[5:19] Good evening. This is a regular City
Commission meeting for the City of Largo.
[5:23] Today is Tuesday, August 4th, 2026.
[5:25] I'd like to call this meeting to order and
ask if you have a cell phone,
[5:29] please turn it to silent or off so that we
don't have any interruptions tonight.
[5:33] We're going to start today's meeting with
an invocation given by Pastor Oliver King
[5:38] from Restoration Ministries of Largo.
[5:40] And then if you could please remain
standing and I'll lead you in the Pledge
[5:44] standing and I'll lead you in the Pledge
of
[5:44] Allegiance. Good evening, everyone.
[5:46] Always grateful and thank you for the
opportunity to be able to come and pray
[5:50] opportunity to be able to come and pray
for
[5:50] the city. And also thank you, officials,
[5:52] for your help and your assistance with my
ministry and taking care of the homeless
[5:57] and families that are in need of food. So
let us pray.
[6:00] Lord God, we thank you for your grace.
God, we thank you for your mercy.
[6:04] God, we thank you for another day.
[6:06] God, we thank you for our life, health,
and strength.
[6:08] We thank you for allowing us to be here,
Father God, to travel here safely.
[6:12] Father, we ask now all the time for your
presence, God.
[6:15] We know more than ever we need you more
than ever.
[6:18] We ask now, God, for your many blessings
over the families that make up this
[6:22] community. Bless these officials, Father
God. Continue to lead and direct them.
[6:26] Father God, bless and take care of our
leaders, God, our president,
[6:29] our government officials.
[6:30] Father God, we give every situation, every
issue back to you.
[6:33] We ask, Father God, all the time for your
forgiveness.
[6:36] For moments taken for granted, Father God,
[6:38] protection that you provide every single
day.
[6:40] Again, God, we thank you for our schools.
[6:42] Father God, we thank you for our
government.
[6:44] God, we ask now again, well, always, God,
[6:46] that you continue to bless us and watch
over us.
[6:48] Be a part of this ministry, Father God.
Let us understand and hear from one
[6:52] Let us understand and hear from one
another.
[6:52] God, again, we give you thanks. We give
you praise.
[6:55] We ask, God, that you continue to bless
the homeless families,
[6:58] those that are in crisis, those that are
in need.
[7:00] Father, there is nothing too hard for you.
God, again, we thank you.
[7:03] We give you honor.
[7:04] We reverence you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
[7:10] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[7:16] United States of America and to the
republic
[7:17] for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible,
[7:22] with liberty and justice for all. Thank
you, Pastor.
[7:26] The first item on the agenda today is a
ceremonial item,
[7:31] one of my favorite ceremonial items of the
year,
[7:35] the recognition of our Citizen Campers.
[7:38] Good evening, everyone.
[7:40] My name is Brittany Shug,
[7:41] and I am the Children's Program Manager
for the City of Largo for the Child Care
[7:47] Division. I am pleased to be here tonight
to give the Citizen Camper Award to our
[7:53] City of Largo campers.
[7:54] This award highlights individuals who go
above and beyond,
[7:58] not just in participation but in
character.
[8:01] These campers consistently show respect,
kindness, responsibility,
[8:06] and genuine desire to make camp a better
place for everyone.
[8:10] They lend a hand before being asked, treat
others with care,
[8:15] and serve as a role model through their
everyday actions.
[8:19] Tonight, we honor the campers who make the
City of Largo a welcoming, safe,
[8:24] and positive environment.
[8:26] Their leadership shines through big
gestures alone,
[8:29] but through small meaningful choices they
make each day.
[8:33] To all of our nominees, thank you.
[8:36] Your character, your compassion,
[8:38] and your willingness to help set the tone
for our entire community.
[8:43] You inspire your peers and you make this
camp a place where everyone feels included
[8:48] and valued. So the first camper I would
like to introduce to you guys tonight is
[8:54] Stefan Petravo from the Cool Kids at
Highland.
[8:57] Um, Stefan was nominated by his counselor,
Miss Marcella.
[9:01] Stefan is always ready to listen and
consistently waits quietly for the next
[9:07] consistently waits quietly for the next
set of
[9:07] directions during transitions.
[9:09] He is kind, respectful, and supportive
towards all his fellow campers.
[9:14] Stefan takes initiative in keeping the
space clean,
[9:18] often tidying up after himself and others
without even being asked. Ms.
[9:23] Marcella never has to repeat instructions.
[9:26] He is proactive, he communicates,
[9:28] and he often informs her of potential
issues before they even occur.
[9:33] He consistently leads by example, showing
his peers what responsible,
[9:38] respectful behavior looks like.
[9:40] He follows all camp rules, is well-liked
by his friends,
[9:44] and comes to camp each day with a positive
attitude.
[9:48] Stefan embodies what a camper should be—
responsible, kind,
[9:52] and appreciates each and every day.
[9:54] Stefan, we are incredibly proud and
appreciate the positivity and leadership
[10:00] appreciate the positivity and leadership
you
[10:00] bring to camp every day.
[10:01] Congratulations, congratulations, Stefan,
on Citizen Camper for 2026.
[10:06] Up next, we have Emerson Singh from Cool
Kids at Highland.
[10:10] Emerson Singh was nominated by her
counselor, Miss Chasen.
[10:15] Emerson is a kind and thoughtful camper
who treats all of her friends with
[10:20] who treats all of her friends with
respect.
[10:20] respect. She is always eager to help
others and consistently uses her manners
[10:26] others and consistently uses her manners
when
[10:26] speaking with both her counselors and her
peers.
[10:29] Miss Chasen often chooses Emerson to
accompany friends when they need to grab
[10:35] accompany friends when they need to grab
water,
[10:35] use the restroom, or find a partner for
any camp activities because she knows
[10:41] Emerson will be kind, attentive, and
responsible. She never leaves anyone
[10:46] responsible. She never leaves anyone
behind.
[10:46] She was chosen because she is a true
leader, kind, empathetic,
[10:51] and respectful to everyone around her.
[10:53] She never misses an opportunity to say
thank you,
[10:57] and I've seen her welcome new campers as
they join the group each week.
[11:02] We are so proud of Emerson and grateful to
have her as a part of our camp family.
[11:08] Her positivity and leadership brightens
her group each and every day.
[11:12] Congratulations, Emerson, on Citizen
Camper for 2026.
[11:16] Up next, we have Olivia Chapman from Kid
City at Southwest.
[11:20] Olivia was chosen by her counselor, Miss
Sheridan.
[11:24] Olivia is kind to all of her friends at
camp,
[11:27] including those outside of her own group.
[11:30] She approaches campers who seem upset and
offer comfort without hesitation.
[11:35] Olivia has been especially helpful,
[11:38] helpful to a camper who recently broke
their arm,
[11:41] patiently supporting them throughout the
day.
[11:44] She is gentle and patient even with the
younger campers and frequently helps with
[11:50] lost and found items, often tracking down
their own owners.
[11:54] During transitions to new locations,
[11:57] Olivia points out left-behind water
bottles to make sure her friends are
[12:02] bottles to make sure her friends are
grabbing
[12:02] all of their belongings.
[12:04] She volunteers to be a buddy when someone
needs to leave the group.
[12:09] And never leaves their side.
[12:11] Olivia acts as an extra set of eyes for
safety, speaking up and alerting Ms.
[12:16] Sheridan whenever something doesn't seem
right.
[12:20] She is sweet, kind, and always
prioritizing the well-being of herself and
[12:25] prioritizing the well-being of herself and
those
[12:25] around her. She participates in all
activities and consistently encourages her
[12:31] activities and consistently encourages her
camp
[12:31] friends in a positive way.
[12:33] Olivia is a dedicated Kid City camper,
[12:35] and she is someone I am truly excited to
watch grow into an even stronger role
[12:41] watch grow into an even stronger role
model
[12:41] to the younger campers.
[12:43] We are incredibly proud of Olivia and
grateful for the kindness, leadership,
[12:48] and joy she brings to our camp each and
every day.
[12:52] Congratulations, Olivia, on Citizen Camper
for 2026.
[12:55] All right, and last but not least,
[12:58] we have Novelin Brewer from the Kid City
at Southwest.
[13:02] Novelyn was nominated by her camp
counselor, Mr. Cade.
[13:05] She is consistently respectful to all
staff and campers and is known as one of
[13:11] staff and campers and is known as one of
the
[13:11] friendliest campers at Southwest. Novelyn
is incredibly responsible.
[13:16] She always volunteers to help with tasks,
often without even being asked.
[13:21] If it is assisting her other camp friends
with activities,
[13:25] she is always there to help.
[13:27] Novelyn continues to demonstrate safety,
[13:30] and supports others to ensure things are
done the right way.
[13:34] No matter the task, she is eager to assist
and lend a hand.
[13:38] Her favorite thing is to ask, can I help
with that?
[13:42] She consistently shows kindness, respect,
and genuine willingness to help,
[13:47] making others feel welcomed and included.
[13:50] Her initiative and willingness to jump in
without direction is what truly sets her
[13:56] apart from other campers.
[13:58] Whether she is helping counselors,
supporting fellow campers,
[14:02] Or simply offering assistance where it's
needed.
[14:05] She does it all with a bright smile.
[14:08] She shows compassion towards other
campers,
[14:11] even in situations she isn't directly
involved with.
[14:15] Novelin is always using her manners and
making sure she is so polite to anyone she
[14:20] interacts with. Novelin embodies the
values and traits of a citizen camper.
[14:26] She puts others first, she shows respect,
[14:29] and maintains a positive attitude each and
every day.
[14:32] Her character and actions are truly why
she is so deserving of this award.
[14:38] Congratulations, Navlin, on Citizen Camper
for 2026.
[14:41] You guys want
[14:47] to come up too?
[14:54] Do you want all the campers or do you want
to do camp by camp? Yeah.
[15:01] You should sit in a chair. It's gonna hurt
its back. There you go.
[15:10] Ready?
[15:10] 3, 2, 1.
[15:14] Let's do one more.
[15:29] Here, I'll take their forms. You want to
leave?
[15:34] I don't know how they're going to do this
one.
[15:38] Come this way. We can help you do it.
[15:40] We can't reach them. Yeah, we can come
around the wrong way.
[15:44] No, no, probably easier. You can't reach
them.
[15:47] Why not?
[15:47] Maybe. Go ahead.
[15:49] Good job. Great job.
[15:52] Great
[15:54] Congratulations.
[16:01] Congratulations. Congratulations. Didn't
think you'd reach us.
[16:06] The high five is better, easier than—
[16:09] Thank you everyone for having us tonight.
[16:17] Next item is team member of the quarter
recognition.
[16:24] Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners.
[16:26] Let's keep this positivity theme going,
shall we?
[16:29] First up is Mitchell Bowling, firefighter.
Come on up.
[16:33] During a medical call,
[16:35] Firefighter Bowling demonstrated exactly
what the fire service is all about.
[16:40] After completing patient care for a
patient who had fallen and was living in a
[16:45] disorganized home environment,
[16:47] he took it upon himself without being
asked to go above and beyond for her.
[16:52] He put away her groceries, restocked her
refrigerator, fed her dog,
[16:56] took out her trash, and ensured her home
was clear of obstacles so she could safely
[17:02] navigate with her walker.
[17:03] The patient was truly grateful,
[17:06] and I have no doubt that Firefighter
Bowling's compassion and initiative Made a
[17:11] meaningful difference in her day and her
safety.
[17:14] Thank you for providing superior services.
Congratulations.
[17:18] Next up is Tasha Wordy, library assistant.
Come on up, Tasha.
[17:22] Tasha actually had 3 write-ups all
surrounding this big event they had at the
[17:27] library, but I'm going to read one.
[17:29] Tasha Wordie consistently exceeds
expectations in her role developing
[17:34] expectations in her role developing
children's
[17:35] programming for the library.
[17:37] In addition to planning and presenting 3
to 6 children's programs each week while
[17:42] also serving patrons at the public service
desk,
[17:45] Tasha took the initiative to independently
conceptualize, organize,
[17:50] and execute an ambitious large-scale
literary event for adults called
[17:54] literary event for adults called
Romantically
[17:55] Ever After: A Library Lit Fest.
[17:57] Driven by her passion for reading and
community engagement,
[18:01] Tasha coordinated nearly 50 romance and
subgenre authors to participate in the
[18:06] event, creating meaningful opportunities
for readers to connect with authors and
[18:12] have books signed. This project extended
far beyond the scope of her regular
[18:17] responsibilities and demonstrated
exceptional creativity, leadership,
[18:21] and project management skills.
[18:23] Tasha also developed and executed a
sophisticated social media campaign that
[18:28] generated unprecedented excitement and
engagement for the library.
[18:33] Her rollout strategy built anticipation
through carefully timed announcements,
[18:38] personalized promotional graphics for each
participating author,
[18:42] and visually compelling content featuring
authors' headshots and book covers.
[18:47] She further amplified the event's
visibility by leveraging early author
[18:52] visibility by leveraging early author
access to
[18:53] engage social media influencers and expand
community outreach.
[18:57] The results were extraordinary.
[18:59] The campaign increased the library's
social media following by 916 followers
[19:04] social media following by 916 followers
across
[19:04] Facebook and Instagram,
[19:06] representing a 190% increase on Facebook
and an impressive 509% increase on
[19:11] Instagram. Engagement surrounding the
event surpassed that of any previous
[19:16] event surpassed that of any previous
library
[19:16] program. Attendees came as far away as
South Carolina to attend the event.
[19:21] Community response to Romantically Ever
After far exceeded expectations.
[19:26] Although registration was optional, 1,374
individuals registered in advance,
[19:31] and final attendance exceeded 1,500
participants.
[19:34] In addition, from a post-event survey sent
to the authors,
[19:38] 100% say they would absolutely attend the
event again in the future.
[19:43] Tasha's vision, dedication,
[19:45] and innovative approach not only created a
highly successful event,
[19:49] but also significantly elevated the
library's visibility and community impact.
[19:54] Tasha's initiative, creativity,
[19:56] and commitment to excellence make her
exceptionally deserving of recognition as
[20:02] exceptionally deserving of recognition as
Team
[20:02] Member of the Quarter. Congratulations.
[20:05] Next up is Jody White, Housing Finance
Specialist. Come on up, Jody.
[20:09] Jody White has routinely demonstrated
superior services and passion for her work
[20:14] with the housing programs for the city.
[20:17] In less than 2 months,
[20:19] Jody facilitated the issuance of
approximately $550,000 in new housing
[20:23] approximately $550,000 in new housing
program
[20:24] awards to clients with state and federal
grant funds.
[20:27] This is not just paperwork to her.
[20:29] She made trips to clients' homes to work
through application processes if they had
[20:35] limited computer access or limited
mobility,
[20:38] and she followed closely on cases with
down payment providers to ensure timely
[20:43] completion of cases so clients could
purchase homes.
[20:47] Jodi also oversees the city's housing
program loan portfolio,
[20:51] part of which necessitates getting loans
back into compliance if clients pass away
[20:56] or setting up payment plans when their
loan deferment periods expire.
[21:01] She recently had 6 cases she was able to
get back into compliance status.
[21:06] This process often entails working with
families who recently lost a loved one to
[21:11] families who recently lost a loved one to
go
[21:11] through next steps and working with
families that still live in homes to set
[21:16] families that still live in homes to set
up
[21:16] payment plans once deferment periods
expire.
[21:19] Not only is she efficient with these
cases, but she is also effective.
[21:24] Every case has a circumstance or nuance to
it.
[21:27] One such case involved working with a
young woman who had inherited her
[21:32] grandmother's home when her grandmother
passed away.
[21:35] Jody was able to help her navigate the
city's loan assumption process so the
[21:40] granddaughter could remain in the home and
not trigger immediate repayment of the 2
[21:46] deferred payment loans on the property.
[21:48] The granddaughter was facing many uphill
battles of her own,
[21:52] and not only did Jody have to work to gain
her trust in the process,
[21:57] but Jody always showed concern for the
granddaughter.
[22:00] If Jody had not heard from her for a
while,
[22:03] she would reach out to check on her to
make sure she was okay.
[22:07] She had many times where she would stay on
the phone with the granddaughter to offer
[22:13] support and connect her to other services
for additional support.
[22:17] Some of our clients do not have family
left,
[22:20] and it happens time and again that they
know they can trust Jody and call.
[22:25] In addition to juggling these activities,
[22:28] she serves as a backup person for the
city's homeless outreach specialist if he
[22:33] city's homeless outreach specialist if he
is
[22:33] out. She is always willing to jump right
in and help. Congratulations, Jody.
[22:38] Next up, Samantha Cabrich, Housing
Construction Specialist.
[22:42] Samantha continuously demonstrates
superior services to the community of
[22:47] superior services to the community of
Largo.
[22:48] She has been juggling a large caseload
with the city's housing programs,
[22:52] and her contributions exemplify her
knowledge, expertise, and passion for her
[22:58] knowledge, expertise, and passion for her
work.
[22:58] Samantha has been going above and beyond
in her role as housing construction
[23:03] specialist in the short time she has been
with the city for just over a year.
[23:08] Samantha oversees the construction phase
of the home improvement program,
[23:13] among other activities.
[23:15] She has raised the standard for
contractors participating in the program
[23:19] contractors participating in the program
and has
[23:20] been successful in recruiting more
contractors to participate.
[23:24] She diligently checks permit statuses each
day on open cases to see how contractors
[23:29] are progressing, helps guide the
contractors to navigate permit and
[23:34] contractors to navigate permit and
inspection
[23:35] processes, and is routinely at project
sites to check on workmanship and
[23:39] sites to check on workmanship and
progress.
[23:40] Several times recently, something has come
up at the end of the day,
[23:45] and she never hesitates to get out to the
site to make sure the issue is addressed
[23:50] expeditiously. Samantha has a wealth of
construction knowledge and uses that daily
[23:55] with developing scopes of work,
[23:58] for bidding home improvement program
projects and for review of workmanship on
[24:03] projects and for review of workmanship on
the
[24:03] projects during construction.
[24:05] Samantha has also proactively reached out
to work with community standards on
[24:10] home-related cases. One recent case was
using angel funds for yard and house
[24:15] using angel funds for yard and house
cleanup
[24:16] and then was going to home improvement
program for repairs.
[24:20] She provided routine check-ins with the
family to make sure they were following
[24:25] through with yard cleanup in a timely
manner before the housing division could
[24:30] proceed with the home improvement project.
[24:33] In addition to her work with the Home
Improvement Program,
[24:37] Samantha provided significant technical
assistance to nonprofit organizations that
[24:42] were receiving federal Community
Development Block Grant, CDBG,
[24:46] funding for public facility improvements.
[24:49] Often these nonprofits do not have the
construction background to understand
[24:54] construction background to understand
fully
[24:54] what needs to be included in a scope of
work for bidding the projects.
[24:59] She guided them through what items they
needed to consider and include in their
[25:04] needed to consider and include in their
bid.
[25:05] Helped them find additional places to
advertise and where to find lists of
[25:10] advertise and where to find lists of
eligible
[25:10] licensed contractors to get more bids on
their projects,
[25:14] and gave them suggestions for what they
needed to make sure were addressed.
[25:19] Samantha has also helped with the city's
CDBG-funded projects from several aspects
[25:24] during planning and construction.
[25:27] Her experience, attention to quality work,
[25:29] and passion for serving the community
shine through in all that she does.
[25:34] Congratulations. And next up, we have our
Manager of the Quarter, Norm Shaw,
[25:39] Construction Manager and Engineer.
[25:42] In just 4 years as the City of Largo's
Engineering Services Construction Manager,
[25:47] Norm Shaw has made a real impact on our
organization.
[25:52] Excuse me.
[25:52] On any given day, he manages more than a
dozen capital complex improvement projects
[25:57] and emergency repairs, including roadway,
stormwater, and wastewater construction.
[26:02] He has become a trusted resource for city
staff, residents, contractors,
[26:06] and partner agencies, consistently
demonstrating exceptional technical
[26:10] demonstrating exceptional technical
expertise,
[26:11] sound judgment, and a commitment to
delivering high-quality projects.
[26:15] His willingness to go above and beyond in
service to the community makes a positive
[26:20] difference every day.
[26:21] Most recently, Norm played a key role in
the success of the annual Bike and Roll to
[26:26] School Day event. This nationwide event
encourages students to safely walk, bike,
[26:31] or scooter to school while promoting
healthy lifestyles,
[26:34] reducing traffic congestion, lowering
emissions, and fostering safer,
[26:38] more connected communities. When St.
[26:40] Paul's School reached out with concerns
about an active city construction project
[26:45] along the planned 4.5-mile route from
Flagship Bank to the school,
[26:49] Norm immediately stepped in to help.
[26:51] He worked closely with the contractor, the
police, several city departments,
[26:56] and school staff to develop a safe route
around the construction area.
[27:00] He even attended the event to make sure
everything went smoothly and that the
[27:04] students and parents had a safe
experience.
[27:07] Thanks in large part to Norm's efforts,
[27:09] more than 60 students and their families
enjoyed a successful event.
[27:13] Norm's passion for serving the community,
his integrity, and his willing—
[27:18] willingness to step up whenever needed
make him an outstanding leader and
[27:22] make him an outstanding leader and
teammate.
[27:22] He leads by example, always puts the
community first,
[27:26] and consistently goes above and beyond to
get the job done.
[27:29] I cannot think of anyone more deserving of
being recognized as Manager of the
[27:34] Quarter. Congratulations, Ben.
[28:15] Oh, thank you very much.
[28:18] Congratulations.
[28:19] Congratulations. You're trying to make
everybody else feel bad.
[28:25] Once again, congratulations to all the
team members of the quarter.
[28:31] The next item on the agenda is a drawing
for ballot position for the November 3rd,
[28:39] 2026 election. Good evening.
[28:41] Our city charter requires that the order
for candidates on our election ballot be
[28:49] drawn by lot, and tonight we're going to
draw for the one race we'll have on the
[28:56] November 3rd ballot for seat 2, and Pastor
King is going to do the drawing.
[29:03] This will be first position. Curtis
Holmes. Matthew Fastini. Thank you.
[29:09] That'll be our ballot order. Thank you.
Next up is citizens' comments.
[29:16] If you'd like to speak about something
that's on the agenda outside of the
[29:23] that's on the agenda outside of the
consent
[29:23] docket, please wait until the item comes
up. Do we have any cards this evening?
[29:30] We have several cards. First is Greg
Gardner.
[29:35] Is anyone displeased that I didn't
qualify?
[29:39] Nope.
[29:42] How do you like that? 7 to 0. All right.
[29:46] Thank you.
[29:46] Basically, this is— we got a group of
people here and they're from New Haven.
[29:52] And so this short speech is just about
this condominium complex that's very,
[29:57] very vulnerable. As far as maintenance
goes with our stormwater,
[30:01] which is our subject we had last
commission meeting,
[30:05] there is absolutely no maintenance. Are
they doing the grass and whatnot? Yes.
[30:10] But are they getting rid of the Hyacinth
weed? No, not at all. Are they dredging?
[30:15] No, not at all. It's really bad. It's— I
mean, it's really serious.
[30:20] Um, so we talked about increasing the, you
know, the rate for stormwater,
[30:25] and of course it was suggested at 15%, and
some of you said no, let's just do 7.5%.
[30:30] This is a department that's really
underfunded.
[30:33] This really needs attention, and these
elders are very, very vulnerable.
[30:38] So Willowbrook Condos, New Haven, and
Lincolnshire Mobile Home,
[30:43] it's the same across all these people.
Nothing is getting done.
[30:47] I mean, nothing's getting done. They're
cutting in the grass, but that's about it.
[30:52] So like DeBreezy, I'll give you an
example.
[30:55] So we're dealing— it's Channel 1, it's
Bayou,
[30:58] but anything north of Donegan Road Is
Channel 1 that I'm specifically talking
[31:03] Channel 1 that I'm specifically talking
about.
[31:04] And like where you live, that little ditch
on the other side of Belcher, you know,
[31:09] going toward west, that's, uh, Channel 10.
[31:12] And it goes to Pinecrest, and then it goes
on to Channel 1.
[31:16] And then there's one south of you,
[31:18] and it all gets backed up because of
Donegan Road.
[31:22] There's absolutely no cleaning, no
maintenance, no nothing. There's zero.
[31:27] And it's really, really serious.
[31:29] Thank you. Thank you.
[31:32] Here's something else to consider, that
the county literally has a FEMA rating of
[31:37] the county literally has a FEMA rating of
2.
[31:37] Why? We have a FEMA rating of 6. So in
this case, the lower, the absolute better.
[31:43] It's because they're actually doing the
work, and it's outstanding.
[31:48] And I've been looking at it. These guys
have got their act together.
[31:53] And so that's proof in the pudding. So
it's underfunded.
[31:57] I really want you to listen to these
people. Don't do this 7.5 and 7.5.
[32:02] Go— it should be like Johnson said, you
need— you're right,
[32:06] and you got it right this time. We need
the 15, but we really need 20.
[32:11] So, um, go— I'm making you a good guy
tonight. How you like that?
[32:15] Go with his suggestion because it is very,
very serious.
[32:19] Jay's going to get up here and talk on
behalf of, um, um, New Haven.
[32:24] Thank you.
[32:25] So thank you, and I'm going to miss you
guys.
[32:28] Bye.
[32:28] Thank you. Next speaker is John Enns.
[32:32] Good
[32:34] evening.
[32:41] My name is John Enns. I live on Arvest
Circle.
[32:44] You might have recognized me from a couple
years ago.
[32:47] We came in here complaining a little bit
about the extension or the plan of
[32:52] improvements to Rosary Road.
[32:53] But anyway, good to see that you're
starting on that particular project from
[32:58] starting on that particular project from
Keene
[32:59] to Arbor Circle West.
[33:00] But we're a little bit concerned because
the planned improvements include sidewalk,
[33:05] curb, ramp reconstruction for ADA
compliance, roadway reconstruction,
[33:09] drainage infrastructure upgrades, targeted
sanitary sewer rehabilitation,
[33:14] utility adjustments, new pavement
markings, signage,
[33:17] as well as driveway integrating
enhancements.
[33:20] Thank you. Yes.
[33:21] Everything there is going to be great,
tremendous improvement to the roadway,
[33:26] citizen safety, and drainage in the area
that is in long-term needed repair.
[33:31] However, as described in your newsletter,
it will only extend to Arvest Circle West.
[33:37] It leaves 110 yards from Arvest Circle
West to Damrosch unimproved, which to me,
[33:42] with Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[33:44] Residents living along this section think
that all the work that you're doing for
[33:50] the other 900 yards is for naught.
[33:52] There's still going to be the potholes,
the drainage deficiencies,
[33:56] the safety concerns the improvement
project was intended to address.
[34:01] Residents living along this section and
areas that it serves are concerned that
[34:06] excluding 110 yards creates an unnecessary
gap between the otherwise comprehensive
[34:12] improvement project.
[34:13] Completing this remaining segment would
provide continuity with the Pinellas
[34:18] provide continuity with the Pinellas
County
[34:18] roadway improvements completed on Domrosh
last year,
[34:22] ensuring consistent roadway conditions,
safety improvements,
[34:26] improved drainage for motorists, cyclists,
and pedestrians.
[34:30] Largo residents affected by this omission
respectfully request that the city and the
[34:35] county extend the current project to
include the remaining section On Rosary
[34:40] include the remaining section On Rosary
Road,
[34:41] connecting the planned improvements this
year with the county improvements
[34:46] year with the county improvements
completed
[34:46] last year. Given the relatively short
distance involved,
[34:50] this addition would maximize the value of
the overall project and better serve the
[34:55] surrounding neighborhood by improving
safety, providing— preserving property
[35:00] safety, providing— preserving property
values,
[35:01] and providing a fully reconstructed
roadway. Safety is the biggest thing.
[35:06] You can't walk along that road,
[35:08] and leaving 110 yards of unfinished
roadway is not going to help at all.
[35:13] I've got 4 grandkids living on that street
and all my sons,
[35:17] and they're not going to be able to ride
their bike anywhere near that road.
[35:22] And I don't understand,
[35:23] as with many of the residents that I've
collected signatures from,
[35:27] we also don't understand why this is being
left unattended.
[35:31] We appreciate the city's commitment to
improving our roads and infrastructure and
[35:37] request that you will extend and complete
the Rosie Road project to include this
[35:42] important final segment. Thank you.
[35:44] Thank you.
[35:45] Next speaker is Robert Curls.
[35:47] I live on Aravis Circle West,
[35:50] and I received the letter stating just
what y'all are doing.
[35:56] You're going to be fixing Rosary Road.
[35:59] When I started reading it, and now I got
down to the end of the letter, it said,
[36:07] guess what? We're not going to be fixing
All of Rosary Road.
[36:12] And as John just said, that 110 yards
you're not going to fix.
[36:18] You fixed part of the road last year,
[36:22] and now you're going to start on fixing a
big section of it.
[36:27] But for whatever reason, and I don't know,
you know,
[36:32] you're not fixing a very short piece of
it.
[36:36] But to finish that project, the road is a
mess.
[36:40] I mean, you try to drive on it and it's
not going to get any better.
[36:47] And I don't know what process the City of
Largo went through,
[36:52] whether county owns half of it, you guys
own half of it,
[36:58] but maybe we can get together so we can
get the other 110 yards done.
[37:04] But, um, It's a mess and it's gotten
worse. I've lived in the home for 38
[37:11] worse. I've lived in the home for 38
years.
[37:11] I believe John's lived in that area for 40
years and it's just gotten worse over the
[37:19] years. And thank goodness we now have a
big section that's going to be done,
[37:26] but hopefully over the next, you know,
short period of time,
[37:32] or you can look into it.
[37:34] But John did a great job of telling you
exactly what I wish I could have.
[37:41] Thank you.
[37:42] But living in that area and driving on
Rosary Road,
[37:45] it's going to be nice and smooth.
[37:47] But as soon as you hit Harvest West and
you start walking and, you know,
[37:52] riding a bike or whatever else,
[37:54] you're going to get hurt on that little
last section.
[37:58] And I would do— I would really appreciate
if you could look into that or have your
[38:03] people look into it and see if we might be
able to— Yes, sir.
[38:08] Get the infrastructure fixed, the road
fixed, and then go from that point,
[38:13] and we can all be happy with that.
[38:15] And the other people that might be in our
group, um, I know our commissioner—
[38:20] I can't say her last name—
[38:22] would probably really love to be able to
walk all the way around the block staying
[38:27] on the sidewalk. But, you know, if you
have a dog that kind of walks out, uh, on—
[38:33] you have to go out into the road by chance
onto Rosary Road,
[38:37] you better be looking down because if
you're not, you're going to go into a
[38:42] you're not, you're going to go into a
pothole.
[38:43] And that pothole could be fixed with a
little bit extra money.
[38:47] So why don't we find that money and fix
the rest of the road?
[38:51] Thank you.
[38:52] Thank you. Next speaker is Jim Barbieri.
[39:03] Sure.
[39:03] So my name is Jim Barberi. I'm a Largo
resident, been a Largo resident for 30
[39:09] resident, been a Largo resident for 30
years.
[39:09] I'm here to speak about the Rosary Road
improvement,
[39:13] just like the previous 2 speakers.
[39:16] Um, uh, talking about walking that space,
[39:19] my wife walks our amazing dogs every night
and she avoids Rosary Road like the
[39:25] plague. It's, it's, it's been— well, we
know, we know why.
[39:29] We think the reason why it's been a mess
is because it's half owned by the city and
[39:35] half owned by the county.
[39:37] It's the only reason I can surmise why a
road that heavily trafficked has not been
[39:43] repaved. I too recently learned— well,
first of all,
[39:47] I was super excited to hear that the road
was going to be addressed a few years
[39:53] back. And it's something I've been waiting
for—
[39:56] that improvement I've been waiting for for
quite a few years,
[40:01] literally over a decade.
[40:02] But when I learned that it was only going
to Arvus West,
[40:06] and knowing that just before Helene,
[40:09] a massive project was started at the end
of Damrosch and Rosary to improve the
[40:15] drainage there, and to think that there's
1/10 of a mile that's going to be left
[40:21] alone.
[40:21] Right. Why?
[40:23] So my question is, why?
[40:26] Why was it chosen not to do the 1/10 of
the mile?
[40:30] Can anyone answer that?
[40:32] Certainly give it a shot after
[40:36] everybody speaks.
[40:38] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.
[40:39] And then I thought it might be a good
question for the gentleman that was up
[40:45] question for the gentleman that was up
here.
[40:46] Was his name Shaw? Sounds like he knows a
little something about storm drains.
[40:51] But so, so those are my concerns. And I
just wanted to speak to that. Thank you.
[40:57] Okay, the next speaker is Jay Jewel, and
she's representing Carla Swanson,
[41:03] Mike Vico, Diane LaForge, Sandra Bates,
Christine Anderer, and Deborah Butterhoff.
[41:09] So she'll have 9 minutes.
[41:11] Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Good evening,
members of the commission.
[41:14] I'm sure you'll remember me from 2 weeks
ago.
[41:17] I've produced a folder this time for you,
[41:19] and I would like to go through that folder
little bit by little bit so I can explain
[41:24] to you how desperate this situation is
now.
[41:26] We can't wait until the end of the year or
next year. This is desperate now.
[41:30] So if you'd like to open your folders, um,
[41:33] the first part of the folder will show you
a letter I got.
[41:36] Actually, I got a phone call the day after
this meeting and then this letter.
[41:40] Yes.
[41:42] And it says, since February 25th,
[41:44] we have completed 11 work orders related
to vegetation and tree maintenance within
[41:49] the drainage easement northeast of the
property.
[41:53] That's where the property is in New Haven.
[41:56] That refers to the golf course, nothing to
do with New Haven.
[42:00] And then it says, records also show 2
steam bank restorations during this
[42:05] steam bank restorations during this
period,
[42:05] along with vegetation and sediment removal
in the southernmost portion of the canal.
[42:11] This has not happened.
[42:12] And then it says, um,
[42:14] the city also maintains a contract with
Lake Brothers LLC for monthly inspections
[42:19] and aquatic herbicide treatments.
[42:22] This agreement has been in place since
October 25th. They come when they want to.
[42:27] And the next bit is that they're
physically removing floating vegetation to
[42:32] physically removing floating vegetation to
improve
[42:33] the flow through the downstream culverts
within the next 8 to 10 weeks.
[42:38] Removing the top of this vegetation isn't
going to make any difference whatsoever.
[42:43] This vegetation has been growing for
nearly 3 years since the young man, or old
[42:49] nearly 3 years since the young man, or old
man,
[42:49] that did the dredging for us died.
[42:51] We haven't had anybody in there, so all
this vegetation has rotted, been sprayed,
[42:57] sunk, rotted, been sprayed, sunk.
[42:59] So it's now— there's only about a foot of
water floating on top of that vegetation.
[43:05] It needs—
[43:05] 2 feet.
[43:06] dredging. There's no taking this top off.
[43:09] So the first piece of paper you have
should look like— after the letter—
[43:14] should look like this, right?
[43:17] That shows you on the bottom half how many
times Lake Brothers say they've been to
[43:23] our property and what they've done.
[43:25] Somebody needs to supervise this because
it hasn't been done ever.
[43:30] Oh, I beg your pardon. Yes, it did,
because the next picture you have Is
[43:36] because the next picture you have Is
where—
[43:36] Hello.
[43:37] The Lake brothers have sprayed the growth.
[43:40] You see that big, or little, it's 12-foot
square actually, patch of brown?
[43:46] They've stood on the side of the lake, got
their hose and hosed it and left.
[43:52] I was there. Then they went to the north
and sprayed around the top of the bank.
[43:58] That dies. There's nothing to keep the
bank in place, so the bank seeps in,
[44:04] causing more sediment. Next piece of paper
should look like this. Okay?
[44:10] And you'll note it's dated 2013, where— I
haven't got my magnifying glass.
[44:16] On the, on the top right-hand corner,
[44:19] it says that all this work is going to be
done at New Haven. Yes.
[44:24] Can somebody read it?
[44:26] Because I haven't got my magnifying glass,
and this is what I had to print off.
[44:32] It says all this work is going to be done.
That was 2013. It's 2026.
[44:37] The pages that I'm going to show you—
[44:40] the next page is where I'm going to show
you where there is nothing that Largo City
[44:47] are going to do until 2031. There is no
money for stormwater.
[44:51] No money for stormwater in '28, no money
for stormwater in '29,
[44:56] no money for stormwater in '30, and £2
million in 2031.
[45:01] We will have had— our properties won't
exist if you leave it that long because
[45:07] exist if you leave it that long because
we've
[45:07] already been flooded once, and like I told
you before,
[45:12] it cost £22.4 million plus to get us back
in our homes after 2 years.
[45:17] I represent over 1,000 people. We have
between Phase 1 and Phase 2 over 230
[45:23] between Phase 1 and Phase 2 over 230
condos.
[45:24] The Lincolnshire mobile home park, which
was also devastated, has 400 homes.
[45:30] That's over 1,000 people that this— what
I'm doing is representing.
[45:35] And then we've got the project background
for Largo Starkey Road Basin Flood
[45:41] Mitigation Project. And it was authorized
by the state that they would give you $3.8
[45:48] million and the local people would match
it at 30% at $1.6 million.
[45:53] That's $5.4 million for us to flood again.
[45:56] Pinellas County is rated at 2 with FEMA
for flooding. 2. We are 6.
[46:01] Our insurance costs have tripled this
year, tripled for us to get flood
[46:07] year, tripled for us to get flood
insurance.
[46:08] This is one of the reasons. You see this?
This is Pinellas County.
[46:13] They have a barrier there to stop all
those weeds going into their waterways.
[46:19] That's their— I took this in the rain.
These are their waterways. They're clear.
[46:25] There's not a weed in them because they've
stopped it in New Haven, in the basin,
[46:32] like I told you, like a retention pond.
This is Olmerton Bridge, south of us.
[46:38] Totally clear, not a weed in sight. I'm
going to read you— I've got enough time.
[46:44] I'm going to read you what Hydrilla does.
This is the weed that's on there.
[46:50] Hydrilla spreads rapidly and can
completely clog waterways and restrict
[46:56] completely clog waterways and restrict
water flow,
[46:57] posing significant threats to aquatic
ecosystems and recreational resources.
[47:03] This aggressive invasive aquatic plant
grows rapidly, up to 1 inch a day, a day,
[47:09] and forms massive dense underwater mats,
which it's done in our piece of water.
[47:15] We call it our water. It clogs canals.
[47:18] The plant completely blocks drainage
systems and irrigation channels,
[47:24] reduces irrigation flow rates up to 90%,
[47:27] impedes movement in moving water like
streams and ditches.
[47:32] It gets stagnant, heavily weeded water
experiences— it drops and dissolves,
[47:37] and it drops in dissolved oxygen
frequently leading to killing the fish.
[47:43] Its dense vegetation entangles boat
propellers, well, not in our case,
[47:49] propellers, well, not in our case,
swimming,
[47:49] and makes fishing nearly impossible.
[47:52] Thick mats clog water intake pipes,
filters, and dams.
[47:57] Our bridge is collapsing because it's been
crushed by these weeds under the water,
[48:03] literally crushed. It's giving way, so
people can't—
[48:07] soon won't be able to cross the bridge.
[48:10] We'll have to close the brush—
[48:11] this bridge down. When hydrilla chokes
waterways and slows the water down,
[48:17] it triggers severe environmental and
structural issues.
[48:20] Restricted flow in drainage canals
prevents proper water management,
[48:25] causing upstream flooding. which is what
we have.
[48:29] Slower water circulation creates stagnant
pools which turn into ideal mosquito
[48:34] breeding. Dominique de Glorias, who is in
the Lago water management,
[48:39] in his own words, he said he has 38 miles
of open ditches to maintain.
[48:44] Work will maybe get done in an 8 to 10
week cycle.
[48:48] We know that's not correct because when
you look at these photographs,
[48:52] the next lot of photographs you have I
would like somebody to point me out the
[48:58] water. Can somebody tell me where the
water is in that whole bayou?
[49:03] You can't see it because it's covered from
side to side, from north to south.
[49:08] You can't see the water.
[49:10] This one.
[49:13] That's south of the bridge that's
collapsing, by the way.
[49:17] No, sorry, north of the bridge. This is
south of the bridge.
[49:21] You can see a little bit of water there,
just a little bit,
[49:26] because then that leads to— where is it?
[49:29] Oh, it leads to the, uh, section— sorry—
where it blocks, it clogs because of—
[49:34] actually, I showed you the picture where
the yellow tape is that Penella's got up.
[49:40] That's where it stops.
[49:42] Okay.
[49:43] So all of it is encompassed around New
Haven.
[49:46] Phase 1 and Phase 2, when that water comes
up, it's— you can see from the pictures,
[49:52] it's 9 inches with this rain from cresting
and flooding us again.
[49:57] $2.4 million to get us back in after 2
years.
[50:01] And we'll— our people are 60, 70, 80, 90
years old looking out every day wondering,
[50:07] is this going to be the day we're going to
be flooded again?
[50:11] We don't need it in 2031. We don't even
need it next year. We need it now.
[50:17] Dredge this piece of water now, please.
Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
[50:23] Thank you.
[50:23] Next speaker is Matt Faustini.
[50:35] Good evening, all.
[50:35] Matt Faustini, 1015 Lake Palms Drive,
Largo.
[50:38] I'm not going to make myself any friends
here by saying this,
[50:42] but I know a number of people have come
out just recently to talk about Rosary
[50:47] out just recently to talk about Rosary
Road.
[50:48] That road does end at Arvis Drive West.
[50:51] It is no longer a City of Largo road,
[50:53] and the vast majority of the properties
south of it are not in Largo.
[50:57] They are unincorporated properties.
[50:59] We are in a situation where we're looking
at cutting $1.1 million from our budget
[51:04] this year.
[51:07] So I understand their concerns,
[51:10] but we need the county to come to the
table to really address that full
[51:16] problem. Tonight I want to talk in general
about the budget.
[51:22] I want to reiterate and stand in full
agreement with Commissioner DeBrisi
[51:29] about looking at our budgets from actuals
and not from budget to budget.
[51:35] The proposed budget by the city manager
Right now, author is at $994.77.
[51:42] In 2016, we were at $882.27 with a
population of about 4,000 people less.
[51:49] And what's even more wild about this,
[51:52] so we've added 112 positions to the
payroll over a decade where our
[51:59] population has grown from 48,650 to around
40—
[52:03] or 83,000 today.
[52:05] And to make it even worse,
[52:07] this budget says there's 43 immediately
unfilled positions that are urgent.
[52:13] Then it says there's another 108 long-term
positions that are needed in the future
[52:19] and are unfunded. That's 151 additional
unfunded personnel needs in the budget.
[52:26] I don't know what our headcount was before
the Great Recession,
[52:31] but I don't believe we've ever had a
headcount over 1,000 in this city.
[52:36] I could be wrong.
[52:38] These artificial high baselines makes it
easy for city administration to
[52:43] come here and ask you to make cuts instead
of looking at our actual
[52:49] spending.
[52:50] How many of these paid positions Are there
vacant positions?
[52:55] How long have they been vacant? Do we
really need to fill that?
[53:00] Do we know that position's going to stay
vacant for another year?
[53:06] These are all monies we can look at.
[53:08] And when you look at the budget, what's
crazy again is library's taking a 12% cut,
[53:15] public works is taking a 9% cut.
[53:17] Meanwhile, we're increasing spending
elsewhere and renaming.
[53:22] My favorite is, and I'll talk about this
later,
[53:26] in performance and budget where the
sustainability and resilience manager was
[53:32] reclassified to the performance strategy
program administrator.
[53:37] Very interesting how we can protect some
employees but not all. Thank you.
[53:43] Next speaker is Craig Murtha. Hello.
[53:46] First, I'd like to congratulate all of the
commissioners who were reelected.
[53:52] It was a hard, competitive race, but I
knew that you all would come out on top.
[53:58] Thank you.
[54:00] But anyhow, the lady said that we were a 6
and Pinellas County was a 2 as far as our
[54:06] stormwater rating. And of course, 2 is
much better.
[54:09] The lower the number, the better we are.
[54:12] And that really surprised me, 'cause
Pinellas Park is a 5.
[54:16] They've got a lower number than us.
[54:19] And I remember back in the '70s,
[54:21] that place flooded all the time until they
dug all these canals,
[54:25] and they were like really right on top of
it.
[54:29] I was just wondering why we are not on top
of it. It's just puzzling. It's puzzling.
[54:34] It really is. Anyhow, I'm going to just
bite my tongue.
[54:38] But I think part of the reason why we have
a lot of flooding in cities,
[54:43] I think is obvious, is so much asphalt and
concrete.
[54:47] And a lot of that comes from these
low-rise apartment buildings we're doing.
[54:52] Because we build these low-rise apartment
buildings. And they're not bad.
[54:58] Before I said they have no amenities. I
was riding my bike past one last week.
[55:03] Yeah.
[55:04] It was pretty decent, had a swimming pool,
[55:06] but almost the rest of the property was
asphalt. Because that's the thing.
[55:11] I mean, the more units you put in,
[55:13] the more asphalt you're going to have
because you're going to have more parking.
[55:18] And that, one by one,
[55:20] these asphalt parking lots are adding up
to flooding for people.
[55:24] Because I don't think— I'm wrong, but you
correct me if I'm wrong.
[55:28] But my guess is that these parking lots
are not engineered for 24 inches. No.
[55:33] Of rain, which we have seen and we will
see in the future.
[55:37] And that's what they need to be engineered
for. But please correct me if I'm wrong.
[55:42] But because if they're not,
[55:44] we're just saying we can deal with the
flooding for all the people who live along
[55:49] these creeks. Another thing is,
[55:51] why do we have this attitude that all
these high and dry areas should just feed
[55:56] their water through these pipes off into
the creeks so we can flood the people
[56:01] the creeks so we can flood the people
along
[56:02] the creeks? That makes no sense at all.
[56:04] We should engineer every property to hold
water completely in the worst storms.
[56:09] The whole idea of piping water to creeks
makes no sense to me.
[56:13] I think it's unconscionable because we
have a lot of people living in these
[56:18] low-lying areas and we're building more.
More at just the City Hall.
[56:22] That place is not high and dry. And we're
going to go ahead and build there.
[56:27] And by the way, that City Hall property
could be a property that could help the
[56:32] people in Lincolnshire and New Haven.
[56:35] And because, I mean, we could make
capacity there.
[56:38] We could also make a tremendous amount of
capacity over in the 88 acres that was
[56:43] gonna be sold off and paved over with a
lot of asphalt.
[56:47] So yeah, we need to really work a lot
harder.
[56:50] Thank you.
[56:55] The next speaker is Amy Enns.
[56:57] Hello, Amy Enns, Harvest Circle East,
another one.
[57:02] I just had a few more things to add to
what everyone else said,
[57:07] total agreement with them.
[57:10] I wanted someone to ask us how we fell off
of a paving schedule.
[57:16] So it's been over 30 years that that road
has not been paved.
[57:21] Has anyone been down Rosary Road, the
section that we're talking about,
[57:28] other than Commissioner Hulk?
[57:30] My dad lives there.
[57:31] Okay. It looks like, um, Beirut,
[57:34] like it was bombed and filled in with
pothole fillers for 30 years.
[57:39] You can imagine not being paved for that
long. So it is a tremendous hazard.
[57:45] It is a hazard for our children.
[57:47] But can someone figure this out, how we
fell off the paving schedule,
[57:52] or how we could not talk to the county in
over 30 years of coming together and
[57:58] paving this road? I mean, what was— what's
the problem? No one understands that.
[58:04] But we are Largo residents.
[58:06] We pay our taxes to Largo,
[58:08] and we expect Largo to have those
conversations because we're Largo
[58:13] conversations because we're Largo
residents and
[58:14] Arvus Circle is 100% Largo.
[58:16] Since the development in the '70s,
[58:19] we've always been Largo even though we
have a Clearwater mailing address.
[58:24] So I think that's where the confusion is
coming from.
[58:28] And, um, we would like to know how we are
not on the paving schedule,
[58:34] even Arvus Circle. So We have been there
in that home for 40 years.
[58:39] So if someone could just get us some
answers, that would be great.
[58:44] And then also on the creek,
[58:46] because we are on the water and we do have
boat access just like Venetian and Del
[58:52] Oro, I heard that Del Oro did not flood
because they had a lift station.
[58:57] A lift station there. So could somebody
check on that?
[59:01] Because that would be a great idea for us
too.
[59:05] But anyways, these are just all questions
that we had,
[59:09] and I just wanted to add that little bit.
Okay.
[59:13] Thank you. That's all the cards. Thank
you.
[59:15] I would ask if the city manager, if we
have any information on, first of all,
[59:20] the plan for Canal 1 behind New Haven.
[59:23] And I know that, as has been talked about
today,
[59:26] they experienced significant flooding
during Milton. where we got a lot of rain.
[59:31] And I've seen pictures more recently when
there was a significant amount of rain in
[59:37] a day when the water was very high there.
Saw a bunch of pictures today.
[59:42] I know that, as was described today,
[59:44] the water flows generally south into
Pinellas County.
[59:47] What are our efforts to make sure that the
water can flow through that?
[59:52] What are the challenges? What are the
roadblocks? What has to be done?
[59:57] Essentially, it's just moving the water
downstream, right?
[1:00:00] And how can we do that better, and what's
our plan? Sure. Thank you, Mayor.
[1:00:05] And I do want to thank everyone for
providing some of their information in
[1:00:10] providing some of their information in
advance.
[1:00:11] So we do have our team here prepared and
ready to answer questions.
[1:00:15] So thank you to all the citizens for that,
for both neighborhoods.
[1:00:20] And first, Mayor, I do want to address the
CRS rating because that did come up.
[1:00:25] We are currently a 6.
[1:00:26] We were audited last year following the
storms,
[1:00:29] part of the regular cycle for review. We
are awaiting our 5 rating.
[1:00:34] We would have a 5 rating,
[1:00:35] unfortunately not for this insurance
season because it's been held up in
[1:00:40] season because it's been held up in
Washington
[1:00:41] due to, first of all,
[1:00:42] the shutdown delayed review and now just
whatever situation is happening in
[1:00:47] Washington now has delayed the review of
that CRS rating. So we are a 5.
[1:00:52] We should be acknowledged for that 5 as
soon as it's processed in Washington.
[1:00:57] As part of— I think the one employee that
we did add last year was our floodplain
[1:01:02] manager. And that was done, you know,
[1:01:04] with the representation that that would
help us improve our flood management
[1:01:09] help us improve our flood management
program
[1:01:10] as well as improve our CRS rating.
[1:01:12] The Commission will have on its October
work session I believe a presentation from
[1:01:17] our floodplain manager to discuss our
future floodplain mitigation strategy,
[1:01:22] which will help us improve our rating and
obviously provide better flood management
[1:01:28] for the community. So that's the CRS
rating.
[1:01:31] I think Bill Ingram is here, our assistant
director in public works,
[1:01:35] to talk about the stormwater program and
address specifically the New Haven issue.
[1:01:41] Good afternoon, Commission and Mayor.
[1:01:43] I'm Billy Ingram with the, uh, Public
Works Department.
[1:01:47] I'm Assistant Public Works Director.
[1:01:49] I have with me our Streets and Stormwater
Manager Dominic DeGloria.
[1:01:53] And, uh, to, to answer your question, we
do have, uh,
[1:01:57] levels of service there that we are
providing and we have provided and that we
[1:02:02] providing and we have provided and that we
will
[1:02:02] continue to provide. Um, we do have the
contract in place that is sprayed.
[1:02:07] If there's more that needs to be done,
[1:02:10] then we We have the ability to call those
teams in for an extra spraying.
[1:02:14] We have not done that this year that I
know of,
[1:02:18] but we do have a plan in place to continue
to provide the level of services that we
[1:02:23] have provided there for years.
[1:02:25] In the 6 years that I've been here,
[1:02:27] we have never placed anything in the canal
to dredge that because of certain issues
[1:02:33] that we are discussing with our team to
determine where the ownership piece is.
[1:02:38] We do own a piece on the south of that
that we have dredged multiple times in the
[1:02:43] that we have dredged multiple times in the
3
[1:02:43] years that I've been— in the 6 years that
I've been here.
[1:02:47] So as far as what our maintenance plan is,
[1:02:50] our Streets and Stormwater Manager has a
better idea, a better plan.
[1:02:54] He's written the plan, so we'll let him
talk a little bit more on that.
[1:02:59] Thank you, everyone. My name is Dominic
DeGloria.
[1:03:02] I'm the Streets and Stormwater Manager
with the Public Works Department here in
[1:03:07] with the Public Works Department here in
the
[1:03:08] city of Largo. So our, like, as Billy was
alluding to, our plan is ongoing, right?
[1:03:13] We have continued maintenance operations,
not just on the New Haven parcel.
[1:03:18] There's actually a combination of parcels
out there,
[1:03:21] multiple owners and multiple HOAs.
[1:03:23] So it's not targeted at any one location
or any one resident.
[1:03:27] It's actually the entirety of the
property.
[1:03:29] What we have out there that's a little
unique is that There is that multiple
[1:03:34] ownership component out there.
[1:03:36] So making sure that we have everything
covered on our end to be able to perform,
[1:03:40] you know, the duties that we are currently
undertaking and those that we're being
[1:03:44] requested to handle.
[1:03:45] So, like, we're just reiterating what
we're saying,
[1:03:49] that we do a monthly spray cycle out
there.
[1:03:52] We control the vegetation on the southeast
parcel, which is city property,
[1:03:57] and then also mowing activities on the
northeast.
[1:04:00] Thank you.
[1:04:01] reiterating much of what Ms.
[1:04:03] Sewell said, uh, you know, we're committed
to carrying on those duties, um,
[1:04:08] as we've been doing them.
[1:04:09] And it's, it's important for us to, to, to
put this out there too.
[1:04:14] This is a multi-department and
multi-agency situation out there.
[1:04:18] We have certain pieces that all fall into
our perspective as far as maintenance.
[1:04:23] Public Works is a maintenance-oriented
organization.
[1:04:27] Engineering has pieces that they are
working with the county on to help with
[1:04:32] working with the county on to help with
some of
[1:04:32] the, uh, with the, with the bridge
replacements that are there.
[1:04:36] And those things, we have been in contact
with engineering.
[1:04:40] We are talking with them and trying to get
better dates,
[1:04:44] trying to push the county on when they're
going to start.
[1:04:48] So, um, there's several pieces in play,
and they're constantly in play,
[1:04:52] that we are working to ensure that that we
provide the appropriate level of service
[1:04:58] in that neighborhood. May I ask a
follow-up?
[1:05:01] Please.
[1:05:01] Thank you. Thank you, sir.
[1:05:03] So you mentioned that that area has
multiple owners,
[1:05:07] and I'm assuming some of it's private?
[1:05:10] Yes, sir.
[1:05:11] So we go out and we take— you're saying
we're dredging the part that's city-owned?
[1:05:17] And I'm sure that the city staff are
seeing other areas that are backed up,
[1:05:22] that have overgrowth and those kinds of
things.
[1:05:25] Are we coordinating with— I'm sure we're
coordinating with the county,
[1:05:29] but what about the HOA that may own the
private part of it?
[1:05:33] Do we communicate with them?
[1:05:35] Do we—
[1:05:36] and if we— do we have any enforcement
action to be able to say you're not taking
[1:05:41] care of your part of it if that's the case
and that's causing downstream issues for
[1:05:46] for other residents in the city. How does
that— how does that work?
[1:05:51] I, I will— I will say this. We have
mechanisms in place to approach that
[1:05:55] mechanisms in place to approach that
situation.
[1:05:56] Have we done that in this area?
[1:05:58] No, sir, not that I'm aware of, um,
because we have been able to—
[1:06:02] our property being on the south end and in
the flow where the Channel 1 and Channel
[1:06:07] 10 come in, we tend to get the vast
majority of the debris and the vast
[1:06:11] majority of the debris and the vast
majority of
[1:06:12] the vegetation that comes in.
[1:06:14] So when it gets there, we know we're
treating a large majority of it.
[1:06:18] But, but no, not, not to this point that
I'm aware that we have,
[1:06:22] we have approached it from that matter.
[1:06:24] But we do have mechanisms, mechanisms in
place if we so choose to do that.
[1:06:29] Thank you. You know, as if it's a
multi-jurisdictional, you know,
[1:06:33] pond or creek and its own, and including a
private part of it, Obviously,
[1:06:38] coordination is the key. And, you know, I
know that's difficult.
[1:06:42] And you may not necessarily be able to
force anybody to do anything, including,
[1:06:46] you know, the county and anybody else.
[1:06:49] But, you know, I think that's part of the
work, you know,
[1:06:52] that your staff and others in the
department have to be able to do to be
[1:06:57] department have to be able to do to be
able to at
[1:06:57] least, you know, address the residents'
concerns. So thank you. Thank you, sir.
[1:07:02] That's one of the things that Mr. DeGloria
and I have been discussing.
[1:07:07] We've discussed it in the last few days.
[1:07:09] how that looks and how we sit down with
all the people that are involved,
[1:07:14] including the HOA and property owners, and
just work that piece out.
[1:07:18] It's quite detailed.
[1:07:19] So if I may, Mayor, just so the community
is aware, about 3 years ago,
[1:07:24] we did sit down with the county and go
ditch by ditch by ditch to be sure that we
[1:07:29] had clear response— who had clear
responsibility for the public—
[1:07:33] the management of the public portions of
the ditch.
[1:07:36] So I'm very confident that between the
city and the county,
[1:07:39] we understand where our lines of
maintenance begin and end.
[1:07:43] Many large parts of the stormwater system
belong to private property owners.
[1:07:48] And so, you know, we are— we will sit
down.
[1:07:51] We're more than happy to sit down with the
New Haven HOA and work with them to be
[1:07:56] sure that everyone understands where their
maintenance responsibilities begin and
[1:08:01] where they end so that everyone
understands what is their part and what is
[1:08:05] understands what is their part and what is
our part.
[1:08:06] It is simply not financially feasible for
the city to take on private maintenance
[1:08:11] responsibilities. We simply don't have the
resources to take on all those portions
[1:08:16] that belong to private property owners
where they have not maintained their
[1:08:21] where they have not maintained their
portion
[1:08:21] of the stormwater system.
[1:08:23] But we're more than happy to work with our
HOAs and private property owners to be
[1:08:28] sure we understand where those
responsibilities, where the lines are,
[1:08:32] and then provide whatever knowledge and
information we have to help them obtain
[1:08:37] information we have to help them obtain
the
[1:08:37] resources to maintain their portion. Thank
you. I think that might help.
[1:08:41] It may not solve the problem, but, you
know,
[1:08:44] the communication line will be open at
least. Another question, though.
[1:08:49] In those ponds, then, there's 3
ownerships.
[1:08:51] Part of it's ours, part of it's county's,
part of it's private?
[1:08:55] None of it's owned by the county.
[1:08:57] The county owns easements, but they do not
own the property.
[1:09:01] So it's just between the homeowners
association and us then, or is it all us?
[1:09:06] And, and there's, there's, um, the golf—
there's a golf estate that's the owner of,
[1:09:11] of part of the, uh, the channel too.
[1:09:13] Wow.
[1:09:16] Yeah, there's multiple owners. Rosary
Road's the same way.
[1:09:19] You know, you got to a certain point on
the thing. Well, DMZ right there, forget
[1:09:24] the thing. Well, DMZ right there, forget
it.
[1:09:24] It's county after that.
[1:09:26] I mean, why the hell don't they just make
a deal with the county from the get-go?
[1:09:31] Right. Give us a damn check and we'll
finish it.
[1:09:34] Well, the easement that the county has or
that we have over things allows us to
[1:09:38] determine our maintenance in there.
[1:09:40] It doesn't require us to do the
maintenance,
[1:09:43] but it does allow us in there to do
maintenance.
[1:09:46] And that's from discussions I've had with
people in the county.
[1:09:50] That's, that's why they have the easement
there,
[1:09:53] is so they have the ability to go in and
provide maintenance if need be.
[1:09:57] We've worked on that maintenance and
provided a level of service for years.
[1:10:02] We just have to determine what that level
of service is, and if we go beyond that,
[1:10:07] then we establish a new level of service.
[1:10:09] If we don't go beyond that,
[1:10:11] then that's where the conversations need
to have on who as the owners or who is
[1:10:16] responsible to take that next step.
[1:10:18] So I remember the problem with that lake
goes way back.
[1:10:21] I mean, I've been— I've heard this before,
and the question is,
[1:10:25] what is the ultimate solution to this
thing?
[1:10:28] There has to be a solution somewhere that
if we do this, it's done. What is it?
[1:10:32] I'm not prepared to give you that answer
tonight. Perhaps we can work on that.
[1:10:37] That's— I mean, I think Commissioner
DeBriesi is sending us in a good direction
[1:10:42] DeBriesi is sending us in a good direction
as
[1:10:42] far as, you know, sitting down with all
the parties that are involved and let's
[1:10:47] the parties that are involved and let's
work
[1:10:47] through this and find out, you know,
[1:10:49] what pieces can be taken and what pieces
are ours and what pieces that we can,
[1:10:54] you know, we can help with.
[1:10:56] So just be careful what you get from him
because he had Spectrum and the plumber at
[1:11:01] his house at the same time.
[1:11:04] Mr. Louser.
[1:11:04] Yeah, so, so I, I mean, Commissioner
DiBrizzi took, took part of my question,
[1:11:09] but the other question was that, you know,
we do have the contract with the, the,
[1:11:14] you know, the herbicide sprayers.
[1:11:16] Um, clearly from the pictures, if we're
paying,
[1:11:19] if we're paying somebody to spray them and
it's not working,
[1:11:22] maybe we should stop paying them or make
sure that we're paying them and actually
[1:11:27] getting the product that we're— We have
been out multiple times this weekend,
[1:11:32] been out multiple times this weekend,
today,
[1:11:32] to take a look at the vegetation that is
in the lake.
[1:11:35] And we, we are aware of what our
contractor is doing in that area for us.
[1:11:39] contractor is doing in that area for us.
So.
[1:11:40] Thank you. Commissioner Johnson.
[1:11:42] Yeah, I kind of just jump on what
Commissioner Louser said.
[1:11:45] You know, I think it's really important
that we, we are auditing because, again,
[1:11:50] frankly, if you pay for a monthly service,
[1:11:52] if no one calls to say my lawn needs to be
mown, or I have green algae in my pool,
[1:11:57] or what— especially something no one's
really looking at that closely.
[1:12:01] Yes.
[1:12:02] Things could not get done totally. They
could use less chemicals than necessary.
[1:12:07] We need to do— have a way of auditing a
good performance.
[1:12:10] It sounds like maybe that's an area of
improvement we can start on right away.
[1:12:14] The other thing I'd say is, you know,
[1:12:17] people have stormwater on every one of
their water bills.
[1:12:20] They think they're paying for the
stormwater to get taken care of.
[1:12:24] And if we don't have a good communication
campaign with our citizens that are on
[1:12:28] these bodies of water or these drainage
ditches.
[1:12:31] You know, we probably should have
something where we, you know,
[1:12:35] we're communicating regularly to remind
them of their responsibilities,
[1:12:39] of their ownership of that property on a
drainage system.
[1:12:42] And I don't think we've— I know we've done
that at times when we've had issues,
[1:12:46] but I don't know if we have a system of
regularly communicating in our city about
[1:12:51] that. And again, it's important to realize
that, you know, we're— you know, we're—
[1:12:56] the stormwater is to get— you know, we got
a— we got all the citizens, all,
[1:13:00] you know, 84,000 citizens, all the people
that live,
[1:13:03] live and work here that we got to take
care of.
[1:13:06] And, you know, and so people on ditches
may have different responsibilities.
[1:13:10] And, uh, so we, we just have to, you know,
[1:13:12] really clearly communicate that to our
citizens, I think. Yes, sir.
[1:13:16] And, and I would, I would say that I feel
that, uh,
[1:13:19] Manager DeGloria is bringing something to
table that's helping with that.
[1:13:23] I mean, just this week he reached out to
community engagement to send a specialized
[1:13:28] message out for the 101st area down near
the new Chick-fil-A,
[1:13:32] because we do have issues down there that
we are,
[1:13:34] are working on and working with the state
on.
[1:13:37] But, but he, you know, he took the fore—
[1:13:39] he had the foresight to reach out to the
county,
[1:13:42] reach out to community engagement to get
something out in that neighborhood to let
[1:13:47] people know, hey, we're getting your calls
and we are working on this.
[1:13:51] So I agree with you. So thank you. We need
to work better at that too.
[1:13:55] So, uh, does the City of Largo have an
easement through that from north to south
[1:13:59] through that whole area? No, sir. We work
off the county's easement in that area.
[1:14:04] We do have— Easement goes from essentially
Largo Central Park over to Donegan Road.
[1:14:09] That's all county easement?
[1:14:10] Uh, yes, sir, until it gets to that south
end piece down there near the park.
[1:14:15] That, that is our own parcel. Right.
[1:14:17] And so, and so, um, With ownership of that
easement,
[1:14:20] what responsibility is there for water
flow?
[1:14:22] Like, do we— are we required to preserve a
certain amount of water flow so the water
[1:14:27] can flow down to the bayou? We are not.
[1:14:29] That easement does not require us to do
that.
[1:14:32] The easement just gives us the ability to
determine whether we should do that.
[1:14:37] And I—
[1:14:37] and we should, we should do that.
[1:14:39] Right, from right and from the past,
[1:14:42] from from what we've provided as a level
of service for that area,
[1:14:46] we have claimed claimed some maintenance
ownership to ensure that that's happening.
[1:14:51] But that level of service has a certain
level.
[1:14:54] I mean, we from from for the six years
that I've been here,
[1:14:58] we have not dredged the middle of that
canal. We have not dredged.
[1:15:02] Anything in that Pinellas County easement.
[1:15:05] So I— we have to determine if we've done
that, if we have records of that,
[1:15:09] and if that becomes our level of service.
[1:15:12] That's something that we would need to
decide internally as a team if we want to
[1:15:17] decide internally as a team if we want to
go
[1:15:17] to that level of service.
[1:15:19] If we decide not to, we're not required
to, but,
[1:15:22] but it's something that we could determine
based on that easement being there.
[1:15:27] And if the water level is the same as it
is after Now, after you dredge it,
[1:15:31] it doesn't add any capacity to dredge it.
[1:15:34] What I'm concerned about is things that
are slowing down flow.
[1:15:38] It slows it down.
[1:15:39] I've talked about, in the past, I've
talked about putting a drone up in the
[1:15:44] talked about putting a drone up in the
sky,
[1:15:44] like a day like yesterday, when we got a
bunch, like 4 inches of rain in a day,
[1:15:49] and run down Channel 1 and look at where
there's,
[1:15:53] if there's high water on one side of a
bridge where it's flowing out quickly on
[1:15:58] bridge where it's flowing out quickly on
the
[1:15:58] other, but the water's lower. Right?
That's a stopping point.
[1:16:02] And I think that it's incumbent on us for
our residents to determine what is keeping
[1:16:08] the water from flowing out of that basin
and try to take care of it,
[1:16:12] whether it's a county project that has to
take care of it or a city project or
[1:16:17] engaging the local residents.
[1:16:19] I think that we need the local property
owners or whatever.
[1:16:23] There's something that's keeping the water
from flowing, and it's not just Hydrilla.
[1:16:29] It's not just, uh, lack of maintenance.
[1:16:31] It's, it's something that I think can be
corrected, um, and, uh,
[1:16:36] I think we need to figure that out.
[1:16:38] Yes, sir. Commissioner Holmes.
[1:16:40] Once upon a time, I was on the board of
directors of Roadhaven Boys Ranch up in
[1:16:45] Palatka, and there was a tributary that
fed into the St. Johns River.
[1:16:49] And once a year, when the, when the Plant
life in the tributary got so thick,
[1:16:53] we used to bring the cattle down there
because they thought that was chocolate
[1:16:58] because they thought that was chocolate
cake.
[1:16:58] And I mean, they would just eat it and
then they'd get sick from it,
[1:17:02] but it was a good sickness. So, but
that's— get some cattle, bring them down
[1:17:06] that's— get some cattle, bring them down
there.
[1:17:07] They're kind of— they won't care about it.
Just let the cows eat it.
[1:17:11] Make sure they can swim. In East
Tennessee, they use the goats to work on
[1:17:15] Tennessee, they use the goats to work on
the kudzu.
[1:17:16] So, and that'll do it.
[1:17:17] We need—
[1:17:17] that's what we need some more. We need
cattle in town. That's it. Solve the
[1:17:22] cattle in town. That's it. Solve the
problem.
[1:17:22] Thank you. Thank you very much.
[1:17:24] And before we move on, in a spirit of
cooperating with the county,
[1:17:29] can we talk a little bit about the Harvest
West to Damraj? Is that right?
[1:17:33] Damraj.
[1:17:35] On Rosary. I'm familiar with the road. I
know that, you know, it's a split.
[1:17:39] I know that's in the past. This is before,
Mr. Manager, you were here.
[1:17:43] But we've completed some sidewalks on 14th
outside of the city.
[1:17:47] And we had to cooperate We didn't have to
cooperate with the county,
[1:17:51] but it just made sense, right?
[1:17:53] We were there doing a big project, and
there was another 50 yards before—
[1:17:58] I can't even think of the name of the
road. What's the road there?
[1:18:02] Anyway, so there was about 50 yards to
complete that system.
[1:18:05] And I think it just makes— sometimes we
have to do what makes sense,
[1:18:09] even if it takes a little bit longer to
coordinate it with the county.
[1:18:13] Yes.
[1:18:15] I don't— there was a question about how
roads get off of the list.
[1:18:21] I know how they get on because I don't
know that we had a list before about 6 or
[1:18:27] know that we had a list before about 6 or
7
[1:18:28] years ago. And now the reason that roads
are on the list is due to their grading
[1:18:34] scale and how much they need to be on the
list. Sir? Good evening, Mayor.
[1:18:41] Good evening, Commissioners.
[1:18:43] I'm Jerry Woloszynski, the Director of
Engineering Services.
[1:18:48] Thank you for letting me come up tonight
to talk about our East Rosary Road
[1:18:54] to talk about our East Rosary Road
project.
[1:18:55] And as a precursor to that discussion, let
me define what it isn't.
[1:19:01] We have 2 Rosary Road projects going on
and overlapping right now.
[1:19:06] So I am not going to speak about Rosary
Road Phase Yes.
[1:19:11] For the citizens that are here from Arvest
Circle.
[1:19:15] So Rosary Road Phase 2 is the roadway work
we're doing between Missouri and Eagle
[1:19:22] Lake Park along Rosary.
[1:19:24] So any of the viewing public or other
citizens attending tonight that live in
[1:19:31] citizens attending tonight that live in
that
[1:19:31] corridor, these comments aren't directed
for that project.
[1:19:36] So I just wanted to make sure we were
clear on that because it's really easy to
[1:19:43] confuse 2 major roadway corridor projects
that have the same similar name.
[1:19:49] So as one of our citizens pointed out, our
city project for East Rosary Road is—
[1:19:56] and then the citizens' comments tonight
have been spot on.
[1:20:01] I'm not here to try to make anything I say
could come across as making excuses.
[1:20:08] I do not want to make excuses.
[1:20:10] I can talk about the facts,
[1:20:13] and I can talk about some efforts that we
can do as a group of citizens and our, uh,
[1:20:20] the City of Largo, um, to work on some of
these issues that,
[1:20:25] that are real and a lived experience for
our residents in that area.
[1:20:31] So the, um, yes, the one citizen pointed
out Our city right-of-way in this paving
[1:20:38] project and roadway restoration and
utilities and stormwater goes from Keene
[1:20:44] utilities and stormwater goes from Keene
Road to
[1:20:45] Arvest Circle West. Yep, 100% right.
[1:20:48] And another citizen pointed out Arvest
Circle West eastward to Damrosch is county
[1:20:55] right-of-way. Completely factual.
[1:20:57] So we saw this dilemma years in advance,
[1:21:01] and I'll address one question that came
later on: Why was this project delayed?
[1:21:08] So three years ago, city team members had
to make a tough recommendation.
[1:21:14] to the City Commission about some
competing roadway projects.
[1:21:19] And we had to make some tough decisions
and recommend the priority order of them.
[1:21:26] So Rosary Road East, the one we're talking
about tonight,
[1:21:31] was being considered for this project 3
years ago.
[1:21:35] Myself and other team members recommended
to the Commission there was a higher
[1:21:42] priority that involved delaying this
project and another city project.
[1:21:48] So that was a very tough decision to make
knowing the condition of the roadway,
[1:21:54] not taken lightly by city staff or the
commission.
[1:21:59] What I can say is that regrettably, I mean
notably,
[1:22:03] we are here now today fixing that.
[1:22:06] So we made a promise that Rosary Road
East, even though it was delayed 3 years
[1:22:12] East, even though it was delayed 3 years
ago,
[1:22:13] was always going to be at the top of that
list. And it— and we've delivered that.
[1:22:20] Again, sounds like an excuse to our
citizens, and I apologize for that.
[1:22:26] So what we did accomplish, and again, And
this will come across as an excuse.
[1:22:32] City staff and city administration worked
very hard over the last year to try to
[1:22:39] coordinate the full renewal of that county
right-of-way.
[1:22:44] We were successful on one side.
[1:22:47] So Pinellas County has 2 different
departments that have an ownership in the
[1:22:53] right-of-way. There's Pinellas County
Utilities.
[1:22:57] Which is stuff that's under the road,
primarily the potable water system.
[1:23:03] And then there's the county public works
department that does road paving.
[1:23:10] So what we were doing, you know, we
acknowledged, we knew this gap was there.
[1:23:16] We knew it would be,
[1:23:18] it would look very incomplete for us not
to do that last section of road.
[1:23:24] And we worked extremely hard.
[1:23:27] And again, this I don't think that comes
across as an excuse.
[1:23:32] We were successful in working with
Pinellas County Utilities to get them to
[1:23:38] Pinellas County Utilities to get them to
bring
[1:23:39] the budget on to replace the water main,
[1:23:42] not only under our portion of the project
but also the rest of East Roseview Road
[1:23:49] east of Harvest Circle West. And I know
that's a lot of confusing directions.
[1:23:56] And we're also replacing the potable water
line on Gershwin,
[1:24:01] which is also a county road.
[1:24:03] We were able to partner with them in the
utilities department where they provided
[1:24:10] utilities department where they provided
us
[1:24:10] the money to replace the utilities and our
contractors doing that.
[1:24:16] We were not successful in doing that same
thing with the Pinellas County Public
[1:24:22] Works Department to do the roadway
surface.
[1:24:26] What I would offer to our citizens would
be a couple things.
[1:24:31] Would be make sure we talk with the clerk,
[1:24:35] or after the meeting come back and talk
with me and my team.
[1:24:40] I want to know your names, your contact
numbers, and you know contact stuff.
[1:24:46] I'll be here way after the meeting as long
as anybody wants to.
[1:24:52] Collaborate in caucus on this last
section.
[1:24:55] What I believe we should focus on,
citizens, Largo, and Pinellas County,
[1:25:02] is how do we, how do we carve out enough
money,
[1:25:06] not in this year's budget but in a future
budget, to address that last section?
[1:25:12] And it'll take the City of Largo, our
citizens,
[1:25:16] And Pinellas County Public Works to solve
that problem.
[1:25:21] Jerry, if you could just—
[1:25:23] what is the estimated cost for the road
resurfacing to get to the end of that
[1:25:30] stretch? Because I know we've talked about
it with the county,
[1:25:35] and it's part of our request.
[1:25:37] And one of the things that we have to
bring to the table, because as you know—
[1:25:44] good question, City Manager— is that when
we do a roadway project,
[1:25:50] we make sure that the, the, the public
utilities under that roadway are,
[1:25:56] are replaced so we don't have to come back
and tear that road up if that utility
[1:26:03] fails. One of the things we have to do for
that last segment is make sure we bring
[1:26:10] sewer money to the table.
[1:26:12] And, uh, it— in total,
[1:26:14] I believe the number we had was somewhere
in the $900,000 range for the roadway and
[1:26:21] the sewer. So what my commit would, would
be is we,
[1:26:25] we carve out a small segment to tackle
just that county right-of-way as a
[1:26:31] coordinating effort and say, when can the
county bring their money to it?
[1:26:38] When can I program sanitary sewer funds at
the same time to tackle that section of
[1:26:45] road? And to the citizens that are here, I
can stay as late as you have time,
[1:26:51] and then— and the other team members in
the engineering department that are with
[1:26:58] the engineering department that are with
me
[1:26:58] tonight, we can stay and brainstorm
anything and anything that you want to
[1:27:04] anything and anything that you want to
talk
[1:27:05] about. Um, I'm very sympathetic to this
situation, and, um, unfortunately,
[1:27:11] I did not create these boundaries. Thank
you. That that are challenging to us.
[1:27:18] They they are a challenge.
[1:27:20] One of the citizens mentioned why the
Arvis circles east and west weren't being
[1:27:27] paved. That's a very simple answer.
[1:27:30] Arvis West and Arvis East have an
incredibly good pavement condition index
[1:27:36] incredibly good pavement condition index
in the
[1:27:36] 70s. Um, we do not repave roads in the
70s.
[1:27:40] East Rosary Road, on the other hand, has a
pavement condition of 20.
[1:27:46] You all drive on it every day. You can
attest to that.
[1:27:51] It is one of the worst roads in, in the
city.
[1:27:54] There's other ones, but I won't make
excuses for those other ones.
[1:28:00] Um, so we are correcting that.
[1:28:03] So that's why we're not touching Aravis
Circle pavement or utilities, you know,
[1:28:09] overall, because the roadway for the
Aravis Circle east and west is in our
[1:28:16] Aravis Circle east and west is in our
pavement
[1:28:16] plan, and that pavement plan addresses
those in the mid-2033-35 area. All right.
[1:28:23] Thank you very much.
[1:28:25] I have a question.
[1:28:26] Please, Commissioner Holk.
[1:28:28] So, um, facing Arvis—
[1:28:30] or facing Rosary between Arvis Circle East
and Arvis Circle West,
[1:28:36] there's 2 homes that are both City of
Largo,
[1:28:40] different zip code because they have a
Rosary Road address.
[1:28:45] So that's where I— one of the things that
I have a hard time with Okay,
[1:28:51] so that's a county road in front of them,
but yet they are City of Largo,
[1:28:58] pay City of Largo taxes.
[1:29:01] There—
[1:29:01] and there's only 2 homes between those 2
streets.
[1:29:05] So how do— so where's the actual divide?
[1:29:08] So is it the, the north side of the road,
[1:29:11] or is it the north and the south side of
Rosary in that spot that are Largo or
[1:29:16] County? Because I, I couldn't get a
straight answer out of the county either.
[1:29:22] I went to the county, I talked to several
commissioners and begged.
[1:29:27] I'm like, we're doing this, we're out
here, the roads are going to be torn up.
[1:29:32] Why, why can the county not help us with
this 110 yards of, of road?
[1:29:37] We have, we have patched, and you know,
one of our friends lives in that end
[1:29:43] one of our friends lives in that end
house,
[1:29:43] and we've joked around because she gets a
hole in front of her mailbox every time it
[1:29:49] rains because that piece pops out.
[1:29:52] We've put plants in it, we've put rocks in
it, we've, you know, made jokes about it.
[1:29:58] It's really not a joke because one day I
think she almost broke her ankle getting
[1:30:04] her mail. But it's just so hard to— and
now we're watching Keene Road be paved.
[1:30:09] Yeah.
[1:30:10] Which they did in like weeks, like 2
weeks, that entire road.
[1:30:14] I was like, oh my gosh, this one side's
paved, oh, the other side's paved.
[1:30:20] They did the entryways to all the streets
along.
[1:30:23] So it's hard to— and even as a
commissioner,
[1:30:26] I try and figure out how this all works
because a lot of it does not make sense
[1:30:31] because I know that it's, it's politics
and it's this, that, and the other thing,
[1:30:37] but But when you live in neighborhoods for
as long as— and I will say, I, yes,
[1:30:42] I am part of that neighborhood. These are
my neighbors.
[1:30:46] But this has been something that we've
talked about even before I was a
[1:30:51] commissioner. So it's been on our radar
for a long time, that road.
[1:30:56] Um, Jim failed to mention that he stopped
riding his bike to Eagle Lake Park because
[1:31:02] it was— the road was impossible to ride
on.
[1:31:05] I couldn't agree more.
[1:31:06] So he was putting his bike in his car and
driving to Eagle Lake Park.
[1:31:11] Kind of like defeats the purpose of
somebody who's a cyclist.
[1:31:15] But, you know, and, and we do appreciate
that the section that we are doing is
[1:31:20] greatly appreciated by, by all of us.
[1:31:23] But, and, um, so I just want to ask you
too, do, do you recommend—
[1:31:27] would this Would it help, do you think,
[1:31:30] for this group to go to a county meeting
and present the same thing that they
[1:31:35] presented to us tonight?
[1:31:37] I can't speak for anybody personally. It
certainly wouldn't hurt. Okay.
[1:31:43] It certainly wouldn't hurt to go directly
to the,
[1:31:47] the source of the ownership of that
right-of-way.
[1:31:51] And, and, and, and with that, again, as I
mentioned,
[1:31:55] I'm happy to help facilitate that at the
at the city team member level with the
[1:32:01] county team member level.
[1:32:03] So their voices are heard at team member
level to team member level.
[1:32:09] And just like they're doing here,
[1:32:11] it would probably be a recommended good
idea for them, if they choose to do it,
[1:32:18] to take those same discussion points to
the county.
[1:32:22] Okay, I appreciate you, I appreciate you
offering that,
[1:32:26] and I hope that they can stay and speak
with you after the meeting.
[1:32:31] Thank you, Terry.
[1:32:32] And, and I'll just reiterate, leave, leave
your names, numbers, emails with us.
[1:32:37] We want to make sure this dialogue doesn't
end tonight.
[1:32:41] And, and again, stay after if you have the
time to do that.
[1:32:45] I have their contact information.
[1:32:47] Okay, perfect.
[1:32:50] Thank you. Appreciate the help,
[1:32:51] as well as help from Public Works as well
on earlier stuff.
[1:32:54] Um, now we'll move on to approval of
tonight's agenda.
[1:32:57] Move approval. Second.
[1:33:00] I have a motion and a second. All in favor
say aye.
[1:33:03] Aye.
[1:33:03] Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.
[1:33:05] Next is consideration of the minutes from
the regular meeting of July 21st, 2026.
[1:33:11] Move approval.
[1:33:11] Second. Any corrections, changes? All in
favor say aye.
[1:33:15] Aye.
[1:33:15] Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. Could I
hear the consent docket, please?
[1:33:20] Item 6, authorization for additional
spending under the annual purchase
[1:33:25] spending under the annual purchase
agreement
[1:33:26] bid number 24-B-806, trenchless sanitary
and storm sewer rehabilitation,
[1:33:31] in the estimated amount of $510,000.
[1:33:33] Item 7, approval of an interlocal
agreement with Ford Pinellas for planning
[1:33:39] agreement with Ford Pinellas for planning
and
[1:33:39] mapping services and/or special projects
work.
[1:33:42] Item 8, award of bid number 26-P-863,
[1:33:45] Largo Golf Clubhouse roof replacement to
First Class Roofing Incorporated in the
[1:33:50] estimated amount of $73,835.
[1:33:52] Item 9, authorization for the Police
Department to purchase an Oculus 5 mini
[1:33:57] Department to purchase an Oculus 5 mini
camera
[1:33:58] system from Ganz and Pugh Associates for
the Special Operations Unit in the amount
[1:34:03] of $20,924 from federal forfeiture Item
10,
[1:34:06] approval to purchase 24 rifle suppressors
for the SWAT team from Dana Safety Supply
[1:34:12] in the approximate amount of $19,500 using
law enforcement forfeiture funds.
[1:34:17] Item 11, award of contract number
26-B-855,
[1:34:20] 1st Street and 1st Avenue Northwest
restoration to MTM Contractors
[1:34:25] restoration to MTM Contractors
Incorporated in
[1:34:26] the amount of $581,541 And an owner
contingency of $57,459 for an estimated
[1:34:31] contingency of $57,459 for an estimated
total of
[1:34:32] $639,000. Item 12, appointment of Judith
Aiken as a member of the Code Enforcement
[1:34:37] Board. Item 13, approval of the settlement
of the lawsuit styled Joshua Lyles,
[1:34:43] parent and natural guardian of Jeremiah
Lyles, a minor,
[1:34:47] and Joshua Lyles individually versus City
of Largo and Nathaniel J.
[1:34:51] Hansman in the amount of Totaling $75,000.
[1:34:54] Item 14, authorization for the mayor to
sign a time extension amendment to the
[1:34:59] sign a time extension amendment to the
East
[1:35:00] Bay Drive protected bike lanes locally
funded agreement between the City of Largo
[1:35:05] and the Florida Department of
Transportation.
[1:35:08] For the consent docket, could you poll the
board, please? Oh, was there a motion?
[1:35:14] Not yet. I move to approve the consent
docket without commission discussion and
[1:35:20] including staff background provided in the
commission packets. Now you can do it.
[1:35:25] Second.
[1:35:26] All right, now we could poll the board,
please.
[1:35:28] Commissioner Smith? Yes.
[1:35:30] Commissioner Holmes? I have to go yes. I
made the motion.
[1:35:33] Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?
Yes. Commissioner Lauser? Yes.
[1:35:37] Commissioner Holk?
[1:35:38] Yes.
[1:35:38] Vice Mayor Johnson?
[1:35:39] Yes.
[1:35:40] Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you.
[1:35:41] I would like to point out, I know Judy
Aiken is here.
[1:35:44] Thank you for volunteering to serve on the
Code Enforcement Board.
[1:35:48] They probably told you that this would be
5 minutes into the meeting. Apologies.
[1:35:52] your eyes that it was a little bit longer
than that.
[1:35:55] Thank you for being here, and thank you
for your dedication.
[1:35:58] Next is Ordinance Number 2026-15.
[1:36:00] All right, good evening, Mayor and City
Commission.
[1:36:03] I'm Whitney Clark, a Planner II with the
Planning Division,
[1:36:06] and with me at the presentation desk is
Jared Austin, Planning Division Manager.
[1:36:11] The item before you is a proposed
comprehensive development code amendment
[1:36:15] comprehensive development code amendment
seeking
[1:36:15] to establish Thank you.
[1:36:17] This ordinance would update the procedures
for the review and approval of certified
[1:36:21] recovery residences in accordance with
recently updated Florida state statutes.
[1:36:26] Since first reading on June 2nd, 2026,
[1:36:28] staff have updated the numbering of
various definitions in the Comprehensive
[1:36:32] Development Code Chapter 20 and corrected
a footnote reference in Table 6-1 to align
[1:36:37] with changes made through other recent CDC
amendments.
[1:36:40] Ultimately, staff recommend approval of
the ordinance and are available for any
[1:36:44] questions. Thank you.
[1:36:45] Ordinance Number 2026-15, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida,
[1:36:51] amending the City of Largo Comprehensive
Development Code to comply with Section
[1:36:58] 397.487 Florida Statutes by amending
subsections 15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.2.3,
[1:37:03] subsections 15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.2.3,
15.2.4,
[1:37:04] and 15.2.5, creating subsection 15.2.6.
[1:37:07] 6, amending Section 6.2,
[1:37:09] and amending Section 20.1 to revise
definitions in accordance with the
[1:37:15] definitions in accordance with the
proposed
[1:37:15] amendments, providing for an effective
date. Thank you.
[1:37:20] Do we have any cards on this? We have no
cards. Any questions from the commission?
[1:37:26] I move to adopt Ordinance 2026-15 on
second and final reading.
[1:37:32] Second.
[1:37:32] Could you poll the board, please?
[1:37:35] Commissioner Holmes?
[1:37:36] Yes, ma'am.
[1:37:36] Commissioner DeBreezy? Yes. Mayor Brown?
Yes. Commissioner Lauser? Yes.
[1:37:41] Commissioner Holk?
[1:37:42] Yes.
[1:37:42] Vice Mayor Johnson?
[1:37:43] Yes.
[1:37:44] Commissioner Smith?
[1:37:45] Yes.
[1:37:45] Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you. Next is
item number 16, ordinance number 2026-20.
[1:38:04] Good evening. This is second reading of
Ordinance Number 2026-20,
[1:38:08] amending Section 3 of Appendix B of the
Largo City Code to add certain services
[1:38:12] Largo City Code to add certain services
and
[1:38:13] fees charged by the administration
department specifically related to the
[1:38:17] department specifically related to the
rentals
[1:38:17] here at Horizon. And there have not been
any changes since the first reading.
[1:38:21] Ordinance Number 2026-20, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida,
[1:38:25] amending Section 3 of Appendix B of the
Largo City Code To add certain services
[1:38:30] Largo City Code To add certain services
and
[1:38:30] fees charged by the Administration
Department, providing for severability,
[1:38:35] providing an effective date.
[1:38:36] Thank you.
[1:38:37] Do we have any cards on this?
[1:38:38] We have no cards.
[1:38:38] Any questions from the commission?
[1:38:40] I move to adopt Ordinance Number 2026-20
on second and final reading.
[1:38:45] Second.
[1:38:46] I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please?
[1:38:48] Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes.
[1:38:50] Mayor Brown?
[1:38:51] Yes.
[1:38:51] Commissioner Lauser?
[1:38:52] Yes.
[1:38:53] Commissioner Holk?
[1:38:54] Yes.
[1:38:54] Vice Mayor Johnson?
[1:38:55] Yes. Commissioner Smith?
[1:38:57] Yes.
[1:38:57] Commissioner Holmes? Yes.
[1:38:59] Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you. Next is
item number 17, resolution number 2469.
[1:39:05] All right. Good evening, Mayor and
Commission.
[1:39:09] Before you this evening is resolution
2469,
[1:39:12] which amends legislative policy 7-1
governing the city's procedures for
[1:39:17] governing the city's procedures for
official
[1:39:18] community recognition through
proclamations, commemorative flags,
[1:39:23] and public information campaigns.
[1:39:26] The purpose of these amendments is to
establish a consistent,
[1:39:31] legally compliant framework for official
city recognition while ensuring city
[1:39:37] resources are used for legitimate
governmental purposes in accordance with
[1:39:42] applicable federal and state law.
[1:39:45] By way of background, on April 22nd, 2026,
[1:39:48] Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill
1134 into law as Chapter 2026-43,
[1:39:54] Laws of Florida. The legislation becomes
effective January 1st, 2027,
[1:39:59] and creates a new section of Florida
statutes under Chapter 166,
[1:40:04] which establishes restrictions on official
municipal actions relating to diversity,
[1:40:11] equity, and inclusion.
[1:40:13] Beginning January 1st, municipalities may
not fund, promote,
[1:40:17] or take official action relating to these
themes,
[1:40:21] expend public funds for those purposes,
[1:40:24] or authorize the use of municipal
resources to do so,
[1:40:28] except where expressly permitted by
statute.
[1:40:32] The law includes several specific
exceptions,
[1:40:35] including certain federal and state
holidays and observances,
[1:40:40] patriotic observances recognized under
federal law,
[1:40:44] and other exceptions identified in Section
166.04971, Florida Statutes.
[1:40:50] In preparation for the law's effective
date,
[1:40:53] the city's City Attorney's Office reviewed
Legislative Policy 7-1 and determined
[1:40:59] that subsections were inconsistent with
the new statutory requirements.
[1:41:05] Accordingly, this resolution revises the
policy by removing language that could,
[1:41:11] could be incompatible with state law,
[1:41:14] replacing it with a neutral objective
framework for evaluating future
[1:41:19] framework for evaluating future
recognition
[1:41:20] requests. Among the noted policy changes
are removal of existing language directing
[1:41:27] recognition efforts to incorporate themes
of of diversity, equity, inclusion,
[1:41:33] social justice, and demographic
representation.
[1:41:36] It also adds a compliance section
identifying applicable statutory
[1:41:42] identifying applicable statutory
exceptions,
[1:41:42] establishes a case-by-case review process
for recognition requests,
[1:41:48] outlines evaluation criteria for proposed
recognition,
[1:41:52] and updates the list of events and
observances eligible for continued city
[1:41:58] recognition. Importantly,
[1:42:00] these amendments preserve the city's
ability to recognize events and
[1:42:05] ability to recognize events and
observances
[1:42:06] authorized by law while ensuring
compliance with the new statutory
[1:42:11] compliance with the new statutory
requirements and
[1:42:12] reducing the city's potential legal
exposure once the law becomes effective on
[1:42:18] January 1, 2027. Staff recommends approval
of Resolution Number 2465.
[1:42:24] And happy to answer any questions as it
relates to the policy amendments.
[1:42:29] And I'll defer to City Attorney Allen on
any questions concerning the legal
[1:42:35] requirements or of the new statute or its
exceptions.
[1:42:39] Resolution number 2469, a resolution of
the City Commission of the City of Largo,
[1:42:46] Florida, amending Legislative Policy 7-1,
parentheses,
[1:42:50] Inclusion and Community Recognition,
[1:42:53] to conform with Section 166 6.04971
Florida Statutes as created by Senate Bill
[1:42:59] Florida Statutes as created by Senate Bill
1134,
[1:42:59] parentheses, Chapter 2026-43, Laws of
Florida,
[1:43:03] amending the standing schedule of
recognized observances and any policy
[1:43:08] recognized observances and any policy
language
[1:43:09] inconsistent with Florida law,
[1:43:11] establishing a compliance review procedure
for proclamations, commemorative flags,
[1:43:18] and public information campaigns,
providing for conflicts,
[1:43:22] providing for severability, and providing
an effective Thank you.
[1:43:27] Do we have any cards on this? We have one
card. Matt Faustini. Good evening, all.
[1:43:34] Matt Faustini, 1015 Lake Palms Drive,
Largo.
[1:43:37] Um, I wish we would have had this item
before we decided not to follow our Pride
[1:43:43] legislative policy this year. That would
have been nice to see.
[1:43:48] I'm here to speak tonight strongly against
this resolution.
[1:43:53] Time and time again, you guys give up,
[1:43:56] give in to the state taking power away
from us.
[1:44:00] I know you're going to have to do certain
things,
[1:44:04] but you don't have to roll over and just
give in because you want $300,000 or $1
[1:44:10] million from Bernie Joch and your
Tallahassee friends.
[1:44:15] And that's what this is. Thank you.
[1:44:19] Um, what's even worse is this doesn't even
go into effect, as staff said,
[1:44:24] until January 1st, 2027. So we claim to be
home rule heroes.
[1:44:28] We have commissioners and mayors up here
who are supposedly home rule leaders,
[1:44:34] yet are taking away our home rule ability
5 months earlier than was required by
[1:44:40] state law.
[1:44:41] Help me make sense of that. Because that's
not home rule to me.
[1:44:45] That's giving in because you want your
money for your project.
[1:44:50] And we just have to look to our neighbors.
[1:44:54] The St. Pete Commission has condemned
these DEI initiatives.
[1:44:58] I haven't heard a single commissioner
other than Commissioner Smith condemn
[1:45:04] other than Commissioner Smith condemn
this.
[1:45:04] And when faced with the state going after
their Office of Equity,
[1:45:09] They didn't delete the department.
[1:45:12] They renamed it and found an
administrative workaround.
[1:45:17] They applied creativity to protect their
local values.
[1:45:20] Largo, on the other hand, like so many
other things,
[1:45:23] are just throwing in the towel like we did
with our Duke franchise agreement.
[1:45:28] 30 years, just throw it in.
[1:45:30] Who cares?
[1:45:30] And what makes this so frustrating is the
blatant hypocrisy.
[1:45:35] And I want to say this staff member I'm
referring to is an amazing staff member.
[1:45:38] I am not talking personally about them.
[1:45:41] And I am glad we are keeping them.
[1:45:43] But when the administration wants to
protect a position that is banned by law,
[1:45:49] it finds a way to do it.
[1:45:51] So our sustainability and resiliency
administrator was conveniently
[1:45:56] administrator was conveniently
reclassified to
[1:45:57] a performance and strategy program
administrator to shield that person's
[1:46:02] administrator to shield that person's
climate
[1:46:03] change role.
[1:46:06] Let me be clear again.
[1:46:07] I'm glad we're keeping that staff member.
[1:46:11] But if city management can apply that
creativity,
[1:46:14] why can we not find creativity for
diversity initiatives, for commemorative
[1:46:20] diversity initiatives, for commemorative
flags?
[1:46:21] Take the 5 months we have. Think.
[1:46:23] Use your home rule ability while you still
have it instead of giving up your power
[1:46:30] to Tallahassee.
[1:46:31] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:46:34] Commissioner Smith. So, Mr. Faustini, I
totally agree.
[1:46:37] I feel like we talk about home rule up
here many times, and we're throwing in
[1:46:42] here many times, and we're throwing in
the,
[1:46:42] the towel, um, with, uh, a legislature
that keeps rolling over us,
[1:46:46] and we just keep saying, okay, um, let's
change our policies.
[1:46:50] We're not being creative enough to get
around this.
[1:46:54] New ideas that we should be thinking
outside the box of them.
[1:46:57] Uh, we keep getting—
[1:46:59] having to We're having to lose
grandfathering because we're not at the
[1:47:03] grandfathering because we're not at the
par of
[1:47:04] something. We're having to find ways
around that.
[1:47:07] Citizens, prime example, as short-term
rentals,
[1:47:10] we're now having to deal with because of
Tallahassee that we can't touch.
[1:47:14] Here's another one now.
[1:47:16] We're going to throw a whole class of our
citizens,
[1:47:19] basically recognizing them just as
citizens of our city, and not even DEI,
[1:47:24] just plainly being nice to people and
recognize them, under the bus.
[1:47:28] Thank you.
[1:47:28] Because Tallahassee again says screw you
to the cities and Tallahassee's rule.
[1:47:34] I'm voting against this because I ran to
represent my city, not Tallahassee,
[1:47:39] and everybody. I find this deplorable that
we're having to do this right now,
[1:47:45] and it's not just because I happen to be
one of these individuals. It's shameful.
[1:47:50] In these times, we should be lifting each
other up and,
[1:47:54] and talking about the grace of everybody.
[1:47:57] And, and this again is word salad to—
well,
[1:48:00] sometimes some individuals say I do word
salad,
[1:48:04] but this is just word salad that they put
out there and scared us with DEI when it's
[1:48:10] not. It's not. I mean, it really is
idiotic.
[1:48:13] Um, what, what— are there any cities at
the moment or organizations challenging
[1:48:18] the moment or organizations challenging
this
[1:48:19] law in the court Not that I'm aware of.
[1:48:22] And just so it's clear, this resolution—
[1:48:25] the policy doesn't go into effect until
January 1st.
[1:48:28] Yeah, but we're still throwing in the
towel now.
[1:48:31] I mean, the policy— I mean, I'm sorry,
[1:48:34] the law doesn't go into effect. Ours will.
[1:48:37] The resolution goes into effect January
1st.
[1:48:39] Okay. Nothing goes into effect.
[1:48:41] But still, we're— I feel like this is just
rolling over and writing language that we
[1:48:46] shouldn't even have to We should be
thinking outside the box.
[1:48:50] I do like that the very bottom that we
talked about, you know,
[1:48:54] and I hope citizens that are of— and I'll
flat out say it—
[1:48:57] the Pride individuals come and stand here
every June at that podium and do a
[1:49:02] citizens' proclamation. I think what we
did this past June was deplorable again.
[1:49:06] And I'm appreciative of my citizens that
came here, organizations that came here,
[1:49:11] stood there. called us out for what it was
and did it themselves.
[1:49:15] And I hope every June they come here and
recognize Pride.
[1:49:19] And, um, I'll be voting against this
because I think it's deplorable. Thank
[1:49:23] because I think it's deplorable. Thank
you.
[1:49:23] Thank you. Commissioner DeBrisi. Thank
you.
[1:49:26] Um, I came tonight intending to vote no on
this, and I want to explain that.
[1:49:30] But also, I had wanted to keep an open
mind,
[1:49:33] listen to City Attorney and others about,
you know,
[1:49:36] what are What are some of the
ramifications if this doesn't pass?
[1:49:40] So I don't— you know,
[1:49:41] my intent on voting no is not because I
want to advocate for the city doing
[1:49:46] want to advocate for the city doing
whatever
[1:49:46] it may be. I, you know, I believe in
limited role of government,
[1:49:50] and I think the government— there's areas
the government should stay out of.
[1:49:55] You know, being kind to people is
something we should all be doing anyway.
[1:49:59] But I, you know, my issue is, of course,
is, is, is, you know,
[1:50:03] home rule in Tallahassee and, and, and,
you know, being, you know,
[1:50:07] being legislated on what to do and how the
city should manage itself,
[1:50:11] both from a policy and budget and
everything else that we do.
[1:50:15] And we— and you mentioned the short-term
vacation rental,
[1:50:18] which is going to become prominent in our
lives in the next few weeks.
[1:50:22] This is just— we're setting resolution and
policy for the city.
[1:50:26] action is what matters, right? So what if
this doesn't pass?
[1:50:30] Do we have to have something on the books
like this?
[1:50:33] Because at the end of the day, if we, you
know, if we—
[1:50:36] I understand if we have something in the
books, we're obligated to do it.
[1:50:40] But what if this doesn't pass? What
happens?
[1:50:43] What does it put the city in, in an
awkward position?
[1:50:46] It does.
[1:50:48] Yeah, it's a legal position too.
[1:50:49] Yes, it does. So not passing,
[1:50:52] it does put us in a precarious position
because then we are in direct violation of
[1:50:59] the statute. What we did when we reviewed
this is— I'm just trying to pull it up.
[1:51:06] So there are exceptions.
[1:51:08] And so some of the holidays that initially
it seemed,
[1:51:12] or recognition that weren't permitted
under the legislation, they actually are.
[1:51:19] There's some lesser-known federal acts
that have recognized some of these.
[1:51:26] commemorative months.
[1:51:27] There's also some provisions in the
Florida statute that's referenced in here
[1:51:34] Florida statute that's referenced in here
that
[1:51:34] reference certain cultural figures,
historical significance.
[1:51:40] And so there are some ways that they may
be able to still have some recognition and
[1:51:47] comply with the statute.
[1:51:49] Okay.
[1:51:50] So, we did reference that in there.
[1:51:53] That's why we have that case-by-case
review request. And so, that's the intent.
[1:51:58] You know, we'll work with staff,
[1:52:00] but some of the ones that we know that
immediately we were able to identify the
[1:52:05] exceptions, we included in there. And so,
that's more what's intended.
[1:52:10] We wanted to ensure we have a policy that
on its face is compliant,
[1:52:14] and we will work with staff that allows—
[1:52:17] I'm sorry.
[1:52:17] to see if we can identify some more
creative methods to acknowledge those
[1:52:22] creative methods to acknowledge those
events and
[1:52:23] those individuals that it may seem like
based on the initial language wouldn't be
[1:52:29] compliant, but there are some exceptions
written in here.
[1:52:33] I appreciate that. The exceptions are what
are prescribed by the state.
[1:52:37] So, you know, we don't get to create our
own exceptions.
[1:52:40] They've listed out a number of holidays,
recognition, people, and everything else.
[1:52:45] Again, it's prescribed by the—
[1:52:46] But there's catchalls.
[1:52:48] Okay.
[1:52:48] So that's what I'm referencing.
[1:52:50] So some of the catchalls are, if there's,
for example, in the city of Dunedin,
[1:52:56] they have a Scottish museum.
[1:52:58] And so while that's not permitted, they
are able to identify that.
[1:53:02] And so other cities have other, you know,
either historical sites,
[1:53:07] or they may have a statue commemorating
individuals.
[1:53:10] So there are—
[1:53:12] and so those are some of the catchalls
where it says if, you know,
[1:53:15] you're working in that towards some of
those cultural centers and stuff.
[1:53:18] So there are some things we can look at.
[1:53:23] Okay, thank you. Thank you. Commissioner
Holmes.
[1:53:25] I think you got to take a little, little
broader perspective here.
[1:53:29] This is not aiming at a group of people.
[1:53:32] This is a law— this is the state of
Florida has already enacted.
[1:53:35] What are you going to do when—
[1:53:37] it wasn't all that long ago that the
Knights of Columbus approached us,
[1:53:41] that they wanted to put up their flag and
they wanted to have their celebration,
[1:53:46] and they were turned down. What are you
going to do when BLM shows up?
[1:53:50] BLM was going to come here, just— they
were going to make a show of this with
[1:53:54] were going to make a show of this with
Largo,
[1:53:55] that they wanted to put their flag up in
front of City Hall and they wanted to have
[1:54:00] a ceremony going. They were turned down.
[1:54:02] They could have sued us for that, and they
did.
[1:54:05] There's all kinds of organizations who
would just love to step up to get
[1:54:09] would just love to step up to get
something
[1:54:09] done. And this is not just aimed at one
group of people.
[1:54:13] I mean, it's already a state law. The
state's going to take this thing in
[1:54:17] state's going to take this thing in
January.
[1:54:17] Whether we adopt something or not is
irrelevant. It's going to happen in
[1:54:21] irrelevant. It's going to happen in
January.
[1:54:22] It's a done deal. All you can do is go
back to Tallahassee And try to amend it.
[1:54:27] All these things can be amended. This none
of this stuff is gospel.
[1:54:30] You know, if you don't like it, amend it.
[1:54:33] But in the meantime,
[1:54:34] don't sit there and fight with it with
Tallahassee on the thing.
[1:54:38] But the state you got to set up some type
of protection for the city for the times
[1:54:42] when BLM comes in and they say, "Well, we
want to have something here."
[1:54:47] What do you think the citizens of Largo
would do if all of a sudden we go, "Okay,
[1:54:51] we're gonna we're gonna cave into BLM"?
Think that'd be good?
[1:54:55] I don't think that would be good at all.
[1:54:57] I mean, there's just— I, I don't even want
to get into, you know,
[1:55:01] there's religious groups that I think we
would really frown upon,
[1:55:05] but not going to get into that.
[1:55:07] But I'm just saying, this is— it,
[1:55:08] it almost doesn't matter whether we pass
it or not.
[1:55:11] The state's got it as a done deal.
[1:55:13] If you don't like that, take it up with
Tallahassee. Thank you.
[1:55:17] Commissioner Johnson. Thank you, Mr.
Mayor.
[1:55:20] You know, this is a tough issue, and I do—
[1:55:22] I appreciate the work the city's done to
make this as as broad as it can legally
[1:55:27] and, and allow us to celebrate our
citizens, you know, the way, the way that,
[1:55:31] that's allowable right now.
[1:55:33] Um, I, and I have asked this question, but
just what,
[1:55:36] what is the consequence of us not passing
this?
[1:55:39] There is a consequence,
[1:55:40] and it's potential removal of our city
manager and/or commission from their
[1:55:44] manager and/or commission from their
seats.
[1:55:45] Is that correct?
[1:55:46] Potentially. I think that is more than
just having the policy.
[1:55:50] I think we would have to be actively—
[1:55:52] Actively—
[1:55:53] Misusing funds. It's a, you know, these
are prohibited actions.
[1:55:57] So I think it'd be more than a policy,
[1:56:00] it would have to be active events and use
of funding.
[1:56:04] But it's, you know, of course,
[1:56:06] I'm not going to advise the city on its
face to be in violation of a state
[1:56:11] face to be in violation of a state
statute.
[1:56:12] But I understand The concern, so we can—
[1:56:15] we'll be happy to review it and then
present options as it relates to specific
[1:56:21] events and recognition.
[1:56:22] Thank you. Thank you. I just want to make
a couple comments.
[1:56:27] Uh, first, you know,
[1:56:28] when I was in Tallahassee talking to our
legislators about this, um,
[1:56:33] I asked them which they didn't like—
diversity, inclusion, equity.
[1:56:38] I mean, which one's offensive?
[1:56:40] I mean, I think all of those are pretty
good, I think.
[1:56:44] Um, and I just don't understand, um,
again,
[1:56:47] why the focus in Tallahassee is for things
like this when there's important things
[1:56:53] that could be tackled in Tallahassee.
[1:56:55] Um, that said, I continue to, you know,
like many of the people up here,
[1:57:00] continue to go back up there year after
year and,
[1:57:04] and try to maintain what home rule we
have.
[1:57:07] Both counties and cities in this state
continue to lose— I wouldn't even say
[1:57:13] continue to lose— I wouldn't even say
power,
[1:57:13] but lose the individuality that cities
have.
[1:57:16] And, and there's 412 cities, towns, and
villages in this state.
[1:57:21] And I'll tell you, Largo is not like
Jacksonville nor is it like Reddington
[1:57:26] Jacksonville nor is it like Reddington
Shores,
[1:57:26] nor Apopka, right? So we're all different.
[1:57:30] And the people that are sitting in these
seats throughout our cities and throughout
[1:57:35] our counties are the ones that really are
in touch with the residents and really are
[1:57:41] in touch with what those residents want.
[1:57:44] I think this change doesn't change the
fact that we appreciate and celebrate
[1:57:50] everybody that lives in our city.
[1:57:52] Not the change statewide, but the change
that's being proposed here.
[1:57:57] It just brings our policies in line with
the state law. I don't think it's good.
[1:58:03] I do prefer to stay in line with the state
law, and just kind of a preference.
[1:58:08] And it is what it is.
[1:58:10] I think that we'll continue to celebrate
the folks that live here regardless of who
[1:58:16] they are and what, you know, if they're
different than me or the same as me,
[1:58:21] we'll celebrate those folks.
[1:58:23] You know, when we talked about Pride
Month, um, when we celebrate those things,
[1:58:29] the votes on this commission were 7-0 to
do those things, right?
[1:58:34] We're not— our attitude towards people in
the city has not changed because of this
[1:58:39] type of a policy. And frankly,
[1:58:42] our attitude towards Tallahassee hasn't
changed either.
[1:58:46] And so we'll continue to fight so that we
can manage our city the way that our
[1:58:51] residents want our city managed. And it's
a growing battle.
[1:58:55] I think that we'll see what happens in
November.
[1:58:59] We know that we're going to have a
different governor after November.
[1:59:04] And hopefully there's a little bit less of
an attitude of everything has to be
[1:59:09] governed from Tallahassee.
[1:59:11] I think that's a problem in in the state,
there's things that make sense statewide.
[1:59:17] And there's many, many,
[1:59:19] many things that make sense to allow the
cities and counties to dictate what is the
[1:59:25] best for their cities and counties.
[1:59:27] And I think that it's going to take a
while,
[1:59:30] but soon Tallahassee will come around to
that.
[1:59:34] We need to— I guess some of y'all need to
run for state office,
[1:59:38] get some more local people up there or
something. I'm not sure.
[1:59:43] I'm not pushing you away. I'm just saying.
Commissioner Holk.
[1:59:47] Yes. So of course everything that our
illustrious mayor said is
[1:59:54] always on target. I just wanted to add
that regardless of this,
[2:00:01] that we are still, as you said, a
welcoming city.
[2:00:06] So we may not be sponsoring the events
that different groups
[2:00:13] would want to have here, right?
[2:00:16] They— so we can still have things in the
city as long as they
[2:00:23] are sponsored by an organization, correct?
[2:00:27] Mm-hmm.
[2:00:28] So that we're not spending— spending—
[2:00:31] we can't spend city funds to sponsor an
event of an organization, but they,
[2:00:36] they are welcome to to utilize our city to
have an event that they,
[2:00:41] they sponsor or they pay for, correct?
[2:00:44] So we're not like shutting everybody out,
but we're just not—
[2:00:48] we're just not financing it.
[2:00:51] We, we can't finance it. We also can't
take official action.
[2:00:55] So official action is pretty broad. Okay.
[2:00:59] Um, but because of how, um,
[2:01:01] it's worded And there is a potential for
any member of the governing body that
[2:01:07] violates it could be held malfeasance,
misfeasance in office.
[2:01:12] But again, it's something we would just—
[2:01:15] we would need to review on a case-by-case
basis, because we are— it is new.
[2:01:21] And we are trying to be consistent with
what we've done in the past and ensure
[2:01:27] what we've done in the past and ensure
that
[2:01:27] we're compliant with as narrow an
interpretation as we can make of this
[2:01:33] interpretation as we can make of this
statute.
[2:01:34] So, okay, thank you.
[2:01:35] And all our facilities will continue to be
available for everyone in our community
[2:01:39] that wants to use them.
[2:01:40] Okay. All right. So that was, that was
basically my,
[2:01:45] my concern. You know, like, well, I don't
know if—
[2:01:50] never mind.
[2:01:51] Protests are a totally different thing.
[2:01:53] So I won't go there right now. Never mind.
I'm done. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:01:57] Commissioner Johnson.
[2:01:58] Yeah, I just wanted to say, as somebody
who goes to Tallahassee sometimes and is,
[2:02:03] um, you know, talking about making
statewide fire codes and building codes,
[2:02:07] statewide fire codes and building codes,
that,
[2:02:07] you know, those kind of—
[2:02:08] there are things that I think the state
government has an opportunity,
[2:02:12] that has a responsibility to maybe
preempt.
[2:02:14] Um, you know, having, you know,
[2:02:16] 20 different ways you enforce the fire
code in Pinellas County makes it difficult
[2:02:20] code in Pinellas County makes it difficult
to
[2:02:20] do business here for sure. It makes it
more expensive to do business here.
[2:02:24] That being said, there are things that
make every community different and give
[2:02:28] make every community different and give
every
[2:02:28] community a flavor. And this preemption,
you know, whenever you have a preemption,
[2:02:33] you can almost always— it's in the
building code—
[2:02:35] you can almost name it for a building
official or a fire marshal.
[2:02:38] You could name the reason for that bill on
that one person.
[2:02:42] That's how bad it is,
[2:02:43] because you get one story to somebody in
leadership and that's what happens.
[2:02:47] And, you know, this is something else that
I think You know,
[2:02:51] there may be a community somewhere that
has been irresponsible with funding,
[2:02:55] doing whatever they're doing. I don't
know. But, uh, you know, I don't like
[2:02:59] know. But, uh, you know, I don't like
this.
[2:02:59] This seems like a flavor for our
community.
[2:03:02] This is our flavor of our community, is
that we are welcoming to everyone.
[2:03:06] Um, and I don't like that we're, you know,
having to do this.
[2:03:09] Um, and Commissioner Smith, you know, I
love you, and I'm sorry about that.
[2:03:13] This That's all.
[2:03:16] Thank you. Commissioner Lauser.
[2:03:18] Yeah, so, um, while I don't agree with,
uh, you know, preemption, and,
[2:03:23] and we should be able to do whatever we
want to do, I,
[2:03:27] I personally think that as a government or
as a government entity,
[2:03:32] anytime you fly any flag,
[2:03:33] you're showing a preference to that
community and not including the rest of
[2:03:39] community and not including the rest of
the
[2:03:39] communities. So unless we're going to do
it for everybody you don't do it for
[2:03:44] anybody. I think the only flags that
should be flown on any government facility
[2:03:50] should be flown on any government facility
is
[2:03:50] that state flag and the American flag.
[2:03:53] So that's— I, I, I, I am an ally to
everybody.
[2:03:56] I am inclusive, and sometimes I feel
unincluded when things like that happen
[2:04:01] unincluded when things like that happen
for
[2:04:01] anything. So I don't support the
preemption,
[2:04:04] but I do support the fact that we keep our
government as even-keeled and inclusive
[2:04:10] to everybody as possible. Thank you.
[2:04:13] Commissioner Holmes?
[2:04:13] Well, we already dance and prance with
various people when they want to use city
[2:04:18] facilities. There's a whole list of things
you cannot have in Central Park.
[2:04:22] We've had companies,
[2:04:24] they wanted to come in and they wanted to
have a political rally,
[2:04:27] they wanted to have some church picnic or
a religious affair in there,
[2:04:32] and we've turned them down. That's already
happened.
[2:04:35] That happened a couple years ago.
[2:04:37] My whole point with this thing here, I
mean,
[2:04:39] I'm going to make the motion to approve it
because if you don't approve this thing
[2:04:44] and you go outside of the state or
resolution on this,
[2:04:47] you are then opening yourself to being
sued by one group of people.
[2:04:51] Or if you turn around, you're going to get
sued on this thing anyway.
[2:04:55] It's going to happen.
[2:04:56] So you're going to get sued one way or
you're going to get sued another way.
[2:05:01] It's going to happen, but I don't, I don't
feel comfortable just, you know,
[2:05:05] going to the state of Florida and saying,
nah, nah, nah,
[2:05:08] we're not going to pass this thing,
because the state's going to—
[2:05:12] it's going to be state law. You can't get
away from it. It's there.
[2:05:16] So what we do as, you know, the little
peons in the woodpile, fine and dandy.
[2:05:21] So I am not in a position right now that I
want to just, you know,
[2:05:25] stick my tongue out to the governor of the
state and say,
[2:05:28] now we're not going to pass this thing,
because, well, this is already—
[2:05:32] this is a law already. It just goes into
effect in January.
[2:05:35] I move to approve Resolution Number 2469.
[2:05:38] Second.
[2:05:40] I have a motion and second. Commissioner
DeBriesi has something as well.
[2:05:44] Yep, thank you. Um, it's kind of
anticlimactic, but listening,
[2:05:47] listening to the conversation here, you
know, I don't like— like I said,
[2:05:51] I don't like what's happening, and I don't
like what, um, you know,
[2:05:55] I'd like to say I think a limited role for
government, and,
[2:05:58] and I don't agree with some of the things
that we do.
[2:06:01] It's not a— that's not a comment on,
[2:06:03] on what we do and who the people are or
anything else like that.
[2:06:06] I just think that, uh, it's necessarily
not our role.
[2:06:09] But I'm also reminded, looking at the, at
the resolution again, uh, reminded,
[2:06:13] you know, what I did in November of 2024.
[2:06:16] I stood there and raised my right hand to
abide the state laws of Florida as well as
[2:06:20] other things. And I think that, um, you
know, voting no, um,
[2:06:23] while it may send one message, it sends a
message that we're ignoring state law,
[2:06:28] which I'm not comfortable with.
[2:06:29] So, uh, I am gonna— I am gonna vote yes
after listening to the conversation.
[2:06:33] But, um, I also trust this commission and
the direction we give to city staff to be
[2:06:38] flexible, to be welcoming, and to
recognize and,
[2:06:40] and celebrate the residents of our city.
[2:06:43] Thank you.
[2:06:43] Thank you. I do have a motion and a
second. Could you poll the board, please?
[2:06:48] One last question before we do this.
[2:06:49] Oh, please.
[2:06:50] To the lawyer, would I be considered
breaking the law by voting no?
[2:06:54] No.
[2:06:55] No. Okay, that's all I need. We could have
you in jail, though.
[2:07:00] I would, I would listen to, uh,
[2:07:03] the attorney and not Commissioner Holmes
on that.
[2:07:07] They both said no, but yeah. Ready? Could
you poll the board, please?
[2:07:12] Mayor Brown? Yes.
[2:07:14] Commissioner Lowser?
[2:07:16] Yes.
[2:07:16] Commissioner Hulk?
[2:07:17] Yes.
[2:07:17] Vice Mayor Johnson?
[2:07:19] Yes. Commissioner Smith?
[2:07:20] No.
[2:07:20] Commissioner Holmes?
[2:07:21] Yes.
[2:07:22] Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes.
[2:07:23] Motion carries 6 to 1. Thank you very
much.
[2:07:27] City Attorney Allen, anything this
evening? You got one more to go.
[2:07:32] It's been a while. Next up is ordinance
number 2026-26.
[2:07:37] Good evening, Mayor and Commission.
[2:07:39] Throughout the course of the year,
necessary operational, capital,
[2:07:45] and personnel adjustments arise that
warrant amending the originally adopted
[2:07:51] warrant amending the originally adopted
budget.
[2:07:51] This is a quarterly budget amendment to
the adopted fiscal year 2026 budget to
[2:07:58] account for the following changes:
[2:08:00] allocating $6,200 in the police donations
fund for emergency response voltage
[2:08:07] readers reimbursed by Duke Energy,
[2:08:09] allocating $630,000 in the home fund for
additional down payment assistance to
[2:08:16] additional down payment assistance to
cover
[2:08:16] costs Based on estimated program
utilization through the remainder of the
[2:08:22] utilization through the remainder of the
fiscal
[2:08:22] year. Allocating $27,000 in the general
fund for Bonner Park Boardwalk repairs.
[2:08:29] This project was funded in fiscal year
2023 and spanned over multiple fiscal
[2:08:35] 2023 and spanned over multiple fiscal
years.
[2:08:35] The $27,000 allocation covers the
remaining project costs.
[2:08:40] Allocating $150,000 Uh, in the general
fund for legal counsel through Taft,
[2:08:46] Statinius, and Hollister, LLP to request
compensation of $690,000—
[2:08:51] $690,142 in construction delay costs at
440 West Bay Drive.
[2:08:56] Allocating $25,000 in the general fund for
additional costs related to the
[2:09:02] completion of a comprehensive operational
evaluation of the Largo Police Department
[2:09:09] performed by PFM Group Consulting,
[2:09:12] and allocating $60,000 in the general fund
to sever utility connections at 201
[2:09:18] Highland Avenue prior to building
demolition.
[2:09:21] All revenue and expenditure adjustments
are detailed in Appendix A of the
[2:09:27] are detailed in Appendix A of the
ordinance,
[2:09:28] and staff are available for any questions
you might have.
[2:09:33] Ordinance number 2026-26, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida,
[2:09:38] amending the fiscal year 2026 budget
adopted by Resolution number 2445 by
[2:09:44] adopted by Resolution number 2445 by
budgeting
[2:09:45] $898,200 to fund a voltage reader for
emergency response reimbursed by Duke
[2:09:51] emergency response reimbursed by Duke
Energy,
[2:09:51] Bonner Park Boardwalk repairs,
[2:09:54] down payment assistance based on estimated
program utilization,
[2:09:59] legal retainer costs associated with
delays in construction at 440 West Bay
[2:10:05] delays in construction at 440 West Bay
Drive,
[2:10:05] additional funding for police operational
evaluation consultant study,
[2:10:11] and demolition of existing utility
connections at 201 Highland Avenue,
[2:10:17] all as shown in Appendix A attached to
this ordinance,
[2:10:21] providing for severability and providing
for an effective date.
[2:10:26] Thank you.
[2:10:27] Do we have any cards on this? One card.
Greg Gardner.
[2:10:31] I'm only going to speak about the money
for the lawyer pertaining to Biltmore
[2:10:38] Construction. Um, I'm basically just
repeating myself from before, guys, um,
[2:10:44] in hopes you don't like put your foot in
your mouth again.
[2:10:49] There was no blackmail, there was no
extortion.
[2:10:53] But I will point out that John Kerpa is
lying to you, and I mean right to your
[2:11:00] lying to you, and I mean right to your
face.
[2:11:01] I'm just going to go through the basics.
Take it or leave it. I really don't care.
[2:11:08] It's 750 change orders. 750. Shouldn't
have 75. Whose fault? Everyone's fault.
[2:11:14] COVID. Engineering. Everyone. Everyone was
at fault. AST Sky gave us shoddy work.
[2:11:21] Why?
[2:11:22] COVID. It was a nightmare.
[2:11:25] So delay is Yes.
[2:11:28] The 750 change orders. You're $12 million
over budget. You're not being told that.
[2:11:34] That's hidden. But you're $12 million
over. I went through this before.
[2:11:39] $4 million just in accoutrements, $8
million in engineering changes,
[2:11:43] all over the board. And by the way, the
750 change orders, I mean, I have them
[2:11:49] 750 change orders, I mean, I have them
all.
[2:11:49] It's like that thick. That's how tall it
is. And some of those are like silly.
[2:11:54] Some were necessary. Really, most were
necessary.
[2:11:58] Um, right now Biltmore is not owed
$690,000, they're owed $1.5 million.
[2:12:02] It just keeps going and it keeps going and
it keeps going.
[2:12:06] Uh, Robert Hatton really delivered this
city chaos in so many different avenues.
[2:12:12] Now he was terminated. It was a problem.
[2:12:15] Um, he preferenced contractors 4 big
contractors were never getting awarded
[2:12:20] contracts. Um, it's kind of indicative of
getting your palms greased,
[2:12:24] but I'm not going to accuse intentional
red tagging to generate revenue,
[2:12:29] almost hostile to the community. It's good
to see him gone.
[2:12:33] I hope, uh, Matt Butler can do a good job.
I think he will.
[2:12:37] But you're being lied to. You're being— I
was here. I was here for 2 months.
[2:12:42] Twice a month. Twice a month, 22 months. I
spent a lot of time here.
[2:12:47] Um, you're being lied to. There's no
blackmail, there's no extortion.
[2:12:52] Really what's happening— I was asked if I
can mention some things, I can't—
[2:12:57] but right now the city is extorting
Gilmore.
[2:13:00] They're making him do things that's really
cutting below ethics.
[2:13:04] It's, it's it's getting really ugly now.
[2:13:07] This will go to a lawsuit, and this will
all come out in the interrogatories.
[2:13:12] Everything will show its face, but I'm
just giving you the heads up. That's it.
[2:13:18] Thank you. Thank you. That was the only
card. Thank you. Uh, Vice Mayor Johnson.
[2:13:23] Uh, I just wanted to say that, um, uh, Mr.
[2:13:26] Mayor, I'm in a contractual relationship
with Biltmore Construction.
[2:13:31] Um, prior to my being elected, uh, City
Commission—
[2:13:34] to the City Commission, um, we were
awarded the Fire sprinkler work, uh,
[2:13:39] for this building, so, uh,
[2:13:40] I will not be participating in the
discussion or the vote. Thank you. Thank
[2:13:45] discussion or the vote. Thank you. Thank
you.
[2:13:45] Commissioner Holmes. Um, Mr. City Manager,
this $150,000, that's a legal fee.
[2:13:51] Are we suing Biltmore, or are we the
defendant?
[2:13:55] Commissioner, we're not engaged in any
litigation at the moment, so there,
[2:14:01] there are not parties Okay. What's the
$150,000 for then? To have it sitting
[2:14:07] $150,000 for then? To have it sitting
there?
[2:14:07] It is an estimate of costs for advice
related to resolving construction matters.
[2:14:14] Okay.
[2:14:18] What's the $690,000?
[2:14:20] Is that what we're saying that Biltmore
owes us, is the $690,000?
[2:14:24] If you recall from the original
conversation a couple months ago,
[2:14:29] that was the amount in the demand that was
made to the city by Biltmore Construction
[2:14:36] to cover additional costs. Did we do
anything about that or not?
[2:14:40] It's, it's being handled in accordance
with the contract, the construction
[2:14:46] with the contract, the construction
contract.
[2:14:47] Okay. For now— all right. For now, I'll go
along with it. Any other questions?
[2:14:52] I move to approve Ordinance Number 2026-26
on first reading and schedule the second
[2:14:59] reading and public hearing on September
1st, 2026.
[2:15:02] Second.
[2:15:03] I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please? Commissioner
[2:15:08] poll the board, please? Commissioner
Lauser?
[2:15:08] Yes.
[2:15:09] Commissioner Holk?
[2:15:10] Yes.
[2:15:10] Vice Mayor Johnson?
[2:15:11] I abstain.
[2:15:12] Oh, I'm sorry. Um, Commissioner Smith?
[2:15:15] Yes. Commissioner Holmes? Yep.
Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?
[2:15:21] Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?
Yes.
[2:15:21] Motion carries 6 to 0. Thank you. City
Attorney Allen, anything this evening?
[2:15:28] No, thank you.
[2:15:29] Thank you. Commissioner Lowser.
[2:15:31] So congratulations to our citizen campers
and of course our team members of the
[2:15:36] quarter. And so while congratulations to
them, I think it's also—
[2:15:40] we'd be remiss to say congratulations or
thank you to John, Maggie,
[2:15:45] and Meredy and the rest of the ELT.
[2:15:47] I think the stories that we heard from
their write-ups are an attestation to the
[2:15:53] culture that you guys have created.
[2:15:55] Um, so I'm proud of the people that work
here, and it seems like they,
[2:16:00] they are proud to be working here.
[2:16:03] Thank you.
[2:16:03] Thank you. Well said. Commissioner Holk.
[2:16:06] Ditto on that, all the way.
[2:16:08] Um, also thank you to all the citizens
that came out and spoke tonight.
[2:16:14] Um, hopefully you know that we are
listening,
[2:16:18] trying to do our best at answering
questions and And getting things done, I,
[2:16:24] questions and And getting things done, I,
I'm,
[2:16:24] um, I, I'm really frustrated with the, the
Lincolnshire, um, the Donegan Road area.
[2:16:31] You know, when seeing these pictures, to
me is like, wow.
[2:16:36] You know, I looked at this one and it's
like, oh, there's,
[2:16:40] there's water under there, you know.
[2:16:43] So I, I really hope that we do, um, pursue
this quicker than— sooner than later.
[2:16:50] This is something that, you know, I, I was
a victim of the flood as well.
[2:16:56] I know what these people have gone
through.
[2:17:00] It, it— to put it bluntly, it sucks.
[2:17:04] It's, uh, stressful. It's painful.
[2:17:07] So since they are rebuilt and they are
back in their homes,
[2:17:12] I would really hate to see this, um, see
them to go through that again.
[2:17:19] It would be awful. So you just need to
step it up a little bit there. Thank you.
[2:17:26] Thank you. Vice Mayor Johnson.
[2:17:28] I'm not going to try to improve upon
Commissioner Lowser's wonderful, um,
[2:17:32] words of accolade— elation to our staff
and our team.
[2:17:35] I do want to say, um,
[2:17:37] just how much I appreciate the City
Commission and the discussions we have up
[2:17:42] Commission and the discussions we have up
here.
[2:17:42] I particularly was happy that we brought
our staff in to address some citizen
[2:17:47] our staff in to address some citizen
issues
[2:17:47] we knew were coming forward.
[2:17:49] That was a wonderful move,
[2:17:50] and I appreciate the thoughtfulness that
that took to react to that quickly,
[2:17:55] gather the information, be ready to
address those comments.
[2:17:59] So thank you for the team, you know,
everyone involved with that.
[2:18:03] Thank you. That was really one of the best
things I've seen up here.
[2:18:07] It was fantastic. Fantastic. Well done.
Thank you.
[2:18:10] Commissioner Smith. I thank the residents
for coming out and speaking about, uh,
[2:18:15] Rosary. Um, I hope Jerry can answer
questions, and,
[2:18:18] and I will be meeting with them to ask
more about these projects.
[2:18:22] I hope you reach out to your county
commissioners.
[2:18:26] Any way I could help with you getting a
hold of them, um, I would deeply—
[2:18:30] would love to help out where we can all
work on one page.
[2:18:34] Um, unfortunately, government in that the
thing that government gets tangled in.
[2:18:39] Um, people don't give a damn about who's
where jurisdiction.
[2:18:43] They just know it's my property and I want
it taken.
[2:18:46] You know, I'm there, I pay taxes.
[2:18:48] Um, so I, I, I hope our staff can and I
can work with you to get this solved.
[2:18:53] Uh, also to the New Haven, um, a couple
other, uh,
[2:18:56] since we were on stormwaters tonight a
little bit, I've kind of—
[2:19:00] and it was addressed a little bit—
[2:19:02] I got some residents that reached out to
me to the, uh,
[2:19:05] 101st Street Southeast by the Whataburger.
[2:19:08] It's flooding schools next— I think next
week.
[2:19:11] That whole area is— It always does that.
It does, but it shouldn't.
[2:19:15] And if it is, we need to figure it out.
[2:19:18] Like I said, the citizens don't care about
government.
[2:19:21] They want to know why this is flooding all
of a sudden. They want it fixed.
[2:19:26] I mean, to not be able to get your kids
back there to school or get into your own
[2:19:31] neighborhood should be something we should
be putting on a priority to get fixed.
[2:19:36] So I said I'd bring that up.
[2:19:38] A couple citizens wanted to come speak,
but they couldn't make it for our meeting.
[2:19:43] And then the other one is I was tagged in
a post about—
[2:19:46] and I know I don't drive in this lane,
[2:19:49] so unfortunately I had to go there last
night— on Seminole Boulevard at 8th
[2:19:53] night— on Seminole Boulevard at 8th
Avenue.
[2:19:54] When you get to 8th Avenue to turn left by
the post office,
[2:19:57] there is a huge dip in that road, almost
You catch it in your car,
[2:20:02] almost falls into it.
[2:20:03] That road has been fixed in the past,
[2:20:05] and I would like to just put it on staff's
radar to see if we can get either us or
[2:20:10] the—and I know that's a county state
road—if we can get that looked at and
[2:20:15] addressed, even if it's just really
quickly getting cones out there,
[2:20:19] just or some way to address you know
someone's car not falling into it.
[2:20:24] So oh that that again lively discussion.
[2:20:26] I think my commission, like I say, y'all
have been very.
[2:20:30] supportive of, of, of things I've asked.
[2:20:32] Um, you know, maybe one day I'll run for
Tallahassee, who knows.
[2:20:36] Um, but, um, run for mayor.
[2:20:38] Um, so I, I appreciate this commission
being very, uh, thankful.
[2:20:42] And, um, like I say, home rule is
something we all cherish and And I say,
[2:20:46] and I like what y'all said, you know, we
are a mixture of a community.
[2:20:51] And, um, I, I love, you know, that we
could agree to disagree.
[2:20:55] I, I've sat through cities that will—
[2:20:57] I've watched cities who bicker and fight
till 12 o'clock at night,
[2:21:01] and they're calling each other names and
hating each other.
[2:21:05] And, and, um, I, I think we work really
well together, and I appreciate that.
[2:21:10] Um, we disagree, and, and I'll keep
championing where I am.
[2:21:13] And, uh, We'll see where it is.
[2:21:15] So I thank this Commission, and moving
forward, I,
[2:21:19] I look forward to working for another 4
years to move that needle the other way.
[2:21:24] So thank you. Thank you. Commissioner
Holmes.
[2:21:26] Someday you're going to learn that I'm
right and you're not.
[2:21:30] Never.
[2:21:30] Piece of cake. Uh, you know,
[2:21:32] there was a theme tonight that it just
seems every time we get into these little
[2:21:37] problems, it's always, well, multiple
jurisdictions.
[2:21:40] The county's got this, we've got that.
[2:21:42] We got to come up with some magic beans
where when these things come up,
[2:21:47] when we're looking at— as we're looking at
Rosary, for example,
[2:21:50] and we already knew that at the end of the
street that was the county,
[2:21:55] somewhere that should have been addressed
at the time.
[2:21:58] But I mean, I'm not finding fault with
anybody, I'm not blaming anybody,
[2:22:02] but New Haven's the same thing.
[2:22:04] New Haven, that lake there at New Haven,
That's been a problem for decades.
[2:22:09] I mean, I remember probably 15 years ago
where somehow or other there was a sewage
[2:22:14] spill there and they came to the city.
[2:22:16] There used to be a sewage spill there
every time it rained. Yeah.
[2:22:20] And I mean, that's the whole point is it's
there.
[2:22:23] There has to be a way of mitigating that
thing.
[2:22:26] And I don't care what it— if we make a
deal with the county,
[2:22:29] get the county's checkbook, which would
make it really good,
[2:22:33] and just solve these problems. But it just
seems to be a recurring theme, you know.
[2:22:38] I mean, there's a problem buying my own
house,
[2:22:41] and that's another problem I found out
today. Well, it's because that's the
[2:22:45] today. Well, it's because that's the
county.
[2:22:46] Well, I said I knew it's the county
because I'm the one that called it in
[2:22:50] because I'm the one that called it in
ahead of
[2:22:50] time. But it's just— it's a constant
thing.
[2:22:53] I mean, I'm meeting with the county
commissioner tomorrow, and I'll tell you
[2:22:58] commissioner tomorrow, and I'll tell you
what,
[2:22:58] I think I'm just going to beat him up.
Please. That'll fix it. That's it.
[2:23:03] I'm done.
[2:23:03] Thank you. Commissioner DeBrisi. I believe
in violence.
[2:23:06] Oh my gosh, problems are going last. Um,
second to last.
[2:23:10] Uh, you know, not to pile on to what
everyone said who said up—
[2:23:13] who already said what I wanted to say,
but, um, you know,
[2:23:17] this is one of my favorite meetings. Um,
aim higher, set the bar low.
[2:23:21] But, um, you know, for— we hear all the
time about, you know, no one, you know,
[2:23:25] they don't listen, you know, we come and
talk and they don't listen.
[2:23:29] Well, you know, tonight was a living
example that that's not always the case.
[2:23:34] Um, you know, we went off agenda and spent
an hour talking about an important issue
[2:23:39] to residents because they came and showed
up.
[2:23:41] And so, you know, for the dozens that are
watching, I would say—
[2:23:45] I would encourage you to do the same. You
know, you have an issue, come here.
[2:23:50] We do listen, and we try to do everything
we can to, uh, to address it.
[2:23:54] So thank you. Thank you.
[2:23:55] I wanted to thank the Citizens Campers and
congratulate them And hope they have a
[2:24:00] good time at school starting next week.
Please drive safe next week.
[2:24:04] There's going to be kids walking to
school.
[2:24:06] Congratulations to our team members who
are the team members of the quarter.
[2:24:11] Great job. I was going to mention the
Eighth Avenue and Seminole Boulevard.
[2:24:15] There's actually in that dip there's fresh
asphalt like it was put in in the last
[2:24:20] month or so, and so so I don't know if
it's.
[2:24:23] I don't know if it was the state or the
county that put the asphalt in there,
[2:24:27] but we need to figure out, you know,
somebody's going to fall into that.
[2:24:31] More weight.
[2:24:32] Thank you to the folks from New Haven and
Rosary East for coming out and for the
[2:24:38] conversation. And I wrote down something
on the back that I heard.
[2:24:42] I saw— I think I saw it on a
revitalization website,
[2:24:46] and I think it It speaks to a lot of the
conversations that we're having today.
[2:24:51] We have no control over the challenges we
inherit, only a duty to improve them.
[2:24:57] And so it's kind of where we are, right?
[2:24:59] And in a lot of cases,
[2:25:01] we're dealing with flooding issues that
predate any of us on this board.
[2:25:06] And as Commissioner Holmes said,
[2:25:08] there used to be a sanitary sewer issue
that caused overflows We haven't had a
[2:25:13] rain-caused sanitary sewer issue in
several years.
[2:25:17] We used to have them almost every day in
the summer.
[2:25:20] So there's a lot of things that we need to
continue to work on.
[2:25:25] I know that Jerry and his team are very
dedicated to repairing the roads on a
[2:25:30] need-based analysis that didn't exist
before.
[2:25:33] And a lot of this work has been done in
recent years,
[2:25:37] and I think that we're really moving in a
good direction.
[2:25:41] I think there is a lot of opportunity to
work better with the county and those
[2:25:46] cross-jurisdictional stuff and looking at
it from a holistic standpoint because
[2:25:51] there are residents that are affected.
[2:25:54] And whether the canal behind their house
suddenly becomes county 50 yards down the
[2:26:00] ditch, it doesn't really matter to them if
the water keeps rising.
[2:26:04] So I know that we've improved
relationships with the county and with the
[2:26:09] relationships with the county and with the
school
[2:26:10] board in recent years,
[2:26:11] but I think we just need to continue to
kind of work on that and have a better
[2:26:16] avenue. In fact, like was just stated
early on in this,
[2:26:20] if the county doesn't seem to want to do
that 100 yards of pavement,
[2:26:25] maybe get some of us to talk to our
colleagues on the county side to say, hey,
[2:26:30] can we just, you know, throw a bone here
and, and, and,
[2:26:34] and do something that makes sense? I mean,
it just makes sense, right?
[2:26:39] So, so, um, I just wanted to read that
quote. I elaborated afterwards. But, um,
[2:26:44] quote. I elaborated afterwards. But, um,
Mr.
[2:26:45] Kerb, anything this evening? Sure. Thank
you, Mayor.
[2:26:48] In regards to the Almorton Road, 103rd
Street, um, the infrastructure,
[2:26:53] stormwater infrastructure there is state
highways maintained by the state.
[2:26:58] We've already— we will be reaching out
with them to coordinate, um, some—
[2:27:03] a solution, hopefully.
[2:27:05] Um, but I do want residents to know that
we're aware of the situation and we're,
[2:27:10] we're taking care of it.
[2:27:12] Um, Commissioner Holmes' comment, um, the
magic beans are called coins.
[2:27:17] They're usually round and silver. Um, gold
ones?
[2:27:20] And need— yes, well, sometimes they need
to be gold.
[2:27:23] But gold, um, you know,
[2:27:25] I've been speaking here for several years
on the need for regional stormwater
[2:27:30] management because there— again, our
creeks—
[2:27:33] the rain doesn't know political
boundaries.
[2:27:36] And our streams and creeks and stormwater
ditches don't know political boundaries
[2:27:42] either. They cross through multiple
boundaries.
[2:27:45] So to me, the true answer is regional
approach to stormwater management.
[2:27:50] And that's a big heavy lift in getting all
the communities in Pinellas County and
[2:27:56] the stormwater basin to come together and
do that.
[2:27:59] But we continue to advance that topic in
conversation with our colleagues across
[2:28:05] conversation with our colleagues across
the
[2:28:05] county. Other than that, I have nothing
further.
[2:28:08] Maybe we should give them Barry's home
phone number. Thank you. Any action items?
[2:28:14] What I had was Commissioner Smith's
request to contact Pinellas County
[2:28:19] request to contact Pinellas County
regarding the
[2:28:19] large dip in Seminole Boulevard at Yeah, I
mean,
[2:28:23] that's Pinellas County and/or FDOT because
it's right in the middle of both of those
[2:28:28] roads. Thank you. Meeting is adjourned.
Y'all have a nice evening.