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City of fort pierce commission, this is tuesday february 17th, 2026.  Please stand for the

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opening prayer by bishop craig cobb of city of faith church and remain standing for the

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pledge of allegiance. >>  s let us pray, father, we thank you for allowing us to

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come out this evening, to discuss the challenges and the possibilities that lives within

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this city.  God, we thank you for allowing the cry of destiny to permeate through all of us.

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there's a call on the inside that is demanding for us to be more, to receive more and to do

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more.  God, I pray that your grace, your power, your ability will enable us to do just that.

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continue to give the creativity the wissdom and the power to our civic and our city

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officials.  So that they can be able to govern and guide us into the way of possibilitis

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and increase that lies ahead. God, we thank you for all that you have done and we look

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forward to what you are about to do.  Expectation is great, limitations are behind us.  We

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give you glory in jesus' name. Amen. >>  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, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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>>   call the roll, please. >>  mayor hudson present.

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>>  commissioner proceedic. >>  present. >>  commissioner dzadsovsky.

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>>  present. >>  commissioner johnson? >>  preponderant. >>  commissioner gaines? >>  present. >>  the first eyewitness on the

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agenda is a patrol of the minutes from the february 2nd, 23026 meeting.

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>>  motion and second, call the roll, please. >>  commissioner board rick. >>  yes. >>  commissioner dzadsovsky. >>  yes.

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>>  mayor hudson. >>  yes, ma'am. >>   we have approval of the minutes from the february 2nd swearing-in ceremony. >>  move approval.

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>>  second. >>  there's a motion and saiding, call the roll, please. >>  commissioner broderic. >>  yes. >>  commissioner dzadsovsky.

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>>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner gaines? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  mayor hurd? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  we have a proclamation for

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the fes treasure coast engineering week.   Whereas, joining is a dine nick and

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vital profession that enhances the quality of life, drives innovation and could be

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tributes to the health, safety and welfare of the public, through infrastructure,

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technology, and environmental systems, and countless injured solutions. ; and whereas,

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national engineers week observed february 22nd-28th, 2026 recognizes and celebrates

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the contributions of engineers in shaping our modern world, inspires future generations to

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pursue engineering and stem careers and raises awareness of the need for a I did verse and

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well-educated engineering workforce; and whereas, events and activities during engineers' week provides opportunitis for engineers, educators, parents and

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community leaders to engage students and engineering design, innovation and

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problem-solving ensizing the importances of math, science, technology and creative therebying in every day life; and whereas, the florida treasure coast chapter florida

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engineering society plays a vital role in advancing the engineering profession locally

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by supporting professional engineers promoting ethical standards and edge gaging in

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community outreach and educational initiatives that inspire students throughout the

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treasure coast to pursue careers in engineering and related stem fields and

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whereas, now I do hereby promaim february 22 hospital 28, 2026 as engineers' week in

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the city of fort pierce and are proud to honor the contributions to society made

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by engineers. >>  congratulations!  Would you like it  to say a few words?

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>>  yes, I would.  Council members and lady mayor.  I want to say thank you all for this

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proclamation and I do hope that you all take some time and look at your community and think, I

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think we did some pretty good work here and improvements here and there.  But I also wanted

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to say that math -- the competition, in which students from all over the treasure

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coast from indian river to martin will be competing this friday.  I wanted to say that I

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believe that this county, this city, this state of florida is probably one of the best

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stateses for math in the whole of the u.s..  Math councilors have been going on since 1986

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for the state and entirety of the u.s., and we're about to celebrate its quinteniel.  I do

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apologize, I can't remember what 50 years is. >>  50 years? >>  50 years, oh, okay.  50 years. Been aon the one hand since the

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'80s. We want to say, well, I want it say that I do believe that this is one of the most

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important process, like, I shouldn't say "process." most important competitionss that we

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have for our young students. Many of these people who compete go on to become

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nationally-recognized engineers, scientists, chemists, doctors and all forms of mathematicians.  And I want to say thank you to all of you for this proclamation.  And

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have a wonderful night. >>  congratulations to the engineers in our lives. Yes.

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we appreciate them.  Makes stuff work.  Thank you very much .  Okay, next we move on to

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additions or deletions to the jean, and approval the agenda. >>  madam mayor? >>  yes. >>  I would like to add one brief discussion item on the

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13c.  I would like for us as a commission to talk about the fort pierce garden club.  I

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have had some staff meets, but I have also been approached by the public and I think some

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others have but a brief discussion and update, because it's one of our beloved jewels

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that is used, and it's kind of been sitting there.  I think we need to have a public

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dicussion to see what we all know about it and make sure we're all informed what is going on there.  And go from there.  So I would like to add that 13c.

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>>  okay any objections to that in if not, is there a motion to approve the agenda with that

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change? >>  with that, I move to reset the agenda with one addition.

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>>  I have another addition. >>   I'm sorry. >>  sorry. >>  I would like to add after that agenda item, additional agenda item regarding crabby's

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restaurant.  Lease status. >>  you want to make that 13d? >>  sure.

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>>  okay. >>  so we have 13c and 13d. >>  do I need a second on that

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or motion?  We are just approving the agenda with? >>  who made the motion?

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did you make the motion fort changes? >>  I made it with c.

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>>  I will make the motion that we approve with both c and d. >>  second.

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>>  anybody else want to add anything?  So all right, we'll call the roll, please.

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>>  commissioner broderick yes. >>  conscious dzadsovsky. >>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner gaines? >>  yes, ma'am.

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>>   commissioner johnson? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  mayor hudson. >>  yes, ma'am. >>  there's a couple of things to

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under my purview. >>  next we have comments from the public.  And we didn't have

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anybody sign up, but we have two new items.  So if anybody has anything that he they would

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like to say on the garden club status, and the crabby's lease? Now would be the  time to come

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forward. >>  any member of the public who would like to make public comment on things on the agenda? All right.  We'll move on. >>  so we'll move on to

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miscellaneous reports that is youth council update on their participation in the 2026

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florida league of cities youth legislative action daze and upcoming projects.

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>>   mr. Chess. >>  ms. Moore is going to present the youth here today.

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>>  all right.  Ms. Moore. >>  good evening, mayor and commissioners.  I am audray

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moore and I'm the special projects coordinator in the city manager's office.  We have

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three of our youth council members, who are attended the youth legislative days

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tallahassee a statewide youth council come together to learn how ogovernment works and they

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meet leaders and practice advocating issues and practice work together as a team.  There

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were more than 100 youth from other cities that participated and first up we have mr.

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timothy nixon.  Each one of them will introduce themselves and tell you a little bit about

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their experience. >>  good evening.  My name is timothy nixon, jr..  And during

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the youth legislation days, we participated in various events, me and my fellow council

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members.  One of those events so happened to be a team-building exercise, where

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we pitched the idea, we formulated an idea to pitch to the other youth all over

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florida, all the other councils.  We pitched an idea about youth listening session

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for all of our youth in fort pierce.  So that we can get their view and take on what is

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happening in the city, because the future of our city is the youth.  And we also have had

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the time to take a tour of the student service building thanks to the help of commissioner

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johnson.  Thank you for that. And the highlight of the whole trip have been the part where

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we were able to get out of our comfort zone and work with the other councils, and talk about

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our goals, and what we should do in the future.  We were able to speak with people that we

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had no idea their background, or anything about them, and we were able to relate, and speak

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on different things, and different ideas and bounce ideas off of each other.  That

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was the highlight of my trip. >>  thank you, sir.  Thank you. >>  thank you.

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>>  hi.  I'm bryana esmy, and I think the biggest takeaway from this trip was really seeing how

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much you have cooperate with not only my fellow council members, but other councils and

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how to work with other people and their methods and their work ethic.  Also, sharing

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ideas, and especially at this stage of local government, at this age, you have to

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constantly, like, remind yourself this isn't a competition, and yes, are

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giving ideas and getting ideas and work together to improve the world, and your own city,

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and hopefully, helping each other better our own respective cities.  I would say something

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that really inspired me was also seeing how everybody worked together.  It's, like,

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being in the city and being in the event, the flow was so productive and purposeful and

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everybody just connected immediately.  I knew everybody so the whole city was working

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towards a common goal.  It's way different than school or even smaller summits and

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events, and it was really fulfilling and I really appreciated it.

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>> thank you, ma'am. >>  hello.  My name is clairise jane and during the summit we

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also discussed issues that directly connect to our community and our city.  These

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include public transportation, transportation for schools, and equal access to resourcess for

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students.  Overall, this opportunity allowed us to be better engaged and try to build

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a better youth council, and have better access for our community, and come up with new

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ideas that can create innovation in our city.  I would just want to say thank you for this opportunity. >>  thank you, ma'am. >>  right on time.

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>>  yes. >>   my name is natalie and thank you again for allowing us

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to experience the youth legislative action days.  Any questions?

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>>  go ahead, commissioner. >>  you know I'm going to say something.  Guys, I just want

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to say I heard great things about you guys when I go up there and I want to personally

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say thank you for representing the city of fort pierce.  You made us proud, and hopefully,

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you will see what we go through, and what they go through in tallahassee and what

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the young lady said, how to get other ideas and rinse instead of just firing back.  It takes

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time.  I'm still learning.  So it takes time.  So don't worry if you didn't get it.  I just

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want to say how proud you amount of you for going out there and representing the city

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of fort pierce.  So thank you. >>  I will quickly echo, it was cold in tallahassee, mayor.  It was very cold.  And we were

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able to, you know, introduce the youth there and I'm glad you were able to make those

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connections and hopefully stay in contact with the other youth councils.  You know, these

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seats up here belong to you guys.  You guys are going to have to raise your hand one

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day, if you desire to be in political leadership and certainly for our city and for

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our county.  I'm fortune and blessed to see this.  I saw you guys and some young people from

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port st. Luckie and I encourage you to reach ute to other delegations and get together

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and share ideas and see what develops from that.  And thank you for just having open mind

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and being there and taking it all there.  Because that is how it's done of you know?  We go

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to tallahassee.  We advocate for things that we need for our city, and for our citizens are

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asking us to advocate for, and you saw that.  You saw all of the hustle and bustle and all

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of the people throughout the hallways there talking to legislators.  So that is what

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it is.  So thank you for what you have done. >>  wonderful.  Yes, sir?

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>>  I just want to add on these meetings that you are here at today are open to the public.

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and so you can join us at any time, and the idea is bring people together, share your

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ideas with the commissioners and the mayor in advance of the meeting if you have an agenda that you want to try to get forward.  We call them lobbyists in tallahassee.  We

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call them lobbyists here too, but you can be your own advocate and lobbyist, if you have things that you want to accomplish.  If there's a park that needs something fixed or

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an agenda that you want to bring forward, new assets in the parks, or you want to have

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a book club.  You know going back to the school district or whatever the case, whatever the

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issues that you may come up with in your youth councils you can come together and lobby and

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meet with the commissioners and meet with the school district and have those conversations

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privately, and try to push an agenda.  But it's because you have the opportunity to have

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that voice, use it. >>  thank you.  Commissioner? >>  I find it remarkable at

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your age that you are willing to commit the time, and the undertalking to go to an event

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such as that.  I credit you all.  You are the future of the city of fort pierce.  Continue

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doing what you are doing, study, learn, observe, and you guys are the future leaders of

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the city.  I'm very excited for you. >>  I want to thank you for coming here and having such a great presence, because I'm very, very impressed with the

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way you presented yourselves I all remembered to say your names first.  First I didn't

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have to remind you.  So it sounds like to me you learned a lot.  I'm sorry I didn't see

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you in tallahassee. Was shepherding another group, the treasure coast league of cities

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and I wasn't able to break away.  But I did see a lot of youth council people in the

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halls  of the capitol.  You take civics in 5th grade, but this is civicks in action and

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civics should be throughout your whole life, because in this country, we're all a part

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of the government; right?   So keep it up and thank you very, very much for coming here

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tonight and for going to tallahassee.  Thank you. >>

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pins here, fort pierce pins, and I would like for you -- I have enough

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>>   you gave me several.  So I have some in my pocket. >>  we can take a photo, if you

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all would stand please. >>  sure.  Sure.  Sure. You want us to move in closer

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here? >>  I was good audria. >>  thank you.  Give me a

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second.  Hold on. Mr. Chess. Got to have the bling on.  It's

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so nice.  That was a nice thing .   Thank you.

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thank you to the chaperones we have some of our own staff there, and a couple of parents

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that were there.  So also, they braved that code, too.  It was cold that day.  Whew.

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>>  yes. Okay.  That is very, very nice. Feel-good moment.  Yes, we'll

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move on. >>  } next we have the consent agenda. >>  anybody want to pull anything from the consent agenda?  If not, I will

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entertain a motion to approve. >>  madame mayor, I move approval of the consent agenda.

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>>  second. >>  motion and second, call the roll, please (roll call)

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>>   I will ask you to pull your microphone a little closer. >>  you have to get the papers

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out of the way. >>  moving on to public hearings we have the review and approval of an application for major site plan development and design review committed by

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property owner lawnwood medical center, inc. And representative vanessa mahoney of kipley horn

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to construct a five-floor parking garage with surface parking the parking garage

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grossing an approximate 50,432 square feet footprint and surface parking grossing 34,866

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square foot with associated site improvements at 1700 south 23rd street fort pierce,

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florida the property is zoned planned development pd. >>  so this is a quasi-judicial

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hearing ands mr. Hedges would you outline the process for us, please.

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>>   the city commission serves legislative and quasi-judicial roll the commission engages in

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lawmaking activity by passing laws and establishing policies. When acting as a

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quasi-judicial body it's held to districter procedural requirements.  Quasi-judicial

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proceedings are less formal than proceedings before a circuit court, but are more formal than the normal commission meeting. Quasi-judicial proceedings must

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follow basic standards of notice and you goo process and decisions must be immediate

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based on competent substantial evidence and therefore, a duty to condition duct hearings more

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like judges than limors and established the uniform procedures that will be

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followed this evening.  Finally no one should approach any member of the city commission on the dais.  The city attorney or the city clerk during the hearing.  If the documents --

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if documents are to be given to the city clerk, please give them to the sergeant-at-arms

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which are any of the police officers in the

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compliance with advertising and notice requirements? >>  yes, ma'am, the advertising richards have been met. >>  would you ask commissioners about ex-parte communication.

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>>  commissioner broderick? >>  know. >>  commissioner zadosky? >>  no. >>  commissioner gaines? >>  no, ma'am.

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>>  commissioner johnson? >>  no, ma'am. >>  mayor hudson. >>  no, ma'am.  Would you like to swear goodwill the witnessesment anyone wishing to

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speak on this item please stand and raise your right hand.  Do you swear or affirm to tell the

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truth, the whole trudge and nothing but the trudge.  Thank you.  Proceed.

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>>  good evening, madam mayor, commissioners.  My name is venice gillmor historic

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preservation planner.  The application before you is for a major site plan development

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design review for the subject property located at 1700 south 23rd street, parcel I.d.

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2414-054-0200-000-2.  Project no. Pz site 2025-00025.  The owner is lawnwood medical

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center, inc. Representative vanessa mahoney and

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kimley-horn.  The applicant is requesting to construct a five-floor parking garage, with

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surface parking the parking garage grossing approximately 50,432 square feet and surface

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parking grossing 34,866 square feet with associated site improvements.  The site area

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consists of 3.44 plus or minus acres of the entire site of 22.36 acres.  The current

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future land use institutional. With the current zoning of planned development zone.  This

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is the overall pd phase 1 concept plan, the master plan. There were five subphase as

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proved with the following: phase 1 construction of the 3-story medical tower.  Phase

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23, a third-floor shell build-out with an emergency department addition to the northern portion of the hospital.  Phase 3 a fourth floor addition to the medical

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tower.  Phase 4 a 5th flower addition to the medical tower and this will be the last of

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the master plan, which is phase 5 a parking structure.  This is the final phase 1 site plan.

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the one structure parking garage, pfeiffer floors, approximately actually 591

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parking spaces.  109 surface parking spaces.  10 dedicated electric vehicle charging

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spaces and four ada-compliant surface parking spaces.  And for your reference, this is in

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the southwest corner.  The elevations of the proposed parking garage as you can see

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showing all elevations north, south, east and west.  And this is our rendering to show you

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better look of how it will look . Ed new park garage is constructed primarily of

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architectural pre-cast concrete.  The total garage highlight is approximately 58.6

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plus or minus the maximum building height for the parcel is 50' for the parapet and

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elevation and stairs will go to 58.6.  The aesthetics match the newer patient tower located on

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the campus.  And the garage will contain 3500-pound traction elevators.  This is

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proposed landscape of the subject site.  And this is the planned schedule, which includes

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southern live= , shrubs, koko palms, small leaf --  --

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all affected departments have reviewed the proposed major site plan with regards to

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consistency, with established ordinances and requirements of the city code, and

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comprehensive plan.  Conditions of approval that staff has created are three conditions.

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one landscape maintenance agreement will be required and approved by the planning department prior to final certificate of occupancy.  Two, landscape unspection will be

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required and approved by the planning department prior to final certificate of occupancy.

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and three, prior to issuance of any site clearing permits the applicant shall provide a

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tree mitigation survey and coordinated with the city of fort pierce arborist with city

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regulated tree proposed to be removed as the site's construction activity.

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planning board at their january 12, 2026 meeting unanimously recommended approval of the

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proposed site with three conditions:   alternative recommendations recommended

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modified approval, disapproval and with the three conditions, approval of the site plan with

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changes or disapproval.  And I also like to add that the applicant also has a

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presentation to present to you all. >>  thank you.

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>>  questions of staff, commissioner broderick. >>   what are the three

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conditions?  I didn't see those on the slide? >>  oh, right here.  No. 1

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landscape maintenance agreement requires and approved by the planning department prior to

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final certificate of occupancy. The landscape inspection, and tree mitigation.

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>>  got it.  Thank you. >>  any other questions? >>  madam mayor, I have a question, could you go back to the slide with the -- what is egress/ingress with this

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parking facility, and access? Is it coming off of -- I see here and think it's going to do

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a great job brightening the corner based on landscaping, but how do you access this

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thing? >>  quincy avenue and also. >>  it loops around, is from a

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cut-off of quincy?  33rd is the main entry is 33rd and quincey is the secondary entry.

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>>   got it.  Just wanted to make sure.  Thank you. >>  you have questions, commissioner? >>  just real quick, just for the record, since this is a

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quasi, the three conditions are the same three conditions that the planning board agreed.  You

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said the planning board had three and we had three. >>  same ones. >>  just wanted to put that on the record. >>  I have a question about the

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handicapped spaces that obviously meets the requirements for -- and there

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are probably other handicapped spaces in the surface parking? >>  correct.  And other parts

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of the development, correct. >>  yes, right.  It meets the code for that?

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>>  so the number required, correct. >>  yes, sir? >>  just a question about fire the ev stations that we're seeing a lot of challenges with

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ev stations around the country, and fire departments not being able to manage them as quickly

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or, as well as they would like. Is there any consideration from the fire department for

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that section whether it was or other fire retardantscenario? >>  I haven't seen anything

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from our fire distric. >>  well, they had quite a few comments in the trc so they

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have looked at this. >>  yes, as far as the ev stations I hadn't seen anything.

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>>  all right.  So any other questions?  Are we good?  Okay. I would like to call the

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applicant up, please.   Good evening everyone.  My name is vanessa mahoney the project

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manager and civil engineer with kimley-horn.  With me today I have alex mcmillan.

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>>  good evening, chief operating officer at florida lawnwood hospital.  Thank you

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for having us today. >>  thank you very much. >>  good evening, I'm matthew

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grifage the project architect, senior vice president for the design solutions we're the

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architects and interior designers for the project. >>  thank you for being here.

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do any of you have any questions for staff? >>  no questions at the moment.

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I would like to address your question, commissioner about the ev parking spaces.  So we

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did coordinate with the fire department prior to submitting, and they requested that the ev spaces be placed outside of the parking garage to avoid any kind of fire hazard.  So they

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are currently on the surface in the northwest corner outside of the garage. >>  thank you, because when they burn, they burn hot and there's new equipment produced

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today that saves water.  When ev goes you use an awful lot of water. >>  thank you. >>  we had the same concern and why it's all going to be

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surface parking. >>   very good. >>  nothing within the garage. >>  thank you. >>  I do want to democracy this project before the team shows

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this presentation, as you know city of fort pierce treasure coast in gener has grown

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significantly in population. Hospital is trying to keep up with that demand.  And you

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know, we open 62 beds last year, and here we are holdsing today in the emergency room. We

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have another 32 beds coming online by next year, to top off that 5th flower tower.  With

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that we have parking struggles. It's not just for our employees but our visitors our

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patients and our community.  We have the issue exists already. The company has supported us in

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the sense that before expanding any more, the parking garage was a critical component to be

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able to continue growing.  As a result we did get this funding from the company.  And that is

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why we seek approval today.  We seek approval for not just the parking garage, but we need

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temporary construction parking also off-site from the hospital.  We're currently in a

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purchasing -- service agreement with the seller, with the property behind the hospital.

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it's an 8-acre parcel that used to belong or belonged to mayfair.  We plan to close on

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that land next month.  If everything falls in line, that land will be used temporary for

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construction park and not just for constrution workers because weeds have over hundred

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at any given time between the 5th floor and parking garage, but for those employees that

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are losing the 300 plus surface parking that currently exists as a result just for the lay

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down area.  Today is why we seek approval.  I will bring you in.  Thank you.

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>>  thank you, sir. >>  perfect. >>  proceed.

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>>  thank you.  So I have already introduced the team. And then some highlights for

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lawnwood hospital has a huge impact on the community and only level 2 trauma facility.

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so it's incredible important to the community to be able to service the hospital through

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this parking garage.  And then there's a couple more insights for the hospital.  Venice did a

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great job with the project officer and it's approximately $26 million.  591-space parking

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garage.  We are also including enhanced landscaping as part of the project.  We're including a

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screened electrical yard and emergency generator, and we're also proposing the relocation

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of an existing water line that currently runs underneath the current parking garage.  In

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terms of form is water, a concrete box system will sit underneath the parking garage.

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there's a similar system just east of the garage on the surface parking in the

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southeast corner of the site. It's underneath the current parking lot.  So we're very

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familiar with the system.  In terms of maintenance, once there's one inch of sediment

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within the concrete structures, the hospital will contract a vendor to vacuum out the system

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to make sure there's enough capacity, and it's serviced at least once a year.  This system

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was designed with south florida water management district requirements in mind.  We also

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have a south florida water management district permit.  So they have reviewed the owner's

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manual as well, and we should I be good to go on that end. Venice did a great job

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summarizing the parking.  So we'll have a surplus of approximately 400 spaces.  As

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alex mentioned we're going to be using the southwest corner the parcel that is highlighted

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in blue that is the parcel that we are currently have a tempt use permit in the city for.

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we're scheduled for the february 19th trc review.  So that is currently underway.

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we're going to be proposing temporary construction park overflow staff parking and

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material staging as well.  A 7.75-acre site.  So it's pretty sizacle in nature.  This

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parking lot will be paved and temporary lighting provision and a fence around the site to

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make sure it's secure.  And then this is the layout we're proposing.  We are going to

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stripe it.  There are are going to be wheel stop to provide organization to the parking

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lot, and there's an existing paved parking -- sorry. Entrance into the parking lot

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already.  So we're just going to reuse that.  And just so you guys are oriented correctly,

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north is to the right, my right.  I'm going to turn it over to matthew; who is --

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>>  chair, before you go on? So you have a lot of surface area there and I see a canal or

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some kind of ditch.  Is that where you are going to offdischarge the water from the

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parking lot? >>  it's going to be self-contained.  So we're actually going to just use surface run-off into the north part where it's grass with

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swales that provides temporary detention for stormwater.  As part of the previous

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development there it was already installed there and we'll reuse that convey

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stormwater into the grassy areas.  So we won't be discharging into the canal.

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we'll be self-contained. >>  thank you. >>   matthew will talk about

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the architectural components of the project thank you, vanessa.  As you see on the screen this 1st proposed rendering for the project. This is actually a view that

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faces internal to the campus. So as you pulling in from the main campus drive and turning

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towards the facility, this is your main facade.  The design intent of this building is

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really it compliments the existing campus from color palate to materials.  The brick

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will match that brick.  The lighter whitish beige color is a pre-cast panel.  The metal in

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the middle is where the main entry to the parking garage is. That is really meant to call

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out your attention to know where the entrance is.  That is a perforated metal  panel to

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give design intent and pop to the entrance there. As well as some glazing at the main tower

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and the elevator tower.  Again, that is the view that faces internal to the campus.  The

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other view here, so this would be a view from the corner of 23rd and quincey on the

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backside of the garage.  An entry exit point in the lower left-hand side.  Again, that

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perforated metal panel used as a design intent to make the entrance pop.  It will be

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branded with the hca florida lawnwood signage and logo to match the existing logos on the

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hospital in a couple of strategic spots on the building.  As I said, we're not

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reinventing the wheel.  It's meant to compliment the campus . Thank you, sir.  Thank you.

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>>  and I have a question that may be for you?  Is the parking going to be free in the garage?

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>>  so I will answer that.  So the plan right now is to probably make it a dedicated

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employee parking garage. >>  okay. >>  that way employees have one

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location and everything else becomes surface. >>  okay. >>  it's close enough to the hospital for folks to walk, but I would rather have the

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employees walk to the hospital and those that need to come and visit their family members or loved ones to be closer to the hospital. >>  makes sense. Thank you, sir.

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>>  you're welcome. >>  and last, but not least we have the planting materials,

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similar to the ones with the previous project that we had go in front of you.  So these are

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the treess  and pams and shrubs to enhance the outside facade. Thank you very much to your

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time today and open for questions. >>   who has questions? >>  quick question. The sign that is facing the southwest corner, or south corner, will

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it be lit at night and see that sign at night?  I thought so. Just wanted to make sure.

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>>  a lot of thought went into that design, especially at night when folkses park in

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there to make sure it's well-fit.  We've tons of cameras that are actively

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moderned and panic buttons and security there, because it's always a concern at night is

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staff's safety. >>  yes. >>  absolutely.  I think anybody that has been to the hospital to see somebody knows that you need a parking garage.

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I think we all know that and we're very happy for you and very happy you are here.

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commissioner broderick? >>  as someone who unfortunately has seen the

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inside of the hospital more than I care to admit over the last several years, the parking

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situation there is extreme.  So the commitment of the organization to dedicate this

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type of solution and investment into the fort pierce community, I applaud you guys for doing

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this.  If certainly is needed for your operational perspective, but the consumers

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of your services there, and their guests, et cetera, are going to be very grateful this

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is taking place.  So thank you for the undertaking and thank you for the  continued

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investment in the city of fort perce. >>  anything else?  Thank you very much.  I'm going to see if there's any other member of the public that would like to come

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forward, and share anything with us?  Seeing no movement, I'm going to close -- unless

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you have anything else to say, I'm going to close the parkway. >>   thank you very much.

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>>  thank you  the public hearing is closed. >>  maimed mayor I make a

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motion to approve. >>  second. >>  conditions? With the three conditions, thank you, commissioner. >>  second.

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>>  call the roll, please. >>   commissioner broderick? >>  yes. >>  commissioner

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>>  yes, ma'am. >>   commissioner johnson? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  mayor hudson? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  congratulations and we're

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so glad you are here.  Thank you. >>  next we have ordinance

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26-003 an ordinance the city commission of the city of fort pierce, florida amending the

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code of ordinances of the city of fort pierce, florida, amending chapter 2

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administration article 5 finance to create section 2-4-27 city auditing services

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to require an annual audit and establish how an auditor is selected.  Contracting

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requirements for ang auditor and limitations on the number of years an auditor may provide

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services to the city repealing all ordinances, parts thereof and conflict, providing for

375
00:42:11,820 --> 00:42:11,820
severability clause and providing for an effective date.  This is the first

376
00:42:16,892 --> 00:42:20,662
reading.  This is first reading.  Mr. Chess, do you have anything to add?  Do you have any presentation on this? >>  no, I don't.  The purpose of this is simply that we have

377
00:42:26,468 --> 00:42:26,468
rotating auditors at every 3-5 years to get a new set of eyes our books at the same time,

378
00:42:32,273 --> 00:42:32,273
it's best practice. >>  you were sharing with me that is best practice in

379
00:42:36,545 --> 00:42:36,545
finance.  So any questions of staff?  Any questions?  Okay. This is a public hearing.

380
00:42:41,849 --> 00:42:41,849
anyone wishing to address the commission on this subject, please come forward.  Seeing no

381
00:42:46,188 --> 00:42:46,188
movement, I will come back to the commission for a motion. >>  madam, move approval.

382
00:42:50,258 --> 00:42:52,727
>>  second. >>  motion and second, call the roll, please. >>  commissioner broderick y. >>  commissioner dadosky.

383
00:42:55,430 --> 00:42:57,966
>>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner campaignes? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner

384
00:43:02,136 --> 00:43:02,136
>>  yes, ma'am. >>  resolution 26-r80 a resolution of the city

385
00:43:08,243 --> 00:43:08,243
commission of city of the fort pierce, florida approving rate changes for fpuanet services as

386
00:43:15,484 --> 00:43:15,484
contained in resolution no. Ua2026-06 adopted by the fort pierce utilities authority

387
00:43:22,190 --> 00:43:25,359
board providing for severability conflict here with and providing for an ervingive date. >>  mr. Chess, do you have any

388
00:43:30,064 --> 00:43:30,064
lead into this. >>  mr. Brotherford and mr. Mittler presenting from fpua.

389
00:43:36,371 --> 00:43:38,239
>>  welcome.  Happy you are here. >>  thank you, ma'am. >>  I have heard this presentation, but I'm glad the commission is going to hear it.

390
00:43:41,909 --> 00:43:41,909
>>  thank you, mr. Chess.  Good evening, madam mayor, city commissioners.  Per our city

391
00:43:47,782 --> 00:43:47,782
charter article 12 the fort pierce utilities authority all rate changes must be approved

392
00:43:52,554 --> 00:43:52,554
by both fpua board and the city commission.  Tonight we come before you for the adoption of

393
00:44:00,662 --> 00:44:00,662
resolution 26-r08 for those new rates, as well as to provide you with a brief update on the

394
00:44:07,268 --> 00:44:07,268
firework  fibto home solution. Fiber is relatively new technology.  So new goodbyer so

395
00:44:13,107 --> 00:44:13,107
new, in fact, the efficiencies in construction continue to emerge, helping reduce capital

396
00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:19,480
costs we have incotsereded these efficiencies to pass those savings to the customers.

397
00:44:25,386 --> 00:44:25,386
this is just one of the ways that we keep our promise to provide economical reliable and

398
00:44:30,558 --> 00:44:30,558
friendly service as part of our ongoing commitment to enhance the quality of life in our

399
00:44:35,496 --> 00:44:35,496
community.  At this time jason will present. >>  mr. Miltler.

400
00:44:45,606 --> 00:44:45,606
>>  daniel rutherford. >>  thank you, we're trying to get -- we're all learning.

401
00:44:51,045 --> 00:44:54,849
thank you very much.  Mr. Mittler. >>  good afternoon, mr. Chess, madam mayor, members of the commission, my name is jason mittler, the fpuanet manager

402
00:44:59,753 --> 00:44:59,753
and I am excited to share with you some of the progress that the fpuanet team has made and

403
00:45:05,626 --> 00:45:05,626
I'm here to request a rate reduction and introduction of our fpua next new 5 gigabit per

404
00:45:14,969 --> 00:45:14,969
second tier of service for both residential and commercial customers.  Fpuanet is the 35th

405
00:45:21,008 --> 00:45:21,008
utility of fpua, and we are a smart city internet service provider that provides fiber

406
00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:26,880
services for the last 20 years. Since 2024 we started providing service to

407
00:45:35,489 --> 00:45:35,489
residential and commercial customers in various areas of the fort pierce city.  So the

408
00:45:42,195 --> 00:45:42,195
broadband uses the term "parcels passed." as ang industry kpi and define

409
00:45:48,368 --> 00:45:48,368
as having the necessary infrastructure in place to provide service to the home and

410
00:45:52,806 --> 00:45:52,806
business with a standard srvice drop within a few days of their request.  The top

411
00:45:56,877 --> 00:45:56,877
right of the slideshows that fpuanet currently has a fiber available to 2748 parcels, and

412
00:46:03,550 --> 00:46:03,550
they are shown in the orange shaded areas.  The blue shaded areas show parcels in

413
00:46:10,123 --> 00:46:10,123
construction and should be active in the next 90 daze. The purple area shades is

414
00:46:16,129 --> 00:46:16,129
currently in design, and the green shaded areas are still in the planning stage.  Finally

415
00:46:21,635 --> 00:46:21,635
the chart shows that fpuanet is on target to doubling its service area by the end of

416
00:46:28,142 --> 00:46:28,142
2026.  That is fy'26.  So september.  With a total number of parcels passed by 5676

417
00:46:36,449 --> 00:46:36,449
parcels and plans to add 2300 parcels per year for the next three years to a grand total of

418
00:46:43,256 --> 00:46:43,256
12,500 parcels by the end of 2029.  And so over the last two years the engineering and could

419
00:46:51,898 --> 00:46:51,898
struction team has gained significant efficiencies and the design and construction of

420
00:46:56,202 --> 00:46:56,202
our fiber network.  This has allowed fpuanet to build faster at lower costs bringing

421
00:47:01,841 --> 00:47:05,712
engineering and construction in-house.  This has given fpuanet an competitive advantage and allowed us to be very agiggle to ensure fiber is being deployed in the fastest

422
00:47:11,418 --> 00:47:11,418
way possible at the most cost-effective way.  Seconding use the corning

423
00:47:16,589 --> 00:47:16,589
technology, a newer technology that allows fpuanet to create customized cables for specific

424
00:47:22,996 --> 00:47:22,996
route that eliminate splicing in the feed which is time-consuming costly and

425
00:47:28,701 --> 00:47:28,701
introduces additional failure points in our network and this new technology eliminates those

426
00:47:33,506 --> 00:47:37,243
things. The second major efficiency last year that the network engineering and planning team was able to complete a multi-year project to upgrade our core to increase

427
00:47:46,553 --> 00:47:46,553
capacity from 40

428
00:48:02,201 --> 00:48:02,201
its inbound and outbound track by 100% and reduces cost per gig to 16 3%.  So as you can

429
00:48:11,544 --> 00:48:11,544
see, fpuanet has gained significant efficiency in its fiber network design and

430
00:48:17,116 --> 00:48:17,116
overall capacity and reduced unit cost and cost per gig. With that being said fpuanet is

431
00:48:23,823 --> 00:48:23,823
a competitive business unit and competes on all levels from pricing, service quality,

432
00:48:29,729 --> 00:48:29,729
reliability, and overall customer experience.  In december, fpuanet updated the

433
00:48:35,034 --> 00:48:35,034
business plan and financial model to reflect the efficiencis that fpuanet has

434
00:48:40,072 --> 00:48:40,072
gained, and additionally market study was done in december, and was updated in january 2026.

435
00:48:45,912 --> 00:48:45,912
-- on the 26th fpuanet has the same goal as fpua does to provide cuperts with economic

436
00:48:54,454 --> 00:48:54,454
reliable and service to enhance the quality of life in our community and fpuanet's pricing

437
00:48:59,792 --> 00:48:59,792
strategy to provide competitive pricing that is transparent and simple.  This slide shows the

438
00:49:04,496 --> 00:49:04,496
proposed rate reduction to all service tiers with no equipment fees for all commercial

439
00:49:09,935 --> 00:49:09,935
customers in adding the 5 gig service teand fpuanet is the lowest cost and best service in

440
00:49:19,378 --> 00:49:19,378
the market.  This slide shows our residential offering, and this is a matrix showing the

441
00:49:26,252 --> 00:49:26,252
market conditions of a january 26th.  The proposed rate offering for fpuanet

442
00:49:31,323 --> 00:49:31,323
residential market proposal is a rate reduction for all tiers and service in addition to

443
00:49:36,361 --> 00:49:36,361
adding 5 gig service tier. As of december 17th fpuanet was going to be the lowest price in

444
00:49:42,268 --> 00:49:42,268
all service tiers burb january 26th when we updated market study we found comcast added

445
00:49:48,674 --> 00:49:48,674
promotional pricing for new customers through february 22 nd, 2026.  Fpuanet far

446
00:49:54,547 --> 00:49:54,547
surpasses es comcaster in every other service and to compete with at&t that is a service

447
00:50:05,591 --> 00:50:05,591
provideser.  The proposed rates position fpuanet to be lower in every tier, except for the

448
00:50:10,195 --> 00:50:10,195
lowest tier, where we'll be the same price.  With that being said, I want to thank you you

449
00:50:15,267 --> 00:50:15,267
for your time, and would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.  And again,

450
00:50:20,372 --> 00:50:20,372
I'm requesting approval for the resolution no. Ua2026-06. >>  questions?

451
00:50:27,980 --> 00:50:27,980
>>  madam. >>  yes. >>  can you go back to your map

452
00:50:32,084 --> 00:50:32,084
where you were showing broadband available.  I'm not seeing much in the kings

453
00:50:44,729 --> 00:50:44,729
highway and this board is interested for that.  Those types of businesseses acquire

454
00:50:51,904 --> 00:50:51,904
high capability of bringing in information quickly, and for instance like amazon uses a ton

455
00:51:00,145 --> 00:51:00,145
of gig space on being able to manage what is happening inside the space is fpuanet available

456
00:51:07,753 --> 00:51:07,753
to meet those kinds of needs and have you looked at that as an opportunity going forward?

457
00:51:12,424 --> 00:51:12,424
>>  thank you, commissioner and congratulations on your election.  Yes, so we have

458
00:51:17,896 --> 00:51:17,896
fiber on kings highway and also on rock road, because we feed the jail and I.t..  They are

459
00:51:24,202 --> 00:51:24,202
off of rock road and orange avenue. As well as the development.  So we have the

460
00:51:30,475 --> 00:51:30,475
capacity to feed some of those major providers, and their requests.  So we're part of the

461
00:51:39,017 --> 00:51:39,017
trc and drc review committees so we obviously communicate with those individual

462
00:51:44,090 --> 00:51:44,090
businesses.  But at the moment, we're not building out that infrastructure in those areas

463
00:51:48,894 --> 00:51:48,894
and really focused mostly within inside our electrical footprint and connecting

464
00:51:54,266 --> 00:51:58,203
working with the city and partnering with public wi-fi in various areas, as well as checking many of our utility assets predominantly with those businesses offering our

465
00:52:10,382 --> 00:52:13,985
services and making sure that they understand that we can compete with any other service provider. >>  that is why I asked the question, because some of the

466
00:52:17,322 --> 00:52:17,322
companies that have looked to go into the kings highway to sort of area, comparing

467
00:52:23,929 --> 00:52:23,929
electric power and this type of service is -- there were some needs projected to be one

468
00:52:31,003 --> 00:52:31,003
megawatt just for one building over there.  So whether it's fpua or the other company,

469
00:52:36,174 --> 00:52:36,174
there's going to be a significant need for utilities especially electric power, but

470
00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:41,680
being able to have the service and power for the net power is going to be incredibly

471
00:52:51,924 --> 00:52:51,924
important for the success of those businesses out there. Just putting it out there in

472
00:52:57,596 --> 00:52:57,596
advance, because those needs come very fast, and not having it on your front of mind gets

473
00:53:04,902 --> 00:53:08,807
us behind the 8-ball. >>  absolutely. >>  and I would add also that the fpua is very much a part of the kings highway corridor, and also part of the plan.  I think

474
00:53:16,147 --> 00:53:16,147
they'll be presenting to the fpua soon, the adc. >>  excellent.

475
00:53:22,420 --> 00:53:26,090
>>   it's on their radar. Absolutely. >>  any other questions? >>  when you are running this stuff past my house ? Know everybody wanted to ask

476
00:53:30,962 --> 00:53:30,962
that question. >>  thank you. >>  so you asked that question.

477
00:53:36,167 --> 00:53:36,167
I asked that question.  And I said, how does one find out? How does one find out if they

478
00:53:44,676 --> 00:53:44,676
are eligible?  And so you go online, and you go to fpuanet and you sign up.  And you --

479
00:53:51,983 --> 00:53:51,983
and they respond right away and tell you whether you are eligible or if it's there or if

480
00:53:59,023 --> 00:53:59,023
it's planned.  And then I even got a call from one of your employees saying, we got your

481
00:54:05,063 --> 00:54:05,063
request.  We know that you want it, and so I know that what you were promoting for a while is

482
00:54:11,803 --> 00:54:11,803
for everybody, if you are interested go in and sign up. Because that shows you where

483
00:54:16,507 --> 00:54:16,507
there iss going to be a lot of interest from customers. >>  absolutely.  Is

484
00:54:20,979 --> 00:54:20,979
>>   is that right? >>  you go to fpuanet.com and type in your address. If it's

485
00:54:26,818 --> 00:54:26,818
available you can sign up immediately.  If it's not, what happens ask it puts a dot for

486
00:54:33,424 --> 00:54:33,424
us, and so commissioner johnson, we have seen that you recently submitted your

487
00:54:39,063 --> 00:54:39,063
request.  And so there'ses many areas that we look at from looking at where are we going

488
00:54:46,337 --> 00:54:46,337
to build at?  One of them are driving around the interests of the residents.  And so we'd

489
00:54:52,176 --> 00:54:52,176
enis youring you to talk to your neighbors, tell them about it, because the more dots that

490
00:54:58,716 --> 00:54:58,716
are aggregated in this area, that is what we'll try to build first as long as the

491
00:55:04,288 --> 00:55:04,288
infrastructure is there, the capacity, and all of the other different variables go into

492
00:55:09,527 --> 00:55:13,197
that calculation. >>  commissioner gaines. >>   thank you, madam mayor. Just want to say, if I don't have a dot, pretty sure I did, but if I didn't, I have a doter

493
00:55:19,470 --> 00:55:21,405
for my residents. >>   thank you, commissioner gaines. >>   I want to say thank you again to fpua, because very seldom do we get a request for

494
00:55:29,880 --> 00:55:29,880
reduction.  You never get requests and the next word is "reduction of fees." so I don't

495
00:55:37,187 --> 00:55:37,187
know if that went past everybody because everybody had their head down, but you said

496
00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:42,760
"reduction." so thank you for that and thank you for putting in the hard work.  I remembered

497
00:55:46,831 --> 00:55:46,831
when this first started, when we first started getting this together.  So I love what I'm

498
00:55:51,702 --> 00:55:51,702
seeing and let's keep up the good work and to everybody that is watching or going to review

499
00:55:58,409 --> 00:55:58,409
this meeting, if you don't have it, go on the website and put your dot.  So they know that

500
00:56:04,048 --> 00:56:04,048
you want it, and we'll try to get it to you.  Again, thank you.

501
00:56:08,285 --> 00:56:08,285
>>  yes. Thank you. >>  a couple of weeks ago, in

502
00:56:15,993 --> 00:56:15,993
my neighborhood, there was trenching -- not trenching but they were going underground and

503
00:56:23,967 --> 00:56:23,967
I wad asks is this fpua with high-speed?  I said I don't know.  You are a city

504
00:56:28,772 --> 00:56:31,842
commissioner, why don't you know? >>  you know everything. >>  I don't know and they asked the subcon stratingor crew and your competitor at&t

505
00:56:39,149 --> 00:56:39,149
unfortunately.  My wife is dropping a dot as we speak.  So I'm hopeful that you'll get the

506
00:56:44,621 --> 00:56:44,621
entire area that I live in and the mayor lives in covered as soon as possible.

507
00:56:49,326 --> 00:56:49,326
>>  yes, sir.  Yes, we are in the process of building -- we are built out about half of the

508
00:56:54,599 --> 00:56:54,599
beach at the moment.  And so I'm assuming your area is just south of j.c. Park.

509
00:57:01,738 --> 00:57:01,738
>>  I'm actually just north it of.  That meanses I'm already in your coverage area.

510
00:57:06,810 --> 00:57:06,810
>>  yours will be built soon. >>  okay. >>  we're waiting  --

511
00:57:11,915 --> 00:57:11,915
>>  the mariner bags. >>   in the atlantic area. That ordinary  area has been

512
00:57:17,220 --> 00:57:20,290
designed and we'll be constructing. >>  my wife is doing a happy dance because she is watching the meeting. >>   I would say within the next

513
00:57:31,101 --> 00:57:31,101
45 days that should happen I will cancel my comcast knowing it's coming.

514
00:57:36,072 --> 00:57:36,072
>>  don't cancel yet, but definitely if you haven't put an address in, do it.  With the

515
00:57:40,477 --> 00:57:44,314
new rate reduction happening today, we're definitely going to be hitting the beach and other areas, too, because the beach is not the only territory we're building.  You can see

516
00:57:48,285 --> 00:57:48,285
over there next to garden terrace we're building an area there, they are waiting on

517
00:57:53,156 --> 00:57:53,156
materials.  As soon as these rate changes tomorrow, you know, we're going to begin to

518
00:57:58,628 --> 00:57:58,628
reach out and pre-sign up volveds.  Because the goal is to get these individuals know,

519
00:58:02,665 --> 00:58:02,665
hey it's happening and it's happening within this timeframe.  So we're really

520
00:58:06,669 --> 00:58:06,669
excited and the team is ready to put together. >>  I will be the first one on

521
00:58:11,208 --> 00:58:11,208
my street to sign. >> thank you. >>  and service to my house.

522
00:58:16,846 --> 00:58:16,846
it's a charmed life, that is for sure. >>  anything else?  Yes, well,

523
00:58:22,585 --> 00:58:22,585
it's rare that we have somebody that says we want to reduce the price on something.  So we

524
00:58:27,256 --> 00:58:27,256
thank you very, very much.  All right.  This is not a public hearing.  So is there a motion?

525
00:58:33,830 --> 00:58:36,599
>>  mayor, I move to approve. >>  second. >>  a motion and second, call the

526
00:58:39,002 --> 00:58:41,070
>>  commissioner zadochingy. >>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner gaines? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner johnson? >>  yes, ma'am.

527
00:58:43,472 --> 00:58:45,141
>>  mayor hudson. >>  yes, ma'am. >>  thank you very much. >>  thank you. >>   appreciate it. >>  thank you.

528
00:58:49,645 --> 00:58:49,645
>>  next we have resolution 26-r09 a resolution of the city commission of the city of fort

529
00:58:55,518 --> 00:58:55,518
pierce, florida extending the declaration of local emergency authorizing the city clerk to

530
00:59:00,122 --> 00:59:00,122
file said resolution with the cerebing of circuit court and providing for an effective date.

531
00:59:04,827 --> 00:59:08,230
>>  mr. Chess, do you have anything you want to say about this? >>  I will give a little background.  Over the past several weeks the city has been

532
00:59:13,836 --> 00:59:13,836
with the beach erosion, and february 5th, we really took upon the dune protection

533
00:59:19,943 --> 00:59:19,943
project and brought this to the commission, I believe it was on the day meeting february 9th

534
00:59:27,884 --> 00:59:27,884
and the following day we actually declared a local state of emergency.  It was the fact

535
00:59:32,555 --> 00:59:32,555
that goes back to february 5th it was only for seven days.  So in actuality it expired

536
00:59:39,428 --> 00:59:39,428
february 12th.  So this resolution is for you to consider the extension of that

537
00:59:43,599 --> 00:59:47,469
state of emergency.  And I would like to say I don't think it's necessary, but you all can get more detail on why I feel that way.  But I believe the emergency, which expired last

538
00:59:53,643 --> 00:59:53,643
thursday, can be lifted -- should not be renewed or extendinged.

539
00:59:58,414 --> 01:00:02,051
>>  commissioners?  Anybody have anything? >>  madam mayor, mr. Chess, if we don't renew it and there are additional expenses, will we about able to go after those

540
01:00:07,856 --> 01:00:11,493
without the state of emergency in place? >>  well, there's no guaranty that the current state of emergency, local state of emergency will allow us to get

541
01:00:16,465 --> 01:00:16,465
additional fundses, but based on the collaboration with the county, because what is taking

542
01:00:22,738 --> 01:00:22,738
place now, the county and the city has been collaborating and the county is providing, I

543
01:00:27,376 --> 01:00:27,376
think they call it a large bucket loader to move the sand from the jetty down on the

544
01:00:34,082 --> 01:00:34,082
south beach where our area of concern is.  We have actually have rented leased equipment

545
01:00:40,389 --> 01:00:40,389
for 30 days to collaborate with them.  We're looking at it on a daily basis, the county is that

546
01:00:44,827 --> 01:00:44,827
it is and the city is really not out there anymore and the county is giving daily updates.

547
01:00:49,932 --> 01:00:49,932
so when they decide we need to replace the sand, they will contact public works and public

548
01:00:54,002 --> 01:00:54,002
works staff will go out there. It takes less than 30 minute and they return.  From my

549
01:00:58,507 --> 01:01:02,177
perspective, it's not worth paying the extra pay for the staff forever this emergency pay, when it's such a small project at this stage.  So you are talking like 30 minutes or

550
01:01:07,949 --> 01:01:07,949
less to get out there.  The key for us, it's being monitored daily.  If we decide to go out

551
01:01:16,091 --> 01:01:16,091
there frequently we can all revisit the state of emergency, to determine pwe'll have

552
01:01:21,330 --> 01:01:25,067
additional cause, extreme cause.  As we see it now, it's not necessary.  That is just my opinion on it. >  any oth commissioners? >>  I heard something that I

553
01:01:28,337 --> 01:01:28,337
want to be clear, and thank you for asking the question, because if they do go out now,

554
01:01:34,643 --> 01:01:34,643
because there is a state of emergency that was declared that triggers some different

555
01:01:41,850 --> 01:01:45,120
level of pay/compensation for that employee? >>  the employees receive their regular pay is at time-and-a-half.  If they happen to go overtime that is

556
01:01:50,525 --> 01:01:50,525
another time and-and-a-half and you are talking time-and-a-half pay.  So removing the state of

557
01:01:56,598 --> 01:01:56,598
emergency is regular pay. >>  that is the concern that triggers for us, what we may or

558
01:02:01,236 --> 01:02:01,236
may not get back.  And that could be five years, seven years from now that the

559
01:02:06,775 --> 01:02:06,775
government may decide.  I think at this point, if it gets to that dire strait, I think we're

560
01:02:12,915 --> 01:02:12,915
in a position, maybe to call a special meeting or do as needed.  But to redo it and put

561
01:02:18,554 --> 01:02:18,554
it in place and if I hear you right, that employee goes over there with a grader or load of

562
01:02:23,392 --> 01:02:23,392
sand, that is double time-and-a-half for 30 minutes. >>   that is if it's overtime.

563
01:02:28,497 --> 01:02:30,398
time-and-a-half. >>  whatever you just said. >>  right. >>  okay.  Got it. >>  thank you. >>  you're welcome, sir.

564
01:02:35,937 --> 01:02:35,937
>>  commissioner broderick. >>  this is a unique situation and I'm not debating the state

565
01:02:45,146 --> 01:02:45,146
of emergency scenario. However, my assessment of the situation having been involved

566
01:02:49,918 --> 01:02:49,918
in this daily, multiple times per day, for several weeks now is that we're in the middle of

567
01:02:57,759 --> 01:02:57,759
a war against mother nature right now.  And we may have won a few battles, but mother

568
01:03:03,765 --> 01:03:03,765
nature is quickly reclaiming the work that we have performed.  With the frontal

569
01:03:09,137 --> 01:03:09,137
system that just came through, winds kicked up, erosion started, what is today?  It

570
01:03:15,076 --> 01:03:15,076
came through sunday night and erosion started sunday night again into monday and no work

571
01:03:21,616 --> 01:03:21,616
was kong ducted yesterday yesterday.  No work was conducted today.  Temporary

572
01:03:26,020 --> 01:03:26,020
measures put in place are now significantly deteriorated. And dune erosion is commencing

573
01:03:34,662 --> 01:03:34,662
again.  So the state of emergency, I agree with the analysis that paying 2.5 times

574
01:03:45,706 --> 01:03:45,706
normal rate to get operators on-site is excessive from my perspective.  Normal rate or

575
01:03:52,113 --> 01:03:52,113
even overtime rate, I find to be acceptable.  The collaboration with the county

576
01:03:58,153 --> 01:03:58,153
has worked out better than I had hoped.  The allocation of equipment, manpower and

577
01:04:07,494 --> 01:04:07,494
resources has been 100% cooperative.  So I have no complaints about local

578
01:04:15,736 --> 01:04:15,736
interagency cooperation and support.  I do have issues with other agencies such as the

579
01:04:21,109 --> 01:04:21,109
state, federal government, et cetera.  But that is not today's debate.  So I don't

580
01:04:26,948 --> 01:04:26,948
disagree with letting the lapse of the state of emergency continue.  However, at a

581
01:04:32,453 --> 01:04:32,453
moment's notice, we may need to institute this again, because we're still looking at

582
01:04:39,727 --> 01:04:39,727
potentially another 4-6 weeks before nourishment of the beach commences on the island and to

583
01:04:47,135 --> 01:04:47,135
get to the beach areas that are a quarter mile south of jetty is another several weekses

584
01:04:53,540 --> 01:04:53,540
candidly.  If we are able to hold off the tide, and these are just my personal

585
01:05:01,349 --> 01:05:01,349
observations.  I'm not an engineer.  I'm not a coastal engineer, but I have worked in

586
01:05:06,787 --> 01:05:06,787
this industry.  I will be stunned if we're able to be successful in keeping back the

587
01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:12,960
floodwaters until the permanent -- somewhat longer term beach nourishment program takes

588
01:05:20,601 --> 01:05:20,601
place.  I have very, very grave concerns as to our ability to stop that from happening and if

589
01:05:25,973 --> 01:05:25,973
it happens, again, just my assessment of the situation is that potentially we're going to

590
01:05:30,744 --> 01:05:30,744
lose several hundred feet of embankment which is just basically opening up the

591
01:05:35,182 --> 01:05:35,182
floodwaters. The state of emergency doesn't deal with that in any capacity, but I'm

592
01:05:40,921 --> 01:05:40,921
giving what my overview is, so if madam mayor has to call an emergency meeting on a sunday

593
01:05:46,327 --> 01:05:46,327
morning to get us here to do whatever we need to keep to keep the island from being

594
01:05:53,667 --> 01:05:53,667
inundated with seawater, don't be surprised.  I personally believe within the next six

595
01:05:58,872 --> 01:05:58,872
week timeline it's going to happen.  That is just my person yap observation and I want the

596
01:06:05,045 --> 01:06:05,045
public to understand I'm not a qualified expert by any

597
01:06:16,457 --> 01:06:20,360
emergency imagine. Ation. >>  we were given information from the charter that the mayor could call without having to call a spect meeting.  I think

598
01:06:25,332 --> 01:06:25,332
that takes care of some of that. >>  ms. Hedges you can chime-in in here.  I can do it without a

599
01:06:31,772 --> 01:06:31,772
commission meeting. >>  which I'm all in favor. >>  but we probably would call

600
01:06:35,809 --> 01:06:35,809
a special meeting so we could all know what was going on.  Is that rightion ms. Hedges?

601
01:06:43,350 --> 01:06:43,350
>>  madam mayor, commissioners, correct.  You are able to call what is the word I'm looking

602
01:06:51,625 --> 01:06:51,625
for?  Institute a local state of emergency on your own as the mayor to renew it.  It does

603
01:06:57,097 --> 01:06:57,097
require the resolution, which is what is here before you. It's in seven-day increments.

604
01:07:02,869 --> 01:07:02,869
so your initial designation of a local state of emergency is for seven days.  Anything past

605
01:07:08,975 --> 01:07:08,975
that comes back to the city council.  If something comes up again, and you feel that we

606
01:07:15,015 --> 01:07:15,015
need to designate another local state of emergency, you have the authority to do that.

607
01:07:20,153 --> 01:07:20,153
and/or call a special meeting. You can do that with I believe six-hours' notice.  The

608
01:07:28,895 --> 01:07:32,799
commission and fpua are different, so I confuse them somtimes. >>   one follow-up comment. Thank you, ms. Hedges. I agree with the mayor having that

609
01:07:36,536 --> 01:07:36,536
ability to make that determination is that -- what was the point?  I lost my

610
01:07:44,911 --> 01:07:48,882
point.  Mr. Chess is correct, we have secured the necessary equipment that we need to make that operation as successful as possible.  And our public works folks have worked heroically to

611
01:07:57,324 --> 01:07:57,324
prevent the inevitable, potentially inevitable from happening here, but it is

612
01:08:05,064 --> 01:08:05,064
essentially out of our control. So we'll continue collectively as the commission, county,

613
01:08:10,003 --> 01:08:10,003
board of county commissioners, their staff, our staff working collaborative until this

614
01:08:20,714 --> 01:08:20,714
problem is more permanently resolved.  It's very serious, guys and I know you heard me

615
01:08:25,485 --> 01:08:25,485
screaming from the rooftops, but it's getting, but from the hour.  Every tide cycle we're

616
01:08:32,425 --> 01:08:32,425
losing  embankment and there's not much left to lose. >>   so they have actually gone

617
01:08:45,004 --> 01:08:45,004
every single day and this morning we did -- I will call it sand replacement.  They call

618
01:08:49,676 --> 01:08:49,676
it a fill.  We did a fill on friday.  We lost about 15' of sand, but 95% of the sands is

619
01:08:55,548 --> 01:08:55,548
still this what we did on friday, given what happened the past couple of days.  So they

620
01:09:01,454 --> 01:09:01,454
are monitoring that is  very, very closely >>   they are keeping in touch?

621
01:09:09,028 --> 01:09:09,028
are they keeping you informed? >>  they are sending in pictures and giving daily

622
01:09:15,001 --> 01:09:15,001
updates.  So we're really getting good information. We're getting live information,

623
01:09:19,105 --> 01:09:22,975
realtime information, I should say.  They are actually sending photos and explaining what is taking place in the pictures. As soon as it appears that we need to go out there and add

624
01:09:28,781 --> 01:09:28,781
more, as I said, we did a fill on friday.  We lost 15', they said, but the 95% of what we

625
01:09:34,386 --> 01:09:34,386
placed is still there.  So we think that is a good sign for us today, as the commissioner

626
01:09:40,726 --> 01:09:40,726
said.  That can change overnight, depending on how high the winds are and how high

627
01:09:47,032 --> 01:09:47,032
the tide comes in.  The key for us, it's being monitored daily by mr. Landry's team.

628
01:09:53,239 --> 01:09:53,239
>>  and keeping you informed? >>  absolutely.  Getting updates. Public works is

629
01:09:57,610 --> 01:09:57,610
getting updates, as well as myself and, as well as mr. Landry and his team are getting

630
01:10:01,780 --> 01:10:01,780
the same information. >>  I have one further thing. I met with josh on saturday,

631
01:10:08,154 --> 01:10:08,154
and we had a rather ranging discussion.  Josh and I were not on the same page at the

632
01:10:14,927 --> 01:10:14,927
beginning of this process and we now find ourselves in a common theme as to what we need

633
01:10:19,432 --> 01:10:19,432
to be doing currently.  But I also asked josh that post-this scenario, when we get out of

634
01:10:27,873 --> 01:10:31,844
this emergency situation and nourishment is completed, et cetera.  There are two things that I want him to come before the city commission to report on two things.  One, a

635
01:10:37,282 --> 01:10:40,686
post-action report as to emergency and emergency response, but more importantly, and I know we have sign a letter of support for funding for a more permanent

636
01:10:48,160 --> 01:10:48,160
installation scenario out there, who I'm dealing with the secretary of interior to speed

637
01:10:54,833 --> 01:10:54,833
up the funding for this.  So josh is the point man for the county on this.  I would like

638
01:10:59,472 --> 01:10:59,472
him to come in and give us a report to enlighten as what we can assist to move that project

639
01:11:10,182 --> 01:11:10,182
forward.  Josh is the one who is actually putting the grind through the mill to get the

640
01:11:16,988 --> 01:11:16,988
work done.  And all the engineers involved, he is managing all of that.  So he is

641
01:11:22,694 --> 01:11:22,694
the one, and he gave me an in-depth explanation why we're not a prioritization project

642
01:11:27,799 --> 01:11:27,799
fort army corps of engineers and it's -- I will give you just one minute of it.  Simply

643
01:11:33,372 --> 01:11:33,372
because we don't have enough value in our real estate on south hutchinson island to

644
01:11:39,411 --> 01:11:42,247
offset of the cost investment from the army corps of engineers.  There's a ratio that they use and if you are beneath 1.0, your application gets put aside.  We're at .7.

645
01:11:49,488 --> 01:11:49,488
I'm not going to  bor you with details, but to build 20-story towers  --

646
01:11:57,028 --> 01:11:57,028
>>  right. >>  I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole.  Suffice to

647
01:12:01,433 --> 01:12:01,433
say, it was a very enlightening discussion that I had with him to get an education on the army

648
01:12:08,106 --> 01:12:08,106
corps of engineers manifestations how they calculate funding projects.

649
01:12:13,244 --> 01:12:13,244
>>  I think the nuclear power plant. >>  they have some value, but

650
01:12:17,749 --> 01:12:17,749
we have to annex it.  We live in city of fort pierce. >>  right.  Right.  So ms.

651
01:12:24,789 --> 01:12:24,789
hedges, we do not -- if we vote not to renew this, we can always declare a new state of

652
01:12:29,761 --> 01:12:33,198
emergency, is that correct? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  that is correct. >>  so what is the will of the commission? >>  so administrate mayor, I

653
01:12:42,173 --> 01:12:42,173
move we not approval resolution 26-r09. >>  is there a second?

654
01:12:47,079 --> 01:12:47,079
>>  I'm second that. >>  call the ro, please. >>   the motion to deny.

655
01:12:51,316 --> 01:12:54,519
>>   yes, motion to deny, yes. >>   thank you, commissioner broderick? >>  yes. >>  commissioner zadosky. >>  yes.

656
01:12:57,088 --> 01:12:59,257
>>  commissioner gaines? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  commissioner johnson? >>  yes, ma'am. >>  mayor hudson? >>  yes, ma'am.

657
01:13:04,763 --> 01:13:04,763
>>  okay.  Next we have item 13c, which is the garden club status.

658
01:13:09,701 --> 01:13:09,701
>>  madam mayor, fellore commissioners, so in my weekly staff learning, last week I

659
01:13:15,039 --> 01:13:15,039
also met with some residents in the oakland park hibiscus stabbed a and one of the things

660
01:13:22,380 --> 01:13:22,380
that they had questions about. I have gotten it also from other organizations in this

661
01:13:26,585 --> 01:13:26,585
community that have rented the garden club for everything from wedding receptions to birth

662
01:13:33,891 --> 01:13:33,891
announcements, et cetera.  And so this building has kind of been in a state of disrepair

663
01:13:39,830 --> 01:13:39,830
and not in use.  So I inquired about it, that led to discussion in my staff meeting,

664
01:13:45,370 --> 01:13:45,370
and then, mr. Chess, and I think the attorney, they went back and settled some things as

665
01:13:52,911 --> 01:13:52,911
far as the rightful ownership, et cetera of this particular facility.  It is a facility

666
01:13:57,782 --> 01:13:57,782
that is owned by the city.  And there's a plan, and I would ask mr. Chess to kind of have staff

667
01:14:04,989 --> 01:14:04,989
prepare to bring us up-to-date, so we can get some communication to the public,

668
01:14:09,894 --> 01:14:09,894
who is watching us as to what is the status?  What to expect with this jewel in our

669
01:14:15,299 --> 01:14:15,299
community that a lot of people like to use and rent.  So that is kind of where I'm at.

670
01:14:19,436 --> 01:14:23,274
>>  mr. Chess. >>  deputy manager is going to expand on some of the work that has to be done.  This was identified back in july with our previous public works

671
01:14:30,848 --> 01:14:30,848
director.  And we had the garden center remediation and renovation project and there

672
01:14:36,821 --> 01:14:36,821
was discussion about funds. For some reason the project was halted, but mr. Johnson, he is

673
01:14:42,260 --> 01:14:42,260
going to go into detail, there are five main criteria that has to be done.  I would say work

674
01:14:47,631 --> 01:14:47,631
that has to be  done.  I will let mr. Johnson go into detail on that.

675
01:14:58,208 --> 01:14:58,208
>>  deputy city manager as stated.  This project initially kicked off in july of 2025,

676
01:15:07,885 --> 01:15:07,885
shortly after the retirement event. >>  jack andrews.

677
01:15:14,425 --> 01:15:14,425
>>  exactly.  Our facilities manager noticed some issues with the nearing and extremely

678
01:15:18,829 --> 01:15:18,829
soft spots that were at-risk and danger/liability.  After further investigation it was

679
01:15:25,302 --> 01:15:25,302
much worse than they could imagine, not only soft spots, but water pooling under the

680
01:15:30,841 --> 01:15:30,841
building with mold and quite a bit going on.  I'm not the expert, but so the remediation

681
01:15:40,284 --> 01:15:40,284
efforts and what they found and get up to speed where we are like now and what next steps to

682
01:15:46,556 --> 01:15:46,556
get that building remediated fully and back on the market for availability and usage.

683
01:15:52,829 --> 01:15:52,829
>>  welcome, sir. State your name for the record. >>  rick stafford, facilities

684
01:16:04,241 --> 01:16:04,241
manager.  It's an old facility and we put about as mr. Band-aids that we could in the

685
01:16:08,578 --> 01:16:08,578
seven years I have been here. It's needed some work for a long time.  We have all been

686
01:16:17,355 --> 01:16:17,355
there, and for events and everything.  It's built in the pit.  It's built in a hole.

687
01:16:22,626 --> 01:16:22,626
all the water around that area runs to that building.  So that is  created problems from under

688
01:16:37,707 --> 01:16:37,707
the building holding moisture and the structural components happened from underneath on

689
01:16:43,981 --> 01:16:43,981
that building.  Like chase said, when we started peeling back the layers of this thing,

690
01:16:48,352 --> 01:16:48,352
and we pulled up some the flooring we knew we had some soft spots for a couple of

691
01:16:55,125 --> 01:16:55,125
years now.  So we identified thosing and did some investigative restruction and

692
01:17:00,497 --> 01:17:00,497
we went and tore the floors out and the restroom area.  As we get in there, we found it

693
01:17:06,069 --> 01:17:06,069
extended in through the kitchen area and under the kitchen cabinets and countertops, which

694
01:17:13,910 --> 01:17:13,910
naturally made the project keep growing.  So that is where we're at now.  Then we always

695
01:17:22,853 --> 01:17:22,853
run into the m-word when we get there and did the deconstruction -- destruction

696
01:17:28,959 --> 01:17:28,959
of that.  There was quite a bit of mold that we found behind cabinets, and in some wall

697
01:17:37,166 --> 01:17:37,166
cavities.  So that led us to do indoor air quality testing to test the mold and everything.

698
01:17:43,840 --> 01:17:43,840
and that is where we are now. And then I started putting some numbers together, you know, on

699
01:17:49,713 --> 01:17:49,713
this, and I have compiled a lot both outsourcing some of the work, as well as doing much

700
01:17:55,385 --> 01:17:55,385
in-house as we can.  I have always, my division always has con straints those basically

701
01:18:07,296 --> 01:18:07,296
being capital and people we're a team of ten people in facilities right now.  So we're

702
01:18:13,803 --> 01:18:13,803
pretty limited what we can do in-house, but we can get a lot done.  In a nutshell, I did put

703
01:18:21,210 --> 01:18:21,210
some things out for bid on this.  Naturally the mold remediation and demolition is

704
01:18:29,719 --> 01:18:29,719
in there.  The flooring.  We could probably do that in-house and save some money.  Big part

705
01:18:36,626 --> 01:18:36,626
of the costs will be in the mold remediation and getting that portion taken care of, and

706
01:18:44,100 --> 01:18:44,100
that is to the tune of $70,000. But what we have included in that is an encapsulation of the

707
01:18:54,978 --> 01:18:54,978
underside of the building.  I found only one company in florida that does this type of

708
01:19:01,450 --> 01:19:01,450
work and they basically treat it like a crawl space or a basement, which we don't have

709
01:19:05,822 --> 01:19:05,822
basements here in florida.  But they will enclose that whole underside of it, encapsulate

710
01:19:15,131 --> 01:19:15,131
it, install subpumps that get the water out and basically make that a conditioned space

711
01:19:20,636 --> 01:19:20,636
underneath the building to prevent this kind of damage and rot after we go through the

712
01:19:30,346 --> 01:19:30,346
process. >>  so essentially we came up with a pre-plan, three options.

713
01:19:36,519 --> 01:19:36,519
there's an in-house option where the city staff does most of the work.  I have already

714
01:19:41,424 --> 01:19:41,424
spoken with rick and his team and allocating a couple of guys to concentrate on that facility

715
01:19:46,228 --> 01:19:46,228
and attempting to get it going. There's a hybrid option in which we contract out some of

716
01:19:52,835 --> 01:19:52,835
it, which obviously will cost more, and then there's having it fully contracted out which

717
01:19:59,008 --> 01:19:59,008
would obviously be the largest cost and currently rick is able to dedicate three guys there

718
01:20:10,419 --> 01:20:10,419
and estimated 45-90 days with three guys dedicated daily with most of the work they can get

719
01:20:17,026 --> 01:20:20,496
done in-house and offsetting there's' roof leak and some other things that the contractor will have to do for encapsulation and things of that nature.  That is the

720
01:20:26,803 --> 01:20:26,803
current plan to get this back up and operational. >>  questions?

721
01:20:33,108 --> 01:20:33,108
>>  so at some point, and I asked for this publicly, as staff meets and you meet with

722
01:20:39,515 --> 01:20:39,515
staff, I think we can get into the details of these three options to look at it and look

723
01:20:45,921 --> 01:20:45,921
at funding source of where these funds could come with further conversations with our

724
01:20:52,594 --> 01:20:52,594
cfo, et cetera.  I wanted us to have a level set so we all know.  Because I'm sure from

725
01:20:57,466 --> 01:21:01,336
different areas people are asking what about the garden club?  And now we all kind of have the same information.  And it's not dire, but it's a challenge that we have, because

726
01:21:06,274 --> 01:21:06,274
of how it sits on this property.  And it's always been a concern, and when it rains

727
01:21:13,849 --> 01:21:13,849
there it floodsing and the water sits for days sometimes. So if we encapsulate it, that

728
01:21:20,088 --> 01:21:23,258
gives us a shell to protect it from that; right? >>   correct. >>  and that is a guaranty on it.  Okay.  I'm fine with it at this point.  I wanted you guys

729
01:21:30,098 --> 01:21:30,098
to hear this, if you have any questions.  I'm pretty much done.

730
01:21:35,504 --> 01:21:35,504
>>  yes, sir? >>  I have a little history with this facility.  In 2004 I

731
01:21:40,041 --> 01:21:40,041
became the president of the hibiscus park crime watch and we talked about this.  There

732
01:21:46,014 --> 01:21:46,014
was some question who had control of the building?  Who thought they owned -- had

733
01:21:50,452 --> 01:21:50,452
access and so and so forth?  In 2004 we had the hurricanes and neighbors reinstituted the

734
01:22:03,432 --> 01:22:03,432
crime watch to help other property owners and code enforcement, the citizens asked

735
01:22:08,904 --> 01:22:08,904
for code enforcement sweep.  I explained to them, be careful what you ask for, you may get

736
01:22:16,845 --> 01:22:16,845
it.  It ended up being 87% of the propertis in the park were on probation.  It took us four

737
01:22:24,018 --> 01:22:24,018
months to get it down to 25%. The garden center was actually a hub of opportunity whether we

738
01:22:30,358 --> 01:22:30,358
had dumpsters out there, coordinating the clean-uped and neighborhood enhancement teams

739
01:22:37,665 --> 01:22:37,665
were created with t-shirts. Because they had so much interest in making that

740
01:22:42,704 --> 01:22:42,704
neighborhood better again, because it was one of the top growing neighborhoods in the

741
01:22:46,841 --> 01:22:46,841
community.  You know, attorneys and doctors and so on.  Really were the ones living in

742
01:22:53,648 --> 01:22:53,648
hibifickus park and oakland park was a big park of teaching hibiscus park how to be a

743
01:23:00,088 --> 01:23:00,088
better community whether it's crime watch or improving their neighborhoods.  So that is part

744
01:23:05,993 --> 01:23:05,993
of the history why some of the folks think they own it, but it's long history there.  I

745
01:23:11,299 --> 01:23:11,299
came in front of the board back then and dennis beach was the city manager.  And there being

746
01:23:19,607 --> 01:23:19,607
charged $35 a meeting.  And we asked for consideration at that time and part of the history

747
01:23:24,912 --> 01:23:24,912
that they wanted to have it for free or reduced rates.  So these are the types of things

748
01:23:32,320 --> 01:23:32,320
that happened and the history that gets us here and sometimes helpful to hear that.  I spoke

749
01:23:39,294 --> 01:23:39,294
with the former president, who has significant professional skills, and he has offered to

750
01:23:46,734 --> 01:23:46,734
provide those skills in-kind. He is an architect with a great deal  --

751
01:23:52,039 --> 01:23:52,039
>>  that is in the neighborhood I bet I know who it is. >>  he was a former president

752
01:23:58,379 --> 01:23:58,379
until last year.  So the citizens are willing to do whatever they can to help,

753
01:24:02,483 --> 01:24:02,483
whether it's labor, whether it's maintaining an eye on it. And other professional

754
01:24:08,356 --> 01:24:08,356
services.  So they are available to have that conversation, and since I live

755
01:24:13,060 --> 01:24:13,060
in the area I would be happy to be a liaison as well. >>  thank you.

756
01:24:17,765 --> 01:24:17,765
>>  any other comments?  I know the community is anxious to get back, especially the garden

757
01:24:23,070 --> 01:24:23,070
club is anxious as you well know.  I think they are meeting at the riverwalk.

758
01:24:27,975 --> 01:24:27,975
>>  we're interested to get it back as a space, a venue, you know?  We were down one because

759
01:24:33,514 --> 01:24:33,514
of the city annex building for a number of years and we're almost at a point that we're

760
01:24:38,185 --> 01:24:42,122
getting that back online and we lost this one. >>  yes, right. >>  yes, ma'am. >>  as long as when we're redoing it  making sure that

761
01:24:54,068 --> 01:24:57,538
water won't do damage again. It's worth fixing. >>   the pump will pump the water out as can't stop it, but we can get it.  The encapsulation will

762
01:25:03,428 --> 01:25:03,428
protect the material that is there.  Yes, ma'am. >>  and also includes

763
01:25:14,905 --> 01:25:18,776
dehumidifier that gets the moisture out. >>  I saw on facebook they do that.  I don't know why it's there, but it's there. >>  you can believe everything

764
01:25:23,147 --> 01:25:25,282
you read on facebook; right? >>   sure >>  thank you very much. Anything else from the commission?  Thank you.  So mr.

765
01:25:29,354 --> 01:25:29,354
chess, you are going to move that along as much  -- >>  absolutely.  Absolutely.

766
01:25:33,357 --> 01:25:33,357
we have a plan. >>  thank you very much gentlemen.  Thank you.

767
01:25:37,661 --> 01:25:37,661
. >>  the next item is the crabby's lease status.

768
01:25:42,232 --> 01:25:42,232
>>  commissioner. Broderick. >>  at the outset here I'm

769
01:25:48,338 --> 01:25:48,338
going to just comment that I have a day job, and that day job is the administration of

770
01:25:54,211 --> 01:25:54,211
commercial real estate, which involves leases, and construction and all that kind

771
01:25:59,850 --> 01:25:59,850
of stuff.  So I'm saying that because the comments I'm about to make I know of what I speak.

772
01:26:05,055 --> 01:26:05,055
so I just want to put it out there, this is 40 some odd years experience in this

773
01:26:11,261 --> 01:26:11,261
particular industry.  I received the paperwork forwarded by city attorney

774
01:26:16,366 --> 01:26:16,366
hedges, and I'm not a social media person, but I have been exposed to the social media

775
01:26:22,172 --> 01:26:22,172
regarding this particular topic, and the dichotomy between fact and fix are

776
01:26:33,617 --> 01:26:33,617
extreme.  So I first want to set the issue straight to the consuming public and they can

777
01:26:38,488 --> 01:26:38,488
send me all the emails and texts, that is fine.  This is not an action taken by the city

778
01:26:43,460 --> 01:26:43,460
of fort pierce.  This is a tenant default.  The tenant defaulted on their lease.  You

779
01:26:48,431 --> 01:26:48,431
can put that into the newspaper and into the news, the tenant defaulted on its lease and not

780
01:26:56,774 --> 01:26:56,774
the city of fort pierce in regards to this institution. Having said that, I have some

781
01:27:04,447 --> 01:27:04,447
very serious concerns as to the handling of this issue internally by the city of fort

782
01:27:09,386 --> 01:27:09,386
pierce.  And let me elaborate: as it stands right now, based on the documentation that ms.

783
01:27:19,029 --> 01:27:19,029
hedges separate out and documentation by the city we notified the tenant when they

784
01:27:23,600 --> 01:27:23,600
were four months in arrears in rent.  Pi ran my commercial real estate company letting

785
01:27:29,239 --> 01:27:29,239
tenants run four months in arrears, I'm going to apply for a job at the company cleaning

786
01:27:38,281 --> 01:27:41,885
arnold's offices, et cetera. This is not a way to run commercial real estate assets that are owned by the city. However, the default is worse than that.  It's now five

787
01:27:49,559 --> 01:27:49,559
months rents.  Let's be clear about that.  The default is worse than that, in that the

788
01:27:54,297 --> 01:27:54,297
provision of the lease I'm more concerned about, there's a real estate tax provision in the

789
01:27:59,502 --> 01:27:59,502
lease, where the tenant pays the real estate taxes on the site.  And this is

790
01:28:09,579 --> 01:28:09,579
unconscionable to me, this default is three years old. Three years the real estate

791
01:28:14,284 --> 01:28:14,284
taxes have not been paid and we're just making demand now for city owed to the city.  I

792
01:28:19,656 --> 01:28:19,656
had my team in my office today, who are lease administration people analyze these documents

793
01:28:28,798 --> 01:28:28,798
and myself.  So the lease is crystal clear, the city pays the tax bill and then bills the

794
01:28:35,004 --> 01:28:35,004
tenant. The tenant issues reimbursement to the city of

795
01:28:39,843 --> 01:28:39,843
not been paid for reimbursement for real estate tax for three years and the default provision

796
01:28:44,480 --> 01:28:44,480
in that particular clause states that you are in default if ever we invoice you have not

797
01:28:50,019 --> 01:28:50,019
paid within 15 days.  So the city of fort pierce is now underwater in this thing,

798
01:28:57,694 --> 01:28:57,694
$215,000 give or take a few dollars.  $215,000 of income and costs that is supposed to

799
01:29:04,300 --> 01:29:04,300
be covered by the tenant.  The city has not received.  From my perspective, that is now the

800
01:29:09,539 --> 01:29:09,539
burden of the taxpayers of the city of fort pierce to make up that shortfall and I find this

801
01:29:14,844 --> 01:29:14,844
to be a horribly mismanaged situation.  I asked at last week's meeting for a break

802
01:29:20,916 --> 01:29:20,916
duron of all tenant leases in the city and who is in default and what rent they are paying?

803
01:29:25,855 --> 01:29:25,855
to-date we have not received that documentation.  I have requested for the last two

804
01:29:31,794 --> 01:29:31,794
years in the budget cycle for a lease administrator in the city, because as best I can

805
01:29:36,799 --> 01:29:40,102
tell, nobody here knows what real estate is owned by the city of be challenged to say that any department in the city does not know what real estate is owned

806
01:29:44,540 --> 01:29:44,540
by the city of fort pierce?  We have leases in the city of fort pierce being administrated by

807
01:29:52,147 --> 01:29:52,147
dean's organization at marina and being administrated by public works and being

808
01:29:58,220 --> 01:29:58,220
administrated by engineering and by fpra and by the city manager's office.  This is no

809
01:30:03,525 --> 01:30:03,525
way to run a real estate company and the city has broad real estate assets throughout

810
01:30:09,431 --> 01:30:09,431
the city.  So many that we can't enumerate them and can't get a list of what the city

811
01:30:15,805 --> 01:30:15,805
owners, how it's tenanted, who is paying rent and would isn't paying rent more importantly,

812
01:30:22,845 --> 01:30:22,845
et cetera?  That organizational capabilities does not exist. And this to me is a classic

813
01:30:29,652 --> 01:30:29,652
example of a real estate company that has gone aria and the city of fort pierce as a

814
01:30:34,724 --> 01:30:34,724
division of the city is a real estate company.  We have no oversight in this area and I'm

815
01:30:42,331 --> 01:30:42,331
very, very disturbed of this. This could just be the tip of iceberg as far as I'm concerned

816
01:30:46,702 --> 01:30:46,702
and we know we have all kinds of tenant defaults on other issues that we hear about as it

817
01:30:55,043 --> 01:30:55,043
becomes an egregious situation. When do we say enough is enough and properly manage the

818
01:31:00,115 --> 01:31:00,115
assets owned by the city of fort pierce?  I challenge this commission to respond to my

819
01:31:06,655 --> 01:31:06,655
concerns because we're note going to recapture these funds. That money is gone and on that

820
01:31:13,829 --> 01:31:13,829
matter I will discuss the response from a physical asset perspective.  Question no. 1 is

821
01:31:19,335 --> 01:31:19,335
this is an abandonment of the property.  Correct?  Under the abandonment capability state

822
01:31:24,539 --> 01:31:24,539
statute, we have the ability to change the locks and secure the facility.  Have we done so does

823
01:31:30,045 --> 01:31:33,715
anybody know that we have changed the locks to take control of the facility and secure the facility?  Have we done so? >>  mr. Chess?

824
01:31:36,851 --> 01:31:36,851
>>  we were told and legal can jump into this, they are allowed to remove the assets

825
01:31:44,125 --> 01:31:47,062
that they placed into the property. >>  that is fine, but we can control the facility and allow them access to do that, correct, ms. Hedges?  So

826
01:31:53,636 --> 01:31:53,636
clearly we have the ability to do that.  Secondly, my second concern, if we haven't

827
01:31:58,607 --> 01:31:58,607
conducted an inspection of this facility, what make me not think a tenant has walked way

828
01:32:03,578 --> 01:32:03,578
from their lease, walked away from the facility and not left their refrigerators and

829
01:32:10,786 --> 01:32:10,786
freezers full of deteriorating and rotting material because we have not conducted an

830
01:32:15,390 --> 01:32:15,390
inspection to determine what the condition is? So out of concern, I contacted fpua

831
01:32:20,428 --> 01:32:20,428
myself.  And I inquired to see if the power has been turned off.  Fortunately to-date it

832
01:32:26,635 --> 01:32:26,635
has not.  I asked is there a standing order to turn it over to the city of fort pierce once

833
01:32:32,173 --> 01:32:32,173
the tenant puts in notification to determinant electrical power?  No, there is not.  I

834
01:32:38,547 --> 01:32:38,547
don't have the power to do that.  How it workses if a tenant is going to shout shut

835
01:32:44,652 --> 01:32:44,652
off the power and  landlord gets there before that happens they say we want the account

836
01:32:51,225 --> 01:32:51,225
turned over to us to have no disruption of service.  That has not been done.  My question

837
01:32:56,197 --> 01:32:56,197
is the facility secured?  Have we done an inspection?  Have we done an inventory of what is in

838
01:33:01,869 --> 01:33:01,869
there?  Have we changed the locks and are we prepared to deal with the clean out that

839
01:33:07,408 --> 01:33:07,408
subsequently has to take place? Guys, this is -- I think I said enough.  You understand my

840
01:33:14,348 --> 01:33:14,348
concerns here and relative to the standard of operation in the industry, we're so far out

841
01:33:21,756 --> 01:33:21,756
of the standard, it's -- I don't want to say gross mismanagement of the asset, but

842
01:33:26,327 --> 01:33:26,327
somebody has to be accountable for why we're receiving notification of this months

843
01:33:32,167 --> 01:33:32,167
after the default takes place? In my company we have delinquency reports on the 10th

844
01:33:38,806 --> 01:33:38,806
the month and rent not paid a demand letter is issued to the tenant.  It's a 10-day demand

845
01:33:44,678 --> 01:33:44,678
and statutory requirements is dele days.  Why we're beyond the statutory requirements is

846
01:33:49,184 --> 01:33:49,184
not for discussion today, but we issued a demand letter to take collection action, and

847
01:33:54,355 --> 01:33:54,355
move to evict for non-payment. Fortunately the tenant decided because that works -- that is a

848
01:34:02,296 --> 01:34:02,296
two edged sword.  You issue the letter of demand, they pay the rent or vacate the

849
01:34:07,067 --> 01:34:10,938
preponderance.  They choose to vacate.  So now we have an empty thy facility in my opinion that is not secured, and the outstanding financial duress that the city is going

850
01:34:16,911 --> 01:34:16,911
to experience from this is horific.  I will leave it at that.  You will let everybody

851
01:34:21,982 --> 01:34:21,982
else chime-in on this. >>  commissioners? >>   madam mayor, so as I

852
01:34:30,824 --> 01:34:30,824
learned to the facts, I'm concerned, and challenged by the level of delinquency here.

853
01:34:38,032 --> 01:34:38,032
and it's not -- it's years; right?   And so this goes back to the initial lease, bringing

854
01:34:46,073 --> 01:34:46,073
in the partnership.  So we put this on tonight for discussion. For us up here, the five,

855
01:34:52,779 --> 01:34:52,779
because we don't talk besides this.  We have our staff meetings.  We all kind of

856
01:34:57,418 --> 01:34:57,418
caught this last week through social, then some of us may have had conversation with mr.

857
01:35:03,190 --> 01:35:03,190
chess.  But mr. Chess, I think this is going to warrant some immediate actions; right?   So

858
01:35:08,962 --> 01:35:08,962
I think that some that have been raised are legitimate, particularly have we secured

859
01:35:16,070 --> 01:35:16,070
this actual facility and the status of that?  I think that warrants some type of update to

860
01:35:23,010 --> 01:35:23,010
us.  So that we have an understanding; right?   I'm not necessarily concerned about

861
01:35:29,883 --> 01:35:33,521
social media and all of the stuff out there and people making comments.  They are free to do that.  That is their opinion, but here is an asset that is on the water, that in

862
01:35:42,029 --> 01:35:42,029
essence belongs to the city of fort pierce.  So it's important that we get that update.  What

863
01:35:46,200 --> 01:35:46,200
is more concerning though is as we look at internal procedures, I think this calls for an

864
01:35:53,974 --> 01:35:53,974
immediate review of -- not only this, but all of our leases quite frankly, so much

865
01:36:00,514 --> 01:36:00,514
so that we have to have some of the answers and I have to understand where did this fail?

866
01:36:10,624 --> 01:36:10,624
because it set for so long without coming to our attention is quite frankly, unacceptable.

867
01:36:15,996 --> 01:36:15,996
we have been in a state of change in complexity since two, three years ago, when we got

868
01:36:26,473 --> 01:36:26,473
the call on the arrest of our city manager.  This is a result of all of that turbulence over

869
01:36:33,480 --> 01:36:33,480
that time of interim this, new people in and out between then. We have got to steady the

870
01:36:41,922 --> 01:36:41,922
ship.  Those that are in position in this city that have been here knew this.

871
01:36:48,361 --> 01:36:48,361
>>  somebody did. >>   somebody knew this.  And we need to understand and we

872
01:36:55,535 --> 01:36:55,535
need staff to understand that everybody here is say leader. You cannot stick your head in

873
01:37:00,440 --> 01:37:00,440
the sands right now, because it's all hands on deck.  We have got to figure this out and

874
01:37:05,846 --> 01:37:05,846
understand what do we need to do to support this?  So I say it that way, because quite

875
01:37:11,718 --> 01:37:11,718
frankly, mr. Chess was not here three years ago. >>  I am not saying  --

876
01:37:16,189 --> 01:37:16,189
>>  I understand that.  I'm challenging staff here. >>  somebody was.

877
01:37:22,195 --> 01:37:22,195
>>   somebody was here.  And we need to understand that accountability and where that

878
01:37:31,605 --> 01:37:31,605
is at because this is quite frankly unacceptable.  The lease, they walked way.

879
01:37:36,443 --> 01:37:36,443
>>  yes. >>  the tax bill thing, what I didn't -- okay.  That kind of

880
01:37:40,646 --> 01:37:40,646
caught me a little bit now. >>  that is lee years. Three years.

881
01:37:47,720 --> 01:37:47,720
>>  that is three years, somebody should have known that. I'm looking forward to

882
01:38:00,733 --> 01:38:00,733
answerses. >>   commissioner dadosky. >>  thank you.  I understood

883
01:38:05,004 --> 01:38:05,004
this was going to be coming to us, of course, social media, everybody calls everybody.

884
01:38:10,276 --> 01:38:10,276
>>  did you hear him? >>  sorry.  I just don't want to yell at you guys.  So I saw

885
01:38:16,983 --> 01:38:16,983
that this was coming.  I sent every iterations of this property and what has

886
01:38:28,194 --> 01:38:28,194
transpired.  So I provided that for mr. Chess and for the attorney, and I thought my

887
01:38:33,967 --> 01:38:33,967
first conversation was really going to be about the possibility of assignment of

888
01:38:38,104 --> 01:38:38,104
the lease.  Now commissioner broderick, you gave me a few more pieces of information I

889
01:38:42,174 --> 01:38:42,174
did not have, and that is why we have these public meetings. The challenge that we have and

890
01:38:47,847 --> 01:38:47,847
I'm going to share with you my position, since I was just running, and I'm sorry to keep

891
01:38:53,319 --> 01:38:53,319
bringing it up.  When you are running for a position, you bring up all of the ideas and

892
01:39:00,326 --> 01:39:00,326
things you see as a challenge from outside saying you are going to fix them.  These are

893
01:39:04,897 --> 01:39:04,897
foundational issues with the city of fort pierce, because we have had changeover and so and

894
01:39:10,503 --> 01:39:10,503
so forth.  We had a lot of temporary folks and so on.  The foundational management of the

895
01:39:16,276 --> 01:39:16,276
city needs to be changed.  That is going to be up to us to create the policies and the

896
01:39:21,347 --> 01:39:21,347
procedures and providing the direction of the city manager; the clerk and the attorney to

897
01:39:26,285 --> 01:39:30,189
move these things forward. Each of the departments are going to be absolutely going to have to be a part of the answer.  There's plenty of blame to go around.  The idea

898
01:39:37,529 --> 01:39:37,529
is the blame is there, our job now is to provide the policies necessary to guide the ship.  I

899
01:39:44,870 --> 01:39:44,870
hate to say it because it's in the marina.  Anyway, this is very serious.  We need policies

900
01:39:52,144 --> 01:39:52,144
from the purchasing department, finance, planning, there's plenty of opportunity if all

901
01:39:59,184 --> 01:39:59,184
the departments that we have to start foundation planning and fixing these things going

902
01:40:05,090 --> 01:40:05,090
forward.  I have had my conversations with mr. Chess. I have explained to him my

903
01:40:10,162 --> 01:40:10,162
position on things, and I think with the strategic planning process coming up that is going

904
01:40:15,701 --> 01:40:15,701
to be a laundry room for all of the issues and starting the process of rebuilding this city

905
01:40:22,975 --> 01:40:22,975
hall.  We're no longer thepodunck little town fort pierce.  The city is on the

906
01:40:29,982 --> 01:40:29,982
rise and the city will see growth.  These issues are not simply fort pierce's issues.

907
01:40:34,653 --> 01:40:34,653
we had -- they had the same issues at the county.  Airport properties with tenants for 3-4

908
01:40:42,795 --> 01:40:42,795
years that never paid a dime. They did all kind of renovations on hangars that

909
01:40:49,568 --> 01:40:49,568
weren't permitted until 3-4 years later, until we find out, we'll use the term

910
01:40:57,509 --> 01:41:00,746
"whistle-blower." why are those people there and they are not paying lease?  So cities and counties and government agencies are terrible, terrible landlords

911
01:41:05,183 --> 01:41:05,183
because there's no central location to manage the leases, the oversight, and the

912
01:41:10,955 --> 01:41:10,955
financial responsibility of making sure everything is being done properly.  So yes, we can

913
01:41:16,628 --> 01:41:16,628
all be angry, but our job now, the five of us with our staff is to develop the policies

914
01:41:23,268 --> 01:41:23,268
necessary to change everything from the foundation up, and be the city we're going to be, and

915
01:41:31,409 --> 01:41:31,409
have those stopgap  plurs measures to be a prosperous city.

916
01:41:42,121 --> 01:41:42,121
>>  commissioner gaines? >>  I will follow-up from commissioner dzadsovsky.  The

917
01:41:47,258 --> 01:41:47,258
milk has spilled, so to speak. Don't cry over spilled milk, the milk has spilled.  From my

918
01:41:52,497 --> 01:41:52,497
conversations with the city manager. Has put up a plan that we won't

919
01:42:06,177 --> 01:42:06,177
see this again.  He is already developing that plan.  So commissioner board of

920
01:42:14,686 --> 01:42:14,686
broderick, you said it  better than I could. I didn't know how far to go

921
01:42:26,097 --> 01:42:26,097
when you brought it up.  This is a time now to start relying on whatever happened in the

922
01:42:33,238 --> 01:42:33,238
past, whoever was here in the past, whoever knew, whoever knew this, this is the time

923
01:42:39,544 --> 01:42:39,544
tonight, today, to say, going forward in fort pierce, if you do business with city of fort

924
01:42:45,583 --> 01:42:45,583
pierce, here are the rules. Here are whatever and it's up to the five of us to make sure

925
01:42:50,788 --> 01:42:50,788
that we have these rules listed 1, 2, 3, or a, b, c and we follow the rules. Like you

926
01:43:04,669 --> 01:43:04,669
said, commissioner broderick. Any other business outside of the city, would have been

927
01:43:11,209 --> 01:43:11,209
terminated this contract, would have never let it go this far. Don't know why -- we'll

928
01:43:16,914 --> 01:43:16,914
probably find out.  My job sitting in this seat is to make sure after february, what is

929
01:43:24,055 --> 01:43:24,055
it?  The 17th.  The 17th. February 17th, you know, I don't come next year or if I'm

930
01:43:39,537 --> 01:43:43,341
re-elected again, let's deal with it today and put parameters and rules in today. Let's staff know, hey guys it's not status quo any more.  This is what we need to do, and this

931
01:43:48,513 --> 01:43:48,513
is how we want to go.  So you know, I have talked to mr. Chess.  He understands how I

932
01:43:56,888 --> 01:43:56,888
feel.  And to staff that are listening, we got to do better. Don't know where the ball was

933
01:44:02,994 --> 01:44:02,994
dropped.  It was dropped. Let's pick it up and make sure it's not dropped again.

934
01:44:08,566 --> 01:44:08,566
>>  follow-up whenever you're ready. >>  so I think you can't -- the

935
01:44:14,872 --> 01:44:14,872
first thing you got to do is have the information.  And one of the things that we -- this

936
01:44:20,645 --> 01:44:20,645
commission has been asking for, and has said, is that we don't know where all the contracts

937
01:44:26,550 --> 01:44:26,550
are?  Who is managing them? Who is in charge?  Who is following them?  And even if we

938
01:44:35,827 --> 01:44:39,564
said we had expectations, nobody seemed to be saying okay, now I'm going to enforce those -- make sure that people make those expectations.  So mr. Chess and I had a

939
01:44:46,137 --> 01:44:46,137
conversation just today about it.  Because not only do we need to know, does he need to

940
01:44:52,242 --> 01:44:52,242
know -- he needs to know to be able to tell us.  And he, he needs to have that information,

941
01:45:00,351 --> 01:45:00,351
and I think that you -- that you had told me that a department was putting together

942
01:45:06,156 --> 01:45:06,156
a list of all of the contracts, and when they're expired, and what needs to be done with

943
01:45:13,263 --> 01:45:13,263
them?  And that, somebody needss to be paying attention to that, and the tax thing is

944
01:45:19,903 --> 01:45:19,903
very concerning, because nobody was paying attention to whether they reimbursed -- nobody was

945
01:45:34,685 --> 01:45:34,685
paying a attention and need accountability.  So I think we need to set down some

946
01:45:41,291 --> 01:45:41,291
expectations of things that this commission needs to know, and we need to know what the

947
01:45:46,430 --> 01:45:46,430
plan is going forward.  I know one of the things that you talked about, mr. Chess, today,

948
01:45:53,971 --> 01:45:53,971
was an aging -- a document for aging in terms of aging receivables.

949
01:46:00,277 --> 01:46:00,277
>>   respond to you all. >>  absolutely.  Go ahead.  You can respond.

950
01:46:06,049 --> 01:46:06,049
>>  certainly.  I'm not happy about this as well.  This is what I did in my prior life

951
01:46:14,992 --> 01:46:14,992
intimately.  I share your sentiments and the day I found out about it, five or six days

952
01:46:22,399 --> 01:46:22,399
later, I sent a letter to cure. I didn't know we were behind in the lease payments and not

953
01:46:28,038 --> 01:46:28,038
aware they were behind in the property taxes.  The moment I found out I drafted a letter

954
01:46:35,579 --> 01:46:35,579
with the  city attorney and shared with the project manager and the manager of the marina

955
01:46:43,220 --> 01:46:43,220
and collaborated and I had it sent out and return received. When they received that letter,

956
01:46:51,061 --> 01:46:51,061
they had to cure it.  We said the city will take further legal action , if

957
01:46:56,332 --> 01:46:56,332
necessary.that is as strong as that language was in the cure letter.  So very concerned that

958
01:47:00,503 --> 01:47:00,503
I wasn't told about that.  And the moment I pound out to commissioner gaines point, I

959
01:47:08,712 --> 01:47:08,712
immediately shut it down.  Give us our money.  What is the plan going forward?  In terms of

960
01:47:13,383 --> 01:47:13,383
what we're doing internally.  I don't know who is making the statement we don't know where

961
01:47:19,923 --> 01:47:19,923
our leases are?  We have a list of all the propertying and the managers responsible for

962
01:47:24,494 --> 01:47:24,494
managing those properties.  I have a contract tool, an excel sheet we have given to all

963
01:47:29,565 --> 01:47:29,565
directors, that they share with managers.  They are told to go through all their contracts,

964
01:47:34,037 --> 01:47:34,037
and let me know when the contract expires?  Are we going to put an rfp out?  Are we

965
01:47:40,510 --> 01:47:40,510
going to renew it?  In a timely manner.  We started this two months ago.  So we'll get you

966
01:47:45,949 --> 01:47:45,949
all the information we'll need. It's not fully update and populated yet.  We know clearly

967
01:47:51,788 --> 01:47:51,788
all our lease elements are, we have a tool to manage our leases, that the staff has

968
01:47:56,826 --> 01:47:56,826
which they have been told to update and continuously collaborate with procurement on

969
01:48:02,031 --> 01:48:02,031
that.  The past two months the staff have done an phenomenal draft of giving me draft

970
01:48:08,571 --> 01:48:08,571
policis and procedures across the departments and various disciplines.  This notion that

971
01:48:13,609 --> 01:48:13,609
we don't know where the leases are is not correct and the staff is putting together the

972
01:48:20,416 --> 01:48:20,416
analysis to get rfps on the road.  I did put a property manager position in the budget.

973
01:48:26,088 --> 01:48:26,088
it was taken out.  You all know that.  I had that in there to get that position to

974
01:48:32,462 --> 01:48:32,462
centralize the process.  I'm still looking to bring on a deputy city manager to help me

975
01:48:41,170 --> 01:48:41,170
with that process.  We're not happy about this and this is not how we conduct business.

976
01:48:45,641 --> 01:48:45,641
staff knows that I told them know, the next time they have department meetings.  The

977
01:48:50,179 --> 01:48:50,179
directors I want to talk directly to their staff and let them know this is not going to

978
01:48:57,119 --> 01:48:57,119
be tolerated.  It's the little mistakes and omissions that is not good for the city.  We

979
01:49:06,696 --> 01:49:06,696
shouldn't be here defending what somebody else did wrong. That is whateer doing.  We have

980
01:49:12,568 --> 01:49:12,568
these preventative measures to prevent things from happening with detection measures.  We

981
01:49:20,042 --> 01:49:20,042
have an aging schedule, 30-60-90-120-day schedule of those that did not pay us

982
01:49:26,949 --> 01:49:26,949
anything and from accounting perspective with that 30-day schedule, you send a demand

983
01:49:32,822 --> 01:49:32,822
letter.  60-day, you let them know you missed payment and goes to collections

984
01:49:38,360 --> 01:49:38,360
90-day, collections and shuting it down.  So there's a process dealing with aged receivables.

985
01:49:44,100 --> 01:49:44,100
it doesn't work with 5-10 days but with the aging schedule, taking 30-60, 90-121 days.  By

986
01:49:54,376 --> 01:49:54,376
the time you get to 120 days you are not getting your money and that is where we're.  When

987
01:49:59,548 --> 01:49:59,548
that demand letter went out, october, november, december, january, four months, that is

988
01:50:04,520 --> 01:50:04,520
the standard.  So we should have been told about that.  I discussed this with staff.  I'm

989
01:50:08,624 --> 01:50:08,624
not happy about it.  I shouldn't be here discussing what we didn't do right when we

990
01:50:15,230 --> 01:50:15,230
have someone who basically bailed on us and didn't pay their obligation.  We have

991
01:50:22,671 --> 01:50:22,671
discussed this with processs in place that we're looking at proceedwise and getting the age

992
01:50:29,578 --> 01:50:29,578
schedule.  I haven't come here to be a cfo, but to look at documents to know what is

993
01:50:34,050 --> 01:50:34,050
outstanding, I will do that with the summer of heyses that you asked for.  Staff is going

994
01:50:38,720 --> 01:50:38,720
to do their job.  I'm not doing staff's job, but I will monitor certain situations until we get

995
01:50:44,092 --> 01:50:44,092
proper management in place in other areas.  As far as the leases are concerned, we know

996
01:50:49,765 --> 01:50:49,765
where they are.  We know who is responsible for managing the leases.  We're updating the due

997
01:50:55,737 --> 01:50:55,737
dates of all leases and know it's a cumulative process in terms of pulling that together.

998
01:50:59,875 --> 01:50:59,875
we do have a tool in place that detect someone's not paying, which is our aging

999
01:51:12,754 --> 01:51:12,754
receive ables schedule to look at with the finance department. >>   you need to have something

1000
01:51:17,926 --> 01:51:17,926
someplace so it doesn't get three years behind.  These are monthly payments.

1001
01:51:23,231 --> 01:51:23,231
>>   communication.  Not to get too detailed with, our preventative and detective

1002
01:51:30,071 --> 01:51:30,071
measures.  The connective measure behind it, which is the third measure is to communicate

1003
01:51:34,976 --> 01:51:34,976
that.  That wasn't communicated so we knew it wasn't paid. >>  somebody needs to trigger

1004
01:51:39,981 --> 01:51:39,981
that.  Somehow. >>  madam mayor, somebody needs to just talk to us, talk to me

1005
01:51:45,086 --> 01:51:45,086
at least and let me know what is going on.  I shouldn't have to ask the question.  I will

1006
01:51:49,090 --> 01:51:49,090
stop here because staff works really hard in other areas.  I don't want to make it sound

1007
01:51:55,864 --> 01:51:55,864
like staff isn't doing their job in a widespread way, but somebody should have let me

1008
01:52:01,336 --> 01:52:01,336
know we were experiencing this situation with crabbies. >>   you didn't know and we

1009
01:52:05,507 --> 01:52:05,507
didn't know. >>  it was a communication with crabby's management and they

1010
01:52:11,512 --> 01:52:11,512
told us something and that just stayed there and went on for three more months.  We have

1011
01:52:17,185 --> 01:52:17,185
addressed it and know what the issue is.  We have a plan.  We have a detection, it's

1012
01:52:22,757 --> 01:52:22,757
important to detect what the issues are.  Once we detect it, we take action and move

1013
01:52:30,531 --> 01:52:30,531
forward. I will keep you involved and informed on anything that we detect, as

1014
01:52:36,371 --> 01:52:36,371
long as I know about it.  As I said, with this particular situation, the moment I found

1015
01:52:42,877 --> 01:52:42,877
out, three, four days we had the letter that said stop, pay us our mon.

1016
01:52:47,782 --> 01:52:51,686
>>  commissioner broderick, do you want to say something else? >>  from my professional experience I'm going to suggest that we need this information domiciled in one location,

1017
01:53:00,428 --> 01:53:00,428
spreading across multiple departments seems nonsensickical to me

1018
01:53:06,768 --> 01:53:06,768
>>   it's in one location, it's in procurement.  All the contracts comes out of

1019
01:53:14,742 --> 01:53:14,742
procurement and what procurement's responsibility go to dinner departments.  We have

1020
01:53:20,081 --> 01:53:20,081
two different processes, rfp process and project and procurement doesn't manager the

1021
01:53:25,453 --> 01:53:25,453
individual contracts. The departments and project manager does that.   They should be

1022
01:53:32,693 --> 01:53:32,693
manage the contracts and dliverables and what is being executed and not being

1023
01:53:37,865 --> 01:53:37,865
executed. Procuriosity's job is to have all contracts and for renewal and for rfp.  So they

1024
01:53:44,238 --> 01:53:44,238
have got all contracts together with individual department heads to update their section

1025
01:53:48,509 --> 01:53:48,509
of their department contracts, get them back to you, so you can start monitoring renewals.

1026
01:53:52,713 --> 01:53:52,713
as far as kong tract management, that is not procurement's role.  That is

1027
01:53:57,685 --> 01:53:57,685
the department's role. Contract management and project management, that is what we

1028
01:54:02,256 --> 01:54:02,256
need to get on top of.  We have issues with renewals.  And I said, we think that we have ang

1029
01:54:08,162 --> 01:54:08,162
rfp problem.  No, the rfps, they will get in line with our process.  We have procurement

1030
01:54:13,167 --> 01:54:13,167
codes.  We have a process with rfps.  Contract management we have to deal with, because

1031
01:54:19,306 --> 01:54:22,443
contract management properly someone on the other sides as well, the project manager should have seen this as well. Finance is responsible.  So we have two things going on, the

1032
01:54:29,583 --> 01:54:29,583
contract pmanager and project manager should have known my money isn't hitting the budget,

1033
01:54:34,955 --> 01:54:34,955
why am I not getting my revenue?  We have checks and balances here.  As a project

1034
01:54:40,127 --> 01:54:40,127
manager, I should know my revenues and expenses on a monthly basis.  If I'm not

1035
01:54:44,198 --> 01:54:44,198
seeing revenues pop lated over 3-4--month period, go to the finance director and what is

1036
01:54:49,270 --> 01:54:53,006
going on?  That is not their responsibility to post the entries.  The finance department is to post the entries and if you are not getting the money let me know.

1037
01:54:57,911 --> 01:54:57,911
as far as procurement is concerned all the contracts come out of procurement.  The

1038
01:55:03,550 --> 01:55:06,854
project managers are responsible for managing the contracts and procurement should be notified. When the contract expires, you should start the rfp process.  So

1039
01:55:11,725 --> 01:55:11,725
we're on the same page with that, but to take it out of procurement to put in a

1040
01:55:16,263 --> 01:55:16,263
property management office would be the being empowered and  safe bet with centralizing

1041
01:55:28,342 --> 01:55:28,342
this.  I have done this as cfo accounting and auditing director, I know the controls

1042
01:55:33,780 --> 01:55:33,780
that must be in place to make this happen.  Our staff must change their behavior.

1043
01:55:39,686 --> 01:55:39,686
>>  I couldn't agree more. This there are multi-tiered failures here and talking about

1044
01:55:50,130 --> 01:55:50,130
funding of a property management position, we lost more money that that position

1045
01:55:56,603 --> 01:55:56,603
would have cost us.  That leads me to my next question and I pose this question -- I'm

1046
01:56:03,009 --> 01:56:03,009
really not  concern to whom.  I have  structure was built by the tenant.  We own the land,

1047
01:56:14,955 --> 01:56:14,955
they built the structure.  We need to find out immediately if there's some type of

1048
01:56:21,328 --> 01:56:25,232
subordination to a mortgage company and we have to give them notice. >>  we have title work being done. >>  so have we ordered title

1049
01:56:29,369 --> 01:56:29,369
search on this to determine if there is some type of subordination that we have to

1050
01:56:36,609 --> 01:56:36,609
default the mortgage holder? This could get very ugly very quickly.  And we need all of

1051
01:56:41,248 --> 01:56:41,248
the facts in front of us to make it a clear plan to deal with the depalestine.  I can

1052
01:56:48,021 --> 01:56:48,021
assure you somebody is owed money on the structure there. It's not the city of fort

1053
01:56:54,827 --> 01:56:54,827
pierce.  So we'll have to deal with that as well.  The idea of the organizational chart you

1054
01:56:58,898 --> 01:56:58,898
are getting to, except for commissioner department of dzadsovsky, I have asking for

1055
01:57:06,706 --> 01:57:06,706
this information for two years now as a list of property owned by the city, a spreadsheet as

1056
01:57:12,612 --> 01:57:12,612
far as rental, current vacancies, et cetera. For a portfolio of leases by

1057
01:57:24,724 --> 01:57:24,724
the city.  I secure all the documentation relative to it. I do a deep-dive into every one

1058
01:57:29,562 --> 01:57:29,562
real estate situations that the city finds itself in.  I must have 15 of these sitting on my

1059
01:57:40,440 --> 01:57:40,440
credenza right now.  I am very frustrated with that as the city manager is indicating if

1060
01:57:45,578 --> 01:57:45,578
we have a delinquency, and I understand that.  I'm a private enterprise you are delinquent

1061
01:57:50,349 --> 01:57:50,349
after ten days I'm coming after you, a good line about the movie good fellas about that.

1062
01:57:59,058 --> 01:57:59,058
I understand the 30-day, 60-day delinquency, four months before we take action is simply

1063
01:58:05,898 --> 01:58:05,898
unacceptable.  There's multiple failures and those need to be addressed moving forward.  The

1064
01:58:10,169 --> 01:58:10,169
other thing is guys, from a managerial perspective, which we are managerial people here,

1065
01:58:16,342 --> 01:58:16,342
we need to know what does the city own?   What are we checking for income?  Who is in

1066
01:58:22,581 --> 01:58:22,581
default?  Who is not doing with a they are supposed to be doing with the real estate?  We need

1067
01:58:27,653 --> 01:58:31,424
that analytickal data as well. You are saying the city is working on compiling all of that.  That is not an easy undertaking because somebody has to analyze all of these

1068
01:58:36,262 --> 01:58:36,262
leases because these leases with all different.  There's a stock, there's a form that we

1069
01:58:42,535 --> 01:58:42,535
use and it's docked up significantly.  Every one is different.  Feather about the

1070
01:58:47,773 --> 01:58:51,677
subordination that will come through in the title search, who is auditing the percentage leases? Are we auditing the numbers? >>  making sure of that, yes.

1071
01:59:02,488 --> 01:59:02,488
>>  we need someone with eyes on these very important issues. This is our money, our

1072
01:59:08,727 --> 01:59:08,727
taxpayer money.  Income to the city.  And god only  knows we're desperate for income.  I

1073
01:59:17,970 --> 01:59:17,970
will leave it at that.  Mr. Chess has a solution to move this forward and get the

1074
01:59:22,441 --> 01:59:22,441
information that this commission needs. I will look at those spreadsheets and say I

1075
01:59:26,979 --> 01:59:26,979
think we need to add this or that and give the suggestions to mr. Chess.

1076
01:59:31,083 --> 01:59:31,083
>>  I will give you the summary you have been asking for, the leases, rent amounts, rent

1077
01:59:38,324 --> 01:59:38,324
amounts that are due or overdue to us.  I will put it in a simple form.  Who the

1078
01:59:47,166 --> 01:59:47,166
tenant is? The amount they owe. >>  yes. >>  the amount they pay per

1079
01:59:51,170 --> 01:59:51,170
month, and whether or not they are overdue? >>  payment status.

1080
01:59:55,374 --> 01:59:55,374
>>  we can do that. >>   every one of these lease s different.  If I sound angry,

1081
02:00:00,646 --> 02:00:00,646
I'm pissed.  That the city of fort pierce is getting hit for another quarter million dollars

1082
02:00:05,651 --> 02:00:05,651
just like that.  That we're out.  And to have a three-year default in a lease issue, guys,

1083
02:00:12,758 --> 02:00:12,758
this is no way to run our operations, period.  Mr. Chess has a solution here that is

1084
02:00:17,596 --> 02:00:17,596
implementing and has been working on apparently that I was unaware of.  I did not know

1085
02:00:23,135 --> 02:00:23,135
that information was being accumulated and digested, et cetera.  That is a great start,

1086
02:00:28,473 --> 02:00:28,473
but we need to get serious about the assets of the city of fort pierce and how we're

1087
02:00:33,979 --> 02:00:33,979
managing those moving forward? This is serious business.  I assure you if other tenants in

1088
02:00:40,953 --> 02:00:40,953
city-owned property think this high-profile tenant can get away with this, why can't I?

1089
02:00:45,924 --> 02:00:45,924
trust me, it's going to happen. This is not an isolated situation.

1090
02:00:50,862 --> 02:00:50,862
>>  mr. Chess, one thing I want to point out though is that when we took that position  out

1091
02:01:01,006 --> 02:01:03,708
you would have the new deputy city manager. >>  that is still the plan. >>  you are in the process of hiring that person, isn't that right?  Right.  Okay.  So I

1092
02:01:10,248 --> 02:01:10,248
think this makes it even more imperative that you have help for that.

1093
02:01:14,620 --> 02:01:14,620
>>  we're closing out the interviews this week.  And when we make a decision and

1094
02:01:22,661 --> 02:01:22,661
recommendation on dcm next week. >>  that person I'm thinking should be a big help to you in

1095
02:01:28,400 --> 02:01:31,403
this area, because that was the plan when we talked about the budget. >>  exactly, and it's still the plan. >>  anybody else want to

1096
02:01:34,639 --> 02:01:34,639
chime-in here? >>  I'm going to close this out.  You know, thank you for

1097
02:01:39,378 --> 02:01:39,378
putting this on the agenda, our discussion here; right?   This is a tough part of one fort

1098
02:01:48,886 --> 02:01:48,886
pierce, the tough conversations that have to be had.  These are the tough things that we have

1099
02:01:53,992 --> 02:01:53,992
to face as one commission and we have to fix this.  And we will fix it; right?   And so to

1100
02:02:00,298 --> 02:02:00,298
the residents that are out there that are watching this right now, this is how we have

1101
02:02:05,970 --> 02:02:05,970
to have public debate, we don't go into a meeting. We have the public debate in the public to

1102
02:02:12,643 --> 02:02:12,643
everybody can see exactly where we are.  To different levels of degree, we all have our own way

1103
02:02:18,316 --> 02:02:18,316
of exhibiting our level of passion, and our level of frustration with this.  I'm

1104
02:02:27,358 --> 02:02:27,358
somewhat better than I was a few minutes ago, knowing that we have a plan.  And some of it

1105
02:02:32,096 --> 02:02:32,096
has been executed on. Obviously, because hey, staff is here every day.  This is

1106
02:02:37,034 --> 02:02:37,034
your job.  You are the leader of staff in this building.  And staff has to understand that

1107
02:02:43,908 --> 02:02:43,908
leadership is just not you. Staff is also in leadership positions.  And they need to

1108
02:02:49,180 --> 02:02:49,180
make sure that they -- you need to convey that they need to make sure that they are

1109
02:02:54,052 --> 02:02:54,052
conveying information.  The good, the bad, and the ugly. Because for three years, this

1110
02:02:59,724 --> 02:02:59,724
ugly thing was sitting on somebody's area of responsibility, and they said

1111
02:03:05,530 --> 02:03:05,530
nothing.  They really are not buying into what I call one fort pierce.  One five   fort

1112
02:03:13,204 --> 02:03:13,204
pierce is not just us, but staff too.  We're here to support and defend staff, but

1113
02:03:23,948 --> 02:03:23,948
staff to understand I bo rather know it's not good and have a chance to fix it rather than

1114
02:03:28,719 --> 02:03:28,719
find out about it in the paper if I could make a statement, there was an issue with the

1115
02:03:32,924 --> 02:03:32,924
billing on the property taxes where they were not billed.  We did not receive that from the

1116
02:03:38,329 --> 02:03:42,199
county.  So there was a situation, I don't know if somebody could expound on it, but there was an issue that the county did not give us the property taxes for us to

1117
02:03:48,072 --> 02:03:48,072
invoice the tenant.  And that is where there's a gap with that and that all happened at

1118
02:03:53,377 --> 02:03:53,377
one time.  Although it sound like it happened over a 12 -month period.  It doesn't

1119
02:03:58,215 --> 02:03:58,215
happen like that.  When we received the late bill, that is when we sent it to the tenant

1120
02:04:03,420 --> 02:04:06,958
one-time.  So it cascumulative. We never received the property taxess from the county to pay -- to bill the tenant.  So I want people to understand, the audience and listening public

1121
02:04:13,464 --> 02:04:13,464
it wasn't a situation that went one, two, three years and didn't get the bill.  The

1122
02:04:17,735 --> 02:04:17,735
county gave us three years' of bills at one time.  We paid it and then we billed the tenant

1123
02:04:22,773 --> 02:04:22,773
and they didn't pay it.  So I want to be clear.  It's not on the staff whereas, they let

1124
02:04:28,145 --> 02:04:28,145
these bills go over 36 -month period.  It doesn't happen that way.  We had no documentation

1125
02:04:34,084 --> 02:04:34,084
to bill them, because we didn't receive the bill. >>  I understand that.  Thank

1126
02:04:38,422 --> 02:04:41,626
you for that clarification. >>  it's important that we know that. >>  I feel a little bit better. How do we go and we don't know there's a brand-new building

1127
02:04:48,032 --> 02:04:51,602
and we don't realize we're collecting property taxes? >>  okay. >>  it's more detail.  I just wanted to put that out there. It's still not comfortable, but

1128
02:04:56,907 --> 02:04:56,907
that is what happened. >>  commissioners, commissioner dzadsovsky.

1129
02:05:03,747 --> 02:05:03,747
>>  this goes back to and let's understand, here is a clear example that we need full

1130
02:05:10,087 --> 02:05:10,087
transparency, full disclosure of everything going on and do a mea culpa, and say, there were

1131
02:05:18,028 --> 02:05:18,028
failures and move forward.  The public will attack us and get on social media and grandstand

1132
02:05:22,866 --> 02:05:22,866
and that is not our worry.  Our worry, our function is to create and fix the foundational

1133
02:05:29,639 --> 02:05:29,639
issues, giving mr. Chess the policies necessary to make the important changes that we need.

1134
02:05:37,014 --> 02:05:37,014
the procurement process, the purchasing process, you know, all of those things are

1135
02:05:43,287 --> 02:05:43,287
incrediblingly important to move this forward.  So there is already public interest outside

1136
02:05:48,658 --> 02:05:52,562
investors, and commissioner broderick, going to lean on your expertise in the commercial lease side, because you have that experience.  And I'm going to hope that you

1137
02:05:56,867 --> 02:05:56,867
bring that to the table when we're there our strategic planning process and help to

1138
02:06:01,871 --> 02:06:01,871
give that experience and information to mr.  Chess and staff, so we can forego some of

1139
02:06:11,881 --> 02:06:11,881
the short-term challenges with your knowledge upfront will be very helpful from the strategic

1140
02:06:18,521 --> 02:06:18,521
planning sides. >>  plane crashes don't just happen, they are 5, 6,7, 8, 10,

1141
02:06:25,796 --> 02:06:25,796
12 mistakes before they happen and we're seeing that is exactly happened here.  Many

1142
02:06:30,734 --> 02:06:33,370
mistakes going through.  The plane crashed. >>  perfect storm. >>  perfect storm.  Let's just hope that we have sully on board and everybody survives.

1143
02:06:46,449 --> 02:06:46,449
>>  so mr. Chess, are we -- we're clear? >>  absolutely clear.

1144
02:06:51,454 --> 02:06:51,454
>>  everybody clear?  Okay. We're going to move on. >>  next we have comments from

1145
02:06:58,094 --> 02:07:01,731
the public. >>  this is an opportunity for members of the public to come before the commission and you have three minutes.  Ms. Cox will give you a ten-second

1146
02:07:07,304 --> 02:07:07,304
warning, and state your name for the record.  I know who you are, but the record needs to

1147
02:07:13,509 --> 02:07:13,509
know. >>  floras johnson, fort pierce, 19th street.  This was

1148
02:07:20,783 --> 02:07:20,783
good.  I'm glad I stayed.  I had another meeting to get to. And some words that come out

1149
02:07:29,859 --> 02:07:29,859
accountability, and looking at how things are run.  I appreciate the issues that

1150
02:07:35,565 --> 02:07:35,565
commissioner  broderick brought out, and of course, the comments from mr. Chess.  I

1151
02:07:43,373 --> 02:07:43,373
have seen this on an interval-level with projects in africa even.  There's a time

1152
02:07:51,581 --> 02:07:51,581
that things have to be shaken up, the old way of doing things cannot stay the same.  So we

1153
02:08:00,022 --> 02:08:00,022
have got to look at ways of fixing things, working things and working with staff and

1154
02:08:09,599 --> 02:08:09,599
accountability is key. Communication is key.  We live in a beautiful city.  I was

1155
02:08:15,504 --> 02:08:15,504
born and raised here for most part and the one fort pierce concept is important.  It's

1156
02:08:23,980 --> 02:08:23,980
critical.  Looking at -- and I'm putting my little environmental hat on.  The

1157
02:08:31,453 --> 02:08:31,453
garden club building.  That whole area in there, I have driven when we had strong rain

1158
02:08:37,760 --> 02:08:37,760
events, and I'm just sitting there wondering how can there be studies?  Because I was

1159
02:08:48,303 --> 02:08:48,303
taking a neighbor to work at one of those side streets there.  I forget, but that

1160
02:08:53,509 --> 02:08:53,509
rain, and I have a honda pilot and it was above the wheel. That rain came, so the drainage

1161
02:09:02,551 --> 02:09:02,551
is real low slope in that.  So over in lincoln park area, down avenue I from lincoln park, I

1162
02:09:09,825 --> 02:09:09,825
have witnessed that.  So in the future with engineering, and stuff having a good, strong

1163
02:09:15,364 --> 02:09:15,364
look at our infrastructure as far as stormwater management. With the beach renourishment.

1164
02:09:27,776 --> 02:09:27,776
we have gone through that. Coastal resiliency is important when we are doing planning and

1165
02:09:35,017 --> 02:09:35,017
zoning and things come up with development.  But we have to be careful, tuned in and talking

1166
02:09:43,425 --> 02:09:46,661
to one another.  A couple of other points, but I will come back later.  Thank you. >>  thank you very much. Anyone else wishing to address the commission, please come

1167
02:09:50,532 --> 02:09:50,532
forward?  Anyone else? >>   do I have to say my name? >>  please.

1168
02:10:00,542 --> 02:10:00,542
>>   my name is germyeric mural. >>  where do you live? >>  fort pierce 916 avenue h.

1169
02:10:08,918 --> 02:10:08,918
I just wanted to state that I'm pretty pleased with the conversations that are being

1170
02:10:17,993 --> 02:10:17,993
had.  You know, it sounds like we're on the right track.  Me being a resident here, and I

1171
02:10:27,536 --> 02:10:27,536
personally just, you know, being aware of crabby situation.  I personally

1172
02:10:33,408 --> 02:10:33,408
thought it was a nice attraction at that area.  So again, I'm happy with the way

1173
02:10:41,316 --> 02:10:41,316
that things are going in spite of everything that has occurred, or that what has

1174
02:10:51,059 --> 02:10:51,059
recently happened of thank you. >>  s thank you, sir.  Anyone else wishing?  Anyone else?

1175
02:11:04,106 --> 02:11:04,106
>>   my name is dan kendal and live at 20 orange avenue and we have really been enjoying

1176
02:11:09,778 --> 02:11:09,778
crabbies.  We had no idea this was going on of I do know the manager over there and couple

1177
02:11:17,052 --> 02:11:17,052
things.  One is that -- this is just what I have heard.  There were complaint about work that

1178
02:11:22,190 --> 02:11:22,190
somehow the city is supposed to have been doing along the way on that building.  I don't know

1179
02:11:29,164 --> 02:11:29,164
if it's few or not and the whole $20 million deal on the marina.  He was very concerned

1180
02:11:36,104 --> 02:11:36,104
about no parking, and no access to crabby's and my opinion, and this is strictly off the top

1181
02:11:45,847 --> 02:11:45,847
here is that they were doomed with the $21 million deal, because they weren't going to

1182
02:11:53,254 --> 02:11:53,254
have any access or any parking or anything.  This was an opportunity for them to get out

1183
02:11:58,326 --> 02:11:58,326
of this, had no idea about the taxes.  But we were really sad they're gone, because it was a

1184
02:12:07,335 --> 02:12:07,335
nice facility and we liked the people.  I assume once you find out what the legal aspects are

1185
02:12:12,140 --> 02:12:12,140
you are going to put someone else in there, I assume you have that right.  You own the

1186
02:12:17,578 --> 02:12:20,016
building at this point, don't you? >>  we don't answer the questions here. I get a chance to talk. >>  I hope another restaurant

1187
02:12:26,054 --> 02:12:26,054
goeses in there very soon and they get parking for this whole thing to be done with the

1188
02:12:31,759 --> 02:12:31,759
marina.  Have no idea -- I can't even get a map what is going on there.  I'm working on

1189
02:12:37,098 --> 02:12:37,098
that for myself.  Thank you. >>   thank you,, sir. Anyone else wishing to address the

1190
02:12:44,005 --> 02:12:44,005
commission, seeing no movement, we'll move on. >>  okay.  Next item is

1191
02:12:48,776 --> 02:12:48,776
comments from the city manager. >>  mr. Chess. >>  I just want to be sure that

1192
02:12:58,853 --> 02:12:58,853
we circle back around to securing the facility with the city attorney and the direction

1193
02:13:03,491 --> 02:13:03,491
to know what we can do and not do.  We want to do that today, but we fell back.  We started

1194
02:13:10,065 --> 02:13:10,065
to do that. >>  about securing the facilitiess, is that what you

1195
02:13:15,203 --> 02:13:18,606
said? >>  we fell back because with were instructed to get  of their assets out of there. That is the first thing to do is go in and lock it down, you

1196
02:13:22,877 --> 02:13:22,877
are craig, sir.  I understood that.  With that being said, I had one commentary.  Today

1197
02:13:29,851 --> 02:13:29,851
jesse jackson died he was 84 years old.  And aside from his civil rights achievements and

1198
02:13:40,594 --> 02:13:40,594
him doing sit-ins when he was a freshman in college from greenville, north carolina,

1199
02:13:46,367 --> 02:13:46,367
where he was from.  He encouraged voter participation and voter registration and for

1200
02:13:55,409 --> 02:13:55,409
our youth council who came in today, we all know martin luther king, jr. And reverend

1201
02:14:00,314 --> 02:14:00,314
jackson was a young guy at that time to mention that.  I was a young kid during that time, but

1202
02:14:06,320 --> 02:14:06,320
I observed that.  So it's important that as what our commissioners always say, it

1203
02:14:10,358 --> 02:14:10,358
doesn't matter who you vote for, go out and vote.  He encouraged that and to keep

1204
02:14:17,698 --> 02:14:17,698
that history going, and keep that movement going.  Because sometimes we get caught into

1205
02:14:23,771 --> 02:14:27,474
partisan issues and we lose sense that we need to participate.  So I just wanted to say that on behalf of the reverend jesse jackson, may he rest in peace.  He has done a

1206
02:14:32,813 --> 02:14:36,283
great deal for this nation. Thank you. >>  thank you. >>  mr.  Ms.  Cox, do you have anything? Nothing tonight, thank you.

1207
02:14:44,258 --> 02:14:44,258
>>  ms. Hedges pursuant to section 286.011, subsection 8 of florida statutes, I do want

1208
02:14:51,598 --> 02:14:51,598
to advise you as the city commission that I desire your advice kening the currently

1209
02:14:58,005 --> 02:15:01,475
pending litigation in the pierce one marijuana, llc. Versus the city of fort pierce and the fort pierce redevelopment agency.  That case no. 562024hcaz0167.  I

1210
02:15:11,018 --> 02:15:11,018
think there's another zero that I missed.  It's pending in st. Lucie county and the

1211
02:15:17,191 --> 02:15:17,191
subject-matter of the meeting shall be confined to settlement negotiations and strategy

1212
02:15:24,164 --> 02:15:24,164
related to expenditureses preponderant for the meeting is myself, outside counsel, john

1213
02:15:29,636 --> 02:15:29,636
stewart and alex  russell or both or one ever them, the city manager and all members of city

1214
02:15:37,477 --> 02:15:37,477
commission.  There will be a court reporter present at that meeting.  I have worked with

1215
02:15:42,883 --> 02:15:42,883
the city clerk to find some time for this meeting that I am requesting.  And I'm proposing

1216
02:15:49,089 --> 02:15:49,089
that it be set march 2nd, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.  And that  would be a special meeting

1217
02:15:57,497 --> 02:16:00,834
>>   what was the date again? I'm sorry? >>  march 2nd march 2nd at 3:00 p.m. >>   do we have a meeting that night, is that right?

1218
02:16:05,839 --> 02:16:05,839
>>  at 5:00, 5:05, yes, ma'am. >>  you also have a special meeting at 4:30 for the same

1219
02:16:13,947 --> 02:16:13,947
subject, a public meeting. >>  so this meeting would begin in the public, and then go into

1220
02:16:18,051 --> 02:16:18,051
the shade and then come back to the public. >>  do you need any action

1221
02:16:24,724 --> 02:16:24,724
taken on that? >>  I do not.  I have it advise you that I need that meeting.

1222
02:16:29,796 --> 02:16:29,796
if you all could, if you are able to confirm march 2nd at 3:00 p.m. Would work for you.

1223
02:16:37,170 --> 02:16:37,170
think ms. Cox checked your calendars, but if anybody knows anything that is maybe not on a

1224
02:16:42,608 --> 02:16:42,608
calendar, that would be great to know now. >>  I'm good.

1225
02:16:46,980 --> 02:16:46,980
>>  I'm good. >>  yes. >>   I will make it good.

1226
02:16:53,653 --> 02:16:56,055
>>  thank you. >>  do you need anything else from you? >>  no, ma'am, I do not. >>  okay, we'll move on. >>  next is comments from the

1227
02:16:59,726 --> 02:16:59,726
city commission. >>  okay.  Who would like to start?

1228
02:17:04,564 --> 02:17:04,564
>>  madam mayor, I will start and I will be brief.  Mr. Chess, thank you for the

1229
02:17:10,337 --> 02:17:10,337
comments for reverend jackson. We were all stunned to learn that news.  He has ties to fort

1230
02:17:14,774 --> 02:17:14,774
pierce.  His current wife is from fort pierce.  Was born and raised here in the lincoln park

1231
02:17:21,214 --> 02:17:21,214
area.  So I'm sure she -- I think she still has one or two remaining family members in the

1232
02:17:28,354 --> 02:17:28,354
area.  So we share part of that history.  Those of us that our parents knew her and her family

1233
02:17:34,861 --> 02:17:34,861
always let us know that as we would see her on tv with him; right?   But she has ties here

1234
02:17:41,801 --> 02:17:41,801
to fort pierce.  And you know, we will continue to remember his legendary and keep him and

1235
02:17:53,245 --> 02:17:53,245
his family in our prayers. This week we're going to open up a museum and recognize

1236
02:18:03,489 --> 02:18:03,489
highwaymen with a festival where those journeymen highwaymen are selling

1237
02:18:09,562 --> 02:18:09,562
paintings.  I think that for all that we are challenged with and there's a mighty lift,

1238
02:18:15,635 --> 02:18:15,635
there's also a lot of great going on in our beautiful city of fort pierce.  The last

1239
02:18:20,105 --> 02:18:20,105
couple of meetings we have approved new developments coming to our area, which will

1240
02:18:25,811 --> 02:18:29,782
bring housing.  We have approved investment in our community, which is going to galvanize and pull our community together.  And you know, I'm still very, very

1241
02:18:35,487 --> 02:18:35,487
optimistic about fort pierce and where we're going.  We have hired new people to come into

1242
02:18:40,793 --> 02:18:40,793
the city of fort pierce to lend expertise.  And you know, these are the tough times of

1243
02:18:47,867 --> 02:18:47,867
leadership.  It's always there, no matter how, where, whatever. These are tough times.  But I

1244
02:18:55,007 --> 02:18:55,007
do believe and I'm still optimistic that one  fort pierce is the vision and all of

1245
02:19:04,750 --> 02:19:04,750
us pulling together, having accountability and fort pierce will continue to flourish and

1246
02:19:10,489 --> 02:19:10,489
we will be that shining city on the sun coast as the sunrises out of atlantic ocean right

1247
02:19:16,729 --> 02:19:16,729
here.  So thank you all. Thank you all, staff.  Thank you for all that you do.  And let's go

1248
02:19:24,002 --> 02:19:24,002
one fort pierce. >>  all right. >>  I don't have a lot.  Well,

1249
02:19:30,642 --> 02:19:30,642
let's see, I have been here 12 days.  It's exciting.  There's a lot of work to do, let's face

1250
02:19:38,283 --> 02:19:38,283
it.  I'm going to share with you, I have had multiple conversations with mr. Chess,

1251
02:19:45,424 --> 02:19:45,424
and I saw him, his background whenever I was not being considered for city manager.

1252
02:19:53,932 --> 02:19:53,932
come on, you got to have a sense of humor.  I'm not making fun, light of what we're doing

1253
02:20:02,507 --> 02:20:02,507
here.  I looked at folkses would were seeking the city manager position and the area

1254
02:20:08,681 --> 02:20:08,681
of cfo, auditor, all that has been missing in fort pierce.  I think that is critical

1255
02:20:14,986 --> 02:20:14,986
component that I think mr. Chess is actually going to be able to provide the opportunity

1256
02:20:20,959 --> 02:20:20,959
for creating departments that will be transparent, will be able to deliver that which we

1257
02:20:27,799 --> 02:20:27,799
need to protect the citizens, protect the taxpayers and protect the elements and

1258
02:20:33,605 --> 02:20:33,605
integrity of the city of fort pierce.  All of those things will come through, and to and

1259
02:20:39,311 --> 02:20:39,311
give us the opportunity that outside investors will find fort pierce that we are

1260
02:20:45,751 --> 02:20:45,751
developing a whole new process. So that the development world, and I'm not saying 30-stories.

1261
02:20:53,091 --> 02:20:53,091
don't get crazy, folks will be saying I'm the developer buy guy and I'm not.  We need

1262
02:21:00,532 --> 02:21:00,532
proper  investment and need to know we're secure in our processes to have a definitive

1263
02:21:10,008 --> 02:21:10,008
answer at the end and not be blindsided along the way.  All that is important.  We'll have

1264
02:21:14,813 --> 02:21:14,813
to go through our comprehensive plan and through the planning department, the purchasing

1265
02:21:19,251 --> 02:21:19,251
department, the finance department the.  All of those are foundational as you hear me

1266
02:21:23,522 --> 02:21:23,522
saying it and I'm going to keep saying it until we get the policies in place that help to

1267
02:21:28,293 --> 02:21:28,293
build a very strong base of government agency that the public can respect and believe

1268
02:21:35,267 --> 02:21:35,267
in.  That being said, commissioner broderick, again, thank you for your time on the

1269
02:21:39,971 --> 02:21:39,971
beach, the time spent there. The process and having this, I thought that I had thought

1270
02:21:46,244 --> 02:21:46,244
through this lease issue and so on and so forth pretty thoroughly.  When you brought

1271
02:21:51,683 --> 02:21:51,683
up your expertise, which I'm going rely on, because you do have that 40-years' experience.

1272
02:21:58,056 --> 02:21:58,056
how these leases work?  The mortgages and subrogation of the mortgages is going to be

1273
02:22:06,798 --> 02:22:10,268
incredibly important.  Just because we get the building back doesn't mean we have the access.  I will share you on social media there is a significant interest by

1274
02:22:13,938 --> 02:22:13,938
investors that want to get into that building.  So we're going to have to prepare whatever

1275
02:22:18,042 --> 02:22:18,042
we're going to do, and be prepared for those questions. Because that is going to be a

1276
02:22:24,582 --> 02:22:24,582
hot-topic not unlike little jim.  This one can be a high end restaurant.  I mean, we

1277
02:22:32,223 --> 02:22:32,223
know it has its challenges architecturally.  I think whoever is able to get in there

1278
02:22:37,628 --> 02:22:37,628
is able to make changes to make it or acceptable for overseeing the marina.  That is all to

1279
02:22:43,001 --> 02:22:43,001
come.  We need to be prepared for how we're going to go forward with that process,

1280
02:22:47,305 --> 02:22:47,305
because the interest is there already. >>  I will follow up on that.

1281
02:22:55,780 --> 02:22:55,780
I don't know much, but I do know my business.  And I have done it my entire career.  I

1282
02:23:02,721 --> 02:23:02,721
have never done anything else. So having said that, I'm sorry always as the balance of the

1283
02:23:08,292 --> 02:23:08,292
commission knows I'm always ready to lend my opinion on real estate issue as you

1284
02:23:13,631 --> 02:23:13,631
construction issues because that is all I have ever done that.  Having said that, of

1285
02:23:18,169 --> 02:23:18,169
course I have input on these particular topics.  Having said that, you are correct in that

1286
02:23:22,706 --> 02:23:22,706
we have an opportunity to take an asset, and improve upon it. So I'm looking forward to the

1287
02:23:32,583 --> 02:23:32,583
opportunity to weighing in on that discussion.  We have clean-up to do, with the

1288
02:23:38,522 --> 02:23:38,522
subordination and get the facts on the table and hopefully there's nobody in front of us

1289
02:23:43,393 --> 02:23:43,393
with superior claims to this asset over us,  which is very possible.  The city attorney is

1290
02:23:52,703 --> 02:23:52,703
well-armed and we have had brief discussion about that and mr. Chess said that title work

1291
02:23:57,641 --> 02:23:57,641
has been ordered.  So all that will come out and it could be a pile of crap that we have to

1292
02:24:02,146 --> 02:24:02,146
deal with, but we'll get through it.  We're going to clear title, so we can manage

1293
02:24:07,651 --> 02:24:07,651
the asset appropriately.  And secure a new vendor that the city of fort pierce will be

1294
02:24:12,857 --> 02:24:12,857
thrilled with.  I'm very excited for the opportunity to weigh-in on that.  Having said

1295
02:24:19,230 --> 02:24:19,230
that, I know I get charged up about these topics, because -- I was admonished for years

1296
02:24:26,637 --> 02:24:26,637
saying that the city of fort pierce like any other municipality, we need to run it

1297
02:24:31,275 --> 02:24:34,978
like a business.  This isn't a business, this is government. That is the problem, I said. Government is the problem. Let's run it like a business operation and we can avoid

1298
02:24:39,216 --> 02:24:39,216
these types of issues.  So I think we have identified that clearly as a motivational end

1299
02:24:45,723 --> 02:24:45,723
here to succeed in our revamping of our system and our operations to be more nimble

1300
02:24:51,928 --> 02:24:51,928
and run it like a business, where we have the taxpayers of the city at heart as to what

1301
02:24:57,868 --> 02:24:57,868
we're taxing them to run operations, et cetera.  To maximize our income, through

1302
02:25:05,051 --> 02:25:05,051
city-owned assetses when appropriate, and to manage these assets appropriately on

1303
02:25:09,990 --> 02:25:09,990
behalf the citizens of fort pierce.  That is what we're here to do amongst the other

1304
02:25:14,561 --> 02:25:17,797
thousands thing we're here to do.  But that is critical from my perspective.  I will continue to work with staff to see that we're successful in that endeavor moving forward.

1305
02:25:22,801 --> 02:25:22,801
it's critically important to me.  As I said over and over, we have a 67 million dollar

1306
02:25:28,174 --> 02:25:28,174
budget to run this entire city. You tell the public that, you are kidding; right?   Once they

1307
02:25:33,880 --> 02:25:33,880
find that out, they are how do you do it?  Well, it's challenging.  Why do you think

1308
02:25:39,218 --> 02:25:39,218
we didn't do x, y and z, because public safety to take care of, and public works to

1309
02:25:43,956 --> 02:25:43,956
take care of.  Having said that, I agree, I'm very optimistic about the   future

1310
02:25:51,630 --> 02:25:51,630
of the city of fort pierce and also take responsibility for this issue.  I have been in

1311
02:25:58,804 --> 02:25:58,804
this seat for three and a half years and why this haven't been brought forward is mind numbing

1312
02:26:05,144 --> 02:26:05,144
to me.  If the tax bills weren't billed to the city and couldn't bill to the tenant,

1313
02:26:12,751 --> 02:26:12,751
candidly that is not the tenant's fault.  You have to follow the bouncing ball here.

1314
02:26:16,789 --> 02:26:16,789
you look forward to getting more information because I was speak out of term with a

1315
02:26:23,596 --> 02:26:23,596
36-month default, because they just got the tax bills.  If that is truly the case and I

1316
02:26:28,367 --> 02:26:28,367
believe that is what it is, I withdraw my criticisms from that perspective, because they

1317
02:26:34,540 --> 02:26:34,540
were misplaced.  However, there is still critical deficiencis in the process, that mr. Chess

1318
02:26:39,745 --> 02:26:39,745
has identified and he is looking to clean up and fix. His background as a cfo, and a

1319
02:26:47,820 --> 02:26:47,820
school-trained accounting, et cetera.  Those skills are of critical importance to the city

1320
02:26:55,327 --> 02:26:55,327
of fort pierce as we're expanding.  Is I'm grateful that we have that capacity

1321
02:27:05,237 --> 02:27:05,237
moving forward.  I get angry and pissed. Because I get angry about things like this and say

1322
02:27:10,810 --> 02:27:10,810
this is another self-inflicted wounds that simply shouldn't have gotten to this and the

1323
02:27:18,016 --> 02:27:18,016
accountability for that is mr. Chess's to give us a post-action report.  Let's get

1324
02:27:25,324 --> 02:27:25,324
the asset in our possession and whatever legal has do to accomplish that and shake

1325
02:27:29,428 --> 02:27:29,428
whatever is out the tree out this and let's move.  Let's move on and make this situation

1326
02:27:34,132 --> 02:27:34,132
better.  That is what I'm all about as of right now.  I vented my position on it, and

1327
02:27:39,438 --> 02:27:39,438
you guys know I'm famous for that.  I know that.  So I will shut up.

1328
02:27:46,812 --> 02:27:46,812
>>  commissioner gaines. >>   madam mayor, commissioners, thank you for

1329
02:27:51,483 --> 02:27:51,483
allowing me to step away to take a call.  Everything is all right, but I had to take a

1330
02:27:57,055 --> 02:27:57,055
call.  I heard everything that was said.    So I'm not going to harp on that again.  I have

1331
02:28:05,931 --> 02:28:05,931
all confidence in our city manager to alleviate this problem, and get the city to

1332
02:28:11,069 --> 02:28:11,069
where we have to be.  You know, for the longest when we're going through everything, to

1333
02:28:19,144 --> 02:28:19,144
hire a city manager, all we heards was fix the problem, fix the problem, fix the problems.

1334
02:28:24,516 --> 02:28:24,516
now you know, he is fixing the problems and some in the community don't like he how he

1335
02:28:32,257 --> 02:28:32,257
is fixing the problem.  So I will just put it out there. It's not that way anymore in

1336
02:28:39,163 --> 02:28:39,163
fort pierce, and the commissioner broderick said we have to rely on his expertise.

1337
02:28:44,669 --> 02:28:44,669
I'm not a cfo, never want to be a cfo.  So you know, we have to have his expertise to fix the

1338
02:28:52,277 --> 02:28:52,277
problem.  The one thing I just want to reiterate is that our staff and our police work very

1339
02:29:01,753 --> 02:29:01,753
hard.  What I don't want from anyone to takeaway is someone dropped the ball.  However,

1340
02:29:13,030 --> 02:29:13,030
we're not blaming you or your work, but to have better communication so we know it

1341
02:29:18,770 --> 02:29:18,770
won't happen again.  So staff you will be asked to step up to the plate.  It's just that

1342
02:29:23,375 --> 02:29:23,375
simple, and if that makes you upset, then you know, you can deal with it however you want

1343
02:29:28,079 --> 02:29:28,079
to deal with it.  But it's now the time to step up to the plate, because I'm tired of

1344
02:29:34,085 --> 02:29:34,085
getting a negative hit on everything that we do up here. It's like we take two steps

1345
02:29:39,090 --> 02:29:39,090
forward and five steps back. That is just how I feel on that.  One thing, I don't know

1346
02:29:44,729 --> 02:29:44,729
if it was mentioned because I didn't hear it because I was talking.  I lost a mentor

1347
02:29:51,002 --> 02:29:51,002
today.  I had the privilege of working with and knowing the reverend jesse jackson and I

1348
02:30:00,144 --> 02:30:00,144
just want to say to his family, rest in peace.  A lot of people don't know or maybe they do

1349
02:30:05,816 --> 02:30:05,816
know that mrs. Jackson was born in fort pierce.  You shared she was born in fort pierce.  So

1350
02:30:12,991 --> 02:30:12,991
you know, to her, you know, we're standing behind her.  And I just wanted to say to the

1351
02:30:19,731 --> 02:30:19,731
family, rest in peace.  The last thing I want to say is to my community.  I don't know if

1352
02:30:26,871 --> 02:30:26,871
it's full moon, I don't know what is going on out here, but let's put the guns up and stop

1353
02:30:34,745 --> 02:30:34,745
the foolishness.  People have a right to go somewhere and have a good time without worrying

1354
02:30:40,051 --> 02:30:40,051
about -- without worrying about running for their lives or losing their lives.  Let's stop

1355
02:30:46,357 --> 02:30:46,357
this.  So to our new chief, welcome.  Don't know where to start.  To the officers that I

1356
02:30:57,034 --> 02:30:57,034
heard all weekend, with your sirens on going everywhere, all over our city, and it just

1357
02:31:01,538 --> 02:31:01,538
wasn't one part of our city. It was everywhere, everybody's lights were on.  Great job.  Be

1358
02:31:10,114 --> 02:31:10,114
safe out there and thank you for what you are doing.  To the community, we all have to come

1359
02:31:15,986 --> 02:31:15,986
together.  The five of us up here to the sheriff, or the chief of police cannot stop all

1360
02:31:24,294 --> 02:31:24,294
of this violence.  There has to be a community effort.  And we need your help, the officers

1361
02:31:29,333 --> 02:31:29,333
need your help.  The deputies need your help.  We need your help.  So let's put it down,

1362
02:31:34,705 --> 02:31:34,705
let's not start this again, and let's just keep our city growing as we have been, and

1363
02:31:41,879 --> 02:31:41,879
let's just stop it.  So with that madam mayor, thank you. >> thank you.  So I wanted to

1364
02:31:52,957 --> 02:31:52,957
go back to the staffing, and mr. Chess, one of the things that I think that your staff

1365
02:32:01,732 --> 02:32:01,732
needs to be encouraged is not to allow silos to keep them from communicating with one

1366
02:32:08,005 --> 02:32:08,005
another.  And keep them communicating with you. Because that is, as

1367
02:32:14,912 --> 02:32:14,912
commissioner johnson said, one fort pierce is across lines, everybody is an ambassador for

1368
02:32:21,585 --> 02:32:21,585
this, every single staff person should be an ambassador for the city of fort pierce.  I think

1369
02:32:27,490 --> 02:32:27,490
communication and there's so many situations, so many press points during this situation,

1370
02:32:34,832 --> 02:32:34,832
where better communication could have made it better.  So people speaking up, and keeping

1371
02:32:41,338 --> 02:32:41,338
people informed, and working across staff lines, and helping each staff helping each other

1372
02:32:47,811 --> 02:32:47,811
is so important.  We have got a great staff, and so we don't have a lot of them.  So what

1373
02:32:54,952 --> 02:32:54,952
everybody needs to do is pull their fair share.  So I want to just make sure that silos don't

1374
02:33:04,428 --> 02:33:04,428
arrive where one department is not working with another department.  That is really

1375
02:33:08,965 --> 02:33:08,965
incredible. >>  can I share in your sentiment?  Because I'm new,

1376
02:33:13,470 --> 02:33:13,470
and this is -- I.t.'s going to be mad at me, silos I can't get into any door, in my office, to

1377
02:33:21,945 --> 02:33:21,945
any department to talk to anybody, because I only have access to one door.  And if

1378
02:33:27,384 --> 02:33:27,384
somebody in finance had a challenge and they wanted to share that information with

1379
02:33:31,487 --> 02:33:31,487
someone in the clerk's office, or in purchasing, or mr. Chess's office and they  can't

1380
02:33:38,294 --> 02:33:38,294
get through the doors, there is your silos, just my little two weeks here, I  feel

1381
02:34:01,317 --> 02:34:01,317
claustrophobic. >>  if a staff member wants to talk to another staff member or

1382
02:34:06,089 --> 02:34:06,089
somebody in finance, hey walk up to mr. Chess and walk in his office, and have that

1383
02:34:12,695 --> 02:34:16,533
conversation.  I'm seeing silos, just because I can't get around the building and I'm a commissioner.  I'm not a terrorist. >>  we haven't checked that

1384
02:34:23,005 --> 02:34:26,042
yet. To say something.  Seriously, the silos you make a very good point.  Employees need to be

1385
02:34:30,246 --> 02:34:30,246
able to talk to other employees and sometimes they don't want to just broadcast it, because

1386
02:34:37,620 --> 02:34:37,620
somebody may get in trouble, but may anyway because of sharing the conversation.  To

1387
02:34:41,758 --> 02:34:41,758
be able to talk to other employees and sharing information can be helpful to

1388
02:34:49,498 --> 02:34:49,498
break down silos.  You make an excellent point and thank you for allowing me to chime-in.

1389
02:34:54,971 --> 02:34:54,971
>>  sure.  Sure.  Sure.  The other thing I was going  say on a totally different project,

1390
02:35:04,680 --> 02:35:04,680
tonight we approved phase 5 forlawnwood's addition and they have put a lot of money into

1391
02:35:09,786 --> 02:35:13,589
this community and to remember that.  They have seen is growing and gotten their home office to put the money in. They are building a garage, what five stories and it was

1392
02:35:19,161 --> 02:35:19,161
$29 million, is that right $24,000 per parking stall for future reference.

1393
02:35:27,403 --> 02:35:27,403
>>  I was going to ask if they want to build a second one downtown?  That is a legal two

1394
02:35:36,545 --> 02:35:40,449
trauma center, a really big deal for this area, because there isn't one -- another one on the treasure coast.  And so their hca is investing in in community and there's a lot of

1395
02:35:46,989 --> 02:35:46,989
good things happening in this community.  I think that we're on-notice now that we need to

1396
02:35:54,930 --> 02:35:54,930
do a better job of stewardship and we're all on-notice.  That includes all of the staff.  So

1397
02:36:03,539 --> 02:36:03,539
with that, unless there's anything else, we're going to be adjourning.

1398
02:36:07,576 --> 02:36:07,576
>>  madam mayor, sorry, if I may, just briefly, commissioner gaines, I know you step out

1399
02:36:13,148 --> 02:36:13,148
while you were out of the room I advised the commission that I need your advice under section

1400
02:36:20,323 --> 02:36:20,323
286.011 subsection 86 florida statutes related to pierce one marina investors the city and

1401
02:36:26,094 --> 02:36:26,094
fpra.  I wanted to make sure you could hear it out in the hall.  Okay.  And I was

1402
02:36:30,666 --> 02:36:30,666
proposing march 2nd at 3:00 p.m. For that meeting just wanted to make sure that works

1403
02:36:34,837 --> 02:36:34,837
for you. >>  I'll be here. >>  I just wanted to make sure

1404
02:36:38,907 --> 02:36:38,907
I got the case number right 562024-ca001627. >>  thank you very much.  We're

1405
02:36:48,383 --> 02:36:48,383
going to stay  very, very legaled into to all the other things we're going to do.  Are

1406
02:36:54,723 --> 02:36:54,723
we ready to adjourn, we're going to be adjourning and turning out the element  lights

1407
02:37:00,162 --> 02:37:00,162
and if you want to