --> 00:44:59,750
good morning.

547
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:28,300
Good morning, council. Thank you for everything you do. And I was made special notion or notice of a comment that was just made that you donate your time. I think you should all be paid. Somebody should have some kind of an ordinance to say. I know it goes to the referendum and so forth. But the time of donating your time compared to everybody else in the country. I think you should be compensated somehow, but that's another point.

548
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:34,180
For the record, you know, having sat in these seats many years, I pretty much know how this is all going to go.

549
00:45:34,820 --> 00:45:42,200
And I will tell you, for the record, we will do whatever the city directs us to do, as we always have been.

550
00:45:42,700 --> 00:45:44,220
And employees will continue to do.

551
00:45:44,700 --> 00:45:49,520
I am opposed to a mandatory ordinance that customers have to wear.

552
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:56,180
mask my people, all of my people in every one of my restaurants have been masked up for

553
00:45:56,180 --> 00:46:02,420
quite some time now and so and I think that's important that that's things that I can

554
00:46:02,420 --> 00:46:08,860
control but from a mandatory standpoint I would not be in favor of this. I think we

555
00:46:08,860 --> 00:46:17,840
have to take personal responsibility for our actions and so forth and I think this mandatory

556
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:24,540
situation is just something that can't be enforced, and I would be opposed to it.

557
00:46:24,820 --> 00:46:29,220
But again, whatever the council decides, that's the direction we will take.

558
00:46:29,460 --> 00:46:32,500
And as I said, I'm pretty sure how it's going to fall.

559
00:46:32,740 --> 00:46:34,340
So thank you for your time and your efforts.

560
00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:35,260
Thank you, Marty.

561
00:46:35,500 --> 00:46:35,700
Thanks, Board.

562
00:46:48,300 --> 00:46:51,540
I'm Deborah McKelkin, resident of Sanabelle.

563
00:46:52,700 --> 00:46:57,300
I'm very concerned about the mask situation and

564
00:46:57,300 --> 00:47:04,260
And I want to respond to that as my, what I was going to say might have changed a little

565
00:47:04,260 --> 00:47:06,300
bit during their listening to your discussion.

566
00:47:07,980 --> 00:47:15,880
There are many people on the island who have followed the protocols recommended by such

567
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:26,080
people as the president of Lee Memorial, Lee Health, Dr. Antonucci, to wear masks, masks,

568
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:35,400
of masks, and yet people coming to the island seem, I agree with Vice Mayor Dunham that

569
00:47:36,060 --> 00:47:40,200
they don't appear to be following any of the guidelines for safe practices.

570
00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:49,760
I urge you to take immediate action, which you seem to be vacillating between you amongst

571
00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:52,980
you about wearing masks.

572
00:47:53,520 --> 00:48:02,040
And the following of six foot distances become much more difficult around the island than it had been.

573
00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:13,120
Many people that live here who I've spoken to, if they find a business that doesn't require masks, they don't go in.

574
00:48:13,820 --> 00:48:19,080
They don't go to restaurants where people where the servers aren't wearing masks.

575
00:48:22,620 --> 00:48:31,560
and that really restricts what people who live on Sonnebel can do if you're afraid to go to places that you usually frequent.

576
00:48:33,740 --> 00:48:40,980
Please take into account that COVID-19 cases have gone up 500% in the past two weeks in Florida.

577
00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:46,340
Many of the larger cities have decided to close their beaches.

578
00:48:47,580 --> 00:48:58,580
And re-examine how maybe this opening too soon is backfiring on some of our situations here.

579
00:49:00,830 --> 00:49:07,380
In order to protect the health of Santa Bill, city staff, the city council, the employers

580
00:49:07,380 --> 00:49:14,100
and owners of businesses and restaurants, we're all work on, and all who work on Santa

581
00:49:14,100 --> 00:49:20,860
Honorable, the residents and also now the many visitors from the spread of COVID-19.

582
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:27,400
It's imperative that City Council take an action to implement the measure of wearing masks

583
00:49:28,180 --> 00:49:31,900
regardless of the reluctance to do so by Governor DeSantis.

584
00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:41,680
It's not really, it's watching out for your fellow citizens and visitors to not spread the virus.

585
00:49:44,340 --> 00:49:44,900
Thank you.

586
00:49:44,900 --> 00:49:45,620
Thank you.

587
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:46,180
Thank you.

588
00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:48,360
Anybody else on the right hand side?

589
00:49:49,180 --> 00:49:50,300
On the left hand side.

590
00:49:50,420 --> 00:49:52,080
Anyone wish to speak on this topic?

591
00:49:52,220 --> 00:49:52,900
On the left hand side.

592
00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:54,320
Yes.

593
00:50:07,950 --> 00:50:12,830
My name is Arlene Dillon. I'm a 15-year full-time resident of Sanabelle.

594
00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:39,000
The governor of Florida has left the governing to you to all the local jurisdictions in the state of Florida to do what is best for their local communities. That means you are tasked with doing what is best for Sanabelle. Despite weeks of petitioning you to put a mass restriction in place on Sanabelle, you have continued to resist this while strongly recommending

595
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:45,520
that people follow CDC guidelines and, as we have heard, not doing that when they come here.

596
00:50:46,060 --> 00:50:50,760
There's clear evidence and data to support that many Floridians and other visitors to our

597
00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:57,040
great states are not following CDC guidelines and that has unfortunately led to many more cases

598
00:50:57,040 --> 00:51:03,300
and deaths. So let me take a moment to address your main concern, the Sanibel economy.

599
00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:08,920
Let's look at a future that can potentially be ten times worse than the present.

600
00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:14,120
If we don't do something to curtail the cases of COVID-19 on Sanabelle now,

601
00:51:14,700 --> 00:51:16,820
our future looks potentially dire.

602
00:51:17,460 --> 00:51:23,260
What will the economy look like in 2021 when our usual seasonal renters and snowbirds start

603
00:51:23,260 --> 00:51:28,480
to read stories this summer and fall about how Sanabelle did not do all it could

604
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:30,660
to stem the tide of this disease.

605
00:51:31,380 --> 00:51:35,460
How our small, idyllic island that so many from up north

606
00:51:35,460 --> 00:51:38,580
glowingly, several meetings ago discussed,

607
00:51:39,060 --> 00:51:41,520
is now a hotspot for COVID-19 cases

608
00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:44,020
because we did not stand up to do the right thing.

609
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:48,400
Stories potentially in papers like the Chicago Sun Times,

610
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,800
the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Detroit Free Press,

611
00:51:52,380 --> 00:51:54,820
the St. Louis Post, the Spatch, the Des Moines Register,

612
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:58,360
the Indianapolis Star, the Philadelphia Inquirer,

613
00:51:58,360 --> 00:52:01,000
and the Cleveland Plain dealer just to name a few

614
00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:04,140
who, by the way, do cover Sanibel News.

615
00:52:04,980 --> 00:52:06,540
What will they say to their families

616
00:52:06,540 --> 00:52:09,120
when it comes time to decide where to go next winter

617
00:52:09,120 --> 00:52:10,320
for a couple of months?

618
00:52:10,940 --> 00:52:12,880
How is Sanibel going to appeal to them

619
00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:15,500
when they see that we have not done all we could do

620
00:52:15,500 --> 00:52:18,620
to protect our island in this time of crisis?

621
00:52:20,140 --> 00:52:22,640
Now let's look at for a minute at what's happening today

622
00:52:22,640 --> 00:52:24,320
in our retail and restaurant businesses.

623
00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:27,520
People are getting sick and employees are scared

624
00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:32,980
to come to work. And I know that personally from several who have told me this but are afraid

625
00:52:32,980 --> 00:52:37,480
to come forward for fear of losing their jobs. So guess what? They've asked me to come

626
00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:42,920
and talk for them. But honestly, I'm just as frightened as them. I don't want to make

627
00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:46,700
enemies on this island. I love this island and most of the people in it and everybody

628
00:52:46,700 --> 00:52:52,640
on this council that I know personally. So it makes me sick to even say that we're afraid

629
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:57,860
We need to come forward to say what we're feeling, except for thank you to almost 300 people

630
00:52:57,860 --> 00:52:58,900
who did write letters.

631
00:53:00,300 --> 00:53:04,460
So what does that say about Santa Bel and our economy, and more importantly, how much

632
00:53:04,460 --> 00:53:07,160
we actually do care about our citizens and our workforce?

633
00:53:07,900 --> 00:53:13,860
At this time you have announced 17 cases on Santa Bel, and according to the CDC, we need

634
00:53:13,860 --> 00:53:18,140
to multiply that by 10, so that's 170, give or take a few.

635
00:53:18,700 --> 00:53:21,800
Think about what I'm saying before you vote on this proclamation.

636
00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:28,220
I have appealed to you many times before, and I'm asking that you vote this temporary

637
00:53:28,220 --> 00:53:31,500
proclamation ordinance wherever you want to call it in.

638
00:53:32,260 --> 00:53:36,660
And if you won't do that, I'll leave you with this with what Dr. Fauci said last week.

639
00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:39,860
Let's forget the politics and look at the data.

640
00:53:40,400 --> 00:53:40,900
Thank you.

641
00:53:42,340 --> 00:53:44,500
Anybody else on the my left hand side?

642
00:53:45,540 --> 00:53:47,260
Just on the good

643
00:53:52,730 --> 00:53:52,990
morning.

644
00:53:52,990 --> 00:53:53,990
Good morning.

645
00:53:54,370 --> 00:53:56,230
Hi, Jeannie Haas, Sanabelle resident.

646
00:53:57,790 --> 00:54:00,370
I already spoke in May, so y'all know how I feel.

647
00:54:00,470 --> 00:54:01,050
It's on the record.

648
00:54:01,710 --> 00:54:03,670
And I think as Marty said, we kinda know

649
00:54:03,670 --> 00:54:04,430
how it's gonna go down.

650
00:54:04,490 --> 00:54:06,130
So I just wanna offer some comments.

651
00:54:07,110 --> 00:54:11,550
I think you should really consider exempting churches

652
00:54:11,550 --> 00:54:14,730
and allowing the churches to make their own decisions

653
00:54:14,730 --> 00:54:16,670
for people being massed or in worship.

654
00:54:16,670 --> 00:54:18,510
I know a lot are already social distancing.

655
00:54:19,110 --> 00:54:22,510
I think that's really an important point.

656
00:54:23,310 --> 00:54:28,650
I also want to, as listening to the statistics, and I think it's really important for everyone

657
00:54:29,190 --> 00:54:35,590
to not allow fear to take hold because statistics, if we test 100 people and five people are

658
00:54:35,590 --> 00:54:37,310
positive, it's a 5 percent, right?

659
00:54:37,410 --> 00:54:43,090
If we test a million people and 50,000 are positive, we still have the same percentage, but

660
00:54:43,090 --> 00:54:47,190
the cases have exponentially gone out the window, but the percentage is the same.

661
00:54:47,190 --> 00:54:54,490
And so as we are testing millions, I think it's 1.2, I saw in Lee County or in Florida, whatever.

662
00:54:55,330 --> 00:54:59,790
Of course, our numbers are going to go up because the testing is going up, but the percentage

663
00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:28,280
If you look at the percentages, it's hanging pretty, whatever the word is, pretty much the same. So, if someone says something's gone up 100%, well, that can mean from 1 to 2. So you just need to make sure that you're looking closely at the statistics and the percentages because just to say a thousand percent sounds overwhelming. But if you really look at the thousand percent, it's often very different than it would seem.

664
00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:34,160
I also want to address the issue with masks and this is all over the internet and the CDC.

665
00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:38,380
As soon as you touch your mask, it's contaminated, that's just reality.

666
00:55:38,900 --> 00:55:44,360
So I see people all the time, I'm guilty of it, I have one shoved in my pocketbook, I've

667
00:55:44,360 --> 00:55:48,600
seen coming out of the glove box, my husband one time pulled a dirty handkerchief out of his

668
00:55:48,600 --> 00:55:53,700
pocket and just put it over his face, the reality is if I had to guess the majority of

669
00:55:53,700 --> 00:55:57,840
masks are contaminated, unless you walk into a store and they hand you one and you put it

670
00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:02,480
over one time use. I don't think most people are taking their cloth once

671
00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:05,600
home tonight and disinfecting them and hanging them. I just I don't think

672
00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:10,000
that's happening. I've been in a lot of stores and a lot of places on the

673
00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:14,220
island so that's a whole other piece of this is that it almost gives a false

674
00:56:14,220 --> 00:56:21,420
sense of whatever the protection that in reality I've read one article and I

675
00:56:21,420 --> 00:56:27,740
think the CDC backs us up. If you wear the mask, the bacteria build up inside

676
00:56:27,740 --> 00:56:31,220
If it's not disinfected and cleaned, it's actually worse.

677
00:56:31,580 --> 00:56:37,460
So there's so much to this and so much education that needs to be done.

678
00:56:38,220 --> 00:56:44,680
I just wanted to stand up and speak about things that are factual and statistical and also.

679
00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:47,580
I don't know why they're closing beaches.

680
00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:52,480
I personally, the salt air is where they would send people for consumption.

681
00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:54,180
It's super healthy for your lungs.

682
00:56:54,180 --> 00:56:57,300
It's one of the best places to be is on a beach.

683
00:56:58,440 --> 00:57:02,540
I personally have not seen any groups of 30 or 40 people.

684
00:57:02,680 --> 00:57:06,720
I see family groups, I see, and I don't, I'm not saying the sandwell is going to close

685
00:57:06,720 --> 00:57:07,180
their beaches.

686
00:57:07,420 --> 00:57:13,620
But that's also a knee jerk sort of thing, I think, not really based in fact.

687
00:57:14,260 --> 00:57:21,020
So those are my three points, the church's healthy salt air statistics, please be careful

688
00:57:21,020 --> 00:57:27,780
about throwing out the numbers of, oh, we've had a this percent rise and really be accurate

689
00:57:27,780 --> 00:57:32,060
because what bothers me when anything is the fear that I see among people this.

690
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:38,460
I looked at the statistics for Lee County, 770,000 plus population in Lee County.

691
00:57:38,660 --> 00:57:43,400
You go to Reginald County. I'm sorry. Okay, really quick. As of June 22nd,

692
00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:50,740
the mortality rate from COVID was about 0.20. That is so far below the flu death.

693
00:57:50,740 --> 00:57:50,940
Thank you.

694
00:57:51,020 --> 00:57:55,600
Mortality rate in 2018, if you can just, this is all online, if you look at Lee County Statistics.

695
00:57:56,060 --> 00:57:59,060
So anyway, I just would encourage people to live wisely.

696
00:57:59,580 --> 00:57:59,900
Thank you.

697
00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:00,780
Wash your hands.

698
00:58:01,040 --> 00:58:01,320
Thank you.

699
00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:02,040
Thank you.

700
00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:03,660
Any glass on the left hand side?

701
00:58:04,220 --> 00:58:04,720
Yes, sir.

702
00:58:11,870 --> 00:58:12,190
Good morning.

703
00:58:14,180 --> 00:58:15,260
My name is Eric Delman-Vack.

704
00:58:15,380 --> 00:58:16,920
I'm a recent Santa Bel resident.

705
00:58:17,480 --> 00:58:18,360
I only have one comment.

706
00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:18,920
I'll be fast.

707
00:58:19,100 --> 00:58:19,820
That won't even turn yellow.

708
00:58:20,600 --> 00:58:27,220
I totally echo the comments in this house that I ask that you, if you pass this, consider allowing houses of worship, places of faith.

709
00:58:27,220 --> 00:58:33,460
to make their own decision, I think the idea of no mask, no participation in that particular

710
00:58:33,460 --> 00:58:37,140
example is a pretty far stretch, that's all.

711
00:58:38,820 --> 00:58:40,780
Anybody else on the left hand side wish to make a comment?

712
00:58:42,500 --> 00:58:44,040
Okay, let's bring you back to cancel.

713
00:58:44,380 --> 00:58:52,920
I, I listened to what the judgment said and was several other parties, and I, and in full

714
00:58:52,920 --> 00:59:04,840
agreement with the principle that people should have self-discipline to understand the importance

715
00:59:04,840 --> 00:59:12,100
of wearing a mask. I don't think there's any doubt that wearing a mask, although it's

716
00:59:12,100 --> 00:59:22,600
not 100%, it does provide some effective control of the spread of it. So I agree with the thoughts

717
00:59:22,600 --> 00:59:30,160
that Council in the morning suggested that we should allow personal responsibility to

718
00:59:30,160 --> 00:59:39,880
affect our decisions. Unfortunately, on the island, this just not happened. I am alarmed

719
00:59:39,880 --> 00:59:45,420
by the number of people that are in business establishments without a mask.

720
00:59:47,760 --> 00:59:48,940
I personally,

721
00:59:51,040 --> 00:59:55,860
I might have a decision, I won't go to a restaurant, that's affecting economy.

722
00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:58,460
I actually got a restaurant probably two or three times a week.

723
00:59:59,040 --> 00:59:59,860
I don't go to a restaurant.

724
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:27,860
Because, I'm nervous about the fact that people that do not have the discipline to wear a mask. I was in an establishment which sells food and there was probably eight people in a group. I suspect they were visitors, I'm not sure. Nobody was wearing a mask. Nobody was self-distancing. So, you know, whereas I support the thoughts of self-discipline, it's just it's not being practiced.

725
01:00:27,860 --> 01:00:36,700
and I am very loathe to put forward this proclamation. I feel that it shouldn't

726
01:00:36,700 --> 01:00:42,480
be necessary but unfortunately I'm finding from my personal experience that it

727
01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:50,080
is necessary to have a proclamation which does affect mandate people to

728
01:00:50,080 --> 01:00:56,500
wear a mask because the self-discipline is just not working and I am personally

729
01:00:56,500 --> 01:01:04,500
very alarmed about the spread of this virus. I'm very alarmed. We can argue there's only

730
01:01:04,500 --> 01:01:09,580
a few people who have died, but if one person dies that's one too many. I'm very alarmed

731
01:01:09,580 --> 01:01:17,740
by the spread of this pandemic. I'm fearful that it might get worse. I'm hopefully won't.

732
01:01:18,260 --> 01:01:25,840
I believe that the mask is not a cure of the spread of this pandemic. It is a simple step

733
01:01:25,840 --> 01:01:32,560
that everyone can take to help in preventing the spread of this virus.

734
01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:39,980
I recognise that washing your hands and self-distancing is also important.

735
01:01:40,860 --> 01:01:51,340
But please, I really plead with people that wearing a mask is a necessary step to at least

736
01:01:51,340 --> 01:01:53,720
preventing the spread of this disease any further.

737
01:01:53,720 --> 01:02:00,360
It is my belief that if everyone was to wear a mask, as is shown by a number of

738
01:02:00,360 --> 01:02:06,060
communities that have worn a mask, the level of pandemic does decrease and it is

739
01:02:06,060 --> 01:02:15,040
controlled. So I am very much in favor of this proclamation. I believe it's very

740
01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:21,340
necessary and I, as I've said before, I wish that we didn't have to do this but I

741
01:02:21,340 --> 01:02:30,120
I just feel that we can't trust on the self-discipline of the people around us to adhere to

742
01:02:30,120 --> 01:02:35,260
wearing masks and so, therefore, I am very supportive of this proclamation, and I pass

743
01:02:35,260 --> 01:02:36,440
it back to my council colleagues.

744
01:02:37,580 --> 01:02:39,500
Mr. Vice-Mayor, if I may.

745
01:02:39,760 --> 01:02:40,480
You can make a ahead, please.

746
01:02:42,460 --> 01:02:47,220
And I appreciate all of Jason's comments that he made, and I certainly do appreciate all

747
01:02:47,220 --> 01:02:48,840
of the comments that you've made, Mr. Vice Mayor,

748
01:02:48,940 --> 01:02:52,420
and I stand behind those, when we look at things

749
01:02:52,420 --> 01:02:55,000
like unenforceable, how are we going to enforce?

750
01:02:55,600 --> 01:02:58,540
We had put out a request to say,

751
01:02:58,840 --> 01:03:00,360
we really want people to wear masks.

752
01:03:00,900 --> 01:03:04,160
We tried that, and it didn't work.

753
01:03:04,380 --> 01:03:06,120
It hasn't helped.

754
01:03:06,500 --> 01:03:08,680
It's helped a degree, but not to the degree

755
01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:10,040
that we need it to on this island.

756
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:14,520
When you mandate something, most of the people

757
01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:15,940
are going to comply.

758
01:03:15,940 --> 01:03:22,000
I truly believe that if you don't mandate it, then why do they need to?

759
01:03:23,420 --> 01:03:27,420
Our economy, since we opened up, has done quite well.

760
01:03:27,980 --> 01:03:31,800
I know the hotels are pretty much full capacity.

761
01:03:32,420 --> 01:03:35,940
I have been in touch with the Vacation Rental Management Association

762
01:03:35,940 --> 01:03:37,160
of Sanabell and Captiva.

763
01:03:37,820 --> 01:03:39,460
They are going very strong.

764
01:03:39,640 --> 01:03:43,700
There are some comments about whether or not having the tourism

765
01:03:43,700 --> 01:03:45,700
and come back to our island is the problem.

766
01:03:45,900 --> 01:03:49,080
Well, you know, I look at anyone as a potential carrier,

767
01:03:49,380 --> 01:03:51,340
whether you're a visitor, whether you're a resident,

768
01:03:51,760 --> 01:03:53,900
and I can tell you the vacation rental managers

769
01:03:53,900 --> 01:03:57,960
and the hotels are doing so much to make sure

770
01:03:57,960 --> 01:03:59,020
that we are all safe.

771
01:04:00,380 --> 01:04:07,040
And this mask proclamation is a step that we can take

772
01:04:07,560 --> 01:04:08,840
to keep us safe.

773
01:04:09,180 --> 01:04:12,320
And I think it's time for that step to be taken.

774
01:04:12,320 --> 01:04:19,080
We do not want to roll back where we were before, and I think if the small, I consider it

775
01:04:19,080 --> 01:04:22,380
more of an inconvenience, I just do not see the downside.

776
01:04:23,440 --> 01:04:29,240
In our proclamation there's the exemptions, I think those are very fair exemptions.

777
01:04:29,900 --> 01:04:37,080
So I just believe if this one step that we can take to keep our economy going and potentially

778
01:04:37,080 --> 01:04:39,200
limit the spread.

779
01:04:39,200 --> 01:04:43,700
You know, now Florida is being stopped in other borders.

780
01:04:44,220 --> 01:04:49,000
So let's realize that this is all over the country, everywhere.

781
01:04:49,440 --> 01:04:53,600
We're a tourism-based economy, and we've got to protect our citizens.

782
01:04:53,820 --> 01:04:56,380
We've got to protect our employees, our families, and our guests.

783
01:04:56,380 --> 01:04:59,920
And so I fully support this.

784
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:28,680
And I did not want to see this happen. I did support at the two previous times as well as it failed. But now we're five weeks further and we have to look at our state and look at what we can do to protect ourselves. I would have one question for the city attorney because I think it's a fair comment that has been brought up in regards to the places of worship. I don't know legally if that's a concern. I'd like your feedback on that. The virus doesn't have a border.

785
01:05:28,680 --> 01:05:35,160
So I don't, you know, I'm a little concerned on if that is something that we should be looking at

786
01:05:36,420 --> 01:05:38,380
and I would appreciate your input on that.

787
01:05:38,680 --> 01:05:45,280
Council, I'd be glad to provide perhaps a definition of a place of public accommodation

788
01:05:45,280 --> 01:05:48,480
within the proclamation before it's issued to clarify that point.

789
01:05:48,740 --> 01:05:54,480
Generally speaking, a place of public accommodation does not include places of worship.

790
01:05:54,480 --> 01:06:01,500
So, you know, a church or a synagogue or the like, unless you're in a situation

791
01:06:01,500 --> 01:06:06,580
where that facility is being rented out to a private party, but when it's being,

792
01:06:06,860 --> 01:06:12,360
when it is a place of worship, being used as a place of worship, you know,

793
01:06:12,440 --> 01:06:14,820
it wouldn't be considered a place of public accommodation.

794
01:06:14,820 --> 01:06:20,720
So in writing this, the intent was that place of worship would not be included,

795
01:06:20,720 --> 01:06:25,740
but certainly we can spell that out in black and white to make that clear, if that's Council's preference.

796
01:06:26,320 --> 01:06:33,200
I would, I don't know if we need to amend my motion, but I certainly think that clarification,

797
01:06:33,440 --> 01:06:38,620
the more we have layman's terms, because these proclamations have a lot of legal ease,

798
01:06:39,180 --> 01:06:45,500
so the more we can outline clarity, so there's not a question, I would very much appreciate that,

799
01:06:45,700 --> 01:06:48,580
should it be Council's pleasure to pass this proclamation today?

800
01:06:49,960 --> 01:06:56,580
And then the nice thing about proclamations as opposed to a resolution or an ordinance

801
01:06:56,580 --> 01:07:01,120
where the verbiage needs to be precise and exact when you pass it.

802
01:07:01,240 --> 01:07:08,480
In this case, you're passing your intent and so we can make modifications

803
01:07:08,480 --> 01:07:12,120
between now and when it's finalized and the vice mayor executes it.

804
01:07:12,120 --> 01:07:18,100
In fact, totally, if I couldn't add a comment there, the City Attorney and I did discuss

805
01:07:18,100 --> 01:07:25,580
churches specifically and we agreed that we would not include churches, would be excluded

806
01:07:25,580 --> 01:07:27,380
from this proclamation.

807
01:07:27,720 --> 01:07:28,880
Thank you very much.

808
01:07:28,880 --> 01:07:30,800
So we've already discussed that and we agree that.

809
01:07:30,860 --> 01:07:31,120
Okay.

810
01:07:31,700 --> 01:07:41,020
One thing I need to say, you know, we are voted as a nonpartisan island and it saddens

811
01:07:41,020 --> 01:07:48,140
me because I think this has been politicized and my duty is to the citizens of this island

812
01:07:48,140 --> 01:07:55,120
we have had and I will say we've had probably almost 400 emails on this and overwhelmingly

813
01:07:55,120 --> 01:07:58,400
the citizens have requested that we put this in effect.

814
01:07:58,620 --> 01:08:04,100
We have had tourists that have sent in numerous tourists that say, you know, please, we're

815
01:08:04,100 --> 01:08:04,820
doing it here.

816
01:08:04,820 --> 01:08:12,940
So, I looked back two years ago when we were in a crisis, a water crisis and the signs

817
01:08:12,940 --> 01:08:16,400
that were around the silent, Republican Democrat water.

818
01:08:17,100 --> 01:08:22,200
And I look at this today and I say, Republican Democrat health.

819
01:08:22,660 --> 01:08:27,580
And I think at this one step, I've listened to the scientists, I've listened to the medical

820
01:08:27,580 --> 01:08:34,180
community, I've spoken to some of the Lee Health board, I have not found any medical

821
01:08:34,860 --> 01:08:58,160
professional, not to say that they're not out there, that has not said that wearing a mask at this point is one of the most important things we can do, along with social distancing of six feet and washing our hands, and that is what I'm making my decision on today for our citizens and our guests, our employees and our families. Thank you.

822
01:08:59,760 --> 01:09:00,940
Any other counsel comments?

823
01:09:01,640 --> 01:09:15,600
Certainly. Thank you, Vice Mayor. One thing I'd like to open up with is that, and I'm not speaking on behalf of my fellow councilmembers, but I do want to go on the record is that, you know, we've received a tremendous amount of input.

824
01:09:16,300 --> 01:09:26,780
Some of it here in council chambers as well as emails. And I know for one, I have taken the time to read as a matter of fact I was catching up this morning before I came in.

825
01:09:26,780 --> 01:09:38,740
And so I just like for that to go on the record and with the assurance of the public that your words are considered, your input is valuable, no matter where it comes from.

826
01:09:39,500 --> 01:09:45,140
If I didn't respond to you, please don't take that as an indication that I didn't read your comments.

827
01:09:45,820 --> 01:09:51,600
Quite honestly, I'd still be replying if I tried to reply to each and every single one of them, but thank you for that.

828
01:09:52,260 --> 01:09:59,840
The other comment I'd like to make is, it's again, it hits on something that I've believed

829
01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:28,280
And for some time, as you all know, I'll operate a business and business has to look at the numbers. And we heard today from public input the emphasis on numbers and being careful with statistics and such. And I very much agree with that. And because when you do have, when you go from one to two from a percentage standpoint, that is a tremendous increase.

830
01:10:28,280 --> 01:10:37,120
So it's very important that you look beyond just what the numbers are and what I refer to as the story behind the numbers.

831
01:10:37,720 --> 01:10:44,520
And I think one of the things that is clearly pointed out is the story behind the numbers is that this thing is getting worse.

832
01:10:45,200 --> 01:10:47,320
There's no question in my mind whatsoever.

833
01:10:47,320 --> 01:10:53,340
However, the all-rate is climbing, and all the numbers point to, and I, one of the things

834
01:10:53,340 --> 01:10:58,940
that I look at when I review the statistics coming back from the Department of Health

835
01:10:58,940 --> 01:11:01,560
is the positivity rate of the tests that are being taken.

836
01:11:01,920 --> 01:11:03,660
The positivity rate is going up.

837
01:11:04,540 --> 01:11:08,820
There's no question about that, so it's not just a matter of, we're testing more people.

838
01:11:09,120 --> 01:11:13,980
Yes, thank goodness we are testing more people, and people are getting results, so that

839
01:11:13,980 --> 01:11:19,900
But they know, because many of us may be walking around having the infection and not even

840
01:11:19,900 --> 01:11:25,920
realize it, there's so many asymptomatic people that have been tested and didn't realize

841
01:11:25,920 --> 01:11:26,660
that they had it.

842
01:11:28,680 --> 01:11:36,780
In the past, we used the strongest possible language up to not including an ordinance

843
01:11:36,780 --> 01:11:41,120
or a proclamation requiring a mask usage.

844
01:11:41,120 --> 01:11:48,780
And I think one of the things that I've seen is that it wasn't enough.

845
01:11:49,980 --> 01:11:51,400
We feel short.

846
01:11:53,460 --> 01:11:59,820
Masked are required for safety and as the scientific and the medical field has commented repeatedly,

847
01:12:00,970 --> 01:12:04,880
mask do make a difference, washing your hands, make a tremendous difference.

848
01:12:04,880 --> 01:12:15,440
Not putting yourself in a position or a place where you cannot safely distance and you

849
01:12:15,440 --> 01:12:20,360
cannot safely protect yourself from this disease puts you at risk.

850
01:12:22,500 --> 01:12:30,320
Wearing mask, I view that as I'll go out on my business and for just a second I do that

851
01:12:30,320 --> 01:12:53,720
from my customers. I wear my mask for my customers. I require my staff to wear a mask for not only for each other, because as an essential business, we remained open during this whole time, and I had grave concerns for my staff members because they were being exposed to people walking through the store passing through the register.

852
01:12:53,720 --> 01:13:00,720
We took every step that we could possibly take to make sure that they were safe as possible.

853
01:13:01,620 --> 01:13:10,560
That of their families because when they leave work, they go home and they potentially may expose their families to that as well.

854
01:13:11,900 --> 01:13:21,240
And lastly, I wear my mask for myself and my family, however it has little to no impact on me.

855
01:13:21,240 --> 01:13:24,780
I wear my mask for you and I ask that you wear a mask for me.

856
01:13:25,720 --> 01:13:33,260
We don't have a long-term solution at this point where I've heard in the scientific

857
01:13:33,260 --> 01:13:39,640
community and the medical community, we are going through this more quickly than we've

858
01:13:39,640 --> 01:13:41,360
tackled anything else before.

859
01:13:42,560 --> 01:13:45,360
We are making strides daily.

860
01:13:48,680 --> 01:13:53,660
I wrote down the term solutions, Mick, and I think that's probably, you know, we're

861
01:13:53,660 --> 01:13:56,680
going to have to address it, and it's going to be a have to be addressed in a whole

862
01:13:56,680 --> 01:13:57,840
variety of ways.

863
01:13:58,120 --> 01:14:03,320
We're going to, you know, I heard one person talk about returning to normal.

864
01:14:04,100 --> 01:14:10,520
One of the thoughts that I have is that returning to normal is probably not going to

865
01:14:10,520 --> 01:14:19,380
I think we are clearly defining a new normal and what it's going to look like in the future, but at this point I'm not prepared for that.

866
01:14:19,860 --> 01:14:28,860
I think we need to do whatever we can do both personally and as a legislative body here on the island to support that.

867
01:14:30,300 --> 01:14:38,700
I do recognize that at a federal level and a state level and possibly potentially even at a county level this step has not been taken.

868
01:14:38,700 --> 01:14:49,380
But I look at that a little bit differently, maybe than others do, is I look at that is that this is one of those instances where one size does not necessarily fit all.

869
01:14:50,080 --> 01:14:59,900
And I think what, and I don't want to put words in the Governor's mouth, but I think I've heard him intimate something along these lines is that he's allowing those local.

870
01:15:05,400 --> 01:15:29,980
So, in the past, I did not support this because I wanted that personal responsibility. I wanted all those things that I've heard spoke of today to kick in and make sure that people did the right thing. Not only for themselves, but for their fellow person that is alongside of them. I'm not seeing that on a regular basis.

871
01:15:29,980 --> 01:15:37,700
on a large scale. And because of that, I look forward to moving forward with this.

872
01:15:38,620 --> 01:15:41,580
I thank you for your wisdom. I wish you'd have a very much appreciated.

873
01:15:41,980 --> 01:15:43,480
Thank you. Is there any other council comments?

874
01:15:46,640 --> 01:15:53,740
I want to start by saying how much I appreciate the three of you, not only as city council members,

875
01:15:53,960 --> 01:15:59,500
but also as people I enjoy discussing the issues of our time with and coming to resolutions.

876
01:15:59,500 --> 01:16:08,740
But my admiration and affection for all of you is only countered by my own honesty to myself about how I feel about things.

877
01:16:09,380 --> 01:16:12,340
And we all feel that way and share with each other in good faith.

878
01:16:13,460 --> 01:16:19,340
I am opposed to this because I believe at this time I wish to follow the governor.

879
01:16:19,460 --> 01:16:22,840
I wish to follow BOCC, the county commission.

880
01:16:23,860 --> 01:16:35,500
There's no other local city in South West Florida, all the South West are that has instituted a complete mask rule, if you will.

881
01:16:36,060 --> 01:16:40,080
I believe that the police will be put in an untenable position.

882
01:16:40,940 --> 01:16:43,500
I don't think this is the time for that sort of thing.

883
01:16:44,640 --> 01:16:51,040
I believe certain people will be licensed to torment their fellow citizens, like they're wearing a scarlet sea.

884
01:16:51,040 --> 01:16:54,320
and we'll narrow and nearly enjoy that.

885
01:16:54,920 --> 01:16:57,960
I expect personal responsibility from citizens.

886
01:16:59,180 --> 01:17:01,580
I want citizens to regulate themselves,

887
01:17:01,760 --> 01:17:03,740
not spend their time regulating others.

888
01:17:04,280 --> 01:17:06,960
If you don't wish to be exposed, then don't go out.

889
01:17:07,880 --> 01:17:10,680
If you want other people to change their lifestyle

890
01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:13,640
so that you may do things that interfere with theirs,

891
01:17:14,020 --> 01:17:15,880
that is not an acceptable reason to me.

892
01:17:20,570 --> 01:17:22,990
I do not like the idea of the government

893
01:17:22,990 --> 01:17:28,270
providing cover to commercial activities. That's not our job, but we support our economy

894
01:17:28,270 --> 01:17:31,870
here, and we certainly do everything we can, but you don't get to talk out both sides

895
01:17:31,870 --> 01:17:36,830
of your mouth, and these are the times that try men's souls as the old saying goes,

896
01:17:37,010 --> 01:17:41,710
and you need to make decisions based on what you believe is right.

897
01:17:42,030 --> 01:17:47,470
Not have the government compel people to do things that you may not have the civic courage

898
01:17:47,470 --> 01:17:51,910
to do yourself. These are the times to stand up and act on what you believe in.

899
01:17:51,910 --> 01:17:58,630
And unfortunately, like I'm having to do right now, I believe in the long run that this

900
01:17:58,630 --> 01:18:06,430
ban will do damage to our community, for a short term feel good effect that does not

901
01:18:06,430 --> 01:18:09,990
show the results we intend to get.

902
01:18:10,350 --> 01:18:15,430
I think many reasons are presented today to say that we're actually creating COVID traps

903
01:18:15,430 --> 01:18:17,950
and masks that people are dragging around the place.

904
01:18:19,210 --> 01:18:24,470
I'm more concerned, the long-term fabric of our community and what has bound us together

905
01:18:24,470 --> 01:18:30,150
and with those who've come to visit us and who so many of them end up living here, and

906
01:18:30,150 --> 01:18:32,390
planning for the retirements from their experience.

907
01:18:33,070 --> 01:18:41,030
I applaud and commend Richard Johnson who has proved and through empirical evidence that

908
01:18:41,030 --> 01:18:44,210
a business can apply rules like this and people will follow it.

909
01:18:44,610 --> 01:18:47,930
And just like all businesses, you're going to run into a lunatic and sometimes those

910
01:18:47,930 --> 01:18:51,330
people just need to be asked to shop somewhere else if they don't want to comply.

911
01:18:51,770 --> 01:18:55,970
That's the nature of private business, and it's also the nature of government.

912
01:18:56,770 --> 01:19:02,630
So at this time, I pose a max ban for the respectfully to my fellow council members.

913
01:19:03,350 --> 01:19:07,590
I pose a mask ban for the actual greater good of our community.

914
01:19:08,490 --> 01:19:08,970
Thank you, Vice-Maria.

915
01:19:09,090 --> 01:19:10,890
I respect your comments, Jason.

916
01:19:11,430 --> 01:19:11,930
Thank you, Jason.

917
01:19:12,550 --> 01:19:13,110
Absolutely.

918
01:19:13,710 --> 01:19:21,130
If I want to make a conclude, we're bringing this about because there is a health emergency

919
01:19:21,830 --> 01:19:24,790
and other reason for us to do it, either there is a health emergency.

920
01:19:25,830 --> 01:19:30,970
And clearly from all the evidence that I have read, the masks do make a difference.

921
01:19:31,570 --> 01:19:35,430
They do help prevent the spread of this virus.

922
01:19:36,150 --> 01:19:42,830
And my concern is, should we not pass something and people still go along and nobody

923
01:19:42,830 --> 01:19:49,790
wearing a mask, then shame on us, shame on us if that happens because I'm not confident

924
01:19:50,990 --> 01:19:59,970
that if we don't have a ban on a proclamation requiring masks, I don't think people

925
01:20:00,460 --> 01:20:18,160
Well, let the increasing wearing masks will increase, I think it's still going to be what it is today. So we have a motion, we have a second with some revised language, which we have. I have. Do I need to read the proclamation again, city clerk? Are you okay?

926
01:20:20,200 --> 01:20:28,900
Would you like me to read the proclamation? Vice Mayor, you do not need to read it because it's not necessarily the exact same form as what will be passed. I understand the motion.

927
01:20:28,900 --> 01:20:31,120
then I would like to call for question on this matter.

928
01:20:32,800 --> 01:20:35,220
Mr. Johnson?

929
01:20:36,520 --> 01:20:37,060
Yes.

930
01:20:37,400 --> 01:20:38,040
Mr. Denham?

931
01:20:38,320 --> 01:20:38,460
Yes.

932
01:20:39,020 --> 01:20:40,360
Mr. Mon?

933
01:20:40,860 --> 01:20:41,120
No.

934
01:20:41,440 --> 01:20:41,800
Thank you.

935
01:20:42,380 --> 01:20:46,480
So with that, we have concluded this piece of business and this proclamation is now

936
01:20:46,480 --> 01:20:46,880
enforced.

937
01:20:47,560 --> 01:20:54,800
I'm suggesting, as said, he manages to the attorney that this will go into effect on the date

938
01:20:54,800 --> 01:21:00,040
which is Friday 12 o'clock, 1 a.m. is that correct?

939
01:21:00,680 --> 01:21:03,860
That's the way it's currently prepared, by some way, and I'll finalize the importance

940
01:21:03,860 --> 01:21:05,600
with the Justice Department.

941
01:21:06,200 --> 01:21:11,960
And I think with the revised language, this I would like to do is to go into effect.

942
01:21:12,400 --> 01:21:12,780
Thank you.

943
01:21:13,300 --> 01:21:13,600
Thank you.

944
01:21:16,140 --> 01:21:16,820
Councillor Gough.

945
01:21:16,940 --> 01:21:21,180
Do we want to continue discussions on other topics or do you want to short break?

946
01:21:21,180 --> 01:21:27,330
But what else is on the agenda that's announced for a due process reasons?

947
01:21:27,730 --> 01:21:40,390
Okay, I would wish us to discuss the possibility of considering beach parking as a temporary

948
01:21:42,970 --> 01:21:50,230
man on beach parking on Saturday, public parking on Saturday, but I would like to discuss

949
01:21:50,230 --> 01:21:55,710
that I see whether because it's been brought to my attention by a numerous in my messages

950
01:21:55,710 --> 01:22:01,050
that we should consider this again, I would like to open this up for discussion by Council.

951
01:22:02,250 --> 01:22:06,110
Whatever, whatever one support that. I do support that. I think under

952
01:22:06,110 --> 01:22:11,650
agenda it allows us to do so because it does speak to COVID any sort of COVID.

953
01:22:12,050 --> 01:22:17,790
I believe the agenda allows us to talk about any issue which is COVID-related and so I'm taking

954
01:22:17,790 --> 01:22:22,390
the opportunity to do that, and I would like, at least to begin, a discussion on that.

955
01:22:22,810 --> 01:22:27,790
And would you like to go ahead and make some comments on this?

956
01:22:27,790 --> 01:22:33,870
And, Vice Mayor, if I want to object to it, simply because those stakeholders may be affected

957
01:22:33,870 --> 01:22:38,670
by that haven't received any notice whatsoever, and if it's your decision to proceed with

958
01:22:38,670 --> 01:22:42,330
it, I happily shall, in that case, I'd like to take a five-minute break or.

959
01:22:42,950 --> 01:22:48,830
So, your objection is that this is because it's not related to COVID, or because of COVID?

960
01:22:48,910 --> 01:22:52,590
No, no, no, because I think if you're related to COVID and you could put anything up as

961
01:22:52,590 --> 01:22:59,210
walk-on, shutting the parking lots or shutting the beaches, there's a different group of

962
01:22:59,210 --> 01:23:01,410
people that should be heard on the matter.

963
01:23:01,650 --> 01:23:06,650
I don't mind us talking about it if that's the majority's decision here, but it would be

964
01:23:06,650 --> 01:23:13,170
the untoward and extreme not to mention that that is not specifically mentioned and a sweeping

965
01:23:13,170 --> 01:23:16,170
generality of COVID-19 could cover anything under the sun.

966
01:23:16,930 --> 01:23:22,090
Well, the only reason I feel comfortable bringing forward is because we've discussed beach parking

967
01:23:22,470 --> 01:23:28,150
public, beach parking numerous times in the past and we've agreed that this is something

968
01:23:28,150 --> 01:23:33,850
which is worthwhile and is worthwhile in protection of our citizens and because there we have

969
01:23:33,850 --> 01:23:39,490
a emergency situation where beaches are being closed on the other coast, which is going

970
01:23:39,490 --> 01:23:45,630
to encourage people to get in their cars and drive here if we have our, leave our beach

971
01:23:45,630 --> 01:23:52,590
parking open. I think this is a concern, a considerable concern, and I don't believe

972
01:23:52,590 --> 01:23:58,170
that this is something which we can wait a week or two or several weeks before we affect

973
01:23:58,170 --> 01:24:03,750
the decision on whether or not we need to close beach parking. I think it's a crisis situation

974
01:24:03,750 --> 01:24:10,270
which we confront. It's an emergency situation. My view is we need to consider this and we

975
01:24:10,270 --> 01:24:16,410
need, if it is the—if it is the wisdom of this Council, that I would like to consider

976
01:24:16,410 --> 01:24:24,030
this as another proclamation that we should endorse and pass today. I don't think we can

977
01:24:24,030 --> 01:24:28,770
wait a week or two or three or—to the next Council meeting before we can discuss this,

978
01:24:28,770 --> 01:24:35,590
or to have someone like me put together a brief as to why it's necessary.

979
01:24:36,030 --> 01:24:41,290
I believe we are talking about a crisis situation and I believe therefore it is a wisdom,

980
01:24:41,630 --> 01:24:44,390
it is my wisdom and I hope the wisdom is counsel.

981
01:24:44,790 --> 01:24:50,950
This is worthy of discussion and it's worthy if we think it is a crisis I've described

982
01:24:50,950 --> 01:24:52,790
that we should have a proclamation.

983
01:24:55,790 --> 01:24:59,930
I guess we already have a proclamation on beach parking, I want to continue.

984
01:25:00,000 --> 01:25:29,760
I'll tell you that previous proclamation for a period, certainly to extend through the July 4th weekend. That would be what I would print. So I'm I'm preempting what you wish to say there. Holly, so I apologize for that, but I was trying to address my colleague. And I took it that and I've really registered the objection because it was worthy of knows. And we're also missing our mayor and we're one short for dealing with this. I am not

985
01:25:29,760 --> 01:25:33,940
going to walk out and protest if you wish to discuss this, and it looks like if the

986
01:25:33,940 --> 01:25:37,620
others wish to discuss it, I'll, of course, participate in this, but I just like

987
01:25:37,620 --> 01:25:42,140
giving citizens heads up on something as serious as shutting down the bargain.

988
01:25:43,180 --> 01:25:45,420
That's it's just, I'm putting it on the record.

989
01:25:45,720 --> 01:25:49,820
Okay, Mr. Dockin and Maya, they'll need attorney in front of me here.

990
01:25:50,300 --> 01:25:54,320
Is this appropriate for us to discuss this at this time, and is it appropriate,

991
01:25:54,640 --> 01:25:58,760
so should we wish to consider a proclamation on this matter?

992
01:25:58,760 --> 01:26:07,640
It is Vice Mayor, and I promise that statement by saying, circling back to what we talked

993
01:26:07,640 --> 01:26:12,780
about in the beginning, which is the emergency powers in a state of local emergency

994
01:26:12,780 --> 01:26:17,940
or house with the mayor, so it's not in his stead, the Vice Mayor.

995
01:26:18,560 --> 01:26:23,900
So it's not to say that a meeting is required at all of counsel.

996
01:26:24,200 --> 01:26:28,500
Every single proclamation that has been issued today could have been by the mayor

997
01:26:28,500 --> 01:26:34,120
without consultation of all of City Council. It is, I think, a professional respect

998
01:26:34,120 --> 01:26:39,160
for, you know, five opinions, why you've gathered each time before there have been

999
01:26:39,840 --> 01:26:45,520
the majority of any kind of substantive actions to be taken. So I say that because

1000
01:26:47,200 --> 01:26:52,900
those actions could be taken by you in the absence of the mayor without a meeting.

1001
01:26:52,900 --> 01:27:00,000
But irrespective, even if that wasn't true, I would say that this broad discussion

1002
01:27:00,000 --> 01:27:05,300
regarding coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, including but not limited to potential

1003
01:27:05,300 --> 01:27:10,800
adoption or modification of COVID-19 related restrictions, broadly covers anything,

1004
01:27:11,080 --> 01:27:13,640
you know, under the sun, related to COVID-19.

1005
01:27:13,900 --> 01:27:22,880
And so I don't believe that additional notice beyond that would be required, even if-

1006
01:27:22,880 --> 01:27:30,480
But can I just say that we're not talking about closing the beaches, we're talking about closing beach parking.

1007
01:27:30,680 --> 01:27:33,260
I want to make that distinction because it's an important distinction.

1008
01:27:35,330 --> 01:27:37,270
I support the discussion.

1009
01:27:37,530 --> 01:27:44,350
I think that it's extremely timely, especially with everything that's happening throughout the beach areas around the state right now.

1010
01:27:44,750 --> 01:27:49,590
And if we want to wait and have this discussion, our council member had asked for a five minute recess.

1011
01:27:50,370 --> 01:27:51,550
Do you want to continue with?

1012
01:27:51,550 --> 01:27:53,010
Yeah, let's take it to 10 to the right.

1013
01:27:53,150 --> 01:27:57,070
Mr. Vice-Mayor, I don't think it sounds like everybody would like to discuss it,

1014
01:27:57,070 --> 01:28:01,870
and I'm always loved to discuss things that rest at my city count.

1015
01:28:01,970 --> 01:28:04,850
Well, I like when I'm on the clock being paid more than this, but.

1016
01:28:06,350 --> 01:28:14,470
A Vice-Mayor, if I may chime in before we break, I too agree that we should have a discussion.

1017
01:28:14,630 --> 01:28:19,790
I think it is relevant to the situation, and I thank you very much, City Attorney,

1018
01:28:19,790 --> 01:28:24,690
because I was looking forward to hearing from you and making sure, as you well know,

1019
01:28:24,950 --> 01:28:30,290
we all use him as a guide post for what we do and how we do so in a legal manner.

1020
01:28:30,630 --> 01:28:34,930
So with that clearance, I would support a break in the return process.

1021
01:28:35,350 --> 01:28:41,270
I just showed a German and I would suggest we return at 20 minutes for further discussion on this topic.

1022
01:28:41,330 --> 01:28:41,870
That's right. Thank you.

1023
01:28:41,870 --> 01:28:43,590
We forgot we passed our...

1024
01:28:46,310 --> 01:28:47,130
Sorry.

1025
01:28:49,310 --> 01:28:50,370
Thank you.

1026
01:28:51,270 --> 01:28:51,570
Sorry.

1027
01:28:51,570 --> 01:28:51,930
Mr. Regan.

1028
01:28:52,110 --> 01:28:52,450
Sorry, Mr. Regan.

1029
01:28:52,950 --> 01:28:53,170
Sorry.

1030
01:28:53,170 --> 01:28:53,370
Excuse me.

1031
01:28:54,330 --> 01:28:55,510
No, the photo is regaining.

1032
01:28:55,930 --> 01:28:56,850
I'm going to be in a hurry to go.

1033
01:28:56,850 --> 01:28:57,070
Question?

1034
01:28:57,310 --> 01:28:57,710
Yeah, I guess.

1035
01:28:57,870 --> 01:28:58,530
I feel hearty.

1036
01:28:59,050 --> 01:28:59,990
I'm in that megabillum.

1037
01:29:00,310 --> 01:29:00,870
Okay.

1038
01:29:01,450 --> 01:29:02,010
What's...

1039
01:29:02,010 --> 01:29:03,190
This is the whole photo.

1040
01:29:04,650 --> 01:29:06,390
This is the...

1041
01:29:06,390 --> 01:29:07,290
You're very...

1042
01:29:07,290 --> 01:29:09,250
I mean, I've been daily contact with Terry.

1043
01:29:09,710 --> 01:29:10,310
You smell that?

1044
01:29:10,530 --> 01:29:10,710
Yeah.

1045
01:29:11,410 --> 01:29:11,790
I know.

1046
01:29:11,790 --> 01:29:13,430
I know she's been on the give-up five minutes.

1047
01:29:13,630 --> 01:29:15,690
There to, you know, she's been on the give-up five minutes.

1048
01:29:16,670 --> 01:29:22,550
All the other thing that burns out is a delicate balance between

1049
01:29:22,550 --> 01:29:23,330
the one should be different.

1050
01:29:23,350 --> 01:29:26,450
And you have to bring forward that something

1051
01:29:26,450 --> 01:29:29,350
and pushing so much during you have elk.

1052
01:29:29,510 --> 01:29:30,090
Yeah, yeah.

1053
01:29:30,190 --> 01:29:31,390
So that's what it is.

1054
01:29:33,210 --> 01:29:35,070
Two or three times so far.

1055
01:29:35,410 --> 01:29:38,850
You know, I've heard from him or through his JA.

1056
01:29:38,850 --> 01:29:38,950
Okay.

1057
01:29:39,670 --> 01:29:46,370
You see, the agenda allows us to have a wide ranging discussion on anything associated

1058
01:29:46,370 --> 01:29:52,170
with this coronavirus disease, and I want to proceed with that mandate.

1059
01:29:52,730 --> 01:29:59,490
And so, I have suggested, it is a suggestion that we discuss the possibility.

1060
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:13,440
Bringing back the proclamation which prevents opening of the beach parking on Sanabelle. I'm going

1061
01:30:13,440 --> 01:30:22,680
to ask Holly Smith, Councillor Smith if she would at least bring us into this discussion. You

1062
01:30:22,680 --> 01:30:27,700
want to do that or do you want me to continue? Mr. Vice-Mier, why don't you continue as you

1063
01:30:27,700 --> 01:30:31,680
brought that forward and I'd love to add to the conversation.

1064
01:30:31,860 --> 01:30:36,340
Let me say what I repeat what I've already said and it's worthwhile saying again.

1065
01:30:37,320 --> 01:30:43,080
The reason that I believe this is a worthwhile discussion and the possibility of considering

1066
01:30:43,080 --> 01:30:51,580
a proclamation is for the reason that the closure of breaches on the west coast, the June

1067
01:30:51,580 --> 01:31:00,520
July 4th we can be on. I believe that people will naturally want to find a beach which

1068
01:31:00,520 --> 01:31:05,640
they can record on. I think there's a good reason to believe that that might be San

1069
01:31:05,640 --> 01:31:13,500
Abel and I believe we will get any substantial number of people that want to be on our island

1070
01:31:13,500 --> 01:31:16,100
And in this time of this pandemic.

1071
01:31:17,790 --> 01:31:27,220
So therefore my view is that for a period of beginning a maybe a Friday of this week

1072
01:31:27,970 --> 01:31:36,460
through the following week, which I've called the week of July the 4th, that we should

1073
01:31:36,460 --> 01:31:42,320
consider closing public parking on our beaches for that period of time.

1074
01:31:42,320 --> 01:31:50,560
And the reason for that is, for the same reason there's masks, is that I'm trying to have

1075
01:31:50,560 --> 01:31:56,160
due consideration for the people that live on this island, for the people that make this

1076
01:31:56,160 --> 01:32:05,720
home on their home, and to protect them against the massive of visits here over the coming

1077
01:32:05,720 --> 01:32:14,620
quality we can and beyond. I believe it's I would describe it as a crisis situation. I believe

1078
01:32:14,620 --> 01:32:22,840
we have a situation which is an immediate and I have been inundated with numerous requests

1079
01:32:22,840 --> 01:32:30,620
from a large number of citizens, but this is encouraged to be encouraged and therefore

1080
01:32:30,620 --> 01:32:40,560
I would suggest that we consider a move to consider the proclamation of halting beach

1081
01:32:40,560 --> 01:32:47,020
parking, public parking on the beaches, we did that for a limited period of time of

1082
01:32:47,020 --> 01:32:51,300
around seven or eight days beginning on this coming Friday.

1083
01:32:52,060 --> 01:33:00,240
That is what I wish, and if you want that as a motion, that would be a motion which I would

1084
01:33:00,240 --> 01:33:04,000
I would consider. Thank you.

1085
01:33:04,260 --> 01:33:05,440
I would second for discussion.

1086
01:33:05,820 --> 01:33:06,020
Okay.

1087
01:33:08,720 --> 01:33:09,580
If I may.

1088
01:33:09,700 --> 01:33:10,440
You can't, please go ahead.

1089
01:33:12,060 --> 01:33:16,000
We have had, again, nearly probably 400 emails.

1090
01:33:16,620 --> 01:33:21,040
So I don't think this is a surprise that this is being brought up today.

1091
01:33:36,650 --> 01:33:37,970
I said, you sound glad to me help you.

1092
01:33:39,670 --> 01:33:46,400
I will be taking caller number three this morning, a long time listener, first-hand caller.

1093
01:33:50,230 --> 01:33:56,230
VICE mayor, just one point to make it, you made the motion and Councilman Smith's

1094
01:33:56,230 --> 01:34:02,490
second motion just to reiterate from before, if and when you do decide to take

1095
01:34:02,490 --> 01:34:06,770
action, you can second the motion as the Chair just not make the motion.

1096
01:34:06,990 --> 01:34:07,990
I'm on target, Pamela.

1097
01:34:16,050 --> 01:34:20,470
Well, my one question would be, as we don't know, possibly the mayor could be listening

1098
01:34:20,470 --> 01:34:25,130
in if that's a phone call coming from the mayor, so let's just make sure.

1099
01:34:25,130 --> 01:34:29,370
And I'm sure he would be able to get in contact through another means.

1100
01:34:29,710 --> 01:34:31,650
It's not him, it sounds like well.

1101
01:34:31,930 --> 01:34:34,750
Okay, so we can continue.

1102
01:34:35,050 --> 01:34:35,670
Robo call.

1103
01:34:37,910 --> 01:34:39,530
I'll just go ahead and continue.

1104
01:34:39,770 --> 01:34:44,090
So as I believe I was saying, we've had at least 400 emails.

1105
01:34:44,530 --> 01:34:48,250
And I can't even fathom the number of emails that we're discussing.

1106
01:34:48,990 --> 01:34:53,950
The potential closer on Santa Bel's beach paid parking.

1107
01:34:53,950 --> 01:34:58,050
The East Coast has essentially many

1108
01:35:00,000 --> 01:35:28,640
Members have closed down. There are many municipalities around here that have also made some decisions. There was an email sent out last night regarding where not Lee County is not closing down their beaches, we understand. Call your county is meeting right now. Naples, I believe, putting back in the restrictions that they put in place during the period that they had their restrictions in. I don't have those in front of me.

1109
01:35:28,640 --> 01:35:36,200
Marko Island is also considering discussing, so this is not just Santa Bel that potentially

1110
01:35:36,200 --> 01:35:36,980
is looking at this.

1111
01:35:38,060 --> 01:35:42,720
As I stated before, this holiday weekend, all of our accommodations are full.

1112
01:35:44,440 --> 01:35:51,260
And to add to that, you know, I'm concerned about the interactions, I'm concerned about our

1113
01:35:51,260 --> 01:35:53,820
natural resources, the strain on our natural resources.

1114
01:35:53,820 --> 01:36:00,620
as we have seen our, the council has seen the photos that, like none other, I've seen

1115
01:36:00,620 --> 01:36:06,700
before, on the east end of the island where it's tent to tent and looks more like a, almost

1116
01:36:06,700 --> 01:36:13,300
an east coast fully capacity, in full capacity beach, then we're used to seeing it here.

1117
01:36:14,620 --> 01:36:20,540
I would actually support the closure for as long as the east coast beaches are closed.

1118
01:36:20,540 --> 01:36:27,200
I believe that their closure, if I'm not mistaken, was from the 3rd through, I believe, the 7th.

1119
01:36:28,800 --> 01:36:37,660
I'm glad that you're bringing up this discussion, because I do think that we can have an action on this, and if it's supported, it's supported, if it fails, it fails.

1120
01:36:38,200 --> 01:36:44,580
I believe that when we were looking at the revenue loss and the city manager might be able to help me on this one,

1121
01:36:44,580 --> 01:36:50,760
We were looking before Beach Parking came back open at zero revenue.

1122
01:36:51,500 --> 01:36:54,640
Was it through July, City Manager, if I could ask you please?

1123
01:36:54,880 --> 01:37:02,420
No, July was going to be, was going to be 50%, we were 50% revenue.

1124
01:37:02,420 --> 01:37:03,460
I believe.

1125
01:37:03,980 --> 01:37:06,460
Okay, City Manager, could you just

1126
01:37:08,700 --> 01:37:12,680
remind us, because I think that's important that we have had it can be

1127
01:37:12,680 --> 01:37:17,340
I need a minute to check those numbers for you, but I'd like to thank you.

1128
01:37:18,600 --> 01:37:26,480
So we do have a couple of county beaches that would remain open, but my concern is the heavy

1129
01:37:26,480 --> 01:37:33,000
capacity that we could have with so many of their restrictions and beach closings in other parts of the state.

1130
01:37:35,360 --> 01:37:41,900
I think probably a place to start while the City Manager looks into those numbers for us is what are we trying

1131
01:37:41,900 --> 01:37:46,460
to accomplish specifically, and we've always had this, I don't like walk-ons, I don't

1132
01:37:46,460 --> 01:37:52,080
like that there's no due process for people who may want to comment on this specific issue,

1133
01:37:52,180 --> 01:37:57,480
and I understand the immediacy that the vice mayor has shared, and therefore I would

1134
01:37:57,480 --> 01:38:02,480
agree to discuss it, but I want to know exactly what we're trying to accomplish, because if

1135
01:38:02,480 --> 01:38:07,960
we've already got weekend people coming and the beaches are going to be packed with people who

1136
01:38:07,960 --> 01:38:16,120
made reservations anyway, closing our parking lots, I'm not entirely sure how that affects

1137
01:38:16,120 --> 01:38:23,200
the situation except to punish local day trippers or others who may not live on the beach

1138
01:38:23,200 --> 01:38:26,680
and wish to park in a public parking lot.

1139
01:38:27,720 --> 01:38:35,180
I'm also, and it's terribly unfortunate but absolutely understandable that we're missing

1140
01:38:35,180 --> 01:38:39,380
the mayor at this time simply because I like his insights, his special relationship

1141
01:38:39,380 --> 01:38:44,180
and he always maintained it with the county commission and I would have loved to have a

1142
01:38:44,180 --> 01:38:47,640
feel of what his feelings were on that.

1143
01:38:48,280 --> 01:38:53,040
And what the, what repercussions are for the same argument we were confronted with before

1144
01:38:53,040 --> 01:38:59,300
about, you know, for future issues, if the county remains open for everything and we shut

1145
01:38:59,300 --> 01:39:02,480
down our beaches, the cause will be full, et cetera.

1146
01:39:02,480 --> 01:39:11,000
And I'm going to think shut down our beaches, shut down the public parking, which I concurred with the outset of this unpleasantness quite frankly.

1147
01:39:11,860 --> 01:39:20,600
And so my question is, you know, and that's just to frame up a discussion while we wait, is, what is it we want to accomplish exactly by doing this?

1148
01:39:20,720 --> 01:39:26,260
And then I think we can sort of work backwards from, all right, if that's the goal, then how do we, how do we effectuate that goal?

1149
01:39:26,260 --> 01:39:33,200
Well, if I kind of post an opinion on that, I mean, simply it will reduce the numbers

1150
01:39:33,200 --> 01:39:34,580
of people that are on the beach.

1151
01:39:36,040 --> 01:39:44,180
If I recognise that their hotels as Smith suggested, I'll fully booked, so we're not closing

1152
01:39:44,180 --> 01:39:52,180
the beaches as such, I just think it reduces the number of people that enter our beaches,

1153
01:39:52,180 --> 01:39:57,920
and it also allows us to better control the number of peaches, the people that are on your beaches.

1154
01:39:58,640 --> 01:39:59,280
So it's really...

1155
01:40:00,020 --> 01:40:29,800
I think if we do this we will reduce the number of visitors coming to Ireland, reduce the number of people coming to our beaches. I don't believe they're going to come to the island just to go to our restaurants. I believe they will come to the island because they want to go on their beaches. So I think it will reduce the number of people that come to Ireland for a short period of time of seven or eight days. That's why. So it's really a numbers problem. And I'm, you know,

1156
01:40:29,800 --> 01:40:33,380
So it is a tough job being up here.

1157
01:40:34,280 --> 01:40:35,000
It really is.

1158
01:40:35,860 --> 01:40:42,580
But one of the things that, in my 16 years on Council, it's necessary to do is to listen

1159
01:40:42,580 --> 01:40:45,000
to those people that put me in office.

1160
01:40:45,540 --> 01:40:49,940
To listen to them and try to understand what they're telling me.

1161
01:40:51,100 --> 01:40:57,520
The people that put me in office are telling me that please try and limit the number of people

1162
01:40:57,520 --> 01:40:58,420
that are on our beaches.

1163
01:40:58,420 --> 01:41:05,980
and I'm responding to that. Now, for a variety of reasons, we may believe this is not

1164
01:41:05,980 --> 01:41:13,020
good, right or fair, but I'm responding to the needs of our citizens. The putman often

1165
01:41:13,020 --> 01:41:18,500
says, look, it is going to be a difficult weekend. There's going to be a large number of

1166
01:41:18,500 --> 01:41:25,420
people coming from the West Coast and other places to this island. Please, will you try and

1167
01:41:25,420 --> 01:41:31,040
see if we can minimise the effect of these people. That is what I'm trying to do. I'm listening

1168
01:41:31,040 --> 01:41:37,680
to the citizens of this island once again, repeating myself. I'm listening to the people that live

1169
01:41:37,680 --> 01:41:43,020
on this island, that make this island their home, and this is what I'm hearing from them. So it's a

1170
01:41:43,020 --> 01:41:48,060
really a numbers problem. It's trying to reduce the numbers of people coming onto our island and

1171
01:41:48,060 --> 01:41:53,400
getting onto our beaches. Now we may not all like what we're trying to do, but it does satisfy

1172
01:41:53,400 --> 01:41:59,860
the needs of what I consider to be the majority of the citizens, those people who live on

1173
01:41:59,860 --> 01:42:00,280
Air Island.

1174
01:42:05,900 --> 01:42:12,540
Vice Mayor, if I may, I too am glad that we're having this conversation because I think

1175
01:42:12,540 --> 01:42:18,660
had we not had this conversation, we would have been not carrying out our responsibilities.

1176
01:42:18,660 --> 01:42:25,580
So I'm glad, as I spoke earlier, I'm glad that City Attorney opined so that I knew that

1177
01:42:25,580 --> 01:42:30,340
We were on firm ground there from a legal standpoint as far as notice goes and such.

1178
01:42:31,120 --> 01:42:38,880
As I look at this issue, I'm going to try to offer up some comments that maybe I haven't heard already.

1179
01:42:39,720 --> 01:42:46,240
And although I did hear this, I want to emphasize that we are a sanctuary island.

1180
01:42:46,240 --> 01:42:56,300
We do strive to live in harmony with nature as well as each other, the diversity aspect

1181
01:42:56,300 --> 01:42:58,540
of our environment.

1182
01:42:59,180 --> 01:43:06,580
I do recognize that our hotels and motels and rental accommodations are, this is a peak

1183
01:43:06,580 --> 01:43:14,940
weekend for them, and as a result they are enjoying brisk business if you will for this.

1184
01:43:14,940 --> 01:43:39,400
I do have some concerns about the environmental aspects, and I know as a community, and this council, not me, but this council years ago, made a choice to limit the exposure that we have people on our beaches, and we principally do that through beach access, if you will.

1185
01:43:39,400 --> 01:43:48,760
I will go on the record and say I am not in favor of closing the beaches and I state it that way exactly closing our beaches.

1186
01:43:49,580 --> 01:44:01,520
I do believe that the residents and others that are here with us and spending time with us do have a, I think we have an obligation to provide that to them.

1187
01:44:01,520 --> 01:44:28,240
I think we also have an obligation to the environment as well as the citizenry here to make sure that we manage that beach load that we have exposure to this weekend normally I would not be too concerned about this because I think the steps and measures that we have in place are adequate for normal times.

1188
01:44:28,240 --> 01:44:36,080
And as we've all stated and we've heard from others, we are in unprecedented times dealing

1189
01:44:36,080 --> 01:44:41,740
with this COVID crisis and how we got here to this conversation in the first place.

1190
01:44:42,840 --> 01:44:49,300
Without being too much more long-winded, I think that we do require some additional steps

1191
01:44:49,300 --> 01:44:54,060
to manage beach load for this holiday weekend.

1192
01:44:54,800 --> 01:44:58,300
and I will go on the record also is saying.

1193
01:45:00,000 --> 01:45:29,940
I'm not convinced that we need to have as long a period of time. I think the peak time that we're dealing with is the 4th of July weekend, not necessarily beyond that. I'll also go on the record saying that by using the tool, the management tool that we have available to us, and we've used in the past, is by utilizing those public parking areas that we control on, on Sanable. And what we can do then is limit the number of folks that are

1194
01:45:29,940 --> 01:45:35,220
going to end up on our beaches. We've already seen some environmental damage to what's

1195
01:45:35,220 --> 01:45:41,400
taken place and I'd like to, as best as possible, minimize the additional damage that might

1196
01:45:41,400 --> 01:45:49,000
occur because of additional loads on our beaches. With the announced closures on the East

1197
01:45:49,000 --> 01:45:55,160
Coast and neighboring communities, I think it is going to put some additional pressure on

1198
01:45:55,160 --> 01:46:04,100
our beaches. I would suggest that we consider a shorter time period and what's where we're most

1199
01:46:04,100 --> 01:46:12,380
at risk. The other thing that I and I heard loud and clear in our earlier decisions that we were

1200
01:46:13,240 --> 01:46:22,480
denying residents of Lee County the ability and I think if we were to allow those beach parking

1201
01:46:22,480 --> 01:46:29,680
permits those permit holders to utilize those other areas, I think that would be an appropriate

1202
01:46:29,680 --> 01:46:31,340
discussion for us to have today, too.

1203
01:46:32,680 --> 01:46:39,760
Okay, trying to listen to what you just said, I would accept part of a motion which the attorney

1204
01:46:39,760 --> 01:46:46,680
tells me I can't make someone needs a mate, that we should, I'll be willing to accept you

1205
01:46:46,680 --> 01:46:53,640
I think you said the 7th through the 7th, I didn't say the 7th, I wanted to focus on

1206
01:46:53,640 --> 01:46:54,440
that peak period.

1207
01:46:54,440 --> 01:46:54,680
Okay.

1208
01:46:55,220 --> 01:47:00,220
I would agree with that, and I think we need to decide what that peak period really

1209
01:47:00,220 --> 01:47:00,560
is.

1210
01:47:01,140 --> 01:47:02,480
I would agree with that.

1211
01:47:02,640 --> 01:47:03,500
I wouldn't find objection.

1212
01:47:03,960 --> 01:47:06,380
I want to make it very clear for everybody in the listeners.

1213
01:47:06,820 --> 01:47:08,940
We are not closing the beaches.

1214
01:47:09,640 --> 01:47:11,440
We are not closing the beaches.

1215
01:47:11,940 --> 01:47:14,720
We are closing beach public parking.

1216
01:47:15,380 --> 01:47:21,840
And we're doing this to try and prevent the numbers of people that congregate on our beaches.

1217
01:47:24,600 --> 01:47:28,940
And you're right. I'm doing this because of the environmental damage.

1218
01:47:29,760 --> 01:47:35,500
And we are found over the last weeks when we began to open our beaches,

1219
01:47:35,720 --> 01:47:40,100
the amount of litter and garbage which are left on the beaches.

1220
01:47:40,140 --> 01:47:42,720
I think that will be enhanced over this weekend.

1221
01:47:42,720 --> 01:47:51,940
And so I am willing to change my view on what it was to align with your Mr. Johnson.

1222
01:47:53,940 --> 01:48:01,000
When I look at and just looking at some dates as we're discussing, so we, I have my calendar

1223
01:48:01,000 --> 01:48:09,060
I did in front of me, and the dates of Friday is the third and Monday is the sixth.

1224
01:48:09,420 --> 01:48:13,520
Sorry, the Monday is the third and Monday is the sixth.

1225
01:48:13,520 --> 01:48:20,240
I believe the East Coast beaches are closed from the 3rd to the 7th, which is a Tuesday.

1226
01:48:21,060 --> 01:48:27,940
The peak period probably would be the Friday through the Monday, just for discussion,

1227
01:48:28,200 --> 01:48:29,500
if it was Council's pleasure.

1228
01:48:29,880 --> 01:48:35,820
Why don't you, Mr. Smith, make an emotion with those days in for the closure of beaches for

1229
01:48:35,820 --> 01:48:38,500
a short period of time, a beach parking for a short period of time?

1230
01:48:38,500 --> 01:48:43,120
Well, excuse me, we've got a motion on the table, all you need to do is amend it.

1231
01:48:43,320 --> 01:48:46,400
I have been told that I can't make a motion, Mr. Pardon me.

1232
01:48:46,460 --> 01:48:49,780
I have been told by the attorney that in someone else needs to make a not-me.

1233
01:48:49,920 --> 01:48:51,320
So the motion was withdrawn?

1234
01:48:51,980 --> 01:48:56,500
Yes, I have to withdraw that, but I'm asking Mrs. Smith, if she would entertain a motion,

1235
01:48:56,860 --> 01:48:57,940
with the dose that she suggested.

1236
01:48:58,140 --> 01:49:01,240
Well, let me ask first, would we like to have further conversation, or would you?

1237
01:49:01,700 --> 01:49:07,000
Okay, because I believe Jason is looking, and I am ready to make a motion when that's...

1238
01:49:07,000 --> 01:49:10,220
Okay, I was going to ask Jason, do you want to write me further comments?

1239
01:49:11,260 --> 01:49:15,880
I can leave it for after the motion to make—want to make a motion as an opportunity for comments

1240
01:49:15,880 --> 01:49:17,140
just to keep it clean.

1241
01:49:17,400 --> 01:49:17,640
Okay.

1242
01:49:18,040 --> 01:49:18,960
Thank you, Holly.

1243
01:49:19,180 --> 01:49:20,280
Councillor Womensmith.

1244
01:49:20,540 --> 01:49:21,240
I'm sorry to interrupt.

1245
01:49:21,460 --> 01:49:25,280
Just before you make the motion, I have a couple little questions if you may.

1246
01:49:26,040 --> 01:49:30,160
By the way, John, I'm going to open it for public comment, so I'm not forgotten there.

1247
01:49:30,440 --> 01:49:30,520
Okay.

1248
01:49:31,060 --> 01:49:35,560
I just wanted to be clear, is it only paid beach parking that you're talking about?

1249
01:49:38,260 --> 01:49:44,760
That was going to be part of my motion, the city-owned paid beach parking lots.

1250
01:49:45,200 --> 01:49:48,300
And I see that the city manager standing up with a question.

1251
01:49:49,260 --> 01:49:51,240
So I want to make sure that so-

1252
01:49:51,240 --> 01:49:52,300
Thank you, Councilwoman Smith.

1253
01:49:52,460 --> 01:49:59,340
And so that would not include, for instance, the city boat ramp or the fishing pier.

1254
01:49:59,340 --> 01:49:59,440
here.

1255
01:50:00,000 --> 01:50:29,840
Is that correct? Well, I'm glad you would include. Yes, it's not considered parking. Thank you for bringing that forward because I think that's a very important consideration, because I think that the traffic to the, to the boat ramp would be quite extensive as well. Okay. And one of the things we learned, like all of this, there's no playbook and there's lessons learned. One of the things we learned when we did the last closing was first,

1256
01:50:29,840 --> 01:50:35,500
Just a couple facts to put out there not advocating either side just a couple facts one just remind everyone

1257
01:50:35,500 --> 01:50:41,300
We have an interlocal agreement with the county where we have two beaches that are actually owned by the county

1258
01:50:41,300 --> 01:50:46,040
But we manage and I think it's the first or second sentence of that interlocal says

1259
01:50:46,040 --> 01:50:50,520
Whatever the county policy for beaches are at that time is in place

1260
01:50:50,520 --> 01:50:56,460
Understood just make sure everybody listening understands. That's in place number two

1261
01:50:56,460 --> 01:51:00,820
We have beach parking at different types of lots.

1262
01:51:01,340 --> 01:51:04,700
We have the paid lots, an example that would be lighthouse.

1263
01:51:05,360 --> 01:51:08,020
There you can have the beach parking permit if you're a resident, but

1264
01:51:08,020 --> 01:51:10,280
also you can put money in in the meters.

1265
01:51:10,940 --> 01:51:18,020
We have lots like the end of Fulgar, the end of Nareda, a number of lots that are by permit only.

1266
01:51:18,320 --> 01:51:19,660
There is no meter there.

1267
01:51:20,120 --> 01:51:24,940
And to get a permit, you have to either have an A permit or a B permit.

1268
01:51:25,560 --> 01:51:29,800
Since COVID has hit, we've re-opened selling A permits.

1269
01:51:30,520 --> 01:51:34,920
If you have a B permit, your B permit is still in effect, talked over first,

1270
01:51:35,280 --> 01:51:39,220
but we have not restarted selling B permits just because of the capacity

1271
01:51:39,220 --> 01:51:42,160
with our layoffs of not having that.

1272
01:51:43,220 --> 01:51:45,460
Then we did find some locations.

1273
01:51:45,600 --> 01:51:49,720
Once we closed the B paid parking where people were going

1274
01:51:49,720 --> 01:51:53,180
and the best example of those would be the end of Bailey Road,

1275
01:51:53,180 --> 01:51:59,780
the end of Dixie Beach where people were saying I'll take the fine and I'll park

1276
01:51:59,780 --> 01:52:05,680
there anyway because it's I'm already in the car I've got the kids we got the

1277
01:52:05,680 --> 01:52:10,760
sand buckets I'll take the give me the fine and so we did some additional

1278
01:52:10,760 --> 01:52:18,220
closure at some hotspots that were getting excessive demand even though they

1279
01:52:18,220 --> 01:52:22,240
normally would have had a beach sticker but we had people who were willing to

1280
01:52:22,240 --> 01:52:30,980
just take the fine in the stead. Subsequent to that, council increased as an emergency

1281
01:52:31,400 --> 01:52:37,580
to find for illegal parking. And once that was in place, and we have it widely publicized,

1282
01:52:37,940 --> 01:52:44,780
we saw a significant decrease in the number of illegal parking at those locations because

1283
01:52:44,780 --> 01:52:51,240
of as ugly as the signs are, we do have them very widely posted and distributed. So I just

1284
01:52:51,240 --> 01:52:53,840
I just wanted to make sure we all had those facts as we were going forward.

1285
01:52:54,020 --> 01:53:01,240
So it's not just, so when we refer to pay beach parking, that would be your lighthouse, your outgiers.

1286
01:53:01,240 --> 01:53:06,160
It does not include the boat ramp, and then of course, as council may recall,

1287
01:53:06,500 --> 01:53:12,980
when we had the boat ramp close to everyone seeing about residents who do not live directly on the water,

1288
01:53:13,120 --> 01:53:20,380
but our boat owners and have purchased an A sticker were very vocal in their ability,

1289
01:53:20,380 --> 01:53:24,700
and they felt their equal opportunity to vote when they had relied on their a sticker

1290
01:53:24,700 --> 01:53:25,340
for access.

1291
01:53:26,100 --> 01:53:29,640
So, City Manager, you understand the intent of what we're trying to do.

1292
01:53:30,480 --> 01:53:30,760
Yes, very much.

1293
01:53:30,960 --> 01:53:32,180
I understand that.

1294
01:53:32,340 --> 01:53:36,220
Well, when we had that intent the last time, it's just that as we wanted to do these steps,

1295
01:53:36,480 --> 01:53:36,620
we don't.

1296
01:53:36,620 --> 01:53:42,900
So, I want to make sure the language does fulfil your request here to be sure that we are

1297
01:53:43,360 --> 01:53:48,260
clear in what it is we indeed, but it is in my intention or our intention, sorry, not

1298
01:53:48,260 --> 01:53:57,360
my intention to include the played parking on the beaches and help us with the language

1299
01:53:57,360 --> 01:54:00,160
and what that is. I think you understand what the intent is.

1300
01:54:01,680 --> 01:54:05,100
Well, the misread always defer to the Council member for Ms. Smith's strontia.

1301
01:54:05,140 --> 01:54:10,720
If I may, because I think Council Member Johnson brought up a very good point, we have B stickers,

1302
01:54:11,340 --> 01:54:15,580
and those are non-resident stickers, B and B.C.

1303
01:54:15,580 --> 01:54:29,360
So, although it might be difficult logistically, would it be an alternative to say those with

1304
01:54:29,360 --> 01:54:41,450
any A or B stickers in the appropriate lots because these are allowing the B stickers to

1305
01:54:41,450 --> 01:54:42,070
come on to them?

1306
01:54:42,070 --> 01:54:48,550
Which took every bit of our resources when we were not in a holiday weekend. Okay, we're closed.

1307
01:54:48,870 --> 01:54:58,350
If we were able to do just the full gurs and arenas those if we tried to staff and try to sort out at a beach as large as

1308
01:55:00,000 --> 01:55:29,480
House or our gears and try, we would not have sufficient staff for this weekend to be able to man it and only allow in the A's and B's at those. The way we did it during the closure was initially when everything closed. And then we did open some select lots that had permits. But we designated the paid from the park. You would have to have an attendant there. And you would have to have even being closed. It is a very difficult thing to enforce this on top of everything else.

1309
01:55:29,480 --> 01:55:30,600
on a holiday weekend.

1310
01:55:31,120 --> 01:55:35,980
So, I'm really asking you to guide us on what is appropriate, based upon the staff

1311
01:55:35,980 --> 01:55:36,860
and we've got it available.

1312
01:55:37,340 --> 01:55:38,520
Do you understand the intent?

1313
01:55:40,840 --> 01:55:47,200
For the record bill, and I would suggest that we close down the same beaches that we did

1314
01:55:47,200 --> 01:55:55,660
before, the fishing pier has a beach access area also, it's just called the pier, but it is

1315
01:55:55,660 --> 01:55:55,960
a beach.

1316
01:55:55,960 --> 01:55:59,100
And the same with the boat ramp, the boat ramp has a beach access as well.

1317
01:55:59,620 --> 01:56:04,600
So it would be the boat ramp, the pier, lighthouse, and then all the other paid parking except

1318
01:56:04,600 --> 01:56:08,240
for Bowman's and Turner, and Turner's really not our jurisdiction, but we manage it.

1319
01:56:09,100 --> 01:56:12,720
So that I think would be a step in the right direction if we were to do that.

1320
01:56:15,920 --> 01:56:21,740
And I would, we have had great legislation if we could bring that back up because it did

1321
01:56:21,740 --> 01:56:28,180
It allowed the AC stickers at the boat ramp, the residents to be able to launch their boats.

1322
01:56:28,180 --> 01:56:33,340
I do recall that that was open and there was an attendant there that was checking.

1323
01:56:33,540 --> 01:56:37,920
I believe that was the one area that did have an attendant.

1324
01:56:38,560 --> 01:56:43,800
Can we pull back the legislation that we had in place previously?

1325
01:56:44,780 --> 01:56:46,400
Would that simplify?

1326
01:56:46,400 --> 01:56:46,600
Why?

1327
01:56:47,580 --> 01:56:48,100
Yes.

1328
01:56:49,280 --> 01:56:54,380
So, we can, Councilwoman Smith, it ended up as the City Manager said, kind of piecemail.

1329
01:56:54,520 --> 01:57:01,480
We did one thing, and then we had to make a few adjustments to address it to get it the way that ultimately

1330
01:57:01,480 --> 01:57:02,560
everyone wanted it.

1331
01:57:02,980 --> 01:57:13,140
But the one amendment was a proclamation dated March 22nd, and it provided, as you just

1332
01:57:13,140 --> 01:57:18,460
said, at the city boat ramp parking lot to allow AC and A permit holders to access

1333
01:57:18,460 --> 01:57:19,280
the facilities.

1334
01:57:23,100 --> 01:57:29,560
I'm trying to pull that finish proclamation because I, if we don't need to reinvent

1335
01:57:29,560 --> 01:57:35,080
the wheel, then that would probably serve us best because I think the end result will

1336
01:57:35,080 --> 01:57:38,720
be the same as what we had in place at that time.

1337
01:57:38,720 --> 01:57:47,720
So what we have, Councilwoman Smith, is in Proclamation and Resolution 20-14, there is

1338
01:57:47,720 --> 01:57:57,620
a list of appended to it from Exhibit A all the way through Exhibit I, all the different

1339
01:57:57,620 --> 01:58:04,140
proclamations that the mayor made on his own, and that was a ratification, if you will, by

1340
01:58:04,140 --> 01:58:10,840
council of those different acts. And so it isn't clean, it's all contained within this

1341
01:58:10,840 --> 01:58:20,740
proclamation resolution 20-1014, but they are the different ways that parking has been

1342
01:58:20,740 --> 01:58:27,680
addressed are appended in different exhibits. So we would need to make something clean regardless.

1343
01:58:27,680 --> 01:58:57,660
We can pull it all from this, but it's, so for instance, Exhibit A addresses closure of beach parking at Bowman's Blind Pass, Lighthouse in the Fishing Pier, Exhibit D addresses the proclamation that ordered closure of the City Boat ramps and Boat ramp parking in City Pier, then Exhibit F by proclamation dated March 22nd, ordered closure of beach parking at the northern terminus of Dixie Beach Park.

1344
01:58:57,660 --> 01:59:06,720
Beach Road and Bayley Beach Road exhibit G attached addresses closure of boat ramp parking lot,

1345
01:59:07,040 --> 01:59:12,120
but allowing AC and A permit holders to access it.

1346
01:59:12,280 --> 01:59:20,340
And then exhibit H to that orders closure of beach parking at the terminus of Beach Road except as to A permit holders.

1347
01:59:20,540 --> 01:59:25,720
So I believe all the information is contained within 20-014, but

1348
01:59:25,720 --> 01:59:28,360
but it's not clean where we could copy-paste it.

1349
01:59:28,500 --> 01:59:28,560
Right.

1350
01:59:29,220 --> 01:59:35,740
My question to you, I said the attorney, is can you craft some legislation or a proclamation,

1351
01:59:36,380 --> 01:59:40,560
which will adhere to what the police chief is looking for on the city manager looking

1352
01:59:40,560 --> 01:59:44,300
at all, which is actually intent of doing what we're trying to accomplish?

1353
01:59:45,380 --> 01:59:52,600
Vice Mayor, I can absolutely write whatever council ultimately votes on to direct us to do,

1354
01:59:52,780 --> 01:59:53,120
absolutely.

1355
01:59:54,420 --> 01:59:59,060
The problem is, I think, what the chief has explained is a little bit different

1356
01:59:59,060 --> 01:59:59,620
then what?

1357
02:00:00,000 --> 02:00:04,020
Smith is described, and once there's a consensus, certainly, we can write it however you want.

1358
02:00:04,120 --> 02:00:06,100
Smith, try not to make it too complicated.

1359
02:00:06,520 --> 02:00:12,760
And that's it. And I'm not too, I just wanted, and I think this is more for discussion

1360
02:00:12,760 --> 02:00:18,460
right now is we're having this discussion right now. I'm not really prepared to say what

1361
02:00:18,460 --> 02:00:24,160
emotion will be. I did want to, to have the discussion as councilmember Johnson did

1362
02:00:24,160 --> 02:00:30,820
talk about the parking, however, the logistics of that might be too difficult and I think if

1363
02:00:30,820 --> 02:00:37,100
we're looking at a very short window like other places are, then the simpler that we

1364
02:00:37,100 --> 02:00:44,040
have this, the better. I think that we would like to see the allowance of the boat ramp

1365
02:00:44,040 --> 02:00:48,400
parking for AC, for those that boat, I think that's an important aspect.

1366
02:00:48,400 --> 02:00:55,840
Yeah, we accommodated that before I think we overs, it was an oversight and then we changed it and we was, it was, uh, we

1367
02:00:55,840 --> 02:01:00,720
stepped, we stepped that we haven't passed that, that's not a problem.

1368
02:01:01,280 --> 02:01:02,360
There's not a problem.

1369
02:01:02,700 --> 02:01:03,740
Not, not the boat ramp.

1370
02:01:03,880 --> 02:01:14,320
No, and I, I certainly don't want to put a undue burden on the police department where they find

1371
02:01:14,320 --> 02:01:17,580
themselves that they just absolutely cannot handle it.

1372
02:01:17,580 --> 02:01:31,380
But I will say, I do want to impose upon you, chief, and your officers that we go up to that point so that we can.

1373
02:01:31,580 --> 02:01:37,980
I think, you know, we talked about intent, and I think Councilman Smith, I think you're exactly right.

1374
02:01:38,340 --> 02:01:45,120
I think we're not exactly sure what the intent is, so I do encourage us, we have a full conversation about this.

1375
02:01:45,120 --> 02:01:58,180
So we can be clear of our intent so that City Attorney can draft the proper legislation because I know I've left the room sometimes thinking that was my intent, but I don't know that it got out and got into the legislation.

1376
02:01:58,380 --> 02:02:03,720
So rather than trying to wind this back, I'd like to do it once and I'd like to do it right if we can.

1377
02:02:05,400 --> 02:02:13,900
Just for the record in my intent was to allow as much flexibility as we can with the parking areas.

1378
02:02:13,900 --> 02:02:18,180
the beach and I want to hesitate using the beach parking areas because I know that's where it

1379
02:02:18,180 --> 02:02:23,520
got us with the boat ramp and I don't want to go back there again with the parking areas so that

1380
02:02:23,520 --> 02:02:35,540
we can manage the crowds on the beaches but at the same time give as much availability as we can

1381
02:02:36,080 --> 02:02:43,580
to the folks that live here and have purchased permits to be in those parking areas.

1382
02:02:43,900 --> 02:02:45,980
So, that's my intent.

1383
02:02:46,180 --> 02:02:50,280
I think we need to have some additional language with regard to, and Chief and State Manager,

1384
02:02:50,660 --> 02:02:57,740
I'll rely on you to, if I push you too far to indicate that and just say, you're putting

1385
02:02:57,740 --> 02:03:00,740
me in a position that's untenable, and I don't want to do that.

1386
02:03:01,120 --> 02:03:06,500
But I do want to, for a very short period of time, I do want you to recognize that I'm

1387
02:03:06,500 --> 02:03:09,980
going to ask you for a supreme effort in this parking for the weekend.

1388
02:03:09,980 --> 02:03:15,680
I do just want to remind council and again, I believe it was an unintended consequence

1389
02:03:15,680 --> 02:03:21,260
that we experienced over Memorial Day when we have the situation where Bowman's is open

1390
02:03:21,840 --> 02:03:25,960
and Captiva is open and all of our other beaches are closed.

1391
02:03:26,480 --> 02:03:32,840
What we do see is illegal parking in residential neighborhoods at condos and I've sent you

1392
02:03:32,840 --> 02:03:37,700
police reports of the commercial areas and commercial areas which then also pulls police

1393
02:03:37,700 --> 02:03:43,580
resources to those areas. So I just want to make certain everybody understands once

1394
02:03:43,580 --> 02:03:47,940
Bowman fills, when Bowman's the only beach, again I'm not advocating, it's your policy

1395
02:03:47,940 --> 02:03:51,820
decision. I just want to make sure we all remember this from that short time ago, Memorial Day

1396
02:03:51,820 --> 02:03:58,500
Weekend, that once Bowman's filled, those cars often look for alternative parking on Santa

1397
02:03:58,500 --> 02:04:04,480
Bell. We do our best to enforce it, but our experience has been, we didn't experience as much

1398
02:04:04,480 --> 02:04:10,420
of that once the other beaches then were reopened but once the families here and they're in their

1399
02:04:10,420 --> 02:04:17,120
vehicle and they're intending to go to the beach we find that they often find a place to park

1400
02:04:17,120 --> 02:04:18,180
and go to the beach.

1401
02:04:25,740 --> 02:04:29,580
Start of this discussion based on the underlying question which all

1402
02:04:30,100 --> 02:04:35,220
leaders and governments should consider you know what are we trying to accomplish and what

1403
02:04:35,220 --> 02:04:38,360
what is our intent, and how do we execute upon that?

1404
02:04:39,320 --> 02:04:42,280
And the answer to that question in a general sense

1405
02:04:42,280 --> 02:04:45,280
that's been provided today is that we want

1406
02:04:45,280 --> 02:04:48,500
to reduce the numbers of people on the beach

1407
02:04:48,500 --> 02:04:51,580
to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on the island,

1408
02:04:51,920 --> 02:04:55,500
which in and of itself is not a bad intent at all.

1409
02:04:55,880 --> 02:04:58,680
In fact, it's the appropriate intent to try and slow it

1410
02:04:58,680 --> 02:04:58,920
That's great.

1411
02:05:00,000 --> 02:05:29,340
However, not being said, it appears that the net result, if I think about this anecdotally, the net result is that we are going to exclude date trippers who come here for the day, who directly to the beach, stay on the beach, don't interact with citizens, give back in their car, and drive off the island, and that's the end of that. On the other hand, what we're going to do is allow people from out of town who've traveled here for a weekend,

1412
02:05:29,340 --> 02:05:34,180
to come and stay all over the island, who are definitely going to interact with

1413
02:05:34,180 --> 02:05:37,460
citizens, they're going to go to restaurants, they're going to go to shops, they're

1414
02:05:37,460 --> 02:05:41,420
going to go to civic attractions, and they're going to be all over the bike paths.

1415
02:05:42,500 --> 02:05:50,440
So my, with that anecdotal observation, at least in my opinion, what are we accomplishing,

1416
02:05:50,440 --> 02:05:57,060
apart from making people feel good, but not actually accomplishing the goal that should

1417
02:05:57,060 --> 02:06:02,200
make them feel good. And I just want that born out for consideration if you think about

1418
02:06:02,200 --> 02:06:07,860
it as ourselves and as was artfully put, you know, with the bucket and spade in the

1419
02:06:07,860 --> 02:06:11,420
car. I know what all of us would do if we were somewhere else, so we'd find a spot

1420
02:06:11,420 --> 02:06:16,100
to park and we's our way out to the for the nothing else not to be shouted at all the way

1421
02:06:16,100 --> 02:06:20,820
home by the kids. And so I take that into account when I talk about what is the rail

1422
02:06:20,820 --> 02:06:27,040
policy of what we're trying to accomplish here, and the net effect, if we don't want

1423
02:06:27,040 --> 02:06:31,780
people interacting with citizens to spread this, then why are we stopping the people

1424
02:06:31,780 --> 02:06:33,460
who aren't going to interact with citizens?

1425
02:06:34,920 --> 02:06:37,100
Just an observation for discussion purposes.

1426
02:06:37,280 --> 02:06:40,260
Q. My question to you, sir, is, um, why did we do it the last time?

1427
02:06:40,660 --> 02:06:42,440
Why did we close the breach parking last time?

1428
02:06:42,760 --> 02:06:45,120
K. Oh, listen, I was fully in support of closing the breach of last time.

1429
02:06:45,120 --> 02:06:46,320
Q. But why did we do it the last time?

1430
02:06:46,420 --> 02:06:50,200
K. We did it because that was, I'm sorry, this is, if you want to make this into a

1431
02:06:50,200 --> 02:06:53,460
I'm not sure if it's our auditory or then let me answer the question.

1432
02:06:53,580 --> 02:06:55,660
Sorry, because being mildly unfair to me.

1433
02:06:55,660 --> 02:06:57,320
Oh, I wanted to make sure the question was approved.

1434
02:06:57,460 --> 02:07:01,280
No, I supported it before because we were in a real emergency situation where nobody

1435
02:07:01,280 --> 02:07:02,440
knew what was happening with anything.

1436
02:07:02,440 --> 02:07:07,540
This was being done around about, we'd had some problems with the County Commission

1437
02:07:07,540 --> 02:07:08,760
that they wanted to keep it open.

1438
02:07:08,900 --> 02:07:11,600
Then we had overflowing all over the island as we discussed.

1439
02:07:12,020 --> 02:07:15,300
Then we had to raise the fees because people were just about parking, people's gardens

1440
02:07:15,300 --> 02:07:19,720
and leaving $50 on the windshield wiper and saying thanks so much for the excellent

1441
02:07:19,720 --> 02:07:26,080
parking. This is technically cheaper than the public parking, anyway. To no appreciable

1442
02:07:26,080 --> 02:07:32,340
result, but I accepted that at the time because we were faced with a novel and news situation.

1443
02:07:32,840 --> 02:07:38,060
Now that we are revisiting it again, and all the attendant problems are reported by staff

1444
02:07:38,060 --> 02:07:43,900
in the police department. Now that we are revisiting again, we've got to look at it sober and with

1445
02:07:43,900 --> 02:07:52,860
And I, to our previous experiences, will this two days, for the weekend, make any actual difference.

1446
02:07:53,420 --> 02:07:57,480
They accept a torment, people look on to stay here, and or make people feel better.

1447
02:07:57,700 --> 02:08:02,400
While the very people that we're trying to stop are going to be going around the end,

1448
02:08:02,420 --> 02:08:08,780
who are just flying in or driving in for the weekend, and staying in, it seems to be on the order of thousands,

1449
02:08:09,440 --> 02:08:11,340
quite frankly, from the occupancy numbers.

1450
02:08:11,340 --> 02:08:17,540
are going to be the ones who are in the restaurants, ostensibly spreading the COVID.

1451
02:08:18,920 --> 02:08:22,060
I just want to make sure that we're getting the net benefit for the, for the, for the

1452
02:08:22,060 --> 02:08:26,260
cost benefit analysis, and I just want it said, so if it turns out that way, well at least

1453
02:08:26,260 --> 02:08:30,360
we reflected upon it and we discounted the, the concern, but it has to be said from the

1454
02:08:30,360 --> 02:08:30,900
other side.

1455
02:08:32,720 --> 02:08:41,420
I think that my concern, what is the benefit, is that with the East Coast beaches being

1456
02:08:41,420 --> 02:08:47,840
closed, with the restrictions being put in some of the municipalities around us, that

1457
02:08:47,840 --> 02:08:54,300
I'm extremely concerned about the, we're already past whatever carrying capacity is on our beaches.

1458
02:08:55,020 --> 02:08:59,760
The people, the hotels are going to be filled, the beaches are going to be filled, the vacation

1459
02:08:59,760 --> 02:09:05,200
rentals are going to be filled, there's a huge impact on our natural resources, and that's

1460
02:09:05,200 --> 02:09:14,200
really what my concern is as well. So, to me closing the paid lots similarly to the East

1461
02:09:14,200 --> 02:09:23,720
Coast is probably going to be a benefit to our environment, and it is limiting probably

1462
02:09:23,720 --> 02:09:30,920
a much more increased interaction on our beaches with individuals that although it's already

1463
02:09:30,920 --> 02:09:36,060
going to be very heavy on our beach, if you look at some of the pictures that we've seen

1464
02:09:36,060 --> 02:09:43,360
all over, there's not a lot of places for these tents to go, so that will limit the amount

1465
02:09:43,360 --> 02:09:49,540
of impact to individuals' six foot distancing, as well as the natural resources.

1466
02:09:49,540 --> 02:09:54,700
I mean, we've all read that there's concern about, we've got nesting season right now.

1467
02:09:54,820 --> 02:09:58,060
I see the tents right up to the NEST, SCCF has...

1468
02:10:05,020 --> 02:10:29,840
I have concerns about that. So I'm looking at both of those, Jason, and saying this short window of three or four days that a whole other coast is looking at right now would probably be a benefit to our island community. And our citizens have spoken to that as well. So that's why I'm looking at it.

1469
02:10:29,840 --> 02:10:31,020
It's not an easy decision.

1470
02:10:31,440 --> 02:10:35,300
I don't like that we might have to make this decision,

1471
02:10:35,660 --> 02:10:37,680
but that's where I'm coming from.

1472
02:10:38,040 --> 02:10:40,160
No, and I appreciate and understand that.

1473
02:10:40,340 --> 02:10:44,900
And there's, however, the environmental issue has never

1474
02:10:44,900 --> 02:10:50,380
been brought up to my remembrances when it came to closing

1475
02:10:50,380 --> 02:10:52,600
Beach Park and nor have we ever done that before,

1476
02:10:53,000 --> 02:10:54,380
nor has anybody ever suggested.

1477
02:10:55,460 --> 02:10:59,120
And while that would be a nice way for me to justify

1478
02:11:00,780 --> 02:11:04,660
I consider that to be a red harem because then we can be closing the parking lots every

1479
02:11:04,660 --> 02:11:07,780
time we think it's going to be a busy weekend to save the environment.

1480
02:11:08,180 --> 02:11:11,840
It's just, I don't like to, you know, conflate those two things.

1481
02:11:12,080 --> 02:11:17,620
COVID-19, oh, now it's also the, I mean, there's nobody who's more to protect, the snowy

1482
02:11:17,620 --> 02:11:20,080
plovers, et cetera, from predation by coyotes.

1483
02:11:20,780 --> 02:11:23,580
And everybody said, well, let the coyotes, these things are supposed to happen.

1484
02:11:23,820 --> 02:11:27,360
Well, people on the beaches are supposed to happen and it is going to continue.

1485
02:11:27,360 --> 02:11:32,860
And quite frankly, as a population increases this area, there's no way to escape that fact.

1486
02:11:33,080 --> 02:11:41,940
So are we setting a precedent now that beaches are to be closed or parking lots are to be closed if we think it's going to be busy around particular times?

1487
02:11:42,160 --> 02:11:52,720
Are we not better sequestering those areas of particular environmental import once they've been identified rather than saying to the public you're not welcome?

1488
02:11:53,260 --> 02:11:53,840
That's all.

1489
02:11:53,840 --> 02:11:55,700
I don't think there's a right answer to that.

1490
02:11:55,760 --> 02:11:56,600
And there is.

1491
02:11:57,220 --> 02:11:58,520
And this is unprecedented.

1492
02:11:58,980 --> 02:12:03,340
And you know, just as our decision earlier with the Mass is really unprecedented.

1493
02:12:04,080 --> 02:12:07,140
You know, no, I don't see this as a precedent for closing down our beaches.

1494
02:12:07,300 --> 02:12:13,300
I see this as, you know, as a statewide emergency that we need to look at and address.

1495
02:12:13,720 --> 02:12:15,740
Well, there's a specific environmental issue.

1496
02:12:15,820 --> 02:12:17,800
We're going to raise that issue for the islands.

1497
02:12:18,400 --> 02:12:19,660
I think it's a perfect storm.

1498
02:12:20,900 --> 02:12:22,880
Mr. Vice-Mayor, Councilor.

1499
02:12:25,640 --> 02:12:26,880
John, did you want to make a point?

1500
02:12:27,180 --> 02:12:28,680
If I may, thank you.

1501
02:12:29,220 --> 02:12:34,520
The one point that I wanted to make is in making restrictions under the current

1502
02:12:35,620 --> 02:12:39,980
emergency declaration, they should be pertinent only to the emergency that we're dealing

1503
02:12:39,980 --> 02:12:40,240
with.

1504
02:12:40,380 --> 02:12:45,740
So while I know there is a parallel concern about nesting, that shouldn't be a reason

1505
02:12:45,740 --> 02:12:48,260
for the decision today.

1506
02:12:48,260 --> 02:12:55,340
The second point I wanted to make is, I know, Council had a question about beach parking

1507
02:12:55,340 --> 02:13:03,040
and rates. I know Director Chapel is here to speak to what the use rates are, to what

1508
02:13:03,040 --> 02:13:09,880
extent Councilman Mon was referencing. You know, the point of it, I believe what Director

1509
02:13:09,880 --> 02:13:16,800
Chapel will say is that beach parking was max or close to max last weekend. So I don't

1510
02:13:16,800 --> 02:13:24,880
know that it's going to be substantially different usage wise, when you're maxed to some degree,

1511
02:13:25,080 --> 02:13:30,460
but I know that he could provide more detail than that if you wanted to give consideration

1512
02:13:30,460 --> 02:13:31,340
to those.

1513
02:13:31,360 --> 02:13:32,600
I'd be nice to see you.

1514
02:13:32,600 --> 02:13:32,960
Thank you.

1515
02:13:32,960 --> 02:13:34,620
We've got to see a couple of times.

1516
02:13:35,120 --> 02:13:36,200
God's have back down.

1517
02:13:36,660 --> 02:13:37,480
Nobody's escaping this.

1518
02:13:39,120 --> 02:13:39,760
Thank you.

1519
02:13:39,840 --> 02:13:40,920
Steve Chaper finance director.

1520
02:13:41,620 --> 02:13:45,380
So there was a question asked before about what the – so back in April, when we looked

1521
02:13:45,380 --> 02:13:53,020
to the budget and we started to analyze, try to analyze what the pandemic economically would

1522
02:13:53,020 --> 02:14:00,400
have affected Sanibel. We were anticipating a zero revenue in the third quarter, so that's

1523
02:14:00,400 --> 02:14:05,960
April and June. That was what we had anticipated and at the same time for the fourth quarter, we had

1524
02:14:05,960 --> 02:14:15,220
anticipated what we're trying to estimate based on 75% of the revenues from last year's actual

1525
02:14:15,220 --> 02:14:20,940
So in the fourth quarter, so in July, August, September, we took the actual revenues from

1526
02:14:20,940 --> 02:14:23,580
2019 and just took 75% of those.

1527
02:14:23,740 --> 02:14:27,380
So we were expecting some revenue to come in from that.

1528
02:14:28,480 --> 02:14:35,460
So what's actually happened now is that obviously we opened parking was resumed on June 1st.

1529
02:14:35,620 --> 02:14:44,520
So what we've seen in June is about a five, we're about a five to 6% increase compared to

1530
02:14:44,520 --> 02:14:51,520
last year is probably how we're going to finish June. But that still puts us, with current

1531
02:14:51,520 --> 02:14:58,920
estimates of parking revenues staying the same as last year, that still puts us down

1532
02:14:58,920 --> 02:14:59,280
I don't know what I'm talking about.

1533
02:15:00,700 --> 02:15:29,940
And that's with estimating, parking, being open for the rest of the year. So there's a financial effect of that as well. And obviously, this would be, that we can coming up would be one of the largest weekends that we historically have during the summer. Just wanted to clarify that. Interesting point. And first of all, thank you, Attorney Agnew, because thank you for not letting me get off an tangent that I, that I shouldn't be going.

1534
02:15:29,940 --> 02:15:37,520
to appreciate that. Did you indicate that last weekend we basically at full capacity at

1535
02:15:37,520 --> 02:15:43,620
all of our beaches? The parking lots capacity, we actually look at the space utilization,

1536
02:15:44,160 --> 02:15:52,100
so add a near capacity for beach parking. Yes, we've had some record weekends, and a good

1537
02:15:52,100 --> 02:15:57,180
portion of that is permit parking. I'm excused to be hourly parking, where we're charging

1538
02:15:57,180 --> 02:15:57,660
by the hour.

1539
02:15:59,340 --> 02:16:11,000
I wonder if you don't mind. I'd like to get a few words in, but I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you.

1540
02:16:14,080 --> 02:16:20,580
Good discussion, as always. I have a great deal of respect for everything that goes on here on the

1541
02:16:20,580 --> 02:16:28,600
days, and whether I agree with a agree or not, I do. One thing we can all agree on is that we all

1542
02:16:28,600 --> 02:16:35,100
have a responsibility to voice our opinions and really say what's on our mind and what

1543
02:16:35,100 --> 02:16:37,760
we feel is true and honest.

1544
02:16:38,860 --> 02:16:43,780
When looking at this, the thing that I'm looking at while we did talk about the environmental

1545
02:16:43,780 --> 02:16:52,200
concerns and thank you for pointing that out, I really look at the opportunity for folks

1546
02:16:52,200 --> 02:17:00,500
to recreate safely. And what I mean by that is that the beach areas have been identified

1547
02:17:00,900 --> 02:17:09,080
through across the world as an area that folks can safely recreate. The thing that is

1548
02:17:09,080 --> 02:17:15,960
most important to me for that safe recreation is that they're able to socially distance

1549
02:17:15,960 --> 02:17:22,560
in between themselves, and I think when I originally spoke of this and talked about

1550
02:17:22,560 --> 02:17:29,440
managing the traffic on our beaches, the beach carrying capacity, and such, that was

1551
02:17:29,440 --> 02:17:34,540
definitely one of the things that I'm looking at is that how are we going to be able

1552
02:17:34,540 --> 02:17:40,500
to provide a beach area for folks to safely recreate, in other words,

1553
02:17:41,440 --> 02:18:10,480
people aren't going to wear a mask, our ordinance doesn't call for them to wear a mask on the beaches, but what they do need to do is they need to properly distance between their family and social groups, and I think by managing the parking areas, we have a better shot at helping people have a place because Jason, as you point out, the pales and shovels and spades are loaded up, and people are going to come to the beach, and if they are fortunate enough to be able to

1554
02:18:10,480 --> 02:18:14,480
find a legal place to park because I'm going to strongly encourage that they do exactly

1555
02:18:14,480 --> 02:18:21,940
that. Is that they need to find a place to land on the beach as well. And I want us

1556
02:18:21,940 --> 02:18:27,400
to do everything that we can do to make sure that they have a good experience and a safe

1557
02:18:27,400 --> 02:18:32,600
experience while they're here on our beaches. And I think for that reason is why I am looking

1558
02:18:32,600 --> 02:18:38,600
for us to manage the volume of people. I have gone back and looked at the reports of Steve

1559
02:18:38,600 --> 02:18:45,640
I was thinking about you this morning about 620 did go back and look at that and I'm this is not a

1560
02:18:45,640 --> 02:18:51,900
financial decision although I realize that that's looming in the background and as Holly and I've

1561
02:18:51,900 --> 02:18:57,080
recognized we're going to have to deal with that in the future but this is but it is a true indicator

1562
02:18:57,080 --> 02:19:03,800
of what we're seeing going on in our public parking area our paid parking areas and it's for that reason

1563
02:19:03,800 --> 02:19:08,420
and that I wanted us to have this conversation and make these considerations.

1564
02:19:09,620 --> 02:19:16,940
So, Mick, I think I was the tail end of council comments, so I'm ready to hear public comment on this subject as well.

1565
02:19:17,600 --> 02:19:18,540
Okay. Thank you.

1566
02:19:19,300 --> 02:19:20,640
I'll have an offer of public comment.

1567
02:19:20,920 --> 02:19:23,160
I so, why don't we have you first, please?

1568
02:19:30,850 --> 02:19:31,150
Thank you.

1569
02:19:31,490 --> 02:19:34,730
Patience Rodriguez, business partner of select vacation properties.

1570
02:19:35,670 --> 02:19:37,870
I strongly encourage this passing.

1571
02:19:37,870 --> 02:19:46,250
We are busier for the July week, so anything we can do to limit day trippers I think is in the best interest for the island as a whole.

1572
02:19:47,570 --> 02:19:54,470
I would also throw out the suggestion of maybe increasing the fine, make it a thousand for this weekend.

1573
02:19:54,650 --> 02:19:57,850
It's a very short period of time, so it's only four days.

1574
02:20:00,000 --> 02:20:29,900
The public beach parking. It's not a life sentence, it's not a month, it's four days, and we're already busy from the vacation rental aspect. So I think that this is just one step in the right direction to help limit the numbers on the beach so that those who are here renting, and our guests are here for a week, and they are going to be supporting the businesses. But my guests are going to the beach, and then they're going to the private property to cook

1575
02:20:29,900 --> 02:20:41,920
in the kitchen, so I would again strongly encourage passing this and again suggest possibly increasing the fines for this weekend, when we possibly close down the public beach parking.

1576
02:20:42,560 --> 02:20:43,420
Thank you.

1577
02:20:55,510 --> 02:20:56,430
There you are.

1578
02:20:58,080 --> 02:21:05,060
Good morning, Claudia Burns, Senator Boehrson, I'd like to put in a word for the environment.

1579
02:21:06,020 --> 02:21:09,200
Yes, we are different than other places.

1580
02:21:09,480 --> 02:21:14,940
We are not just a beach for human beings to recreate, enjoy, whatever.

1581
02:21:15,740 --> 02:21:23,520
We have a very important responsibility to provide nesting habitat for several threatened

1582
02:21:23,520 --> 02:21:27,740
species, including the shorebirds and the sea turtles.

1583
02:21:27,740 --> 02:21:38,600
details. While our beaches were closed, the parking, whatever, the incident of nesting

1584
02:21:38,600 --> 02:21:47,540
actually increased. Now, the staff and volunteers from SECF are on that beach every day, every

1585
02:21:47,540 --> 02:21:54,360
single day, at the crack of dawn. They see what's going on. We get reports of horror stories,

1586
02:21:54,360 --> 02:21:58,080
of nests being vandalized, et cetera.

1587
02:21:58,520 --> 02:22:01,680
I'm not sure that people who come and spend money

1588
02:22:01,680 --> 02:22:07,460
to stay here on the island are creating that damage.

1589
02:22:07,920 --> 02:22:09,200
One of the reasons they're here

1590
02:22:09,200 --> 02:22:13,640
is because they respect our respect for the environment.

1591
02:22:14,200 --> 02:22:17,140
It's very important to take that into consideration

1592
02:22:17,140 --> 02:22:21,440
when you are making discussing usage of the beaches.

1593
02:22:21,440 --> 02:22:24,040
This is prime nesting time.

1594
02:22:24,500 --> 02:22:29,720
We are one of the few places where these animals have left, now, to nest.

1595
02:22:30,300 --> 02:22:33,000
And we have a very important responsibility there.

1596
02:22:33,680 --> 02:22:38,720
So I'm very much in favor of closing the paid parking.

1597
02:22:39,420 --> 02:22:40,220
Thank you.

1598
02:22:40,500 --> 02:22:40,780
Thank you.

1599
02:22:42,160 --> 02:22:47,640
I don't think any more than, sorry, you come forward and didn't see your hand on.

1600
02:22:55,880 --> 02:23:09,180
I guess one thing that's always struck me when we discuss the beach is that the beach is actually a continuum of beaches that are all attached, I mean people can walk from one end to the next and often do.

1601
02:23:10,220 --> 02:23:21,180
So by eliminating the paid parking, say for example on tarp and bay, you're eliminating the people who can flop their stuff down,

1602
02:23:21,180 --> 02:23:27,620
take up a lot of room and then go looking for shells all the way down West

1603
02:23:27,620 --> 02:23:37,820
Gulf which does infringe on other people's safety and I think that I was just

1604
02:23:37,820 --> 02:23:43,300
thinking in terms of the paid parking being closed in particular just from

1605
02:23:43,300 --> 02:23:49,060
what I've witnessed at other weekends where people will actually park by

1606
02:23:49,060 --> 02:23:58,580
valleys and drag their stuff so it's you're it's you know people are going to get to the beach

1607
02:23:59,210 --> 02:24:05,620
but if we can make it more difficult and they know that it's happening maybe it won't be as relevant

1608
02:24:05,620 --> 02:24:14,420
it'll be it won't be as prevalent we're pulling that number on the parking spaces but the I did

1609
02:24:14,420 --> 02:24:20,040
want to let council know that call your has passed their legislation keep in mind what call your

1610
02:24:20,040 --> 02:24:24,040
The last time was not the beach parking lots, but the actual beach.

1611
02:24:24,520 --> 02:24:30,520
And theirs is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that they've just voted to close theirs for the holiday.

1612
02:24:31,340 --> 02:24:32,760
Naples has not yet voted.

1613
02:24:33,360 --> 02:24:38,640
So, sorry, call your county is closing the beaches from 11 a.m.

1614
02:24:38,900 --> 02:24:41,180
During the holiday weekend to 5 p.m.

1615
02:24:41,760 --> 02:24:43,200
So 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.?

1616
02:24:43,200 --> 02:24:48,440
If you remember when ours were closed, they wanted people to be able to go out, walk on the beach for exercise, and

1617
02:24:48,440 --> 02:24:56,140
go out for the sunset and they were trying to avoid that peak sunbathing hour. I don't

1618
02:24:56,140 --> 02:24:57,160
they use that term, but.

1619
02:25:00,000 --> 02:25:15,300
Councillors, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is that what you're saying? They're going to be closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. But they did not do their parking lots. They're set up differently. There's that's nobody could walk on their beaches during those hours, but they have passed that here just in the last few moments.

1620
02:25:18,280 --> 02:25:23,280
Okay, I wonder if there's any people on the my left hand side who would like to bill.

1621
02:25:26,840 --> 02:25:34,620
Thank you very much, Mayor Bill Harky, Senate Bill resident. I'm in favor of the proposal to close down the beach,

1622
02:25:34,620 --> 02:25:43,960
But I would suggest from a public relations viewpoint if this is accepted that you publicize it as widely as you can.

1623
02:25:44,080 --> 02:25:50,180
I don't know what avenues you use outside of the region, but you need to get the word over to the East Coast.

1624
02:25:50,600 --> 02:25:58,020
So the people who have the pales and the shovels and everything already loaded in the car don't make the trip over here to find it's not open.

1625
02:25:58,420 --> 02:26:04,480
They at least know while they're still home they can make other arrangements because that would just exacerbate the issue of people

1626
02:26:04,480 --> 02:26:10,480
being mad at Sanibel for closing down. So I would accept, I would suggest, very wide publication

1627
02:26:10,480 --> 02:26:13,600
of the decision if it's made. Thank you.

1628
02:26:13,820 --> 02:26:16,740
Thank you. Anybody else on the left hand saw it? We should say anything.

1629
02:26:20,690 --> 02:26:23,230
So any none that's bringing about any other council comments.

1630
02:26:25,230 --> 02:26:31,730
You know what? Before Judy just announced, Collier was closing. I was looking at this.

1631
02:26:31,890 --> 02:26:37,690
I've started to look at it differently thinking how can we close it for three days

1632
02:26:37,690 --> 02:26:42,150
when it's been open at a hundred percent almost for the last few weekends.

1633
02:26:43,510 --> 02:26:47,830
Call your closing has a real impact to us right now.

1634
02:26:48,250 --> 02:26:55,430
And that really brings me back to saying that now the east coast is closing, south of

1635
02:26:55,430 --> 02:26:59,990
us is closing, the push is going to be to Lee County.

1636
02:27:02,870 --> 02:27:06,810
And I think it's very difficult, I appreciate what they were doing.

1637
02:27:06,810 --> 02:27:17,290
And I look at the police to think about the hours that they close it and going and trying to get people off the beach in certain hours, you can't do that.

1638
02:27:18,010 --> 02:27:27,870
You can clearly, but I just, that's not an hour's limitation is not something that I think would be viable here on the island.

1639
02:27:29,150 --> 02:27:35,890
But with call your closing, I'm much more strongly looking at closing.

1640
02:27:35,890 --> 02:27:46,130
closing our paid lots, similarly to when we had that proclamation in place originally,

1641
02:27:46,630 --> 02:27:54,650
I would favor keeping our A and A C boat ramp stickers open, and the A and A stickers

1642
02:27:54,650 --> 02:27:59,370
open as previously. I'm just not sure how to verbalize that. As we were talking, I was

1643
02:27:59,370 --> 02:28:06,450
trying to look up the passage that we had before, and I'm still trying to find that, so I'm

1644
02:28:06,450 --> 02:28:12,210
not ready to put the motion into words. Maybe someone else is ready to do that if there's

1645
02:28:12,210 --> 02:28:16,590
an appetite for that, but this information that we just got, I think, is extremely important

1646
02:28:16,590 --> 02:28:17,790
to our community.

1647
02:28:18,970 --> 02:28:20,010
We're struggling here.

1648
02:28:20,810 --> 02:28:21,150
Clearly.

1649
02:28:21,530 --> 02:28:29,250
John, to try and find the, I think when I heard from Holly that she hasn't

1650
02:28:29,250 --> 02:28:33,710
intent, but she's not sure how to put the words around it. So can you help us with

1651
02:28:33,710 --> 02:28:38,630
that? Can you help? What is trying to do there? Provide the appropriate words. I understand

1652
02:28:38,630 --> 02:28:43,790
what her intent is, but she's having difficulty putting words to it. I am. We went through so

1653
02:28:43,790 --> 02:28:50,550
many before. Can't we make it simply what the chief suggested? Isn't that just the simplest

1654
02:28:50,550 --> 02:28:50,970
thing to do?

1655
02:28:54,000 --> 02:28:58,400
Sounds like a general, but the chief suggested with the modification to

1656
02:28:58,400 --> 02:29:05,700
to allow A and A.C. parking sticker holders to use the boat ramp, that's my understanding.

1657
02:29:06,560 --> 02:29:21,340
Yeah, I would think if we, if you close all paid parking, we don't address the A, the A stickers that are like West Gulf Drive and everything, just don't address them, close all the paid parking and the only exception is to allow A and A.C. stickers at the boat ramp.

1658
02:29:22,260 --> 02:29:28,620
I would put that in a motion that we would close our paid parking with the exception of

1659
02:29:28,620 --> 02:29:32,500
the A and AC stickers at the boat ramp.

1660
02:29:33,920 --> 02:29:36,380
And then I guess you just got to define a duration.

1661
02:29:37,300 --> 02:29:38,740
I would look at the duration,

1662
02:29:41,180 --> 02:29:42,160
excuse me.

1663
02:29:44,330 --> 02:29:47,990
I would look at the duration from Friday,

1664
02:29:52,770 --> 02:29:59,130
actually Thursday at Friday at 12-01 on June

1665
02:29:59,130 --> 02:29:59,450
life.

1666
02:30:00,000 --> 02:30:29,820
To Monday at 5 p.m., I'm not sure, city manager, thank you. Whatever day you pick, we would ask that you make it the end of the day. We need time to go out and take signs that you don't want to. No, I'd rather make it midnight and then we'll have it open for that next morning. So I don't, we can't accommodate people queued up at every lot waiting to get in for sunset. So if you can make it midnight,

1667
02:30:29,820 --> 02:30:33,860
Then what we did the last time was we went out at the end of the shift, took signs

1668
02:30:33,860 --> 02:30:36,060
down, so by the next morning they were all open.

1669
02:30:36,380 --> 02:30:41,900
So that is the seventh, because much of you want to close on Monday?

1670
02:30:41,980 --> 02:30:42,640
The long weekend.

1671
02:30:42,940 --> 02:30:43,080
Right.

1672
02:30:43,240 --> 02:30:47,680
Then that would be the seventh at 12.01.

1673
02:30:48,000 --> 02:30:48,980
11.59.

1674
02:30:49,320 --> 02:30:49,860
11.59.

1675
02:30:50,360 --> 02:30:54,740
So that way it would be closed on the sixth, because it is a long weekend.

1676
02:30:55,360 --> 02:30:56,340
So that would be your motion?

1677
02:30:56,560 --> 02:30:57,540
That would be my motion.

1678
02:30:57,540 --> 02:30:59,720
Do you have a second for that, Mr. Johnson?

1679
02:31:01,140 --> 02:31:02,260
I will second.

1680
02:31:02,420 --> 02:31:07,100
I would like to have some a little bit of additional conversation, but yes, second.

1681
02:31:08,560 --> 02:31:14,900
I think, and it's one of the points that I was considering, as I prepared for this conversation,

1682
02:31:14,900 --> 02:31:20,520
because I did fully expect for us to talk about beach parking and the loads.

1683
02:31:20,520 --> 02:31:27,040
I think the communication aspect of it is one of our residents pointed out is extremely important.

1684
02:31:28,840 --> 02:31:50,420
And that's where I get to the fairness and the expectation, and I will set the expectation as is that we need to do everything in our power to get this communicated, and we have a very broad audience, and Councilman Smith, as you pointed out, we've got beaches closing and restrictions going in place.

1685
02:31:50,420 --> 02:31:53,840
And I suspect that there may be some additional.

1686
02:31:54,460 --> 02:31:59,580
My concern is, is that with our guests that typically come over from the East Coast,

1687
02:32:00,200 --> 02:32:03,760
we need to find a way that we can get that word out to them as well.

1688
02:32:03,960 --> 02:32:06,720
I'm sure the news media will help us with that.

1689
02:32:06,880 --> 02:32:09,980
Let's hope that they get it reported accurately when they do so.

1690
02:32:12,480 --> 02:32:20,320
The other is, is that City Manager, I was going to ask, is if it's number one possible

1691
02:32:20,320 --> 02:32:23,040
Can we, and then number two, should we?

1692
02:32:23,740 --> 02:32:42,960
Can we do some electronic signage off-Island so that we can alert folks to the fact before they come through that toll booth that the restrictions that we put in place, and then secondarily, and I guess that's a question for my council members for us to take up is that should we do that?

1693
02:32:43,620 --> 02:32:49,780
Well, number one is that only with county approval, we have in the past been able to obtain

1694
02:32:49,780 --> 02:32:56,080
county approval from the city when we had too much traffic and we had our traffic

1695
02:32:56,080 --> 02:32:58,240
initiatives, they did accommodate us.

1696
02:32:58,620 --> 02:33:03,000
The same signs we're using for that is what we're using currently, you know, when you come

1697
02:33:03,000 --> 02:33:05,160
on Cosway Boulevard, we own two signs.

1698
02:33:05,800 --> 02:33:10,400
We could ascertain if there's additional signs, we can ascertain if the county would give

1699
02:33:10,400 --> 02:33:12,100
us permission for those signs.

1700
02:33:12,100 --> 02:33:21,780
As you have probably noticed over the years, the county regularly does give nonprofits permission to put up signs for their special events, you know, off Island.

1701
02:33:22,340 --> 02:33:26,340
But it does take approval because it's in the county right away to put signage up.

1702
02:33:26,860 --> 02:33:41,780
I know when we had our close, we had a lot of communication with the county because they have advanced electronic signage that they've had to modify a few times to get the language right about the toll situation and about the causeway situation.

1703
02:33:41,780 --> 02:34:11,760
So, particularly if the, if you remember the last time we were closed, the Causeway Islands were closed, so it was easier to have a consistent message, if some of it I would imagine will depend on where the, what message the counties trying to put out, if any, it beyond their statement yesterday about the Causeway Islands, but certainly with council's direction, we could contact the county for that type of permission, but the boundary line is right where you come on, seen about Island, and from that point on as you can see with our current

1704
02:34:11,760 --> 02:34:14,840
signage, we have been trying to educate our visitors.

1705
02:34:15,420 --> 02:34:19,780
I am getting concerned about the number of signs, just the ability for people to comprehend

1706
02:34:19,780 --> 02:34:20,180
it.

1707
02:34:20,560 --> 02:34:27,620
Even the electronic signs have, you get about a 14-second message, is the maximum panel

1708
02:34:27,620 --> 02:34:33,340
length, so it's not a lot of time to educate people on all the details of this legislation.

1709
02:34:34,340 --> 02:34:39,240
We find for the beach parking lots, the best place to educate, for the parking fines, the

1710
02:34:39,240 --> 02:34:41,880
call is at the entrance to those speeches.

1711
02:34:43,100 --> 02:34:44,940
I do agree with you, city manager.

1712
02:34:45,240 --> 02:34:48,500
I too am concerned with the amount of signings that we have.

1713
02:34:48,640 --> 02:34:51,220
But I think in this case, I think we have an obligation.

1714
02:34:51,460 --> 02:34:57,520
I mean, we have an over and over again, the better the education and the more advanced the

1715
02:34:57,520 --> 02:34:57,820
notice.

1716
02:35:00,000 --> 02:35:05,520
Compliance, and I think Santa Bel has a long history of that of trying to educate and put out that message.

1717
02:35:08,140 --> 02:35:15,540
One, have we opened it up to public comment? Is anyone in public comment? What are having you just further discussion about this issue?

1718
02:35:18,650 --> 02:35:30,450
I'll see you now, Mr. Vice Mayor. I do have one question basically for the chief with the boat ramp parking. The last time I had had several inquiries,

1719
02:35:31,270 --> 02:35:38,030
start this season. For those that are fishermen, I know that there were hours on the ramp being open and closed.

1720
02:35:38,170 --> 02:35:48,210
I believe it was seven in the morning till seven at night or six at night. Would it be very difficult to allow overnight parking in that parking lot?

1721
02:35:48,210 --> 02:35:55,290
And I'm going to defer to you as to what would work best for you being able to monitor that lot.

1722
02:35:55,990 --> 02:36:02,930
No, it wouldn't be difficult to allow that, but I would say we'd still allow it all to that group of people, the A and A.C.

1723
02:36:02,990 --> 02:36:10,970
Oh, absolutely, absolutely, but that has come across and many people do go fishing in the evening or very, very early in the morning.

1724
02:36:11,290 --> 02:36:25,270
So if that would not be a concern for you, I would like to make sure that that is related in our, should Council want this to pass that that would be opened up for overnight parking or

1725
02:36:25,270 --> 02:36:27,690
There are no hours, just A and A.C.s.

1726
02:36:27,910 --> 02:36:28,250
Secures.

1727
02:36:28,430 --> 02:36:29,310
We can handle it.

1728
02:36:29,730 --> 02:36:29,990
Thank you.

1729
02:36:30,770 --> 02:36:33,630
I think we have a motion in a second as you want to.

1730
02:36:34,270 --> 02:36:36,790
Is that a city manager?

1731
02:36:37,190 --> 02:36:37,330
Thank you.

1732
02:36:38,010 --> 02:36:39,350
I'm sorry, city manager.

1733
02:36:39,990 --> 02:36:40,470
Vice mayor.

1734
02:36:41,850 --> 02:36:44,950
Before you go, before you call the question, if I could,

1735
02:36:45,070 --> 02:36:49,270
I'd like for the city attorney to make sure that we have lined up

1736
02:36:49,270 --> 02:36:50,610
the motion and the intent.

1737
02:36:51,550 --> 02:36:55,310
So if you could, you understand our intent.

1738
02:36:58,000 --> 02:36:59,220
That was a question.

1739
02:36:59,980 --> 02:37:01,320
Thank you, Councilman Johnson.

1740
02:37:01,480 --> 02:37:01,600
Okay.

1741
02:37:03,040 --> 02:37:07,960
I think the only question that I have, the motion as I heard, it was close all beach

1742
02:37:07,960 --> 02:37:08,460
parking.

1743
02:37:08,800 --> 02:37:12,620
There had been discussion previously about all the beach parking.

1744
02:37:13,480 --> 02:37:19,360
There had been discussions also about other roads that had been heavily used, which

1745
02:37:19,360 --> 02:37:25,500
perhaps were not associated with beach parking, and I'll defer either to the chief

1746
02:37:25,500 --> 02:37:30,060
of the city manager to correct me on whether these are paid or not, but whether you

1747
02:37:30,060 --> 02:37:38,400
wanted to address, for instance, Dixie Beach Road, Bailey Beach Road, Beach Road.

1748
02:37:39,120 --> 02:37:43,120
I guess maybe those are the two, Dixie Beach Road, and Bailey Beach Road.

1749
02:37:43,460 --> 02:37:46,860
And how do we currently regulate parking in those areas today?

1750
02:37:47,900 --> 02:37:49,260
It's a really legally parked.

1751
02:37:52,450 --> 02:37:52,530
Slaughter.

1752
02:37:52,530 --> 02:37:53,310
They're A-stickers.

1753
02:37:54,450 --> 02:37:59,750
I can live with leave in those open, because that's for our residents and so forth.

1754
02:37:59,830 --> 02:38:03,690
And if people parked there, we can enforce that with the fine.

1755
02:38:04,410 --> 02:38:04,730
That's so.

1756
02:38:04,810 --> 02:38:07,430
But my intention is for this to be as clean as possible.

1757
02:38:07,770 --> 02:38:09,210
So leave it as it is, don't change it.

1758
02:38:09,310 --> 02:38:11,790
So I believe that I do understand.

1759
02:38:11,950 --> 02:38:19,050
It'll be all paid parking and the only carve-out, if you will, is for A and A-C-stickers,

1760
02:38:19,050 --> 02:38:21,870
at the boat ramp.

1761
02:38:23,170 --> 02:38:25,530
Chief, I think I heard you said you could live with that.

1762
02:38:25,930 --> 02:38:26,930
Good manage that.

1763
02:38:27,550 --> 02:38:29,910
Repeat what you said, city attorney, I missed that.

1764
02:38:30,190 --> 02:38:33,710
And I said close, all paid beach parking, correct?

1765
02:38:34,450 --> 02:38:43,150
So not, all paid beach parking with the exception of to AC stickers,

1766
02:38:45,290 --> 02:38:48,250
those with A and AC stickers for the boat ramp, correct.

1767
02:38:48,250 --> 02:38:54,050
So that would, I guess, when we say paid, we're really talking about hourly paid, right?

1768
02:38:54,390 --> 02:38:59,350
So that that would allow, for instance, Dixie Beach, Alipayne open and good.

1769
02:39:00,270 --> 02:39:00,350
Okay, yeah.

1770
02:39:00,810 --> 02:39:03,150
Okay, are you, are you from China?

1771
02:39:03,770 --> 02:39:08,130
I'm comfortable with that, the city manager did not have another comment to make when you stood up.

1772
02:39:09,830 --> 02:39:11,530
I was a part of the future.

1773
02:39:13,330 --> 02:39:15,770
Yes, my name is Johnson, are you happy with your second?

1774
02:39:16,490 --> 02:39:18,930
Not happy, but I think it's the right decision to make.

1775
02:39:19,870 --> 02:39:20,050
Okay.

1776
02:39:21,050 --> 02:39:29,190
I wonder if we can call this, do you have any, can we, I trust in the three of you, but when we did this

1777
02:39:29,190 --> 02:39:33,950
before, it was hand in hand with ending short, temporarily stopping short-term

1778
02:39:33,950 --> 02:39:40,330
rentals under the governor's order, and I agree with it then because the people who are

1779
02:39:40,330 --> 02:39:44,050
going to immerse themselves in the community, and I'm sorry, and this is just to address

1780
02:39:44,050 --> 02:39:48,910
not to anybody specifically. But if I'm taking my wife somewhere and we're hiring a house,

1781
02:39:49,110 --> 02:39:52,350
I'm not making your sit in the kitchen there and cook it. We're going to go out to the restaurants.

1782
02:39:52,790 --> 02:39:56,670
I mean that's the, for us, that's the worst plan ever to say, look, I bought you all the stuffed

1783
02:39:57,990 --> 02:39:59,290
So what I'm

1784
02:40:00,000 --> 02:40:29,980
What's transpiring here is that the people are going to come directly to the island, go out on the beach, not interact with citizens, get back in their cars and leave the island, are being prohibited, and the people that are coming here to stay in houses for the weekend or hotels are going to interact with citizens, restaurants, shops, everything else, and those people are being encouraged. So, I'm only disagreeing just because I don't think it's in my opinion. In my opinion, that accomplishes what the intent is to limit the spread of

1785
02:40:29,980 --> 02:40:31,580
of COVID-19.

1786
02:40:32,220 --> 02:40:32,860
Thank you.

1787
02:40:32,880 --> 02:40:33,360
Thank you.

1788
02:40:33,600 --> 02:40:33,880
Thank you.

1789
02:40:33,880 --> 02:40:34,380
I'll bless you.

1790
02:40:36,000 --> 02:40:36,720
It's a clock.

1791
02:40:36,800 --> 02:40:37,920
I think we have a motion.

1792
02:40:38,040 --> 02:40:38,400
A second.

1793
02:40:38,780 --> 02:40:40,380
I wonder if you can call us a question.

1794
02:40:41,060 --> 02:40:41,520
Ms. Smith.

1795
02:40:41,780 --> 02:40:41,880
Yes.

1796
02:40:42,360 --> 02:40:42,920
Mr. Johnson.

1797
02:40:43,880 --> 02:40:44,020
Yes.

1798
02:40:44,540 --> 02:40:45,180
Mr. Denham.

1799
02:40:45,380 --> 02:40:45,480
Yes.

1800
02:40:45,640 --> 02:40:46,060
Mr. Mon.

1801
02:40:46,300 --> 02:40:46,440
No.

1802
02:40:46,760 --> 02:40:47,180
Thank you.

1803
02:40:48,700 --> 02:40:49,320
Leave that.

1804
02:40:49,680 --> 02:40:51,320
Close is that motion.

1805
02:40:53,340 --> 02:40:57,460
Once again, can you remind me when the date is again?

1806
02:40:57,460 --> 02:41:03,680
It will be the third at 1159 or 1201.

1807
02:41:04,040 --> 02:41:04,440
1201.

1808
02:41:04,520 --> 02:41:04,860
Thank you.

1809
02:41:05,220 --> 02:41:07,460
And it will end on the 7th.

1810
02:41:07,460 --> 02:41:07,780
Thank you.

1811
02:41:08,000 --> 02:41:09,560
6th at 1159.

1812
02:41:10,540 --> 02:41:10,840
Thank you.

1813
02:41:11,140 --> 02:41:11,460
You're welcome.

1814
02:41:12,540 --> 02:41:14,900
I—it is now 12 o'clock all there of close and that.

1815
02:41:15,320 --> 02:41:18,660
I—I don't know whether we have any other issues, but they were the two major issues I think

1816
02:41:18,660 --> 02:41:22,740
we had on the table, and that's the someone else who wants to bring up in the House.

1817
02:41:23,120 --> 02:41:25,020
I'm ready to call this meeting to close.

1818
02:41:25,760 --> 02:41:31,860
My only final closing comment is thoughts and prayers go out to the Rurene family.

1819
02:41:33,000 --> 02:41:39,900
I'm sure that we all feel that way, and I think we'd be resident if we didn't mention that at the close.

1820
02:41:40,060 --> 02:41:40,480
So thank you.

1821
02:41:40,720 --> 02:41:45,920
I don't know whether you feel the same as I do, but I've been on Council for 16 years.

1822
02:41:45,960 --> 02:41:49,760
This is probably one of the more difficult Council meetings that I've attended,

1823
02:41:49,840 --> 02:41:52,020
whether I sat in this seat or I sat in that seat.

1824
02:41:52,020 --> 02:41:54,680
So I'm going to call this meeting to close.

1825
02:41:54,920 --> 02:41:55,740
Thank you.

1826
02:41:55,800 --> 02:41:56,080
Thank you.

1827
02:41:56,180 --> 02:41:56,620
We have.