[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[3:57] Good morning, would you please call the roll please? Council member Mark Craig, here. Council member Elizabeth Jollin, here. Council member Henry Rosenthall, yes. Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney, here, and Mayor by the Pender.
[4:15] Here. All right, would that be instead an ask Captain Derek Paul to lead us in the pledge of allegiance, please?
[4:47] We've come bless us with a prayer there young me
[4:55] I would be happy to and I just have to tell you after being in Uganda for the last 10 days that I am grateful to be in the United States of America and
[5:05] the freedoms that we have we may should never ever take for granted. So let's let's bow together and ask Lord bless our meeting
[5:13] Thank you so much for today.
[5:16] I thank you for the privilege we have to come and come before you.
[5:21] I pray for your blessing over this meeting.
[5:22] Give us wisdom and clarity.
[5:25] I thank you, Father, for the privilege that we have to serve.
[5:29] May this community be better because of our time has been here this evening.
[5:33] With each and every one of us in your precious name, we pray.
[5:36] Thank you, Tony.
[5:39] Okay, so we will move on to Council any request for
[5:44] deletions or additions.
[5:47] Yes, Mr. Mayor, I had one item, please.
[5:50] Perhaps it could go as an item B. I would like to have a discussion regarding the renewal
[5:56] of the Village Manager's contract, Ted Yates, please.
[6:01] Okay, so were we going to do this under Mayor Council communication?
[6:05] Yes, please.
[6:05] And I'd like to ask for public comment.
[6:11] Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make an announcement, as you know, for a couple years, I've been
[6:20] trying to work with publics in doing a way with the plastic bags.
[6:26] I had a more recent meeting with the Management of Publics, and there are various contributions
[6:33] which I'm going to ask the Council to approve because last time I met with them, I want
[6:41] something a contribution to this community from publics. I got a contribution. The contribution
[6:49] is they will supply banks, cloth bags for people to not use the plastic bags. They will buy
[7:01] thousand bags and the only thing the ASK of us is could the public's use our insignia on their
[7:09] bag. They're going to pay for it. They're going to do it and that's all how they want out
[7:16] from us. So if I can go back and say yes, you can use our insignia under those circumstances,
[7:24] that's what they're waiting for me to tell. So Mark, are you having an objection to that?
[7:29] I don't have any objection, but I don't know if there's anything that we need to ask John
[7:33] quick about if using an official seal and a private thing, I mean, I hope there is no objection
[7:40] to that.
[7:41] John, can I answer the question?
[7:43] Yeah, I mean, we can work with them because obviously we have to license the use of the seal.
[7:48] We're happy to work with the public to turn, it shouldn't be an issue, I'm sure that
[7:53] we've done it before on behalf of other cities, I'm sure public is done it with other entities
[7:56] too.
[7:57] It's a fairly straightforward thing, right?
[8:00] You know, are you a firm or a firm or a firm?
[8:01] Fine.
[8:02] I'm fine with.
[8:04] Fine.
[8:04] I have one question.
[8:06] If the people come in and they don't have a cloth bag, they still use plastic bags.
[8:12] Yeah, sure.
[8:13] If they look to the use of them, they're there, but to these thousand bags that they're
[8:18] going to buy originally is for those people to use them instead of plastic.
[8:25] How do they distribute who do they who do they is it only people in the village we get the ones with the bill?
[8:31] I don't think they're gonna ask that question. Okay. They just give them out and tell they're gone. Right, and then we'll deal with the next step. Okay, all right, well
[8:39] I assume we got five votes and I'll travel on. Thank you. Okay. Thank you Henry. Okay, so
[8:46] Ted, you and John help me out if you wouldn't mind please
[8:52] Wait a second
[8:57] I would like to pull EF mainly for the consent agenda and both those items.
[9:07] I think it deserves more discussion and that's it for me.
[9:13] Okay, E is the Ferguson waterworks, right, Henry, is that what you're talking about?
[9:17] Yes, I believe it is.
[9:18] It's a hold on.
[9:19] Let me write this down so we don't.
[9:22] Henry, so you want E, which is tab five?
[9:28] Okay, what's your next one, Henry?
[9:30] The next one is F, F, so that would be Tab 6.
[9:36] That's correct.
[9:37] Virtuces of Ferguson.
[9:39] That's the 80,000 dollar purchase.
[9:41] A six-way limit.
[9:45] Okay, that is counsel.
[9:47] Are we okay with that?
[9:50] Pulling that F?
[9:51] Okay, so you're going to pull F, which is the,
[9:53] that's the thing with Markham, the audit.
[9:57] That's correct.
[9:58] We're pulling it for discussion, not to help me out of the, okay, okay, this is out for it, okay.
[10:04] Look at these times or for discussion, okay,
[10:11] okay, so I would like to move,
[10:20] um, Ted, you might have to help me out number nine, which would be C, okay,
[10:28] all right,
[10:30] um, that's something with our IT department, okay, approving SHI International Court,
[10:36] All right, so that's number nine.
[10:39] I'd like to move that to the consent agenda.
[10:42] Okay.
[10:47] Okay.
[10:49] It's, it's C, but it's tab number nine.
[10:52] It's in your, okay.
[10:53] Yeah, and the book is tab number nine.
[10:55] Okay. Then I would like to move tab 10
[11:02] to the consent agenda CPH for the solar.
[11:06] That's the solar lights tab that we have to get a wind load test.
[11:09] We have to do a win-load test on the polls
[11:11] before we can install any of the lighting,
[11:14] the LED replacement lighting fixture.
[11:16] So because of the four-to-building code,
[11:18] so it's something that we have to do
[11:19] to provide a report to be able to do that.
[11:22] So we already have a working relationship with CPH,
[11:25] so this would just be a work authorization.
[11:27] OK, all right.
[11:28] So I'd like to add that to the consent.
[11:31] And I would also like to add to the consent E, which
[11:36] would be tab 11,
[11:40] which is the tetra, tech.
[11:43] It's the debris monitoring for an hurricane,
[11:46] the recovery assistance services.
[11:50] But yeah, I'd like to actually have some discussion on that one, please.
[11:54] OK.
[11:55] So can we keep that as whatever tab it's going to tab,
[11:58] just keep that outside of the consent agenda, I have some comments.
[12:00] Do we want to have this, OK.
[12:02] So you want to have discussion on that?
[12:03] If we put it in the consent, can we, a John,
[12:05] can we have discussion on it in the consent?
[12:10] Yeah, I mean, you can.
[12:12] Should I leave?
[12:12] I mean, usually you didn't have discussion
[12:14] or do we need to just leave it where it is?
[12:16] I mean, if you're going to have
[12:17] just usually consent is things that are,
[12:19] you know, you don't really have discussion.
[12:21] If there's going to be discussion, I would keep it out.
[12:22] I'm going to move it then.
[12:23] I'd like to move it until after
[12:25] the consent agenda.
[12:27] Okay.
[12:27] To move it up to be one of the other.
[12:29] To the first resolution.
[12:30] That's it.
[12:30] I'd rather okay for not okay.
[12:31] Because I want to move tab.
[12:33] I wanted to put tab 12 in the consent,
[12:34] which is Ash Britt, which is the debris, it's all...
[12:39] I'd like to have some discussion about both of those tabs are interrelated.
[12:44] They are exactly. It's all about Hurricane disaster relief recovery.
[12:49] So can we keep those of those outside of this?
[12:51] So what we'll do, you're looking to move those to be in the first two resolutions.
[12:55] That would be the first tab.
[12:57] I would like to speak to nine.
[13:04] All right, so Henry, we're going to, we'll move nine out and we will put that right after the consent.
[13:14] Okay,
[13:22] is everyone okay moving the CPH for the win, win load?
[13:25] That was a pretty simple one.
[13:27] Tab 10, right?
[13:28] Tab 10, correct.
[13:30] Yeah, Henry wanted number nine.
[13:32] And I'll still, Henry, I'll still go through and explain what that is before there's public
[13:36] comment for it.
[13:38] As long as we have the public comment, that's the important.
[13:40] Yeah, you'd still have public comment on any item in the
[13:42] consent agenda. Okay. All right. So is everybody understand? So we're going to move
[13:48] 10 to the consent. We're going to pull 9, 11 and 12 are going to come right after the consent.
[13:56] We will hear them. We're going to move the order of them. Okay. And the, yeah, the order of the
[14:01] right, you know, they're going to be the first three considered in the resolutions. Just so I know when
[14:05] I'm reading them off, which orders are you, which order are you looking to have them? We're going to
[14:11] We're going to move 10 to the consent agenda, okay?
[14:15] Number 9, we're going to do right after the consent.
[14:17] That'll be the first one.
[14:18] That'll be the first one.
[14:19] I don't know.
[14:19] And 11 in 12.
[14:20] And then we'll go back into the year we go back for there, okay?
[14:23] So you might have to help me, John, if I, for somebody up here can help.
[14:26] Yeah, I've got no little confusing.
[14:28] It's going to be, you know, it's going to be a little longer night where we are going
[14:32] to have a lot of public comment.
[14:35] So, and I dislike everybody to know, when I ask you, I'm going to ask that you would not
[14:39] take longer than your three minutes that because I'm going to ask you to please give somebody
[14:45] else a chance to speak that is here to speak. So you guys please bear with me tonight, all right.
[14:52] The two that were pulled from consent agenda is there a desire as to where they go in the
[14:57] solution section at the top or the bottom.
[15:00] I mean, I just, again, I just want to make sure I'm reading them off correct. That was five and six that were pulled from consent agenda.
[15:07] Okay. Okay. Okay. If not, I normally just go a number order, but since removing them around, I wanted to. Okay. Henry just wants to discuss him. Do we want to discuss him?
[15:16] He wants public comment form. So can we leave him in the consent? He just wants to discuss it?
[15:21] Yeah. Okay. Yeah. He's just looking for public comment, then it can stay in consent and that's going to be public comment on it if he's okay with that.
[15:28] Okay, so I'm sorry could you repeat them so here's what we're going to do is we so Henry wants to have discussion for tab five and six
[15:35] It's in the consent agenda, but he wants to have discussion so we're going to leave it there
[15:40] We'll have discussion and we'll let public comment that he wants that public comment for
[15:46] Okay
[15:47] Does everybody understand that?
[15:50] Okay, and ten as well. We can have. I'm sorry. Then I go ahead
[15:55] That's one
[15:57] And so then just to be clear, we're adding a Mark's edition is something pro, repeat that.
[16:06] What was that?
[16:08] It is a discussion regarding the renewal of the Village Manager's contract.
[16:13] Okay, and that's under Mayor Council and there will be public comment.
[16:18] Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
[16:30] Sorry for the delay here a little bit.
[16:32] But okay, so we can, okay, okay, go ahead.
[16:37] Hi, Samar.
[16:38] Yes, all right.
[16:40] I want Carlos to come up and talk about the latest survey
[16:44] that we did.
[16:45] The next survey is gonna be about freebie
[16:47] and that should be out the first of August.
[16:50] I'd also like the council to consider the committees
[16:55] that they did great.
[16:58] I'm extremely happy that there are lots of people that applied, it's going to be a really good thing that we're trying here.
[17:09] But there are a couple of committees that have 10 members I'd like for the Council to consider moving those to seven.
[17:16] I don't think any committee needs to be 10 people.
[17:19] And the last thing is I'd like permission from the Council to move forward with I know Peter has a full plate.
[17:27] I know Ted has a full plate.
[17:30] I have been working with Richard Black, I Richard, and we are looking at the Florida Keys
[17:37] Guides Association getting a ramp that used to exist here that hasn't been used since
[17:44] the 60s, redoing it, and I know there's a lot of steps, but I am more than willing to
[17:52] start doing stuff on my own, which I know people have a problem with, but moving forward
[17:58] with that.
[17:59] So I'd like the permission of the council that I can start pursuing applications with
[18:05] the guidance of, obviously, John Quick and everything, but to try to move this process
[18:10] along faster, is that I'm looking for permission.
[18:14] Go ahead.
[18:15] It wasn't from the 60s.
[18:17] I got the pictures from the 1961 Ford, but I used it as a kid with our, with our boat Jim Mooney
[18:24] used it with his formula.
[18:25] So we don't know when, but there was, the pictures clearly have a dock in the ramp.
[18:29] I knew when Sharon called me, I said, yes, we used to use it.
[18:32] So there was a ramp on the north side of the T dock, and we have all the pictures.
[18:36] So Vice Mayor, Peter's already started that process, and we have a proposal from CPH
[18:42] to assist us with all the permitting and the surveys that are required to apply for those.
[18:47] So we got that in, I'll send it out to Councils for you guys to review and the cost and everything.
[18:51] And then we can get a consensus to move forward.
[18:55] That, and also, I know there's people here curious about B-pass.
[19:01] When is that going to be available for the people sitting on pins and needles about the allocations?
[19:10] I know that the next market rate allocations are going to be at July 20th with our land use meeting.
[19:20] There is an agenda item tonight that impacts administrative relief.
[19:25] It's a code amendment, depending on how council works without or it passes it.
[19:31] There could be opportunity for additional allocations depending on how that occurs.
[19:37] but the next actual B pass allocation is going to be on July 20th, in my comments
[19:44] tonight I'll be sharing some additional allocations that we discovered and I
[19:49] can go through the history that when I speak about it enough.
[19:51] People sitting on pins and needles so I just want to add to that the list was posted
[19:57] on Monday so the list is posted on the website currently so people can see where they are
[20:02] on the list now.
[20:03] And that's accurate.
[20:04] That's not going to change.
[20:05] that's correct. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, Carlos. So, we have a
[20:10] way to hold up. If so, Council is clear, did I hear that everybody were
[20:14] giving a thumbs up for what Sharon said about the rant for the guys? We're all
[20:17] given a thumbs up. Well, we are, but Ted just said that he, they are working on it
[20:23] and they're going to, that's already underway. Is that just for work? We have a
[20:27] proposal that I can, I mean, I could pull it up and share the numbers, but I
[20:31] have been more advantageous for you guys to read through the proposal.
[20:35] There's a cost associated with both the surveys and the permitting that they would help
[20:40] guide us through.
[20:41] This is something we've worked with them before.
[20:44] So again, just gives you additional information on how the process is going to work.
[20:50] That's okay.
[20:51] I have no problem.
[20:51] I just want to make sure that we all are clear right now and it's recorded that we're
[20:56] giving a thumbs up all five of us right now.
[20:58] Mark, are you okay?
[20:59] Just to be clear, to move forward with gathering information, to then come back to present to us in the form of proposal, in other words.
[21:08] No, move forward.
[21:10] I'm interested in the project.
[21:12] It's great.
[21:13] I just want to, we need to follow the steps and let the staff do the work and bring it to us.
[21:16] That's what I think is what we're saying, right?
[21:19] Yeah.
[21:19] And I think we're there.
[21:20] We've got everything teed up.
[21:22] Again, off the top of my head, I believe the cost to engage,
[21:25] CPH, which is actually not if it's CPH,
[21:32] but WSP, I apologize, we have a lot of kinds of
[21:35] WSP to help guide us through the permitting and the surveys that need to be done.
[21:40] I think it's approximately around $69,000.
[21:42] So that is the cost to pursue this.
[21:46] And I've already spoken with the guidance association that the cost of the ramp, the
[21:52] Fencing everything will be taking care of through donations to the God's association.
[21:58] So it's at no cost to the village and that will give them the exclusive right to be able
[22:03] to continue bringing people to the keys to fish and have a place to launch.
[22:07] So I think it's a great thing for them and I think we should support it 100 percent because
[22:13] people come to the keys to fish.
[22:15] Elizabeth, you okay with that?
[22:17] Henry, you're okay with that?
[22:18] Okay.
[22:18] So I'm good to Ted. We're all five on board for you guys going moving forward with this.
[22:24] We'll prepare legislation and it'll be at your next meeting.
[22:28] Thank you.
[22:28] All right. Thank you. Vice Mayor, is that it?
[22:31] That's it.
[22:32] Okay. So now we got Mr. Carlos. What's up, Carlos? Go ahead, man.
[22:43] Oh, there you go.
[22:44] Carlos G. Albrano Social also a resident.
[22:47] And welcome.
[22:49] A lot of residents.
[22:50] I know half of the room.
[22:52] So for those that don't know, I managed the digital media
[22:54] for the village of Almorada.
[22:55] It's called Almorada Social.
[22:57] If you don't follow that, just Google Almorada Social.
[23:00] It's on YouTube, it's on Facebook,
[23:02] and it's on Instagram, and it's everywhere.
[23:03] And it's the most watched government institution
[23:06] social media account in Moreau County.
[23:09] It's tie and tie with the sheriff,
[23:11] which I co-managed at account as well.
[23:13] So Almorada Social.
[23:15] Before you lead into this survey,
[23:17] I just want to say on June 17,
[23:20] we reached 50,000 views on YouTube and we have other accounts, but YouTube is very interesting
[23:26] because it's not a network. So I just wanted to play a video real quick. It's 45 seconds. I
[23:31] know that there's no long. Just so you guys see a little bit of that and then it leads into the
[23:36] survey. So Frank, hit it.
[24:26] That's it. It was quick. And of course this video was released right before
[24:30] July 4th, but it's important to notice that the majority of those views are from residents.
[24:37] Those views come from the emails that I send, sometimes they come from Facebook, direct YouTube
[24:42] channels, it is you, the community that is watching these videos over and over and over.
[24:48] So thank you to the residents and if you're here today and you don't follow the accounts,
[24:51] please do because we post consistently there.
[24:55] Now, moving into this survey, I just want to say first, thank you, Council, for helping to implement that project.
[25:02] We're reaching a lot of people on the social channels, now we're reaching in third of the survey.
[25:06] I want to specifically recognize Vice Mayor Mahoney because of your persistence to get this done.
[25:12] We had to push to some barriers to accomplish to do the way we're doing it.
[25:16] But here we are, and we are reaching a lot of the community.
[25:19] The first survey, we had about 850 participants that were validated, registered voters,
[25:24] or residents of Alamurada.
[25:26] And then on the second survey, we had 454 participants, and only 10, really, I had to cut off.
[25:35] The rest follow all the procedures in all the instructions perfectly and the majority were registered voters
[25:40] So
[25:41] It could as to you
[25:43] You go around to help people are very happy that you were taking the step and they feel that is a direct channel of communication between council and residents without any filters
[25:52] So moving on to the survey
[25:57] All right, so this was survey number two building in code most of these questions were prepared by our prior
[26:05] planning or actor. And we implemented that right on early Memorial Day. It was supposed to be out there for 10 days.
[26:12] We gave an extra five days because of Memorial Day. 700 people visited the site.
[26:19] 443 actually were valid in could answer the questions.
[26:24] Approximately takes four minutes for them to answer these questions. And again, this is the results of the survey.
[26:29] It's a community of reprojects, spearheaded by Vice Mayor Mahoney and implemented by Attention Media.
[26:38] So we only had eight duplicate answers.
[26:43] And if you get these surveys in the future, there was people that responded to the eight in this case.
[26:48] They repeated their name, same address.
[26:50] So if your intention was to vote for you and your significant other, you have to put the significant other on that.
[26:58] Otherwise, I can validate that they are actually voters, that could be the reason that they did this.
[27:04] But I had to eliminate the duplicates, the other eights that were not duplicates, of course, were counted.
[27:09] Only three answers could invalidate, meaning they're not resident, they're not registered voters.
[27:15] I just don't want to take a chance to put in our results.
[27:18] So, included in the results were 427 registered voters.
[27:23] 16, we're not registered voters, do not own property, not a morada, but our residents.
[27:29] Now, I have no way to validate their leases, but the addresses match in there not anywhere else.
[27:34] So, I'm going to give them a benefit of the doubt, because it's a small margin of error.
[27:38] So, in total, we had for this survey number 243 responses.
[27:44] And you can see that on the very top chart, as you release the survey, the first four or five days,
[27:51] is really where the majority of people answer, right?
[27:54] So I send the email and then I wait a couple days and then we send the link and then I do
[27:58] a video for social media and then they keep answer, but really, when we announce that we're
[28:02] going to release a survey on this day, that's really when people answer.
[28:09] About 50, 50 are mobile devices and then desktop, so people are answering those two primary
[28:15] and then 67% the blue line there, oh, let's see if I can, right there, that little thing.
[28:22] Those are people that are responded via the email. So I have your email through various means that I acquired,
[28:28] and 67% of this 443 got the email responded. The remaining 30 something percent, which is about 120, they did it through the link.
[28:38] So when you, that means you did the email went through your junk mail, you didn't see it, and then later you got my link.
[28:43] So now that I have your response to your link, you are now on my database.
[28:47] So next time, it's likely that you will get a pay attention to your junk mail.
[28:55] So let's switch over here.
[28:57] So the first question.
[28:59] Are you a registered voter?
[29:00] 90% of people that answer were registered voters.
[29:03] The second question, do you own property?
[29:05] 92% of those on property in Almorada?
[29:14] There you go.
[29:15] The majority of the respondents, 87%.
[29:18] percent were full-time residents and 12 percent were part-time resident.
[29:23] Snowbirds. I don't know if we have any snowbirds here.
[29:30] Question. The next question is develop a
[29:33] Twimplement a moratorium on the village of Almorada and 81 percent.
[29:38] Just about 82 percent are in favor of implementing a temporary moratorium.
[29:44] Workforce affordable house. What to do with the 300 permits.
[29:49] 50.47% wants to use the 300 units to create incentives and programs in homes that can
[29:56] legally use their downstairs apartments for rent.
[30:00] For affordable housing options. That was the majority of the answers.
[30:06] But that's just safety. So the pedestrian safety, again, is not a bridge. It's just a crossing.
[30:13] And 60% of the respondents do not want the crossing across the church village.
[30:22] How important for the village council to work on surface water quality, which is the water runoff.
[30:28] The wind and response was very important, 43%.
[30:32] High-port is the village council to work on ground shore war quality that is 57% very important
[30:39] High-port is the village council to work on overall habitat protection around the village 57%
[30:45] very important
[30:47] High-port is the village council to work on more affordable housing permits
[30:51] 40% important
[30:54] Which is the winning answer there?
[30:56] How important is for the council to work on tourism the tourism development not important
[31:02] I think that's Sandy's job.
[31:09] You got it.
[31:12] So, not important for the council to focus on that.
[31:17] Hold on.
[31:18] What's going on?
[31:32] So that was the last question.
[31:34] Now,
[31:41] there you go.
[31:42] So, I will be posting these results on our social channels tomorrow.
[31:46] So, if you want to see there are more in depth of being a social channels.
[31:48] And then I'll send to the manager's office to be posted on the website.
[31:53] And I'll also do a video highlighting basically the same information.
[31:57] Again, 450 people that qualify to answer this is an awesome participation.
[32:03] It's below the first survey.
[32:05] It was Memorial Day.
[32:06] People are watching what we're doing and they're listening to you.
[32:10] Now, the next survey would be freebie.
[32:13] As you all know, freebie is coming for a contract that's coming for renewal
[32:17] and Vice-Mere Mahoney would like to get the community's opinion on privy.
[32:21] A couple of things that I'm doing on the upcoming system improvements is now that we had
[32:27] two surveys ready.
[32:29] If you already interacted and answered your surveys, you will no longer need to validate your
[32:34] name, your address, and all of that.
[32:36] I'm writing code that will bypass all of that.
[32:38] So if you're already interacted, you'll simply get an email because I have your voter ID number,
[32:44] and that's how I'm going to track you.
[32:45] And you only going to answer the questions.
[32:48] If I haven't validated you at or you're not going to have database,
[32:51] you're still going to get the validation questions.
[32:53] Maybe a couple more surveys.
[32:54] But this will make our survey process completely streamlined.
[32:59] And it's less data for you to input.
[33:01] And we're going to focus only on the actual survey question.
[33:06] And that concludes the survey.
[33:09] Again, I want to thank your council.
[33:10] Thank you community.
[33:12] Thank you residents for participating.
[33:13] and make sure you follow while I'm running social. Just Google. I'm running a social.
[33:18] Thank you, Carlos G. Thanks, Carlos. Any questions? Thank you very much.
[33:27] Yeah, we were just Carlos. He's just given the report, but I mean, Andy, if you
[33:34] want
[33:34] how about we talk a side by Andy? Let's do public. Let's do an under general public comment. Okay.
[33:41] All right, thank you. Thank you, council.
[33:44] Okay. So since we are on reports, so the next thing is going to
[33:52] The South Atlantic Fishing Environmentalists, John Reynolds, are you doing?
[34:00] Hey, thank you guys very much, I know you guys have a really busy schedule.
[34:03] I really appreciate you guys getting us on.
[34:04] This is really, really important for Alamurata.
[34:10] This is a fishing village, and it always has been fishing and diving is really important here.
[34:16] So, you know, what this is about is an Artificial Reef program, a spoken front of you guys.
[34:23] Recently about this, and then you asked for some more information.
[34:26] So, we came back with that.
[34:28] And now we have money allocated towards this, very good funding.
[34:34] And, you know, there's a lot of people that have really been waiting for this.
[34:38] We need our Artificial Reefs and our structures revitalized really bad.
[34:41] It's really important.
[34:42] And anyone who fishes out here knows how important wrecks are for a plagicic species, sail fishing,
[34:50] tourist, you know, tourist, and all the fishermen down here, the chartboard industry.
[34:56] So we were working with the state.
[34:59] They're pretty much going to handle all the footwork with us.
[35:04] We're way ahead of the game.
[35:05] We have contractors already in line.
[35:07] We have materials, and basically all we're really asking of the village is to be willing to hold the permit.
[35:17] After that, FWC will draft the permit application for the village's approval.
[35:26] There is absolutely no cost or feet of the village.
[35:30] There is no annual monitoring.
[35:32] There is no maintenance required, the contractor that will perform the job will be insured and responsible for all transport and deployment of all the materials.
[35:44] All the risk is assumed by the contractor company and included in the job cost, which again is paid for through a grant that the state will provide.
[35:54] The main reason why this is so important for the village of Islamarata to move forward with us on this is because if this doesn't happen within the confinement of the village and we can't move forward with this permanent process with you guys what's going to happen is this is going to fall into like a county.
[36:17] And once Monroe County gets ahold of it, just it's so much more widespread, they have so many more things to worry about.
[36:26] There's such a broader focus for them, and Adam Roddow will lose.
[36:31] And I mean, this is the sport-fishing capital of the world.
[36:34] This is where we need this, the whole fishing community, and then the rest of the community is behind this.
[36:39] And we can streamline this, we're a grassroots organization that has been working for the last few years on getting these structures in the water, working with the state, and now that the money is available, you know, we need to use it for this. This is what it's all for, you know, we're talking about $10 million allocated to artificial reefs and wrecks in Monroe County, solely for that purpose.
[37:03] And if I'm a rata, if the village will sign up for holding this permit, then the state will move forward.
[37:13] And we can start moving forward. There's not really much needed from you guys.
[37:19] And this will put us in the priority at the front of the list, basically, for this money.
[37:25] And that's the most important thing. If we fall behind on this, we just might go to the back of the list.
[37:31] and this might never happen for Alamurada.
[37:34] So it's crucial that we get you guys support.
[37:38] And so that's what we're here.
[37:39] It's really exciting.
[37:40] I mean, for the fishing community,
[37:42] this is extremely exciting.
[37:43] And I'm going to turn it over to Keith.
[37:46] He is the director for the Artificial Reprogram from FWC.
[37:50] And he can go through some more things for you guys.
[37:52] And you know, I have a slideshow here to show you.
[37:54] Thank you.
[38:03] Thank you, John.
[38:04] And thank you Mr. Mayor and Council
[38:06] for allowing me to participate virtually today.
[38:09] As John mentioned, I am the Administrator of Florida's Artificial Reap Program here in the Division of Marine Fisheries Management
[38:26] events.
[38:31] Okay, so just a quick overview and again, I've got a lot of slides here and I'll try to be brief as much as I can.
[38:38] The FWC Artificial Reap Program, we are invited by statute to foster coordination between public and private organizations for artificial development,
[38:47] to ensure long-term economic and social benefits
[38:50] for the state of Florida.
[38:52] Well, another primary goal is to understand
[38:54] the function of artificial reads
[38:55] and use them as a component of fisheries management.
[38:59] We have over 4,000 artificial reads statewide.
[39:03] These range in depth from just one foot all the way down
[39:06] to 500 and 11 feet deep.
[39:09] We provide financial and technical assistance
[39:12] to the coastal governments, nonprofits,
[39:15] and state universities to construct and assess
[39:17] artificial reefs, village of olomerotic falls within, you know, our expected stakeholders that we
[39:25] that we work with, we administer grants. We have managed the Florida Artificial Reef database on
[39:31] our website. We host regional and state artificial reef workshops. We assist with environmental
[39:36] permit planning and review, which is, again, part of this talk. We're going to liaison with the
[39:47] of our 35 coastal counties, 33 of those have had artificial reef programs and Monroe County.
[39:54] It's been 14 years since we've had any artificial activity.
[39:59] Monroe County has not had an artificial reef manager during that time.
[40:04] We help the counties communicate with each other through workshops regionally hosted every
[40:10] one to two years and statewide summits every four to six years.
[40:14] You can find recordings of all these workshops, especially in most recent one, in 2020 that was virtual on our website,
[40:21] lyoptisc.com slash artificial reeds.
[40:27] So, first we should think about the definition of what is an artificial reeds.
[40:31] These are objects of natural, human origin, intentionally placed on a seat for the purpose of enhancing marine life for human use.
[40:40] These include concrete materials, culverts, as well as limestone boulders, design modules,
[40:49] steel vessels.
[40:50] This does not include materials that have long been prohibited, such as tires and fiberglass
[40:56] boat holes.
[40:57] Fiberglass boat holes is probably the number one question, and we get they are prohibited
[41:01] from being the sort of fisheries through their low lightweight nature, and the fact that
[41:06] they do not break down over time.
[41:08] Trends over time from 1980 until 2020 you'll see we've had some shifts from starting out with again as I mentioned of those materials that were prohibited
[41:19] They're no longer used
[41:21] Initially the program started out with a lot of steel vessels and concrete when a recent years you see more use of design concrete modules more use of
[41:32] The rock materials. This is the limestone holders
[41:36] And we also rely on marine contractors.
[41:39] We do not have all that many in the state of Florida.
[41:42] There are about 12 that are actively participating in artificial reef deployments.
[41:48] These all meet the Coast Guard requirements fully ensured.
[41:53] And these are the companies that are making sure materialists come where it's opposed to inside the designated areas with state and permutative oversight.
[42:02] Grant and Ed Funding, our Florida State of Florida Artificial
[42:05] Program has been funded, the background of funding is the
[42:11] Sport Fish Restoration, and since 1986, that's an
[42:15] exercise tax on marine fuel and fishing tackle, as well as
[42:21] state salt water fishing license fees. Now occasionally we
[42:25] have additional appropriations, such as from the maritime
[42:28] administration for the Vandenberg in 2009. And more recently, the BP oil still funding with each
[42:37] of those for $10 million, we're in a process of funding that out for Northwest Florida.
[42:44] And I'm pleased, as John also mentioned, we have an special appropriation that was just signed by the governor
[42:49] of last week, and this is $10 million for the Florida Keys, and we're working with Monroe County
[42:56] on getting those funds through grant agreements to them.
[43:00] So this meeting on the January is quite time-week
[43:03] for starting to implement the use of those funds.
[43:09] Remembered everyone, the economics of saltwater fishing is very strong.
[43:12] We have over a million and a half-tall water licenses generating 37, 20 million in licensed sales.
[43:20] And saltwater fishing is an statewide economic impact of 9.2 billion for the state of Florida.
[43:27] And also we believe that the study with our research institute in 2018 showing that out of
[43:35] a, and this is on the Gulf of Mexico side, that out of a quarter million people that took
[43:40] fishing troops in 2016 and 2017 in Northwest Florida over two thirds went to artificial
[43:47] reefs.
[43:48] And this shows that in that, that is the gray area there in Northwest Florida.
[43:52] This shows how important our artificial saw are, and they're being widely used by recreational
[43:57] anglers, particularly in North West Florida.
[44:01] The socioeconomic context is also going to be visualized through this map that was generated
[44:08] by Florida.
[44:09] Sea Grant, and this was, they were tracking the GPS coordinates of boat tracks, and you see
[44:16] these little areas, the green dots, or the locations of part of this reefs.
[44:20] And you can see, you know, these artificial roots are a destination for a lot of voters and anglers.
[44:29] The top image there is eight boats that are all fishing off of the tug boat of the Pensacola.
[44:36] And I'm sure you probably experienced a lot of that down in the keys as well.
[44:40] We also think, you know, very closely about the ecological context of these artificial reefs that we're building.
[44:46] We have different types of fish assemblages that are using the radio of those type A fish that are very closely associated with the structured type B being a little bit further out.
[45:00] On there, and then you have type C like your amberjack and more transient species. And when we think about, you know, how these are fish species are engaging with each others and the as well as the structure, you know, some of these species, you know, are benefiting more from a production value of the of the reef structure in that they are spending their whole life history there.
[45:25] and versus those that are more transient and more attractive.
[45:29] So you see that those that are more attracted,
[45:31] such as your amberjack, some jacks and such,
[45:34] whereas your goes and blanies will be more on the production side.
[45:37] Then you have your gray snap or in the middle,
[45:39] which kind of you know, have a little bit of a little bit of both.
[45:43] So, you know, not to, not to deep into this,
[45:47] but obviously fishing is an important part of these artificial reefs.
[45:52] That's one of our goals and objectives.
[45:54] And that also affects the production activity on the structure.
[45:59] So in the absence of phishing in the absence of attraction, if you're just simply looking
[46:05] at enhancement, you're seeing the highest level of production.
[46:08] And then you add phishing on top of that, obviously, some of those phishing removed and brought
[46:12] home to be enjoyed.
[46:14] And then when you have the attraction component of it, the structure itself is not necessarily
[46:19] they're contributing as much to the fishery.
[46:22] As those species that are more resulting some production
[46:27] from that.
[46:29] So getting to the permanent side of things,
[46:32] all the permits issued for artificial reefs are
[46:35] issued by the Army as Army Corps of Engineers
[46:37] in federal waters.
[46:39] They operate under section 10 of the rivers.
[46:41] And our Resacks, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act,
[46:45] they also have a number of federal laws
[46:47] that they will be reviewing with their federal partners.
[46:53] And, you know, when we start to think about planning
[46:55] a new, permitted artificial reef area,
[46:59] which is the reason why we're here today,
[47:02] we start with the considering the spatial boundaries,
[47:05] the navigational requirements, the marine habitats,
[47:09] natural reefs, sea and grass,
[47:12] sandborrowed areas, historical resources, protected species,
[47:16] not only the spatial components of that, but the timing, if there's any critical habitat that's
[47:22] not needs to be protected during a certain period of time, and other uses of the seed floor
[47:27] such as telecommunication cable corridors and such. So when we look down here in the Florida
[47:33] Keys, we have a total of 61 artificial reefs in our database. You can go on to our website and view
[47:40] this, these are the data that are office maintains, and a lot of these are older, and the
[47:47] coordinates may not necessarily be so up to date, and they're based on all the ran numbers.
[47:52] When we look off of the Alamurata, we actually have a total of nine reefs, these include
[47:56] quite a few emitters that were deployed in the mid-1980s, the Vibbon Dwayne, the Eagle and
[48:02] the Alexander Barge, and the Bridge Span material, that's the pile of concrete that you
[48:08] there in the center of the screen. And then the green triangles are are small refalves that
[48:14] were deployed in 1999 and 2000 just like maybe I think a cluster of three of each site for
[48:20] and boy by some some boy scouts. So if we add on that metric contours there in the middle of
[48:29] the screen you'll see the 60-foot contour and a lot of these existing structures are about 100-foot depth
[48:34] maybe 130. Now we also overlay the boundaries of the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary and then we overlay
[48:43] the locations of existing hard bottom. And John Reynolds was provided me with a series of five
[48:51] coordinates and this is the area that we're looking at for consideration this evening to proceed
[48:57] doing some investigations who are the village of Ilamarata. He's a located 9.7 miles,
[49:04] 9.9 miles from the nearest access points. And the plan would be to look at perhaps in that
[49:13] area find one spot that's a quarter-nautical mile by a quarter-nautical mile. That will allow it
[49:19] to be compliant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National and Fisheries Service
[49:24] statewide biological opinion for artificial reefs. We can go bigger than that if needed, but that's kind of what
[49:31] what our starting point is here. So when you think about deep water reefs, that slide is located
[49:35] in 300 foot depth of water. You often think of the large ships such as the ariskenes,
[49:41] do a rovan and bird, and then the anestacilia off of Palm Beach County. And that vessel is I believe
[49:51] that's off of the loose counting.
[49:55] Also, South Carolina, an artificial deepwater artificial reef-upated
[50:00] deploy there on the left.
[50:01] That's with deploy and 500-foot depth of water.
[50:05] And we have other examples of high profile structures,
[50:08] such as these towers that were deployed off of footmires.
[50:13] And some of you might be aware of the efforts of West Palm Beach
[50:17] efficient club, Tom Tlyford, who has deployed these, these reef starts and added depth of up to
[50:23] 511 feet of water and these have been quite successful with some of their offshore anglers.
[50:31] And so next steps here would be to identify the permit holder. Again, John is asking a forward
[50:37] ability to, on the morada, to be the permit holder in this, following that kind of, you know,
[50:44] at WC together with John and in our research institute to to complete some some desktop analyses,
[50:52] conducts a lot of assessments, I'm going to be down in the area the first week of August,
[50:56] and so that's an opportunity to complete some drop cameras on this site.
[51:00] Maybe I'm not on the week and bring down. We will draft out the permit application for the
[51:05] village, review and approval. We'll submit that to the only quarter of the years, and then if
[51:10] approved and we could look towards allocating some funding, coordinating with Monroe County,
[51:16] using utilizing a portion of that 2324 appropriation and then identify materials, solicit the
[51:24] vendor and complete the deployment. So that is the presentation that I have and I've got a little
[51:32] little video here to play to address any questions that there might be. Thank you for your time.
[51:40] Counseling by having any questions for Ron or the gentleman speaking.
[51:45] I do. Last time I think it was Mark brought up liability and John I talked to you about it.
[51:56] Let's just say if we hold the permit then if something happens a hurricane
[52:02] in the reef shifts and somebody something happens will be liable. Is that wrong, right? How does that work?
[52:12] I don't, I'm not sure. I have to see what the rights and obligations are as the permit holder.
[52:17] I haven't seen a copy of that. I know that when he was here before I had asked for them to reach out.
[52:23] I hadn't heard anything, so I don't have any additional information from the last presentation.
[52:28] But you address that with him?
[52:30] Certainly before any, if the village were to move forward,
[52:33] we would want to look into the rights and obligations
[52:35] to make sure to protect the village.
[52:39] Absolutely.
[52:39] Keith, you want to take that question.
[52:41] Yeah, and I can chime in a little bit in our experience.
[52:46] And according to the guidelines that we
[52:48] develop with the agencies, the greatest risk
[52:52] it occurs during the construction phase.
[52:54] And that is transferred to the, you know, through your, through contracting with the selected vendor to make sure the material is where it's supposed to be placed.
[53:05] Following all the permit requirements, which requires the domain analysis, and also, especially at this depth of water 300 feet, it's highly unlikely that any of those would move during during a storm event.
[53:19] So, Kate, does it, is there FWC overseeing this the whole time of installation or?
[53:28] Yes, we are here to assist as needed.
[53:32] You know, so if we are needed to be present to help oversee the contractor that we, you know, we will be there to help with that.
[53:42] However, we're also the goal of this $10 million appropriation
[53:46] to Monroe County is to help restart
[53:50] the County's Artificial Reprogram.
[53:52] So our expectation as we have with all of our other counties,
[53:56] 33 counties around the state of Florida,
[53:58] is that the county has the infrastructure
[54:03] to provide the oversight of the contractors' operations.
[54:08] Okay, thank you.
[54:11] I have a couple of questions, please.
[54:14] This could be for either Keith or for John.
[54:16] We had a group come to us a couple of years ago that wanted to sink a ship and they
[54:20] ask us for the same kind of a sponsorship or to sign off on the permit and the question
[54:25] of liability arose at that time.
[54:28] And that group offered that they had some sort of insurance and I believe it was through
[54:32] maybe Patty or now we are another scuba diving association.
[54:38] So I don't know if there's a sport-fishing or other-fishing association that may be able to offer some kind of insurance where we could be added on to your policy or however that, I'm just asking if there's a corresponding type of arrangement with your group.
[54:55] Right, this is a, this is a totally different project, first of all, so the risks deemed in a shallow water reef that you're talking about and divers and clearance are totally different.
[55:16] This is a project that would be an over 300 feet of water.
[55:21] So, I get that there probably won't be too many divers on that, but I'm just, you know,
[55:28] you never know hungry lawyers find a way to sue, and they're going to look for us because
[55:33] our name is on the permit, but if you learn of that, you can let us know.
[55:38] The other question I have is more of a science question.
[55:41] I am not a biologist, but I am a fisherman, and I've been fishing down here for over 50 years,
[55:47] And I've noticed the decline in the fishing and the numbers and the quality and everything.
[55:52] And so what concern I have is that you're reef, although, I mean, it's intended purposes
[55:58] to aggregate fish.
[55:59] So people can catch them and that supports tourism and supports sport fishing and we're the
[56:04] sport fishing capital of the world and I'm 100% in favor of all that.
[56:08] But as a biologist or as a fishery professional, I wanted to kind of know, is this structure
[56:16] going to draw the fish from existing areas and concentrate them and make it easier for them to
[56:22] be caught and if it does that's maybe it's okay maybe it's not but would it also provide
[56:28] some sort of a for lack of a better word bringing ground or nursery in other words if we put
[56:34] this out there is it going to result in an increase of fish or in a decrease because if it just
[56:39] makes them easier to catch and people slaughter them then I don't know if that's a good thing or
[56:46] I mean, the fish have to have a place to hide, and if we, you know, where I'm going with
[56:50] this?
[56:50] Yeah, can you address that?
[56:52] Definitely.
[56:52] At this depth, at this depth, mostly what we're going to be targeting is, is polegic species.
[56:59] Keith can probably speak more to data concerning the benefits of artificial reefs.
[57:04] And keep in mind, this is not a fad.
[57:07] Fads are a totally different device, a fish attracting device like a fad that moves into
[57:14] upper polygic volumes and then is attacked by, you know, maybe, like, a large industrial
[57:22] fishery or something is kind of a totally different thing that we're talking about.
[57:27] But if Keith wants to take, I don't know if you want to speak to the benefits of.
[57:33] Yeah, yeah, well, like I briefly briefly touched on in my presentation, you know, both the
[57:39] production and production are happening at the structure really depends on the species and their
[57:45] stage in life history. We have plenty of examples of deep water habitats. In fact, that was the
[57:52] actually that one example I gave up in South Carolina placed in 500 feet of water. You know, that's been
[57:58] successful in identifying, you know, they created some new spawning aggregations personally. So that is a perfect
[58:05] example where I think these depot or artificial reef can provide on the on the production side
[58:11] of the equation. But it's a continuum. You are going to have both. Now, there is going to be
[58:15] better catch per unit effort at these artificial reef locations that part of our objectives.
[58:21] That is also, you know, why we have very careful fisheries independent and fisheries deep
[58:28] and in monitoring in place so we can make adjustments to the bag and the size elements. And also,
[58:34] So, you know, we have other things that are improving
[58:42] and science and so on and other
[58:45] in technological advancements that we've had in recent years and
[58:55] we used to 30 years
[58:56] ago.
[58:57] So that, you know, all of those factors are part of this big equation of fisheries management
[59:03] and artificial reefs while they will be, you know, having some better increase to catch
[59:10] in an effort, there is that production side of the equation that you're not getting from
[59:17] advances in electronics, for example, that is that is a direct increase in the catch
[59:24] green and effort without having that production. So I'd like to think that we're creating
[59:29] permanent habitats out here and they are providing long-term ecological benefits, but this is
[59:35] not a replacement for careful fisheries management oversight.
[59:41] All right, that's all I have.
[59:42] Thank you.
[59:43] Thanks, Mark.
[59:43] Elizabeth, you were entering out of anything.
[59:47] You know, I have an opportunity to talk with Pete Fresno this afternoon,
[59:50] and I wonder if we could ask him to comment on this.
[59:52] He's quite eloquent and I would like to hear what he has to say about it
[59:56] when the time is right.
[1:00:00] So if that's a man-able.
[1:00:06] One reader.
[1:00:12] Good.
[1:00:13] Yeah, I would. I think you give a different perspective of the issue, which I think would be helpful.
[1:00:22] Sure, so good evening council. If this artificial reef is being proposed as a
[1:00:27] Marine protected area, specifically a no-take zone, I would be in full support of it. I think the village council
[1:00:33] should continue to pursue it. I think what it seems like where this reef would be an area
[1:00:39] where fish are targeted and harvested, I would not be in support of that. Now, I would recommend
[1:00:44] that the council not continue to pursue this. I think we should be advocating for measures
[1:00:49] that are conserved and enhanced are marine resources and I don't think this meets that criteria.
[1:00:55] I don't think there's enough evidence. I show that it's going to benefit our resources. That's my
[1:01:00] personal opinion on it. Can I speak to that? So in South Carolina, all of those, all of those
[1:01:10] reefs in recent years are made into something called SMZs and their special management zones,
[1:01:16] and that is actually the direction that safe would like to take this permit. And so it is very
[1:01:22] restrictive on what type of fishing is allowed within these special management zones.
[1:01:32] And South
[1:01:32] improving aggregations of species, but growing stock on these artificial reefs and
[1:01:40] and this allowing the use of gear or overfishing in these areas, but it's
[1:01:48] called an SMZ and it could be included in the permit application.
[1:01:53] Henry, go ahead.
[1:01:54] Just have one question.
[1:01:55] Within the last year, I met with I believe his name was Porter and lower
[1:02:01] And his suggestion was to use the light poles that are being abandoned and broken up for
[1:02:13] maybe artificial reef.
[1:02:15] Is that material conducive to that type of activity?
[1:02:20] I can answer that.
[1:02:22] So the county is actually taking possession of all those poles.
[1:02:26] They've budgeted a million dollars to pursue and develop artificial reefs.
[1:02:31] So all of those polls went to the county they're in the county's possession right now to further their program
[1:02:37] Okay, good because I mentioned to the DOT and I didn't think any
[1:02:42] Gravity suit of speak on behalf of this person who are met so it's being done with it or it's fit the Poles are gone
[1:02:51] The Poles are gone and the county has possession of so I just question I I'd we've talked before
[1:02:56] You talked to potentially about a barge. I don't know if that's changed now that the
[1:03:01] states a little bit more involved they're just you could share what you would be
[1:03:04] thinking out there yeah concrete and and metal barges is the direction of
[1:03:11] this particular site steel steel barges in concrete yeah
[1:03:20] so the county could use
[1:03:21] the material yeah we we have no involvement in that material whatsoever but
[1:03:26] I believe the county would probably have a purpose for it and some sort of use yeah
[1:03:30] Thank you. So, John, can you or Keith get with our with John Quick and get some information to him to where our Ted so we can decipher this and there can be you know a little bit of relationship there to go over this so we know our John can check out the liability and Ted is that possible if we could get a copy of the application and what eventually would the permit would look like and the kind of responsibility is any kind of additional information that you could
[1:04:00] provide us that I could get the Council would be great.
[1:04:04] Yes, absolutely.
[1:04:07] All right.
[1:04:08] I think Captain Ed, did you want to say something?
[1:04:18] I'm a record of Captain Davidson.
[1:04:21] I sat on the Reef Advisory Council to the South Atlantic National Fisheries Council
[1:04:26] for 17 years after the Magnus and Act was first established.
[1:04:30] For the first half dozen of those years, I jointly sat on the Advisory Panel
[1:04:36] for the Gulf, Atlantic Fisheries Council,
[1:04:41] played a strong hand in writing the brief management
[1:04:43] protective regulations from the Texas Mexican border
[1:04:49] to Virginia, have long familiarity with artificial reef projects,
[1:04:58] some of which can be beneficial, and some of which
[1:05:01] can be very controversial and I'm surprised to find myself saying that Commissioner Mark
[1:05:13] is absolutely correct and his concerns about them accidentally on foreseen should have
[1:05:20] been foreseen. They wind up concentrating fish that are scattered more thinly on the natural
[1:05:28] habitat and winding up being a very negative contribution
[1:05:33] to survival of the base stocks.
[1:05:40] The proponents have always argued that they're adding habitat
[1:05:44] and that algae grows on the rex.
[1:05:48] But the brutal fact is that we have empty niches in all
[1:05:51] of the natural habitat because everything that's
[1:05:54] animal was overharvested has been for years.
[1:05:59] So the Habitat argument isn't it.
[1:06:02] What is absolutely mandatory,
[1:06:06] which is referred to, and that is you have to regulate the
[1:06:10] area where you're going to sink the artificial stuff, whether it's a ship or boulders
[1:06:19] or broken cement light poles.
[1:06:20] Because if you don't, there are wire of fish traps, there are long lines, there are
[1:06:31] deep water trowels, there are all sorts of commercial fishing techniques and mechanisms
[1:06:36] that will not only overharvest the fish that are artificially concentrated, but also damaged
[1:06:43] the bottom habitat around the area.
[1:06:47] So, it's important for instance, not to put them too near the natural habitat because you're
[1:06:54] going to vacuuming the fish for entertainment purposes out of the more protective
[1:07:00] natural habitat where they belong.
[1:07:03] So you have to be really careful, it's not a magic apple pie kind of a thing.
[1:07:08] There are a lot of serious considerations, particularly in the Florida case, because the rest
[1:07:14] So the shoreline of North America is mostly heart bottom, and a rock out crops, and that's
[1:07:20] sort of thing.
[1:07:21] Here we have living reef, tropical reef, that came up into Gulf Stream, from Central
[1:07:27] America and the Caribbean.
[1:07:29] It's a lot more sensitive.
[1:07:32] There's only a 10 degree basically temperature survival range for tropical corals.
[1:07:36] It can't stand a lot of extra stress, in addition to what's going on with the environment,
[1:07:41] global warming, ocean acidification, all of those.
[1:07:45] Captain, can you wrap it up, please, so we have others,
[1:07:48] we've got a lot of stuff going on here.
[1:07:50] And basically, you have to be really, really careful
[1:07:52] where you cite these because all the natural
[1:07:56] based stocks can only stand so much predation
[1:07:59] from the natural predators and the natural environment
[1:08:05] and the Budweiser hominids.
[1:08:08] All right, thank you.
[1:08:09] So, John, you and Keith, we'll get back to our attorney, please, or Ted, please follow up with him.
[1:08:17] Yep. I couldn't agree with him more, and I think that's why the location is absolutely essential outside the boundary where it is.
[1:08:24] And making this an SMZ would be critical as well. And yes, we can get with more information where you guys, thank you very much.
[1:08:29] Thank you for your time. Okay, so we're going to move on here to, we're going to open general public comment.
[1:08:37] So, Marty, do we have somebody signed up for General Public comment?
[1:08:42] Yes, we have quite a list of folks.
[1:08:45] It'll be next.
[1:08:47] Coming next.
[1:08:51] All right.
[1:08:51] The first few speakers would be TJ Wilicker, followed by Jay Ferris, followed by Dave Galen,
[1:08:58] and then I can update as they get down.
[1:09:01] This is for any just that words, they're not tabs that we're going to have public comment on.
[1:09:08] All right, so this is general public comment. If it's about a tab or something we're gonna talk about, then you need to wait until that comes up
[1:09:17] All right, all right, Marty
[1:09:20] So first up would be TJ Wiliker, Jay Ferris, and Dave Gailin
[1:09:29] What's it?
[1:09:30] It just it was a little yeah, yeah
[1:09:37] Ted, can you get Terry see if we can make it a cooler?
[1:09:42] Okay, young man. All right, thank you
[1:09:46] G. J. Wellaker. I'm a lifelong fisherman and from most of the people that you'll probably
[1:09:51] hear from the next time not originally from here. But I've been a professional fisherman for
[1:09:57] about two years or so. And then fortunately I went through a crash in the Great Lakes
[1:10:03] with a mismatch fishery that collapsed and destroyed entire towns. And we all know that
[1:10:15] not live here. And I am in full support of the Artificial
[1:10:22] Reprogram Building Habitat and policing it to the extent where we're not
[1:10:30] just killing fish like Peter spoke about. We're not here to kill fish, but we're
[1:10:34] creating environment. We're creating a sustainable fishery, hook in line, and
[1:10:41] creating the longevity of Alamurata, why people come here.
[1:10:47] That's the reason.
[1:10:47] I'm here.
[1:10:48] That's the reason that a lot of people come here to come fishing.
[1:10:52] You spoke about how long that you've fished here as well.
[1:10:56] Unfortunately, we have a couple of fisheries that are suffering greatly.
[1:11:01] And unless something's done to help other fisheries, there's going to be a significant problem.
[1:11:06] So I'll just keep every if and I'm in tell support of the Artificial Reprogram.
[1:11:12] Thank you.
[1:11:12] Thank you.
[1:11:15] Next up, Jay first.
[1:11:23] Hello everybody.
[1:11:26] Jay friends, I own ASAP Marine construction.
[1:11:29] I've been talking with John for quite a while trying to work on the logistics of moving material out there.
[1:11:35] Getting a place where it's supposed to be.
[1:11:38] I'm in full support of it.
[1:11:39] Once the science and the legalities are figured out.
[1:11:42] If we can get some some more direction on what we're taking out there and how we're getting it out there
[1:11:48] Then I'd like to participate in it all for my services anybody has any questions on
[1:11:54] How or what we're gonna do feel free to call me. I have three yards one in the village one in tab and here and one in key largo where we can
[1:12:03] Store stuff bring stuff in
[1:12:05] Save it crush it deal with it make it compatible to be put out so anything I can do
[1:12:12] Colin asks me, we'll figure it out.
[1:12:15] Thank you, Jay.
[1:12:19] Dave Gailer?
[1:12:20] Yes, ma'am, Dave Gailer.
[1:12:21] I own KK4 Charters at Wilharb Arena.
[1:12:27] I'm in full support of this artificial reef program.
[1:12:30] As long as everything is getting done, the way it should be done, everything is checked out.
[1:12:34] It's proper placing and the fishing that gets done there is proper.
[1:12:39] It's not over-fished, illegally-fished.
[1:12:43] Fish Trouts have been banned for years, long lines are banned and highly regulated and I'm
[1:12:51] in full support of that I hope you guys will hold permit and be really awesome to have
[1:12:54] another place to fish.
[1:12:56] Thank you.
[1:12:57] Thank you.
[1:12:58] Who's next money?
[1:13:00] Joey's balding?
[1:13:09] My name is Joey's balding.
[1:13:10] I'm a local down here.
[1:13:11] I'm born and raised down here.
[1:13:12] I'm a third generation captain.
[1:13:14] I run the legacy out of postcard in.
[1:13:16] I believe this is an awesome opportunity for us.
[1:13:19] you know, as long as the, you know, it is regulated, how we fish it, but um, you know,
[1:13:26] there's, there's a lot of benefits that can come from this artificial, um, artificial
[1:13:30] reprogram, I think, um, and having the opportunity to have the first shot at it, you know,
[1:13:37] before it gets to the, you know, Monroe County, and you know, I think this is just a great
[1:13:43] opportunity. There's a lot of different types of fishing, you know, we have our highly
[1:13:47] migratory species, you know, even if it was fished around and you could cut sale fish off of it
[1:13:53] and release, you know, that's catch and release, you know, a lot of the fishing we do too is catch and release,
[1:13:58] you know, I do believe in conservation. I believe that things should be properly managed.
[1:14:05] I just, I'm in full support of this and I hope that we can move in the right direction with this program. Thank you.
[1:14:11] Thank you.
[1:14:14] Morning.
[1:14:14] Who's next?
[1:14:15] John Reynolds is also signed up to speak on this, so I don't know if he wants to speak
[1:14:20] as a citizen or not.
[1:14:23] Okay.
[1:14:24] Okay.
[1:14:25] This is John.
[1:14:26] Kyle is also signed up.
[1:14:28] Carlos G.
[1:14:28] But I believe he has spoke already.
[1:14:30] Okay.
[1:14:30] So next up is Sandy Besec.
[1:14:35] Okay.
[1:14:36] So Sandy, say hello.
[1:14:37] So that's.
[1:14:39] That's.
[1:14:39] Okay.
[1:14:40] Are that said?
[1:14:41] Next up.
[1:14:42] No.
[1:14:42] No.
[1:14:45] general public
[1:14:51] comment hi Sandy basically a 40-year full-time property owner and Alan
[1:15:00] I'm here to advocate for you all to please put the breaks on the many expensive and impactful changes currently under consideration for founders and all of our parks until a master plan is vetted by the full Islanderada community.
[1:15:13] The Parks and Recs Committee charged with hearing such proposals meets only four times a year for a grand total of seven hours a year.
[1:15:21] Their meetings are not televised to inform the full community live, yet they are expected to deal with proposals that impact easily
[1:15:29] hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-supported parks.
[1:15:33] Changes mostly benefiting tourists and often
[1:15:36] favoring part-time residents and elite interest
[1:15:38] without the full input of all island-rounded taxpayers.
[1:15:42] And June 13th, I attended the Parks and Recs meeting
[1:15:44] as I almost always do it was called an emergency meeting
[1:15:47] by the Village Manager to process requests
[1:15:50] a group of pickleball advocates, attendees,
[1:15:53] who clearly wish to promote major tournament venues,
[1:15:56] which would require a large number of new courts
[1:15:58] to be constructed in Founders Park by Residence taxpayers.
[1:16:02] When asked by the committee, why can't they simply drive to Key Largo, where 20 courts
[1:16:06] are being currently built, one at the podium actually stated that the drive from I'm not
[1:16:11] at the Key Largo was not seeing it enough.
[1:16:14] This is not an emergency, but it is now, because the pickleball group wants many more courts
[1:16:20] to be built, which would infringe on Founders Park Green Space, including moving the boulders
[1:16:24] on the great lawn to create new parking spots,
[1:16:28] provide for treatment levels of participants,
[1:16:30] their suggestion.
[1:16:32] The tennis folks presence stated they would prefer not
[1:16:35] to share space with the picclers, though multi-use markings
[1:16:38] are easy to arrange.
[1:16:40] Additionally, the current village manager,
[1:16:42] who also attended this meeting, has stated
[1:16:44] it's one of his priorities to build new village government
[1:16:47] buildings inside Founders Park with a large community
[1:16:50] hearing room and individual offices for each council member,
[1:16:53] even though they can perform their administrative duties from home.
[1:16:59] And if larger space is needed for certain occasion when meetings,
[1:17:02] Coral Shore's high school is very experienced and skilled at live TV broadcast
[1:17:07] Dean of School Board meetings.
[1:17:09] So there's no clear justification for this.
[1:17:11] And there has been no explanatory public hearings for constructing new major government buildings
[1:17:18] that great taxpayer expense and certainly not an environmentally sensitive, beautifully
[1:17:23] forested areas as Founders Park, like the rumored location on the hill where there are many
[1:17:29] native trees that should not be cut down, not a single one of them. Clearly, a pause in all
[1:17:34] parks development should be authorized by the Village Council until there is a comprehensive
[1:17:39] master plan draft that has been shared transparently and commented upon and agreed to the
[1:17:45] taxpayer owners of what should remain primarily a family-nature-oriented park. Lastly, the Parks
[1:17:53] and Records Committee should meet monthly and be televised while discussing the format
[1:17:58] for the obviously-needed community-endorous, comprehensive master plan for Founders Park and all
[1:18:04] of that.
[1:18:04] Thank you.
[1:18:06] Mayor, could I just clear the record real quick?
[1:18:09] There's so much incorrect in that presentation.
[1:18:14] So all of our parks and rec meetings are assumed.
[1:18:17] So we have a lot of participants that actually participate
[1:18:20] by Zoom so they all are all out there for public viewing.
[1:18:27] This conversation has been gone on well before me
[1:18:29] as it relates to the growth of the Pickable All Group and Almerada.
[1:18:33] So this project has been before parks and rec before and has come back a couple of times
[1:18:39] and that was a purpose of the meeting because there's continues to grow and there's continued
[1:18:43] to be pursued by Parks and Rec. So it's not designed to be a tournament venue. The level
[1:18:50] of courts, I believe someone mentioned at the meeting that you could host a local tournament
[1:18:55] if you wanted to, as it relates to construction of, I did not say that we were going to build
[1:19:01] individual offices for council. However, if that's something you want, we can talk about it,
[1:19:05] but that was not brought up that evening. What we did is talk conceptually about
[1:19:08] the project of a public work facility in council chambers on property that is not currently active
[1:19:15] recreation area. So I just I just wanted to correct that because it was okay.
[1:19:21] And Ted I will say listen I've had people knock on my door there's I see a gentleman sitting out here asking about
[1:19:28] two years ago. So anyways, anybody, anybody else smarty for general public comment?
[1:19:37] Yes, next up, Ben Kiddner. Okay. How many more after him, Bernie?
[1:19:47] For general.
[1:19:49] Six. Okay. Okay, Ben.
[1:19:53] Good evening, Castle. I'm Ben Kiddner. And I'm holding in my hand.
[1:19:58] Twenty-seven emails on Marty McGrath's stationary that were texted in support of Mr. Yates.
[1:20:13] And they comprise a large amount of the building and development faction of Islanderada as well as a lot of the wealthy landowners who really like Mr. Yates and think he's the best thing since peanut butter.
[1:20:27] And I have to differ with that.
[1:20:32] I'm afraid because we will discuss later in the meeting,
[1:20:38] the overruns from payage excavating contracts,
[1:20:42] which have stretched into $4 million,
[1:20:46] which shows that they were improperly supervised and managed.
[1:20:51] And that's from the public works department and the finance department.
[1:20:56] with this never broke into the public spear until such time as, you know, within the last few months.
[1:21:07] And to me, that's a side of mismanagement.
[1:21:12] And Mr. Yates has been since his inception, a source of dissension in the staff
[1:21:20] because for one thing, when you fire somebody with the incredible impeccable credentials of
[1:21:27] Dan Galizio, who is doing a sterling job for 18 months, without so much as an explanation,
[1:21:33] just an arbitrary and capricious dismissal, which casts darkness on his reputation.
[1:21:41] I don't see that as being a good managerial procedure.
[1:21:45] And I don't see having these employees of the village subjected to the fear of having this
[1:22:00] kind of bias on the diets, because for example, Mr. Greg is wearing on his chest there,
[1:22:07] the Ted team Ted. Okay, so team Ted, you know, team Ted paid for these 27 things to be put out here
[1:22:16] by the attorney right before the meeting. Okay, so the, you know, it's pretty obvious to anyone that's
[1:22:22] looking the fix is in. I mean, he's got heavy support from the bias on the diets. And, and I'm just saying that
[1:22:30] The consideration of the, he has closed off every way he possibly can, the, the ability of the public to interact with the village staff.
[1:22:45] And the village staff are scared of being fired if they don't fall in with the bias on the dice.
[1:22:51] And you know, this is, I'm not making this stuff up.
[1:22:56] No, I'm really, I'm really not.
[1:22:58] Excuse me. We have other people that are going to talk. I need to let them have their turns.
[1:23:02] Excuse me. Yes, sir. Okay, fine. Thank you very much before who's coming up next,
[1:23:06] Marty?
[1:23:07] K-Craft. Okay. Before before the next person comes up, I have this email that VAM was just talking about.
[1:23:13] I want to public to see this is Mr. Barnaby Rich. Barnaby Rich is a resident here, and Barnaby is not a contractor.
[1:23:22] I want people to know Barnaby Rich.
[1:23:25] Bob Rich lives here in Alamurada, okay, so that's my first email when Van said that I looked at the email
[1:23:32] Barnaby is not a developer, okay, he's he's a he's a resident here, and he's supported the Coral Shore's high school
[1:23:40] Excuse me, van, excuse me. I have no no sit down. I'm not sit down. I also mentioned sort of that there were a number of wealthy
[1:23:48] okay
[1:23:49] residents that we're in here too. So don't just don't try to
[1:23:53] obviously escape the city out of here. Mr. I just want to let the public know that Barnaby
[1:23:58] Rich has helped coach Rich Russell at the high school for many years with a cross. Barnaby
[1:24:04] is a very giving young man. Okay. So that's where this email. There is other people. Wayne Porter
[1:24:13] I saw earlier this afternoon. Wayne and Tina have been here for 40 years. Okay. Island Community
[1:24:18] church. Alright Wayne runs the worship there so anyways let's move on with the next
[1:24:24] public general public comment please. Jake Roth.
[1:24:31] Yeah good evening Captain Jake Roth. I'm
[1:24:36] like eight year captain down here and just in the last eight years I definitely
[1:24:39] noticed a decrease in the fishing sadly some of them are doing better than
[1:24:44] others some are obviously struggling. But in regards to the refroject that we're
[1:24:50] A lot of us are going to be a catching release fishery, potentially sale fish.
[1:24:56] Obviously, we're going to take the pelagic fish, like two nodes in Kingfish and that stuff.
[1:25:01] Another side of this is, if we lose this ability to control these permits, excuse me, permits,
[1:25:08] we could potentially not have the ability to manage this zone.
[1:25:12] If it goes to the county and it gets dispersed wherever, we don't have a saying where it goes or what happens with it.
[1:25:19] that might be something to think about. We could potentially say this is going to be regulated on
[1:25:24] our terms because we're picking the spot where we might not have that choice if the county says
[1:25:30] we're going to put it in your backyard and it's just going to happen and you don't really get to say
[1:25:34] in it. So something to think about. Thank you very much for your time. Everybody that's came up
[1:25:40] about that. Who's next, Marty? Thank you, Flair.
[1:25:50] 60 seconds of good stuff. Not bad at all. Okay,
[1:25:54] They frankly are representing the Upper Keys Rotary Club just wanted to give you a quick
[1:25:58] report on the Fourth of July.
[1:25:59] The Fourth of July event here at Founders Park went off very well beautifully, one of
[1:26:05] the main reasons was because of Maria and her staff.
[1:26:09] They did a great job, tremendous amount of work,
[1:26:17] can't say enough about them.
[1:26:18] The Upper Keys Rotary Club in cooperation with the village of Al Marada and some sponsorship
[1:26:23] ship from the airport authority, puts together the 4th of July event for the Village of
[1:26:31] Almyrata, and this year we ran out of parking, we did not run out of rum punch, that
[1:26:37] went okay.
[1:26:39] And otherwise it was a very, very good event, the staff did a beautiful job for us.
[1:26:45] The Upper Keys Roadary Club, I got to come back to the village in early November and help
[1:26:49] sponsored here. So we'll be working with you for the same kind of thing then. So thank you very much for the
[1:26:57] cooperation of your staff. They did a great job and we'll see you in November.
[1:27:01] Thank you, Frank.
[1:27:07] Bernie who's next?
[1:27:13] Jordan Eddinger. Jordan?
[1:27:22] Okay.
[1:27:25] Somebody want to grab these
[1:27:26] was he Walter Walker Stanley? Walter Stanley in here
[1:27:35] who's next? Tony Young.
[1:27:42] Well, everyone I think
[1:27:42] They're just right outside, but I'll go ahead.
[1:27:44] My name's Tony Young, a business owner here in Alamara,
[1:27:47] for every young charter company.
[1:27:49] I think I can bring an interesting perspective
[1:27:50] on the Artificial Reef Program, first off,
[1:27:53] I'm in full support of it.
[1:27:54] My company specializes in charter fishing
[1:27:56] and also spearfishing and diving.
[1:27:59] It's been a long time since we've had an Artificial Reef
[1:28:01] put down.
[1:28:02] I think this is a huge opportunity for Alamara
[1:28:04] to be the permanent holder being controlled as project
[1:28:06] and really do something great for our community here.
[1:28:10] When we talk about the marine species
[1:28:12] and the management of a fishery, just to isolate one of the particular would be a group of species
[1:28:17] black group. On the diving side, a lot of these species are closed during their spawning time.
[1:28:23] And we see that on the eagle, they're doing the bibs, some of our large artificial reefs that
[1:28:27] use fish spawn in large numbers that may have not congregated there before. So this would be an
[1:28:32] opportunity for another artificial reef to provide a spawning ground for fisheries that are,
[1:28:42] you
[1:28:42] said it's out of the realms of a lot of bonnet fishing and it would be a mainly catching release
[1:28:46] fishery so I'm in full support of it I think it's a great opportunity for Alamarata
[1:28:50] and I really appreciate you all this time thank you guys you know man hey can you tell
[1:28:54] those your friends outside did whoever we'll send we'll send him in he said he's not
[1:28:59] up oh he's not all right who's next marney
[1:29:02] Joe Wishmire and I think Andy Newman said he wanted to say something to you so
[1:29:09] Joe Wishmire, Plantation Key. Mr. Mayor and Council, well, here we go again with all the
[1:29:16] talk about keeping meeting shorter and more manageable, so decisions made by Council
[1:29:20] on important items happen before late hours. Some, at midnight, when everyone is tired and
[1:29:26] worn out. Tonight's meeting starts with one presentation, three committee reports, then
[1:29:32] a tarny manager, communications, which includes items like update on the fills and a comprehensive
[1:29:38] plan amendment, which is so important it should be on the agenda where a public comment
[1:29:44] is done. Then there are 19 tabs to be discussed. Do you think that that meeting will
[1:29:49] conclude before midnight? Tab 16 and 17 regulating a mending administrative relief and
[1:29:57] a touring on V-Pass, which has not been heard by the
[1:30:00] Yolpiae, I don't believe, are at the end of the meeting when council members in public are, again, tired, worn out, and hungry.
[1:30:08] The agenda packet is 472 pages long. As a resident of Islam Rata, I don't get access to that information until it is posted Friday afternoon before the meeting on Thursday. Not much time to decipher all that information.
[1:30:23] I remember when Mayor Pinder would not hear an agenda item regarding floor area ratio, which
[1:30:29] was presented by our fire planning director, Dan Glizio, to help control development because
[1:30:35] he did not find out about it until his packet came out, well, just like the rest of us.
[1:30:40] With talk in the past about adding more counsel meetings and even special call meetings,
[1:30:45] you feel that pickleball courts are important enough to warrant a special call meeting, yet
[1:30:50] tonight, we get another marathon meeting. I would hope you as council would reconsider your priorities
[1:30:56] and use everyone's time more efficiently. We all know how crazy many seasons is. You even
[1:31:03] have scheduled a council meeting for the second day during many season. Really? And here it is 7 o'clock
[1:31:10] and we're still on public comments so we know how long the meeting will go. Thank you. Thank you very
[1:31:19] down Richard.
[1:31:22] I'll keep this very brief because it's been spoken on a bunch tonight.
[1:31:25] It's about the Artificial Reef Project.
[1:31:27] I'm sorry, Richard Black, I'm running.
[1:31:30] I just wanted to mention a couple of things.
[1:31:32] One, QS has several of these Artificial Reefs in near proximity
[1:31:36] of major spawning aggregation sites.
[1:31:38] And does it pull away from those major spawning aggregation sites?
[1:31:42] And in fact, spreads out people from fishing that one spawning
[1:31:45] and gives them more options to fish. So that's something to think about when putting a deep water wreck.
[1:31:51] The other thing, Jake, also had mentioned earlier, if you guys don't take this permit, you can bet the county will take it.
[1:31:59] And if they take it, you will have no control over that, and we can have another eagle site or another near shore reef site that really doesn't help what we really need.
[1:32:08] So a couple things to think about. Thank you.
[1:32:10] Thank you, Richard. Marny, anybody else?
[1:32:16] I don't have any hands raised on Zoom, and I don't have anyone else specifically signed up to speak right now.
[1:32:22] Okay, Andy, did you want to say something before we close it?
[1:32:32] Okay.
[1:32:34] Well, if you're going to speak, yes, but if, okay, thank you.
[1:32:37] So with that being said, public comment is now, general public comment is closed.
[1:32:42] All right.
[1:32:43] Let's move on.
[1:32:45] So Diane, can you please come forward and give us your report, Young Lady?
[1:32:49] Yes, sir.
[1:32:49] I can.
[1:32:49] Thank you. I'm Diane Harboy. I'm the chairperson for the near shore citizens advisory committee for the near shore water.
[1:32:58] I just want to give you a little update on what we're up to and what's happening. The committee heard from staff updates. I'm the Papa Joe's bud and Mary's idle speed.
[1:33:06] No wake zone. We are happy to report that the permit approvals are moving forward and I was informed yesterday. We actually got our army core.
[1:33:14] So we are going to have all of the no-wake idle speed markers before Papa Joe's opens.
[1:33:23] So I want to give a big shout out to everybody on that committee because they had the foresight to start early enough to make that happen.
[1:33:31] And a special thank you to Pete.
[1:33:34] He's bad at it.
[1:33:36] He's bad man.
[1:33:36] He gets it.
[1:33:38] So Pete, you're awesome.
[1:33:39] Thank you.
[1:33:40] All right, the committee continues to monitor the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary rule making.
[1:33:46] We are particularly interested in the newly formed Marine Booye working group,
[1:33:52] and how that committee and the village can participate with this group to achieve shared,
[1:33:58] signage, and enforcement goals. The committee heard updates from the White Marlin Beach
[1:34:03] vessel exclusion zone and supports the current plan and will continue to support the homeowners
[1:34:09] as well as a village to address the ongoing public safety issues in this location.
[1:34:17] The committee discussed the public safety issues at Tavanere Creek that we are seeing, Council
[1:34:22] Support to Draft, and pass a resolution directed to the state, supporting the extension
[1:34:28] of the no-wag zone in Tavanere Creek to the mouth of the creek on the bay side, at the end
[1:34:36] the tree line. There's so many paddle borders and everything in there now and bigger
[1:34:41] faster boats. We all know about the blind corner. So we would like to work with the village
[1:34:47] to pass the resolution to the state. This resolution should be coordinated concurrently
[1:34:53] with Monroe County, giving their shared jurisdiction over tab near Creek.
[1:34:59] The committee heard public comment regarding the no-wake zone at the south end of
[1:35:03] harbor. This is the, if you go out, we'll harbor channel from the base side. You
[1:35:08] hang a right, and you go by whale harbor, Marina. This is what we were
[1:35:12] talking about. Given the lack of visible signage, there are ongoing
[1:35:17] violations that pose threats to boaters and the local captains, because they get
[1:35:22] on-plane as soon as they hang a right. Some of those boats are like face towards
[1:35:27] postcard in. They're fairly shallow. They get bounced on the bottom,
[1:35:31] Prop Damage all kinds of stuff so committee members are reaching out to whale harbour to discuss the possibility of placement of no-wake zone signage on the whale harbour property and seek council support to reach out to F. dot regarding placement of potential signs on their property
[1:35:51] The committee is asking the village to authorize funds for additional signage at this location,
[1:35:58] and no way signage in both directions at the first-screen marker as you go out towards the ocean.
[1:36:05] So we're asking for funding for that.
[1:36:08] The committee received an update from the Sheriff's Department,
[1:36:11] and was thrilled to hear about the increased activity related to removal of derelict vessels.
[1:36:17] The committee continues to support the extended hours and staffing for patrol on the water.
[1:36:26] And that concludes my formal report.
[1:36:28] I do want to speak for one second to what Sharon spoke to earlier.
[1:36:32] The guys association did come to the near shore water committee about utilizing the ramp.
[1:36:38] And at that time whoever had run it before,
[1:36:42] basically shut us down and said no, we don't want to bring it back, they didn't want
[1:36:49] the commercial activity on the property at the marina, and they were concerned about
[1:36:54] the parking. For not just those captains and their trailers, but for their clients
[1:36:59] that they might be picking up here. So I'm just telling you what I know from what we
[1:37:04] went through. I will say that Ken, Mr. Gay tier, he had some out-of-the-box great ideas
[1:37:11] about possibly some of the places that where the village is buying up some properties like maybe like
[1:37:17] down there by care via the blackwater, that's buying some of that property so that they could utilize
[1:37:23] that ramp already existing, parked or trucks and cars and stuff there. So he's an out of the box
[1:37:29] thinker and I think he cares about our community and I'd like to say thank you. And that's my report.
[1:37:34] And let's cancel out any questions.
[1:37:37] Yeah, I have some questions.
[1:37:38] So thank you Diane, that's as usual, a great report.
[1:37:42] So I know I asked this at a prior meeting
[1:37:43] and we discussed it a little bit.
[1:37:45] But if I could, is it possible for us to get a copy of this?
[1:37:50] No, it's not in the packet, but it would be helpful
[1:37:54] because you just asked us to do five things.
[1:37:58] And they're important.
[1:37:59] And I don't know how we would follow it.
[1:38:00] What's the procedure for following up on those requests?
[1:38:03] Right.
[1:38:04] I know we talked about this yesterday.
[1:38:07] It's not been practiced for formal reports to be, you know, turned into and then put
[1:38:13] in part of Council Packers, but I'm happy to work with our committees.
[1:38:19] I know there's a lot of changes from we go on with committees, as it relates to Council Attendants
[1:38:24] and Potential Reporting, but we can definitely work on that to get that in part of the
[1:38:34] I mean, I actually, I can't remember the first thing that you asked for us to do and you just said it.
[1:38:40] So, um, can, are you an agreement that it would be helpful?
[1:38:43] And they have to write something anyway, so it would be a submission, can we agree on that?
[1:38:47] Okay, but now, um, can we talk for a second about, follow through on the request that she made?
[1:38:54] How does that, what does that look like?
[1:38:56] If you could send me the request that, it, it, it came out of your report.
[1:39:00] I'd be happy to get those to Council and then we can look at ways to how to expedite, you know,
[1:39:06] and discuss how to be this happened.
[1:39:09] And discuss how to get those things done.
[1:39:11] Yeah, I think you guys do great work and they're important.
[1:39:14] It's all very important and I'd like to support those requests formally.
[1:39:20] And I think as the changes in committee that, you know, part of that legislation because I have a council representative
[1:39:25] and that's going to be real important because I think there's a lot of dialogue that goes on in that committee
[1:39:30] that it would be great for Council to hear firsthand versus I know rushed kind of summary report.
[1:39:37] There's there's a lot of interaction that goes on in the meetings that I think would be great
[1:39:43] for Council to attend and then and then and then also then you've got a Council person that can
[1:39:47] help relay what that directed from that committee is. Right and we had discussed that in the past
[1:39:53] and I know Henry came to one of our meetings and we thank you for that and you know we'd love to see
[1:39:57] council member attend all of the advisory committee meetings to have a better idea of, you
[1:40:02] know, not all of you at one, but you know, yeah, like you don't have anything else to do.
[1:40:09] So I'd like to see that too.
[1:40:11] All right.
[1:40:11] So Ted, we're going to handle that.
[1:40:12] Thank you.
[1:40:13] Thank you.
[1:40:15] Ms. Carolyn Whiteman, can you please come forward,
[1:40:21] Arson Ratt?
[1:40:24] I'm Carolyn Whiteman with Parks and Rec Committee and I'm here to report on just
[1:40:28] to clarify something, the special call meeting was not as extensive as is being reported.
[1:40:36] The special call meeting was designed to support the decision about how to finish the tennis
[1:40:45] courts because there had already been a tennis courts or designed to be, they're supposed
[1:40:51] to be redone at the end, I believe, of July.
[1:40:55] And so the special call meeting was specifically for the question of how those five courts would be aligned.
[1:41:04] And whether possibly one of the courts might be a multi-use for combination of pickleball and tennis.
[1:41:12] So that's the only purpose for this special call meeting.
[1:41:16] I'll say on the side, I personally have no objection and would agree that it would be helpful if the committee
[1:41:24] is part of an overall planning group because obviously how other areas of the park are being
[1:41:33] used, having an overall plan obviously makes sense. But just to clarify this meeting must
[1:41:39] specifically about one issue and it was designed for that because of the tennis. So we have
[1:41:46] the first thing we did was we wanted to hear about the tennis program because there was a question
[1:41:52] about whether one of the courts might be utilized for pickleball.
[1:41:55] We heard from the tennis group, and they have a very active program.
[1:42:00] Both of the tennis pros, for some of you may remember, we've had tennis courts down there
[1:42:05] for ever, and there have been times when there were no court, no programs at all.
[1:42:10] We have two very active tennis programs and pros that are multi-generational.
[1:42:16] And so the first part of the decision by the committee or recommendations was that the tennis program
[1:42:23] be left as is and the reason for that is the possibility of redoing a fifth court,
[1:42:30] the fifth tennis court would involve as they were resurfacing, it would involve putting four
[1:42:36] different sets of pickleball courts, lots of lines, movable nets, and probably most of all a scheduling
[1:42:45] issue as to who has the right to utilize those courts. So the decision was made in conjunction
[1:42:52] with both the pros and in this case Susie is both a tennis professional and also a pickleball
[1:42:59] professional. So we wanted to have their advice as their recommendation. So the first thing that
[1:43:05] was the recommendation of the committee was to leave the five courts as they are. They will be
[1:43:11] surfaced, I believe, the end of this month after the summer programs are over.
[1:43:16] That then brought us to the question from the Pickleball people about, well, okay, what
[1:43:20] are you going to do about us now?
[1:43:22] And so obviously, despite all of the claims of, you know, let's take over the whole great
[1:43:28] law and all the rest of that, it's very clear, first of all, yes, an overall program would
[1:43:34] certainly an overall plan for the park would also be helpful, but it's very clear there
[1:43:42] is not much for them to do very much.
[1:43:45] So the recommendation or suggestion by various people talking was to explore the possibility
[1:43:53] and to refer to the manager was with us for the meeting and to refer to the manager and
[1:44:02] staff, the possibility of exploring whether there might be a place to put some courts back here
[1:44:10] where the public works has a lot of stuff and there's parking and so on. That obviously
[1:44:17] makes some juggling about parking and finance and all the rest of that. So this was referred
[1:44:25] and deferred to conversation. And I think the manager has an update on that. What that brought
[1:44:32] then is okay if there's going to be room over there then you're going to use public work so
[1:44:39] where public works is going to go which brought up the conversation of the possibility that
[1:44:45] there is building possibilities and we know nothing specifically about that of whether public
[1:44:51] works might move over into an example chamber and so on but what I'm going to say from our committee
[1:44:57] report is the only top.
[1:45:00] Bake that we were focused on was the resurfacing of the tennis courts. And what came from that then was the recommendation for staff and the manager to explore the possibilities of possibly realigning a few more pickled more courts here on this property.
[1:45:19] So let me stop and ask if there are any questions and then I'd like for the manager to take over for the next step.
[1:45:28] Are there any questions on that?
[1:45:32] Mark, any questions?
[1:45:33] Do you have Sharon?
[1:45:35] Then looks like it currently.
[1:45:37] Okay.
[1:45:38] So maybe I can ask Ted.
[1:45:41] Just Ted was there and he's got the next chapter.
[1:45:43] Just briefly, the committee opened up discussing options within using one of our existing tennis courts.
[1:45:50] And then that pivoted, one of the members of Parks and Rec remembered there was the committee had explored expanding our current area.
[1:45:58] So that resurfacing and the dialogue kind of steer toward expanding our current area.
[1:46:05] So that was their recommendation to look at.
[1:46:07] I've been very cautious about building additional courts somewhere.
[1:46:13] I think it takes away from the beauty and a lot of the park settings that we have here.
[1:46:17] I would be, you know, in support of expanding our current area, but you have parking issues and other issues.
[1:46:23] So, we did meet with an engineering firm that we've worked with K2 design.
[1:46:27] They've not been engaged, there's no contract that was going to bring it tonight.
[1:46:31] They've quoted approximately $19,000 to do a site plan, lay it out, and then a cost estimate that can be brought back to Council.
[1:46:39] So, we're happy to move forward and explore that if that's okay with Council.
[1:46:44] if not I understand also and you know that's kind of where the whole meeting was you
[1:46:49] know around
[1:46:52] council and that also brings up the question of what would there be for an
[1:47:02] overall plan for the for the park because many of us remember when the park didn't exist
[1:47:09] and people thought it was a stupid idea to have it and now we've got so many people
[1:47:13] morning so many bits of spaces including oh why don't we put pickle ball in the great lawn well
[1:47:18] you know as Frank said we were all here on the 4th of July and there was no place the great lawn is you know
[1:47:25] the great lawn is the great lawn and the only reason the parks and wreck facility or the public
[1:47:31] work facility and council chambers came up is at long-term as we look at additional parking needs here
[1:47:37] Um, if, if AJ's, you know, shed city where he operates out of is relocated, there's ample parking
[1:47:45] on that side that could help for tennis, it could help for pick a block, it could help for
[1:47:49] a sporting events on our field.
[1:47:51] So that was the only reason that that was brought up during that meeting.
[1:47:54] So Ted, what you were talking about when Carol and stuff, can you bring that back to sit
[1:47:58] the next meeting, something with your, what you're talking about to where, so, so for sake
[1:48:02] time we can yeah I can bring I can bring the estimate and quote to counsel it's
[1:48:07] time yeah more and for me it's under the authority but I'm happy to bring it and
[1:48:11] put it on the agenda just follow up with that because we just talked about a number
[1:48:16] of items that need to be planned and so the planning issue is beyond what are we doing
[1:48:24] with this park it's it's a big issue so could we request I guess we were asking
[1:48:32] at the next meeting for you to bring back something that is more comprehensive than just looking
[1:48:37] at the park. Because if we're talking about needing more space for AJ and we all, we've known
[1:48:42] this because we know his, they have, they have needs up and down the community that, it's a bigger
[1:48:49] conversation than just what are we doing with pickleball courts and this park. I mean, especially
[1:48:53] things we're talking about, more trailer needs, trailer space for a ramp, and this is a larger
[1:48:59] conference. So, the request would be to bring something back that is encompasses the park
[1:49:05] and village.
[1:49:06] Kurt, all right. Okay, Caroline, is that it?
[1:49:10] That's, that's, that's, it was a single solo topic for us.
[1:49:14] Thank you so much for all your your service and what you do. Okay.
[1:49:18] You need to do it. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:49:21] Thank you. Corey.
[1:49:31] Good evening, Council. I'm
[1:49:32] Grable and I'm here to update you on with the historical preservation
[1:49:35] commission's been up to. It's been a while since we've been here so there's kind of a lot to talk
[1:49:40] about but I'll get through this quick second. Our two main projects have been historically
[1:49:44] designating some properties and then also the new storyboards behind the monument. So we have
[1:49:50] historically designated two properties in the village, Mickey's Castle or Treasure Village Monastery
[1:49:55] is a lot of people know it and then the Russell Cottage which is now located at the Green
[1:49:59] digital hammock, nature reserve, which houses the Florida Bay Forever campus now.
[1:50:05] So once you historically designate something, how does everybody know it's historically
[1:50:09] designated?
[1:50:10] Well, years ago, we came up with the possibility of doing something like, which I have
[1:50:16] copies for all of you, it's a, sorry, it's a port hole, kind of design like a brass port
[1:50:22] hole.
[1:50:23] And it's taken us so long because the technology has finally gotten to where we were
[1:50:26] going with, personally, and we're going with all these things that wouldn't fade.
[1:50:30] Well, now it comes to you, you can order the poor hole from Amazon for 50 bucks, and you
[1:50:35] can get, like, uh, it's almost like something that they make digitally, and it just sticks
[1:50:39] on it. And that way, it's like easy. And I don't know if anyone, we have a lot of fishing
[1:50:44] guys in here, fish the captain's cup at the fishing club recently, they actually gave trophies
[1:50:48] a way that looked just like this. So I have a phone call and divinity to find out who made those
[1:50:53] him. So maybe we could hook up with them and work something out for this. So this is kind of what
[1:50:59] if it's something historically designated what we would put on the property outside so they
[1:51:03] could be part of where everybody walks around and looks at that kind of thing. So the new storyboards,
[1:51:11] if you've been behind the monument, you see where it explains the hurricane and it has some
[1:51:15] little tiny names on it. You can't really see what's going on. So the object was to have a huge
[1:51:20] Matt made out of this special material that would last in the sound over 100 years.
[1:51:26] So it took us a couple years to find the right people to get that done and who could do everything we wanted to do.
[1:51:31] So finally, I just found that the minutes today in my email.
[1:51:35] November 2021 was the meeting where the storyboards were delivered to us.
[1:51:40] We finally got them done after years of working on them, whatever.
[1:51:45] So at the time we had George Pebrera was our chair and he had offered to take them with him
[1:51:50] because he wanted to have them fitted on some big boulders
[1:51:52] that were kind of like the same material as the monument.
[1:51:55] And we're like, George is good.
[1:51:56] Anyone can get it done, George can.
[1:51:58] So George took them at that point.
[1:52:00] Well, then as we all know, unfortunately, George passed away.
[1:52:04] He had it for a while before he passed away.
[1:52:06] But now, some of his properties will kind of fall into probate
[1:52:09] and some things are going on, so we're not really sure
[1:52:12] where the storyboards are right now.
[1:52:14] We're trying to locate them.
[1:52:17] And once we do locate them, and we
[1:52:19] can show them to everybody. We're hoping we can get some local commitment from some local contractors
[1:52:24] to help us get them put up behind the monument like they should have done. Like George wanted
[1:52:29] them done. So that's pretty much where we are. Right now, if you have any questions.
[1:52:35] Any questions for Corey? Henry? I have to ask to question. What's on the story boards?
[1:52:41] The story boards, sorry, I should have gone over that. It's a big giant map. And years ago there
[1:52:46] as a gentleman who was very unhappy because in the monument we have a lot of veterans
[1:52:50] in turd, but their names or their branch of service was not like mentioned anywhere.
[1:52:56] So this was kind of a compromise with him, it was a giant map of the keys where the bodies
[1:53:02] were found and the names of the people including the servicemen and the locals and it was
[1:53:07] a servicemen that had their branch of service next to their name, you know, where they were
[1:53:11] found.
[1:53:11] So, I mean literally, it's three storyboards that are like,
[1:53:15] in giant crates like this and they wait like a hundred pounds.
[1:53:18] There's no way any one could have just lost them.
[1:53:20] So I'm sure they'll turn up.
[1:53:22] I hate to say it like that but I'm not sure.
[1:53:24] But that's the idea.
[1:53:25] So in addition to what's back there now is supposed to kind of augment
[1:53:28] and give people a better idea of how far somebody's went,
[1:53:32] where they went and things like that and who was there.
[1:53:34] So the monument remains in place with the storyboards on each side.
[1:53:39] No, they'll be behind like you know close to the church, there's this couple back there now so it'll just augment that area there.
[1:53:46] Okay.
[1:53:47] And we are searching for the storyboards, so I've been in touch with the Cabrera family and I talk with Sheriff's office today to try to get in touch with some other contacts of George to see if we can search some storage areas and trucks that exist that we know that there's different things.
[1:54:06] So yeah, so we're working to find the boards.
[1:54:09] Cory is that story board similar to the big map that's down it up at the Keylargo government
[1:54:16] center on the wall, the one that used to be in the building department.
[1:54:18] It is very similar to that.
[1:54:20] Yes.
[1:54:20] Thank you.
[1:54:21] Dad had one of those.
[1:54:22] He's got a couple.
[1:54:23] He made copies.
[1:54:25] They're like four foot long.
[1:54:26] Yeah.
[1:54:27] Okay.
[1:54:28] Anybody else have anything for Cory?
[1:54:31] All right.
[1:54:31] Thank you very much, Cory.
[1:54:34] All right.
[1:54:34] So we are. I say something before I move. I have a question that I'm sure a lot of people want the answer to
[1:54:41] Who in puts these agendas together and why are they?
[1:54:45] Tell two in the morning and
[1:54:48] ridiculous that
[1:54:49] what I'm baffled by
[1:54:53] the size of this agenda and how long it's 730 you know what I look like at two in the morning?
[1:55:00] I mean, who puts, no, no, no, and I'm not staying here till 19 tabs are over.
[1:55:07] I'm sorry, but who puts these together?
[1:55:10] Why don't we have a say in the size, length, more meetings?
[1:55:15] I'm sort of confused.
[1:55:16] I think more meetings is the answer, I mean.
[1:55:18] I've been asking for them and that never happened.
[1:55:22] We've asked for that for meeting after meeting.
[1:55:25] This is crazy tonight, you know?
[1:55:27] So we separated land use issues, so we actually have a really large agenda on July 20th.
[1:55:32] That's going to start at 5.30 now.
[1:55:34] I mean, there's just a lot of business that goes on in a three week period, so, you know,
[1:55:39] these are things that need to get in front of council.
[1:55:42] Yeah, I like to say because something about meetings and I've been, I went to aqueduct meetings
[1:55:48] for over eight years, very smooth, but we have to, we have to trust our staff when it comes to the consent.
[1:55:55] and we're pulling everything and Mr. Weishmire comes up here and says it's the time, but people, if we don't, you guys all ask for public comment, we're letting you speak, but we have to trust our staff and a lot of this could be, it's normal stuff on Consent Agenda and if we trust our staff that is doing what they're supposed to be doing, a lot of this could be done on Consent Agenda, just like Monroe County or Marathon or the Florida Keys Aquaduct.
[1:56:25] I've been to many board meetings and I'll tell you something.
[1:56:30] I've even watched the South Florida Water Management meetings many times.
[1:56:33] They cut you off after your two minutes or whatever it is or three minutes and I've
[1:56:38] been to many meetings, I'll go up to the same way.
[1:56:41] I mean, they got, you know, so we're trying to do the best we can and we've got the public,
[1:56:47] you know, screaming at us that we're not giving you guys long enough to speak, three minutes
[1:56:53] And, you know, we have to start, you know, limiting, but just like tonight, I mean, I
[1:57:00] wanted to move more stuff to the consent agenda.
[1:57:02] Well, wait a second, that's not what I asked.
[1:57:05] Okay, I know, no Chair and I understand you're saying about the tabs, how many they're
[1:57:09] there are.
[1:57:10] And it could be by the time it gets so late, Sharon, we might have to refer something to the
[1:57:15] next meeting.
[1:57:17] And, Vice Mayor, we do look at the agenda and the size of the agenda and if there's
[1:57:20] things that can be moved, we do, we do talk about that and delay that. I mean there are
[1:57:26] things that get moved off of genders and push to later meetings because we respect
[1:57:30] your time and we understand how challenging it is. It is 11 o'clock at night to try to
[1:57:34] still stay focused and do this and get this business done.
[1:57:37] It just feels like a lot of stuff is rammed down our throats and at midnight I don't make
[1:57:42] a very good decision and I make decisions good at nine o'clock either but I'm just saying
[1:57:47] this is got a change. I'm not happy about this at all and right now it's
[1:57:53] I can even seize that far. It is a tough balance. I know there are other communities.
[1:57:57] Why don't we have more meetings? I keep asking. We talk about it and we don't do it.
[1:58:03] I'm willing to do it. We can we can do more meetings. I mean, I, you know, this is something
[1:58:08] that we, we can look at and do more meetings. I mean, it's just a matter of council
[1:58:14] being willing to do more meetings and I mean, we've scheduled, it's challenging to schedule meetings
[1:58:21] with Council. We've worked hard. We've juggled this summer. We've put two meetings that
[1:58:26] were two weeks apart and then we had a long gap before this one which is what yielded this
[1:58:31] to be a longer meeting because we had two shorter meetings earlier in June and then we had a
[1:58:37] longer period of time. So I'm happy to work at scheduling more meetings.
[1:58:43] It's just a matter of trying to get business done and in front of you guys.
[1:58:47] What I don't understand is we have time to go over this agenda.
[1:58:51] Every one of us go over it. And if we have questions before the meeting tonight,
[1:58:55] we can ask Ted. And if Ted want, if we have to go to the staff member that prepared that,
[1:59:00] we can do that. But is it just because Henry that you wanted to pull these out?
[1:59:05] because the public comment is that what we can let public comment happen.
[1:59:10] But that's why I think certain things like, you know, this hurricane stuff,
[1:59:15] you know, it's not, it's going to go up the CPI.
[1:59:18] It's going to go up whatever the CPI is.
[1:59:22] It's nothing's changed and here we are.
[1:59:25] We're in a middle of hurricane season already.
[1:59:28] But the more that we pick stuff apart, but you know, if we read this and we come in here prepared,
[1:59:35] I don't understand why we got to come in here and pick more stuff apart.
[1:59:39] That's just my personal.
[1:59:41] Public has a right to know, sir.
[1:59:43] Yeah, the pub, yes, sir, I understand that.
[1:59:46] The public gets our agenda the same time we get it.
[1:59:50] So I'm not saying that I'm for being transparent for the residents, but we also have this
[2:00:00] Much time before our meeting. So anyways, let's move on.
[2:00:03] So how are we going to solve the problem? Because I think it's legitimate to say that.
[2:00:07] Excuse me, weren't I? I just want one thing. My name is wishmire. And I do respect.
[2:00:12] Because I know you call me out every meeting. It's not how you pronounce it. It's wishmire.
[2:00:17] Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the heads up.
[2:00:20] So how can we resolve it? Because it isn't fair to this council or to the public for us to be here till midnight.
[2:00:28] we don't make a decisions at that point. We don't have it. So, what, what, how can we solve that?
[2:00:32] I'll just say that we, we currently have a sort of an unofficial schedule of one meeting
[2:00:39] every three weeks. When I served 20 years ago, it was two meetings a month, and then sometimes
[2:00:45] four, if we were doubling as the LPA. Maybe we could try to go to two meetings a month,
[2:00:51] to try to get more on those agendas. I mean, we're busy. We've got a lot of stuff going on,
[2:00:56] And you really can't, we can't really accommodate, I mean, it is a priority to have public comment and transparency and get the notices out early.
[2:01:06] That's a requirement.
[2:01:07] I mean, it's a high priority.
[2:01:09] But we also have to have the time to discuss this.
[2:01:11] And we also have to be able to survive until we get there.
[2:01:15] I mean, it's physically taxing on us to do this at the end of the day.
[2:01:19] So the answer is to create more time not to try to cut something out.
[2:01:23] So if we add more time and you want we want to have this as a discussion item either now or the next meeting or whatever
[2:01:29] I would be happy to have another meeting every month. That would be great. I'm happy to lay out what a
[2:01:36] You know second and fourth Thursday or first and third Thursday of each month would look like on a schedule so that you guys can
[2:01:43] can
[2:01:43] I mean have time to absorb it. I mean, you know
[2:01:47] If right now it's the time that you guys want to figure this out that's fine, but I can happy to lay that out
[2:01:52] So that you can at least have something in front of you as to what that would look like.
[2:01:56] I mean, that was something in my experience that I've dealt with, we were second and
[2:02:00] fourth.
[2:02:00] So, I mean, at least the public knows going forward, this is how the meeting is going to
[2:02:05] go forward.
[2:02:06] I think every three weeks is unusual because there's no real consistency on date or the
[2:02:11] week of the month or any of that kind of stuff.
[2:02:13] It just rotates because you're going every three weeks.
[2:02:15] So I'm happy to put that together.
[2:02:17] Email it out and bring it to us on the meeting on the weekend.
[2:02:19] Can I just ask if we could consider and just throw it out there two meetings back to back
[2:02:28] because every three weeks means you have to be in town every three weeks and occasionally
[2:02:32] people I know this group goes out of town so is that something that we would you would
[2:02:36] be willing to consider?
[2:02:38] I've already got my week planned around this meeting and could we do it on a Tuesday and
[2:02:41] Thursday of the same week or a Wednesday and Thursday of the same week?
[2:02:44] Is that something you would be willing to come up with?
[2:02:46] but you have that we also have to ask the staff because they're the ones that
[2:02:49] put this together and you know when we ask for things they scramble around to
[2:02:53] do the best that they can to get us the best information so if we can blend
[2:02:58] that together it's it'll work it might make less work for the staff if the one
[2:03:03] like these 19 tabs are prepared ones and split over two meetings that are back
[2:03:07] to back I mean I could stomach that I'm not I agree with her I really do I
[2:03:12] I mean, who pushed the final stamp on what we're looking at to see me, who's the guy that
[2:03:19] was the final stamp?
[2:03:21] So the final stamp, I guess, when we put these agendas together, okay, we've got all of
[2:03:28] our staff and all of our different departments that are feeding material into this.
[2:03:32] We have a program that helps assist that.
[2:03:34] We're working with the clerk's office and at the end of it all, we're going to publish it.
[2:03:38] We did publish it to you guys earlier.
[2:03:40] Okay, so Council has a public has a portal for the board that we publish it, and that's something we put into place
[2:03:47] that we're able to publish the agenda as it's being built. And so that agenda changes on the portal
[2:03:54] throughout the time that we're building it over a three-week period. So as you're coming up to that final week before we publish before the week before
[2:04:01] you should have a good idea of what's on the agenda. I mean, we're happy to again
[2:04:08] look at different options for you guys, but there's a lot of work that goes into preparing
[2:04:13] everything that comes in front of you and they're all necessary.
[2:04:15] It's the same amount of work if you would do it one one one one one one one one
[2:04:19] one small meeting or two sure meetings.
[2:04:21] I'm not arguing with the Henry.
[2:04:22] Same amount of work.
[2:04:24] I mean, we'd say tonight, we'll put the tab, we're not going any further there.
[2:04:30] Yeah, and we'll need one Monday, we'll like to do the tonight.
[2:04:34] I don't know that we can meet the legal advertising requirements.
[2:04:37] I understand all that.
[2:04:38] I'll be in facetious.
[2:04:39] But that's something we can get it done tonight.
[2:04:42] Two meetings back to back.
[2:04:45] It could be done.
[2:04:47] Can we ask for that to be considered?
[2:04:49] We can talk about it.
[2:04:50] That or maybe two is day third day in the same week.
[2:04:52] That's not true.
[2:04:53] We have a night to recover.
[2:04:55] That's fine.
[2:04:56] All right.
[2:04:57] But we need to, could we, could we figure it out before the next marathon?
[2:05:01] Good.
[2:05:02] Okay.
[2:05:03] So, how do we leading that?
[2:05:05] Can you put together?
[2:05:06] I can't get us an email us some of these some options that we can do this to where all of us can agree that we're going to be in town and we can be here, please.
[2:05:16] I'm sorry.
[2:05:17] Just to be clear.
[2:05:18] Is it two meetings a week?
[2:05:20] The Tuesday Thursday?
[2:05:21] Two different proposals for you.
[2:05:23] I'll put together two meetings a week.
[2:05:25] Every three weeks.
[2:05:26] And I'll put together a second and fourth option for Thursdays.
[2:05:32] you guys can look at it and you know we can have another discussion about it and make a decision.
[2:05:39] Okay. All right. Thank you, Ted. All right. So we're going to move on to Mayor and Council
[2:05:45] Communication. Mark, you want to start it off. But Sharon's listed first. I don't want to step
[2:05:51] in front of a lady. Well, you're there. It's about the committee thing right here. Okay, invite
[2:05:59] Okay, initiate discussion on this item.
[2:06:02] I just wanted to move the committees that had ten people to seven.
[2:06:08] That was it.
[2:06:09] I think ten is sort of crazy.
[2:06:11] And now that we have people who actually want to be on committee,
[2:06:15] who have applied a bunch of people who, I don't even know, which is great.
[2:06:20] I think ten is a lot of people.
[2:06:22] I think seven, that's, you know, there's a couple of committees that have ten.
[2:06:26] And I wanted to make it uniformed across the board at 7.
[2:06:31] I don't know how anybody else feels.
[2:06:33] So John is going to prepare legislation.
[2:06:35] We talked with that in our meeting a couple weeks ago,
[2:06:38] and so John's working on legislation that would allow council to
[2:06:43] appoint up to 7 people.
[2:06:45] So if depending on the committee and depending on applicants,
[2:06:48] you could choose a lower number.
[2:06:51] Just from experience odds are really good numbers,
[2:06:53] because, you know, you're not gonna have a tight road
[2:06:56] anywhere for recommendations.
[2:06:58] So that's what it is being prepared.
[2:07:00] Yeah, I have a resolution that I kind of
[2:07:02] writing that I can bring.
[2:07:04] If everybody's okay with it,
[2:07:05] frankly, I can put it on consent agenda.
[2:07:08] It would be like Ted said up to seven.
[2:07:10] And the reason I did it by resolution
[2:07:12] is some of your committees were created
[2:07:14] by resolution and it mentions the number in there.
[2:07:17] So this way, this resolution will supersede all others.
[2:07:20] The only ones that won't address will be the LPA
[2:07:23] in the Historic Preservation Commission because those were created by ordinance in your land
[2:07:27] development regulations, but it will not impact what your concern is by Mayor Mahoney
[2:07:32] because the LPA has seven members in the Historic Preservation has five, so it's not going to
[2:07:37] exceed the seven on those.
[2:07:39] And then can I just ask what's the time frame for this interview process, could you refresh
[2:07:44] me on that?
[2:07:46] So that hasn't been decided by Council, I mean, we extended the deadline to June 30th.
[2:07:51] we now have a group of applicants that council needs to decide, I mean, I believe, and we discussed
[2:07:57] it that there may not be interest in interviewing existing numbers because you guys already
[2:08:02] know existing numbers, but that's really up to you in terms of who you interview for your
[2:08:09] selection process, how you interview them.
[2:08:11] I know there was a discussion regarding individual interviews with committee members having
[2:08:17] kind of I don't want to quote speed dating type scenario set up. I'm happy to get that
[2:08:24] facilitated we will probably need a pretty full night to do that because there is a lot
[2:08:28] of applicants. I mean we'll look and I'll get the number for you guys to I guess
[2:08:33] absorb is it relates to who are the existing applicants and who are new new people that
[2:08:37] you need to talk to and then ultimately you'll need to decide and they'll be legislation
[2:08:42] and for each of those committees that will officially point people to those committees.
[2:08:48] I think there's people on the list that I don't need to, I don't need to see Tony
[2:08:52] Hammond.
[2:08:53] I say I'm right there.
[2:08:54] You know, I mean, he's an existing member.
[2:08:56] Yeah, no.
[2:08:57] Well, no.
[2:08:57] But there are going to be existing members like the LPA.
[2:09:00] There's 14 people on the list.
[2:09:03] And so it shouldn't just be existing members.
[2:09:08] It should be maybe somebody new who's applied that we all know why bring them in and if we all know them if we got the list and individually ranked on our own will we, you know, want to see don't want to see it may shorten it so it's not a full day in terms of interviews.
[2:09:27] Yeah, we could do that. I think if we get you the list of applicants, both returning and new because there may be some that are returning that I don't know some of council's never talked to.
[2:09:37] So there may be opportunities to bring you guys
[2:09:41] have different interview schedules based on your familiarity
[2:09:45] with that applicant.
[2:09:48] OK, Carolyn, so.
[2:09:50] I just have one thought on the size of the committee
[2:09:54] is just be thoughtful about having a quorum,
[2:09:58] because as you skinned down the number of people
[2:10:01] that are on a committee, that also skins down the number
[2:10:04] of people in order to have a quorum,
[2:10:06] so that you can actually have a full meeting.
[2:10:09] And that is a consideration, just something to consider.
[2:10:12] Thank you.
[2:10:13] Thank you, Carolyn.
[2:10:15] OK, Mark.
[2:10:18] OK, I was hoping that Elizabeth would be here,
[2:10:22] but I'll get started.
[2:10:24] I asked to have this item come ahead and Henry,
[2:10:27] you probably since that this is sort of a counterpart
[2:10:30] to your tab seven that we're going to speak about later
[2:10:34] in this evening regarding Ted's contract.
[2:10:36] And I wanted to say to you personally,
[2:10:37] I'm not trying to supersede or jump in front of or anything.
[2:10:41] We can still have that conversation, but I did this for two reasons.
[2:10:46] First, there's a lot of people in the room here that want to address that, and God only
[2:10:50] knows when we're going to get to Tab7.
[2:10:52] So I thought maybe we'd give them a chance to have some public comment up front.
[2:10:55] I hope you wouldn't mind that.
[2:10:57] But the other reason is because I'm very concerned that if we, no matter how we decide the
[2:11:05] we're going to be divided on this council and our community is divided that has been a
[2:11:11] problem in our community for years and years when I served 23 years ago and we really can't
[2:11:18] go forward and do what we're supposed to do for the people that live here if we're going to be
[2:11:23] divided we will be ineffective we will be inefficient it's just we just won't be able to get anything
[2:11:31] done and it's just not a fun place to be. I'm not here for fun but I want to be able to work
[2:11:37] with people that I respect and enjoy and I don't want something like this to come between us
[2:11:42] and cause permanent damage because I think it will if we go the wrong direction. The way that
[2:11:48] it's phrased is I understand it in the proposed resolution in Tab 7 it's kind of an all or nothing
[2:11:54] thing. Black or white, you know, yes or no. And so I started to look at that and I was
[2:12:01] uncomfortable with that, not only for myself, of course, but for you too, because I don't
[2:12:06] know the range of feelings and ideas and thoughts that you might have on this topic. And I
[2:12:11] thought that there might be another way. And I think we're obligated to look for a better way.
[2:12:16] So I spoke with our Village Attorney John's partner, Allison Smith, who you might know specializes
[2:12:21] and labor law. And I had some questions about some of the documents that were there. And that's
[2:12:26] kind of how this got started. And I was asking her, you know, other councils, other, you know,
[2:12:32] city governments, I'm sure they've had this division issue come up before. And I'm sure there's been
[2:12:36] some other issues regarding village managers and city managers and other key employees. And how,
[2:12:43] how do they handle that? And I said, this could be a super divisive and damaging thing for us if
[2:12:51] don't do it right. And so she suggested to me something I thought was very interesting. I'm going
[2:12:57] to have her, I hope she's listening and she's with us via Zoom and she's agreed to come
[2:13:03] and speak about it. But, you know, this is about Ted and this is about whatever Ted has done
[2:13:09] up until this point since we hired him. And it's also about going forward. And so if there's some
[2:13:16] It's certain about past performance, and it's fixable she has a way to do that.
[2:13:23] She's suggested what she called PIP, a personal improvement program, and this is something
[2:13:29] that government agencies do, corporations do, and if you have an executive or somebody else
[2:13:36] or whoever it can be, be anybody, and there's an issue there.
[2:13:40] The remedy is not to bring out the guillotine.
[2:13:44] The remedy is to pull aside, to analyze the problem, to set semetrics so that the person
[2:13:51] can measure up to that and give some time for correction with instruction.
[2:13:56] And so she'll speak to that a little bit more.
[2:13:59] So that's what I want us to talk about.
[2:14:02] I put this on here, and I made a specific reference that it was to be to consider a renewal of
[2:14:08] that's contract, and I think of that as a positive statement, and no disparity to you, but Henry
[2:14:15] but Tab7 is more negative.
[2:14:17] I really don't want to go down the negative path.
[2:14:20] If this fails, then I know we have to go there, and that's fine.
[2:14:25] But I'm very fond of Ted.
[2:14:26] I think he's done a good job.
[2:14:28] I know that there might not be unanimous agreement about that, but I think you will all agree
[2:14:33] that if we don't get along and we don't work together, we're depriving ourselves of the opportunity
[2:14:41] to, we have an obligation to the public to do that. We're not here to fight and I think this
[2:14:47] is going to be a long-term problem if it doesn't come out right. I'm trying to give it an opportunity
[2:14:53] to happen. So I'm going to ask Allison if she's there, she could give a little bit more information
[2:14:59] about her.
[2:15:00] Thoughts about how we can address what I think is the issue. And then afterwards, I would like us to have public comment. And then we can figure out where we go from there. If that's okay with the council.
[2:15:11] All right. Thank you. Allison, if you're around, are you there?
[2:15:17] She is. I just texted her because once you mentioned her name, I wanted to make sure she was there.
[2:15:21] So, Marty, if you can,
[2:15:25] she might be on, I don't know, she has a cell phone, she's a 95-4 number.
[2:15:30] She all
[2:15:42] up with her.
[2:15:55] Do we want to move ahead with public comment while we wait for her?
[2:15:58] Line with me, if that's what you want to do.
[2:16:03] Just give it another 30 seconds.
[2:16:05] She might be waiting for you.
[2:16:06] Wait a minute, 30 seconds and see.
[2:16:16] So, she's on the computer, let me find out.
[2:16:19] I should have might be under the name Jessica Smith.
[2:16:21] Well, while we're waiting, I did want to make one more comment or one more report to the council.
[2:16:28] So, you know, I told you I was partial to Ted and I liked Ted, but I felt an obligation to verify
[2:16:35] how Ted was doing, not so much from how you guys think, because I kind of know that, but I wanted
[2:16:43] to ask the people that work for him. I thought that that would be a really good indicator about
[2:16:47] what kind of a manager Ted really was.
[2:16:51] And so at the conclusion of the staff meeting yesterday,
[2:16:55] I was allowed to come in.
[2:16:57] All of the department heads were there
[2:16:58] and some other upper-level staff members were there,
[2:17:02] and I told them what was on the agenda,
[2:17:04] and I asked them if they would like to offer a comment
[2:17:07] about their thoughts about Ted's performance as a manager.
[2:17:12] And I'm happy to report to you that it was universal
[2:17:17] And each and every one of them gave, I'll just be brief and say, glowing remarks.
[2:17:24] They spoke of consistency, and they spoke of leadership, they spoke of concern, a concern
[2:17:31] for them.
[2:17:32] He knows everybody by name.
[2:17:34] I also asked them if within their departments, do you think, if did they think, would there
[2:17:39] be anybody there that would have a different opinion?
[2:17:42] And they said, no.
[2:17:43] So, as we go forward, if we're going to make a decision that is a drastic one, I think
[2:17:49] it's important that you all know that.
[2:17:51] Some of them are here tonight.
[2:17:52] They may want to speak.
[2:17:53] They may not.
[2:17:53] That's their choice.
[2:17:56] But to me, the folks that work for you are the ones who know you best and they can tell
[2:18:03] you from the inside about what Ted's like as a manager.
[2:18:08] As was at the same meeting, he was not.
[2:18:11] He left the meeting so that I could not want him in the room when that happened.
[2:18:16] And I also told them that they would be, their comments would be held in confidence.
[2:18:21] So I'm not going to give out any names.
[2:18:24] Mark, can you give me one minute to say something?
[2:18:28] I know I think there's something coming up in our agenda on the budget item, correct.
[2:18:34] But help me, why we're waiting for this and if not we can move on to public comment, but Ted, when you came here last year
[2:18:43] you moved some money around that was not making any money correct and so it's been not quite a year yet.
[2:18:54] Can you tell us, because I know you told us when you did this, when you moved it, how much interest has that made since you've been here?
[2:19:04] Well, I believe you're referring to, so I was part of, so Minusal investments as a practice
[2:19:13] that is heavily regulated.
[2:19:15] And when I got here, we have checking accounts that had upwards of 37, 30, $38 million
[2:19:20] sitting in it, so I research interviewed several companies selected an organization called
[2:19:26] Ford a class that deals with agencies and municipalities and counties in terms of investment
[2:19:31] funds is very proper timing because we weren't earning anything and interest rates are
[2:19:38] starting to go up but I got authority from council to move up to $10 million which we moved
[2:19:44] in a short amount of time and we're probably approaching I mean this is less than a year upwards
[2:19:50] of $300,000 and interest income so the budget amendment you'll see tonight a lot of the
[2:19:55] changes and the additions of revenue are because we've divided that interest income through
[2:20:00] of our different funds. So there's some smaller amounts that relate to increases in revenue,
[2:20:07] and it's been distributed in that, and I can talk about that and get to that agenda.
[2:20:12] But I just wanted those of us, because I remember when you did come to Council and ask us about that,
[2:20:19] and I happen to ask that about that today because of the budget thing. So are we ready, John?
[2:20:24] Yeah, Allison called in on herself. I don't know what the issue is, but she's available now.
[2:20:28] Hi, Allison. This is Mark Greg. I had given a little presentation here to the council and to the public and I introduced them to the concept of the PIP that you and I spoke about last week, earlier in this week.
[2:20:44] And so I was hopeful that you could provide a little guidance and some background about that program and to help us perhaps find an option here other than,
[2:20:55] and all or nothing option about how we can move forward and keep
[2:20:59] Ted and work with Ted and but to preserve the the counsel's right to make a change
[2:21:05] if that's what they want to do later on. So if you're there if you could let us
[2:21:09] yes let us yes go. Okay thank you. Yeah yes I apologize I'm not sure of
[2:21:15] quick technology failed at the moment when I needed so I apologize I'm not I'm
[2:21:18] to do my literally been watching the meeting from the beginning and of course as
[2:21:22] as it was my turn into when it was on the fruit.
[2:21:26] So, but I am here by phone and I did his introduction.
[2:21:30] Yes, so the PIT is a performance improvement plan.
[2:21:35] I've drafted many PIT for various clients throughout the state for various reasons.
[2:21:43] And typically you want to use it to give somebody that you may be hindering separating from your
[2:21:50] service, and as you correctly mentioned before, private sector or public sector.
[2:21:55] When you are thinking you may want to separate that person, but there is a potential for
[2:21:59] rehabilitation of that person.
[2:22:01] It also helps to minimize liability so that that person is told to very direct and clear
[2:22:09] terms what the issues with their performance, it also can be used to address behavior, so
[2:22:14] what the issues are with their performance, or their behavior, what are the things in a very
[2:22:20] incredible way that they need to change.
[2:22:23] You can't possibly write something that says,
[2:22:25] you need to take more account that they're not very,
[2:22:27] just like I did.
[2:22:29] You can travel well.
[2:22:29] That's what we're having in the measure.
[2:22:31] Do you just want to call an house in 2017?
[2:22:32] Can you maybe speak a little bit slower?
[2:22:35] I don't think we're having trouble hearing you.
[2:22:37] Every time I split.
[2:22:41] Or I'm sure I can slow down and please interject
[2:22:44] if you can't hear me again at any point.
[2:22:48] Thank you, Allison.
[2:22:48] And I think I don't hate everybody here.
[2:22:52] I think we're just, if you could just slow down your speech, I think that might help us.
[2:22:59] Okay.
[2:23:00] I will slow down.
[2:23:02] So I'll start over with the performance improvement plan.
[2:23:07] And it's also delayed on my end as well.
[2:23:10] So of course, technology.
[2:23:14] So as I mentioned, everything's something.
[2:23:19] So, as I was saying, the performance improvement plan is used when you want to try to
[2:23:27] rehabilitate an employee, and it can be very effective as well.
[2:23:33] So, essentially, what you're doing is you're telling the employee in very tangible, meaningful
[2:23:38] terms that there are areas of improvement, whether it's performance related or whether it's
[2:23:49] that these are the specific issues that we want you to work on and it also gives them
[2:23:56] relevant option plan so we want you to amend your modified certain behavior and here are some
[2:24:02] tools that we can offer you to amend or modify that behavior or performance and it's generally
[2:24:10] given for no less than 30 days and no more than 90 days. You want to have a good period of time
[2:24:17] within which you can really assess the behavior,
[2:24:20] but it's very, it's not vague.
[2:24:22] So you can't say something in the PIP,
[2:24:26] like you need to be more accountable.
[2:24:28] You have to be very specific because you would have to say,
[2:24:33] we would like a report that you,
[2:24:35] so let's say the accountability issue
[2:24:37] where that you felt that the manager wasn't providing
[2:24:40] sufficient detail regarding many things
[2:24:44] that the manager is having with committees to you as the elected body, you would say,
[2:24:50] we would like a report to be generated every Friday or every Monday or one week regarding
[2:24:58] any meetings that you have with committees regarding village business, you know, it would be very,
[2:25:04] very, very specific. So you put on all of those, put on all of that data and then that measured,
[2:25:12] you can measure that, you can see that you do it, do it, do it, and that also allows the
[2:25:19] manager to see if people are falling up to par, if you're not performing up to par, and
[2:25:23] essentially at the end of the PIP, nobody's going to be surprised because you either met the
[2:25:30] metrics or you didn't make the metrics. So that's something that a lot of employers will
[2:25:37] and sort of going straight to a separation,
[2:25:40] if there is a thought that this person can be re-hubbed
[2:25:45] a lot of times they will use a performance improvement plan,
[2:25:49] and that will help that will be helpful in terms of seeing
[2:25:51] if this person has a future in your institution,
[2:25:54] or they don't have a future in your institution.
[2:25:57] So that's the long and short of PIPs.
[2:25:58] And I do a two-hour training on PIPs.
[2:26:00] I really tried it from key,
[2:26:02] But that's a bit of a better bus meeting, but that's essentially it.
[2:26:07] So Allison, this is Mark Greg again.
[2:26:10] I can't recall if you said that you might be the individual that if we chose to do this,
[2:26:15] that you would be able to handle that for us, or would we hire a special consultant to do that.
[2:26:21] I know we had discussed the idea of bringing in a consultant or a facilitator for us as the council to have a retreat.
[2:26:31] so we could discuss things more and kind of get to know each other a little bit better and
[2:26:36] a friendly or context let's say then a council meeting and I did participate in one of
[2:26:42] those 20 years ago and I found it to be effective but if we chose to do this what would
[2:26:49] be the steps or the procedure for us to go forward?
[2:26:53] Okay, so if you choose to do the PIP, I can certainly drop the PIP before you, it would require me to, of course, meet with the different elected officials who want to have input since you report to the reports to you all.
[2:27:10] So I would have to meet with you and get your deliverables, the things that you want to work on. If you have something, you may say, I think you're wonderful.
[2:27:19] or you may, you know, this is a great opportunity to give some input to add to that, but I
[2:27:26] certainly contrast it and put that in writing and you know, solidify that and also monitor
[2:27:34] the PIP as well.
[2:27:37] All right, thank you. I don't have any questions on that. I don't know if any of the other
[2:27:41] the council members would like to ask a question.
[2:27:46] Elizabeth.
[2:27:49] Henry?
[2:27:50] No.
[2:27:51] Okay.
[2:27:52] All right.
[2:27:52] Thank you, Allison.
[2:27:53] Thank you, Allison.
[2:27:55] All right.
[2:27:55] Thank you very much.
[2:27:57] I am going to try to sign back on when the other item comes up.
[2:28:00] I'll try to be by video.
[2:28:05] Yeah.
[2:28:05] Okay.
[2:28:06] Yeah.
[2:28:06] There is going to be public comment.
[2:28:08] Just we're getting there.
[2:28:09] Just hold tight.
[2:28:10] Okay.
[2:28:11] Okay.
[2:28:12] No worries.
[2:28:13] Okay, think you're talking to her.
[2:28:15] Oh, no, Allison, I wasn't talking to you.
[2:28:16] I was talking to somebody in the audience.
[2:28:18] Sorry.
[2:28:19] All right.
[2:28:20] All right.
[2:28:21] Thank you very much.
[2:28:26] We'll open public comment now.
[2:28:29] I want to say something.
[2:28:30] Go ahead then.
[2:28:34] And I was told to think what I say before open my mouth.
[2:28:37] So I'm going to.
[2:28:41] I don't didn't like the fact that we all met with Ted separately.
[2:28:46] because you never know what is said behind closed doors.
[2:28:50] So I'm going to take this opportunity to say something to you and to you.
[2:28:54] This has been a cakewalk for you guys.
[2:28:57] It hasn't been a cakewalk for me,
[2:29:00] Henry or Elizabeth.
[2:29:01] We have been treated differently
[2:29:04] and that bothers me.
[2:29:06] And you know I told you that
[2:29:08] that I don't know why
[2:29:11] we have been you guys get thrown calls
[2:29:14] in the loop, we're not. And that bothers me, big time. And before everybody gets up here and says,
[2:29:21] he's great, he's wonderfully horrible, firearm. I think that the truth needs to be told that
[2:29:29] we have been treated differently. We beg for an orientation, never got it. I don't even know the staff.
[2:29:36] You're talking about the staff says he's great. I don't even know all the staff. We didn't get the
[2:29:41] opportunity to be treated like you two got treated and you know that's a problem for me and you have to be honest wait wait
[2:29:48] You have to be honest said you have even said to me. He treats you horribly. I mean, I told Ted that that that he he needs to work with you
[2:29:57] I did tell Ted that you know Ted move had that come
[2:30:00] Recession. Work with me, isn't the right word. Change the behavior.
[2:30:04] The chair and I will tell you that some people are more proactive than others. I have to be a very proactive
[2:30:11] proactive than what? And proactive meeting take the bull by the horn. I'm going to make phone calls. I'm going to do
[2:30:18] I'm I'm a way to then we need take the bull by the horn. You don't think you don't want to jump into the
[2:30:24] because I watched the way Ted treated Henry, and it was wrong.
[2:30:29] I did not help you with the film.
[2:30:30] I didn't say you didn't.
[2:30:33] Okay.
[2:30:34] No, we're going to have the conversation.
[2:30:35] I know we are.
[2:30:35] I'm not worried about it.
[2:30:37] Did I not tell you how we did it, how the bridge was done, and how we did it?
[2:30:41] I've heard about the bridge 50 million times.
[2:30:43] This doesn't have to do with the bridge.
[2:30:45] It has to do.
[2:30:47] It has been easy for you guys because he communicates with the two of you.
[2:30:51] when you did, when you did, I helped you.
[2:30:54] You helped me, because you helped me,
[2:30:57] because he didn't listen to me.
[2:30:59] Come on, man.
[2:31:00] Tell the truth.
[2:31:01] I'd to listen with you think you've been treated the same.
[2:31:08] I have some deep concerns about my position on this council
[2:31:15] and in partial or impartial treatment.
[2:31:18] Yes, and we've discussed that.
[2:31:18] That was something we discussed in the review,
[2:31:21] which I did submit.
[2:31:23] say so we might as well bring it out
[2:31:26] then that Henry I was told I'm going to go ahead and say this right now I was told that you told him
[2:31:32] that if he got rid of the and you were going to fire him
[2:31:36] was that right to
[2:31:39] can we keep this on this here say is not necessary in this public form I don't think that this is a firm
[2:31:44] We can we can say that for later. I'll let me let me get her say something if I'm going to be drug
[2:31:50] I'm gonna speak about it because all I've done is try to help
[2:31:55] Look we're getting to that we're getting to a solution sharing is told us and you know
[2:32:00] It's like, hey excuse me. Hey, please quiet
[2:32:04] Okay, thank you, but this is like family therapy if we don't talk about our problems
[2:32:09] we're never going to fix them. I just heard something very meaningful. I mean, I did
[2:32:14] know that. I mean, you know, you and I, maybe we're the golden boys because we had a relationship
[2:32:21] with Ted that started over a year ago. We hired him. We went through the brain damage of the
[2:32:26] manager selection process and we worked with Ted and you and I took Ted out on the boat before
[2:32:31] he was hard. We did a certain navigation of the village. We bonded with Ted and maybe that's why
[2:32:37] we got, why there is the perception that it could be subliminal, it could be real, I don't
[2:32:42] know.
[2:32:43] Let me see this.
[2:32:44] If I contributed to that, to your bad feelings or yours or yours, I apologize from
[2:32:49] the bottom of my heart.
[2:32:50] That was never our intent.
[2:32:52] We were never trying to alienate you or you're going to get one because if I did something wrong,
[2:32:58] I need to do that.
[2:32:59] You, it is that these people, I ran because I wanted to make a difference and everything I
[2:33:06] tried to do, you know you sort of fought me on and it makes zero sense to me and I know
[2:33:14] I don't want to be in this position, I hate this, I hate the fact that this council now is getting
[2:33:20] aligned on it, all day all I've heard is Sharon, you're the swing vote, Sharon you're the swing vote,
[2:33:25] Sharon do this, Sharon do that, I'm sick of this, I want you to have the chance to treat us
[2:33:32] like you treat everybody else. And I'm a firm believer that if I'm calling you out which
[2:33:39] is what I'm doing, you should have the chance and I do believe everybody should have a chance
[2:33:44] to change. And if you can't see how you've treated me wrong and her wrong and him wrong,
[2:33:51] then there is a problem. But I believe that maybe if I brought this out and I'm not picking on you,
[2:33:58] I'm not picking on you, I'm trying to make this work so that we don't have a town where
[2:34:04] everybody do this, do that, do this, do that, and it's crazy, when there's so many other problems
[2:34:10] we can be solving, we can be addressing instead, we're bickering over maybe in the swing vote,
[2:34:17] and I'm sick of it. So I wanted to bring that out and at least with what she said,
[2:34:24] Maybe if I told you how I feel and you don't change the way you treat people, us all of us equally, then yes, I do have a great big problem.
[2:34:37] So, there you go for honesty, transparency.
[2:34:40] That works.
[2:34:42] And I would just say what I'm looking for is to approach this from a rational professional standpoint rather than from emotion.
[2:34:50] And although I enjoyed your, I don't know what we would call that, statement, but it needed
[2:34:56] to come out.
[2:34:57] It really did.
[2:34:58] And we haven't had a chance to do that.
[2:35:01] So it's weird to do it in a meeting like this, but if that's what it takes to make things
[2:35:06] right, so that we can work together, you know, we're, we're a diverse council, and I was really
[2:35:12] happy that we have two women elected to the council.
[2:35:15] And that diversity can be a problem, but if we harness it and put it in the right way,
[2:35:20] That's our superpower.
[2:35:22] We can do so much with the broad background that we have our perspectives and our ideas about things.
[2:35:29] If we all think alike, we're going to all wind up in the same spot, and that doesn't work well.
[2:35:33] If we don't handle this correctly, it can be devastating to every person in the village, to the staff, and it's going to set us back for years, I think.
[2:35:48] If Ted doesn't stay for whatever reason, who's going to take his place, I hope you thought
[2:35:55] that through.
[2:35:56] I mean, who's going to want to work here is what I'm asking.
[2:35:59] I think he'd be crazy to take a job after looking at our track record and they're going
[2:36:04] to see meetings.
[2:36:05] They're going to see this meeting when they come to look at that.
[2:36:08] So bear that in mind as we go forward.
[2:36:10] I'm just saying give Ted a fair chance.
[2:36:13] He hasn't even been here a year.
[2:36:15] You know, if this was poker Ted's all in, he sold everything he had, he cashed out in his career and his family, his life, his home, everything, and he's down here, he's fully invested.
[2:36:25] He is not perfect, and I'm not trying to make that argument.
[2:36:29] But I don't think it's right to accept our relationship with him without a fair opportunity to provide constructive criticism, to provide standards for performance and to measure that over a period of time,
[2:36:42] call it probation if you want to and then we come back and if you're not happy then and you
[2:36:46] want to do that, I'll second your motion to do whatever you want. But I'm just asking for an
[2:36:53] opportunity to Ted to be treated correctly at to make an adjustment. Ted, I said this to him
[2:37:01] and you should also know this. Ted and I have had some discussions where we raised our voices
[2:37:06] to each other. It wasn't the golden boy thing that you might think it was. We've had some
[2:37:12] bumps in the road along the way, but Ted is a professional.
[2:37:16] I think he's the first professional manager we've ever had.
[2:37:19] And you put two lawyers in a room, you're going to get a fight.
[2:37:22] That's how it works.
[2:37:23] But when it's over, we move on to the next thing.
[2:37:26] And then we laugh about stuff later on.
[2:37:28] That's how it has to be.
[2:37:29] You can't take this stuff personal.
[2:37:32] So I do understand it is personal.
[2:37:34] And now we understand a little bit more about what the problem is.
[2:37:39] Ted's up against a firing squad right now.
[2:37:41] And I think you've got his attention.
[2:37:43] So my expectation is an adjustment will be made.
[2:37:47] So I'd like to say something.
[2:37:48] I'd like to say something.
[2:37:50] I'd like because, to me, it's seven months.
[2:37:53] Why did it take six months for me to finally be heard?
[2:37:58] Seriously.
[2:37:59] I'd like for you guys to chime in, say something.
[2:38:03] So before, because this is a huge decision.
[2:38:14] Turn your mic on, please, Henry.
[2:38:16] I thought you were calling me a different name.
[2:38:18] I
[2:38:24] create Tab 7 and you're absolutely put us together and I'm going to wait until Tab 7 before I make a comment.
[2:38:35] Why?
[2:38:36] Because we're going to do it over.
[2:38:39] The point I'm making is Tab 7 is going to be difficult and we don't have to go there.
[2:38:46] We have a better option.
[2:38:49] All right, I'll talk to you.
[2:38:50] We owe that to the people that put us here.
[2:38:52] First of all, I could care less salary treated me.
[2:38:56] That doesn't bother me.
[2:38:57] I've been a little older, most of you.
[2:39:03] Good, really?
[2:39:03] No, yes, just a little, right?
[2:39:09] Wait,
[2:39:13] I'm not learning train anybody
[2:39:15] for a job that they prefer,
[2:39:17] for children, they're fearful of coming in in the first place.
[2:39:24] His actions were he came from,
[2:39:28] speak volumes with the people.
[2:39:32] that was all vetted by the process. I understand that I don't want to go negative.
[2:39:39] I don't want to go negative. You don't want to go negative.
[2:39:42] That's not what we're talking about.
[2:39:45] If you don't want to go there, I'm silent. I'm sorry.
[2:39:49] Oh, so you don't want to go there.
[2:39:54] I saw a couple of occasions to be included in a meeting.
[2:39:59] Something I've been working on for a long, long time.
[2:40:03] and I wasn't. That was a big deal. I've been slated before or all my life.
[2:40:10] That's not a big deal to me. He would have been to her and her, but not to me.
[2:40:16] Before he fired Dan. I don't know. Two weeks before.
[2:40:23] I sit between on the way out of his office. So I said, let me tell you something.
[2:40:27] If I have to choose between you and Dan,
[2:40:33] I'm chosen Dan.
[2:40:33] I want you to know that out front,
[2:40:39] and then we have the opportunity night to set a program
[2:40:45] to make him better, better suited for our needs.
[2:40:52] He had all the opportunity in the world to see that maybe he's talking to the wrong people.
[2:41:01] Maybe he's siding with this side rather than this side.
[2:41:06] We introduced or had someone come to us at a Georgia for that job several years ago,
[2:41:20] and it was
[2:41:21] top to two people.
[2:41:23] And finally, he left, and his closing remark is, if I can't get all four of you or
[2:41:30] all five of you to support me, I don't want to job, because it was split.
[2:41:37] they voted, they voted 3, 2, 3, 2, and to God was smart enough to say, I need all
[2:41:42] five of you.
[2:41:47] Who has attempted to make it all five?
[2:41:54] Who has his job as the managed
[2:41:58] to staff?
[2:42:03] There's a difference between management and a leader.
[2:42:09] A leader is for the people.
[2:42:14] His job as management.
[2:42:20] I've had all kinds of calls like you have and emails and what have
[2:42:23] you. And you wouldn't know something at the hundredths I've had. There's only three that I paid
[2:42:32] attention to. Three.
[2:42:38] And all three said one thing.
[2:42:42] I went to Dan and we had an argument.
[2:42:48] I didn't get what I wanted. But you know, I really respect that guy. All three said the same thing,
[2:42:57] of a hundreders, whatever it is.
[2:43:02] But you know, those three are up for compromise. I know what
[2:43:08] Dan was under. I didn't have to ask him. In fact, I haven't asked him,
[2:43:15] but to coly walk into
[2:43:16] somebody and say, but your service is no longer needed, I don't know what that means. I've employed
[2:43:24] The largest employer in this county for years, how many people, I don't know, but I never
[2:43:32] walked up to somebody and said, pack it in.
[2:43:37] There has to be something there or some quality that he doesn't have, and you know what?
[2:43:44] Lebris don't change his spots,
[2:43:48] okay, what program, you know, in fact the IT person came to me
[2:43:54] before the meeting. I prepared something for this man to help him. Just something I'm
[2:44:04] going to, I'll still give it to him. But I know his failures took a while to do it.
[2:44:12] In fact, I asked to do it before all of his started. He says to me to a program as you compile
[2:44:22] for the German,
[2:44:26] he just completed.
[2:44:30] But how can I,
[2:44:34] I don't know. I just don't know. I don't
[2:44:38] think a program is really going to change that much because he's passed that point.
[2:44:50] I don't
[2:44:51] to say, I really don't. But I wrote the man's contract. I knew.
[2:45:00] What he was like when I wrote the contract. We had some stumbling bucks, bucks, not major. I took some
[2:45:09] things away from him. I put some things in that he didn't ask for. At one point, it came to the
[2:45:19] situation when I said to him, and he's back in Ohio, when I hang up, we're done.
[2:45:29] I negotiate that
[2:45:30] That's what I do. I've been doing since I was just it's tall as this table believe it or not
[2:45:40] I just don't know
[2:45:43] That a program is going to support our needs. I really don't
[2:45:50] So I
[2:45:54] don't know. I like the guy. I think it's a nice guy. I never really talked to his wife
[2:45:59] I'm sure she's a nice person as well, and I really feel bad.
[2:46:06] I do. I feel bad.
[2:46:10] So I'm sorry.
[2:46:13] You have to talk with me. You probably said hello or whatever. We'll be never really sat down and
[2:46:19] at any social. Maybe you should. Maybe I should.
[2:46:27] I don't know. I don't want to go on and on. I really don't.
[2:46:31] But somebody has to pull this thing together and I test don't think he's prepared for that job.
[2:46:44] I really don't.
[2:46:47] I just wish I could say something nicer.
[2:46:51] I really do.
[2:46:53] But I love her prepared for some things.
[2:46:58] I've got a relationship.
[2:46:59] She says you use people.
[2:47:02] You better use people.
[2:47:03] I don't know at all.
[2:47:08] Maybe just for just the listening more than talking. I don't know.
[2:47:13] I just don't know. But that's my feeling. I guess you know where I'm going. Not proud of it.
[2:47:23] Excuse me?
[2:47:23] You shouldn't be proud.
[2:47:25] Well, thank you anyway. Anyway, but that's just me. It's just me.
[2:47:31] I've been like that all my life,
[2:47:39] I don't want to talk about me, my 15-year acquaintances.
[2:47:47] I shouldn't talk about me so I won't.
[2:47:50] I really want to talk about him, but I just don't think as we go down the road together,
[2:47:57] anything's going to change.
[2:47:59] If the change were made, he could have made it years ago where he came from.
[2:48:07] I don't want to speak. I don't want to speak some of the problems they had. They're listening. The people from this whole town are listening tonight.
[2:48:16] I have not spoken to any of those people, but all the people have.
[2:48:27] I guess I should finish. Yes, I should finish. Yes, thank you.
[2:48:30] All right, Elizabeth.
[2:48:35] Yes,
[2:48:37] so, so much to say.
[2:48:41] Let's see, Mark, I am surprised that you're bringing this to our attention tonight in most employment scenarios.
[2:48:52] You do, you employ someone, you have a review process, it's documented, so that that staff person can make improvements and then you check back in and you gauge whether improvement has been made, that is traditional in an employment setting and that hasn't been done among this group.
[2:49:08] And so I think it is in our discussion tonight, which is uncomfortable, it would be critical
[2:49:17] to recognize the role that we're playing in the severe dysfunction that I identify and
[2:49:25] what's happening on a management level.
[2:49:28] I want to give Mr. Yates the credit for making a professional decision to sign onto a contract
[2:49:35] that clearly states that he is on a one-year probationary period.
[2:49:40] I mean, that there's, you know, he's been working for a while.
[2:49:43] He knew what he was getting into.
[2:49:44] We have compensated him greatly.
[2:49:47] And, or fairly, I should say, for his work.
[2:49:51] And for, and, and interestingly, he was employed under a different set
[2:49:56] of council people who had a different agenda for the town.
[2:49:59] We had an election and, and now we have a new set of people
[2:50:03] who are elected by our community to choose a path for this community, and this makeup, as you
[2:50:11] said, is unusual. And this group is a disruption of our status quo. And if we can't recognize
[2:50:21] that, as a council, we will continue to be divided. And what is happening on this group, in
[2:50:33] that we are creating, we are creating division in the community by our actions.
[2:50:38] And I would suggest that we all are playing a role in, again, what I identified as some major
[2:50:47] problems in the way you manage.
[2:50:50] I think a number of us have put severe pressure on the manager, and he has been forced
[2:50:57] to make decisions that he might not otherwise make, had he had a more functioning council.
[2:51:01] And that's a big part of what's happening here,
[2:51:06] and that's a big part of what's happening here.
[2:51:12] And so if we can't take ownership of our own behavior and moving forward, nothing will change.
[2:51:20] My very real sense is that many of the decisions that Mr. Yates is forced to make are coming right out of this group.
[2:51:32] And that's unfortunate.
[2:51:35] And yes, we have had multiple managers over the years.
[2:51:40] And a number of us sitting here have been on the diets when those managers have chosen to come and go.
[2:51:46] So I take my decision very seriously and I know that I was elected to take my job seriously and I did write a review for Mr. Yates. It's on file. We discussed it. I didn't get the sense it was taken seriously, but you know that it was not, it was not a, actually it was in my opinion a fair review which would require
[2:52:18] your improvement in performance and in any other employment scenario that I've ever been
[2:52:25] in, whether I'm the employer or the employee, there is a process that we have not lived
[2:52:32] up to.
[2:52:32] We have not done our share and unfortunately, well, we have not done our part.
[2:52:39] So I respect your request of this group mark, but I, I, I, I, I, I question your sincerity in, in moving, not, let me, let us not true. I don't question your sincerity. I respect your request. And it's a further and more complicated conversation than let's, you know, write up a little plan for Mr. Yates and hope that he, um,
[2:53:09] follow through. Well, I think what I heard you say is that we are part of the problem. Is that?
[2:53:15] You did hear me say that. And I agree with you. So here we go. We're starting to build rapport. We're
[2:53:21] moving forward. What can we do to move forward? I mean, I offered to apologize if I did something wrong
[2:53:28] and offended and I stand by that. But I do think that we should try to find a way to work together
[2:53:35] and then work with Ted and go forward. And if that doesn't work, you know, maybe we all go
[2:53:41] efficient. I don't know. But if we're going to have decisions like this that have enormous
[2:53:47] consequences that are disrupted and we don't try to at least work it out, you know, marriage
[2:53:53] counseling or whatever you want to call it, we're a failure. What's interesting to me is that
[2:53:58] We've created a community of us and them and that's, as you're saying, you know, good
[2:54:06] marriage counseling, you know, it's not all or nothing.
[2:54:09] There is a middle road.
[2:54:10] In fact, Sharon has, every single meeting is talking about a middle road and wouldn't it be
[2:54:16] amazing if we could find a middle road?
[2:54:20] It's not pay everything over or shut everything down and grow trees.
[2:54:24] There is a middle road and we are not allowing that to happen.
[2:54:27] I mean, and there's lots of speculation as to why our recent planning developer planning
[2:54:37] director was fired.
[2:54:38] We have no reason.
[2:54:40] No one knows because there was nothing written down, and that is a very good example of my
[2:54:47] sense is that we pressured Mr. Yates into making that decision, and we all have an opinion
[2:54:54] about that.
[2:54:54] We all know our role in it, and we can all take ownership for that.
[2:54:58] But wouldn't it be interesting if we actually moved forward in a middle ground without
[2:55:03] thinking it's, pay everything over for build or plant trees everywhere and did some smart
[2:55:11] development?
[2:55:11] This is an opportunity and while it might be naive and unrealistic to think that we could actually
[2:55:20] do something different in the way we govern.
[2:55:22] this is quite an opportunity. But that would require each of us to take ownership of our roles
[2:55:29] in the severe dysfunction that we're under right now. And I agree with Sharon a hundred percent,
[2:55:34] there is severe dysfunction here at the current at our current operating level.
[2:55:40] Okay, so Elizabeth, I'm going to tell you that I disagree with you. Okay.
[2:55:45] This council, since I got on, I've worked for Unity, since this council came into, this
[2:55:51] town came into existence, I've worked on Unity, Tony can tell you, there's others,
[2:55:57] Jim Mooney, there's many others in this community, but I beg to differ with you because
[2:56:03] you came on here divided because there's divided people in our community.
[2:56:08] There's a force in our community that doesn't want what they want, they want what they
[2:56:13] and they're determined to go okay so no Sharon I'm gonna I'm gonna say it I'm
[2:56:20] gonna say it okay because I'm so people are calling me want to tell me all
[2:56:26] about the stuff about Ted up there but I'm a I'm a facts guy so I go behind
[2:56:31] and find out that some of these people that are calling and I go see the
[2:56:36] people I know I went to high school with some of the guys that they were
[2:56:39] talking about. Okay, so I call and get the true facts from somebody about something that they
[2:56:45] are saying one thing and we got people in this room right here that are creating division
[2:56:50] in this community. Okay, we got people right in this room that are creating major because
[2:56:57] they, and there's other people in this room that agree with us, all right? But I, I, I, I beg to
[2:57:09] Elizabeth, you were spending hours at a time with Dan and there's a thing called a
[2:57:14] administrative interference. Everything is supposed to go through Mr. Yates. Okay?
[2:57:20] You spent a lot of time with Dan and if I'm going to go talk to a department head,
[2:57:24] I have to get permission for Mr. Yates, our village manager, to go talk to them. Okay?
[2:57:32] And I want to say, listen, do other thing? You just made a comment about the previous
[2:57:37] Council. When I got on here, Maria Bassett was the man acting manager. We hired Mr. Orvick.
[2:57:45] Mr. Orvick resigned from here, okay? And I'll let's say something. There's a certain
[2:57:52] group in our community, Mr. Orvick could not take it anymore because of what was going to
[2:57:58] he would call me and say it's what some people, they think they can live the way and do what
[2:58:05] want to do, but they want to tell us don't do, as I do, do, as I say. So look, I've lived
[2:58:12] in this community a long time. And I, you know, Sharon, you've lived here a long time.
[2:58:18] When you call me about that ramp, what did I do? I didn't even have to tell you there used
[2:58:22] to be a ramp there. I called the county and got pictures for you, okay, for the guides.
[2:58:29] Because I, I think, Richard and the next generations coming, they need to have that opportunity
[2:58:34] the, to have a ramp, we need to help them. Okay, but, you know, we are grown-ups here.
[2:58:41] In the way, I think the way that some of us have trees, Ted and I have had words, too.
[2:58:49] But you know what? There's a thing called forgiveness. I've had guys work for me in my company
[2:58:56] that said they fell off an excavator. Collected workers' comp. It was a fraud. Okay, you
[2:59:03] know what, though, because they weren't good workers, I brought him back again. I gave
[2:59:08] them a second chance. And I just think, and I see people out there shaking their head like
[2:59:14] van and others. Okay, but I'm sorry, I'm going to speak the truth there, because the truth
[2:59:18] sets you free. And you know what, we ought to try to work together. Okay, because I'm not
[2:59:24] working to divide. I've tried Elizabeth since you got on here. We need to work together. If we
[2:59:29] We are unproductive and there's so much negativity going on that he said she said to me
[2:59:38] I don't want to be involved in it anymore. I don't want to be involved in it. If these other people think they can do such a great job
[2:59:45] Hey, you know, and you know what some of these people
[2:59:50] It's been a lot of money in this community trying to take myself and mark Greg out saying that I was the
[2:59:58] I was stopping
[3:00:00] Clean water coming south because I back our lobbyist up Gray Robinson. And you know what I told Miss Judy Hall, Judy? You know what? I am not going to throw one ounce of dirt at these people. One ounce of mud because that my father told me that's not the way to do it. And you know what? The people of Alamara voted? Both times I got elected, I had to most votes of anybody.
[3:00:25] What's that?
[3:00:27] What's he saying?
[3:00:29] Hey, you know what?
[3:00:30] I'm allowed to speak.
[3:00:31] They spoke.
[3:00:32] I'm allowed to speak.
[3:00:34] Yeah.
[3:00:35] I am speaking on it.
[3:00:38] So we're talking about division.
[3:00:43] So, you know, I heard you, Henry.
[3:00:45] Henry and I have, we hadn't voted all the time together.
[3:00:48] We disagree, but you know what?
[3:00:50] We're grownups.
[3:00:51] Can't we agree that we can disagree on something and still be friends?
[3:00:57] Can I just say a couple things?
[3:00:59] I'm finished. I'm finished because I don't need to say any more. I see a lot of people that I know in this room
[3:01:04] and I've gotten Henry's gotten 100 phone calls, shares got 100 phone calls, maybe more for Sharon. I've gotten probably over 150 phone calls.
[3:01:14] I had to turn my phone off three days ago because I have a family. I have a life.
[3:01:21] Mr. Mayor, I think we have seen the enemy and it is us.
[3:01:28] We need help and why don't we take advantage of it.
[3:01:34] I think I mentioned to you when I tried to sell my story about the performance improvement
[3:01:41] program.
[3:01:42] But Allison has worked within their firm as work with and others these professionals that
[3:01:48] and they have we have a little retreat I don't know that we go to the Bahamas but we might
[3:01:53] go somewhere here and stay for a day we just we just talk about the other things nothing to do
[3:01:58] with government how how we we we we team up and we solve problems we have we discuss things and we
[3:02:04] get to know each other a little bit better I think that would do us a world of good and if we're
[3:02:09] going to continue fighting we're going to go nowhere mark and then for the League of Cities offers
[3:02:15] exactly a lot of these classes that and and I go to a lot of these things. I've got I've had great
[3:02:22] relationships. I've met very great good people from this but I think at this point I think we need to
[3:02:29] we need to have public comment we need to let public comment come up because a lot of people have
[3:02:33] came so I would like to at this time if you're opposing Ted I'd like to have the people that
[3:02:40] post-tad staying here come forward and then we will do those to support dead. So, if you're
[3:02:48] if you're opposing Ted, would you please sign up with Marty and come forward?
[3:02:56] Three minutes.
[3:02:58] Can you say your name please? Joe Wishmire. Plantation. Plantation. Key. There have been a lot
[3:03:07] of inconsistencies since Mr. Yase has taken over his manager. That has led to some dissension
[3:03:12] with some council members, even during council meetings. Even when some members attempted to
[3:03:17] get items put on agenda, they were told no. There was also a dissension among staff members
[3:03:23] which led to the firing of a very popular and overqualified planning director who was promoted
[3:03:28] to director of development services and planning to Angleysio. He did not even consult council
[3:03:34] members to let them know of his plans to fire him. While he did not have to, it would have been
[3:03:40] consider it since he was a high ranking official and not in the best interest of the village
[3:03:45] to let him go. Now some departments and staff members have four day work weeks. I can't even
[3:03:54] get info on who works and when so that I can make plans. Is it four or ten hour days? Is it just
[3:04:01] four days? Again, without consulting council members. Did Mr. Yates forget that the council
[3:04:07] works for the people of Island Marada and he works for the council. We deserve more transparency
[3:04:12] on major decisions.
[3:04:17] I don't know how department heads can function properly knowing that they can be
[3:04:21] fired at any moment no matter how good of a job that they are doing. While Mr. Yates was not here
[3:04:28] for all of the wastewater projects, he was here for some. Lack of oversight has now led to
[3:04:43] the
[3:04:43] of us who are dealing with it.
[3:04:46] Since 1997, we have had 11 different managers
[3:04:50] most from out of state.
[3:04:52] The average term of a manager is usually less than two years.
[3:04:56] The last one lasted seven months.
[3:05:00] We as residents deserve better.
[3:05:01] I am sure that for $200,000 a year,
[3:05:04] plus $48,000 for housing,
[3:05:07] we can find a local in Monroe County
[3:05:08] that understands our unique problems
[3:05:10] and will stick around longer.
[3:05:12] Thank you.
[3:05:19] He's coming up.
[3:05:30] And a whole different speech on the merits.
[3:05:33] If we get to those.
[3:05:35] But this is a pretty...
[3:05:39] First shaking discussion.
[3:05:42] First of all, I got to say,
[3:05:45] Mark is a solo person and an issue declared issue advocate.
[3:05:49] You should not have taken access.
[3:05:52] Soul access to a village lawyer without three votes.
[3:05:55] This guy right here has denied other people's request because they didn't have three votes.
[3:06:01] That's not right.
[3:06:06] You can check ahead, but it's not right.
[3:06:09] It's also questionably ethical for a declared advocate to interview staff non-confidentially,
[3:06:18] who are quite probably scared crapless for their own jobs after the brutal way that Dan was treated.
[3:06:25] Don't know why they wouldn't be.
[3:06:29] It's disingenuous to pretend as you started to,
[3:06:34] that there's not great division, obviously you misperseed that.
[3:06:43] There's already lots of division on the council,
[3:06:47] but not between you two guys and Yates,
[3:06:49] because you've been waiting all along,
[3:06:51] and you have been disrespecting and intimidating
[3:06:54] our two new council members.
[3:06:59] And inappropriately, they've got a lot of
[3:07:02] it on reform platforms by people who wanted change the same voters who rejected your former
[3:07:10] couple of colleagues that were in on the deals.
[3:07:18] The condescending way you have treated these
[3:07:22] highly accomplished women who were put into your company by the voters including the way
[3:07:30] do move things around and put Sharon in between you guys so you could
[3:07:35] murder a advice tour which we've all seen you do during meetings.
[3:07:43] And
[3:07:47] that's not where she was sitting in the beginning.
[3:07:51] You guys moved her.
[3:07:55] It's disgraceful anyway the way the women have been treated.
[3:07:58] It shouldn't have been necessary for Sharon to do that heart-rending
[3:08:02] difficult, that took a lot of guts. Disclosure, but you shouldn't have had to. And you
[3:08:11] guys shouldn't have participated in that kind of treatment and of which Ted Yates'
[3:08:21] obviously guilty. You shouldn't have had to tell him if he had the character and
[3:08:26] integrity that you're going to dilute yourselves into thinking that you need to
[3:08:31] We need everybody needs to be able to speak so I got to let someone else talk to your time right now
[3:08:36] Thank you very much, sir. Okay. Well, you know, we're glad to hear your family history some more. Okay, it's really good. So Marny, who's next, please?
[3:08:45] Hey, and
[3:08:47] John, just to let you know
[3:08:50] when he just said something about
[3:08:53] three
[3:08:54] consensus Henry put this thing on tap seven with no other
[3:08:58] consensus from other counsel at all one counsel person.
[3:09:05] Okay I just want the public to know
[3:09:08] that are who's next please. Uh uh that a poet is opposing Ted anybody else opposing Ted.
[3:09:19] Van Kadenhead. Um I I also think Ted's a nice guy.
[3:09:25] House and ever. He was put in on a temporary basis. His trial period began almost a year ago.
[3:09:37] Any problems that we've had with him should have been addressed in this council by you people.
[3:09:44] Now, the only person that left that made a review, we should have had a six-month review, which we did not.
[3:09:50] That's a failure of all five of you.
[3:09:53] We had a review for the termination of this contract was an evaluation by Captain Jolund and
[3:10:03] she's the only one that put it in writing.
[3:10:05] All five of you made evaluations for the garbage contract.
[3:10:11] You rated all the different areas of the contention for the garbage contract and something
[3:10:18] as important as a village manager, you should have put in in writing your opinions, your evaluation
[3:10:26] of his performance, which none of you have done, say, for the captain.
[3:10:33] So he's had his time.
[3:10:37] He's had his probation and for Mr. Greg to come in here in a desperate means to try to
[3:10:47] You skate the problem that we've been having and to kick the can down the road with a PIP programmer or some other
[3:10:55] This is a this is a call the question question and it should have been called on tab one not tab seven
[3:11:02] because it it you know
[3:11:05] it
[3:11:05] is
[3:11:06] ingrained in everything in the agenda tonight all 19
[3:11:13] tabs of it
[3:11:15] You know, I had stood up here for months and said that in the charter of this village, that we've had two meetings a month,
[3:11:29] the supposed to be the first and third Thursday of every month, that's in the charter of the village.
[3:11:35] And that changed to three meetings a month, which led to a lot of confusion.
[3:11:38] And if everybody in the village could concentrate, I know in that there was going to be
[3:11:43] a meeting on the second and fourth of the first and third Thursday, then we could plan
[3:11:49] around that.
[3:11:50] And all you could plan your vacations and your business trips and you're being out of town.
[3:11:55] But that's not possible.
[3:11:58] So you've done it to yourself, you're crippling yourself and you're definitely crippling
[3:12:02] the people of Adam and Rada by the dissension,
[3:12:06] because you have made the disunity in the community.
[3:12:10] And you've done it with impunity
[3:12:11] with all this learning unity.
[3:12:13] And we're getting tired of it.
[3:12:15] We don't want to continue to listen to one excuse after another.
[3:12:19] And we want to see a fish netty else needs to speak.
[3:12:22] Your time's up.
[3:12:22] Listen, my time's not up.
[3:12:24] I've still got a yellow time is up, right?
[3:12:26] Yeah, okay, well, you cut me off like you always do.
[3:12:29] And you've got, you've got, man, you're out of order, sir.
[3:12:33] You don't allow the people to see me.
[3:12:36] I'm going to ask you need to step down.
[3:12:38] You need to step down, man.
[3:12:42] Hey, Derek, any more, he can be asked for it,
[3:12:46] because I am not going to put up with that.
[3:12:48] Who's next, Marty?
[3:12:51] Anybody who's opposing to head next?
[3:12:54] I'm not clear on the people who put up.
[3:12:58] I'm asking if they're opposing Ted, not to stay here to come up, so are you coming up, Sandy?
[3:13:07] Okay, you're opposing Ted.
[3:13:09] I'm here to show respect in particular as a woman for the two women who were on the board
[3:13:17] because I serve in a lot of boards and I still do.
[3:13:21] And I respect all of you for what you do, but I would like to say, I noticed as soon as Sharon Mahoney was
[3:13:28] Selected as Vice Chair, I think it was by Mark, I'm not sure who did it. But as soon as it was either you or Mark, but as soon as it happened
[3:13:37] The first thing she was told to do was move because she was sitting where Henry was sitting
[3:13:45] She was fine
[3:13:46] And I watched that on TV and that what happened is she was placed between the both of you and I don't know if there's a protocol that the vice chair has to sit to the left of the chair
[3:13:59] but she was fine where she was and she was next to Elizabeth and it sounds trivial but she's surrounded by certain perspectives and I feel sorry for all of you because there's so much polarization going on
[3:14:16] And I have a lot of respect for all of you, but as a woman I want to say, especially for Elizabeth and Sharon,
[3:14:22] I have a lot of empathy for what you're trying to do today. Thank you.
[3:14:26] Thank you, Sandy. Anybody else opposing Ted?
[3:14:31] If you're not in support, you're opposing him. So nobody else, Marny?
[3:14:36] There are two hands raised on Zoom. Okay. First, Dave Peckovich. Okay.
[3:14:43] Go ahead and speak. You've been allowed to speak.
[3:14:47] Good evening, Council.
[3:14:50] And thank you for this moment.
[3:14:54] In the last meeting, I want to make a couple of comments about the last meeting.
[3:14:58] And Ted reminded us.
[3:15:00] In the last meeting at the village council, has gone through ten managers. I think this is a sad, horrible excuse for the dysfunction
[3:15:08] and management that's been going on. Another thing I want to say about the last meeting was, and in this meeting, many people are asking, why was the unfire by death? Why was he transitioned out?
[3:15:24] And I believe this was crystal clear.
[3:15:26] Dan wouldn't fit into Mr. Yates's plans for expansion,
[3:15:31] development.
[3:15:32] It's as simple as that.
[3:15:35] We don't need a rehabilitation of Ted.
[3:15:37] We need to transition away.
[3:15:40] I am Forty Mile Marada,
[3:15:44] not team Ted.
[3:15:45] Thank you, Council.
[3:15:46] Thank you, Dave.
[3:15:48] Who's next, Marty?
[3:15:51] Kate Robert, hold on one sec.
[3:15:54] Okay, you've got permission to speak, I had.
[3:15:58] Thank you very much, Robert Moser, in Lower Metacombe.
[3:16:04] But this meeting sucks.
[3:16:06] I want to say that I wish Dan would have gotten a PIP chance.
[3:16:13] I think this is a council communication about a PIP chance
[3:16:17] and I think that Dan Glusio deserved the PIP chance.
[3:16:20] And that's all I'm going to say. Thank you very much.
[3:16:23] Thank you, Robert.
[3:16:24] Okay, Marny, anybody else?
[3:16:25] Not that I'm aware of. Okay, so now we're going to go to those if you're here tonight or you're on zoom and you are supporting Ted as our village manager
[3:16:38] Who do we have signed up, Marnie? I know Mr. Hammond is Tony's here
[3:16:44] Everyone was signed up to speak on item number seven, so I don't okay, so okay, so if you're here to speak on Ted's behalf
[3:16:53] We start coming forward to the mic.
[3:17:07] Well, I guess I drew the short straw on this one.
[3:17:13] First of all, thank you, Council.
[3:17:15] Thank those of you that contacted me and responded to me.
[3:17:18] Sharon, thank you.
[3:17:20] Lady, thank you for your comments as well.
[3:17:23] And I think we learned some things tonight.
[3:17:26] Then I think we're important.
[3:17:29] But I'm here to speak in favor,
[3:17:31] on behalf of Mr. Yates. I believe that there's a more and this is a key word that I've
[3:17:36] used with all of you. I believe there's a more edemptive path. There's a path that doesn't
[3:17:42] involve malicious payback, which I see happening here, that can be taken rather than jumping
[3:17:50] immediately into not renewing his contract. You know, I've been an educational my life. I don't know
[3:17:58] of a single school administrator or teacher.
[3:18:02] Tony, can you hold up a minute?
[3:18:03] Can we please have silence to not be talking?
[3:18:06] If you're going to talk, can you go outside please?
[3:18:09] Because it's disruptive for Mr. Hamm and when he's speaking.
[3:18:13] I start to say, I don't know any school that the teachers and the administration
[3:18:19] don't have to go through a review on a regular basis.
[3:18:23] What my jobs in grad school is supervising student teachers.
[3:18:26] So that's a normal process, so I'm embarrassed that we haven't had that in place already and that would certainly have prevented much of what we're dealing with.
[3:18:36] I believe that Mr. Hates has functioned with great integrity, even by refusing to publicly air his reasons for terminating his employee and that's what he was hired to do.
[3:18:47] Um, the employees that work under him are his responsibility.
[3:18:51] I think Council, you have the responsibility of hiring a village manager and village attorney,
[3:18:56] if I understand the rule correctly.
[3:18:59] And so, uh, he did and functioned in within the realm of his job description.
[3:19:07] Uh, I would challenge us to take the high road.
[3:19:09] I always try to look for the high road in this and I just want to encourage you to do that.
[3:19:15] not to pit ourselves in this side, and that side, I heard that mentioned here, and that's
[3:19:21] the problem, because we have a very, very vocal group who do not speak for the majority
[3:19:29] of the islands.
[3:19:33] It's all I want to say about that.
[3:19:36] There's, I believe that there's more equitable and reasonable solution for a man that's
[3:19:41] in a position only a year, actually less than a year.
[3:19:45] He's done his job well.
[3:19:46] He's conducted himself in a professional manner.
[3:19:48] I know him personally.
[3:19:49] You hired him to make the hiring and firing decisions.
[3:19:53] Don't tie his hands.
[3:19:56] And thank you Ted for having the integrity,
[3:19:58] not to air any reasoning in front of this group.
[3:20:03] He had to make a very difficult call.
[3:20:05] And he made the call.
[3:20:06] I am very concerned for this village.
[3:20:08] Like many of you said, I do not know if we will
[3:20:11] survive many more village managers. I have village managers called some of the
[3:20:18] candidates call me and say, you know, you've been here a long time, you're a
[3:20:21] pastor in the community, what would you do? I would have to say, don't come, you
[3:20:27] know, at this point. So I'm concerned about that and I did a survey today. I
[3:20:33] went in, I had to go in and do some LPA work and the staff was all wearing
[3:20:38] team Ted, stickers, and they said the morale has been better right now than it's been in ages.
[3:20:48] And so I went around and I said, is that true? Is that true? Is that true? Is that true? Is that you see the shaking their head?
[3:20:52] But they can't say that. So team Ted, would you guys stand up? If you're just, if you're here for team Ted, stand for me.
[3:20:59] Will you? You're allowed to do it. So if you're team Ted, stand up.
[3:21:04] All right. These are staff members who are saying, yeah, we work with this guy. We think this is great.
[3:21:12] And I bet there are a lot of other people in the room that would also stand and say, yeah, we're team-ted.
[3:21:20] So I stopped it when I had to tell people to stop. So I gave Tony a few more seconds. Captain Ed, I appreciate it.
[3:21:29] Thank you. Captain Ed, by the way, great comments on the reef. Good job.
[3:21:32] not so great comments on on the rest of the things you had to say.
[3:21:37] Henry, I am, I, because Mike's not here to defend himself, I'm going to say this.
[3:21:43] I'm going to give you, I asked Tony to come at the last meeting I said I was going to ask
[3:21:49] Tony Hamon to come to this meeting, because I wanted Tony Hamon's opinion on Mike Forster
[3:21:55] and Tony was in Uganda.
[3:21:57] So, Marty, would you restart the clock, please?
[3:22:00] This has nothing to do with Ted, and Tony wanted to say,
[3:22:03] ask me if he could say this, and I told him absolutely.
[3:22:06] I don't need three minutes.
[3:22:07] I need thirty seconds.
[3:22:09] I just want to say that naming the dog park in Mike's honor would be a wonderful thing to do.
[3:22:17] I am deeply hurt that you would bring a man who's the cease-up in the way you did publicly.
[3:22:24] I'm embarrassed.
[3:22:27] I'm saddened by that.
[3:22:30] I've known Mike, as well as anybody, as Buddy said.
[3:22:33] And I knew him, and I watched him change.
[3:22:35] We started out as enemies, literally, or on the political side of things.
[3:22:40] And we developed a friendship.
[3:22:41] He went to Africa with me three times.
[3:22:43] I watched him change.
[3:22:45] And I believe that that change is a result of what I saw
[3:22:49] is hard, and I watched him put a family in a trailer on our property for over a month, actually
[3:22:55] about six months, until he could get re-established back in the bomb, it's about toys for the
[3:22:59] kids, everything.
[3:23:01] So, anyway, I just, I want you to know how saddened I am by that, and I always said
[3:23:05] hadn't happened publicly.
[3:23:07] Thank you, Tony.
[3:23:08] Marny, who's next, please, speaking in favor for Ted, come on to the mic, come on.
[3:23:16] You have three minutes, young man.
[3:23:18] Thank you.
[3:23:18] So the compliment, Glenn Latham, I've been here 11 years, this has been interesting.
[3:23:27] Seeing the device of nature here, but I appreciate everybody being candid and airing your
[3:23:35] dirty laundry because it's not easy to do that.
[3:23:38] And I don't see how a council could really effectively make a decision if you're so divisive.
[3:23:50] I think first there needs to be a PIP for the council.
[3:23:55] So something, so come together.
[3:23:58] I would implore you to come together as a council so that you can make a good decision on
[3:24:05] where to move forward. I've known Mr. Yates for a year and since he's been here and I
[3:24:11] can say a lot of good things about him and I've heard some nitpicky things, some personal
[3:24:18] things, some people feeling attacked or and I've been on you know half billion dollar company
[3:24:24] executive committees and when we had disagreements we worked it out so your grownups and
[3:24:32] We need to come together and work things out.
[3:24:35] I share and I felt sorry for you actually when you were speaking and you've got to work
[3:24:41] it out.
[3:24:41] You're a grown woman.
[3:24:43] You know, you just can't take your ball and go home and you know, work it out.
[3:24:47] That's what you're elected to do and probably even paid.
[3:24:50] I don't know if you're paid and probably something.
[3:24:53] But you're paid more than me for what I do here.
[3:24:59] So you know, come together.
[3:25:00] I implore the council to come together and you've got to fix yourselves before you can even think about making the decision about the village manager because it hasn't worked
[3:25:11] all these years when 11 in like 24 years
[3:25:15] Come on, we got to do better than that we've got a good guy here now
[3:25:19] Let's make it work and it's really your responsibility I believe to help make that work
[3:25:27] So, that's what I'd like to see. Thank you.
[3:25:31] Who's next, who's here?
[3:25:33] It's going to come speak, please.
[3:25:42] I'm not going to need three minutes because Tony Hammond and Glenn just said a lot.
[3:25:48] You know, originally we all have all our very emails. You know what we think of Ted.
[3:25:55] I'm sorry, David Epstein.
[3:25:56] I'm out of politics,
[3:26:00] is really, there's nothing you can't say that's been good for
[3:26:03] the past year about him, about Ted and his wife, look at July 4, look at all the
[3:26:09] events that have happened, look at the staff, you have over $10 million worth of staff
[3:26:14] here that's pretty damn happy for more I can tell.
[3:26:19] I'm kind of effectively been a city manager on an air force base for last few years and
[3:26:26] Homestead, I've done it around the world.
[3:26:30] I know what it takes, you got to be a leader.
[3:26:32] I know somebody said, you don't need to be a leader.
[3:26:34] Yeah, absolutely, you have to be a leader,
[3:26:36] you have to be a manager, you have to do all those things.
[3:26:39] And that's what's going on here right now.
[3:26:41] So I kind of, you know, what Gwen said,
[3:26:43] and what Tony said, let's fix this problem.
[3:26:46] Then take a look at that a year from now.
[3:26:48] See what that looks like.
[3:26:49] But that's what I've seen.
[3:26:51] I've only been coming here a couple of months.
[3:26:53] You're going to start seeing me a little bit more.
[3:26:55] As I start to wind down my government career on the other side and I look forward to it and I look forward to working with Ted over the next five to ten years.
[3:27:04] That's really what needs to happen here.
[3:27:08] Everything else has been said.
[3:27:10] Thank you Ted for what you do.
[3:27:11] Thank you.
[3:27:13] All right.
[3:27:13] Thanks for giving us the extra time to Dave.
[3:27:17] Thank you.
[3:27:18] Good evening, Council.
[3:27:19] Good evening, fellow.
[3:27:20] I'm a lot of residents.
[3:27:22] First I'm going to say,
[3:27:23] I'm sorry. Yes, I know. Andy Newman. I am a full-time resident of Alamurada on El Capitand
[3:27:31] Drive, Lower Metacombe Key. Father Tony, I respect you so much. Your words offer so much encouragement,
[3:27:40] so much wisdom, Councilwoman Jolyn. Your words just now, a couple, I guess, 30, 45 minutes
[3:27:47] go of sort of coming to terms. I respect you so much now for what you just did. I'm very impressed
[3:27:55] with that. With that, I'm not, I guess my concern more than anything else is about consistency,
[3:28:05] continuity. This, this council has had four of this community. It's had four village managers. Since
[3:28:11] 2020, I personally don't believe that we can afford to have another one to have to go out
[3:28:18] for RFP, whatever you want to call it, and go through the process again, I think you should
[3:28:24] give it a little more time. That's all I have to say. Thanks so much for your the opportunity
[3:28:29] to speak to you guys. Andy, I just want to correct you. We've had two managers, Greg or Vic and
[3:28:34] that is our second since I got elected in 2020.
[3:28:38] Okay, but I believe that, Maria has had to.
[3:28:40] Maria was the intern.
[3:28:41] Pass a yes, so it's past four different times, just so.
[3:28:46] But thanks for your correction, Mayor.
[3:28:48] Who's next, please?
[3:28:50] Right?
[3:28:54] Are you representing yourself or, or is it a chamber?
[3:28:59] So, good evening, Mayor and Council.
[3:29:02] I know I won't need five minutes, so it's okay, yeah.
[3:29:04] So, of course, I want to apologize that I've prepared statements that relate to tab 7,
[3:29:09] which is about the resolution.
[3:29:11] So, obviously, as I talk about it, you know, we're not, we're not on that tab, but you'll
[3:29:15] get the idea.
[3:29:16] My name is Craig McMay, and I reside in Plantation Key.
[3:29:19] I'm here tonight in the capacity of President for the Island Marada Chamber of Commerce Board
[3:29:25] of Directors.
[3:29:26] The Chamber Board Directors met for a special call and meeting on July 5th to discuss the
[3:29:32] The solution before you tonight are proving the non-rail dealable of the village managers contract.
[3:29:38] The resolution states that it is in the best interest of the village not to renew the employment contract with Mr. Gates as a village manager.
[3:29:45] The Chamber Board does not agree with the statement,
[3:29:47] believe it would not be in the best interest of the village to not renew the contract
[3:29:51] and we would encourage each of you to consider the village as a whole while you consider this issue.
[3:29:57] The village needs continuity and stability.
[3:30:00] To move us forward, this resolution would not accomplish either of these issues. We would also encourage you to consider the large sum of money that would be spent on yet another search for a village manager and what that process would do to our reputation.
[3:30:14] We do not feel that one year is enough time to learn all the idiosyncrasy of the village. We encourage you to vote against the resolution and to instead give clear direction on the changes you believe that are needed from the manager and time for the changes to take place.
[3:30:27] We implore you to focus on stability and continuity for everyone's sake.
[3:30:32] Thank you all for your time. Thank you all for your service.
[3:30:35] Craig, can you please tell me how many people the board represents that you guys met?
[3:30:40] I mean, I know we've all got phone calls from some of the board members, but
[3:30:44] So we believe we had eight board members on the meeting.
[3:30:49] All right. So I believe it could be, you know, plus or minus one.
[3:30:52] Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Who's next?
[3:30:58] I represent myself, Frank Turfler, live on Gumbo, Limbo, Lane, here in Almorada.
[3:31:04] I'm in a time of my life when I serve on boards.
[3:31:07] I've had seats out about, I counted it up.
[3:31:11] I was sitting there at eight different boards in about the last seven or eight years.
[3:31:15] And there's one thing that always works.
[3:31:18] And that is the board speaks with one voice.
[3:31:21] The board speaks to the manager with one voice.
[3:31:26] That's a philosophy that is probably the only logical way to make it work and folks you aren't doing that.
[3:31:35] And so what I think is that you haven't had a board retreat, apparently.
[3:31:40] You haven't really gone through level setting within the board.
[3:31:44] Level setting is extremely important.
[3:31:46] You haven't done the things you haven't done the homework as a board that you need to do in order to be effective with your executive.
[3:31:53] And so I'm sorry. I love y'all, but I put it on you. You can't really blame the executive for failing when you have not succeeded
[3:32:03] And that's where I'm at. Thank you. Thank you very much
[3:32:09] Who's next?
[3:32:15] Anybody else
[3:32:18] Here or Martin anybody else on zoom
[3:32:22] There are no zoom hands raised. Okay, no zoom. Okay.
[3:32:29] Yeah, good evening
[3:32:29] I had Derek Rodberg, I've been a long time resident of the keys 53 years now.
[3:32:36] There's an expression if it's not logical, it's political, and this is about as political
[3:32:41] as it can get.
[3:32:43] I do note Ted, a couple of different avenues, but he and his wife are all in in this town.
[3:32:49] They are doing everything in their power to make this the best town in America, and I think
[3:32:55] if we give him a chance, he'll do that.
[3:32:59] So please please consider the people of Ilamara when you're making this decision. It's a critical importance
[3:33:07] It really is. That's all I have to say. Okay. Thank you, Dirt. Hey Tony. Can you do me a favor please?
[3:33:15] I'm going to give you this list of emails. Can you read these names off?
[3:33:19] Can you come up to the mic please?
[3:33:42] Let's see
[3:33:45] Tony, if you would please
[3:33:51] I'll read him Tony good John would it be better for me to read him either one. There's nothing illegal about it
[3:33:58] Okay, I don't like Tony dude
[3:34:01] Barnabey rich
[3:34:03] And you Newman Susan Latham
[3:34:10] Random Ace Scott K
[3:34:16] Joel Bishop
[3:34:19] Jack and Jamie Nibalsky
[3:34:22] Lindsay fast
[3:34:24] have happened at Fri Manity. David Habitat Fri Manity, Frank Derfler,
[3:34:33] speaking on his own behalf, Pet Kee, Tony Hammond,
[3:34:40] Derek Wadberg,
[3:34:46] Russell Hubert,
[3:34:49] Carl Abon,
[3:34:52] Ty Harris,
[3:34:55] Brad Ekblum,
[3:34:58] Chris Chantine,
[3:35:01] Mark Greg,
[3:35:04] Joe Roth,
[3:35:08] Deborah Esslinger,
[3:35:11] David Epstein, Andreas Hoffman, Richard Engel, Richard here at the night too.
[3:35:20] Claire Johnson,
[3:35:23] Bob and Neil,
[3:35:27] Brett Guy, Roger Young, and Wade and Tina Porter.
[3:35:34] Thank you, Tony.
[3:35:35] We do not have a hand raise on Zoom.
[3:35:46] Okay, Claire, you're giving permission to speak.
[3:35:49] Go ahead.
[3:35:50] yes thank you very much can you can you hear me yes we're we can hear you okay okay great so thank
[3:35:58] you for giving me this opportunity and thank you council for a thank was job and watching
[3:36:04] the council meeting this past June I was in dispute and I know I'm probably going to repeat
[3:36:08] some things that people have already said I was in disbelief of the topic regarding a village manager's
[3:36:15] decision about a staff member, and taking on the position as a council member, there are times
[3:36:21] you should stand above the crowd and do the right thing. This discussion was not the right
[3:36:25] thing to do. A council member's role is to set policies and not micro-manage. For council
[3:36:32] member to ask the manager to qualify his decision is unprofessional and appropriate and overstepping.
[3:36:38] The professionalism of how Ted answered should speak volumes. Our charter states at certain
[3:36:44] interference with village employees shall constitute malfeasance and office.
[3:36:48] There are always two sides to every story and we, the council in the public are not
[3:36:53] privy to the true nature of an employee's performance or lack of performance.
[3:36:59] I am hopeful that the council will look at the entire picture, even including the effects
[3:37:03] on staff and all potential ripple effects that micro-managing will have.
[3:37:09] The charter is specific with their rules and regulations.
[3:37:11] You might not agree with them, but they should certainly be respected.
[3:37:16] They should very much for allowing me to speak.
[3:37:18] Thank you, Claire.
[3:37:19] Monty, do we have anybody else?
[3:37:22] Okay. Roger.
[3:37:29] Roger, your own tide Avenue.
[3:37:32] Now, you've already got my email.
[3:37:35] And I already know that I would prefer Mr. Yates to continue.
[3:37:41] Tonight, I saw something.
[3:37:42] I'm known sharing forever.
[3:37:44] and I really felt what you said tonight, but after seeing all the staff and speaking to many
[3:37:51] staff, many of the staff members that aren't here, probably don't want to show their face
[3:37:57] possibly attribution. I can't say that's a fact, others have families. My question to you would
[3:38:05] be, you said something to the effect of these guys talk to the staff more than you, or they
[3:38:11] talk to you to them more than you.
[3:38:14] My question is, I'm in the building of Pummelod.
[3:38:16] I recognize allow these faces.
[3:38:17] I see a lot of them almost every day.
[3:38:20] Have you ever gone to that, not the third floor, not the third floor?
[3:38:25] Do you ever have you ever gone into the second floor and walked through that place and met
[3:38:30] any of the people?
[3:38:32] Because you'd be really surprised.
[3:38:33] That's more of what's going on than allow the interference you're getting out here in
[3:38:39] his town.
[3:38:40] Because we are definitely divided.
[3:38:42] It started before the election.
[3:38:45] Everybody knows who everybody is and everybody's
[3:38:48] A villain in everybody else's story.
[3:38:50] But I would urge you to go in and meet some of these staff people.
[3:38:54] You might really change your mind on a couple things.
[3:38:57] Or at least find people that you can talk to.
[3:39:00] I'll go in there and ask, hey, why am I not getting this?
[3:39:03] Or why am I here?
[3:39:04] And I usually get a really good explanation.
[3:39:06] I go to Key Largo.
[3:39:08] Marathon?
[3:39:08] I don't get that.
[3:39:09] Some of them are good, I can't say all of them, but here it's a whole different show, and it is running well.
[3:39:15] I don't have an issue with the staff.
[3:39:17] No, no, what I thought you said, maybe I'm misinterpreted, that you thought staff tends to go,
[3:39:23] no, okay, without I read it wrongly that I apologize because I was going to say,
[3:39:27] but you did just say you haven't spent any time with staff, maybe on second floor.
[3:39:32] No, so it might be a few of you to go in there and speak to them.
[3:39:36] Okay, no, you're right. No, I mean, it's not a dialogue time and I I just have to say that I I have trouble with public comment
[3:39:47] questioning
[3:39:49] Someone's truth. That's all. I mean, it's no, no. No. I mean, I just
[3:39:53] This is Raju and that's that's fine. I don't know Miss. I can say don't know you, but to question her truth is really trouble
[3:39:59] Oh, absolutely wasn't question her truth. No, I didn't take it and share knows that. I believe that. No, I'm doing
[3:40:05] we're going I get it and there's a lot of emotion is room and I hate to see it. I hate to
[3:40:11] see it. I'm hoping something can be resolved. Maybe not tonight but at least sooner or later
[3:40:16] and we can just something done. And thank you all for your service. Thank you, Roger.
[3:40:23] And I know Sharon, thanks you too. Of course. Mr. Mayor, there's one speaker we've not heard from.
[3:40:29] Who's that? Ted. Okay. We'll also have a speaker on Zoom now. Okay.
[3:40:32] This go ahead. Who is it just lower their hands? Okay.
[3:40:40] Everybody else in the room want to speak? Okay. And support a Ted? Okay.
[3:40:45] George Perez. What more Greg's suggestion is great. I think that that PIP is a great idea.
[3:40:54] I use it in my business throughout the years. And I'm glad we do because I've been able to keep very good people in the business.
[3:41:02] and you don't know until you give them that opportunity, you know, who's going to be the positive
[3:41:07] ones and who are not. And so it's a great idea. So, you know, this is a great town being
[3:41:16] led by seemingly great people and I just wish hope and implore you guys to try to work together.
[3:41:23] You know, just bring it in, unite, maybe go out and spend social time and stuff and like you
[3:41:29] You know spend some time together and stuff and you never know what comes out of it, but you know, we I think that's a great
[3:41:35] Excuse me great opportunity here and you can guys can make some massive improvements for a for a town again. Thank you George
[3:41:44] Arnie, we have anybody else
[3:41:46] Anybody else in the room want to speak on behalf of Ted
[3:41:51] That's it. All right. Do we have any other public comment right now?
[3:41:55] There's another hand up hold on to this one, so I'll say that with that being said public comment is closed. Ted
[3:42:03] One more.
[3:42:08] John Fernandez. You're been given permission to speak. Go ahead.
[3:42:19] Hey, John
[3:42:24] John Fernandez, you have person to speak. Okay, are you behaving? Yes
[3:42:32] Okay, I've been watching this meeting from the beginning and I've felt a comment first of all
[3:42:38] I don't think we should have made it just a public comment differently than we normally do it.
[3:42:44] And that is, we normally do not ask people to tell us at the beginning of a public comment
[3:42:51] whether they're for or against whatever. I think that's inappropriate. The only time we do that
[3:42:57] is when there is something that the attorney says you need to do in order to raise your hand and so on.
[3:43:05] That was a different thing that we normally do with public common.
[3:43:11] I don't necessarily approve or agree or disagree to let the manager go.
[3:43:18] I do think that if I was the manager,
[3:43:22] and I can see that I have less than three votes,
[3:43:26] I would on my own say, you know what?
[3:43:28] I don't think this is the place I want to stay.
[3:43:31] Because that's just obviously that at some point there's going to be an issue where that
[3:43:37] third vote is going to be gone and then I'm going to be history.
[3:43:43] So I think that the manager should probably think very hard as to whether this is the place
[3:43:49] for him.
[3:43:50] Now, one of the things he mentioned in the past is that before he accepted position, he did
[3:43:56] a lot of research on the village and read the minutes and for previous meetings for a number
[3:44:03] of months and years. And I think it should again an idea how our small community operates.
[3:44:11] As to whether we should keep him or not keep him, it's up to you five people.
[3:44:19] It's up to you. Before this meeting, I didn't talk to any of them. I didn't talk to any one of
[3:44:24] you guys up there, but I already knew in my own mind who were going to be two of the votes
[3:44:33] because I've seen you guys functioning. And I know two individuals there are going to
[3:44:38] be this keep them. I won't say who those individuals are, but I think it's very obvious.
[3:44:45] So the others, I really didn't know how they were going to vote. Again, you know, rehabilitating
[3:44:53] in the video, who's getting paid over $200,000 and thousands of dollars for housing.
[3:45:00] And so on, you know, you don't rehabilitate at that point. You, you find the person that is able to function without having to have this extra ordinary training for that on the job, because that's what's basically what you say.
[3:45:17] So, again, I'm sorry that we have gone to this point in our selection of the village manager.
[3:45:25] But at the end of the day, those five individuals are in the podium up there, are the ones who make decisions.
[3:45:33] And they have reasons as to why they're going to make it the way they are.
[3:45:37] And whatever they decide, we should accept that and go from there.
[3:45:43] Thank you very much, folks.
[3:45:46] Morning, everybody else.
[3:45:50] Yep, one hand is one up.
[3:45:58] Okay.
[3:45:58] Susan, go ahead.
[3:46:01] Well, I'm sorry.
[3:46:02] This is Tom Raphael, from Iowa, Marata.
[3:46:05] Can you hear me?
[3:46:06] Yes.
[3:46:08] Okay, great.
[3:46:09] Thanks for the opportunity to speak.
[3:46:12] I was an executive man.
[3:46:13] Well, it was a manager for over three years.
[3:46:16] Different shape sizes.
[3:46:17] Different states, handled many steps.
[3:46:20] In my observation, this is broken.
[3:46:23] And a lot of it is just self-inflicted, gunshot wound.
[3:46:28] There's no rehab at this point.
[3:46:32] You need to start fresh, and it's not personal. This is business.
[3:46:36] But I think you start to, you need to start with a new manager
[3:46:39] that you all agree on.
[3:46:42] And that manager has to have the ability to relate to all of you,
[3:46:46] not just the ones he thinks as the power in this equation.
[3:46:51] It's a big vote, it's never pretty to do it.
[3:46:54] I've done it many times in the past, but you can't re-had everybody, and that particular
[3:47:00] position, you're going to re-have, you should have re-have that for 90 days for four months.
[3:47:05] And as far as seeing people over at the staff, that should be part of your intake procedure.
[3:47:11] The manager should walk you guys over and introduce you to every staff member.
[3:47:15] That should be standard operating procedure.
[3:47:19] You lack too many basics to be functional.
[3:47:23] You've got the power to change it in your elected to manage.
[3:47:26] Soint managing.
[3:47:28] So it's never too late, but you need a new team.
[3:47:32] Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.
[3:47:34] Martin, okay, go ahead.
[3:47:39] Martin, do you have anybody else on Zoom or not?
[3:47:40] I'm CAC.
[3:47:41] Hello, and I live in a Marauder for own property for 10 years.
[3:47:45] And this is the first council meeting that I have ever attended.
[3:47:50] I must say that I'm kind of, I'm a rural follower and it just even the
[3:47:56] communication here, how you're talking about interviewing people for different
[3:47:59] boards and stuff is all we don't need to interview him because we don't know all about it.
[3:48:03] I came from a big corporation and so one of the things you have to do is in order to evaluate
[3:48:08] people fairly, you have to all be judged by the same set of criteria.
[3:48:12] And if you guys are, everybody's doing their own thing, you're looking for somebody who's
[3:48:18] You're looking for somebody who's five, 10, and you're looking for somebody that doesn't get out of a chair.
[3:48:24] I mean, you're not on the same page and you're not judging by the same things.
[3:48:28] And we all have opportunities to improve.
[3:48:32] And nobody's perfect.
[3:48:35] And again, what is the big deal with a 90-day, a 90-day performance improvement?
[3:48:42] If the person wants to improve and understands, and you guys can communicate effectively,
[3:48:47] as to what needs to change and the dynamics between you all.
[3:48:52] This is a very dysfunctional group and it's really sad,
[3:48:57] because just because you're going to get a new guy
[3:48:59] or how is he going to be any different than the guy you had before.
[3:49:02] I mean, you know, when you hate your job and you want to move on to a new one
[3:49:04] because you hate your boss, guess what? You're the same you at the next place.
[3:49:09] So when you guys bring in a new person, it's going to be the same you
[3:49:13] And anyway, I don't really, I'm, I met Ted this week because he swam, great swimmer and it's really great to see that he's gotten in the community.
[3:49:22] He's a, bought a home. He's involved in the church. He does men's Bible study.
[3:49:27] I mean, he wants to be here. He's not coming in and written and hanging out somewhere else. He's, he's really involved.
[3:49:33] And I just think we need to give him a chance. And we all need to, we all need to be team out in the rota.
[3:49:38] No matter where we've come from. And I don't think we are team out in the rota.
[3:49:43] Thank you.
[3:49:48] I don't want to use anybody else.
[3:49:50] Richard got it.
[3:49:56] My name is Richard England.
[3:49:58] I work for a bank here locally.
[3:50:01] I've been in a Florida in two generations.
[3:50:05] I've been coming down the keys.
[3:50:08] Most of my life.
[3:50:09] I just find it appalling to me
[3:50:12] to a point that
[3:50:15] the five of you
[3:50:17] couldn't agree on what to drink, what to eat, and that's gotten to get correct.
[3:50:25] That's the main issue here. I don't think it's Ted. I think the focus is there. You guys have to
[3:50:33] get a team building effort together, find a common ground and build from there.
[3:50:43] I'm with the
[3:50:44] And that's why I see the dysfunction right now.
[3:50:49] That's what really needs to be corrected.
[3:50:54] Marty, anybody else?
[3:51:01] My name is Angie, and I'm from Almyrata.
[3:51:04] And I think the reason we're here on this subject is because of a contract.
[3:51:09] And that's it.
[3:51:12] Right? The responsibility to vote yesterday.
[3:51:18] Thank you.
[3:51:19] Anybody else marines at it? There was some handrails on zoom. Let me get back to it.
[3:51:26] They still have our handrails. Yes, they do.
[3:51:30] Okay, um, Collar with the last four numbers of three eight six nine. Go ahead.
[3:51:38] Oh, hello, they're, um, I have hired and fired before. It is uncomfortable for everybody.
[3:51:47] This is not that situation. This is a vote, not just for no contract. Please do not renew the contract.
[3:51:52] Thank you.
[3:51:54] Thank you.
[3:51:55] All right, Marty's at it.
[3:51:56] Anybody else?
[3:52:00] On Zoom?
[3:52:01] I don't have anyone with her hand breeze right now.
[3:52:04] So with that being said, if nobody else in here wants to speak,
[3:52:07] public comment is now closed.
[3:52:09] Ted, would you like to speak yourself?
[3:52:14] Yeah.
[3:52:14] I've got to say a few words.
[3:52:17] Thank you to everyone that should have both
[3:52:22] friends in the community, people that I don't know from the community, and my staff, of course.
[3:52:29] I did do a lot of research, this best as I could to prepare for this role.
[3:52:37] It wasn't like this where I came from.
[3:52:39] I knew this was different.
[3:52:41] I had councilmen that disagreed, but they rose above that and they shared a vision and we got worked on.
[3:52:51] It actually functions better when they don't disagree because that's what makes the system work.
[3:52:59] It's been very difficult.
[3:53:02] This particular council is more divided than anyone that this happened and has been seated before.
[3:53:11] The staff sees it, the residents see it.
[3:53:14] I'm living through it.
[3:53:16] Sharing it right, I communicate with everyone of you differently.
[3:53:20] every single one of you because you communicate with me differently.
[3:53:26] We have different dialogues, I mean everything that I send to Henry
[3:53:29] ends up in a newsletter for ICA two days later.
[3:53:33] So I communicate cautiously with your Henry
[3:53:35] because I get taken shots at, I try to communicate and have a productive
[3:53:40] business relationship with Council.
[3:53:44] And there's a level of, I know it's all public record,
[3:53:48] But there's a level of confidentiality that I need to have dialogue with, and sometimes that's
[3:53:53] really challenging.
[3:53:54] So I'm just being honest with you.
[3:53:57] I had challenges building relationships with each council member differently.
[3:54:05] I've had rough roads with every single person sitting up here.
[3:54:08] I mean, there's no one that I can point to and say, we've been good from day one.
[3:54:12] That's not been the case.
[3:54:14] I've known that to be the challenge,
[3:54:19] a lot of people reached out to me and support.
[3:54:24] And I almost have a text that I send back to them that's, I can almost copy, that says,
[3:54:31] I love this town, I want to be part of the future of this town, and I think with more time,
[3:54:37] I can bring council together and bring the community together.
[3:54:41] Those are the words that I've shared with people. I have to bring you guys together. If you're ever going to have
[3:54:48] Any type of productive future here in Alamara, I mean, I've heard people screaming saying
[3:54:54] Look if they get rid of you
[3:54:56] We're going to petition to just to go back to the county. I
[3:55:00] I don't know if I mean if that's what you want
[3:55:02] I will help you go back to the county. I will do whatever you want me to do
[3:55:07] I've never worked in a place that I have not been
[3:55:11] wanted. You know, my previous job I controlled my own destiny, it is different. But you know,
[3:55:17] we've had that conversation that being a strong mayor doing the job that I'm doing is a
[3:55:22] different job than what I do here. I've got five personalities and no matter how you slice it,
[3:55:30] you all have five separate agendas that you want to push. And those agendas don't necessarily overlap.
[3:55:36] So, my job is to try to balance that, use my professional background and expertise, to try to get you where you want to go.
[3:55:45] Sometimes there's pushback when that happens. Sometimes there's embracing when that happens, but it's not a smooth ride.
[3:55:53] And I accept that. I mean, there's things that Elizabeth has tried to share with me that she would like to see done.
[3:56:03] She gets very frustrated because she feels like nothing is happening.
[3:56:07] There's a lot of things I do in the background that is trying to push us toward a consensus building workshop.
[3:56:20] You know, when I was actually really refreshing when I went up to Orlando and spent time with other managers in Florida,
[3:56:26] because, I mean, you guys are no different than any other council out there, we all got into
[3:56:34] a room, there was hundreds of us, and we all vented and talked about different things,
[3:56:39] and it was actually very therapeutic. And we talked about ways to make things happen, and
[3:56:47] to make the communities better. We've talked a lot about strategic planning. I've sent numerous
[3:56:53] most of Council saying that I've been talking with companies behind the scenes that can help bring
[3:56:57] us together to look at different issues as it relates to my role with you guys. Your role with
[3:57:05] as Council members, you know, you're just trying to get everyone on the same page and
[3:57:14] that's all I've ever wanted. I mean, you know, my poor wife Sharon's the first meeting she had to
[3:57:19] to when I, you know, this is not an optimal situation. But for the first time, the other night,
[3:57:26] and as much as I love this place and talked about it, and she loves the weather, she'll tell you
[3:57:31] that, but for the first night sitting at dinner, she looked at me and said, you know, this is our home,
[3:57:37] and I really want to stay here.
[3:57:40] And if you don't share in that, that's a big statement.
[3:57:44] But I've taken this job and this role with that in the background.
[3:57:52] I think it's really important the culture and the morale that we have with our staff.
[3:57:58] And I would never do anything to jeopardize that ever.
[3:58:02] And decisions I've made, Dan is not the only employee I've terminated.
[3:58:11] It's not.
[3:58:12] and they were affecting the effectiveness of their department and we needed to make a change.
[3:58:22] I didn't, I don't make those decisions because Council tells me to make those decisions,
[3:58:27] or I don't make those decisions because there's pressure put on to me by anyone else in this
[3:58:31] community.
[3:58:34] I was a big fan and supporter of Dan and spent a lot of time working with him and getting
[3:58:40] to know him. Just like a employee, I know their families, I know of what they bring their
[3:58:47] dogs to work, I know their dogs, I mean, it's important that they have a healthy home life
[3:58:54] on a healthy work like because we spend more time together as a family than they do at home
[3:59:00] with their husbands and their spouses and their kids. So they've got to have fun, they've
[3:59:05] got to be able to get the work done, and that culture is the most important thing to
[3:59:09] and I've said that from day one. And so it means a lot for all them to be sitting here. They're not
[3:59:15] sitting here because they're scared they're gonna get fired. I mean that's just the silliest and most
[3:59:19] ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's actually insulting. To them and to me. Okay.
[3:59:28] You know it's
[3:59:30] if you guys don't want me here I will move on and I will God will lead me in a direction that
[3:59:37] he wants me to go. I have faith in that and then that is not what I want, but I'll trust him
[3:59:44] and I'll trust where he's gonna leave me and what you know I'll do next. And you know but I want to be here
[3:59:54] you know and I want to make it work and I mean none of us are
[4:00:00] Perfect. And I understand the concerns that were brought up, and I am more than happy to try to get us focused on a way that not only can we work better together and communicate together, but I want to get you guys working better together and communicating better together, because it's hard. This is a hard job when there's so much conflict between certain council members.
[4:00:25] It's hard enough by itself, but some of the issues that were brought up here tonight, I think on both sides made a lot of sense, and I think I'm actually happy to have told people this.
[4:00:41] I'm happy that this is actually happening, because we needed this to happen.
[4:00:48] If we had to continue to go on floundering, we needed to have this discussion, the community needed to
[4:00:58] to show that this position matters to them, okay?
[4:01:02] I'm not just someone hidden behind the scenes
[4:01:05] that, you know, counsel directs, I mean,
[4:01:07] I have a presence in the community,
[4:01:09] I'm, you know, it's important.
[4:01:12] I mean, people come up to me in the store
[4:01:14] that I don't even know I've never met and said,
[4:01:17] hey, can one enters myself, you're doing a good job,
[4:01:19] then they walk away, that's like the best day ever
[4:01:23] when that happens, it's like three words,
[4:01:25] and I can walk away, you know,
[4:01:27] there's
[4:01:35] so much beauty and
[4:01:41] community here to be proud of. I mean, guys live in paradise and it's like everyone's got blinders on that we are so blessed to have all of this around us and have the ability to try to shape that for the next 5 or 10 or 15 years or however many years that we're all around here and we spend so much time
[4:02:05] Standing at that podium and putting out newsletters and calling people and talking about negative issues that are just self-serving for personal
[4:02:15] agendas because people have created a podium and created a platform
[4:02:21] You know that
[4:02:23] continues to create division here and I mean we got to get away from that and
[4:02:30] We got it nothing's perfect here whether's development, whether's protecting the environment
[4:02:34] I mean, all of it has to work together in a delicate kind of balance, and we've just got
[4:02:41] to get to that, and there's just way too much effort talking about negative things versus
[4:02:47] focusing on positive things, and it's hard because there are so many people that would
[4:02:57] anything to be able to live work and play in Alamurata. And so I don't know what your
[4:03:05] decision is going to be tonight. I'm going to walk out of here hopefully with some
[4:03:09] direction as to where my future is going to go. But I think the community, because what
[4:03:22] this has shown me the last week is that they're paying attention and you know all the
[4:03:29] stuff that I've tried to do, I mean I bought a house before the contract on a house before
[4:03:34] you even had your election. That's about as risky as it can get, knowing that this whole
[4:03:40] council could have turned over and I would have been probably voted out, you know, two weeks later,
[4:03:47] but it didn't happen that way. And I still think that you guys can find a way to work together
[4:03:52] productively. I hope that we find a way to work the other productively. I don't know that I can say anything else. Thanks.
[4:04:09] Well, did I want to say amen to what you just said?
[4:04:20] Because none of us are perfect. None of us sitting up here are perfect.
[4:04:23] We all have faults. We all have strengths. We all have weaknesses. If we could just get our strengths together and work together
[4:04:32] Things could be different
[4:04:34] So all right, so council
[4:04:38] Let's we're we going from here
[4:04:41] I wouldn't mind a break
[4:04:43] Okay, thank you
[4:04:46] So let's take a
[4:04:49] 7 minute break
[4:27:43] Meeting back to order, and money, we need to extend. Do I hear a second?
[4:27:49] May I have to extend for half an hour? Half an hour? Okay.
[4:27:53] Mr. May, I don't know that we concluded the last item.
[4:27:57] Okay.
[4:28:01] Is your intention to continue that item or revisit it when we get to tab seven?
[4:28:05] I know there are a lot of people here for other discussion items.
[4:28:08] I'll be brief. I intend to make a motion. If you think it's appropriate now, I'll do it.
[4:28:14] if you'd rather have more discussion, I'll wait, you're, you're, you're, you're
[4:28:17] call.
[4:28:19] Want to be respectful.
[4:28:24] What, what, what was the discussion?
[4:28:26] What, what?
[4:28:27] If there's another discussion.
[4:28:28] I'm just, I don't want to cut anybody off as what I'm saying.
[4:28:31] If you want to talk about this some more, we can.
[4:28:33] Otherwise, I intend to make a motion.
[4:28:40] Well, are you okay with a motion?
[4:28:44] If you want to say something, say it?
[4:28:50] I think.
[4:28:56] We've got to go through the.
[4:28:58] Are you, are you, are you, is it a motion that?
[4:29:00] Waiting for consensus?
[4:29:03] I would like to make a motion, however, if someone would like to have for the discussion,
[4:29:08] I could wait for that.
[4:29:10] That's absolutely top of that.
[4:29:12] Well, maybe we do.
[4:29:13] Maybe we don't.
[4:29:14] Let's see.
[4:29:15] So my motion is that we table tab 7, and that we agree to retain John's firm and Alison to assist us
[4:29:27] with the performance improvement program, number one, and number two to help us with a program to get to know each other better, you know, as council members to help us to work together.
[4:29:43] I'm struggling to come up with the name of what that's called, but a consultant to help us sort out some of our differences a little further.
[4:29:51] I think we made a great start tonight, but that would be my motion and that we
[4:30:01] As I said, I think I said to table tab 7, I'm not saying to, we can revisit that after the PIP program, if that goes through. So that is my motion.
[4:30:13] Did you stay to, sorry, it was a little long-winded.
[4:30:16] It was.
[4:30:18] I've been told that.
[4:30:20] My motion would be to table tab 7, and instead, we would engage the Weissere
[4:30:28] law firm to assist us in developing a PIP program for us to work with Ted on, that can
[4:30:35] be, as we decide, 30, 60, 90 days.
[4:30:38] And then to also assist us if we want to have a group retreat where we have a facilitator or a counselor to assist us in team building.
[4:30:53] Thank you for that to improve our team building skills.
[4:30:59] That is the end of my motion.
[4:31:04] I think it's too broad. I think we need to...
[4:31:06] Well, they're wait, I'm sorry, there has to be a second before we have discussion. Oh, never mind
[4:31:11] Let me just step in there
[4:31:15] That's okay
[4:31:17] You can second for discussion purposes although you would have to have a vote on it, but you you can second for discussion purposes
[4:31:23] So is that what I'm doing? I'm confused in order to just go could you explain that further?
[4:31:29] Yeah, so I mean, I'm just saying you you can second it even if you don't if you supported or don't support it
[4:31:34] And you can have a discussion to ask them to amend it in a way you might want to.
[4:31:39] I mean, ultimately, there would have to be a vote because there is a second.
[4:31:42] But I just, I don't want people to think just because you second emotion because I've heard
[4:31:46] it a couple of times where they said, you know, I don't necessarily support I don't want
[4:31:49] to second it.
[4:31:50] Just because you second doesn't mean you need to vote in favor of the motion.
[4:31:53] Okay.
[4:31:54] So second for discussion, then I guess.
[4:31:57] How would you like to?
[4:31:58] No, I'm not going to go on with this.
[4:32:00] We're going to move together stuff.
[4:32:02] And then, but I don't like how broad your scope is on stuff.
[4:32:08] If the PIP and all that stuff is going to happen,
[4:32:12] we have to have tighter parameters and set rules and think,
[4:32:17] what would you prefer?
[4:32:18] I prefer to just move on right now.
[4:32:21] I'm tired of the money and grown in and in the audience.
[4:32:24] Can we just take care of other stuff all week?
[4:32:33] Well,
[4:32:36] I'd like to hear what I mean. We spent the time. We've had all this time with public comment.
[4:32:41] Here. Okay. Yeah. We've had all this time with public comment.
[4:32:46] And we let Ted speak. Why can't we just deal with it right now?
[4:32:52] What are we going to do in Tab 7 that we have?
[4:32:54] I would just answer that question.
[4:32:55] The reason is that you change the agenda.
[4:32:59] So you have turned up the agenda upside down.
[4:33:02] I mean, let's be fair about what's happening here.
[4:33:05] We're, we're.
[4:33:10] So.
[4:33:11] Henry.
[4:33:14] What's your opinion?
[4:33:15] We need to do something.
[4:33:18] I opinion.
[4:33:20] I want your honest opinion, Henry.
[4:33:23] You left the upstage me in the past.
[4:33:26] I can't let you do it now, you know,
[4:33:31] I'm not going to agree with what you're in motion.
[4:33:35] I'm not going to agree with you.
[4:33:37] He's got his mic, honestly.
[4:33:39] I'm not in agreement with the motion, thank you.
[4:33:44] I think it would be more respectful to bring this motion back to when we have the discussion,
[4:33:51] which was on the agenda.
[4:33:53] Okay. Well, I thought that this was a substitution for that, but if you think otherwise, I'll
[4:34:00] respect your analysis of that. We can do it.
[4:34:08] You're pulling me. I don't. Well, I don't really want a force of vote that's going to be,
[4:34:15] you know, what I want a five-o vote. That's what I want. And if I'm not going to get it,
[4:34:19] Let's just wait and we'll try again in a little while.
[4:34:22] Can I say anything?
[4:34:23] And would you be quiet so we can please quiet?
[4:34:26] So I can hear what's going on.
[4:34:28] It's hard enough to hear.
[4:34:29] So we don't need something from the peanut gallery.
[4:34:33] I'm in here in voices, and we're trying to hear each other.
[4:34:38] Thank you.
[4:34:41] I think at a respect for your fellow councilment,
[4:34:44] it would be smart to pull your motion.
[4:34:48] And in the meantime, I think it would be very wise for us to think about our own roles in
[4:34:55] the dysfunction that's happening right now, and the dysfunction that I'm just personally,
[4:35:02] I don't want to do a team building.
[4:35:06] This group needs more than team building, and there might be solutions for that, that should
[4:35:12] happen whether Ted's days or goes.
[4:35:15] This group needs, I think, someone commented about it in the audience.
[4:35:20] This group needs something, this group could benefit from a PIP as well.
[4:35:27] But thank you for considering pulling your, pulling the motion,
[4:35:32] out of respect for your fellow councilman.
[4:35:36] I didn't say I was going to pull it.
[4:35:38] I think considering.
[4:35:42] But, the PIP is not for us. The PIP is for Ted. I hope you.
[4:35:48] I'm clear on that. And thank you for the opportunity to discuss this, but because it's extremely important.
[4:35:54] If we all can sit here and say that we're not part of the problem,
[4:35:59] I think that we need to do a little soul searching. Because we, at this council and past councils,
[4:36:05] have been a major part of the issues that we have consistently had with our manager.
[4:36:14] And while it may not be traditional to install a PIP in a board like this, I think there's
[4:36:23] another name for it, it's not coming to me, it would be who this group to think about that.
[4:36:30] I mean, we make mistakes, and could use a lot of improvement as an organization.
[4:36:37] That's beyond let's go drink beer in the bar, you know, as a team building exercise.
[4:36:43] We have, we have made a lot of mistakes, and I thought I thought I was clear that by
[4:36:48] suggesting that we have some sort of a team building or whatever label you want to put
[4:36:52] on that event together implies we need improvement, and I'm admitting that we're dysfunctional.
[4:37:00] What I'm very concerned about is that whatever personal and
[4:37:04] atrocities there might be here, that it will result in Ted's suffering for that,
[4:37:11] Ted isn't the all of the problem.
[4:37:14] We are a big part of that, and Ted should not be punished for that.
[4:37:19] So if we part of the thing is, we have to first identify the problem.
[4:37:23] And I think we've done a pretty good job of at least getting stuff to come to the surface
[4:37:28] where we can talk about it.
[4:37:29] never done that before. And so if we did have a session where we could get together and talk about it,
[4:37:34] that is, by the way, a public meeting, and it does have a record of just like this. And if I remember
[4:37:39] the last one we had, Van Keating had attended that one. It was 20 years ago. So we could still do that.
[4:37:46] But I'm trying to come up with a comprehensive proposal to address two things. Our dysfunction
[4:37:53] and your issues with TED. And we can do that simultaneously and move forward. I hope for the
[4:38:01] best interest of everyone. But if you're not interested in that, that's your decision.
[4:38:07] And I certainly respect the path you're going down. And I think that if I need to say this in terms,
[4:38:15] I mean, it's clear that I'm not making my point. The issues that I have brought forth to TED are
[4:38:22] personal, they're professional. I think I hope that that's what we are all here
[4:38:27] today doing. We're acting in a professional capacity.
[4:38:32] And when I discuss the fact that
[4:38:35] this group means protocols, procedures, we need restrictions on the activity that we
[4:38:44] are actions, as we deal with our manager, our staff. I mean, you know, let's be honest,
[4:38:50] the amount of input that Mr. Yates gets on a daily basis.
[4:38:57] This group could do with some severe restructuring.
[4:39:05] And I think that would be very hard for us to live up to, actually,
[4:39:13] if we were subjected to a series of rules and regulations and procedures and protocols.
[4:39:19] be very hard and be a different way of doing business. And I will say that I think that
[4:39:24] the different way of doing business is what we have been asked by us to do by the people
[4:39:32] who elected us. We're being asked to do something different because look at this group.
[4:39:38] But listen, I will say, I've been to many since I got elected in 2020. I've been to many
[4:39:44] the city's meetings, many League of Florida League of Mayors meetings where this is stuff
[4:39:50] like this is talked about and you're putting groups and you're doing stuff but I will say
[4:39:58] I think one thing and this happens not only here, this happens all over to state of Florida
[4:40:04] I mean I've talked like Ted was saying he was talking I've been in groups with with with Mayors
[4:40:10] that have the same problem that we're going through, but I'll tell you a big problem is a
[4:40:14] administrative interference where council people interfere with the managers and staff
[4:40:23] that go go to staff, department heads and want to try to get their own agendas.
[4:40:31] You're absolutely right. 100%. I don't know if you have experience with that in this, but yes,
[4:40:37] that is a problem. We have that happening here among us.
[4:40:42] Yeah. Yeah. And Mr. Orvick, let me tell you something, Mr. Orvick pointed it out. Okay,
[4:40:50] about and and and Ted, you know, technically, if we're going to do something, we should
[4:40:56] go to Ted and Ted's got to give us permission to go to that department head or he's going
[4:41:02] to go in there with us or Mr. Quicks going to go in there with us.
[4:41:07] So anyways, with that being said, let's mark and ask Sharon a question. Sure.
[4:41:13] Sharon, you know, you seconded my motion for discussion and I heard what you said,
[4:41:18] but I've be candid. I wasn't clear.
[4:41:21] I mean, you said you just wanted to move on,
[4:41:23] but and you said that you thought my motion was too broad.
[4:41:27] So would there be something that might we could talk about or you would propose to now
[4:41:31] with it might be interesting to either Henry or Elizabeth?
[4:41:35] I
[4:41:38] don't understand how the PIP thing works, I agree with Elizabeth, I think we should have
[4:41:43] rules, regulations, and we don't.
[4:41:46] Everybody's done what they wanted to do, and that is a big problem.
[4:41:50] And that's true, but I think that's a separate issue from Ted's contract.
[4:41:54] No, actually, that's my point.
[4:41:57] It is not.
[4:41:58] It is one in the same, because the dysfunction that happens here directly affects the poor guy
[4:42:06] who has to manage this town and this group of people.
[4:42:09] Because if we, yeah, we have to get there first.
[4:42:13] Well, so let's talk about the fact that this group has problems.
[4:42:20] It's one of the same.
[4:42:21] We keep going.
[4:42:23] Mark, I think we just got a John, can we just move ahead?
[4:42:26] I'll withdraw my motion.
[4:42:27] I don't want to, you know, press thing.
[4:42:30] If you want to go on with this later on at Tap 7, we have other business.
[4:42:35] All right.
[4:42:35] Yeah, because when we get to Tab 7, I want to bring something up about Tab 7 as well, the way it was put together, okay, I will bring something up about that.
[4:42:45] Okay, so let's move on then to Village Attorney, Village Manager, Communications.
[4:42:54] So, Ted, the first thing is the update on the charitable contribution applications.
[4:43:00] Yeah, I'll try to be brief with all these, so I sent out a spreadsheet to Council, we had 16 applicants that have asked for some level of funding from Council as a charitable contribution.
[4:43:15] We have got to collectively talk about what that next process, the next steps in that process is going to look like.
[4:43:24] There was a huge book that was prepared if we put all the applications together, we have
[4:43:29] it available for you to look at, we tried to summarize what we thought were the important
[4:43:33] issues that you wanted to see in front of you.
[4:43:38] To move forward, we're going to have to have some probably some analysis, but council behind
[4:43:43] the scenes and then also some public discussion on how you want to, your budget is $125,000.
[4:43:50] So you can spend all of that, you can spend part of that, you can divide it up in any way that you want.
[4:43:56] So we need to kind of work and hopefully send some emails back and forth and try to figure out if we want to get that on the next agenda or how you want to move forward.
[4:44:06] But, you know, we started this because in the past there wasn't a very structured way that the contributions were being handed out.
[4:44:13] We've now got an application process and a timeline.
[4:44:15] So, now we need to finish up the last couple steps in terms of selection and then resolutions to award it.
[4:44:23] So, that's all I can send emails and we can communicate and the next one dead be the update.
[4:44:29] So, the fills, this is something I sent an email about and we can enter to go.
[4:44:34] I had a meeting with the DEP, so we've got, of course, we have two leases, one with F.1 with DEP.
[4:44:41] DEP controls a small portion of land near where the ramp is.
[4:44:46] I wanted to meet with DEP because there's not been much communication with DEP in terms of their objectives and goals as it relates to the land that they control.
[4:44:56] And out of that meeting, there was fire representatives.
[4:45:00] So, DEP manages all of our park systems. Their biggest concern is that when I shared with them that there would be no parking throughout the whole entire feels and no access by the public, their concern is that they actively manage, like the body, they actually manage and Indian key, and they want the public to have access to those parks.
[4:45:20] And the fact that the trail itself is a historic park.
[4:45:24] So they shared that they would like us to consider having at a minimum.
[4:45:30] They're not going to push an actual boat ramp, but at a minimum a kayak launch in parking spaces.
[4:45:37] So there can be access to Ligman-Voddi in the name key.
[4:45:42] They don't control the land across the street, but they would love to see access in parking on both sides.
[4:45:49] so that people don't have to go through the channel.
[4:45:52] So I'm just sharing that message with you,
[4:45:54] that's part of their vision,
[4:45:55] part of their organization's agencies.
[4:46:00] That's what they do.
[4:46:01] They manage parks and they promote connection to those parks
[4:46:05] as well as access to those parks.
[4:46:08] So this is something that we need to have a discussion about
[4:46:10] because I've got CPH engaged to update all of the prints
[4:46:16] and do a survey so that we can formally
[4:46:18] present this to ODOT so we can continue to move forward. But we need to make a decision on the
[4:46:24] DEP portion of the land. So given tonight's full agenda, probably can move it to the next meeting
[4:46:33] and hopefully get some direction from Council. Can we move to C?
[4:46:37] C is something that I probably don't really need to talk about this. These are, I just wanted
[4:46:43] to make Council aware that we have our consultant working on complement amendments behind the
[4:46:47] is going to present it to the LPA. They deal with, this is an agreement, a settlement agreement
[4:46:57] that was between Monroe County, Key West, Key Colony, Layton, Marathon, where there was
[4:47:05] excess allocations out of Key West, and there was an affordable housing project where allocations
[4:47:11] for being pushed to as a result of that in 2017, we were allocated 10.25 BPAS allocations, and
[4:47:23] we never did a complement amendment to actually use those.
[4:47:27] So they were never part of our poll.
[4:47:29] So we are working to be able to pull those into our poll, which will create potentially depending
[4:47:34] on account so it does two more quarters of distributions for market rate BPAS.
[4:47:39] The 300 affordable is also being worked on as a content amendment.
[4:47:47] Tentably we've scheduled those as a 10-year plan with 30 allocations going out per year with the ability to borrow forward if we had a large project.
[4:47:57] So a very simple council can change that once we get it through LPA and it gets in front of you.
[4:48:02] And then the last is, as a byproduct of the affordable units, there is a calculation and a formula that allocates non-residential bypass to the tune of a little over 71,000 square feet.
[4:48:17] Again, the initial direction was to have that over 10 year period.
[4:48:21] It's 7,100 square feet coming out per year again.
[4:48:25] You can bar forward, depending on project.
[4:48:27] So I just want to make council aware that that's happening behind the scenes.
[4:48:31] It's going to come to LPA and then we'll come to you guys.
[4:48:34] I don't want to comment.
[4:48:36] I have to go back to the DEP, Ted.
[4:48:45] I'm inclined to disagree with your DEP, we said no parking, you're a sector, etc., there were
[4:48:58] of us said no parking and now we're going with the DEP. I'm prepared to say to the DEP
[4:49:07] see you later. We've already passed it and that's that. I don't understand why we have to
[4:49:16] put things off and off and off. I just don't understand that.
[4:49:23] My understanding Henry was we dealt with F dot with the fills right okay DEP is a separate parcel of property owned by DEP
[4:49:33] No, I understand it. So are we going to tell them to just to keep their property and they can do what they want if that's what they take
[4:49:40] Yes, I'll tell them that
[4:49:42] Well, it's got to be consensus of counsel. We okay, but we did I thought we did have we did it once
[4:49:48] I'm quite certain we had this conversation.
[4:49:51] We all voted on it.
[4:49:52] Remember we all said no parking.
[4:49:54] No parking.
[4:49:55] Okay.
[4:49:56] We said what does that mean?
[4:49:57] We did say no parking, but that was for F dot.
[4:50:00] That was not for DEP for operas.
[4:50:03] This is the first meeting we've had with DEP.
[4:50:05] We've been going through F dot for all of our communications.
[4:50:09] F dot is clear, it's a road to F dot.
[4:50:12] If we want to shut down parking in access, we can shut it down.
[4:50:16] DEP controls a portion of that land.
[4:50:18] we've this the first meeting we've had with dp I shared at the at the
[4:50:21] fills meeting that we were going to have to follow meetings with dp dp
[4:50:27] looks at access to their parks differently than the way f dot looks at the
[4:50:33] fills I'm happy to go back until dp
[4:50:37] counsel doesn't want to do anything on dp property now they have influence they
[4:50:42] can talk to f dot they can do they can take the least they can cancel the
[4:50:46] and they could build, you know, a boat ramp and three kayak launches if they want to.
[4:50:52] So, council just needs to take that and consider it.
[4:50:54] WC, there's two entities.
[4:50:56] There's FWC, and there's DEP.
[4:50:58] I understand that they were invited and didn't show up.
[4:51:02] Okay, but Henry, if they decide that they want to just take their property back and build the ramp,
[4:51:07] there's nothing we can do there.
[4:51:08] I'm just going to have to provide parking.
[4:51:12] They can provide all the parking.
[4:51:13] They had parking before.
[4:51:14] they can provide all the parking they want to provide so it's it would be up to them but
[4:51:18] I I can again I understand where council's coming from I I didn't come here tonight to create
[4:51:24] an adversarial relationship with DEP I'm just sharing you with you what DEP has shared with me
[4:51:31] as it relates to their desire to have some public access to their park systems that is it you correct me
[4:51:37] Ted and I don't know maybe junior owners about it but I believe DEP does control that
[4:51:43] Do they control the Heritage Trailer Dis-F. Dot?
[4:51:46] The Heritage Trail is a declared park.
[4:51:49] I don't know how to define control, but it is a registered park with in the park system that
[4:51:56] DEP manages, okay?
[4:51:58] So are you just to get some clarity?
[4:52:02] Are you asking us to bring to have another, will this come this DEP issue come back on as an agenda item?
[4:52:11] So we have another vote about that particular parcel and what we want to do with that parcel.
[4:52:17] Is that what you're saying?
[4:52:18] Yeah, I'd like to have a discussion now that you know this information.
[4:52:21] I mean, in terms of how you want to approach the P.
[4:52:24] If you want me to take the position of Council wants no access and no parking, I'm happy to go back with that.
[4:52:32] But again, this is something for you to consider as we move forward and how we finalize work at the fills.
[4:52:39] Yeah, I thought we had had that discussion. I thought we were clear on that.
[4:52:43] I thought we did too.
[4:52:45] I can tell you, I remember, no parking, but that was only for F-DOT.
[4:52:49] That's what I remember.
[4:52:50] D-E-P and F-W-C.
[4:52:52] Yes, but I call the D-E-P for a representative to come to me.
[4:52:57] They're actually inducted.
[4:52:59] Did they show up?
[4:53:01] No, they did not.
[4:53:04] But the only person that showed up is from the D-O-T.
[4:53:08] The only person and you told me
[4:53:11] Forget her you taught yes, you did at who they did to the deal. See when are you talking about yes, Miss Miller?
[4:53:19] What are you talking about? I know I did what you're talking about Henry when I'm Secretary Miller
[4:53:24] Secretary Miller came to this meeting participated was thanked by me was thanked by everyone that they attended here
[4:53:30] So absolutely you may show you the emails. I'm happy to show you the emails
[4:53:35] about the meals okay I made a call to her in person and she told me she was coming
[4:53:42] you said to me why I did not okay I did not okay I did not I did not I know I
[4:53:48] didn't this is unbelievable I don't know but let's just do this Ted you you
[4:53:54] call you either we discuss it at another meeting if not you just call F D P or D P and F
[4:54:02] you see and and tell them we want nothing to do with their property. Okay, we can't control
[4:54:08] two agencies, two big agencies. We're not they're they'll come in and build their own ramp,
[4:54:14] their own kayak launch and have parking and there's nothing we can do about it.
[4:54:18] And do you think they're going to do that? I mean, I don't think they're going to, is it at a
[4:54:24] expense the parking lots in the ramp? I just say we just leave the loan because I don't think
[4:54:29] they're going to pursue going in there and fixing it. I find that hard to believe. I
[4:54:33] just don't. You'll bring this to the DOT. Did I bring the DOT to the DOT? Did I bring the
[4:54:46] DOT to the DOT? Did I bring the DOT? Did I bring the DOT? Did I bring the DOT?
[4:54:50] One was the last time he spoke to Miss Miller. I have not brought the DOT discussion to F dot.
[4:54:56] Okay, I've not done that. Okay. Okay. Okay, are we clear so we can move on Ted with this?
[4:55:03] That's fine. I'm not clear. Okay. This is let's calm down a little bit. Everybody's getting excited. There's a lot on the table tonight.
[4:55:10] We need we need to move on from the sled Ted follow up with them. Yeah, let's let's do that. Let's just relax relax.
[4:55:17] No, no. No public comment. This is John. We're okay. No public comment. This is the village attorney and manager.
[4:55:24] Yeah, this is discussion items, not actual items.
[4:55:27] So now we're going to move on to Consent Agenda and Henry, you help me if I'm on right here,
[4:55:34] you wanted to discuss tab five and tab six, correct?
[4:55:39] And I added tab nine to the Consent Agenda.
[4:55:42] Yes.
[4:55:42] Okay.
[4:55:43] About nine, eleven and twelve, I thought we added.
[4:55:45] It was eleven and twelve's going to come after, right after the Consent Agenda.
[4:55:48] All right.
[4:55:49] It was tab ten that was added to the Consent Agenda.
[4:55:52] And then 9, 11 and 12 removed up to the beginning of the resolution section.
[4:55:57] Right. So I'm going to summarize what's on the consent agenda.
[4:56:01] Okay. Tab one, we have minutes that council hopefully is reviewed.
[4:56:08] We've got tab two, which is a change order by CBT for green turtle hammock.
[4:56:13] As they started installing the ramps, the landing and the steps that were there,
[4:56:19] We're not structurally sound, so it's a $3,000 change order for that particular project.
[4:56:25] The 103 is the four-original climate change compact.
[4:56:29] This is our compact that's with broader Miami-Dade Monroe and Palm Beach County that we
[4:56:33] enter into as it relates to climate change issues.
[4:56:36] This is us just, again, supporting that compact and moving forward in terms of just showing
[4:56:46] support for their corporate goals and objections, objectives.
[4:56:50] Tab 4 is a resolution with the land authority to add properties to our list that we want
[4:56:56] the land authority to pursue.
[4:56:59] So this is updating the list.
[4:57:01] It's specific it relates to a potential settlement agreement that we can discuss at a
[4:57:05] letter date.
[4:57:06] But these are additional properties that we put on our list.
[4:57:09] We had, I believe, 38 originally, and these are additional properties we're adding to that
[4:57:13] list for them to pursue.
[4:57:19] Let's see, tab 10 was added to consent, so this is a work authorization number 5 for CPH.
[4:57:27] As it relates to the solar street lights that we have here in Founders Park, we have to have
[4:57:33] a window test done on those light poles based on Ford a building code, so we've engaged
[4:57:37] them to come in.
[4:57:39] It's a $15,000 expense to come test all of the poles to make sure that they meet what current
[4:57:45] before the building code is before we install a new light
[4:57:47] fixtures on it.
[4:57:48] And that is all I have for consent.
[4:57:50] And I can chime in on tab six that that is the,
[4:57:54] if Council recalls we had,
[4:57:56] that's the relates to the wastewater audit.
[4:57:59] Markham had sent over the agreement.
[4:58:00] I think it was a couple of days before the,
[4:58:02] or maybe even the day before the last council meeting
[4:58:05] that was circulated to the council and we had discussed
[4:58:07] at the last meeting, Council had given a consensus
[4:58:10] that it approved that agreement.
[4:58:13] And Markham has, in fact, gotten underway, we've gotten all the documents that they've requested over to them.
[4:58:20] This is just a resolution formally approving that same contract that was circulated just before the last meeting.
[4:58:30] So let's see John, that was tap six.
[4:58:34] Yes.
[4:58:34] Okay.
[4:58:36] So Henry wanted to discuss tap five and six.
[4:58:40] Henry.
[4:58:43] So do you start mayor? Are you pulling five and six off of
[4:58:49] concepts? He didn't want, he said he didn't want to pull him off, he just wanted to have
[4:58:54] discussion and I believe he said public comment. Do you, yeah, do you want to do public comment
[4:58:58] on the consent agenda now as a whole? Right. Okay. Okay. And you, it's come up on 1027. So
[4:59:06] We don't exist in 30 minutes motion second I'm not making a motion I want to go home
[4:59:20] a second it
[4:59:22] All right
[4:59:24] We're going to 11
[4:59:27] Okay, so
[4:59:28] John helped me Henry wanted to ask some questions. Is is he gonna?
[4:59:33] Can you go ahead and ask questions right now? He can't or you can do it after after public comment either either one
[4:59:40] after public comment okay so we're going to open public comment for all of
[4:59:46] consent agenda correct John yes and and adding and adding tab 10
[4:59:51] tab 10 into the consent agenda okay a public comment is now open
[4:59:58] consent agenda
[5:00:01] Thank you, sir. My name is Van Cadenhead. I have here the Florida Commission on Ethics Guide to the Sunshine Amendment and Code of Ethics.
[5:00:11] It seems like some people are there seem to think that Ethics is a punk rock man from the Lower East Side.
[5:00:19] But on page 7 of this, it says local government attorneys on page 7, local government attorneys such as the city attorney or county attorney and their law firms are prohibited from representing private individuals and entities before the unit of local government which they serve.
[5:00:39] a local government attorney cannot recommend or otherwise refer to his or her firm legal
[5:00:45] work involving the local government unit unless the attorney's contract authorizes
[5:00:51] and mandates use of that firm.
[5:00:54] I think the Markham contract was $80,000 was awarded out of hand by Mr. Quick. At this meeting,
[5:01:04] He recommended to cover up the $4 million mistake that had been made the oversight, the lack of management of the page excavating contract fund needs to have a forensic audit.
[5:01:20] I do not question that.
[5:01:22] What I question is we have four auditing firms on the line which are capable of doing that, which we could have a comparative analysis of who's going to do it.
[5:01:33] But instead, it was authorized by recommended by our attorney that we have Markham do it, and that's where it's been going.
[5:01:47] And so I don't think that it's legal to do what to assign this contract for $80,000 to Markham for a forensic audit on a mistake that this council has made through the public works
[5:02:03] Department, the Finance Department, and the Legal Department.
[5:02:07] I think we should have a RFP to all four of those auditing groups and let the one who's
[5:02:14] going to give us the best unbiased for Rensley audit, do the work for 80,000 dollars, thank you
[5:02:21] very much.
[5:02:22] Mr. Mayor, can I just respond to that?
[5:02:24] Because in the more than 20 years I have been practicing law, I have never had my ethics
[5:02:29] question either privately or publicly.
[5:02:32] I, in no way, recommended the Markham, in fact, it was a, the, the, the auditing firm came up as
[5:02:41] discussion amongst Council. I said, yes, I have heard of them. They have a good reputation.
[5:02:47] I didn't know a recommended them. I, in no way, am recommending them. I have been tasked
[5:02:51] by Council as the liaison for this and I'm doing that. So I just wanted to set the record
[5:02:57] because I have never had my ethics question and I take my, I work way too hard to get my,
[5:03:05] to be able to practice law to do something like that. And I just wanted to make sure.
[5:03:09] John and I believe it was Vice Mayor that wanted you to handle this to be the,
[5:03:15] you know, instead of Ted just to keep everything clean and we voted 50 for this.
[5:03:21] Okay. So, yes.
[5:03:23] Sorry to be long now. You're right. Okay. Sue, come on.
[5:03:33] I'm a similar lower matter company. I will discuss the tab six first. They audit. I was very
[5:03:42] disappointed that the audit process was in the consent agenda. I think it requires more counsel
[5:03:49] discussion. I think it's really ironic that one of the complaints about the process that's being
[5:03:58] audit it is that they didn't do competitive bidding for a form $4 million worth of projects.
[5:04:09] And so here you're doing your required to do competitive bidding, the threshold is $25,000.
[5:04:18] This is an $80,000 audit and you're not doing competitive bidding.
[5:04:23] just seems ironic to me that you're auditing the village for not doing competitive bidding
[5:04:29] and then you're approving something without competitive bidding.
[5:04:35] I find fault with the fact
[5:04:37] that the attorney is negotiating the parameters of the audit. And while you all said, yes,
[5:04:45] We want you to go ahead with this audit with these parameters.
[5:04:52] Those parameters were sent to you on a Sunday night in an email that the public was not
[5:05:01] privy to.
[5:05:01] It was not discussed at a public meeting.
[5:05:04] And I think you owe it to the community who has paid $4 million without competitive
[5:05:10] bidding and with after the fact approval that you've found fault with enough to
[5:05:15] ask for an audit, you should also be public and transparent about what the parameters are.
[5:05:23] It appears from those parameters that we now see in this agenda that the contractors being audited.
[5:05:34] You're not auditing the contractor, the contractor didn't do anything wrong that we know of.
[5:05:40] It was the village process that was wrong where you hired a contractor to do $4 million worth of projects without putting it out for bid and without prior counsel approval before the work was done in the checks were paid and cashed.
[5:06:01] Then let's go to Tab 5. Tab 5 is a purchase of wastewater equipment from Ferguson for an amount
[5:06:11] equaling $116,000. Tax payers money with a waiver of competitive bidding. We were promised
[5:06:22] by Mr. Quick that while there were errors made in the past that caused this $4 million
[5:06:30] or discrepancy, it wouldn't happen in the future.
[5:06:34] And here it is in the consent agenda.
[5:06:38] So thank you for your time.
[5:06:40] Thank you.
[5:06:41] Man, can I just address, so 10 number five,
[5:06:44] I apologize, skip the summary of it.
[5:06:47] So we have Ferguson Water Works,
[5:06:49] which is a vendor for our wastewater system.
[5:06:52] Okay, we buy pipes and backflow providers.
[5:06:56] So today we spent, didn't this fiscal year,
[5:06:59] spent $17,000. We're coming to Council now before we hit that $25,000 threshold. We have
[5:07:08] a quote prepared and we're asking for authority to purchase a $38,000 worth of checkfiles
[5:07:14] and pipes to restore our inventory. Okay, forecasting for the rest of this year, we're asking
[5:07:24] council to authorize another $60,000 worth of vendor purchases. These are supplies, okay,
[5:07:31] from a particular vendor that we do work with that specializes in this. Just to back up just a little
[5:07:40] bit, all of this is presented to council in our budget. So we have $225,000 worth of operating supplies
[5:07:48] and wastewater, we've got $530,000 worth of repair and maintenance and $200,000 in infrastructure.
[5:07:55] We go through those numbers in detail with Council.
[5:07:58] These particular purchases will come out of our operating supplies of $225,000.
[5:08:05] Okay, we have not exceeded that budget.
[5:08:09] Again, this is something that, again, when you look at the authority and the minimal limitation of $25,000,
[5:08:18] is something that I think council needs to address in the future.
[5:08:21] However, we're coming to yet 17 grand and we're telling you, we have an invoice for 38
[5:08:26] that we would like to move forward with in order these products and we're asking you to
[5:08:30] authorize $60,000 more.
[5:08:34] So, the way that it's been done in this community for a long time, there's nothing secret,
[5:08:41] there's nothing, for Anne with say, nofarious about it, it's us moving forward and taking
[5:08:46] business and protecting our system.
[5:08:48] So, I know this, the CSA agreement for the public's knowledge, this was done in 2018.
[5:08:57] None of us were on this council at that time, okay, in 2018, all right, and it wasn't,
[5:09:05] yeah, accumulative it's $4 million, and we were trying to do the right thing by getting
[5:09:11] doing an audit, trying to do something about it.
[5:09:15] But anyways, all right Ted, let's let's move on with this mayor.
[5:09:20] I'd like to make a comment too along the lines of what you just said.
[5:09:23] I think it was accurate what Sue Miller said that there was $4 million worth of work done
[5:09:29] and it was not subjected to public to competitive bidding.
[5:09:33] But that's not the entire story.
[5:09:35] That began as you said back in 2018,
[5:09:38] A 24th of 2018 and it was a series of less than $25,000 repairs that occurred over a very long period of time.
[5:09:49] I don't know if it was two years, a year and a half, two and a half years, but it is misleading to the public.
[5:09:55] And it is insulting to the staff to suggest that we had some sort of rogue accounting mismanagement practice going on.
[5:10:04] that would just they would just start writing checks for four million dollars. We approved the
[5:10:09] the contractor that was approved by the council before we were here and we approved the work
[5:10:15] that needed to be done and the nature of the problems that occurred were emergency repairs. These
[5:10:22] were sewer breakdowns. Those are not the kind of things where you wait three weeks to come to
[5:10:28] a council meeting and ask for permission to spend the money to fix it. So our staff and I think it
[5:10:34] Maria who was acting as the village manager at that time while undertaking her duties as the
[5:10:40] finance director made an executive decision to get the problem fixed because it fit within
[5:10:46] the parameters of the $25,000. And we did not know at the time and I don't mean us the council
[5:10:53] but the council then that it was going to add up to $4 million. But that's what happened. So I just
[5:11:00] really take issue with the characterization I got from that and maybe I'm a little
[5:11:06] biased, I guess you could say that. But that we did something wrong for to the tune of
[5:11:13] 4 million dollars. In retrospect, we have done a better job, I think so. But I don't
[5:11:18] think it's fair to throw this staff under the bus and suggest that there was something
[5:11:23] improper going on. So what I would like to say further, we're going to pull that item and
[5:11:27] about it separately or is that that what we're doing now because we're doing right now but we're
[5:11:32] going to continue public. Well I don't I don't really think we should I'm sorry if I'm going
[5:11:36] out of order but I don't really think we need to spend the $80,000 on this I mean we've already
[5:11:42] been audited each year our books get audited and certainly we could do better with Markham by
[5:11:48] asking them to review our processes and our procedures for doing things. The staff has been
[5:11:54] task with producing all these documents. It's a huge burden on them. They're going backwards
[5:11:59] and not getting their work done because they're having to do this. And that's because that's
[5:12:02] who they are. They're getting it done. But I just don't think it's the right thing to do to spend
[5:12:07] $80,000 on something that's already been audited in one sense of the word, one manner, and then
[5:12:14] to not ask, not to get some benefit out of it. I mean, what is the point of the audit? They're going
[5:12:18] to come back and say, you did this right and you did this wrong. Have a nice day. And it's not going
[5:12:23] cost 80 grand they're going to want more and there's a physical component to that as well
[5:12:28] there's some possible defective parts or construction which you hear the I think you're the
[5:12:35] expert on that and that should be broken out separately and we can have some sort of a construction
[5:12:40] audit done to see if the work was done improperly or not that's different than the financial but
[5:12:45] I don't think mixing those together is the right thing to do. I think a lot of residents in this
[5:12:49] community when they go to flush their toilet and wouldn't flush they'd be calling the village real quick and uh saying I got a problem that I'm saying grinder pump or vacuum sewer pit, but you know, you know,
[5:13:05] We weren't, I wasn't involved, I wasn't on council when Seth the village manager talked
[5:13:12] that council sitting into going on their own when they had lane locked in for 20 years.
[5:13:19] So I have no more to say about it.
[5:13:21] Well, I think the last thing I want to say, I'm going to try to be the last thing is that
[5:13:25] that has been used to, to blame Ted, because now it falls in Ted's laps.
[5:13:31] This almost all of this happened before he even walked in the door, so I think we need to put things in the proper context if we're going to make an intelligent decision about how we're spending the public's money and who's going to be working for us or not working for us.
[5:13:48] Can we move on with public comment?
[5:13:50] Wait a minute.
[5:13:51] That item, whatever item that was, is remains in the consent agenda.
[5:13:57] Am I correct about that?
[5:13:59] Okay.
[5:13:59] I thought it was going to be pulled because it's unclear what is happening, so now we're having a discussion
[5:14:06] So he didn't call it he didn't pull it. He didn't pull it. He didn't pull it. He wanted to discuss it if it's not pulled. I'm wrong. I'm sorry
[5:14:14] 5 and 6. 5 and 6. You wanted to discuss it in the public comment. Okay, just, just to be, but we okay, so
[5:14:28] I spoke out of order, we should have continued, but I apologize for that, but I didn't want
[5:14:34] those statements to get lost in the further discussion before I had a chance to address
[5:14:40] what I see is a very big, wrong and intentional misleading of the public.
[5:14:44] Okay, continue to follow the comment this time.
[5:14:50] Consent agenda.
[5:14:52] I'm like a son agenda.
[5:14:54] And my name?
[5:14:55] Go ahead.
[5:14:56] I don't need to speak it, Joe.
[5:14:58] He's my...
[5:14:59] No.
[5:15:00] Oh, wish, mire, not weasemire, wish mire, thank you. The first one I'd like to talk about is the tab for that was the request of the Monroe County land authority to purchase properties within the village for habitat protection and conservation.
[5:15:17] I totally agree that we certainly should be preserving properties for habitat protection and conversation.
[5:15:23] So the village should stop giving TDRs from small shacks to beachfront mansions and other hammock-filled properties
[5:15:30] So we need to take responsibility and don't just rely on the county as far as Tabsisk six goes
[5:15:38] I thought that this was a resolution of proving wastewater audit with Markham
[5:15:42] Yet it sounds like we've already started pulling
[5:15:46] Documents and everything to give to him, so it sounds like it's already been a done deal
[5:15:50] But I don't understand why we are working on the contractor, auditing the contractor, who was just doing the work he was contracted to do.
[5:15:59] So therefore, if there was a shortfall, we need to find out what happened there, but we've all been in business if you think you're overpaying somebody, you find out and you get rid of them and you get somebody else to do it.
[5:16:11] It was also brought up by some council members.
[5:16:15] It would be appropriate to use the auditor general of Florida instead of one where the
[5:16:20] village attorney and manager select and establish parameters of the audit.
[5:16:25] Isn't it like the Fox guarding the henhouse?
[5:16:27] Markham works for the aqueduct authority and council is considering using the aqueduct
[5:16:32] authority for our own wastewater projects.
[5:16:36] It would go a long way if we just use a completely independent auditor.
[5:16:40] Thank you. Okay, you've already had your bite at the apple. I wanted to just have five. I had just have six before.
[5:16:50] Hey, John, I thought we got, did they have just three minutes to come in and dress? I don't know if he used up his three minutes, but yeah, they got three minutes.
[5:16:59] No, but I mean, they're not getting three minutes per tab. It's for the consentage item. It could send to just one three minutes, then. You got you already spoke.
[5:17:09] I've gone to have six, so the tab five is also in the consent agenda, I'd like to address
[5:17:15] tab five.
[5:17:17] Okay, Henry.
[5:17:19] Got it.
[5:17:19] Go ahead, man.
[5:17:21] This has nothing to do with Ted and it's not Ted's fault, so relax.
[5:17:26] But my problem is that one of the reasons that we have these problems were buying from Ferguson
[5:17:32] And are we sure that we're buying from bonded material suppliers because we have gotten
[5:17:40] stung really badly in the wastewater with buying poly valves that were installed in all the
[5:17:49] units that, you know, all the residential units.
[5:17:51] And now we've had to go in by stainless steel valves to replace those poly valves.
[5:17:57] So we've had to pay not only for the polyvalves, which failed the plastic flanges and what not
[5:18:03] of decayed, and do we have any recourse?
[5:18:07] We have any legal recourse, John, from I was done in 2014 by the village's engineer way
[5:18:15] trim.
[5:18:16] Which is why I'm saying, it's not anything to do with the manager, but in going forward, you
[5:18:24] should only deal with bonded people and ensure that due diligence, you didn't do due diligence,
[5:18:31] someone did not do due diligence on the poly valves which failed.
[5:18:37] We should have spent the money to start with for stainless steel valves and that's due diligence
[5:18:42] and that's a failure of the council not the manager.
[5:18:45] Thank you.
[5:18:48] Martin, any other public comment?
[5:18:49] Yes, I have on Zoom, Dave Peckvitch.
[5:18:53] Okay, Dave, go ahead.
[5:18:57] Hello, Council, Dave Peckvitch, lower mat.
[5:19:00] I want to make a comment.
[5:19:01] It really sounds odd when we have a $25,000,
[5:19:03] just tap six.
[5:19:04] We have a $25,000 rule.
[5:19:07] And then we have to put things out to bid.
[5:19:09] But we just heard it that it started with $25,000.
[5:19:13] And then it started with a $25,000 job.
[5:19:16] And then it was another $25,000.
[5:19:17] And then another $25,000.
[5:19:19] Well, it would have took 160, 25,000 to get the 4 million.
[5:19:24] So whether we're talking about 10 million or 2 million,
[5:19:27] all we got to do is split it up between 360 to 25,000.
[5:19:31] This is inappropriate.
[5:19:34] Who ever was responsible for not putting the bids out?
[5:19:39] They may need the PIP program, which would probably be a good idea.
[5:19:45] But to say that we're just going to get rid of the $25,000 rule, and now we're going to
[5:19:51] have $365,000 issue in, so we're going to pay this contractor $10,000 in doing like that.
[5:19:58] It's just ridiculous, and I can't even believe we just heard that.
[5:20:02] I want to reiterate a couple things that Sue said that the audit should be on the village
[5:20:07] and the procedure.
[5:20:08] I don't think it should be on the contractor in case we find improper priorities.
[5:20:12] I think of anybody in the staff, it's personal friends with the contractor which happens in a small village like this.
[5:20:19] This should be screwed nice even more.
[5:20:21] But this has to be addressed.
[5:20:22] And it shouldn't be addressed.
[5:20:23] Well, it was 125,000.
[5:20:26] And then another 25,000.
[5:20:28] And now we hit 4 million.
[5:20:29] Thank you.
[5:20:30] Council.
[5:20:32] Next.
[5:20:34] We public just been informed how this happened.
[5:20:38] one bite at a time, that's the same way you eat an elephant.
[5:20:43] Okay, 100, 60 times to get to it.
[5:20:46] But here's the point.
[5:20:48] This was supposed to be an audit of how that happened.
[5:20:53] And I suspect Mr. Yates wasn't involved in changing somebody at this table,
[5:20:59] shifted the scope of the audit to the contractor.
[5:21:01] It's supposed to be about these procedures where you eat an elephant, one bite at a time,
[5:21:06] and it gets twenty-five thousand cap turns into four million dollars.
[5:21:10] It's supposed to figure out how to solve this problem so it doesn't keep happening.
[5:21:15] That's the point.
[5:21:16] And by the way, the state of Florida has a thirty-five thousand dollar cap that mandates
[5:21:21] public, but you can't get rid of it because there's a state cap as well.
[5:21:28] And all these financial mishaps ought to be the clue that you need to change the way this ship happens.
[5:21:37] And you're avoiding that by deflecting the audit into being after the contractor instead of how the defects in our processing let this turn into four million dollars.
[5:21:51] And now there's no bid for the eighty thousand dollar audit.
[5:21:57] Somebody is responsible for that.
[5:22:01] And how do we keep it from happening again to safeguard the taxpayers, the taxpayers?
[5:22:11] Thank you, Marny.
[5:22:12] Anybody else?
[5:22:17] That's all I have.
[5:22:18] Okay.
[5:22:18] Public comments now closed.
[5:22:24] This is this audit that I know of dead.
[5:22:29] Maybe I'm lost or something.
[5:22:31] But it's not, it's on the process, it's not on the contractor.
[5:22:40] But it's on, it's the process.
[5:22:42] Yeah, I'm not sure where the, the auditing of the, the vendors coming in.
[5:22:46] I mean, there was the one thing that you all did indicate was that there was a number of
[5:22:50] people who spoke and said, we don't think they actually did the work.
[5:22:54] And that might be, there is, they might do something about my check.
[5:22:58] Yeah, accountability.
[5:22:59] Where the confusion.
[5:23:00] Coming coming into play.
[5:23:01] So I mean, this was drafted based upon the direction
[5:23:06] that was given at the council meeting.
[5:23:10] OK, so I moved to approve the consent agenda.
[5:23:14] I won't say something.
[5:23:15] Oh, sorry.
[5:23:17] I forgot about that.
[5:23:18] No, that's OK.
[5:23:20] To have five, the Ferguson Warworks primary vendor.
[5:23:28] Had it going out to bid, you was down
[5:23:31] that they are the primary vendor. That's my problem. Bring to your attention. Shoulder
[5:23:40] going out to bid to begin with.
[5:23:44] Henry, let me correct you on one thing. Anything to do with the grinder pumps these valves
[5:23:48] we're talking about are only sold by E1.
[5:23:52] Aren't you going to steal valves are made by E1 and you cannot get him anywhere else?
[5:23:56] Well, okay, says here that first in is the primary vendor
[5:24:02] I challenge that okay, but but
[5:24:07] Let's go here and see
[5:24:10] what Ferguson
[5:24:13] purchasing
[5:24:14] Authorization to
[5:24:18] Just
[5:24:23] to just declare things up. We're gonna have AJ shed some light on this. AJ's the one AJ's along with the hands dirty and that then the legs are
[5:24:37] So Ferguson is one of our pipe suppliers.
[5:24:40] They are the pipe that we're ordering and the parts that we're ordering.
[5:24:44] They are the supplier that we order those parts.
[5:24:47] The parts that we're replacing are replacing the spare parts from the last sewer break
[5:24:53] that we just had over Father's Day weekend.
[5:24:56] Those are items that we have to have in stock.
[5:24:59] If we get a break and we don't have that,
[5:25:02] there's no ordering and waiting, the system is completely shut down.
[5:25:08] I'm not challenging. I'm not challenging you with what you just said.
[5:25:12] All I'm saying is, had to go on an alphabet.
[5:25:17] Those are the items that we requested quotes from.
[5:25:21] Yeah, but you didn't bid it out.
[5:25:24] It's not an RFP process.
[5:25:27] Well, you should have.
[5:25:29] because there's like a 25,000.
[5:25:31] I think his name is Madison, who sells to this guy here,
[5:25:36] who says he's the primary vendor.
[5:25:39] If you did it out, you would have found
[5:25:41] there's somebody else out there, cheaper.
[5:25:43] And that's, we haven't had anybody cheaper on that.
[5:25:47] Well, we use other vendors for other specific items.
[5:25:50] Fort line is one of them.
[5:25:51] All I'm saying is it should have been bid out.
[5:25:54] That's all I'm saying.
[5:25:56] Simple.
[5:25:58] I'll say this time and time, for as long as I'm sitting here, things have happened and
[5:26:06] they're not dead out. That's all. That's against you. You and what you do, what you've
[5:26:12] been doing for years, all I'm saying take the time to bid it out. That's all. There is somebody
[5:26:19] else to this guy. In a meantime, Henry, what if we have a break that you're waiting on
[5:26:24] and you have a break and we have no pipe to fix it and we got hundreds thousands of gallons of sewage going in the ground.
[5:26:32] Oh, I'm saying as you can buy something cheaper if you do it properly.
[5:26:37] That's okay.
[5:26:38] All right, so all you can buy something cheaper.
[5:26:40] All right.
[5:26:40] Anybody has a cheaper?
[5:26:41] Sure, I'll take it.
[5:26:42] I think we got the point.
[5:26:44] My Elizabeth.
[5:26:45] Are you angry or you finished?
[5:26:47] I hope I am.
[5:26:48] But I'm probably not.
[5:26:55] That was five.
[5:26:56] We're not put here for six.
[5:26:58] You expired on six.
[5:27:01] Uh huh.
[5:27:04] Can occur when they set the set?
[5:27:09] Okay I'll just go ahead.
[5:27:11] Okay Liz Biff?
[5:27:12] Yeah.
[5:27:14] There's a motion on the floor.
[5:27:15] You have to approve the consent agenda.
[5:27:17] Do I hear a second?
[5:27:21] Do I help I'll second it?
[5:27:24] Market call the roll please?
[5:27:26] Can I also remember Elizabeth Jolenn?
[5:27:27] Yes.
[5:27:29] Mayer Buddypender?
[5:27:30] Yes
[5:27:31] Can I also remember Mark Craig?
[5:27:34] Yes.
[5:27:34] Can I just remember Henry Rosenthal?
[5:27:37] Yes.
[5:27:37] And Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney.
[5:27:40] The motion pass is 5 to 0.
[5:27:43] Okay.
[5:27:44] John, did you tell me that we pulled out to have nine, right?
[5:27:49] Yeah.
[5:27:49] You guys had moved to have 9-11 in 12.
[5:27:54] Yeah, 9-11 in 12.
[5:27:57] So we're going to go on.
[5:27:58] Could you clarify, we're doing 9-11 and 12.
[5:28:03] and then eight and then seven. Is that how we're doing the order we're doing this in?
[5:28:09] I did the whole incident agenda. Okay. I know. My note showed nine, then 11, then 12, and then
[5:28:17] going back in order seven, eight, and then going back after. Okay, seven, eight. 13, I guess,
[5:28:24] would be after that. Okay. So are we going to extend or what are we going to do? I made that we
[5:28:30] recess the meeting tonight right now to 11 o'clock. We have a whole lot of other items on the agenda. We're all pretty tired.
[5:28:39] Some of them are going to be
[5:28:41] Discussed in great detail. It could take until 2 o'clock in the morning.
[5:28:45] Mark, is it possible that we do because there are people that made a special trip here for these couple next couple of the genders.
[5:28:52] I mean, couple of tabs.
[5:28:53] 9 10 and 12 11 and 12.
[5:28:56] If we end and there I would be fine with that we number nine number nine we can postpone till the next man
[5:29:02] Okay, all right, so we'll move to have nine. Was it intentional to shuffle the agenda so we don't have time to address
[5:29:11] What's very important for Mr. Yates and our community was that the intention here because it all so it just so happens
[5:29:18] Not at all not with me. I'm you guys want to stay here and do it to have seven. I'll stay here
[5:29:24] I don't care we all complain we all complain about staying late at night and how tired we are in the brain damage
[5:29:30] We get and then what it takes to recover the next day. I think Ted deserves a fresh counsel and a fresh meeting
[5:29:39] We were all rare and ready to go instead of being worn out and punchy
[5:29:44] We've already had a lot of emotional stuff going on tonight. So let's extend 30 minutes and do 11 and
[5:29:50] know now let's not extend 30 minutes if we're if we're all tired and punchy and then
[5:29:54] let's discuss what what the next meeting will look like that will be July 22nd.
[5:30:00] Is there any fairly full? Excuse me, 27th? If you think that this is, forgive the implication. But if you think this is some kind of a stunt to torpedo and delay until Ted's contract gets renewed, he could be fired at any time. All you got to do is think that that is anyone's intention to fire Ted. I don't know what to think anymore. Yeah, it's hard. So let's just go, no, no, I think what we need to talk about. What's 15 minutes going to do here?
[5:30:30] minutes going to do what would that be people these people are here in this
[5:30:34] these are routine drove from key wash and we have we have we have since we
[5:30:39] sat down here delayed this and and extended this meeting to a point where it's
[5:30:45] it does look like a torpedo here and so what we're doing is delaying any kind
[5:30:51] of resolution for this village or this council respectively it's it's about
[5:30:59] no
[5:31:04] it's it's already they're already picked they've been they've had a contract
[5:31:10] Mr. Bayer I'll move to extend for 15 minutes to consider items 19 and 12 taps
[5:31:16] we don't need nine nine yeah nine we can let off so John can you please help us out
[5:31:22] would do a tab 11 please we get a vote for that there was a minute hold on there was
[5:31:28] a move to extend did anyone second okay well it's a vote because I would like to
[5:31:33] no one that I'd like to go home okay okay so all right so let's take a vote
[5:31:37] then Marty right quick mark made the motion I second it let's take a
[5:31:42] vote call the roll Marty hey councilmember Mark Wright mayor ready pender yes
[5:31:49] councilmember Elizabeth Jolene no councilmember Henry Rosenfill just
[5:31:54] there's a extend for what 15 minutes it's to extend for 15 minutes in order to
[5:32:00] discuss tab 11 and 12, and leave the other ones to some undefined time.
[5:32:08] Yeah, sorry. Okay. I'm a favorite of that. All right.
[5:32:11] And share share in the meeting?
[5:32:13] Yes. It's a good to say.
[5:32:15] Motion passes for the one.
[5:32:16] Hey, John.
[5:32:19] Tab 11 is a resolution of the Village Council of Ilamana Village of Ireland's Florida
[5:32:23] approving execution of amendment number two to the Professional Services Agreement with
[5:32:26] That's your tech ink for debris monitoring services and adding financial recovery assistance services authorizing village officials to implement the terms of conditions the agreement authorizes the village manager to execute the amendment number two of the official service agreement and providing for an effective date.
[5:32:40] Terry,
[5:32:43] or Chief, I'm sorry.
[5:32:46] Even in council, sorry, need much heaters and blunt.
[5:32:51] So this was originally done, but forth in the spring of 2017, for remuniting services.
[5:32:59] And we picked via Resolution 1708-52 to employ the professional services agreement with
[5:33:05] Tetra Tech Tetra Tech, babysits, Ashbrit, which is our next one.
[5:33:09] They do all the paperwork verification, collect everything, and they ship it over to us.
[5:33:14] The only difference that you'll see between this agreement and the previous agreement is that there's
[5:33:21] A, a five and a half percent increase, and B, there is the additional aspect of helping us with the closed-out documents.
[5:33:29] Post-Arma, we hired, we had a third company that was doing closed-out documents, we fired them, we hired another one.
[5:33:36] They sucked, we fired them, and we ended up doing it all in house.
[5:33:40] Sorry, being blunt, it's late.
[5:33:42] So what we're doing is we expect the level of service here in the village, that level of
[5:33:47] service comes at a cost.
[5:33:48] We're trying to make sure that we stay competitive in wages and fees, they're all within FEMA
[5:33:54] guidelines and respectfully request the amendment so that we stay competitive so that we get
[5:33:58] the workers and not team B, team C, team D, we want team A, we want to get that worked
[5:34:03] done.
[5:34:04] quickly, efficiently and properly.
[5:34:06] Can you help us understand that this from where I was reading and asked questions?
[5:34:14] This helps us get our money back from FEMA by having somebody that is totally accountable.
[5:34:22] Correct.
[5:34:22] So, what we do is we have one company that goes out and that would be the Ashbrick team,
[5:34:27] his contractors come in and they pick everything up.
[5:34:30] While they're doing all their pickups, we have the team from TetriTech.
[5:34:34] They have field guys that monitor the guys that are picking up the stuff in the field.
[5:34:39] They geolocate and label everything.
[5:34:41] We have some courtesy and audience, please, of talking, why the chief is talking, go ahead,
[5:34:49] chief.
[5:34:51] So, basically, it's every gun and system.
[5:34:53] So as the contractors are picking up the debris, we have a babysitter, basically, that geolocates
[5:34:58] where every load is coming from.
[5:34:59] Then that load gets driven to the park
[5:35:01] or wherever we have our debris staging sites.
[5:35:04] They, another person from Tetra Tech,
[5:35:07] verifies that the truck is a 20 yard.
[5:35:09] It's 90% full, so that equates to a yardage.
[5:35:12] They go when they dump.
[5:35:13] Same dealio, when they load up,
[5:35:15] that we reduce it, whether we grind it,
[5:35:17] or we just drive it over with the heavy equipment,
[5:35:19] reduce the big pile into a much smaller pile,
[5:35:21] load it up in the trucks again,
[5:35:22] take it up to our final destination,
[5:35:25] one of the dumps or somewhere of that nature.
[5:35:27] And then they get their dump tickets up there. Again, another person from Tetra Tech takes dump tickets.
[5:35:32] They measure all that stuff up, collect it all together. They give it to us and then we go to do clothes out.
[5:35:38] Again, previously it was a third party vendor.
[5:35:41] We're asking that Tetra Tech actually takes on everything from debris monitoring to close-out submittals.
[5:35:48] Council any questions for Chief?
[5:35:52] Yes.
[5:35:52] Yes, sir.
[5:35:53] Hasn't been been out has it?
[5:35:55] Yes, sir. Sure was.
[5:35:57] Yes, sir, absolutely has to be by FEMA guidelines, and there was actually an additional back in 2020.
[5:36:02] What I read here is, the old child's only up to direct staff to go through a new bit process, seeking proposals.
[5:36:13] That's correct. You can always do that at any given time, sir.
[5:36:16] That is correct. If it's done at this time?
[5:36:19] this this is an extended contract that has has the last time it was a minute
[5:36:24] was in 2020 so this would be another amendment to that contract to secure
[5:36:29] what has been two companies that have assisted us through Hurricane Irma that have
[5:36:35] done. I wasn't here so it's done a good job and in terms of providing the
[5:36:40] services that we need to provide what that is referring to is we can go back
[5:36:46] to bid. I don't know that I would or Chief would advise doing this right in the middle of hurricane
[5:36:52] season. I think we need to secure these contracts. This is my opinion. I need to secure these
[5:36:56] contracts and we can start the process in November and go out to bid at a later date. But we need
[5:37:02] to lock up these companies because if a major storm hits Florida, we don't want to be left without
[5:37:08] a company engaged I'm not suggesting that you disengaged the company is here with us now
[5:37:16] all I'm saying is be one out to bid this company you could still be be there
[5:37:22] it's still be covered but at some time in the future the benefit of fruit lust that's what I just said
[5:37:31] what did you said what I just said go out and November go out to bid so I think there was some confusion
[5:37:37] about the way this resolution was written, am I right in thinking that the resolution is asking
[5:37:41] us to identify and acknowledge that the prices have changed? Great. We're all in to pay for the
[5:37:47] higher prices, but we already are in with in a contract with these companies. Is that right?
[5:37:52] That is correct. We're in a contract for it in 17. Okay. So we had a cost increase for each year.
[5:37:59] However, from 19 to current, everything's grown proportionally more. We don't want to be offering
[5:38:05] five dollars an hour less than everybody else because the workers won't show up.
[5:38:10] So we're trying to stay competitive with everyone else, all within FEMA guidelines and
[5:38:14] reimbursable rates.
[5:38:15] Those rates were provided by the companies, we're not offering, it's not we're not making
[5:38:20] up those rates.
[5:38:21] Correct.
[5:38:22] And we are already within holding contracts with these companies.
[5:38:25] Correct.
[5:38:26] So what is the procedure by which we can go out to bid in the future at any time?
[5:38:34] We would just create the RFP process and do it like we would in any other company.
[5:38:41] I mean, I mean, what is, because I think that makes sense, but how do we do that this
[5:38:45] evening?
[5:38:45] Do we say, great.
[5:38:47] Let's, I mean, let's approve this, but Ted, let's go out to bid.
[5:38:51] Is that how do we do that legislatively?
[5:38:55] Procedurally.
[5:38:56] Pardon me.
[5:38:56] Yeah, I don't know legislatively.
[5:38:58] We need to.
[5:38:59] Procedurally.
[5:38:59] Pardon me wrongly.
[5:39:00] Yeah, I guess.
[5:39:02] procedurally, I can get direction to council and then, you know, as we get to the end of
[5:39:06] hurricane season, we can start.
[5:39:08] Don't have recurring that.
[5:39:09] And just what?
[5:39:10] Why would we, if we already hold the contract?
[5:39:12] And again, I'm not questioning, I'm just trying to get clarification.
[5:39:16] If we're already hold the contract with these companies, why would there be a problem with
[5:39:23] putting out an RFP for the future?
[5:39:26] It would be a question.
[5:39:27] No, I don't.
[5:39:27] It would do us no good to chase it now, if it's a six month process at best anyway.
[5:39:32] sorry, what did you say we could start chasing it now it wouldn't affect us at all
[5:39:36] this hurricane season so we can do it when all of their work in action is much
[5:39:40] slower and we can have their full attention. The contractors. We could start
[5:39:45] preparing the RFP I mean that's that's not an issue we can start working on it it's
[5:39:49] just we just want to make sure timing wise we're in contract during hurricane
[5:39:53] season with providers that can provide the service that's all we are in contract.
[5:39:57] I mean, and again, that's why I was confused by the resolution, but we already, we are
[5:40:01] asking for the CPI.
[5:40:03] Correct.
[5:40:04] Correct.
[5:40:04] Correct.
[5:40:05] It's 5.5 above the current contract.
[5:40:07] 5.5% above the current contract.
[5:40:10] And it's for the tetrotech contract.
[5:40:12] It's actually adding on the close-out aspect.
[5:40:16] Instead of just the debris monitoring.
[5:40:18] I mean, we could go out to bid for at any time.
[5:40:21] We're always covered.
[5:40:23] We're always covered.
[5:40:25] We've got about November and hurricanes.
[5:40:28] So we're always covered.
[5:40:31] Correct.
[5:40:33] So we could go out to bid next Wednesday just as easily.
[5:40:38] Yes, sir.
[5:40:41] Yes, that's correct.
[5:40:43] But we'll always be covered.
[5:40:45] That's the most important thing.
[5:40:48] Go ahead.
[5:40:51] Any public comment for this?
[5:40:55] Morning.
[5:40:56] Any public comment?
[5:40:59] I don't have anyone specifically signed up.
[5:41:01] All right, thank you, Chief.
[5:41:03] All right, so, do I hear a motion to approve?
[5:41:05] A matter of approval.
[5:41:08] Are you a second?
[5:41:09] No, a second.
[5:41:10] All right, Marty, call the roll, please.
[5:41:13] Council member Mark Greg.
[5:41:16] Vice Mayor, Sharon Mahoney.
[5:41:18] Council member Elizabeth Jollin.
[5:41:20] Council member Henry Rosenthall.
[5:41:22] Yes.
[5:41:22] And Mayor Buddy Kinder.
[5:41:24] Yes.
[5:41:24] That motion pass is five zero.
[5:41:25] On, tab 12, please.
[5:41:28] TAP-12 is a resolution of the village council, a lot of village of Florida, a village of
[5:41:33] islands for it, a proving execution of amendment number 3 to the professional services
[5:41:36] agreement with Ashpert Inc. for debris management services, authorizing village officials
[5:41:40] implement the terms of conditions of the amendment, authorizing village manager to execute
[5:41:43] amendment number 3 to the professional service agreement and providing for an effective
[5:41:47] date.
[5:41:48] Okay.
[5:41:48] More second, verse 1 is the first different contractor.
[5:41:51] This is Ashpert, again, in the summer of 2017, we did the RFP process, but brought
[5:41:56] forward to Council. It got approved actually five days before the landfall with Hurricane
[5:42:00] Irma. During the first month or so of pickup we actually had a small hiccup with some
[5:42:06] of the definitions of some of our waste so we had our first amendment to redefine what it
[5:42:11] would cost and what exactly it was that we were all in the future five waste is the nasty stuff
[5:42:16] that comes out of your freezer after it sits unplugged for a week and a half. It's pretty gross.
[5:42:21] They want more money to deal with it. I got love them. They dealt with it. The second one was back
[5:42:26] 2020 and that was so that all of our contracts would fall in line with FEMA guidelines as they changed their guidelines.
[5:42:32] We have to change our contracts. That was a second amendment. Third amendment was F dot wasn't cleaning it up fast enough on the side of U.S.
[5:42:38] One. So we went into a five day agreement on a dendom three and that was so that the village would be responsible for cleaning up the U.S.
[5:42:45] One right away because it wasn't meeting our standards. So we decided that we would pick up right away U.S.
[5:42:52] which technically is F-DOT's responsibility, but they weren't doing it. So we went into a men
[5:42:56] met three. That was in November of 17. Let's see. Other than that, it's the same deal. Basically, it's a
[5:43:06] five and a half percent increase over what the current contract states. It would be so that we stay
[5:43:10] competitive. Again, when something hits Randy and his team are here, they can bounce into it more.
[5:43:16] They've got a fleet of upper people that do all the work and they oil the cogs and keep everything in motion.
[5:43:24] Most of his boots on the ground are contractors. Contractors work for the highest bid.
[5:43:28] If we're not competitive, we won't get the highest bid. So again, we're back to getting team B, team C, team D.
[5:43:34] And we don't want that. That's not what all I'm right of once. That's not what we expect.
[5:43:37] So we're going to pay a little bit more and get team A. Get it done right. The first time no complaints.
[5:43:43] And with that, that's all I've got.
[5:43:48] Any questions?
[5:43:49] Public comment?
[5:43:51] Here?
[5:43:51] Any public comment?
[5:43:53] On this tab?
[5:43:54] All right.
[5:43:55] Public comments?
[5:43:56] Any other communication?
[5:43:59] Any questions for the chief?
[5:44:01] Well, similarly, similarly, can we put, can we ask to put this out to bid at the
[5:44:05] appropriate time?
[5:44:06] We would do, we would do both of those.
[5:44:08] Yeah, we would have prepared those together.
[5:44:10] Yeah.
[5:44:10] All right.
[5:44:11] Do I hear a motion?
[5:44:16] I'll second it.
[5:44:19] You want to call the roll please?
[5:44:23] No, I'm just saying it can be put out a bit at any time.
[5:44:29] Just a high line did hear so it.
[5:44:34] Go ahead.
[5:44:34] You all right.
[5:44:35] All right.
[5:44:36] You want to call the roll please?
[5:44:37] Councilmember Mark Gregg.
[5:44:39] Yes.
[5:44:39] Mayor Buddy Pinder.
[5:44:40] Yes.
[5:44:41] Councilmember Lizabeth Jollon.
[5:44:43] Councilmember Henry Rosenfall.
[5:44:44] Yes.
[5:44:45] Vice Mayor Sharon Honey.
[5:44:47] Motion pass is 5-0. Thank you, council.
[5:44:51] All right, no hang on hang on hang on hang on what's I got so sorry
[5:44:58] If we could get
[5:45:00] I mean, 10 more minutes. I mean, the proposed military, which is something we're required to do, we have to get that dealt with tonight and past.
[5:45:11] I would, I guess, try to encourage you to deal with the solid waste contract just because we're talking about it other three weeks for them to be able to mobilize and start looking at equipment. If that's not past tonight.
[5:45:25] So, I would move to extend for how much time to have.
[5:45:37] I mean, if you did 15 minutes, we may be able to deal with both of them.
[5:45:41] Let's do 30 minutes, or the end of those two items whichever comes first.
[5:45:47] I would just infernus to this group and to Mr. Yates.
[5:45:51] I would like to know when we're going to have this conversation about tab 7.
[5:45:55] let's let's I need to have that 27th and are you sure I mean I know that you would
[5:46:02] and will that be at the top of the agenda can we talk about that because this I
[5:46:06] imagine the the agenda will be as full on the 27th as it is tonight and and you know
[5:46:15] we now have two more weeks of all kinds of phone calls that go on and that is exhausting
[5:46:21] That's what we need to talk about.
[5:46:24] Well, actually, we had, I don't think we've hit the 15 minutes, so I'm very concerned about that.
[5:46:29] I mean, these are hard decisions, these are hard issues, but we need to make them because that's what we're here to do.
[5:46:36] We have exceeded the 15 minutes.
[5:46:39] We're not right now. It's 11.14. We've got one more minute.
[5:46:44] So in 60 seconds, then when are we going to have that conversation?
[5:46:49] out of fairness to everyone sitting here.
[5:46:53] It can go on in the 27th, it can be upfront.
[5:46:56] Do you feel comfortable that we're going to be able to make time to do that on the 27th?
[5:47:01] I pledge that I'll do my best to make it happen.
[5:47:03] And buddy, do you feel comfortable because that's not what happened tonight?
[5:47:08] And no matter how that goes, we need to get some clarity about how we'll move forward as a village
[5:47:14] on this very difficult issue.
[5:47:16] Elizabeth, I have a question about with Mr. Quick, okay, about this because one council person went to an R attorney and said I want a resolution draft it up for the termination of our manager.
[5:47:34] I thought there had to be a consensus, John, can you quote me on that please, can you.
[5:47:39] So now we need the extension, because I think 60 minutes has passed.
[5:47:45] 11.15, right now we have we need to extend five minutes or 10 minutes, whatever we're going to do.
[5:47:52] Let's just make it 20 minutes to be simple.
[5:47:54] So we can cover your discussion, this discussion, and the two items to answer.
[5:47:58] Can we look at the fact that we need to go to two meetings, like we had talked about,
[5:48:04] maybe do that. If we have a full agenda on the 27th, let's look at maybe doing two.
[5:48:12] Let's talk about that. This is crazy. My brain is gone. I moved that we extend for 20 minutes.
[5:48:20] Do we have a second? Yeah.
[5:48:23] So your suggestion is to make a meeting on July 25th.
[5:48:27] I have not a clue. I'm just saying if we have a full agenda in this tab 7,
[5:48:33] it's going to still exist. It was going to take time. So I don't want to sit here on the 27th till
[5:48:40] this time again. So is this suggestion to make a meeting on the 25th and
[5:48:45] accept everybody, whatever everybody else wants? It's not just me. Whatever, but I'm just saying it's nothing
[5:48:53] was going to change. The 25th, the meeting is scheduled on the 27th and we anticipate a full agenda
[5:48:58] And we've already, that's on a Thursday and we're saying,
[5:49:05] create two meetings that week.
[5:49:07] Well, can we let everybody email tomorrow and see what they're doing?
[5:49:11] Well, actually, I have trouble with that because we've done this before,
[5:49:15] and it goes to one meeting that's, you know, into midnight.
[5:49:19] I know.
[5:49:20] Well, we're all here.
[5:49:21] Can we not commit to that?
[5:49:23] I mean, do you not have, do we all have calendars in front of us?
[5:49:25] No.
[5:49:26] Tuesday, the 25th.
[5:49:29] That's the day before many season starts, and then the meeting is the second day of many season.
[5:49:36] Yeah, I mean that's super inconvenient.
[5:49:38] It is intensely inconvenient.
[5:49:41] So does that mean, what does that mean to you?
[5:49:47] If we just put it up front on the 27th, we're going to be here anyway.
[5:49:53] We can make it, we can move it way up to the front of the agenda.
[5:49:58] And will you feel comfortable having that very lengthy and difficult conversation at that time
[5:50:03] mark?
[5:50:04] As long as it doesn't start at 11 o'clock or 10 30 at night, I mean, hopefully we'll get it.
[5:50:09] The idea would be to put it on the top of the agenda because if it starts at the top,
[5:50:14] we'll be fine.
[5:50:15] I'm comfortable with that.
[5:50:16] So whoever, I'm not sure who makes the agenda, Ted, could we put that on the start of
[5:50:20] the agenda.
[5:50:21] And this is kind of silly, isn't it?
[5:50:23] I mean, we're grown adults, we need to address this.
[5:50:26] And I don't know why this is so difficult.
[5:50:29] Do you have any thoughts, Ted?
[5:50:31] I don't know either.
[5:50:34] I'm happy to put it anywhere on the agenda.
[5:50:37] I was hoping it'd be addressed tonight.
[5:50:39] Yeah, I mean, right, so that we could move on
[5:50:42] in some meaningful way.
[5:50:44] But why did I?
[5:50:46] It's up to you guys.
[5:50:48] I mean, you wanted to go through that through, right?
[5:50:52] I'm strapped in already for the ride.
[5:50:58] What, I'm sorry.
[5:51:00] What are you saying?
[5:51:02] I'm just saying this is crazy about talking.
[5:51:05] I think we will make a better decision when we are all relaxed and refreshed.
[5:51:11] And then I think it's not a right time.
[5:51:13] And it does seem unusual that we push this to the end of the meeting.
[5:51:16] And it's unfair to everyone.
[5:51:18] Well, Elizabeth, I'm, I was honest, truth, this is not, this was no intention for me that
[5:51:24] this happened.
[5:51:25] Okay, good.
[5:51:26] I'm glad to hear that.
[5:51:26] I don't like being accused that I'm torpedoing somebody, because I have my own questions
[5:51:31] because only one councilman calls up and says, hey, put this on the agenda or put this
[5:51:40] resolution.
[5:51:41] It should be a consensus, Captain Ed Davis, and just said something about that, about
[5:51:46] to mark about that. So that's that's I have some questions about this. I will I'm
[5:51:53] happy if Council directs we can put it on the next agenda I will promise that I
[5:51:57] will work as hard as I usually work for the next two weeks not knowing what my
[5:52:02] future is going to be and make sure that we are prepared to go into that meeting.
[5:52:07] So start the meeting three o'clock if you want to see I knew she'd love that.
[5:52:12] We have a special call between now and then.
[5:52:17] That's interesting.
[5:52:18] Sure.
[5:52:19] Just have a special call between now and then.
[5:52:22] Would you like to do it as a special call?
[5:52:26] No.
[5:52:27] No.
[5:52:27] No.
[5:52:28] We'd like to do that as a special call meeting because it will be like that.
[5:52:34] It could be any time.
[5:52:37] It has to be advertised.
[5:52:38] We can have it.
[5:52:40] We can have it.
[5:52:41] We can have it.
[5:52:41] We can have it.
[5:52:43] We can have it.
[5:52:47] Be quiet.
[5:52:52] What's up to you?
[5:52:54] When?
[5:52:55] We would need to advertise the special call, meaning
[5:52:59] could be the week of the 17th through the 21st.
[5:53:04] How many days ahead of time for them?
[5:53:05] You have to advertise.
[5:53:08] For just resolution or for to handle a bunch of stuff.
[5:53:13] I mean, what are you asking to put on that agenda?
[5:53:17] Is there a difference?
[5:53:19] We'll sure there's, yeah, there's could be noticed difference
[5:53:22] depending on what we're putting on the agenda.
[5:53:25] I mean, we have to, we have to land use issues that we're on here
[5:53:28] that needs a certain amount of notice that John, you can jump in.
[5:53:34] I'm very tired, but it depends on what you want to put on that agenda.
[5:53:38] I mean, we can tee everything up for the 27th.
[5:53:44] And, you know, if the 27th can have the items that we didn't cover tonight can be placed on that agenda.
[5:53:54] That'll make it a meeting which is difficult, so it's a...
[5:53:58] I want to do a special call as soon as we can. If you've been doing 10 days, 10 days, we'll do it in 10 days.
[5:54:04] Why don't we do it that Monday?
[5:54:07] What does that mean?
[5:54:08] All right, I'm sorry.
[5:54:10] Hello.
[5:54:11] I'm sorry.
[5:54:12] No, that's okay.
[5:54:14] That's okay.
[5:54:16] All right.
[5:54:16] Okay.
[5:54:17] How about can we move?
[5:54:18] Can you get this date?
[5:54:20] Can you check with us?
[5:54:22] So we can go ahead if we've already extended 20 minutes.
[5:54:24] We can go ahead and do the.
[5:54:25] What you ask about the waste solid waste.
[5:54:28] Well.
[5:54:29] Yeah, I want that.
[5:54:30] I need the village and the solid waste or the two that we.
[5:54:33] I don't think we finished the conversation about.
[5:54:35] how we were going to go about scheduling a separate meeting
[5:54:39] for what is going to be a very lengthy meeting on the 27th.
[5:54:43] That needs to be split into two because one of the items are the remaining items from today
[5:54:48] have to go on that meeting and I'm sure it's a lengthy meeting.
[5:54:51] So how will we handle creating a secondary meeting for that?
[5:54:55] Well, we've actually moved through quite a bit this evening and if we cover these two,
[5:55:00] I don't know that this is going to be a lot of carryover.
[5:55:02] I mean, I anticipate this conversation about your contract to be lengthy, and I also anticipate
[5:55:09] that the meeting on the 27th will be lengthy because they all was our.
[5:55:14] And we just know that until we see the agenda, I think that's why Mark wanted to vote tonight.
[5:55:19] My mark was asking to call a vote with making a motion for this, because we already went
[5:55:24] through all this public comment tonight, but nobody, nobody wanted to do it.
[5:55:28] we didn't we didn't buddy because we have to have seven here so now here we are
[5:55:32] how are we going to solve this problem I'm not available next week I can tell you
[5:55:36] I'm not either okay and I don't want to do it during many season week that's
[5:55:42] difficult you know there's a meeting right on the 27th
[5:55:45] anything different I know the 27th but nothing added to that already so the 17th
[5:55:51] through the 21st I have I have an open ended trip so I don't know if I'm going to be here
[5:55:56] So how about Friday the 28th?
[5:55:59] That's, I know everyone has a hot social schedule.
[5:56:03] No, that's something about this.
[5:56:05] Can you answer my question about,
[5:56:08] so would you want to answer my question to the agenda?
[5:56:12] Take care of you, I'll see you later.
[5:56:14] Yeah, I mean, so I wasn't here, obviously.
[5:56:18] When it's a, if it's a, if it's an oral question
[5:56:22] or a request, I mean, that's usually, obviously,
[5:56:24] I talked to the five of you, and we give you
[5:56:26] advice and things like that. But a written one usually, yes. I mean, we went through that, obviously,
[5:56:32] the last meeting with regard to an opinion. So I do think that's part of the important
[5:56:38] thing for you all in terms of the procedures and that we were talking about at the last meeting.
[5:56:46] And this is something, obviously, that I had envisioned building in and I will. I mean,
[5:56:50] it's up to you all if that's something that you want. But that was going to be something
[5:56:54] I would recommend to build in there as to how the council can direct staff to create something
[5:57:03] for an agenda item.
[5:57:04] I wouldn't have brought up.
[5:57:05] When I asked about, to you and Ted about getting something agenda, I was told that there
[5:57:11] needs to be a consensus of council to be able to do that, especially a resolution.
[5:57:19] Well, buddy, it does go back to the request that we made to John and Ted about creating
[5:57:24] some standards. And we don't have those. It is a, it's the Wild West. Let's be honest.
[5:57:30] It's, whatever goes. So, the request was made to, I don't know if, when the intention is to
[5:57:37] create that policies and procedures, the procedural manual, that would be great to see that.
[5:57:42] Yeah, and we've started the process. And, you know, I just, honestly, with some of the issues that
[5:57:48] come up tonight, we've got little sidetracked a little bit in terms of our focus, but I envision
[5:57:54] that coming back to you all fairly soon, night I would hope, but we've started working on it,
[5:57:59] obviously, and we'll have something to present for you all to consider, and you can tell us to go back
[5:58:04] to the drawing board or modify or however you all see fit in terms of what you would like.
[5:58:09] Okay, so Elizabeth, are you okay that we can Ted, can we can, he can shoot some dates to
[5:58:14] tomorrow that we can have these dates to come back and hear whether to 20 if there's
[5:58:20] some time between now meeting on the 20th.
[5:58:23] Right, I know I know I know I know Andrew's a very good as a very
[5:58:26] helpful meeting but but if he wants to do this millage then we only have a few more
[5:58:29] minutes that we've extended so let's try to just focus and on I mean we need
[5:58:37] to create an extra meeting that that is that is what we're just having a discussion.
[5:58:41] I don't think we have to agree to an extra meeting.
[5:58:44] We all just don't care and said that we don't want to have village council meetings that
[5:58:49] go to midnight.
[5:58:50] These go to midnight.
[5:58:51] I mean, there is not an a meeting that hasn't gone to midnight and we're asking for two
[5:58:55] meetings.
[5:58:56] Head said that the pushover from this meeting is likely to be light because we got a lot
[5:59:01] done tonight.
[5:59:02] We don't know what's going to be on the 27th regular council meeting.
[5:59:06] If we put this up front on there, whatever comes behind it, we can push that.
[5:59:11] you know what this is this is the kind of frustration that is very real on this
[5:59:17] council we have we have made a request to fix lengthy meetings and here we are
[5:59:24] like let's not be up we also do is at the beginning of the year we agree what our
[5:59:28] schedule is going to be for the full year and so we plan our lives around that and then we
[5:59:33] have a surprise pop up request for a meeting on short notice and it's difficult to commit to that
[5:59:38] That's what I'm facing.
[5:59:40] We literally, during this meeting, just have a conversation,
[5:59:44] led by Sharon saying she doesn't want to have midnight meetings,
[5:59:48] and we all agreed.
[5:59:49] So in order to fix that, I know, here we are at midnight.
[5:59:53] We're in one minute.
[5:59:55] Yeah, I mean, it's a symptom of a greater problem.
[6:00:00] If you can't make the meeting, you can't make it. We'll have a meeting. There's just three of us. We'll have a meeting. That's it.
[6:00:11] It doesn't sound like a consensus to me, Henry. You know, I try to accommodate you, but if you don't want to accommodate me, that's fine. I get the message.
[6:00:19] I'm here. I found a make a meeting before. I fly again.
[6:00:25] Just so you guys know in terms of notice because there was some question about notice.
[6:00:30] Your charter for special call meetings, your charter does require 72 hours notice for special
[6:00:35] call meetings. So that's just to give you that.
[6:00:39] And what Ted had mentioned before in terms of other things,
[6:00:42] most of those are really land use ones that have statutory requirements for
[6:00:46] notice those were really dealing with on the land use issue. It shouldn't come into play for
[6:00:50] the special call meeting. Obviously, if we can't make the notice on those things, they
[6:00:54] just won't be heard. But your charter requires 72 hours notice, unless it's an emergency.
[6:01:00] I'm available for the month. There it is. Okay.
[6:01:05] Who it is, so much you can. All right. Ted, what tab were you talking about real quick on
[6:01:13] to have 14 and the solid waste is to have 15.
[6:01:19] Okay.
[6:01:21] Can we get on with to have 14, John, please?
[6:01:24] 14 is the Resolution of the Village Council of Iowa,
[6:01:26] Mount of Illinois and Florida.
[6:01:28] Determined the proposed millage rate for fiscal year 2023-2024.
[6:01:31] Established in the current year, rolled back rate from the date,
[6:01:34] time in place for the first and second budget hearings is required by state law.
[6:01:37] Directing the Finance Director and Village Manager property file
[6:01:40] file and certification of taxable value via e-trem directing the village clerk to
[6:01:45] transmit the resolution in the Monroe County property praises pursuant to the
[6:01:47] requirements of Florida statutes and the rules and regulations of the Department of
[6:01:50] Revenue of the state of Florida and providing for an effective date.
[6:01:57] Okay, council.
[6:01:59] Or Ted.
[6:02:01] Because Maria is not here.
[6:02:03] Maria might be on zoom.
[6:02:04] On zoom.
[6:02:05] Can you hear me?
[6:02:06] We can hear you, Maria.
[6:02:09] Okay.
[6:02:11] So this is a resolution to adopt a preliminary millage rate for the trim notices that go out in August.
[6:02:20] We're suggesting a rate of three mills, which is the same rate that was adopted by Council for the last budget and the year before that.
[6:02:30] A rate of three mills is the rollback rate based on the property values that I provided in the council communication.
[6:02:40] The rollback rate is 2.6634 mills.
[6:02:45] So a rate of three mills is 12.64% above the rollback rate.
[6:02:52] Um, by establishing a rate of three, it gives Council some latitude, um, you know, to adopt, you know, um, a lower rate, um, and hopefully sets a high enough that, um,
[6:03:09] is sufficient for the coming budget.
[6:03:13] So the resolution would establish rate of three, and then Council is also asked to decide on the dates for the first budget hearing in September, and the second budget hearing, and then to select maybe tonight just like two budget workshops, and then if you think a third is needed, we can add that.
[6:03:35] So that based on, we have to have a print ad for our budget in between the two hearings.
[6:03:45] So based on the Q&A status and schedule, our options for our first budget hearing are September 11th or 12,
[6:03:55] which I believe that's a Monday, Tuesday, and then for the second budget hearing, the options are September 18th or 19th.
[6:04:02] And then just realizing that the week of July 24th is lobster mini-season, I'm guessing
[6:04:13] hopefully council can select at least two days that the week of July 31st for workshops.
[6:04:22] So I guess the first item is whether you agree with a preliminary rate of three for the
[6:04:28] And just to remind us, I know we have two new council people that says you're first budget go around.
[6:04:38] You guys may already be aware of this, but I want to, I don't want to assume.
[6:04:41] So the, the, the trim rate that we're that is being proposed today is not the final trim rate.
[6:04:47] This is the, what gets nailed out.
[6:04:50] And the importance of that is that you can go lower without having to remail everything.
[6:04:55] Whereas if you set it low and then want to go higher, it's really kind of cost prohibitive
[6:05:01] to do that because you have to re-mail all of the trim notices.
[6:05:07] So when you look at the trim, I just wanted to make sure that we all are clear that
[6:05:15] that's not, and that the public is clear, that's not necessarily the final number, but
[6:05:19] that's the number that's being built out in the preliminary.
[6:05:22] Okay. Thank you John. Council in discussion. I'll speak to it. Okay. I'm a favor of
[6:05:30] allowing the knowledge to 2.75. My reason is we created excessive funding last year, excessive
[6:05:45] funding this year with the property values increasing,
[6:05:51] has still seen people working the
[6:05:54] publics and check prices, so I tell the story, I'll tell again, I'll go grab some candy
[6:06:07] on the way to check out, the mother says you gotta put it back,
[6:06:14] so that time we took
[6:06:18] some of that extra money, and that may cause us to spend less money and give it back to
[6:06:27] the public.
[6:06:30] So I'm in favor of 2.75. I've been in favor to lower the knowledge last year,
[6:06:38] but I think I'd have been in hospital for a couple of weeks when this was going on.
[6:06:50] But
[6:06:50] show the public that were interested in their well-being and it's not going to make any difference
[6:06:56] to us.
[6:06:57] But it will make some difference to the public.
[6:07:04] This is the preliminary.
[6:07:06] It's preliminary.
[6:07:07] I understand that there's multiple hearings and opportunities before a final setting of, and I
[6:07:13] think Council can have lengthy discussions once they see the budget regarding where the final
[6:07:19] let's get set. I just want to see that. I have everything else. Okay, guys, unfortunately, we're
[6:07:26] at this extent. It's right now it's 11.35.
[6:07:31] We took a long time on that other thing with the
[6:07:34] date. So what are we going to do? We're in the middle of this. Move to extend for 10 minutes.
[6:07:40] Okay. Second. Morning.
[6:07:45] Council Member Mark Rack. Yes.
[6:07:47] Excuse me, Mayor, buddy, Binder.
[6:07:49] Councilmember Elizabeth Jolin.
[6:07:52] Councilmember Henry Rosenzall.
[6:07:54] Yes.
[6:07:54] And Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney, motion passes 5-0.
[6:08:04] What's next, public comment?
[6:08:06] We can go public comment.
[6:08:07] We've already, you're done with that.
[6:08:09] You just voted.
[6:08:10] So, we don't know.
[6:08:11] That was a vote on extending.
[6:08:13] Oh, I'm sorry.
[6:08:14] I'm sorry, it's late.
[6:08:15] So yes, it would be public comment.
[6:08:19] That's true.
[6:08:20] All right, any public comment, Marty?
[6:08:22] Not that I'm aware of.
[6:08:29] 30 second comment just bear in mind with all the scheduling thing that Ted's contract automatically
[6:08:35] been used on the 31st and he can't be fired without consequences because once it's renewed
[6:08:41] if he's fired then he gets 20 weeks severance which I think Maria costs about 77 grand.
[6:08:49] So, you need to take care of this, and everybody's interest, sooner than later.
[6:08:58] So, we are, let's talk about the village.
[6:09:02] Sit down.
[6:09:02] I was talking about it.
[6:09:03] I'd be happy to move to approve this.
[6:09:06] If no one had 3.0.
[6:09:07] Yeah.
[6:09:08] But the public comment is now closed by the way.
[6:09:11] Yeah.
[6:09:11] I'd second that.
[6:09:13] All right.
[6:09:13] Marty, call the roll please.
[6:09:15] I'm glad the approval is to, to notice at 3%.
[6:09:19] percent, and we can, it doesn't mean that that's what it's going to be said at.
[6:09:24] It's just that the notice is at that rate so that it can be more easily lowered.
[6:09:30] You can, you just, as long as it's within that, then you don't need to sell that.
[6:09:33] We're not going to sell that.
[6:09:34] It just covers it.
[6:09:36] Yeah, you can do it,
[6:09:39] Greg.
[6:09:39] You're not going to sell that, but it's just covers it.
[6:09:40] I'm going to call it roll, please.
[6:09:41] Calce member Liz, Bethjolam?
[6:09:43] Yes.
[6:09:43] Calce member Mark Craig?
[6:09:44] Yes.
[6:09:45] Calce member Hadri Rosen's all?
[6:09:47] Yes.
[6:09:48] Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney? Yes. And Mayor Buddy Pender. Yes. Motion passes five zero.
[6:09:54] So are we setting those the September 11 it's Maria need a meetings set tonight?
[6:09:59] Yes please. These three. Three meetings set.
[6:10:04] One is July 30th through August 11th.
[6:10:07] Or do we have to do three of those? The 31st.
[6:10:10] It depends how many workshops you think you need.
[6:10:14] I, we usually schedule three, but all we need two, I'm thinking if you want to just pick two days for now.
[6:10:22] And then if we need a third, we can always schedule it.
[6:10:25] We can do later in August, but the week of the seventh is when you're going to the Florida League of Cities Conference.
[6:10:32] And then the week of the 14th, you have a council meeting, so then we're getting kind of late in the month of August.
[6:10:37] So Monday the 31st August 1st is a Tuesday, Wednesday the 2nd Thursday the 3rd Friday
[6:10:46] the 4th is what I'm guessing if Council's available to pick today is in that week for
[6:10:52] workshops.
[6:10:54] What kind of what is it like an eight hour thing?
[6:10:56] She's talking now.
[6:10:57] Well, we used to start a month, 330, but I don't know if that's possible now, but we
[6:11:06] We would start at 330 a little bit earlier and then usually ended about 8.
[6:11:12] We start working on the budget on the first day and then when council feels like they want to stop at a certain point, then we finish the budget discussions the next day.
[6:11:28] Okay, so do you guys, can we make that decision now? Or does that need to come through an email?
[6:11:32] I'll just start with August 1st in second.
[6:11:35] I'm good.
[6:11:37] Okay.
[6:11:38] First and second.
[6:11:39] Second step.
[6:11:39] It's a Tuesday at a Wednesday.
[6:11:41] Tuesday at a Wednesday.
[6:11:45] And then a first budget hearing.
[6:11:48] That would have to be on either Monday, September 11 or Tuesday, September 12th.
[6:11:58] Fifty, fifty.
[6:12:00] Tuesday.
[6:12:00] Tuesday, the twelfth.
[6:12:02] Okay.
[6:12:02] And then the second budget hearing either Monday, September 18th or Tuesday, September 19th.
[6:12:12] I don't have meetings on the 7th and the 28th are your regular village council.
[6:12:19] And there's a land use one on the 20th.
[6:12:22] You guys have your calendars for this, but you can't schedule a second meeting for the 27th.
[6:12:30] I mean, how can we, we just had calendar issues. Why isn't this coming through?
[6:12:36] State focused on this for now.
[6:12:37] Oh, okay. Got these.
[6:12:39] Can I use your pen for some reason?
[6:12:41] Uh, can we do the 19th?
[6:12:44] Oh, so we're going to do the 12th in the 19th?
[6:12:46] I like the 19th.
[6:12:47] Okay.
[6:12:49] Sorry. Could you, all right.
[6:12:50] That's all I needed.
[6:12:52] Could you, could someone repeat those for me, please?
[6:12:54] It's September 12th, September 19th.
[6:12:58] are the hearing dates?
[6:12:59] Got involved for me.
[6:13:01] Sorry, what time, sorry, just need more information about this hearing?
[6:13:05] We, tentatively, tentatively, if you want to send it to the free 30,
[6:13:08] and it's part of the time.
[6:13:09] We're, what do you guys want to do?
[6:13:14] And we'll be out of here by eight, Maria said,
[6:13:19] how much we talk?
[6:13:21] The budget hearings have to happen after five o'clock.
[6:13:23] So we usually do those at five 30, but the workshops,
[6:13:27] we've started at 330 if that is OK with Council.
[6:13:30] Captain Paul just informed me reminded me that National Night Out is here August 1st right here on the line
[6:13:39] So can you will you be sending this out in email as a reminder?
[6:13:46] So...
[6:13:47] Yes.
[6:13:51] Okay.
[6:13:53] Would you rather do the second and third of August for the workshop?
[6:13:59] I mean, if we've got national night out and it should probably stay away from the first
[6:14:07] but budget workshop to be on
[6:14:12] the first.
[6:14:13] Yeah.
[6:14:13] I mean, you're going to have parking issues in the second and the third.
[6:14:17] Starting at 330
[6:14:23] and 330 if that works for you council.
[6:14:31] Sorry.
[6:14:32] I'm confused.
[6:14:32] Didn't we already agree on August 1st and 2nd first?
[6:14:35] August 1st is national night out.
[6:14:37] We're going to have second to third. Yeah, the second and third because that's a pretty busy night here
[6:14:45] Thank
[6:14:51] you very much. Thank you very much. All right, Ted
[6:14:56] Are we we got like two minutes?
[6:15:00] If we before we have to extend again, let's just do it now, extend it for 10 more minutes so we can talk about the garbage contract.
[6:15:08] How's that?
[6:15:09] All right, do I hear a motion?
[6:15:11] Move to extend for 10 minutes.
[6:15:12] I hear a second.
[6:15:18] We're going to call, I'll call a second, let's vote, Marty Call.
[6:15:21] All right.
[6:15:25] Mayor, buddy, pinder. Yes.
[6:15:26] Now, Mr. Member, let's withdraw in.
[6:15:29] Vice, Eric, excuse me, council member, Henry Relsenthal.
[6:15:31] No.
[6:15:32] And vice, Mayor, Sharon Mahoney.
[6:15:35] we're going home. We won't have any trash but pick up but that's okay.