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Okay.

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00:07:04,189 --> 00:07:05,973
Sorry, I tried to arrive a little earlier.

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I understand, but we're

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00:07:11,841 --> 00:07:18,731
going to start in a minute.

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00:07:18,731 --> 00:07:25,365
It's got some substance to

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it.

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00:07:26,130 --> 00:07:39,406
It's really yummy.

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00:07:42,406 --> 00:07:44,353
Good afternoon. Good afternoon.

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00:07:44,353 --> 00:07:48,373
This is a regular City Commission meeting
for the City of Largo.

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00:07:48,373 --> 00:07:50,635
Today is Tuesday, August 18th, 2026.

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00:07:50,635 --> 00:07:55,471
I'd like to call this meeting to order and
ask that if you have a cell phone,

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00:07:55,471 --> 00:08:00,496
please turn it to silent or off so that we
don't have any interruptions tonight.

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00:08:00,496 --> 00:08:04,956
We're going to start tonight's meeting
with an invocation and Pledge of

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00:08:04,956 --> 00:08:05,584
with an invocation and Pledge of
Allegiance

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00:08:05,584 --> 00:08:09,730
led by— well, the invocation is given by
Vice Mayor Chris Johnson,

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and then he'll also lead us in the Pledge
of Allegiance.

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00:08:13,248 --> 00:08:14,818
Gracious Heavenly Father,

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00:08:14,818 --> 00:08:20,094
we thank you for the opportunity to gather
this evening in service to our community.

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00:08:20,094 --> 00:08:23,235
We ask for your wisdom in the decisions
before us.

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00:08:23,235 --> 00:08:28,072
patience in our discussions, and humility
to listen carefully to one another.

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00:08:28,072 --> 00:08:32,720
Help us remember that behind every issue
we consider are people, families,

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00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,929
businesses, and neighborhoods that we have
been entrusted to serve.

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00:08:36,929 --> 00:08:38,876
Give our commission, our staff,

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00:08:38,876 --> 00:08:42,331
and all those participating tonight
clarity of thought,

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00:08:42,331 --> 00:08:44,403
respect for differing viewpoints,

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00:08:44,403 --> 00:08:48,361
and the courage to make decisions based
not on what is easiest,

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00:08:48,361 --> 00:08:52,067
but on what we believe is the right and
best our community.

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00:08:52,067 --> 00:08:56,212
We are grateful for the men and women who
serve our city each day,

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00:08:56,212 --> 00:09:00,735
and we ask for your protection over our
first responders, our employees,

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00:09:00,735 --> 00:09:05,697
and all who work to make our community a
safe and welcoming place to call home.

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00:09:05,697 --> 00:09:10,408
May we conduct tonight's business with
integrity, kindness, and a spirit of

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00:09:10,408 --> 00:09:10,911
integrity, kindness, and a spirit of
service.

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00:09:10,911 --> 00:09:12,230
In your name we pray.

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00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:13,876
Amen. Amen.

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00:09:13,876 --> 00:09:18,101
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America.

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00:09:18,101 --> 00:09:23,646
America, and to the Republic for which it
stands, one nation under God, indivisible,

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00:09:23,646 --> 00:09:28,068
with liberty and justice for all. Thank
you, Vice Mayor. Thank you.

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00:09:28,068 --> 00:09:29,917
We have one ceremonial item.

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00:09:29,917 --> 00:09:35,198
Our friends from the Juvenile Welfare
Board are here to tell us about their 80th

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00:09:35,198 --> 00:09:38,234
anniversary. Whereas, in the early 19th
1940s,

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00:09:38,234 --> 00:09:43,449
few alternatives existed for troubled and
dependent children in Pinellas County

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00:09:43,449 --> 00:09:48,928
beyond adult jail, a need recognized and
championed by juvenile court judge Lincoln

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00:09:48,928 --> 00:09:54,077
Bogue, and whereas attorney Leonard
Cooperman drafted legislation supported by

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00:09:54,077 --> 00:09:54,275
Cooperman drafted legislation supported by
the

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00:09:54,275 --> 00:09:59,622
Pinellas County legislative delegation
establishing an independent special taxing

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00:09:59,622 --> 00:10:01,932
district governed by an autonomous,

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00:10:01,932 --> 00:10:06,817
autonomous board dedicated to protecting
the rights and needs of children,

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00:10:06,817 --> 00:10:11,636
And whereas Senate Bill 618 passed both
legislative chambers in May 1945,

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and on November 5th, 1946,

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00:10:13,352 --> 00:10:17,511
Pinellas County voters ratified the
Juvenile Welfare Board Act,

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00:10:17,511 --> 00:10:22,924
creating the nation's first independent
board dedicated to improving the lives and

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00:10:22,924 --> 00:10:24,244
futures of children.

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00:10:24,244 --> 00:10:27,544
And whereas in 1947, JWB adopted its first
budget,

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00:10:27,544 --> 00:10:31,241
funding 3 agencies serving approximately
1,500 children.

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00:10:31,241 --> 00:10:36,258
Today, JWB funds 87 quality programs
across 49 agencies providing prevention

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00:10:36,258 --> 00:10:36,456
across 49 agencies providing prevention
and

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00:10:36,456 --> 00:10:41,473
early intervention services that have
reached more than 83,000 children last

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00:10:41,473 --> 00:10:41,803
reached more than 83,000 children last
year,

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00:10:41,803 --> 00:10:47,282
and whereas JWB brings together community
partners and leads initiatives supporting

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00:10:47,282 --> 00:10:52,299
early childhood development, school
readiness and success, children's mental

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00:10:52,299 --> 00:10:52,761
readiness and success, children's mental
health,

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00:10:52,761 --> 00:10:57,711
child abuse and neglect prevention,
childhood hunger, and family stability,

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00:10:57,711 --> 00:11:02,266
And whereas JWB has made a meaningful
impact in the City of Largo and

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00:11:02,266 --> 00:11:03,058
impact in the City of Largo and
Mid-Pinellas

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00:11:03,058 --> 00:11:08,273
through investments in programs serving
local families, community partnerships,

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00:11:08,273 --> 00:11:11,640
and youth engagement, helping create safe,
healthy,

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00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,204
and supportive environments where children
can thrive.

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00:11:15,204 --> 00:11:19,627
Now therefore, I, Woody Brown, Mayor of
the City of Largo, Florida,

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and on behalf of the City Commission,

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00:11:22,070 --> 00:11:26,822
do hereby recognize the Juvenile Welfare
Board of Pinellas County's 80th

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00:11:26,822 --> 00:11:27,548
Board of Pinellas County's 80th
anniversary

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00:11:27,548 --> 00:11:32,103
and commend its 8 decades of putting
children first and its continued

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00:11:32,103 --> 00:11:32,961
children first and its continued
dedication to

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the children, families, and communities of
Pinellas County.

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00:11:36,856 --> 00:11:40,336
Good evening, city leadership and Largo
community.

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00:11:40,336 --> 00:11:45,348
I'm very happy to be here tonight to
recognize the important work of our

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00:11:45,348 --> 00:11:45,974
recognize the important work of our
community

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00:11:45,974 --> 00:11:48,480
partner, the Juvenile Welfare Board.

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00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,700
As the city's community engagement
administrator and a Largo representative

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00:11:53,700 --> 00:11:54,257
administrator and a Largo representative
on JWB's

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00:11:54,257 --> 00:11:57,737
Mid-County Community Council for the past
6 years,

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00:11:57,737 --> 00:12:03,584
I've had the opportunity to see firsthand
the impact that JWB and its local partners

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00:12:03,584 --> 00:12:05,393
have across our community.

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00:12:05,393 --> 00:12:10,335
Through partnerships with our library,
recreation, fire rescue, police,

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00:12:10,335 --> 00:12:15,347
and community outreach teams, JWB helps
bring valuable programs, events,

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00:12:15,347 --> 00:12:16,043
bring valuable programs, events,
trainings,

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00:12:16,043 --> 00:12:18,688
and information directly to residents.

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00:12:18,688 --> 00:12:23,838
That includes efforts around safe infant
sleep, drowning prevention, early

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00:12:23,838 --> 00:12:24,465
sleep, drowning prevention, early
learning,

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00:12:24,465 --> 00:12:28,989
free books, online safety, youth mental
health, and so much more.

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00:12:28,989 --> 00:12:34,001
Our city team members consistently
describe JWB as a valued partner that

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00:12:34,001 --> 00:12:34,418
describe JWB as a valued partner that
brings

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00:12:34,418 --> 00:12:39,778
high-quality resources to the community
while strengthening connections among

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families, caregivers, and organizations.

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00:12:42,562 --> 00:12:47,364
One city team member captured it well by
saying, their collaborative,

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00:12:47,364 --> 00:12:52,724
collaborative approach makes it easy for
our team to participate, contribute,

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00:12:52,724 --> 00:12:55,717
and feel part of something truly
impactful.

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00:12:55,717 --> 00:13:00,868
That spirit of partnership is something
we're proud to have here in Largo,

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00:13:00,868 --> 00:13:05,531
and we're grateful for JWB's continued
investment in our community.

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00:13:05,531 --> 00:13:11,030
It's now my pleasure to introduce the
interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board

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00:13:11,030 --> 00:13:11,169
interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board
to

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share more about JWB's 80 years of impact
and service in our community.

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00:13:16,111 --> 00:13:18,895
Please join me in welcoming Karen Bogus.

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00:13:18,895 --> 00:13:23,837
Good evening, Mayor Brown, Largo City
Commissioners, City Manager Kerb,

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00:13:23,837 --> 00:13:27,526
Vice Mayor Johnson, community leaders, and
residents.

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00:13:27,526 --> 00:13:33,303
It is my honor to be before you today as
we celebrate a remarkable milestone in the

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00:13:33,303 --> 00:13:38,453
history of Pinellas County, the Juvenile
Welfare Board's 80th anniversary.

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00:13:38,453 --> 00:13:42,421
My name is Karen Bogus, and I am the
interim CEO for JWB.

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00:13:42,421 --> 00:13:47,850
With me this evening are Mid-County
Community Council members and professional

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00:13:47,850 --> 00:13:48,198
Community Council members and professional
staff

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00:13:48,198 --> 00:13:52,583
from JWB. For 80 years, JWB has been
guided by a simple belief:

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when we invest in children, we invest in
the future of our community.

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We are a special taxing district
established by a special act of the

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00:14:02,119 --> 00:14:02,606
established by a special act of the
Florida

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00:14:02,606 --> 00:14:05,808
legislature and solely funded by property
tax.

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Our annual impact budget is $128 million,

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and last year we had the privilege to
serve over 83,000 children and families

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countywide. Every investment we make is
informed by community needs, guided by

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00:14:19,450 --> 00:14:19,798
informed by community needs, guided by
data,

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and focused on creating lasting impact for
children and families.

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From a child's first days of life through
adolescence and into adulthood,

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our goal remains the same: helping every
child reach their fullest potential.

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And that is one reason being here in Largo
is especially meaningful.

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Your city leaders embrace our mission and
partner with us to strengthen

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opportunities for children and families.

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00:14:47,222 --> 00:14:52,024
Mayor Brown and other city leaders
regularly support our programs and

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00:14:52,024 --> 00:14:52,860
regularly support our programs and
initiatives.

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00:14:52,860 --> 00:14:54,809
As you can see on the slide,

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they help kids pick out books aboard our
summer book bus,

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00:14:58,776 --> 00:15:03,091
serve as storytime readers during
Racetrack Read-Along events,

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partner with us on back-to-school events,
and support our first-year safety fairs.

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Which provide life-saving education to
protect babies and prevent sleep-related

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suffocation deaths. Your library also
serves as a vital hub for families.

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It is a dynamic pit stop for our Turbo
Babies campaign,

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educating supporting parents as their
child's first and best teachers.

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00:15:28,079 --> 00:15:32,743
And your library is also an important
partner in our Early Leaders,

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00:15:32,743 --> 00:15:35,805
Future Leaders grade-level reading
campaign.

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And thanks to the collective work with
partners like you,

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70% of Pinellas County 3rd graders are now
reading proficient,

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outperforming the state average.

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00:15:46,315 --> 00:15:49,030
Like the leaders and citizens of Largo,

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we understand that investing in children
early and often is not just the right

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00:15:54,459 --> 00:15:54,807
early and often is not just the right
thing

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00:15:54,807 --> 00:15:59,540
to do. It is one of the smartest
investments any community can make.

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00:15:59,540 --> 00:16:04,830
And today, an estimated 17% of all
households with children in Largo benefit

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00:16:04,830 --> 00:16:07,196
directly from JWB-funded programs.

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00:16:07,196 --> 00:16:09,076
And across your great city,

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00:16:09,076 --> 00:16:14,644
27 program sites featuring 28 programs are
funded by JWB to help children learn,

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00:16:14,644 --> 00:16:19,934
grow, and thrive. And this includes
quality early learning centers and child

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00:16:19,934 --> 00:16:20,212
quality early learning centers and child
care

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00:16:20,212 --> 00:16:22,648
for working parents of little ones,

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00:16:22,648 --> 00:16:28,008
mental health and behavioral health
services for children and their families,

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00:16:28,008 --> 00:16:33,715
out-of-school time programming to support
students' academics and working parents,

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00:16:33,715 --> 00:16:39,492
Early childhood home visiting and maternal
health supports, leadership development,

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00:16:39,492 --> 00:16:44,643
mentoring, and employment programs for
youth, neighborhood family centers,

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00:16:44,643 --> 00:16:47,914
out-of-school time and family support
services,

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00:16:47,914 --> 00:16:53,204
and other much-needed services to include
school-based healthcare, literacy,

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00:16:53,204 --> 00:16:55,710
kinship, family stability, and more.

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00:16:55,710 --> 00:17:00,025
We are proud of our 80-year history of
putting children first,

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00:17:00,025 --> 00:17:03,227
a milestone made possible by your
partnership.

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00:17:03,227 --> 00:17:08,935
Thank you for sharing our commitment to
children and families who call Largo home.

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00:17:08,935 --> 00:17:14,642
In your packets, you will find information
about our investments in this community

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00:17:14,642 --> 00:17:20,280
and the outcomes we are achieving together
and the resources available to support

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children throughout every stage of life.

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00:17:23,064 --> 00:17:28,702
And you will also find in your packets a
map of the City of Largo and the program

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00:17:28,702 --> 00:17:30,651
sites that are within there.

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00:17:30,651 --> 00:17:34,549
And you will all be able to keep this map
for your city.

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As we look ahead to the next 80 years,

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00:17:37,194 --> 00:17:42,414
we see tremendous opportunity to deepen
our partnership with City of Largo.

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Together, we can continue identifying
needs, expanding opportunities,

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and ensuring that more children and
families have access to the support they

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00:17:52,506 --> 00:17:52,994
families have access to the support they
need to

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00:17:52,994 --> 00:17:58,632
succeed. Because the greatest legacy any
community can leave is not the buildings

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00:17:58,632 --> 00:17:58,771
community can leave is not the buildings
it

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00:17:58,771 --> 00:18:04,269
constructs, or the road it paves. It is
the future it creates for its children.

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For 80 years, JWB has stood alongside
communities that share that belief,

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and we are proud to stand with Largo to
celebrate the impact we are making today

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00:18:14,919 --> 00:18:15,128
celebrate the impact we are making today
and

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00:18:15,128 --> 00:18:20,069
work together to build an even brighter
future for generations to come.

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Thank you for your partnership.

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Thank you for your leadership and your
unwavering commitment to the children and

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00:18:27,795 --> 00:18:30,510
families of Largo. Thank you very much.

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00:18:30,510 --> 00:18:33,851
Yeah, I think he's going to get— we'll be
there.

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Yeah, I'll move that.

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00:18:36,121 --> 00:18:40,063
Mayor, do you want us to all stand in the
back

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00:18:40,063 --> 00:18:42,463
here with them? That's good.

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00:18:43,354 --> 00:18:45,826
Perfect. Oh, I was Scoot you out.

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00:18:45,826 --> 00:18:48,089
Well, you can stand.

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00:18:48,089 --> 00:18:51,482
You might have to make 2 rows.

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00:18:51,482 --> 00:18:53,971
I'll follow your lead.

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00:18:53,971 --> 00:18:56,090
I mean,

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00:18:56,090 --> 00:19:02,144
I can fit everybody.

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00:19:02,144 --> 00:19:05,474
All righty.

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00:19:07,655 --> 00:19:13,433
1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.

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00:19:13,433 --> 00:19:18,322
It's like a hula hoop.

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00:19:18,322 --> 00:19:20,322
Stand by.

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00:19:20,453 --> 00:19:32,962
2, 1. Let's do one more.

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00:19:35,962 --> 00:19:40,817
Whose pen is this?

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00:19:40,817 --> 00:19:41,189
Mine.

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00:19:41,189 --> 00:19:46,567
I got it. Next, we'll have citizens'
comment.

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00:19:46,567 --> 00:19:54,573
If you'd like to speak about something on
the agenda outside of the

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00:19:54,573 --> 00:20:00,787
consent docket, Please wait until the item
comes up.

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00:20:00,787 --> 00:20:04,850
Do we have any cards this evening?

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00:20:04,850 --> 00:20:06,465
I have several cards.

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00:20:06,562 --> 00:20:12,695
First is Norm Bild. 3 minutes. 3-minute
time. I understand. I will comply.

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00:20:12,695 --> 00:20:17,834
Good evening. I'm Norm Bild, proud Largo
resident and veteran,

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00:20:17,834 --> 00:20:21,895
advocating for all veterans as a private
citizen.

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00:20:21,895 --> 00:20:28,525
Largo residents had a breakfast with Mayor
Brown in the spirit of friendship and

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00:20:28,525 --> 00:20:35,487
cooperation. There was one issue I briefly
explained to the mayor privately that has

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00:20:35,487 --> 00:20:40,460
already reached Tallahassee and the
Veterans Administration,

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00:20:40,460 --> 00:20:46,759
but I am confident the issue can be
resolved amicably with the city attorney

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00:20:46,759 --> 00:20:47,256
resolved amicably with the city attorney
if all

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00:20:47,256 --> 00:20:49,742
parties— excuse me— cooperate.

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00:20:49,742 --> 00:20:56,456
The Church of Scientology recently held a
banquet honoring local veterans and Red

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00:20:56,456 --> 00:21:00,351
Star families that had veterans die by
suicide.

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00:21:00,351 --> 00:21:06,981
Nonpartisan cooperation while reconciling
between the City of Clearwater and the

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00:21:06,981 --> 00:21:09,965
Church of Scientology is proceeding.

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00:21:09,965 --> 00:21:12,120
September is a busy month,

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00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:18,004
beginning with the American Legion
National Convention 9/11 is the 25th

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00:21:18,004 --> 00:21:18,999
National Convention 9/11 is the 25th
anniversary.

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00:21:18,999 --> 00:21:21,485
It's self-explanatory. The St.

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00:21:21,485 --> 00:21:26,127
Pete 9/11 annual event, which I was
heavily invested in,

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00:21:26,127 --> 00:21:28,779
succumbed to the COVID pandemic.

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00:21:28,779 --> 00:21:35,160
However, the Steinbrenner family has
requested Tampa veterans to observe 9/11

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00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:35,326
requested Tampa veterans to observe 9/11
at

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00:21:35,326 --> 00:21:39,387
their stadium in Tampa and put aside the
Yankees,

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00:21:39,387 --> 00:21:44,609
And first place raise aside for one day in
national solidarity.

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00:21:44,609 --> 00:21:51,239
The Steinbrenner family has steadfastly
supported the Special Operations Warrior

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00:21:51,239 --> 00:21:57,704
Foundation Scholarship Program, funded
after our special operators were killed

230
00:21:57,704 --> 00:21:57,952
after our special operators were killed
at—

231
00:21:57,952 --> 00:22:01,433
excuse me— Desert One on April 25th, 1980,

232
00:22:01,433 --> 00:22:05,163
in a desperate attempt to rescue are
hostage,

233
00:22:05,163 --> 00:22:08,395
held at the American Embassy in Tehran.

234
00:22:08,395 --> 00:22:15,191
Don't look far to see Special Operations
Warrior Foundation scholarship recipients

235
00:22:15,191 --> 00:22:19,833
and their success. Courtney Robinson,
Channel 10 anchor,

236
00:22:19,833 --> 00:22:26,132
is a Gold Star daughter recipient after
her father died serving as a special

237
00:22:26,132 --> 00:22:33,093
operator. Don't be surprised to see media
coverage September 15th when the Baldemaro

238
00:22:33,093 --> 00:22:37,072
Lopez statue is unveiled on the Tampa
Riverwalk.

239
00:22:37,072 --> 00:22:43,453
Afterward, I will present a picture to the
City of Tampa of Lieutenant Lopez,

240
00:22:43,453 --> 00:22:48,923
Hillsborough High alumni, going over the
seawall in Inchon, Korea,

241
00:22:48,923 --> 00:22:54,725
76 years to the day he gave his life to
protect his Marine platoon and

242
00:22:54,725 --> 00:22:55,720
protect his Marine platoon and
subsequently

243
00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,366
was awarded the Medal of Honor
posthumously.

244
00:22:59,366 --> 00:23:05,251
That night, Honor Flight should be
arriving from Washington to St. Pete

245
00:23:05,251 --> 00:23:05,914
arriving from Washington to St. Pete
Airport.

246
00:23:05,914 --> 00:23:09,229
All are welcome to attend and celebrate.

247
00:23:09,552 --> 00:23:09,891
Thank you.

248
00:23:09,891 --> 00:23:10,876
Thank you.

249
00:23:10,876 --> 00:23:13,896
What was the date on that one?

250
00:23:13,896 --> 00:23:16,110
Is that September 10th? Mr.

251
00:23:16,110 --> 00:23:20,538
Bill, what was the date on that, uh, the
honor flight?

252
00:23:20,538 --> 00:23:25,622
Yeah, the honor— it should be, uh, 15th
September, Your Honor.

253
00:23:25,622 --> 00:23:25,897
Thank you.

254
00:23:25,897 --> 00:23:29,814
That could change for a lot of reasons—
weather, this, that.

255
00:23:29,814 --> 00:23:33,667
I was on one flight where There was damage
to the airplane.

256
00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:35,299
We had to stay overnight.

257
00:23:35,299 --> 00:23:40,391
Long story, but theoretically, we're
hoping for September 15th. Appreciate it.

258
00:23:40,391 --> 00:23:42,089
Keep us updated. Yes, sir.

259
00:23:42,249 --> 00:23:42,489
I will.

260
00:23:42,569 --> 00:23:43,370
And you have my email.

261
00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:43,771
Yep.

262
00:23:43,771 --> 00:23:48,887
Okay. Next speaker is Greg Gardner,

263
00:23:48,887 --> 00:23:55,464
and he's representing Carol Hood, Fran
Baker,

264
00:23:55,464 --> 00:24:01,603
John Morgan, Bob Mitchell, Patricia Wiest,

265
00:24:01,603 --> 00:24:07,157
Susan Ackerman, and Christine Anderer.

266
00:24:07,157 --> 00:24:14,757
Let's give it a try. Testing. Oh wow, this
is great.

267
00:24:14,757 --> 00:24:22,796
Hello everyone, um, my name is Greg
Gardner and this is

268
00:24:22,796 --> 00:24:30,835
a big day. So I'm going to introduce you
to 3 groups of

269
00:24:30,835 --> 00:24:36,974
people. We have, uh, the New Haven people,

270
00:24:36,974 --> 00:24:42,674
New Haven condominium, raise your hand.

271
00:24:42,674 --> 00:24:46,913
Okay, that's a lot of people.

272
00:24:46,913 --> 00:24:49,037
Lincolnshire people.

273
00:24:49,878 --> 00:24:52,406
It's a mobile home park. This is off
Donegan Road.

274
00:24:52,921 --> 00:24:53,243
Yay!

275
00:24:53,549 --> 00:24:57,784
And what about Willowbrook people? Where
are they? Yay!

276
00:24:57,784 --> 00:25:03,405
Okay, um, I'm sorry guys, I only have one
map. This is kind of expensive.

277
00:25:03,405 --> 00:25:09,873
But, um, this map here, this is just real
quick, this, uh, is talking about the, um,

278
00:25:09,873 --> 00:25:13,877
Starkey Road Basin, the flooding we had,
um, Ingram,

279
00:25:13,877 --> 00:25:19,652
and we had the Gloria represent the
floodwater team for the City of Largo 2

280
00:25:19,652 --> 00:25:20,037
floodwater team for the City of Largo 2
weeks

281
00:25:20,037 --> 00:25:24,734
ago, the last commission meeting. And so
this is a follow-up.

282
00:25:24,734 --> 00:25:29,508
And so what we have here is the
Lincolnshire people over here.

283
00:25:29,508 --> 00:25:35,283
All this blue represents flood zone AE.
And over here we have the New Haven

284
00:25:35,283 --> 00:25:35,822
And over here we have the New Haven
people.

285
00:25:35,822 --> 00:25:39,287
And this here is Channel 1, the main
channel.

286
00:25:39,287 --> 00:25:44,292
And What we're addressing to the
commission is a complete lack of

287
00:25:44,292 --> 00:25:45,216
commission is a complete lack of
maintenance.

288
00:25:45,216 --> 00:25:50,606
And so we're going to look at this a
little closely and we're kind of,

289
00:25:50,606 --> 00:25:55,765
kind of dissect what, uh, both Ingram and
DeGloria had spoke about.

290
00:25:55,765 --> 00:26:00,770
And the first thing that he spoke about
was the shared ownership,

291
00:26:00,770 --> 00:26:05,622
and they're absolutely right. Um, New
Haven actually owns this.

292
00:26:05,622 --> 00:26:07,855
It's actually deeded to them.

293
00:26:07,855 --> 00:26:13,861
And then when you get past New Haven, you—
actually, it's golf course up here.

294
00:26:13,861 --> 00:26:16,017
The canal is deeded to them.

295
00:26:16,017 --> 00:26:22,100
And then as you go up, there's a small
section that's Duke Energy. They own it.

296
00:26:22,100 --> 00:26:26,489
And then everything north is deeded to the
City of Largo.

297
00:26:26,489 --> 00:26:32,264
However, the choke point, the biggie, is
the culvert right at Donegan Road.

298
00:26:32,264 --> 00:26:34,882
So everything has to flow through.

299
00:26:34,882 --> 00:26:40,888
And it's, uh, restricted, I would say 50%,
and it puts everyone here in peril.

300
00:26:40,888 --> 00:26:42,967
And there's no maintenance.

301
00:26:42,967 --> 00:26:49,281
So what's really interesting about this
map is this little section down here where

302
00:26:49,281 --> 00:26:53,362
the choke point is, where everything has
to come out.

303
00:26:53,362 --> 00:26:57,135
This includes Channel 10 and Channel 9
down here.

304
00:26:57,135 --> 00:27:03,064
Um, Channel 10 is the Dahlia section. You
know, Dad, we all know that floods.

305
00:27:03,064 --> 00:27:08,993
That's really bad. But down here is all
owned by Largo. And this is the worst

306
00:27:08,993 --> 00:27:09,378
owned by Largo. And this is the worst
part.

307
00:27:09,378 --> 00:27:14,768
And then all the way up. There has been no
maintenance. I say 4 years.

308
00:27:14,768 --> 00:27:16,924
A lot of people say 3 years.

309
00:27:18,166 --> 00:27:18,428
All right.

310
00:27:18,591 --> 00:27:21,779
Let's move along. That's shared ownership.

311
00:27:21,779 --> 00:27:25,119
I'll say jurisdiction, though, is all
Largo.

312
00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:31,040
So according to Swift Mud, Largo is in
control of this and should manage this.

313
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:35,746
Okay, so egress, they brought that up. No
problem with egress.

314
00:27:35,746 --> 00:27:41,211
I've traversed everything. So they
mentioned they had an egress problem.

315
00:27:41,211 --> 00:27:46,677
There is no egress problem whatsoever. Um,
and then we scroll down here.

316
00:27:46,677 --> 00:27:52,977
So the solution here is an intervener. Um,
an intervener is the floodplain manager.

317
00:27:52,977 --> 00:27:55,178
So this would be Noah Taylor.

318
00:27:55,178 --> 00:28:00,947
So his job should be to respond to our
phone calls, to come out to visit us,

319
00:28:00,947 --> 00:28:05,653
to collaborate with the county, to
collaborate with New Haven,

320
00:28:05,653 --> 00:28:11,498
to collaborate with all the ownerships all
the way up. That would be his job.

321
00:28:11,498 --> 00:28:13,699
Um, Noah's not doing his job,

322
00:28:13,699 --> 00:28:19,772
and I say that because I've been working
with the county So I'm going to set the

323
00:28:19,772 --> 00:28:24,402
county as the bar. Now, the county has 2
floodplain managers,

324
00:28:24,402 --> 00:28:30,171
and they are excellent. They respond to
emails. They respond to phone calls.

325
00:28:30,171 --> 00:28:32,448
I have an invitation to go in.

326
00:28:32,448 --> 00:28:37,003
You can't get better than the
collaboration with the county.

327
00:28:37,003 --> 00:28:40,495
We got to raise our bar up to their
standards.

328
00:28:40,495 --> 00:28:44,442
The county does not want to work with
Largo because.

329
00:28:44,442 --> 00:28:50,514
Largo doesn't want to collaborate. We have
a disconnect that needs to get fixed.

330
00:28:50,514 --> 00:28:54,082
Um, but I, I can't say enough about the
county.

331
00:28:54,082 --> 00:29:00,154
Also, when it comes to the county and you
look at public records and you look at

332
00:29:00,154 --> 00:29:06,151
what they do do as far as maintenance,
it's off the chart. They do inspections.

333
00:29:06,151 --> 00:29:10,402
They're— everything south of this Donegan
Road is clear.

334
00:29:10,402 --> 00:29:16,171
And the inspection reports are every 6
months with photos, and they rate it,

335
00:29:16,171 --> 00:29:20,801
you know, and they— and they're on it.
We're not on anything.

336
00:29:20,801 --> 00:29:27,101
I mean, we're like— so on a scale of 1 to
10, county's 10, Largo's 1. We need help.

337
00:29:27,101 --> 00:29:27,481
Okay.

338
00:29:28,511 --> 00:29:30,572
Um, Mr.

339
00:29:30,620 --> 00:29:36,583
Kirk, you mentioned a FEMA rating,
possibly, or risk rating going from 6 to

340
00:29:36,583 --> 00:29:36,742
possibly, or risk rating going from 6 to
5.

341
00:29:36,742 --> 00:29:42,864
Nothing supports that. I've called, I've
asked, I've looked. That's not true.

342
00:29:42,864 --> 00:29:45,885
Um, nothing supports your, your claim.

343
00:29:45,885 --> 00:29:49,860
The solution here, the solution here is
multifold.

344
00:29:49,860 --> 00:29:55,505
Um, DeCicco put in a request for funding
from the state. It was denied.

345
00:29:55,505 --> 00:30:00,196
Anna Paulina put in a request for $4
million from the feds.

346
00:30:00,196 --> 00:30:05,761
I would assume that that would, um, go
through. Um, that's my opinion.

347
00:30:05,761 --> 00:30:10,849
I think it will. But we can't wait. It's
like we need the money.

348
00:30:10,849 --> 00:30:16,494
Um, the other solution here— okay, I'm
going to point you out here, Mr.

349
00:30:16,494 --> 00:30:20,708
Smith— is how important, from what he said
about, um,

350
00:30:20,708 --> 00:30:24,763
stormwater increasing to 15% We, we have a
problem.

351
00:30:24,763 --> 00:30:31,282
We haven't— we're grossly underfunded. If
you compare— so county does a great job.

352
00:30:31,282 --> 00:30:37,086
They are well-funded. We are not
well-funded. I mean, really underfunded.

353
00:30:37,086 --> 00:30:42,015
We have to do what Johnson said. It is
these lives right here.

354
00:30:42,015 --> 00:30:45,434
All of them are in peril. It's
devastating.

355
00:30:45,434 --> 00:30:52,112
And I know you don't like to raise money.
No one does that. I mean, you take a poll.

356
00:30:52,112 --> 00:30:55,849
No one wants to do this. I'm not raising
money.

357
00:30:56,929 --> 00:30:57,298
I get it.

358
00:30:57,668 --> 00:31:02,160
We all get it. Too bad for them. Too bad.
So sad, you know.

359
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:08,023
But as a, as a community, we have to do
what the staff recommended— increase—

360
00:31:08,023 --> 00:31:13,049
I hate to say this, but 15% for the next 3
years. Johnson's right.

361
00:31:13,049 --> 00:31:18,531
By the way, Donna here was the one that
got it right 2 weeks at the last

362
00:31:18,531 --> 00:31:19,292
got it right 2 weeks at the last
commission

363
00:31:19,292 --> 00:31:23,404
meeting. She flooded, and she knows what
this is like.

364
00:31:23,404 --> 00:31:27,820
She can relate to you very, very well. It
was hell, right?

365
00:31:27,820 --> 00:31:28,920
It was.

366
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,984
The other solution is when I get done with
this,

367
00:31:32,984 --> 00:31:39,589
I'll submit a report to 11 agencies and
100 people because what I— this is for

368
00:31:39,589 --> 00:31:39,928
100 people because what I— this is for
you,

369
00:31:39,928 --> 00:31:46,363
Mrs. Attorney Sarah— I really strongly
feel that Largo shows wanton neglect,

370
00:31:46,363 --> 00:31:49,580
and Largo shows reckless endangerment.

371
00:31:49,580 --> 00:31:53,814
All you have to do is look at the last
commission,

372
00:31:53,814 --> 00:31:56,862
listen to Ingram and DeGloria speak.

373
00:31:56,862 --> 00:32:02,874
These guys are just men, you know, they go
to work, they do their best,

374
00:32:02,874 --> 00:32:09,479
and it's not their fault. The onus is not
on them at all. They're good people.

375
00:32:09,479 --> 00:32:13,797
In a bureaucracy that's underfunded and
mismanaged.

376
00:32:13,797 --> 00:32:18,708
And so they were— I felt, my personally,
they were set up.

377
00:32:18,708 --> 00:32:25,567
They were set up to sit over here and blab
a bunch of roundabouts and nothingness

378
00:32:25,567 --> 00:32:30,224
and really not find solutions. No one
really wanted it.

379
00:32:30,224 --> 00:32:32,679
Um, but it looked pretty bad.

380
00:32:32,679 --> 00:32:37,506
You know, if it ever goes to court, it's
pretty much, eh,

381
00:32:37,506 --> 00:32:40,639
we're just going to point the finger.

382
00:32:40,639 --> 00:32:46,735
We can't point the finger at these people
right here. It is their lives.

383
00:32:46,735 --> 00:32:52,832
And we've never had a flooding problem,
um, up until, of course, Milton.

384
00:32:52,832 --> 00:32:58,505
And we know it was severe. I mean, you
know, 1 to 10, it's your 10.

385
00:32:58,505 --> 00:33:01,807
It can actually get worse and go to 11.

386
00:33:01,807 --> 00:33:05,787
But we spend too much money on vanity
projects,

387
00:33:05,787 --> 00:33:09,682
and we don't take health and safety
seriously.

388
00:33:09,682 --> 00:33:16,117
Johnson, thank you for calling out for
what it really was. We cannot say no.

389
00:33:16,117 --> 00:33:18,657
We'd like to, to 15% increase.

390
00:33:18,657 --> 00:33:22,044
So I hope you guys really consider this,

391
00:33:22,044 --> 00:33:28,564
and I hope you listen to the rest of these
good folks. These are all seniors.

392
00:33:28,564 --> 00:33:33,814
They're, they're top priority. Thank you
very much. Thank you.

393
00:33:33,814 --> 00:33:39,995
Um, do you want this here, guys? No, we
like it there. I'll take it down.

394
00:33:39,995 --> 00:33:45,621
Put it over there next to the door so we
can—

395
00:33:45,621 --> 00:33:49,118
Yeah, good idea. That way you can see.

396
00:33:49,118 --> 00:33:56,204
Okay, the next speaker is Jane Paspa, and
she is representing Susan Ackerman.

397
00:33:56,204 --> 00:34:02,277
Susan Ackerman already listed or gave—
signed away her time to Mr.

398
00:34:02,277 --> 00:34:07,891
Gardner, so you'll have 3 minutes. That's
okay. Good evening.

399
00:34:07,891 --> 00:34:15,437
Um, I'm a resident of Lincolnshire Mobile
Home Park, and I apologize, I apologize,

400
00:34:15,437 --> 00:34:18,382
um, I'm not an educated speaker.

401
00:34:18,382 --> 00:34:25,744
I'm a person who lost our home during
Milton We had 3 feet of water in our home,

402
00:34:25,744 --> 00:34:32,369
and fortunately we had a little bit of
flood insurance, but it's really,

403
00:34:32,369 --> 00:34:40,007
really expensive because of the zone that
we're in now. We couldn't leave our area.

404
00:34:40,007 --> 00:34:43,044
We wanted to move out of Florida.

405
00:34:43,044 --> 00:34:50,774
We couldn't leave because it took 6 months
for us to get a substantial damage letter

406
00:34:50,774 --> 00:34:54,915
and the permits needed to take our home
down.

407
00:34:54,915 --> 00:35:02,645
During that time, we were paying $1,000 a
month for an uninhabitable home that Largo

408
00:35:02,645 --> 00:35:04,762
had actually condemned.

409
00:35:04,762 --> 00:35:10,559
I realize I'm one unimportant person to
you guys, but our park—

410
00:35:10,559 --> 00:35:17,277
we all need help with the condition of
these problems now with the canal.

411
00:35:17,277 --> 00:35:17,566
Thank you.

412
00:35:18,901 --> 00:35:26,006
And the new Caspia Apartments, that area
is also overflowing.

413
00:35:26,006 --> 00:35:32,761
It's just a matter of when, not if, that
it hits us again.

414
00:35:32,761 --> 00:35:38,584
I'm 65 years old, retired from the Postal
Service,

415
00:35:38,584 --> 00:35:44,990
and I was homeless, and I'm A person who
has a terminal

416
00:35:44,990 --> 00:35:52,095
incurable illness who was giving myself
infusions in a parked

417
00:35:52,095 --> 00:35:56,171
car. So I'm begging, please listen.

418
00:35:56,171 --> 00:36:02,926
This is important to all of us. We are
all, all in danger.

419
00:36:02,926 --> 00:36:07,818
I'm so sorry. So please listen. Thank you.

420
00:36:07,818 --> 00:36:12,088
Thank you.

421
00:36:15,088 --> 00:36:20,743
Next speaker is Patricia— is it Magby?
Maggie. Maggie.

422
00:36:22,398 --> 00:36:24,978
Okay, I will. Good evening, all.

423
00:36:24,978 --> 00:36:30,621
I am Patricia McGee and I live at
Lincolnshire Estates across from the

424
00:36:30,621 --> 00:36:31,185
Lincolnshire Estates across from the
Caspian

425
00:36:31,185 --> 00:36:35,700
Apartments. I'm very concerned about the
drainage issue.

426
00:36:35,700 --> 00:36:41,101
There is a major problem with the
retention pond. It is not working

427
00:36:41,101 --> 00:36:41,827
retention pond. It is not working
properly.

428
00:36:41,827 --> 00:36:47,873
The water now is so high that all the
trees are growing in water instead of

429
00:36:47,873 --> 00:36:48,276
trees are growing in water instead of
dirt.

430
00:36:48,276 --> 00:36:51,581
They are drowning and they will die soon.

431
00:36:51,581 --> 00:36:53,838
The pond is not deep enough,

432
00:36:53,838 --> 00:36:59,643
and with the last couple of heavy
downpours on the low side of the pond,

433
00:36:59,643 --> 00:37:05,447
the water ran into the street, causing
some to fishtail making the turn.

434
00:37:05,447 --> 00:37:10,848
The culvert between the sidewalk and the
street Stay full of water.

435
00:37:10,848 --> 00:37:15,202
The drain that is supposed to take the
water from 8th—

436
00:37:15,202 --> 00:37:20,039
under 8th Street is not draining at all.
Maybe it's clogged.

437
00:37:20,039 --> 00:37:26,488
If not fixed, our mobile home park will
have major flooding if we get a tropical

438
00:37:26,488 --> 00:37:33,018
storm or hurricane. I took pictures and
videos this morning of the area and would

439
00:37:33,018 --> 00:37:33,179
videos this morning of the area and would
be

440
00:37:33,179 --> 00:37:39,387
more than happy to send them to anyone if
I'm given an email to send them to.

441
00:37:39,387 --> 00:37:45,542
What can be done to help us? Thank you for
your time. Thank you.

442
00:37:48,542 --> 00:37:54,251
Next speaker is Leora Romer. No?

443
00:37:54,251 --> 00:37:59,246
Okay. Next speaker is Joanne

444
00:37:59,246 --> 00:38:06,498
Marino.

445
00:38:09,498 --> 00:38:15,675
Good evening, everyone. As you may or may
not know, my name is Joanne Marino.

446
00:38:15,675 --> 00:38:18,964
Oh, sorry, sorry. Good evening, everyone.

447
00:38:18,964 --> 00:38:24,339
As you may or may not know, my name is
Joanne Marino, and I am, um,

448
00:38:24,339 --> 00:38:26,987
a Willowbrook resident and owner,

449
00:38:26,987 --> 00:38:33,164
and I manage several condominiums at
Willowbrook right off of East Bay Drive.

450
00:38:33,164 --> 00:38:38,539
For several years now, I've tried to
communicate with Public Works,

451
00:38:38,539 --> 00:38:42,710
with the City of Largo, with the County of
Pinellas,

452
00:38:42,710 --> 00:38:47,363
to try to get answers regarding the
dredging of our creek.

453
00:38:47,363 --> 00:38:50,572
Our creek is owned by the City of Largo.

454
00:38:50,572 --> 00:38:55,707
In 1989, it was quitclaimed by Willowbrook
to the City of Largo.

455
00:38:55,707 --> 00:38:58,434
However, Every month we're paying—

456
00:38:58,434 --> 00:39:04,531
110 families are paying to have our
portion of the creek dredged and cleaned

457
00:39:04,531 --> 00:39:04,772
portion of the creek dredged and cleaned
out

458
00:39:04,772 --> 00:39:08,221
every month. We shouldn't have to pay
that.

459
00:39:08,221 --> 00:39:14,880
How more so on each side— and I don't like
to say things without bringing receipts,

460
00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:18,650
so I too have taken pictures, several
pictures,

461
00:39:18,650 --> 00:39:24,025
just before I came to this meeting
tonight, and it is so backed up.

462
00:39:24,025 --> 00:39:28,037
And so it's like a jungle out there, to be
honest.

463
00:39:28,037 --> 00:39:32,048
And if I can have an email to send these
pictures,

464
00:39:32,048 --> 00:39:35,899
I would love to show you what I'm talking
about.

465
00:39:35,899 --> 00:39:40,792
But the problem is that everybody keeps
pointing the fingers.

466
00:39:40,792 --> 00:39:45,525
I recently spoke to someone— if I may,
hold on. Let me see.

467
00:39:45,525 --> 00:39:47,932
I believe her name was Brooke.

468
00:39:47,932 --> 00:39:51,694
Yes. Let's see.

469
00:39:52,181 --> 00:39:53,899
Yes, I spoke to Brooke.

470
00:39:53,899 --> 00:39:59,951
Driscoll, who confirmed in writing that
Engineering and Public Works received the

471
00:39:59,951 --> 00:40:03,611
service request and would inspect the
conveyance.

472
00:40:03,611 --> 00:40:06,973
Um, which is another thing I'd like to
raise.

473
00:40:06,973 --> 00:40:12,875
Um, several times I went on the City of
Largo website to put in a quote-unquote

474
00:40:12,875 --> 00:40:13,174
Largo website to put in a quote-unquote
work

475
00:40:13,174 --> 00:40:16,760
order. However, the site does not work
properly.

476
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,524
It keeps rebuffering and rebuffering.

477
00:40:19,524 --> 00:40:25,725
So I actually had to call the city clerk
and try to go through channels just to get

478
00:40:25,725 --> 00:40:30,880
some answers. As I said, I've been doing
this for 3 years. I'm tired.

479
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:34,242
I just— you know what? Stop pointing
fingers.

480
00:40:34,242 --> 00:40:39,920
Just whoever is responsibility, please
just get it done. It's not that hard.

481
00:40:40,197 --> 00:40:40,670
All right?

482
00:40:40,768 --> 00:40:42,170
I appreciate you. Thank you.

483
00:40:42,170 --> 00:40:50,175
Thank you. Next speaker is Steve

484
00:40:50,175 --> 00:40:57,179
Carpenter. Hello, my name is

485
00:40:57,179 --> 00:41:04,433
Steve Carpenter and I live in

486
00:41:04,433 --> 00:41:10,437
New Haven Condos. I am a

487
00:41:10,437 --> 00:41:12,938
fisherman.

488
00:41:14,255 --> 00:41:21,535
And I can walk out my back door and fish
from the nature preserve down to Donnican

489
00:41:21,535 --> 00:41:21,979
Road.

490
00:41:23,006 --> 00:41:30,616
As a fisherman, I have a pretty good idea
of how deep the water is in

491
00:41:30,616 --> 00:41:35,027
that area. Back before Hurricane Milton,

492
00:41:35,027 --> 00:41:40,211
this was confirmed one day while I was
fishing.

493
00:41:40,211 --> 00:41:48,152
I saw 2 teenager boys in kayaks Come out
from the New Haven Drive sewage

494
00:41:48,152 --> 00:41:50,578
pipes, horsing around.

495
00:41:50,578 --> 00:41:54,328
One boy tipped over the other boy,

496
00:41:54,328 --> 00:42:01,937
who then stood up to upright his kayak,
and the water was waist deep.

497
00:42:01,937 --> 00:42:08,224
The boy was about my height, and it came
up to his waist.

498
00:42:08,224 --> 00:42:11,091
Approximately 3 feet deep.

499
00:42:11,091 --> 00:42:13,297
I also have a canoe,

500
00:42:13,297 --> 00:42:19,142
and I could put in on the south side of
Donegan Road.

501
00:42:19,142 --> 00:42:26,421
I could take a 6-foot-long fishing pole
and stick it in the water,

502
00:42:26,421 --> 00:42:31,605
and it will not touch the bottom. in that
area.

503
00:42:31,605 --> 00:42:37,450
Because it is only 3 feet deep in our New
Haven area,

504
00:42:37,450 --> 00:42:42,744
maybe this is why we are, are more apt to
flood.

505
00:42:42,744 --> 00:42:48,589
This is why we're asking for the canal to
be dredged.

506
00:42:48,589 --> 00:42:56,077
Thank you. Thank you.

507
00:42:59,077 --> 00:43:03,391
Next speaker

508
00:43:03,391 --> 00:43:06,267
is Laura

509
00:43:06,267 --> 00:43:08,424
Royal.

510
00:43:08,424 --> 00:43:11,391
Can I just turn the map around to them?

511
00:43:11,391 --> 00:43:12,833
Yeah, sure.

512
00:43:12,833 --> 00:43:20,648
I just want to show you Is this

513
00:43:20,648 --> 00:43:27,959
okay? Can I approach the map?

514
00:43:27,959 --> 00:43:28,607
Sure.

515
00:43:28,607 --> 00:43:35,090
You can take it right back down. Correct
me if I'm wrong.

516
00:43:35,090 --> 00:43:42,141
Thank you. My name is Laura Royal. I live
in New Haven Condos.

517
00:43:42,141 --> 00:43:46,235
My parents owned there for 25 years,

518
00:43:46,235 --> 00:43:52,262
and I inherited their place. So New Haven.
New Haven.

519
00:43:52,262 --> 00:43:59,086
And I live basically here. And here's
where the blockage is.

520
00:43:59,086 --> 00:44:05,341
There's vegetation that grows every year
right in here.

521
00:44:05,341 --> 00:44:10,573
Aquatic lettuce. So I just wanted you to
know,

522
00:44:10,573 --> 00:44:17,738
all the people that are here, all the
people that are here, Um,

523
00:44:17,738 --> 00:44:24,675
from New Haven, we have approximately 250
people that live in

524
00:44:24,675 --> 00:44:30,589
New Haven. Uh, Waterview, 100? Right
across from us.

525
00:44:30,589 --> 00:44:32,636
Lincolnshire, 500?

526
00:44:32,636 --> 00:44:33,364
600.

527
00:44:33,364 --> 00:44:40,317
600. In this one small area, in this one
small area, Out of our 177 in Phase 1,

528
00:44:40,317 --> 00:44:45,421
150 lost their homes. We couldn't, we
couldn't stay there.

529
00:44:45,421 --> 00:44:51,582
Our furniture was dumped out in the roads
and we could not live there.

530
00:44:51,582 --> 00:44:53,342
Drywall, everything.

531
00:44:53,342 --> 00:44:57,479
Just to give you some history, in July of
2022,

532
00:44:57,479 --> 00:45:04,344
I contacted Billy Ingram and sent him
pictures of the aquatic growth that they

533
00:45:04,344 --> 00:45:04,696
pictures of the aquatic growth that they
used

534
00:45:04,696 --> 00:45:11,737
to send a boat out and spray the spray So
all the vegetation sunk to the bottom.

535
00:45:11,737 --> 00:45:18,249
2022, I said, we need help. 2022, they did
dredge. They hired a harvester.

536
00:45:18,249 --> 00:45:22,738
It's this little boat that went out and
dredged it.

537
00:45:22,738 --> 00:45:30,043
Then they, in 2024— so this is since 2022
I was working on it— I got Andre Frazier,

538
00:45:30,043 --> 00:45:37,260
the supervisor, involved. They were going
to be out. Like the next week to dredge.

539
00:45:37,260 --> 00:45:44,389
I've contacted Billy Ingram, Tracy Miller,
Michael Weaver, Andre Faison, Frazier.

540
00:45:44,389 --> 00:45:50,197
So when it was destroyed, it took us over
6 months to get permits.

541
00:45:50,197 --> 00:45:56,622
People had to pay rent. They had to pay
homeowners fees at the same time.

542
00:45:56,622 --> 00:46:01,815
Most of us are retired. Some people had to
go back to work.

543
00:46:01,815 --> 00:46:06,303
How many of you have ever driven down
Donegan Road?

544
00:46:06,303 --> 00:46:12,200
And we've got the new apartments, over 200
apartments now built up.

545
00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:18,273
Where's that water going to go?
Lincolnshire and us. We've lost cars,

546
00:46:18,273 --> 00:46:19,153
Lincolnshire and us. We've lost cars,
furniture.

547
00:46:19,153 --> 00:46:24,609
Many of us evacuated, so we came home to a
mess. in our homes.

548
00:46:24,609 --> 00:46:30,858
And I'm looking in your faces. How many of
you were out from the flood?

549
00:46:30,858 --> 00:46:36,667
How many of you evacuated? How many lost
everything on this board?

550
00:46:36,667 --> 00:46:42,916
But we have this beautiful building, and
all we're asking is to dredge.

551
00:46:42,916 --> 00:46:46,612
That can't cost that much money. This was—

552
00:46:46,645 --> 00:46:58,544
this was— Thank you. Next speaker is
Sandra Moore.

553
00:47:01,544 --> 00:47:02,426
I hope you can hear me.

554
00:47:02,426 --> 00:47:03,675
Yep, yep, thank you.

555
00:47:03,675 --> 00:47:04,348
No?

556
00:47:04,348 --> 00:47:05,518
Yes, you're fine.

557
00:47:05,518 --> 00:47:07,297
I have it right now. Huh?

558
00:47:07,633 --> 00:47:09,492
We can hear you. You're good.

559
00:47:09,492 --> 00:47:14,336
Okay, you know what, I never thought I'd
be coming here.

560
00:47:14,336 --> 00:47:19,699
I've talked to Mayor Brown and, and, and
for different things,

561
00:47:19,699 --> 00:47:22,207
and he's been Very welcoming.

562
00:47:22,207 --> 00:47:27,138
But what I'm upset about is I'm going to
be 84 very soon.

563
00:47:27,138 --> 00:47:30,425
I have been out of this state 2 times.

564
00:47:30,425 --> 00:47:35,701
I've taken airline flights that had 2
different destinations.

565
00:47:35,701 --> 00:47:38,383
One was Denver, then Cleveland.

566
00:47:38,383 --> 00:47:44,957
I have been told by everybody that works
for Clyde Johnson that I was wrong.

567
00:47:44,957 --> 00:47:49,628
I should just sit there and not be home
for 19 months.

568
00:47:49,628 --> 00:47:52,396
19 months I've been on the road.

569
00:47:52,396 --> 00:47:58,624
From that very mud experience, I have
gotten to the point where I shake.

570
00:47:58,624 --> 00:48:05,025
I have no idea what's gonna happen. I
can't do another flood. I can't take

571
00:48:05,025 --> 00:48:05,544
can't do another flood. I can't take
50/50.

572
00:48:05,544 --> 00:48:11,685
It's not enough money to survive. I love
my home. My home is beautiful.

573
00:48:11,685 --> 00:48:18,519
Not being smart, but it is gorgeous. I
fixed it. It's fixed up. It's beautiful.

574
00:48:18,519 --> 00:48:22,325
Most homes in our area are beautiful
inside.

575
00:48:22,325 --> 00:48:28,553
And you people do not want to hear the
truth. The truth is we're people.

576
00:48:28,553 --> 00:48:33,224
We're human. We are people that give to
the community.

577
00:48:33,224 --> 00:48:36,597
We march for the goodness of our heart.

578
00:48:36,597 --> 00:48:36,774
Thank you.

579
00:48:37,336 --> 00:48:39,246
All we get is pain.

580
00:48:40,417 --> 00:48:41,508
Don't do this anymore.

581
00:48:41,588 --> 00:48:47,621
At least try to drudge it. Give us some
kind of like you're working for us.

582
00:48:47,621 --> 00:48:53,492
New Haven is a, is a community that I
think scares me because it's such a

583
00:48:53,492 --> 00:48:54,136
think scares me because it's such a
secluded

584
00:48:54,136 --> 00:49:00,571
bedroom area that maybe somebody would
like to build something very expensive on

585
00:49:00,571 --> 00:49:00,812
like to build something very expensive on
it.

586
00:49:00,812 --> 00:49:05,960
And I'm beginning to see that there's some
kind of problem here.

587
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:09,017
I'm beginning to see that both of you,

588
00:49:09,017 --> 00:49:14,406
all of you should look up and touch your
hearts and use your minds.

589
00:49:14,406 --> 00:49:20,599
Because those places are not just looking
like little dull people live there.

590
00:49:20,599 --> 00:49:23,978
We put our heart and souls into our homes.

591
00:49:23,978 --> 00:49:30,332
I have, for example, I have 3 stressless
chairs. I have over $10,000 in chairs.

592
00:49:30,332 --> 00:49:36,767
More like 11 or 12. So all I can say is
just open up your minds and open up your

593
00:49:36,767 --> 00:49:42,236
hearts. We're a small community, you
think, but if you had to do it,

594
00:49:42,236 --> 00:49:44,730
you'd have a different opinion.

595
00:49:44,730 --> 00:49:51,207
Thank you. Okay, the next speaker is Jay
Sewell,

596
00:49:51,207 --> 00:49:56,875
and she's representing Jerry Dare Taz— oh,

597
00:49:56,875 --> 00:50:01,328
Tammy Harvey, Carlinda Mickelson,

598
00:50:01,328 --> 00:50:06,455
Mary Lee Lewis-Palmer, Nina Carpenter,

599
00:50:06,455 --> 00:50:11,853
Christina Belden, and Eileen Livingston.

600
00:50:11,853 --> 00:50:17,042
Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the
commission.

601
00:50:17,042 --> 00:50:23,096
I'm going to use this because I want to be
turning papers over,

602
00:50:23,096 --> 00:50:28,381
um, and I've forgotten my glasses. My name
is on there.

603
00:50:28,381 --> 00:50:30,303
Jay, you forgot too.

604
00:50:30,303 --> 00:50:32,466
I know. That's all right. She has— she had
10 minutes.

605
00:50:32,466 --> 00:50:36,825
Sorry about that. Um, Diane, I believe,
has given you folders again.

606
00:50:36,825 --> 00:50:37,995
Yeah, thank you.

607
00:50:37,995 --> 00:50:41,536
With pictures and photographs and stuff
in.

608
00:50:41,536 --> 00:50:47,711
Um, when I can find my stupid glasses. I'm
going, I'm going. Hang on. Wait.

609
00:50:47,711 --> 00:50:52,816
Right. I'm gonna— I'm gonna start with,
um, Mr. Ingram and Mr.

610
00:50:52,816 --> 00:50:55,039
DeGloria, same as Greg did,

611
00:50:55,039 --> 00:51:01,380
and they told us that the service provided
and it continues to be provided is

612
00:51:01,380 --> 00:51:03,438
spraying, extra spraying.

613
00:51:03,438 --> 00:51:05,173
Could you start the clock? Oh, thank you.

614
00:51:05,221 --> 00:51:05,654
I'm sorry.

615
00:51:05,654 --> 00:51:08,160
You start— you have 10 minutes from now.
You're good.

616
00:51:08,160 --> 00:51:09,582
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

617
00:51:09,582 --> 00:51:11,546
Um, where did I get— oh yeah,

618
00:51:11,546 --> 00:51:15,947
the service provided and it continues to
be provided is spraying,

619
00:51:15,947 --> 00:51:21,500
and they do extra if This service has been
provided for the last 6 years according

620
00:51:21,500 --> 00:51:24,818
to Mr Ingram. It hasn't, and it hasn't
done much.

621
00:51:24,818 --> 00:51:28,203
What they have done for the hydrilla, as
you know,

622
00:51:28,203 --> 00:51:32,808
you had pictures of the hydrilla
completely overtaking our waterway,

623
00:51:32,808 --> 00:51:36,464
and that is now 6 years of spraying an
invasive plant,

624
00:51:36,464 --> 00:51:40,188
sinking it to the bottom layer after layer
after layer.

625
00:51:40,188 --> 00:51:43,845
This has been like putting dirt into a
glass of water.

626
00:51:43,845 --> 00:51:43,997
Thank you.

627
00:51:44,868 --> 00:51:48,217
Then add more until the dirt fills the
glass,

628
00:51:48,217 --> 00:51:52,979
which then pushes all the water over the
top and then overflows.

629
00:51:52,979 --> 00:51:56,402
That's what's happening to our Canal
Number 1.

630
00:51:56,402 --> 00:52:01,685
You keep filling it up with spraying these
weeds and sinking the weeds,

631
00:52:01,685 --> 00:52:06,671
and you're just pushing our water levels
up and up and up. Like Mr.

632
00:52:06,671 --> 00:52:09,870
Gardner said, 3 feet of water instead of
6,

633
00:52:09,870 --> 00:52:15,749
that means there's 3 feet of hydrilla
underneath there that needs taking out so

634
00:52:15,749 --> 00:52:15,972
underneath there that needs taking out so
our

635
00:52:15,972 --> 00:52:21,851
water can flow. The question was raised 2
weeks ago about ownership of parcels.

636
00:52:21,851 --> 00:52:23,711
This brings me to saying,

637
00:52:23,711 --> 00:52:28,994
how do you know which part of the bowl of
water belongs to each parcel?

638
00:52:28,994 --> 00:52:35,096
They may own the edge of the water, the
banks, but you can't own a piece of water.

639
00:52:35,096 --> 00:52:41,123
It's Largo's water. It comes from East Bay
all the way through to Seminole Basin.

640
00:52:41,123 --> 00:52:45,067
On that first photo— no, it's map number
2, actually.

641
00:52:45,067 --> 00:52:50,499
If you go to map number 2, you'll see that
Long Bayou leads into Allison.

642
00:52:50,499 --> 00:52:56,750
That's the— I think it's on that map. It's
the smaller piece of water that comes in.

643
00:52:56,750 --> 00:53:00,992
That's called Long Bayou. Then it goes
into Lake Allison.

644
00:53:00,992 --> 00:53:04,266
What happens when it goes into Lake
Allison?

645
00:53:04,266 --> 00:53:07,465
You'll see from the next map, map number
3.

646
00:53:07,465 --> 00:53:13,418
that there are some white lines going
across the bottom and then there is a gold

647
00:53:13,418 --> 00:53:19,669
box. That's a pump. So the water comes all
the way through and it gets to 8th Avenue

648
00:53:19,669 --> 00:53:22,422
and it gets pumped into Lake Allison.

649
00:53:22,422 --> 00:53:26,664
Then Lake Allison flows north, northeast,
and then south.

650
00:53:26,664 --> 00:53:32,170
And guess where that ends up? In the
bayou. In the bayou behind New Haven.

651
00:53:32,170 --> 00:53:38,049
So all of that water that's coming down to
8th from the north is going into the

652
00:53:38,049 --> 00:53:43,332
bayou at New Haven. And then if you go— I
got into the GIS system here,

653
00:53:43,332 --> 00:53:45,862
the geographic information system.

654
00:53:45,862 --> 00:53:50,029
The white lines, this is map 3, they're
storm waterways.

655
00:53:50,029 --> 00:53:54,717
You see all those water lines, those white
lines going through?

656
00:53:54,717 --> 00:53:54,863
Yes.

657
00:53:55,618 --> 00:53:58,887
You see where they all end up? In Long
Bayou.

658
00:53:58,887 --> 00:54:03,754
And that's from 7th Street Southeast, 5th
and 6th Avenue Southeast,

659
00:54:03,754 --> 00:54:09,202
and the dead end at 5th Street Southeast.
They all run into the Long Bayou.

660
00:54:09,202 --> 00:54:14,796
It's the stormwater drain that's being
pushed into our canal, Canal Number 1.

661
00:54:14,796 --> 00:54:20,680
When it— like I said, it comes down Lake
Bayou, goes into Lake— what's it called?

662
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:20,921
Cane.

663
00:54:21,163 --> 00:54:24,756
the Lake Allison, and then the pump pushes
it up.

664
00:54:24,756 --> 00:54:29,890
Lake Allison comes around, comes down into
Long Bayou, into our bayou.

665
00:54:29,890 --> 00:54:34,363
So all— half of Largo south of East Bay
comes into our bayou.

666
00:54:34,363 --> 00:54:39,790
Why should we be the ones making it
cleaned up? The owners, the residents?

667
00:54:39,790 --> 00:54:41,330
Largo needs to do it.

668
00:54:41,330 --> 00:54:46,170
It's Largo water from all over Largo
that's going into that bayou.

669
00:54:46,170 --> 00:54:50,057
Which is, you know— I've talked about this
last time.

670
00:54:50,057 --> 00:54:56,070
Included in the stormwater flow is west of
Lincolnshire now, right? That's Caspia.

671
00:54:56,070 --> 00:55:00,911
When the developer applied for Caspia, he
applied for 9 buildings.

672
00:55:00,911 --> 00:55:03,991
You turned him down, turned him down flat,

673
00:55:03,991 --> 00:55:08,097
but you gave him half of the property to
build 5, right?

674
00:55:08,097 --> 00:55:10,884
And they had to have a retention pond.

675
00:55:10,884 --> 00:55:15,211
Somebody told you earlier that retention
pond doesn't work.

676
00:55:15,211 --> 00:55:20,271
It comes over the road and flows into
Donegan. And then it flows into

677
00:55:20,271 --> 00:55:21,224
Donegan. And then it flows into
Lincolnshire.

678
00:55:21,224 --> 00:55:24,671
Okay? Now, I was up there day before
yesterday.

679
00:55:24,671 --> 00:55:30,318
The water from 3 weeks ago is still
sitting in the ditches because it doesn't

680
00:55:30,318 --> 00:55:30,758
sitting in the ditches because it doesn't
drain.

681
00:55:30,758 --> 00:55:35,598
Right? So we've got the water coming from
the bayou, Allison Lake,

682
00:55:35,598 --> 00:55:39,265
and now we have the water, the stormwater
that is,

683
00:55:39,265 --> 00:55:45,058
coming down 8th Avenue to the corner of
Donegan and 8th with the water overflow

684
00:55:45,058 --> 00:55:45,352
Donegan and 8th with the water overflow
from

685
00:55:45,352 --> 00:55:50,265
Caspia threatening all of us, not just
Lincolnshire, but all of us.

686
00:55:50,265 --> 00:55:52,465
Now, I mean, insult to injury,

687
00:55:52,465 --> 00:55:57,379
you're now going to build those 4 units
north of Caspia, or a plat—

688
00:55:57,379 --> 00:56:02,732
they've applied for planning, and I
understand it's 90% of the way there.

689
00:56:02,732 --> 00:56:06,032
What are you doing to us? This is
deplorable.

690
00:56:06,032 --> 00:56:10,652
It's 9— it's 9 feet elevation higher than
Donegan Road. 9 feet.

691
00:56:10,652 --> 00:56:14,759
Where do you think when you filled it all
with concrete,

692
00:56:14,759 --> 00:56:17,766
or allowed it to be filled with concrete,

693
00:56:17,766 --> 00:56:23,559
and you've allowed it to be filled with
asphalt so the rain can't come down and

694
00:56:23,559 --> 00:56:23,852
asphalt so the rain can't come down and
sink

695
00:56:23,852 --> 00:56:27,299
in the grass, it's going to run down to
Caspia.

696
00:56:27,299 --> 00:56:32,873
Caspia is going to run down to the Donegan
Road. It's not going to. Into us.

697
00:56:32,873 --> 00:56:37,273
You are going to flood us. Largo City are
going to flood us.

698
00:56:37,273 --> 00:56:41,306
Are your taxes for a few condos worth
losing thousands,

699
00:56:41,306 --> 00:56:47,320
hundreds of thousands of taxes from homes
that are going to be obliterated because

700
00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:50,986
you won't dredge a piece of water? I'm
asking you.

701
00:56:50,986 --> 00:56:56,853
I mean, I don't know what you're thinking
allowing this new complex to be built.

702
00:56:56,853 --> 00:57:01,180
There's nowhere for that water to go
except downhill to us.

703
00:57:01,180 --> 00:57:01,469
Thank you.

704
00:57:02,715 --> 00:57:06,309
That's threatening people's lives and
livelihoods.

705
00:57:06,309 --> 00:57:12,060
It's disgusting what you're allowing to be
built in this little corner of Largo.

706
00:57:12,060 --> 00:57:16,445
It's disgusting. And then it's like spray
and sink the weeds,

707
00:57:16,445 --> 00:57:18,242
spray and sink the weeds.

708
00:57:18,242 --> 00:57:22,914
On many occasions I've spoken to people
here, stop spraying them,

709
00:57:22,914 --> 00:57:28,378
clear them out so they no longer grow
anymore like they used to 5 years ago.

710
00:57:28,378 --> 00:57:33,266
And it's these— I just can't get over
these pavements at the moment.

711
00:57:33,266 --> 00:57:38,945
There isn't going to be any room for water
to go anywhere once Caspian's— well,

712
00:57:38,945 --> 00:57:43,833
Caspian's finished and they haven't done
very well with their water.

713
00:57:43,833 --> 00:57:49,511
And now we've got Station project with
nowhere for their water to go except for

714
00:57:49,511 --> 00:57:53,537
downwards to us. It's disgusting,
absolutely disgusting.

715
00:57:53,537 --> 00:57:53,745
Thank you.

716
00:57:54,885 --> 00:57:57,422
They've got— how many apartments is that?

717
00:57:57,422 --> 00:58:00,702
Okay, affordable rent, affordable housing
for Caspia.

718
00:58:00,702 --> 00:58:03,178
$1,600 for a 1-bedroom, 768 square feet.

719
00:58:03,178 --> 00:58:05,963
$2,585 for a 2-bedroom for 1,200 square
feet.

720
00:58:05,963 --> 00:58:09,738
I don't call that affordable, but it was
allowed to be built,

721
00:58:09,738 --> 00:58:11,904
and now you're going to build more.

722
00:58:11,904 --> 00:58:16,113
That first building has hardly, what, 40
residents, I think, so far.

723
00:58:16,113 --> 00:58:20,816
The other 4 buildings are empty because
people can't afford to live in them.

724
00:58:20,816 --> 00:58:21,057
That's right.

725
00:58:22,309 --> 00:58:26,299
And then you're going to think of 168 more
condos north of that.

726
00:58:26,299 --> 00:58:30,476
So I don't know what your thinking is when
you destroy a community,

727
00:58:30,476 --> 00:58:34,715
because that's what will happen to us. We
will be totally destroyed.

728
00:58:34,715 --> 00:58:38,642
We've got the extra traffic on the road
from these 2 complexes.

729
00:58:38,642 --> 00:58:43,193
That's an extra 600 cars every morning and
an extra 600 cars every night.

730
00:58:43,193 --> 00:58:48,305
I've spoken to the sergeant in traffic. He
can't believe it's been allowed either.

731
00:58:48,305 --> 00:58:48,449
Thank you.

732
00:58:48,946 --> 00:58:52,418
Because the traffic is horrendous. It's a
30-mile-an-hour limit.

733
00:58:52,418 --> 00:58:55,184
I've been driven off the road several
times myself.

734
00:58:55,184 --> 00:58:59,632
It's got a double yellow and it's 2 lanes,
one going one way, one going the other.

735
00:58:59,632 --> 00:59:03,158
And you're going to put another 600 cars
on there at school time?

736
00:59:03,158 --> 00:59:05,707
The school is just up the street. At work
time?

737
00:59:05,707 --> 00:59:09,287
People aren't going to be able to get in
and out of where we live.

738
00:59:09,287 --> 00:59:10,752
We're going to be stranded.

739
00:59:10,752 --> 00:59:14,169
It's going to be like a little island that
you can't move from.

740
00:59:14,169 --> 00:59:14,505
Thank you.

741
00:59:15,609 --> 00:59:20,056
The cars— 600 cars on average from these 2
apartment buildings.

742
00:59:20,056 --> 00:59:24,644
I mean, do we get drowned? Do we get
flooded? Do we get run over?

743
00:59:24,644 --> 00:59:26,902
Do we get driven off the street?

744
00:59:26,902 --> 00:59:31,631
Leave our corner alone and get it dredged
and let us live in peace.

745
00:59:31,631 --> 00:59:34,596
It's disgusting what you're contemplating.

746
00:59:34,596 --> 00:59:40,172
Another block of apartments where there's
nowhere for the water to go except to

747
00:59:40,172 --> 00:59:41,725
drown us, to flood us.

748
00:59:41,725 --> 00:59:46,807
I mean, I produced a map, which is the
last piece of paper in your file,

749
00:59:46,807 --> 00:59:51,254
of how you can control the traffic flow
for zero, next to zero.

750
00:59:51,254 --> 00:59:56,830
4-way stops all the way at strategic
places so that they can't speed up to more

751
00:59:56,830 --> 00:59:57,112
places so that they can't speed up to more
than

752
00:59:57,112 --> 01:00:00,994
30 miles an hour before they get to the
next stop sign.

753
01:00:00,994 --> 01:00:04,876
Then they go to 30 miles an hour to the
next stop sign.

754
01:00:04,876 --> 01:00:10,593
That'll at least maybe alleviate most of
the traffic that comes through us that's

755
01:00:10,593 --> 01:00:16,240
cutting off Olmerton and Missouri. They
cut through our road to get to East Bay.

756
01:00:16,240 --> 01:00:21,252
Maybe if they can really do 30 miles an
hour, which is the speed limit,

757
01:00:21,252 --> 01:00:24,428
they won't bother to come down there
anymore.

758
01:00:24,428 --> 01:00:25,839
You know, so I mean,

759
01:00:25,839 --> 01:00:31,486
you're putting this area that we love into
jeopardy by not dredging, number one,

760
01:00:31,486 --> 01:00:35,792
Because we're going to be flooded, there's
no doubt about it.

761
01:00:35,792 --> 01:00:39,462
The next big rainstorm, we are going to
flood again.

762
01:00:39,462 --> 01:00:43,626
And we don't need a dredge next year, we
need a dredge now.

763
01:00:43,626 --> 01:00:46,238
I told you this last time I was here.

764
01:00:46,639 --> 01:00:46,815
Now.

765
01:00:46,815 --> 01:00:48,840
Thank you for your time, all of you.

766
01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:53,509
And please take the folders home and have
a look at them and really look at some of

767
01:00:53,509 --> 01:00:55,365
the things I didn't get to cover.

768
01:00:55,365 --> 01:00:59,697
And I'm sure you wouldn't want your
parents staring out of their window every

769
01:00:59,697 --> 01:00:59,866
parents staring out of their window every
day

770
01:00:59,866 --> 01:01:02,341
wondering if it was— this was going to
date.

771
01:01:02,341 --> 01:01:05,547
that their house is going to be trashed
again in 2 years?

772
01:01:05,547 --> 01:01:08,978
I'm sure you want that— you don't want
that for your parents.

773
01:01:08,978 --> 01:01:12,466
We don't want it for ours. We don't want
it for our residents.

774
01:01:12,466 --> 01:01:12,949
Thank you.

775
01:01:12,949 --> 01:01:13,755
Thank you.

776
01:01:13,755 --> 01:01:18,098
Next speaker is Diane LaForge.

777
01:01:18,098 --> 01:01:22,297
Next speaker is Craig Murtha.

778
01:01:22,297 --> 01:01:30,114
There's some great people here tonight,
pretty spunky.

779
01:01:30,114 --> 01:01:35,471
And they should know that in 2 years,

780
01:01:35,471 --> 01:01:43,144
3 more of these seats come available if
anybody wants

781
01:01:43,144 --> 01:01:44,157
to run.

782
01:01:44,157 --> 01:01:46,610
Yeah!

783
01:01:46,610 --> 01:01:50,704
You would probably have a lot of votes
already and you could go to the other

784
01:01:50,704 --> 01:01:50,973
already and you could go to the other
creek

785
01:01:50,973 --> 01:01:54,798
communities, Allen's Creek and McKay
Creek, and pick up a lot of votes.

786
01:01:54,798 --> 01:01:56,521
And I'll knock on doors for you,

787
01:01:56,521 --> 01:02:00,238
'cause we need to get some people with
some brains on the commission.

788
01:02:01,918 --> 01:02:02,015
Anyhow—

789
01:02:02,015 --> 01:02:06,076
The big problem is that we set up this
county, or they set up this county, 50,

790
01:02:06,076 --> 01:02:09,147
75 years ago, so everything would drain
through the creeks.

791
01:02:09,147 --> 01:02:13,416
But since then, a lot of stuff has been
built, and we keep building more and more.

792
01:02:13,416 --> 01:02:17,685
And we seem to have this attitude that we
can build an apartment complex with very

793
01:02:17,685 --> 01:02:20,132
little drainage, And, uh, because some of
them,

794
01:02:20,132 --> 01:02:22,162
I can't find drainage in some of these.

795
01:02:22,162 --> 01:02:25,650
If, if there is some, it's so small I
don't even consider drainage.

796
01:02:25,650 --> 01:02:29,451
It's ridiculous because— so we're just
sending all of this stuff through,

797
01:02:29,451 --> 01:02:33,563
and we're spending a lot of money sending
this stuff off to the creeks to flood

798
01:02:33,563 --> 01:02:37,312
more, to flood people year after year. And
it's only going to get worse.

799
01:02:37,312 --> 01:02:40,279
I mean, climate change is real. I mean,
you can see that.

800
01:02:40,279 --> 01:02:44,288
We never had a 24-inch storm in history, I
think, and we had one 2 years ago.

801
01:02:44,288 --> 01:02:46,474
We're going to get a lot more coming soon.

802
01:02:46,474 --> 01:02:47,828
So We have to plan for it,

803
01:02:47,828 --> 01:02:52,097
and we have to create creeks and ponds and
stormwater retention all along the way.

804
01:02:52,097 --> 01:02:55,168
Obviously, we're going to keep draining
through the creeks,

805
01:02:55,168 --> 01:02:58,813
but we have to have a hybrid system, and
we have to lean more on that.

806
01:02:58,813 --> 01:03:01,311
And it's really less expensive in a lot of
ways,

807
01:03:01,311 --> 01:03:03,550
because these culverts cost a lot of
money.

808
01:03:03,550 --> 01:03:05,372
Putting a culvert like the culvert—

809
01:03:05,372 --> 01:03:08,027
you go over to City Hall and get out in
the street,

810
01:03:08,027 --> 01:03:10,422
and you look right there where Willowbrook
is,

811
01:03:10,422 --> 01:03:12,765
there's 2 giant pipes that go under East
Bay.

812
01:03:12,765 --> 01:03:16,149
If we keep putting more and more water
through those giant pipes,

813
01:03:16,149 --> 01:03:17,762
they're gonna wear down sooner.

814
01:03:17,762 --> 01:03:21,771
And just think what it's gonna cost to
replace those pipes that go under East

815
01:03:21,771 --> 01:03:21,979
replace those pipes that go under East
Bay.

816
01:03:21,979 --> 01:03:23,385
And that water, by the way,

817
01:03:23,385 --> 01:03:27,289
goes right past the preserve and right
down here to flood all these people.

818
01:03:27,289 --> 01:03:30,673
It's coming from the City Hall area, north
of the City Hall area.

819
01:03:30,673 --> 01:03:34,265
So the City Hall area is a perfect place
to start that hybrid system.

820
01:03:34,265 --> 01:03:35,983
We shouldn't be selling that off,

821
01:03:35,983 --> 01:03:40,304
especially since you'd be knocking down a
police station that's gonna cost probably

822
01:03:40,304 --> 01:03:43,376
$30 million to replace. And I don't care
what anybody says.

823
01:03:43,376 --> 01:03:43,809
It's not.

824
01:03:43,970 --> 01:03:45,621
It's going to cost to replace,

825
01:03:45,621 --> 01:03:50,188
because this building was supposed to be
$25 million in the newspaper back in 2019.

826
01:03:50,188 --> 01:03:53,709
And lo and behold, it's what, close to $90
million or something?

827
01:03:53,709 --> 01:03:56,901
So whatever they say this police station
is going to cost,

828
01:03:56,901 --> 01:03:58,662
let's triple it or quadruple it.

829
01:03:58,662 --> 01:04:02,568
So yeah, it's foolish to knock down a
police station with a $30 million

830
01:04:02,568 --> 01:04:03,174
police station with a $30 million
replacement

831
01:04:03,174 --> 01:04:07,410
cost to get whatever little bit you're
going to get for that land and miss an

832
01:04:07,410 --> 01:04:10,987
opportunity to start a hybrid system
Because it's less expensive.

833
01:04:10,987 --> 01:04:15,114
Plus, when you create ponds, you're
creating green space, trees, fresh air,

834
01:04:15,114 --> 01:04:19,626
parkland. You're increasing the tax base
all in every single neighborhood that you

835
01:04:19,626 --> 01:04:24,028
bring in a park. You're increasing the tax
base because more people want to live

836
01:04:24,028 --> 01:04:26,504
there. You're increasing the quality of
life.

837
01:04:26,504 --> 01:04:29,420
And as I said, protecting the culverts
along the way.

838
01:04:29,420 --> 01:04:33,602
More pressure through these culverts year
after year is going to destroy the

839
01:04:33,602 --> 01:04:37,894
culverts. So unless you want to keep on
spending tens of millions on culverts—

840
01:04:37,894 --> 01:04:42,424
Thank you.

841
01:04:45,424 --> 01:04:47,597
That's all the cards. Thank you.

842
01:04:47,597 --> 01:04:51,739
I, I, um, I'm going to ask the state
manager a couple things.

843
01:04:51,739 --> 01:04:53,979
It's been a couple weeks, so, uh,

844
01:04:53,979 --> 01:04:57,782
hopefully we'll get some answers as far as
the progress.

845
01:04:57,782 --> 01:05:01,381
Um, but, but I do want to mention that we
denied, um,

846
01:05:01,381 --> 01:05:05,251
the development where Caspia is, and, and
then the state,

847
01:05:05,251 --> 01:05:08,510
the state government gave us the Live
Local Act.

848
01:05:08,510 --> 01:05:10,683
Which removed any— there was no—

849
01:05:10,683 --> 01:05:15,911
at no point did what is built there come
in front of this commission, period.

850
01:05:15,911 --> 01:05:20,460
We didn't— the, the additional units
doesn't require any oversight,

851
01:05:20,460 --> 01:05:24,534
and it's simply because that property is
industrial limited,

852
01:05:24,534 --> 01:05:29,966
which as a commission we would like to
hold on to our industrial land because it

853
01:05:29,966 --> 01:05:31,935
means jobs for our residents.

854
01:05:31,935 --> 01:05:37,232
And the state decided that they wanted to
Allow for affordable housing without

855
01:05:37,232 --> 01:05:42,799
oversight on industrial limited because
their opinion was it wasn't as valuable as

856
01:05:42,799 --> 01:05:47,688
the affordable housing. We had a different
opinion, and and we still do.

857
01:05:47,688 --> 01:05:51,694
I think for the most part, if not
unanimously, we still do.

858
01:05:51,694 --> 01:05:57,194
We didn't plan for, as you all know, we
didn't plan for 500 units on that corner.

859
01:05:57,194 --> 01:06:02,355
We didn't have. the infrastructure, and
now we're playing catch-up, frankly.

860
01:06:02,355 --> 01:06:07,447
So the other thing is, I think the $25
million number— I could be mistaken,

861
01:06:07,447 --> 01:06:11,996
but I think that was the number to
retrofit the existing City Hall.

862
01:06:11,996 --> 01:06:16,342
It certainly wasn't the first number for
building this building.

863
01:06:16,342 --> 01:06:18,447
I'm almost certain on that. Mr.

864
01:06:18,447 --> 01:06:24,015
Kerb, could you give us an update on what
has happened in the last couple weeks as

865
01:06:24,015 --> 01:06:29,379
far as looking at that dredging, as far as
looking at the maintenance schedule,

866
01:06:29,379 --> 01:06:31,959
looking at the spray schedule and how—

867
01:06:31,959 --> 01:06:36,780
we saw some pictures a couple weeks ago
where it looked like, you know,

868
01:06:36,780 --> 01:06:41,872
10% might have been sprayed and the rest
was still living pretty healthily,

869
01:06:41,872 --> 01:06:45,743
the lettuce on top of the water. So what's
been going on?

870
01:06:45,743 --> 01:06:50,496
What's our plan at this point? I know that
it's probably not complete.

871
01:06:50,496 --> 01:06:55,385
But as has been pointed out, this is
important. It's important to Largo.

872
01:06:55,385 --> 01:06:59,187
It's important to our residents. Sure.
Thank you, Mayor.

873
01:06:59,187 --> 01:07:02,718
I know that following that meeting, we did
actually—

874
01:07:02,718 --> 01:07:04,958
we sent crews out to spray there.

875
01:07:04,958 --> 01:07:08,286
They— and the, uh, so the water has been
sprayed,

876
01:07:08,286 --> 01:07:12,495
and I think we already have photos of the,
the effect of that.

877
01:07:12,495 --> 01:07:17,180
So we know that work was done immediately
in response to 2 weeks ago.

878
01:07:17,180 --> 01:07:22,680
The city— the city attorney is looking at
the maintenance responsibilities on the

879
01:07:22,680 --> 01:07:26,890
area around that creek. Again, our policy
has been consistent.

880
01:07:26,890 --> 01:07:28,384
We will— I can't hear.

881
01:07:28,384 --> 01:07:28,611
Sure.

882
01:07:28,708 --> 01:07:32,209
Thank you. Our policy has been consistent.

883
01:07:32,209 --> 01:07:35,543
Where the city has clear responsibility,

884
01:07:35,543 --> 01:07:40,128
we have easements and covenants to
maintain the creeks.

885
01:07:40,128 --> 01:07:43,962
We will maintain them and maintain the
canals.

886
01:07:43,962 --> 01:07:50,880
We will partner with the private ownership
that's responsible for maintaining other

887
01:07:50,880 --> 01:07:57,382
portions of that. We're still in the
course of determining where exactly those

888
01:07:57,382 --> 01:08:04,217
boundaries lie along that area. So we'll
continue— Please, please don't speak out.

889
01:08:04,217 --> 01:08:06,634
So we'll continue to do that.

890
01:08:06,634 --> 01:08:13,553
I know we will continue to be in contact
and follow up with the residents as we get

891
01:08:13,553 --> 01:08:15,887
more information. All right,

892
01:08:15,887 --> 01:08:22,138
and could we also get a report on The
culverts that are kind of downstream,

893
01:08:22,138 --> 01:08:26,223
the culvert at Donegan. I think there's
culverts.

894
01:08:26,223 --> 01:08:32,141
I'm not sure if they're box culverts or
not underneath New Haven Drive.

895
01:08:32,141 --> 01:08:34,058
And then south of that,

896
01:08:34,058 --> 01:08:40,643
I know that there was flooding farther
down outside of the city limits of Largo

897
01:08:40,643 --> 01:08:46,311
along that waterway. But I'd like to see a
report on those culverts.

898
01:08:46,311 --> 01:08:52,813
It's seemingly whether they're being
blocked by plant debris or just that they

899
01:08:52,813 --> 01:08:53,146
blocked by plant debris or just that they
need

900
01:08:53,146 --> 01:08:56,147
to be bigger culverts, I'm not sure.

901
01:08:56,147 --> 01:09:00,815
But seemingly, that might be a problem on
that drainage.

902
01:09:00,815 --> 01:09:03,649
Sure, we'll look into those items,

903
01:09:03,649 --> 01:09:08,317
and I encourage people to continue to
submit complaints,

904
01:09:08,317 --> 01:09:11,568
either phone call or the online system,

905
01:09:11,568 --> 01:09:18,319
and we'll certainly look into the issues
that people had accessing via the online

906
01:09:18,319 --> 01:09:24,321
request system. And I'll just add that
that hasn't always been the case.

907
01:09:24,321 --> 01:09:30,989
So I think that the cooperation with the
county on this and many other things is

908
01:09:30,989 --> 01:09:31,239
county on this and many other things is
way

909
01:09:31,239 --> 01:09:35,074
improved. So I appreciate all the input
today.

910
01:09:35,074 --> 01:09:40,992
And I give you my word, I know the
commission stands behind me on this,

911
01:09:40,992 --> 01:09:43,409
we'll continue to work on it.

912
01:09:43,409 --> 01:09:49,577
We don't want people flooding in
Lauderdale, whether it's here or anywhere

913
01:09:49,577 --> 01:09:49,994
Lauderdale, whether it's here or anywhere
else.

914
01:09:49,994 --> 01:09:52,078
And we'll do what we can.

915
01:09:52,078 --> 01:09:52,335
Thank you.

916
01:09:53,312 --> 01:09:57,064
We've got Pinecrest Place, which is a— and
it's not on your—

917
01:09:57,064 --> 01:10:01,129
the river that's near you guys, but it's
very similar to what Mr.

918
01:10:01,129 --> 01:10:02,693
Murtha was talking about,

919
01:10:02,693 --> 01:10:06,696
where it's going to be adding capacity to
the stormwater system.

920
01:10:06,696 --> 01:10:10,385
And we're looking at other places that we
can do that, too,

921
01:10:10,385 --> 01:10:14,826
including a small park on the northwest
side that is a stormwater park.

922
01:10:14,826 --> 01:10:19,579
Those are 2 in the last 5 years that are
planned and/or coming on board now.

923
01:10:19,579 --> 01:10:22,956
So we continue to work on it, and it's a
long process.

924
01:10:22,956 --> 01:10:27,521
I wish— I know that y'all want it to be
fixed last year, right? And I do.

925
01:10:27,521 --> 01:10:30,898
We do too, you know. And we'll continue to
work on it.

926
01:10:30,898 --> 01:10:34,901
But please continue to give us input. I
certainly appreciate it.

927
01:10:34,901 --> 01:10:40,092
Commissioner Holmes. John, are we looking
into dredging there or just weed control?

928
01:10:40,092 --> 01:10:41,780
So thank you, Commissioner.

929
01:10:41,780 --> 01:10:46,283
Yeah, we'll, we'll look into where our
maintenance responsibilities lie.

930
01:10:46,283 --> 01:10:50,223
My understanding is we haven't— we have
not dredged that canal,

931
01:10:50,223 --> 01:10:53,851
and it's not been part of our regular
maintenance program.

932
01:10:53,851 --> 01:10:59,041
So we continue to look and we continue to
focus on maintaining the flow through the

933
01:10:59,041 --> 01:11:00,855
canal. So we'll examine that,

934
01:11:00,855 --> 01:11:05,983
and if the canal that's relevant to our
portion of the maintenance needs dredging,

935
01:11:05,983 --> 01:11:10,611
we'll dredge it. Yeah, I mean, if you— if
we were going to make some peat,

936
01:11:10,611 --> 01:11:14,801
we'd have it made. But you really got to
get the junk out of there.

937
01:11:14,801 --> 01:11:19,554
Uh, lastly, people, I want you to
understand there's a bunch of us that when

938
01:11:19,554 --> 01:11:19,992
understand there's a bunch of us that when
they're

939
01:11:19,992 --> 01:11:23,557
building those apartments back there, we
were against it.

940
01:11:23,557 --> 01:11:27,086
Thank you. And matter of fact, every time
we get a high density coming up,

941
01:11:27,086 --> 01:11:28,135
these people tell you—

942
01:11:28,521 --> 01:11:33,132
I start talking about the traffic. Where
are we going to put all this traffic?

943
01:11:33,132 --> 01:11:36,029
You got water problems, you got traffic
problems.

944
01:11:36,029 --> 01:11:40,935
But those 2 apartment complexes going in,
like the mayor said, we had no say on it.

945
01:11:40,935 --> 01:11:43,773
None whatsoever, which to me, that's a
travesty.

946
01:11:43,773 --> 01:11:48,561
But it didn't get a single vote in favor.
They didn't get any from us. Thank you.

947
01:11:48,561 --> 01:11:53,113
One more question. I did drive down
Donegan this morning and noticed that the

948
01:11:53,113 --> 01:11:53,349
Donegan this morning and noticed that the
pond

949
01:11:53,349 --> 01:11:57,074
that you're talking about looks like it's
a full swimming pool.

950
01:11:57,074 --> 01:11:59,852
So, and it hasn't— I was gone over the
weekend,

951
01:11:59,852 --> 01:12:02,453
but I don't think it's rained in a few
days.

952
01:12:02,453 --> 01:12:02,823
Nope.

953
01:12:04,818 --> 01:12:06,662
Could you look into that as well?

954
01:12:06,662 --> 01:12:10,796
It seems as if— I mean, for a while it was
holding a relatively low level,

955
01:12:10,796 --> 01:12:13,031
and I don't know if something's blocked.

956
01:12:13,031 --> 01:12:17,612
I'm sure that we could take a look and see
what the heck's going on with that lake

957
01:12:17,612 --> 01:12:22,026
and why it's sitting at such a high level
and not draining out like I expect it

958
01:12:22,026 --> 01:12:26,607
should be. Or maybe that's the height it's
supposed to be at. I don't really know.

959
01:12:26,607 --> 01:12:31,077
We'll take a look at it. Great. Thank you.
Next up on the agenda— thank you all.

960
01:12:31,077 --> 01:12:34,373
Next up on the agenda, uh, is approval of
tonight's agenda.

961
01:12:34,373 --> 01:12:36,702
Move approval. Second.

962
01:12:36,702 --> 01:12:39,771
I have a motion and a second. All in favor
say aye. Aye.

963
01:12:39,771 --> 01:12:39,980
Aye.

964
01:12:39,980 --> 01:12:42,850
Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously.

965
01:12:42,850 --> 01:12:46,971
Next is consideration of the minutes from
the meeting of

966
01:12:46,971 --> 01:12:48,222
August 4th, 2026.

967
01:12:48,222 --> 01:12:50,086
Move approval. Second.

968
01:12:50,086 --> 01:12:52,994
Any changes or corrections? All in favor
say aye.

969
01:12:52,994 --> 01:12:53,604
Aye.

970
01:12:53,604 --> 01:12:56,335
Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.

971
01:12:56,335 --> 01:12:58,625
Must be something we said.

972
01:12:58,625 --> 01:13:03,293
Could I, uh, could I hear the consent
docket, please?

973
01:13:03,293 --> 01:13:04,225
Thank you.

974
01:13:04,434 --> 01:13:07,605
Item 4, reappointments of Robert J. Healy
Jr.

975
01:13:07,605 --> 01:13:13,455
and Paul Wallace as members of the Police
Officers and Firefighters Retirement Plan

976
01:13:13,455 --> 01:13:18,035
Board of Trustees for 2-year terms
expiring September 30th, 2028.

977
01:13:18,035 --> 01:13:20,995
Item 5, approval of change order number 4,

978
01:13:20,995 --> 01:13:26,774
Nelson Construction RFQ number 22-Q-765
Rosary Road Phase 2 Reconstruction Project

979
01:13:26,774 --> 01:13:29,452
in the estimated amount of $1,062,198.

980
01:13:29,452 --> 01:13:35,301
Item 7, approval of the scope and fee for
Task Order Number 2026-02 for a biosolids

981
01:13:35,301 --> 01:13:41,080
master plan study with Brown and Caldwell
in accordance with professional services

982
01:13:41,080 --> 01:13:45,732
agreement RFQ Number 24-Q-798 in the
estimated amount of $328,410.

983
01:13:45,732 --> 01:13:51,229
Item 8, authorization for the mayor to
sign a mutual aid agreement between the

984
01:13:51,229 --> 01:13:51,510
sign a mutual aid agreement between the
City

985
01:13:51,510 --> 01:13:55,105
of Largo and the Florida Gaming Control
Commission.

986
01:13:55,105 --> 01:14:00,813
Item 9, approval of second amendment to
contract number 23-P-782 between the City

987
01:14:00,813 --> 01:14:00,954
contract number 23-P-782 between the City
of

988
01:14:00,954 --> 01:14:04,478
Largo and Homeless Emergency Project
Incorporated.

989
01:14:04,478 --> 01:14:10,045
Item 10, approval of the Tampa Bay Estuary
Program's third amended and restated

990
01:14:10,045 --> 01:14:11,525
interlocal agreement.

991
01:14:12,022 --> 01:14:13,050
Item 11—

992
01:14:16,050 --> 01:14:19,163
Sorry, I do not have the entire title
there.

993
01:14:19,163 --> 01:14:24,470
Item 11 is authorization to purchase
vehicle upfitting from Enforcement One

994
01:14:24,470 --> 01:14:29,422
Incorporated in the estimated amount of
$83,761 in accordance with FSA

995
01:14:29,422 --> 01:14:30,271
$83,761 in accordance with FSA
Hillsborough

996
01:14:30,271 --> 01:14:32,535
County contract number 25300639.

997
01:14:32,535 --> 01:14:37,700
Item 12, authorization to spend an
additional $35,000 for the purchase of

998
01:14:37,700 --> 01:14:38,125
additional $35,000 for the purchase of
sodium

999
01:14:38,125 --> 01:14:43,361
bisulfite From Odyssey Manufacturing
Company in accordance with New Smyrna

1000
01:14:43,361 --> 01:14:43,997
Company in accordance with New Smyrna
Beach bid

1001
01:14:43,997 --> 01:14:45,554
number 27-24. Item 13,

1002
01:14:45,554 --> 01:14:50,507
authorization to purchase material and
installation services from Nuvo

1003
01:14:50,507 --> 01:14:51,356
installation services from Nuvo
Construction

1004
01:14:51,356 --> 01:14:57,228
LLC for the construction of Shelter Number
8 in Largo Central Park in the estimated

1005
01:14:57,228 --> 01:15:01,261
amount of $55,000 in accordance with ITB
number 26-B-866.

1006
01:15:01,261 --> 01:15:06,709
Item 14, authorization to accept A
settlement and general release between the

1007
01:15:06,709 --> 01:15:06,992
settlement and general release between the
City

1008
01:15:06,992 --> 01:15:12,652
of Largo and United Utility Services, LLC,
Star Indemnity and Liability Company,

1009
01:15:12,652 --> 01:15:18,171
and Gallagher Bassett in the amount of
$105,784.65 for damage caused to a city

1010
01:15:18,171 --> 01:15:22,699
sanitary sewer line. Thank you. You've
heard the consent docket.

1011
01:15:22,699 --> 01:15:24,397
I'll entertain a motion.

1012
01:15:24,397 --> 01:15:29,138
I move to approve the consent docket
without commission discussion,

1013
01:15:29,138 --> 01:15:33,454
including staff background provided in the
commission Second.

1014
01:15:33,454 --> 01:15:37,062
I have a motion and a second. All in favor
say aye.

1015
01:15:37,062 --> 01:15:37,472
Aye.

1016
01:15:37,472 --> 01:15:40,702
Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.

1017
01:15:40,702 --> 01:15:45,078
Next is ordinance number 2026-22 on second

1018
01:15:45,078 --> 01:15:45,912
reading.

1019
01:15:45,912 --> 01:15:50,291
Good evening. Mayor,

1020
01:15:50,291 --> 01:15:55,985
Commissioners, I'm Rebecca

1021
01:15:55,985 --> 01:16:00,364
Spooler, the Finance

1022
01:16:00,364 --> 01:16:02,335
Director.

1023
01:16:02,335 --> 01:16:04,985
Good evening, Gary Stewart, System Public
Works Director.

1024
01:16:04,985 --> 01:16:10,053
So we are here to talk about the second
reading of the proposed solid waste

1025
01:16:10,053 --> 01:16:13,837
increase. The previous actions at the July
21st meeting,

1026
01:16:13,837 --> 01:16:18,837
the City Commission did approve this on
first reading and we have not made

1027
01:16:18,837 --> 01:16:19,378
first reading and we have not made
changes.

1028
01:16:19,378 --> 01:16:24,716
Just to recap, this increase is a 2%
increase 62 cents per residential customer

1029
01:16:24,716 --> 01:16:24,919
increase 62 cents per residential customer
per

1030
01:16:24,919 --> 01:16:29,987
month. There's also some changes to the
commercial and industrial container

1031
01:16:29,987 --> 01:16:32,960
services, adding the $10 per recycling
cart.

1032
01:16:32,960 --> 01:16:34,852
We've— at the first reading,

1033
01:16:34,852 --> 01:16:38,906
there were some additional questions by
the City Commission,

1034
01:16:38,906 --> 01:16:44,515
so we've brought additional information to
you tonight with regards to the cost and

1035
01:16:44,515 --> 01:16:49,718
budget for vehicles, recurring increases
in the tipping fees as we discussed.

1036
01:16:49,718 --> 01:16:53,232
That's about 25% of the solid waste budget
entirely,

1037
01:16:53,232 --> 01:16:56,610
and those have been going up at about 8%
per year.

1038
01:16:56,610 --> 01:16:58,772
Increases in operating expenses,

1039
01:16:58,772 --> 01:17:02,624
where the recycling has been a cost for
the last 5 years,

1040
01:17:02,624 --> 01:17:08,097
and I know at the last meeting we talked
about promotions of recycling and how do

1041
01:17:08,097 --> 01:17:08,233
about promotions of recycling and how do
we

1042
01:17:08,233 --> 01:17:13,436
encourage that. The information that was
shown based on recycling revenue did

1043
01:17:13,436 --> 01:17:18,030
include our sale of scrap materials, not
just actual recycled trash.

1044
01:17:18,030 --> 01:17:23,098
But also, the promotion that we do at
Starkey Road and have individual, you

1045
01:17:23,098 --> 01:17:23,436
Starkey Road and have individual, you
know,

1046
01:17:23,436 --> 01:17:28,504
cardboard containers, because that's
something that's actually worth money.

1047
01:17:28,504 --> 01:17:33,099
A lot of the businesses that have, you
know, retail, grocery stores,

1048
01:17:33,099 --> 01:17:36,748
those types of things that produce a lot
of cardboard,

1049
01:17:36,748 --> 01:17:41,410
they actually have independent contracts
to sell their own recycling.

1050
01:17:41,410 --> 01:17:45,600
So we will pursue additional contracts as
possible, but those—

1051
01:17:45,600 --> 01:17:48,168
They typically already have their own.

1052
01:17:48,168 --> 01:17:53,506
I'll talk a little bit about the annual
personnel salary increases and the cost

1053
01:17:53,506 --> 01:17:54,857
increases from that.

1054
01:17:54,857 --> 01:18:00,533
And then something that's pretty near and
dear to my heart is the debris removal and

1055
01:18:00,533 --> 01:18:04,385
our FEMA claim and how this affects the
solid waste fund.

1056
01:18:04,385 --> 01:18:06,682
So just a little bit of a history.

1057
01:18:06,682 --> 01:18:10,466
You know, we talked about future years of
vehicle costs,

1058
01:18:10,466 --> 01:18:14,588
and as we cannot completely predict what
those costs will be,

1059
01:18:14,588 --> 01:18:16,751
we can show what they have been.

1060
01:18:16,751 --> 01:18:22,156
So this is a chart just showing the cost
that we've seen on solid waste vehicles

1061
01:18:22,156 --> 01:18:23,711
since the year of 2020.

1062
01:18:23,711 --> 01:18:29,252
So make it a little bit easier to see the
total increase in the different types of

1063
01:18:29,252 --> 01:18:31,887
vehicles, you know, pretty significant.

1064
01:18:31,887 --> 01:18:37,225
I looked earlier, we have 56 vehicles with
a historical purchase value of about

1065
01:18:37,225 --> 01:18:42,428
$14.1 million, and about a third of those
were purchased prior prior to 2021.

1066
01:18:42,428 --> 01:18:47,631
So they're going to be on the replacement
schedule coming up in future years.

1067
01:18:47,631 --> 01:18:52,631
We are going through a fleet study
currently to talk about the useful life

1068
01:18:52,631 --> 01:18:53,104
currently to talk about the useful life
and the

1069
01:18:53,104 --> 01:18:57,497
debate between keeping it for maintenance
or replacing a vehicle.

1070
01:18:57,497 --> 01:19:00,402
So those things are in the works
currently.

1071
01:19:00,402 --> 01:19:05,740
We talked a little bit about why do we do
our budget versus last year's budget.

1072
01:19:05,740 --> 01:19:08,781
We're not doing a 2027 budget versus
actuals.

1073
01:19:08,781 --> 01:19:12,498
This is just some information with regards
to staffing.

1074
01:19:12,498 --> 01:19:16,620
In 2026, so far, we were only at about a
90%, um, FTE filled.

1075
01:19:16,620 --> 01:19:18,647
So there's a lot of vacancies.

1076
01:19:18,647 --> 01:19:22,431
So if we were to use fiscal year 2026
estimated numbers,

1077
01:19:22,431 --> 01:19:26,958
they're going to be low purposely because
we've had open positions.

1078
01:19:26,958 --> 01:19:31,418
So that's why we're using our estimated—
we budget for full staff.

1079
01:19:31,418 --> 01:19:35,405
You know, this is unfortunate that we've
had some openings.

1080
01:19:35,405 --> 01:19:37,229
But looking at prior years,

1081
01:19:37,229 --> 01:19:41,283
we were able to maintain full staffing in
those departments.

1082
01:19:41,283 --> 01:19:46,689
But that's why we look at 2026 budget when
we're looking at 2027 budget amounts.

1083
01:19:46,689 --> 01:19:49,257
As I mentioned, 2024 hurricane season,

1084
01:19:49,257 --> 01:19:52,500
this is specific to the solid waste fund
itself.

1085
01:19:52,500 --> 01:19:57,163
So, you know, within that 6-month period
between September and April,

1086
01:19:57,163 --> 01:20:01,758
we had $3.5 million in cash go out. To pay
for debris removal costs.

1087
01:20:01,758 --> 01:20:06,961
Not all of this is 100% reimbursable by
FEMA. It's depending on their project

1088
01:20:06,961 --> 01:20:07,366
FEMA. It's depending on their project
terms.

1089
01:20:07,366 --> 01:20:12,637
So we did file in advance for an estimated
amount that we thought the project,

1090
01:20:12,637 --> 01:20:15,813
the debris removal would cost back in
November.

1091
01:20:15,813 --> 01:20:21,083
We did receive some advance funding, the
partial funding paid in June of 2025.

1092
01:20:21,083 --> 01:20:25,138
But as of that date, we had already spent
that $3.5 million.

1093
01:20:25,138 --> 01:20:29,462
We received additional pieces of funding
in March 2026 and June,

1094
01:20:29,462 --> 01:20:34,598
and there's about $350,000 of this
particular claim just for the debris side

1095
01:20:34,598 --> 01:20:34,936
particular claim just for the debris side
still

1096
01:20:34,936 --> 01:20:36,152
outstanding today.

1097
01:20:36,152 --> 01:20:37,536
Mm-hmm.

1098
01:20:37,536 --> 01:20:42,801
So I do want to draw as well, when I
talked about the debris reserve, um,

1099
01:20:42,801 --> 01:20:46,839
back in 2024, you can see the bottom, uh,
yellow number,

1100
01:20:46,839 --> 01:20:50,373
we had a reserve of $1.375 million, um,
based on—

1101
01:20:50,373 --> 01:20:55,637
we used some of that in our fund balance
And we're currently at $500,000.

1102
01:20:55,637 --> 01:21:00,109
So one of the goals, you know, in future
years is to increase,

1103
01:21:00,109 --> 01:21:05,157
knowing what we do know based on
experience for what, what does debris

1104
01:21:05,157 --> 01:21:06,094
experience for what, what does debris
removal cost.

1105
01:21:06,094 --> 01:21:10,421
We're looking at potentially restoring
some of that reserve.

1106
01:21:10,421 --> 01:21:15,037
But really, the, the focus of tonight's 2%
increase is for 2027.

1107
01:21:15,037 --> 01:21:18,787
We do prepare the 5-year plan. You know,
we look at—

1108
01:21:18,787 --> 01:21:18,948
I'm sorry.

1109
01:21:19,622 --> 01:21:21,850
What do we anticipate it being?

1110
01:21:21,850 --> 01:21:27,528
However, our City Commission has expressed
that we like to do annual increases.

1111
01:21:27,528 --> 01:21:30,044
We don't pass multi-year increases.

1112
01:21:30,044 --> 01:21:35,291
So every year we will return to you and do
this evaluation again and say,

1113
01:21:35,291 --> 01:21:36,801
how does it look now?

1114
01:21:36,801 --> 01:21:39,029
So with the 2% that's proposed,

1115
01:21:39,029 --> 01:21:43,126
that leaves us at the very bottom 22%
total fund balance.

1116
01:21:43,126 --> 01:21:47,942
However, that includes our, our minimal
debris reserve of $875,000.

1117
01:21:47,942 --> 01:21:50,601
So the operating is more like an 18%.

1118
01:21:50,601 --> 01:21:56,567
But again, $5,015,000 compared to the $3.5
million that the debris did cost us in a

1119
01:21:56,567 --> 01:21:59,226
6-month period is not that much more.

1120
01:21:59,226 --> 01:22:01,023
So if we don't do the 2%,

1121
01:22:01,023 --> 01:22:05,839
that highlighted 18% number looks more
like 16% at the end of 2027.

1122
01:22:05,839 --> 01:22:10,655
So this is the same slide as from the
previous reading where there—

1123
01:22:10,655 --> 01:22:14,177
it's an average of a 3.3% increase over 22
years.

1124
01:22:14,177 --> 01:22:18,921
We did have a long period of time, 11
years between 2007 and 2018,

1125
01:22:18,921 --> 01:22:21,508
where we did not have any increases.

1126
01:22:21,508 --> 01:22:27,187
And then to make up for vehicles that
needed replaced and other things that had

1127
01:22:27,187 --> 01:22:32,649
happened, you know, Hurricane Irma hit us
in 2017. We didn't have the funds.

1128
01:22:32,649 --> 01:22:35,956
So that's where the increases started to
grow.

1129
01:22:35,956 --> 01:22:41,778
So this 2% annually is really trying to
prevent us from having to do these larger

1130
01:22:41,778 --> 01:22:44,796
increases. So this is also the same slide,

1131
01:22:44,796 --> 01:22:49,469
just showing you the comparison again of
where we sit versus our,

1132
01:22:49,469 --> 01:22:51,697
our neighboring municipalities.

1133
01:22:51,697 --> 01:22:56,512
Commercially, we are still near the bottom
of the cost with the 2%.

1134
01:22:56,512 --> 01:22:58,166
And then as a reminder,

1135
01:22:58,166 --> 01:23:03,485
the utility rate impact for the items that
were approved on first reading,

1136
01:23:03,485 --> 01:23:07,150
this is a 62-cent increase on the solid
waste fund.

1137
01:23:07,150 --> 01:23:09,666
We are available for any questions.

1138
01:23:09,666 --> 01:23:11,663
Thank you. Vice Mayor Johnson.

1139
01:23:11,663 --> 01:23:16,657
Uh, thank you for answering our questions
on the fund balance and why we're

1140
01:23:16,657 --> 01:23:21,650
increasing it, and I appreciate that
explanation. I understand it and makes

1141
01:23:21,650 --> 01:23:22,050
explanation. I understand it and makes
sense.

1142
01:23:22,050 --> 01:23:27,376
Um, one thing I'd like to know is, do we,
do we do a study on what a commercial,

1143
01:23:27,376 --> 01:23:29,440
a commercial roll-off would be?

1144
01:23:29,440 --> 01:23:34,966
If, again, I by no way citizens of Largo
am I thinking that we should privatize our

1145
01:23:34,966 --> 01:23:39,693
garbage service, but I'd like to know,
like, have that as a comparison,

1146
01:23:39,693 --> 01:23:44,221
comparator to what, like, we're charging
people for garbage service,

1147
01:23:44,221 --> 01:23:48,881
just to understand that if— are we
creating— are we providing a value?

1148
01:23:48,881 --> 01:23:53,875
Now, I know we're going twice a week to
people's homes and their commercial

1149
01:23:53,875 --> 01:23:54,341
people's homes and their commercial
service

1150
01:23:54,341 --> 01:23:59,001
isn't, but I'd just love to have that as
part of the evaluation we do.

1151
01:23:59,001 --> 01:24:03,063
for us to consider, at least going
forward, or for me anyway.

1152
01:24:03,063 --> 01:24:07,590
Yes, we could definitely look into that.
Okay, thank you. Thank you.

1153
01:24:07,590 --> 01:24:09,721
Commissioner DeBrisi. Thank you.

1154
01:24:09,721 --> 01:24:11,718
Um, first, as a clarification,

1155
01:24:11,718 --> 01:24:16,379
in the last meeting I didn't say that we
should budget off of actuals.

1156
01:24:16,379 --> 01:24:20,973
I think that the budgeting job that was
done is fantastic, and going—

1157
01:24:20,973 --> 01:24:23,836
the work that was done is, is, was spot
on.

1158
01:24:23,836 --> 01:24:29,029
But you can't do it necessarily in a
vacuum without looking at what was spent.

1159
01:24:29,029 --> 01:24:34,089
Um, so when I look at this, we in the
current year, we budgeted, um, a rate,

1160
01:24:34,089 --> 01:24:39,149
and we had a discussion last year. We set
the rate, we collected that money.

1161
01:24:39,149 --> 01:24:42,545
We, as part of that rate setting last
year, we put—

1162
01:24:42,545 --> 01:24:45,807
we budgeted for a $600,000 put aside to
the fund,

1163
01:24:45,807 --> 01:24:50,934
to the reserve fund for solid waste. That
was good, that was very good going.

1164
01:24:50,934 --> 01:24:55,328
But so we got that $600,000, we're
projected to get that $600,000.

1165
01:24:55,328 --> 01:24:58,590
In addition to the $600,000, in addition
to that,

1166
01:24:58,590 --> 01:25:01,653
we also are going to collect another
$400,000.

1167
01:25:01,653 --> 01:25:06,780
And that's because of money that was—
that's the understaffing and everything

1168
01:25:06,780 --> 01:25:07,112
that's the understaffing and everything
else,

1169
01:25:07,112 --> 01:25:09,243
which is totally understandable.

1170
01:25:09,243 --> 01:25:13,970
So we got everything that we asked for and
then an additional $400,000.

1171
01:25:13,970 --> 01:25:17,099
We come back this year and ask for an
increase,

1172
01:25:17,099 --> 01:25:21,827
which is also going to increase the
reserve an additional amount of the

1173
01:25:21,827 --> 01:25:22,293
reserve an additional amount of the
reserve

1174
01:25:22,293 --> 01:25:24,823
because it's not a zeroed-out request.

1175
01:25:24,823 --> 01:25:29,550
At the end of the day, if everything goes
right, we're going to have a—

1176
01:25:29,550 --> 01:25:31,414
I forget what the amount is,

1177
01:25:31,414 --> 01:25:36,807
but it's several hundred thousand dollars
that's going to be contributed again to

1178
01:25:36,807 --> 01:25:41,135
the reserve fund. All of that is sound and
the right thing to do.

1179
01:25:41,135 --> 01:25:45,196
I agree with it 100%. And we should budget
for full staffing.

1180
01:25:45,196 --> 01:25:48,525
But we know we're not going to have full
staffing.

1181
01:25:48,525 --> 01:25:52,919
So my comments last time, and they
continue to be today, here's an

1182
01:25:52,919 --> 01:25:53,918
continue to be today, here's an
opportunity to—

1183
01:25:53,918 --> 01:25:57,513
because we are going to increase other
fees, you know,

1184
01:25:57,513 --> 01:26:02,373
I don't know what's going to happen with
the millage vote, but, you know,

1185
01:26:02,373 --> 01:26:07,101
it might stay the same, which is While
it's not an increase in millage,

1186
01:26:07,101 --> 01:26:10,030
it is an increase in taxes to our
residents.

1187
01:26:10,030 --> 01:26:13,226
Here's an opportunity to give a little bit
back.

1188
01:26:13,226 --> 01:26:17,021
We collected— we asked for the residents
to pay us money.

1189
01:26:17,311 --> 01:26:17,778
They did.

1190
01:26:17,971 --> 01:26:20,699
And they paid us an additional amount on
top of that.

1191
01:26:20,699 --> 01:26:24,764
Some of the discussion that was talked
about today was stuff that is, you know,

1192
01:26:24,764 --> 01:26:28,367
I think came in afterwards because we're
talking about not doing this.

1193
01:26:28,367 --> 01:26:32,432
And, you know, this is just a perfect
opportunity to say back to our residents,

1194
01:26:32,432 --> 01:26:35,829
thank you. We collected the fund— we
collected the money from you.

1195
01:26:35,829 --> 01:26:39,483
As you know, again, my favorite, you know,
Reagan saying is, for every,

1196
01:26:39,483 --> 01:26:41,284
every dollar we give somebody else,

1197
01:26:41,284 --> 01:26:43,909
we're taking it from the residents or the
citizens.

1198
01:26:43,909 --> 01:26:47,408
We, we took it, they paid us, we set a
good rate, we collected more.

1199
01:26:47,408 --> 01:26:51,268
Here's an opportunity to give it back, and
the fund is going to be healthy.

1200
01:26:51,268 --> 01:26:55,179
We're probably going to collect all of the
amount that we collected for the—

1201
01:26:55,179 --> 01:26:58,627
for '27 and then some. So we're going to
have an additional amount.

1202
01:26:58,627 --> 01:27:00,480
Again, it's just a good opportunity.

1203
01:27:00,480 --> 01:27:00,520
Thank you.

1204
01:27:00,500 --> 01:27:03,336
to be able to get back to the resident.
That's my main point.

1205
01:27:03,336 --> 01:27:05,661
Um, so I understand, like I said, I don't
want to—

1206
01:27:05,661 --> 01:27:08,776
I don't want to make it look like you all
did not do your job well.

1207
01:27:08,776 --> 01:27:09,939
You did your job perfect.

1208
01:27:09,939 --> 01:27:12,682
Um, but it's your job to recommend, it's
our job to decide.

1209
01:27:12,682 --> 01:27:14,263
Um, and, um, I think, like I said,

1210
01:27:14,263 --> 01:27:17,471
this is the perfect opportunity to be able
to help our residents, um,

1211
01:27:17,471 --> 01:27:20,214
when we're not able to help them in other
areas. Thank you.

1212
01:27:20,214 --> 01:27:21,194
Thank you.

1213
01:27:21,259 --> 01:27:24,279
I should have asked, are there any cards
on this? I have 2 cards.

1214
01:27:25,195 --> 01:27:29,037
First is Matt Faustini.

1215
01:27:32,037 --> 01:27:32,558
Good evening all.

1216
01:27:32,770 --> 01:27:35,964
Matt Faustini, 1015 Lake Palms Drive,
Largo.

1217
01:27:38,150 --> 01:27:44,793
Um, we have increased rates by 50% in the
stormwater fund over the

1218
01:27:44,793 --> 01:27:49,927
last 5 years. 49.8%, I believe, is the
exact total.

1219
01:27:49,927 --> 01:27:54,255
I, I understand where staff is coming
from,

1220
01:27:54,255 --> 01:28:00,999
but A 36% fund balance when the city
manager is telling you you can

1221
01:28:00,999 --> 01:28:07,643
pass a 5-year budget that has your fund
balance going below 13% in

1222
01:28:07,643 --> 01:28:13,984
the general fund in the 5-year period? So
tell me, which is it?

1223
01:28:13,984 --> 01:28:19,118
Do we need to have massive reserves or no
reserves?

1224
01:28:19,118 --> 01:28:24,221
Because the way we're budgeting makes no
sense.

1225
01:28:26,571 --> 01:28:29,274
And it's not a staff issue. Commissioner
DeBrisi is right.

1226
01:28:29,646 --> 01:28:31,637
It's a leadership issue from the people up
here.

1227
01:28:32,883 --> 01:28:34,648
Because no one can get correct direction.

1228
01:28:36,164 --> 01:28:42,132
And there's never any tough conversations
that you guys have about tough calls.

1229
01:28:43,970 --> 01:28:46,636
Commissioner Holmes, you used to be One of
the greatest at it.

1230
01:28:47,870 --> 01:28:52,020
I don't know where that man went. I wish
he would come back.

1231
01:28:55,020 --> 01:28:58,844
Largo continues— our median income,
$62,096.

1232
01:28:58,844 --> 01:29:02,842
That's a 2.7% increase over the previous
year.

1233
01:29:02,842 --> 01:29:09,795
Our residents cannot continue to absorb
these 6 to 8% personnel costs within all

1234
01:29:09,795 --> 01:29:16,313
of these funds. Um, meanwhile, because
what it does is it raises up housing

1235
01:29:16,313 --> 01:29:16,835
what it does is it raises up housing
costs.

1236
01:29:16,835 --> 01:29:22,658
When we raise taxes, when we raise fees,
when we do all that stuff,

1237
01:29:22,658 --> 01:29:27,872
who does that get passed on to? The
homeowner or the renter.

1238
01:29:27,872 --> 01:29:34,217
And thus we exacerbate the very problem we
say we're trying to solve with

1239
01:29:34,217 --> 01:29:36,824
affordable housing. Thank you.

1240
01:29:36,824 --> 01:29:37,258
Thank you.

1241
01:29:37,724 --> 01:29:39,995
Thank you. Next speaker is Craig Murtha.

1242
01:29:39,995 --> 01:29:43,913
I have a couple of things to say about
garbage that might be helpful.

1243
01:29:43,913 --> 01:29:45,787
I just wanted to say that, Mayor,

1244
01:29:45,787 --> 01:29:49,421
I just sent you the article from 2019 that
was in the Tampa, uh,

1245
01:29:49,421 --> 01:29:54,135
paper that said that, uh, we were going to
spend $25 million to move the City Hall.

1246
01:29:54,135 --> 01:29:56,065
Now, that was an initial estimate.

1247
01:29:56,065 --> 01:29:59,415
In 2022, I think they voted for something
like $54 million,

1248
01:29:59,415 --> 01:30:02,709
then it went to $85 million. So But that
was the original.

1249
01:30:02,709 --> 01:30:04,640
And that's what I'm talking about.

1250
01:30:04,640 --> 01:30:08,558
So the original number that ever comes out
about this police station,

1251
01:30:08,558 --> 01:30:13,271
I'm not going to believe. But anyhow, it's
in your Messenger. You can check it out.

1252
01:30:13,271 --> 01:30:15,201
And I got other stuff I can rebut.

1253
01:30:15,201 --> 01:30:18,779
And I'll rebut that next time that you
said about the flooding.

1254
01:30:18,779 --> 01:30:21,845
But I'll rebut that in the public comments
in 2 weeks.

1255
01:30:21,845 --> 01:30:22,718
All right.

1256
01:30:22,718 --> 01:30:27,127
But about this, about the garbage, I
notice I had a lid. It used to open like

1257
01:30:27,127 --> 01:30:27,413
notice I had a lid. It used to open like
that.

1258
01:30:27,413 --> 01:30:30,562
And then, but what would happen if it
opened like that,

1259
01:30:30,562 --> 01:30:35,200
if I left it open and the garbage man went
to pick it up, he might break the lid,

1260
01:30:35,200 --> 01:30:38,578
right? So I called, so, and that's what
happened. It broke.

1261
01:30:38,578 --> 01:30:42,300
And I called the garbage man. I called the
sanitation department.

1262
01:30:42,300 --> 01:30:45,736
They said, well, just leave it out. We'll
be there tomorrow.

1263
01:30:45,736 --> 01:30:50,202
But no sooner did I hang up the phone,
they were. I mean, it was unbelievable.

1264
01:30:50,202 --> 01:30:54,553
Like 30 minutes, they were there fixing my
lid. So that was very impressive.

1265
01:30:54,553 --> 01:30:57,474
But they made it so that it flips all the
way over.

1266
01:30:57,474 --> 01:30:59,420
And I thought, well, that's great,

1267
01:30:59,420 --> 01:31:02,856
because now you're not going to have that
stress on the can,

1268
01:31:02,856 --> 01:31:07,379
and it's not going to break the can. But
then I noticed me being absent-minded.

1269
01:31:07,379 --> 01:31:10,929
Sometimes I work in the yard, and I leave
the can open, right?

1270
01:31:10,929 --> 01:31:13,792
So like 2 or 3 times already, I left the
can open,

1271
01:31:13,792 --> 01:31:16,483
and it got like a couple inches of water
in it.

1272
01:31:16,483 --> 01:31:20,835
I'm thinking, well, so what's worse,
breaking the lids or getting the water?

1273
01:31:20,835 --> 01:31:25,129
Well, hauling a lot of water to the dump,
and that's very expensive, right?

1274
01:31:25,129 --> 01:31:29,767
So I don't know. I don't know what the
answer is. You guys gotta figure that out.

1275
01:31:29,767 --> 01:31:34,004
And another thing, when the garbage man
comes by and he sees a broken lid,

1276
01:31:34,004 --> 01:31:36,123
maybe he should, maybe, I don't know,

1277
01:31:36,123 --> 01:31:40,531
get out of the truck and put a little tag
on it that says, leave the can out,

1278
01:31:40,531 --> 01:31:44,711
I'm sending this to the sanitation
department so they'll come and fix it.

1279
01:31:44,711 --> 01:31:46,429
'Cause some people don't know.

1280
01:31:46,429 --> 01:31:50,151
I've seen neighbors that have the broken
lid for a year straight,

1281
01:31:50,151 --> 01:31:51,410
and they're fixing it.

1282
01:31:51,410 --> 01:31:54,560
They don't know that it's free to get that
thing fixed,

1283
01:31:54,560 --> 01:31:59,083
and it's important to fix it because
broken lids attract rats and obviously the

1284
01:31:59,083 --> 01:32:00,973
water problem that I've run into.

1285
01:32:00,973 --> 01:32:04,752
By the way, every time this happened to
me, I dumped my trash out.

1286
01:32:04,752 --> 01:32:09,218
But not everybody's going to do that
because not everybody knows that that's a

1287
01:32:09,218 --> 01:32:09,389
because not everybody knows that that's a
lot

1288
01:32:09,389 --> 01:32:14,199
of weight, and we don't want to send water
to the incinerator because that makes the

1289
01:32:14,199 --> 01:32:17,348
incineration process less efficient. So
it's something.

1290
01:32:17,348 --> 01:32:21,757
And also, and I don't blame you for
forgetting about that $25 million, Mayor,

1291
01:32:21,757 --> 01:32:24,391
because you're You've got a lot on your
plate.

1292
01:32:24,391 --> 01:32:28,514
Being the mayor, your business, your kids.
You're under a lot of stress.

1293
01:32:28,514 --> 01:32:29,487
So I forgive you.

1294
01:32:29,487 --> 01:32:31,456
Thank you.

1295
01:32:31,456 --> 01:32:35,340
That's all the cards. Thank you very much.
I got your message.

1296
01:32:35,340 --> 01:32:38,660
I just don't read them up here. I got it
on my watch.

1297
01:32:38,660 --> 01:32:43,234
I'm like, I'll read that in a little
while. Appreciate it. I had a couple

1298
01:32:43,234 --> 01:32:43,860
while. Appreciate it. I had a couple
questions.

1299
01:32:43,860 --> 01:32:47,619
Thank you. And apologies for skipping that
at the beginning.

1300
01:32:47,619 --> 01:32:52,506
Um, the, the— it seemed like approximately
$3 million was reimbursed from, uh,

1301
01:32:52,506 --> 01:32:55,262
debris pickup. Is that, is that about
right?

1302
01:32:55,262 --> 01:32:59,625
So the total amount of the claim is $3.5
million that we spent.

1303
01:32:59,625 --> 01:33:04,472
So not all of that is 100%. There's a city
share to a certain element.

1304
01:33:04,472 --> 01:33:09,112
Anything after the first 120 days, there's
a, uh, 12.5% city share.

1305
01:33:09,112 --> 01:33:11,827
Okay, so, so, um, I guess my question is,

1306
01:33:11,827 --> 01:33:14,609
if It was over $2 million, I would assume,

1307
01:33:14,609 --> 01:33:17,324
if we're still waiting on about $300,000?

1308
01:33:17,324 --> 01:33:21,848
The total claim was the $3.5 million, and
then they decide, you know,

1309
01:33:21,848 --> 01:33:23,880
which amounts are reimbursable.

1310
01:33:23,880 --> 01:33:26,205
Where does that money go when it comes
back to us? Does it go in—

1311
01:33:26,205 --> 01:33:27,295
Right back to the solid waste fund.

1312
01:33:27,295 --> 01:33:29,288
Into this fund. Okay. Thank you.

1313
01:33:29,288 --> 01:33:34,145
And the other questions may not be for
you, but you mentioned the fleet study.

1314
01:33:34,145 --> 01:33:38,131
I'm curious if with the rising cost of the
cost of these trucks,

1315
01:33:38,131 --> 01:33:40,061
Have we looked at renting them?

1316
01:33:40,061 --> 01:33:43,424
I know that some vehicles, the golf carts
for example,

1317
01:33:43,424 --> 01:33:46,226
it's much different than a solid waste
truck.

1318
01:33:46,226 --> 01:33:51,457
But we found that it's the most economical
thing to do is to actually rent those for

1319
01:33:51,457 --> 01:33:53,512
a few years and then return them.

1320
01:33:53,512 --> 01:33:57,124
I know there's organizations that rent
solid waste trucks.

1321
01:33:57,124 --> 01:33:58,992
Have we looked at that at all?

1322
01:33:58,992 --> 01:34:02,978
Not as totally across the fleet, but we
will look into it. Okay.

1323
01:34:02,978 --> 01:34:05,780
I mean, it might make sense for some— I
mean,

1324
01:34:05,780 --> 01:34:08,832
we have different categories of vehicles
as well,

1325
01:34:08,832 --> 01:34:13,440
and it might make sense for those that
take more maintenance, for example.

1326
01:34:13,440 --> 01:34:16,616
Maybe it would be more cost-effective to
rent them.

1327
01:34:16,616 --> 01:34:21,162
I think it's worth looking at all the
options. Commissioner Lowser. Yeah,

1328
01:34:21,162 --> 01:34:21,598
options. Commissioner Lowser. Yeah,
thanks.

1329
01:34:21,598 --> 01:34:26,206
So I'd like to thank Commissioner
DeBriesi. I appreciate your perspective.

1330
01:34:26,206 --> 01:34:28,884
And, you know, coming from your
background,

1331
01:34:28,884 --> 01:34:33,866
I don't know how to look at budgets and
things like that quite as as well as you

1332
01:34:33,866 --> 01:34:34,053
things like that quite as as well as you
do.

1333
01:34:34,053 --> 01:34:39,159
So appreciate your perspective and, uh,
and your, your discussion up here tonight.

1334
01:34:39,159 --> 01:34:43,643
So definitely weighed on my, my decision.
Thank you. Vice Mayor Johnson.

1335
01:34:43,643 --> 01:34:48,562
I'm, I'm curious, I, I kind of looking at
this, um, solid waste financial plan,

1336
01:34:48,562 --> 01:34:51,365
where does, where does the reimbursement
hit?

1337
01:34:51,365 --> 01:34:54,852
Which line item does it hit when we get
that money back?

1338
01:34:54,852 --> 01:34:57,747
Uh, so it would go into intergovernmental
revenues,

1339
01:34:57,747 --> 01:35:02,346
and we've worked with the budget team on
recognizing what we actually received in

1340
01:35:02,346 --> 01:35:05,979
2025-26 And then what we are still waiting
on is listed in 2027.

1341
01:35:05,979 --> 01:35:10,584
And how come we didn't flow that
reimbursement directly back into reserve

1342
01:35:10,584 --> 01:35:11,089
reimbursement directly back into reserve
balance?

1343
01:35:11,089 --> 01:35:15,938
Well, the fund itself at the end of 2025—

1344
01:35:15,938 --> 01:35:21,024
Was tight, right? We would have been in
the

1345
01:35:21,024 --> 01:35:21,497
red.

1346
01:35:21,497 --> 01:35:21,900
Okay.

1347
01:35:21,900 --> 01:35:24,224
We do, by accounting standards,

1348
01:35:24,224 --> 01:35:28,424
have to report it through the
intergovernmental revenue,

1349
01:35:28,424 --> 01:35:34,347
and then if the commission chooses to
Record more as a reserve, we can do that.

1350
01:35:34,347 --> 01:35:35,547
Okay, thank you.

1351
01:35:36,674 --> 01:35:38,736
Thank you. Any other questions?

1352
01:35:38,736 --> 01:35:42,859
I will make a comment just about fund
balances on percentages.

1353
01:35:42,859 --> 01:35:47,780
You know, this— a large portion of the
money that's here is for big stuff,

1354
01:35:47,780 --> 01:35:51,171
big garbage trucks and stuff that's very
expensive.

1355
01:35:51,171 --> 01:35:55,028
And we, in years that we don't buy several
garbage trucks,

1356
01:35:55,028 --> 01:35:56,824
we see a fund balance grow.

1357
01:35:56,824 --> 01:36:01,346
It's not like the general fund where it's
almost entirely employees,

1358
01:36:01,346 --> 01:36:03,474
where that's a much more stable—

1359
01:36:03,474 --> 01:36:08,595
the stormwater fund has a really healthy
fund balance right now because we're

1360
01:36:08,595 --> 01:36:14,114
waiting or we're about to do several big
projects that are paid for entirely out of

1361
01:36:14,114 --> 01:36:17,705
the— well, almost entirely out of the
stormwater fund.

1362
01:36:17,705 --> 01:36:22,360
And I mean, I certainly get the point, but
I think that The different—

1363
01:36:22,360 --> 01:36:25,619
we expect hopefully if the golf course
does well,

1364
01:36:25,619 --> 01:36:30,341
it will establish a big fund balance
because that's an enterprise fund.

1365
01:36:30,341 --> 01:36:34,264
And if we redo the golf course at some
point in the future,

1366
01:36:34,264 --> 01:36:37,589
we hope to pay for it out of that
enterprise fund.

1367
01:36:37,589 --> 01:36:42,843
And that's all— it's a little different
because it's all fees, you know, there.

1368
01:36:42,843 --> 01:36:48,362
But many of these enterprise funds develop
different fund balances and they're kind

1369
01:36:48,362 --> 01:36:52,552
of cyclical. they go with projects, you
know, or, or, you know,

1370
01:36:52,552 --> 01:36:56,276
large fleet purchases. Mr. Kerr. Yeah,
thank you, Mayor.

1371
01:36:56,276 --> 01:37:01,197
I just want to reemphasize that the fund
balance, especially in this fund,

1372
01:37:01,197 --> 01:37:06,717
serves the purpose obviously of providing
a cushion for infrastructure that we have

1373
01:37:06,717 --> 01:37:11,970
to purchase— trucks, equipment. It's also
our emergency fund for storm cleanup.

1374
01:37:11,970 --> 01:37:17,157
So it's— we can't really raise millions of
dollars when a storm is on the way.

1375
01:37:17,157 --> 01:37:21,813
We have to you know, build this fund over
time. And we have done that.

1376
01:37:21,813 --> 01:37:27,266
And, you know, the 2% is a slow rebuild of
the fund that was depleted during the 2

1377
01:37:27,266 --> 01:37:30,059
hurricanes that we saw a couple years ago.

1378
01:37:30,059 --> 01:37:33,583
So it's important to maintain, you know,
and when we—

1379
01:37:33,583 --> 01:37:38,438
to maintain the integrity and the fund
balance such that we're, you know,

1380
01:37:38,438 --> 01:37:43,758
we have this in preparation for future
events. Thank you. Commissioner DiBrizzi.

1381
01:37:43,758 --> 01:37:44,575
Thank you.

1382
01:37:46,437 --> 01:37:52,187
Not to challenge you, Mr. Kerr, but I want
to just try to get some more information.

1383
01:37:52,187 --> 01:37:57,732
So, um, knowing that what you just said,
right, about being able to build up for,

1384
01:37:57,732 --> 01:38:00,813
for debris cleanup and those kinds of
things,

1385
01:38:00,813 --> 01:38:05,673
why didn't we do that in a rate for the
current year that we're in and,

1386
01:38:05,673 --> 01:38:07,179
and in previous years?

1387
01:38:07,179 --> 01:38:09,096
Because my, my, my point is,

1388
01:38:09,096 --> 01:38:14,435
is that we set a rate and we got all of
everything we had planned for and then

1389
01:38:14,435 --> 01:38:14,778
everything we had planned for and then
some.

1390
01:38:14,778 --> 01:38:18,543
And, you know, being sitting here now and
saying, well,

1391
01:38:18,543 --> 01:38:22,171
we need that additional money for for
debris cleanup.

1392
01:38:22,219 --> 01:38:22,717
We knew that.

1393
01:38:23,360 --> 01:38:26,259
We know what those we know what those
situations are.

1394
01:38:26,259 --> 01:38:29,704
But we don't know when the storms are
coming. I agree with you.

1395
01:38:29,704 --> 01:38:34,080
But I mean, we know that you know what's
happening in those funds and stuff like

1396
01:38:34,080 --> 01:38:35,775
that. So I mean, help me under.

1397
01:38:35,775 --> 01:38:40,260
I just want to be able to try to and for
everybody watching and listening in here.

1398
01:38:40,260 --> 01:38:43,214
You know, I start with ground zero. We
asked for this.

1399
01:38:43,214 --> 01:38:45,073
We got You know, we got all of it.

1400
01:38:45,073 --> 01:38:47,698
We got a, a, a contribution to the reserve
fund,

1401
01:38:47,698 --> 01:38:51,144
and then we got an additional contribution
to the reserve fund.

1402
01:38:51,144 --> 01:38:55,410
But we're here talking about wanting or
needing more when, you know, we're not

1403
01:38:55,410 --> 01:38:55,683
needing more when, you know, we're not
even—

1404
01:38:55,683 --> 01:38:57,871
we're, you know, 9 months into the year.

1405
01:38:57,871 --> 01:39:01,098
So I just— that's the part that, that gets
me a little bit.

1406
01:39:01,098 --> 01:39:04,380
I mean, a little more information from you
might be helpful,

1407
01:39:04,380 --> 01:39:07,224
but hearing that now when we set the rate
last year,

1408
01:39:07,224 --> 01:39:11,654
why didn't we have that conversation when
we set the rate last year to be able to

1409
01:39:11,654 --> 01:39:15,920
build up that fund? Well, first of all,
let me emphasize we do budget for full

1410
01:39:15,920 --> 01:39:16,193
let me emphasize we do budget for full
hire.

1411
01:39:16,193 --> 01:39:18,490
And so— You should. You absolutely should.

1412
01:39:18,490 --> 01:39:21,608
So, you know, our target is to fill those
FTs every year.

1413
01:39:21,608 --> 01:39:23,139
And we must budget for that.

1414
01:39:23,139 --> 01:39:27,296
We are trying to avoid creating shocks to
the residents by having large rate

1415
01:39:27,296 --> 01:39:30,085
increases, large jumps from any given year
to year.

1416
01:39:30,085 --> 01:39:33,422
by providing a constant or consistent
lower rate of increase,

1417
01:39:33,422 --> 01:39:37,797
we can obviously keep up with tipping fees
and things like that that we know are

1418
01:39:37,797 --> 01:39:39,438
costs that exceed 2% annually.

1419
01:39:39,438 --> 01:39:41,133
And at the same time, you know,

1420
01:39:41,133 --> 01:39:45,673
slowly rebuild that fund balance because
we do know on experience that we don't get

1421
01:39:45,673 --> 01:39:47,095
a storm every single year.

1422
01:39:47,095 --> 01:39:51,634
And we have other sources of revenue that
we could call on in an extreme emergency,

1423
01:39:51,634 --> 01:39:56,119
but it's responsible for us to build up
the solid waste fund separately so that we

1424
01:39:56,119 --> 01:39:59,784
don't suffer the risk on multiple fronts
should we hit the big one.

1425
01:39:59,784 --> 01:40:03,831
I understand that. I understand not
wanting the shock of it, but also, you

1426
01:40:03,831 --> 01:40:04,104
wanting the shock of it, but also, you
know,

1427
01:40:04,104 --> 01:40:08,152
I understand the idea of, you know, giving
a break, and I know you do too.

1428
01:40:08,152 --> 01:40:10,777
And I know, to Mr. Faustini's comment, you
know,

1429
01:40:10,777 --> 01:40:13,293
I don't think it's a leadership issue up
here.

1430
01:40:13,293 --> 01:40:17,832
I think everybody here is trying to do the
best— what they believe is best is what,

1431
01:40:17,832 --> 01:40:21,059
you know, what we should be doing. This is
just where I am.

1432
01:40:21,059 --> 01:40:25,380
So, you know, I think there's value in
what you said about not wanting to shock

1433
01:40:25,380 --> 01:40:25,544
what you said about not wanting to shock
and

1434
01:40:25,544 --> 01:40:29,755
have to come back with a 5% increase one
year or a 10% increase another year.

1435
01:40:29,755 --> 01:40:33,310
But I don't, you know, I don't necessarily
know that we're there.

1436
01:40:33,310 --> 01:40:37,686
But, you know, it's about— I think we do
have to look at this from year to year,

1437
01:40:37,686 --> 01:40:39,709
particularly in these types of funds.

1438
01:40:39,709 --> 01:40:43,374
And it's an opportunity to be able to save
our residents, you know,

1439
01:40:43,374 --> 01:40:47,585
a little bit of money. And next year we
may be able to do it again. You never

1440
01:40:47,585 --> 01:40:47,859
may be able to do it again. You never
know.

1441
01:40:47,859 --> 01:40:51,796
But, you know, or we may need to increase
because of whatever it may be.

1442
01:40:51,796 --> 01:40:55,516
But I just think we have that opportunity
now. Thank you. Thank you.

1443
01:40:55,516 --> 01:40:56,500
Commissioner Holk.

1444
01:40:56,500 --> 01:41:01,236
I'm sure we all see both sides of all of
this.

1445
01:41:01,236 --> 01:41:07,826
So, Rebecca, you had said we have 56
vehicles totaling right now

1446
01:41:07,826 --> 01:41:14,313
approximately $14.1 million. When are
those up For replacement.

1447
01:41:14,313 --> 01:41:21,212
And I'm pretty sure we, we do what, 5? We
replace like 5 each time?

1448
01:41:21,212 --> 01:41:23,374
Are they on like a 5?

1449
01:41:23,374 --> 01:41:25,788
It's based on years of the replacement
cycle.

1450
01:41:25,788 --> 01:41:29,437
So if, let's say, a front loader is— if
it's replaced every 5 years,

1451
01:41:29,437 --> 01:41:33,193
so when it comes around on the 5th year,
then it's up for replacement.

1452
01:41:33,193 --> 01:41:36,090
So a new, new truck is ordered and, um,
and outfitted.

1453
01:41:36,090 --> 01:41:42,890
Okay, so my perspective of the 2% increase
was for having those funds to be able to

1454
01:41:42,890 --> 01:41:49,363
replace these vehicles or large items
that— so that's why I was like, okay, 2%.

1455
01:41:49,363 --> 01:41:52,312
It's— I know that any increase, and,

1456
01:41:52,312 --> 01:41:57,801
and I totally understand where
Commissioner DeBries is coming from.

1457
01:41:57,801 --> 01:42:01,079
Yes, you know, we, we want to give back,

1458
01:42:01,079 --> 01:42:05,994
but we also don't want to come next year
and say we need 5%.

1459
01:42:05,994 --> 01:42:11,975
We need 10% because now we have to
replace, you know, large-ticket items.

1460
01:42:11,975 --> 01:42:18,448
I feel like building the fund each year in
small increments is much better than

1461
01:42:18,448 --> 01:42:24,101
coming out and saying, okay, now we need
5% from you or 10% from you.

1462
01:42:24,101 --> 01:42:27,542
You know, I like reserves. I like savings.

1463
01:42:27,542 --> 01:42:33,523
I like the money to be there instead of
springing something on, you know,

1464
01:42:33,523 --> 01:42:40,405
our citizens. and all of a sudden needing
a huge increase in order to replace things

1465
01:42:40,405 --> 01:42:43,682
that we, you know, need immediately. So—

1466
01:42:43,682 --> 01:42:48,631
Thank you. Commissioner DeBriesi.

1467
01:42:48,631 --> 01:42:49,115
Thank you again.

1468
01:42:49,164 --> 01:42:51,371
Appreciate that, Mayor. Follow-up
question.

1469
01:42:51,371 --> 01:42:55,273
We know the replacement cycle of the
vehicles and we've already budgeted for

1470
01:42:55,273 --> 01:42:55,530
vehicles and we've already budgeted for
those

1471
01:42:55,530 --> 01:42:56,659
replacements in years.

1472
01:42:56,659 --> 01:43:00,714
That's why we've been building up and
that's why down the road the fund balance

1473
01:43:00,714 --> 01:43:00,817
that's why down the road the fund balance
is

1474
01:43:00,817 --> 01:43:02,152
where it's at. So, I mean,

1475
01:43:02,152 --> 01:43:05,283
we're not budgeting for those when it's
time to replace them.

1476
01:43:05,283 --> 01:43:08,979
We're budgeting for those trucks long
before their replacement, correct?

1477
01:43:08,979 --> 01:43:11,238
Yes, that's the goal. Yep. Yeah,
absolutely.

1478
01:43:11,238 --> 01:43:16,914
Um, I'm sorry, but is the budget including
this 2% towards

1479
01:43:16,914 --> 01:43:22,785
that, that 36% that it's at, the balance
is at, at one time?

1480
01:43:22,785 --> 01:43:25,212
I imagine it would be, but we also, like I
said,

1481
01:43:25,212 --> 01:43:27,487
we also collected more than what we
budgeted.

1482
01:43:27,487 --> 01:43:30,218
So that's, that's where, that's where I'm
coming from.

1483
01:43:30,218 --> 01:43:31,684
Um, Mayor, I mean, I'm gonna,

1484
01:43:31,684 --> 01:43:35,274
I'm gonna ask the city attorney because
this has multiple pieces to it.

1485
01:43:35,274 --> 01:43:38,359
Um, would the motion be to approve, um, to
approve this with—

1486
01:43:38,359 --> 01:43:41,949
because that with the 0% increase, and
then that way it doesn't affect—

1487
01:43:41,949 --> 01:43:45,640
I know there's other fee increases that
are in here, which I'm okay with.

1488
01:43:45,640 --> 01:43:48,775
I don't want to— we're not going to say no
to the whole thing.

1489
01:43:48,775 --> 01:43:51,202
So what would be the right way to go about
this?

1490
01:43:51,202 --> 01:43:55,756
You need to articulate the changes from
what's in front of you so it's clear

1491
01:43:55,756 --> 01:43:56,115
what's in front of you so it's clear
what's

1492
01:43:56,115 --> 01:43:57,014
being approved.

1493
01:43:57,014 --> 01:44:01,426
I'll wait and see if there's any more
discussion. All right, thank you.

1494
01:44:01,426 --> 01:44:06,211
Vice Mayor Johnson, how do we know
approximately how much of that 2% increase

1495
01:44:06,211 --> 01:44:06,335
approximately how much of that 2% increase
is

1496
01:44:06,335 --> 01:44:09,629
eaten up in the tipping fee increase from
the county?

1497
01:44:09,629 --> 01:44:11,866
Like, is that most of it, all of it?

1498
01:44:11,866 --> 01:44:16,091
Pretty much, because it's 25% of our
total, and it's going up at 8%,

1499
01:44:16,091 --> 01:44:20,814
so So we're going to go negative as a
result of not having this 2% in there?

1500
01:44:20,814 --> 01:44:23,636
We'll go lower than it is predicted to be
at the end of this year.

1501
01:44:23,636 --> 01:44:24,808
Depends on what we experience.

1502
01:44:24,808 --> 01:44:27,307
I mean, if we're still understaffed, if we
have full employment.

1503
01:44:27,307 --> 01:44:27,813
Yes. Right.

1504
01:44:27,959 --> 01:44:32,988
Okay, I get it. All right, thank you. I'll
do it.

1505
01:44:32,988 --> 01:44:39,147
Um, I move to adopt Ordinance Number
2026-2022 with a change

1506
01:44:39,147 --> 01:44:45,305
from a 2% increase to a 0% increase on
second final reading.

1507
01:44:45,305 --> 01:44:49,513
That work? Um, could you clarify if it's—

1508
01:44:49,513 --> 01:44:52,900
because I think there's a couple.

1509
01:44:52,900 --> 01:44:53,550
Yeah, I know.

1510
01:44:53,550 --> 01:44:55,236
That's what I'm trying to get some help
with.

1511
01:44:55,236 --> 01:44:56,810
Yeah, because the 2% was already approved.

1512
01:44:56,810 --> 01:44:59,706
Commissioner DeBrisi, I think you would
be— you would be—

1513
01:44:59,706 --> 01:45:01,890
your motion would be to deny the
ordinance.

1514
01:45:01,890 --> 01:45:02,910
Yeah, you have to deny it.

1515
01:45:02,910 --> 01:45:03,350
Okay.

1516
01:45:03,350 --> 01:45:04,690
Yeah. So if it's a zero—

1517
01:45:04,690 --> 01:45:08,110
if it's a 0%, then there's— there wouldn't
be a change.

1518
01:45:08,110 --> 01:45:13,086
Okay. But there's other fee increases in
the— in the ordinance.

1519
01:45:13,086 --> 01:45:18,930
That's, you know, there's There's other—
there's cans and stuff like that,

1520
01:45:18,930 --> 01:45:22,168
so I didn't want to kill the whole thing.

1521
01:45:22,168 --> 01:45:24,064
So did you want to make—

1522
01:45:24,064 --> 01:45:29,750
do you want to just consider not
establishing a 2% residential increase?

1523
01:45:29,750 --> 01:45:30,382
establishing a 2% residential increase?
Correct.

1524
01:45:30,382 --> 01:45:36,305
Or— well, I got to go back and look at the
entire schedule again of things.

1525
01:45:36,305 --> 01:45:39,622
A lot of numbers. Let me pull it up again.

1526
01:45:39,622 --> 01:45:45,782
Why don't you make a motion to postpone it
until you can get all the facts and

1527
01:45:45,782 --> 01:45:48,152
figures down? You can do that.

1528
01:45:48,152 --> 01:45:54,391
I know, but, um, I will need a reminder of
what the increase is for commercial.

1529
01:45:54,391 --> 01:45:55,748
$10.

1530
01:45:55,748 --> 01:45:58,189
It's 10 bucks.

1531
01:45:58,189 --> 01:46:01,878
So there's— to the actual commercial is
also a 2% increase there,

1532
01:46:01,878 --> 01:46:05,454
but there was one item called out, which
was the $10 recycling.

1533
01:46:05,502 --> 01:46:09,734
Yeah, I just, you know, so my goal would
be to do— to zero out the increase,

1534
01:46:09,734 --> 01:46:12,073
the 2% increase, and leave the other fees.

1535
01:46:12,073 --> 01:46:15,024
So the 2% increase of the residential and
commercial,

1536
01:46:15,024 --> 01:46:19,311
but leave the other costs that are in
there. So leave the recycling $10. Yes.

1537
01:46:19,311 --> 01:46:22,485
Well, that's correct. That's the only
other fee, correct?

1538
01:46:22,485 --> 01:46:28,029
I am too, but I— so I want to work this
right, so a little help there.

1539
01:46:31,029 --> 01:46:34,150
I just need to make sure.

1540
01:46:34,150 --> 01:46:38,145
So the 2% that he's referencing,

1541
01:46:38,145 --> 01:46:45,011
and I'll ask staff to confirm, would that
be reflected—

1542
01:46:45,011 --> 01:46:51,877
the changes reflected in Section 20-32,
um, A1, 2, and—

1543
01:46:51,877 --> 01:46:58,694
And, and not to include Which is the $10 a
month fee for recycling.

1544
01:46:58,694 --> 01:47:01,363
Commercial or industrial.

1545
01:47:01,363 --> 01:47:05,954
Well, that's, that's only for commercial
or

1546
01:47:05,954 --> 01:47:08,089
industrial, correct?

1547
01:47:08,364 --> 01:47:08,493
Yeah.

1548
01:47:08,542 --> 01:47:13,441
So, right. So I'm saying we would not
accept—

1549
01:47:13,441 --> 01:47:20,081
so it would be not accepting the changes
in 20-32A1 and 2 and

1550
01:47:20,081 --> 01:47:22,476
I don't know if we're—

1551
01:47:22,476 --> 01:47:28,354
the changes for the dumpster service
you're okay with?

1552
01:47:28,354 --> 01:47:28,971
Yep.

1553
01:47:28,971 --> 01:47:34,060
Okay. So I think it would just be the
changes in A1 and 2.

1554
01:47:34,060 --> 01:47:40,201
I just need confirmation that it would
just be those 2 changes that we

1555
01:47:40,201 --> 01:47:42,219
would not be accepting.

1556
01:47:42,219 --> 01:47:47,834
Because there's fees for— there's an
increase for Uh, roll-offs?

1557
01:47:47,834 --> 01:47:50,898
Yeah, I— the only change is that—

1558
01:47:50,898 --> 01:47:53,963
is that everything else was fine.

1559
01:47:53,963 --> 01:47:59,720
It's just the, the 2% increase in
commercial residential rate.

1560
01:48:00,043 --> 01:48:00,366
Everything else—

1561
01:48:00,366 --> 01:48:03,365
Commercial and residential or just
residential? Commercial and residential.

1562
01:48:03,365 --> 01:48:04,325
Everything else is fine.

1563
01:48:04,325 --> 01:48:08,195
What did he say? Just residential?

1564
01:48:08,195 --> 01:48:09,814
And so commercial and residential.

1565
01:48:09,814 --> 01:48:12,179
Okay, so the front load recycling
dumpster, that's 2.

1566
01:48:12,292 --> 01:48:13,582
So So we were okay with 2%.

1567
01:48:13,582 --> 01:48:16,777
I thought he said 1%.

1568
01:48:16,777 --> 01:48:17,901
Motion school here.

1569
01:48:17,901 --> 01:48:22,308
So is the appropriate motion then to adopt
the ordinance at a 0%

1570
01:48:22,308 --> 01:48:27,197
increase, and that would adopt everything
else that's in there but deny

1571
01:48:27,197 --> 01:48:27,679
the 2%?

1572
01:48:27,679 --> 01:48:28,835
That's what I was hoping.

1573
01:48:28,835 --> 01:48:30,561
I see what you're going with now.

1574
01:48:30,561 --> 01:48:34,484
Yeah, well, there— so there's other
increases though that I think he's okay

1575
01:48:34,484 --> 01:48:34,746
increases though that I think he's okay
with,

1576
01:48:34,746 --> 01:48:37,570
right? And so if they're 2%, then that
wouldn't do it.

1577
01:48:38,413 --> 01:48:41,479
I think there's only one increase that's
not percentage-based. Am I correct?

1578
01:48:41,479 --> 01:48:42,012
Yes.

1579
01:48:42,012 --> 01:48:47,205
Yeah. And so just the, the $10 per month
for roll-off or for rollout,

1580
01:48:47,205 --> 01:48:53,226
like for bin recycling at a commercial
place that has curbside, which has got to

1581
01:48:53,226 --> 01:48:53,452
place that has curbside, which has got to
be—

1582
01:48:53,452 --> 01:48:59,472
that's probably like, you know, $150 a
month. I mean, there's not many of those.

1583
01:48:59,472 --> 01:49:05,644
Yeah, like I said, I mean, you know, I'm
only looking at the dollar increase fees,

1584
01:49:05,644 --> 01:49:10,686
and I'm trying to think of the best way to
say this, but, you know,

1585
01:49:10,686 --> 01:49:15,277
to me it's pretty simple, but I know we
want to get it right.

1586
01:49:15,277 --> 01:49:19,266
So, you know, all the fee charges are— I'm
okay with.

1587
01:49:19,266 --> 01:49:22,577
It's the percentage increase to the
service,

1588
01:49:22,577 --> 01:49:26,115
the 2% that are for commercial and
residential.

1589
01:49:26,115 --> 01:49:30,781
So, but it sounds like we need to word
this a certain way, so.

1590
01:49:30,781 --> 01:49:36,049
Commissioner, would you support a friendly
amendment to just decrease,

1591
01:49:36,049 --> 01:49:38,683
go to zero with unresidential fees?

1592
01:49:38,683 --> 01:49:39,767
I would.

1593
01:49:39,767 --> 01:49:44,445
Yeah, I would like to propose that as a
friendly amendment.

1594
01:49:44,445 --> 01:49:45,635
An easier amendment.

1595
01:49:45,635 --> 01:49:51,749
If that was your suggestion for a friendly
amendment, it was his first one.

1596
01:49:51,749 --> 01:49:57,944
There was an agreement and I'd take a
second on that. Yeah, I need a second.

1597
01:49:57,944 --> 01:50:03,324
So, I mean, is that, is that a good enough
motion? I'll second it.

1598
01:50:03,324 --> 01:50:09,845
Yeah, so, so the, um, the motion then is,
um, amending ordinance, etc., for, um,

1599
01:50:09,845 --> 01:50:16,284
to increase collection fees for commercial
and industrial container solid waste

1600
01:50:16,284 --> 01:50:18,404
service to 2%. So, so, um,

1601
01:50:18,404 --> 01:50:24,925
you basically remove the reference to
residential solid waste curbside services?

1602
01:50:24,925 --> 01:50:25,251
Yes.

1603
01:50:25,251 --> 01:50:28,137
Okay.

1604
01:50:28,380 --> 01:50:28,786
I'll do that.

1605
01:50:28,786 --> 01:50:29,903
So moved.

1606
01:50:29,903 --> 01:50:35,816
And that would— that would increase all
the commercial roll-off,

1607
01:50:35,816 --> 01:50:41,914
that type of stuff. Just residential
curbside would stay the same.

1608
01:50:41,914 --> 01:50:42,284
Yes.

1609
01:50:42,349 --> 01:50:46,846
So the new— amending Chapter 20, Article
2, Section 20-30,

1610
01:50:46,846 --> 01:50:50,335
To increase collection fees for— by
amending—

1611
01:50:50,464 --> 01:50:53,565
I'm sorry, 20-32.

1612
01:50:53,613 --> 01:50:55,879
So we would actually remove the 20-30.

1613
01:50:55,879 --> 01:50:57,181
All right.

1614
01:50:57,181 --> 01:51:00,751
Um, so we would just be by amending
Section 20-32 to increase

1615
01:51:00,751 --> 01:51:04,672
collection fees for commercial and
industrial container solid waste

1616
01:51:04,672 --> 01:51:05,199
services.

1617
01:51:05,199 --> 01:51:10,262
And is that a 2% increase, or is that—
those are dollar figure increases, right?

1618
01:51:10,262 --> 01:51:11,401
No, it's a 2% for—

1619
01:51:11,401 --> 01:51:15,896
they're listed. with the new dollar
figure, but it reflects the 2% in the

1620
01:51:15,896 --> 01:51:16,512
figure, but it reflects the 2% in the
ordinance.

1621
01:51:16,512 --> 01:51:17,238
So they're rounded.

1622
01:51:18,287 --> 01:51:18,771
Are they rounded?

1623
01:51:18,916 --> 01:51:21,884
They are rounded in the dumpster stuff.

1624
01:51:21,884 --> 01:51:27,133
Yeah. You would have the non-underlined
number would be with

1625
01:51:27,133 --> 01:51:32,208
the 2%, and then the residential would
stay at the $30.76.

1626
01:51:32,208 --> 01:51:36,023
Okay. Okay.

1627
01:51:36,088 --> 01:51:40,134
So no cost to the residential. Increases
only for commercial.

1628
01:51:40,134 --> 01:51:44,248
Yeah, for like a buck for a— okay,

1629
01:51:44,248 --> 01:51:47,756
yeah, 2%. No, that's a lot of

1630
01:51:47,756 --> 01:51:48,966
20-dashes.

1631
01:51:48,966 --> 01:51:52,599
Um, so there would be no changes in 20-30.

1632
01:51:52,599 --> 01:51:58,903
Okay, so would it be the ordinance be to
adopt ordinance

1633
01:51:58,903 --> 01:52:05,206
with no changes to 20 or This is so
specific to me, but—

1634
01:52:05,206 --> 01:52:08,219
Yes, so it would be an ordinance of the
city.

1635
01:52:08,219 --> 01:52:13,441
We would be amending the ordinance to
provide that an ordinance of the City of

1636
01:52:13,441 --> 01:52:18,395
Largo, Florida, amending this City of
Largo Code of Ordinances by amending

1637
01:52:18,395 --> 01:52:18,864
Largo Code of Ordinances by amending
Section

1638
01:52:18,864 --> 01:52:23,885
20-32 to increase collection fees for
commercial and industrial solid waste

1639
01:52:23,885 --> 01:52:28,571
services, providing for severability,
providing for an effective date.

1640
01:52:28,571 --> 01:52:31,450
And so we would be adopting this
ordinance,

1641
01:52:31,450 --> 01:52:37,074
excluding the changes proposed in Section
1 and accepting all the changes in Section

1642
01:52:37,074 --> 01:52:37,208
2.

1643
01:52:37,208 --> 01:52:41,243
And the ordinance doesn't even mention 2%,
so—

1644
01:52:41,243 --> 01:52:41,790
I know.

1645
01:52:41,790 --> 01:52:43,123
So we can leave that out.

1646
01:52:43,123 --> 01:52:44,360
Yeah.

1647
01:52:44,360 --> 01:52:46,143
So we're not— so we're—

1648
01:52:46,143 --> 01:52:51,248
We're not accept— we're not accepting the
changes that are included in Section 1 of

1649
01:52:51,248 --> 01:52:52,109
the ordinance.

1650
01:52:52,109 --> 01:52:52,370
Okay.

1651
01:52:52,370 --> 01:52:53,381
But all other changes.

1652
01:52:53,381 --> 01:52:53,740
Okay.

1653
01:52:53,838 --> 01:52:54,735
All right.

1654
01:52:55,969 --> 01:53:00,940
I move to adopt ordinance number 2026-22,
um,

1655
01:53:00,940 --> 01:53:05,691
but not accepting the changes in Section
1.

1656
01:53:05,691 --> 01:53:07,881
Section 2.

1657
01:53:07,881 --> 01:53:09,379
Section 2. No, not—

1658
01:53:09,491 --> 01:53:10,717
I'm sorry, not at— you're correct.

1659
01:53:10,717 --> 01:53:15,768
Okay, Section 1, um, on second final
reading.

1660
01:53:16,527 --> 01:53:17,296
Does that work? Yeah.

1661
01:53:17,296 --> 01:53:20,653
Second. Very good. I have a motion and a
second.

1662
01:53:20,653 --> 01:53:23,451
I think you're doing it backward though.

1663
01:53:23,451 --> 01:53:28,697
I think you have to have a motion first to
adopt the change and then do the

1664
01:53:28,697 --> 01:53:33,733
motion to adopt the, the changed memo,
period. You're doing it backward.

1665
01:53:33,733 --> 01:53:38,342
You can, you can make a motion to accept
the ordinance without that provision.

1666
01:53:38,342 --> 01:53:40,470
You can do it that your way as well.

1667
01:53:40,470 --> 01:53:43,247
But I think because we had friendly
amendments,

1668
01:53:43,247 --> 01:53:45,611
it got more muddled than it already was.

1669
01:53:46,140 --> 01:53:49,703
So, so you're saying he's friendly? No,
he's friendly. Oh, he's friendly.

1670
01:53:49,703 --> 01:53:54,407
So the, the motion on the floor is To
adopt the ordinance on second reading,

1671
01:53:54,407 --> 01:53:56,574
excluding the changes in Section 1.

1672
01:53:56,574 --> 01:53:59,736
Is that your motion?

1673
01:53:59,736 --> 01:54:01,036
Yes.

1674
01:54:01,036 --> 01:54:03,629
Did you get a second? We did, John. We
did.

1675
01:54:03,629 --> 01:54:08,332
I'm just looking at— make sure we're
right. I appreciate everybody's patience.

1676
01:54:08,332 --> 01:54:10,382
Throw out 2 of those pens. I know.

1677
01:54:10,382 --> 01:54:13,155
None of them are— they're both running out
of—

1678
01:54:13,155 --> 01:54:17,135
all 3 of them ran out of ink except the
one we used for the order.

1679
01:54:17,135 --> 01:54:20,572
Yeah, that's good. Yeah, this is one I
brought from home.

1680
01:54:20,572 --> 01:54:25,335
Um, I do have a motion and a second. If
everybody understands, all in favor say

1681
01:54:25,335 --> 01:54:25,576
everybody understands, all in favor say
aye.

1682
01:54:25,576 --> 01:54:26,427
Aye.

1683
01:54:26,427 --> 01:54:29,366
Commissioner Smith?

1684
01:54:29,366 --> 01:54:31,310
Uh, yes.

1685
01:54:31,310 --> 01:54:32,627
Commissioner Holmes?

1686
01:54:32,627 --> 01:54:32,948
Yes.

1687
01:54:32,948 --> 01:54:34,442
Commissioner DeVries?

1688
01:54:34,442 --> 01:54:36,145
Yes. Mayor Brown? Yes.

1689
01:54:36,145 --> 01:54:37,253
Commissioner Lauser?

1690
01:54:37,253 --> 01:54:37,590
Yes.

1691
01:54:37,590 --> 01:54:38,538
Commissioner Holk?

1692
01:54:38,538 --> 01:54:40,048
Yes. Vice Mayor Johnson?

1693
01:54:40,048 --> 01:54:44,426
Yes. Motion carries 7 to 0. Very good.
Thank you very much.

1694
01:54:44,426 --> 01:54:47,616
Good job, Commissioner DeBriesi. Thank
you.

1695
01:54:47,616 --> 01:54:51,623
Next up is Ordinance Number 2026-24 on
second reading.

1696
01:54:51,623 --> 01:54:53,904
All right, um, this is me again.

1697
01:54:53,904 --> 01:54:59,677
So, um, this is the second reading on, you
know, the first reading, uh, this was—

1698
01:54:59,677 --> 01:55:03,027
the commission did amend it to a 7.5%
increase.

1699
01:55:03,027 --> 01:55:08,159
This is talking about the stormwater rate
increase for fiscal year 2027.

1700
01:55:08,159 --> 01:55:13,861
So the original 15% that was proposed
would have been a $2.66 per month increase

1701
01:55:13,861 --> 01:55:14,074
would have been a $2.66 per month increase
for

1702
01:55:14,074 --> 01:55:16,355
per equivalent residential unit.

1703
01:55:16,355 --> 01:55:19,919
So that's how a residential customer would
see it,

1704
01:55:19,919 --> 01:55:24,979
and that would also be per 3,000 square
feet for commercial properties.

1705
01:55:24,979 --> 01:55:29,113
The revised amount would turn to $1.33 per
month increase.

1706
01:55:29,113 --> 01:55:34,530
And that would generate about $1 million
in additional revenue for the fund.

1707
01:55:34,530 --> 01:55:40,304
So leaving the original as well as the
amended, our rate history is showing here.

1708
01:55:40,304 --> 01:55:42,085
And actually, since 1989,

1709
01:55:42,085 --> 01:55:47,502
it's about a 7% average from year over
year in the 37 years that we've had a

1710
01:55:47,502 --> 01:55:51,850
stormwater fee. So looking at our
stormwater rate comparison,

1711
01:55:51,850 --> 01:55:54,915
If we were to raise it the 7.5% or the
15%,

1712
01:55:54,915 --> 01:56:00,902
we would still sit in the same spot on our
comparison to surrounding municipalities,

1713
01:56:00,902 --> 01:56:02,470
as well as commercial.

1714
01:56:02,470 --> 01:56:08,314
So that doesn't shove us further down if
we went to 15% or move us further up with

1715
01:56:08,314 --> 01:56:12,306
7.5%. So this is the projections with that
15% increase.

1716
01:56:12,306 --> 01:56:16,511
And as we talked about at the first
reading, the tier plan,

1717
01:56:16,511 --> 01:56:21,429
the stormwater maintenance plan, is
something that has had a backlog.

1718
01:56:21,429 --> 01:56:27,060
And so this, this planned increase is
something we've been working towards, um,

1719
01:56:27,060 --> 01:56:32,904
since 2022. Looking at what the commission
had approved on first reading was 7.5%.

1720
01:56:32,904 --> 01:56:36,682
So this is what it looks like if we were
to split it.

1721
01:56:36,682 --> 01:56:41,813
We— the conversation was had to splitting
it into 2 different increases,

1722
01:56:41,813 --> 01:56:46,589
and that's where the ordinance was passed
at 7.5% on first reading.

1723
01:56:46,589 --> 01:56:49,155
And just for informational purposes,

1724
01:56:49,155 --> 01:56:52,861
I'm showing if If we did nothing and left
it at, um,

1725
01:56:52,861 --> 01:56:57,922
the current rate where we're at right now,
uh, showing the 5-year plan.

1726
01:56:57,922 --> 01:57:02,269
And again, this is a very maintenance, uh,
and capital-heavy,

1727
01:57:02,269 --> 01:57:04,122
infrastructure-heavy fund.

1728
01:57:04,122 --> 01:57:09,824
So gearing up for the stormwater projects,
uh, coming in the next few years, uh,

1729
01:57:09,824 --> 01:57:13,958
if we don't do an increase, we will be
down at 3% by 2031.

1730
01:57:13,958 --> 01:57:19,803
Um, so this is showing with the 15% what
the impact to to the residential customer

1731
01:57:19,803 --> 01:57:22,725
would be. Again, after the previous item,

1732
01:57:22,725 --> 01:57:26,503
that 62 cents would not be there for the
solid waste.

1733
01:57:26,503 --> 01:57:32,347
And then as the commission passed on first
reading, the impact is, as I mentioned,

1734
01:57:32,347 --> 01:57:33,844
$1.33 for stormwater.

1735
01:57:33,844 --> 01:57:39,332
So at the first reading and then at the
commission budgetary work session and

1736
01:57:39,332 --> 01:57:39,688
commission budgetary work session and
prior

1737
01:57:39,688 --> 01:57:45,319
to that during CIP, The City Commission
had asked the Finance Advisory Board to

1738
01:57:45,319 --> 01:57:45,604
had asked the Finance Advisory Board to
take

1739
01:57:45,604 --> 01:57:49,667
a look at stormwater rates and make their
recommendation.

1740
01:57:49,667 --> 01:57:54,015
And at that time, at the commission work
session on May 12th,

1741
01:57:54,015 --> 01:57:57,365
the Finance Advisory Board had recommended
15%.

1742
01:57:57,365 --> 01:58:02,639
At the additional meeting that they just
had on— we had it on August 11th,

1743
01:58:02,639 --> 01:58:08,056
the Finance Advisory Board came again and
talked about their recommendation,

1744
01:58:08,056 --> 01:58:11,049
which remained at 15% after conversations.

1745
01:58:11,049 --> 01:58:12,617
So as we talked about,

1746
01:58:12,617 --> 01:58:17,607
we are currently underway with a
stormwater and wastewater rate study.

1747
01:58:17,607 --> 01:58:21,313
It's going to be completed later this
calendar year,

1748
01:58:21,313 --> 01:58:25,233
and that will look at some different
options for rates,

1749
01:58:25,233 --> 01:58:30,721
but it is not going to determine what
projects the city decides to move ahead

1750
01:58:30,721 --> 01:58:31,006
projects the city decides to move ahead
with

1751
01:58:31,006 --> 01:58:34,000
or how much money we do need for the fund.

1752
01:58:34,000 --> 01:58:38,775
So I've provided 2 different options in
the city commission packet.

1753
01:58:38,775 --> 01:58:43,550
Second reading of the 7.5%, which is what
what was formally passed,

1754
01:58:43,550 --> 01:58:48,041
or first reading with the 15%, which was
the original proposed.

1755
01:58:48,041 --> 01:58:51,177
And if we are passing that on first
reading,

1756
01:58:51,177 --> 01:58:55,168
we will come back on September 3rd for a
public hearing.

1757
01:58:55,168 --> 01:58:57,449
I'm available for any questions.

1758
01:58:57,449 --> 01:59:01,903
Ordinance Number 2026-24, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida,

1759
01:59:01,903 --> 01:59:06,809
amending the City of Largo Code of
Ordinances by amending Chapter Article 3,

1760
01:59:06,809 --> 01:59:11,070
Stormwater Utility, by amending Section
23-155, Rates and Charges,

1761
01:59:11,070 --> 01:59:15,782
to increase the rate charged per
equivalent residential unit, parentheses

1762
01:59:15,782 --> 01:59:16,040
equivalent residential unit, parentheses
ERU,

1763
01:59:16,040 --> 01:59:20,430
for calculating stormwater utility fees,
providing for severability,

1764
01:59:20,430 --> 01:59:22,754
and providing for an effective date.

1765
01:59:22,754 --> 01:59:23,653
Thank you.

1766
01:59:23,702 --> 01:59:29,324
Do we have any cards on this? We have 2
cards. First is Greg Gardner.

1767
01:59:29,324 --> 01:59:31,605
Let's, uh, this is— I think—

1768
01:59:31,605 --> 01:59:37,390
I don't think you really fully understand
the severity of these elders.

1769
01:59:37,390 --> 01:59:41,708
Well, let's take a look at what you had to
say, John.

1770
01:59:41,708 --> 01:59:46,434
You said your policy is consistent. That's
a complete lie.

1771
01:59:46,434 --> 01:59:52,463
It is not consistent at all. You said
you've been out there to weed spray.

1772
01:59:52,463 --> 01:59:58,003
These people are hawks. I asked them to be
hawks and to be vigilant.

1773
01:59:58,003 --> 02:00:03,381
Yes, we've had scouts That's about it. No
interaction, no nothing.

1774
02:00:03,381 --> 02:00:07,129
And it's been that way for almost 4 years
now.

1775
02:00:07,129 --> 02:00:11,284
Actually, really got bad when you became a
manager.

1776
02:00:11,284 --> 02:00:17,069
Um, you say you work with the county. No,
you don't at all. Zero. Zero.

1777
02:00:17,069 --> 02:00:22,691
They hate you. There is an underlying tone
You can't work with Largo,

1778
02:00:22,691 --> 02:00:27,172
and it's not these two gentlemen, DeBrisi
and DeGloria.

1779
02:00:27,172 --> 02:00:31,734
And I'm also going to let you know that
I—we set you up.

1780
02:00:31,734 --> 02:00:36,297
We knew that you would, as managers—that's
not just you;

1781
02:00:36,297 --> 02:00:40,941
that's those two—bring them in there,
obfuscate, deflect.

1782
02:00:40,941 --> 02:00:46,644
These guys were not good at it at all
because that's not what they do.

1783
02:00:46,644 --> 02:00:49,659
But you set them up and you use them.

1784
02:00:49,659 --> 02:00:55,770
The problem is you with this stormwater
issue, and it's not them, it's you,

1785
02:00:55,770 --> 02:00:56,340
issue, and it's not them, it's you,
period.

1786
02:00:56,340 --> 02:01:03,184
And, and Maggie plays a key role here. Uh,
you said it's going to be a long process.

1787
02:01:03,184 --> 02:01:06,036
No, it's not. It's a short process.

1788
02:01:06,036 --> 02:01:12,391
No, you've ignored this because you're
robbing Peter to pay Paul in this city.

1789
02:01:12,391 --> 02:01:16,709
Well, I'll get to that in the next
ordinance reading.

1790
02:01:19,334 --> 02:01:19,431
No.

1791
02:01:19,431 --> 02:01:24,574
There is a pernicious, sinister,
malevolent undertone in the city of Largo.

1792
02:01:24,574 --> 02:01:26,563
It hinges around Woody Brown.

1793
02:01:26,563 --> 02:01:30,677
If it wasn't for me, um, it wasn't for
Attorney Ben Hillard,

1794
02:01:30,677 --> 02:01:34,380
if it wasn't for State Attorney, if it
wasn't for, um,

1795
02:01:34,380 --> 02:01:38,700
intervention with the sheriffs, you'd
still be raping, robbing,

1796
02:01:38,700 --> 02:01:44,323
and extorting elders. Do you want them to
flood? These people ask me, yes, you do.

1797
02:01:44,323 --> 02:01:48,781
FEMA doesn't pay twice. Get the hell out.
Would you do that? Yes.

1798
02:01:48,781 --> 02:01:52,758
After what I've seen with the 54 people,
and I'm the 55th,

1799
02:01:52,758 --> 02:01:58,312
and that was a big mistake because now
we're going to get into the heroin network

1800
02:01:58,312 --> 02:02:02,153
here. Points to him. It's a threat
management situation.

1801
02:02:02,153 --> 02:02:06,404
And when you get to threat management,
that's where I come in.

1802
02:02:06,404 --> 02:02:08,530
That's, that's where I plug in.

1803
02:02:08,530 --> 02:02:14,084
You're a threat to these people and to
this community, and I mean that seriously.

1804
02:02:14,084 --> 02:02:19,365
Not these people, because you'll lie and
deceive them just like you did them.

1805
02:02:19,365 --> 02:02:22,862
It's not funny. We're going to petition
your house.

1806
02:02:22,862 --> 02:02:24,782
I'm going to get 100 people,

1807
02:02:24,782 --> 02:02:29,651
and I'm giving out your personal cell
phone and your personal email and

1808
02:02:29,651 --> 02:02:30,336
phone and your personal email and
everything

1809
02:02:30,336 --> 02:02:34,108
else that goes with it because you're a
threat to them.

1810
02:02:34,108 --> 02:02:37,331
You have to fund this, guys, please. Thank
you.

1811
02:02:37,331 --> 02:02:38,254
Thank you.

1812
02:02:38,254 --> 02:02:40,017
Next speaker is Matt Faustini.

1813
02:02:40,017 --> 02:02:45,237
Good evening, Matt Faustini, 1015 Lake
Palm Drive, Largo.

1814
02:02:45,237 --> 02:02:51,097
Seems like the epitome of stupidity to
give people more money if

1815
02:02:51,097 --> 02:02:55,309
they're not spending it correctly already,
um,

1816
02:02:55,309 --> 02:02:58,148
and that's the problem we have.

1817
02:03:00,769 --> 02:03:07,104
We are— we have increased our rates in
stormwater since 2019 by over

1818
02:03:07,104 --> 02:03:13,159
110%. 110%. And I get everyone's serious
concerns about flooding,

1819
02:03:13,159 --> 02:03:19,960
but please explain to me why. And maybe
this is why we don't get product.

1820
02:03:19,960 --> 02:03:20,705
I don't—

1821
02:03:20,882 --> 02:03:23,249
I, I never hear annexations really
anymore.

1822
02:03:23,765 --> 02:03:28,584
I remember back about 10 years ago there'd
be at least one or two annexations on

1823
02:03:28,584 --> 02:03:29,668
every agenda item.

1824
02:03:30,390 --> 02:03:30,871
Where are they?

1825
02:03:31,754 --> 02:03:37,238
You ever wondered? You want to know how
much you pay in unincorporated Pinellas

1826
02:03:37,238 --> 02:03:40,431
County for your stormwater service per
capita?

1827
02:03:40,431 --> 02:03:46,192
So this is taking their revenue that they
spend on their stormwater and dividing it

1828
02:03:46,192 --> 02:03:48,067
by their 280,000 residents.

1829
02:03:48,067 --> 02:03:52,787
They're spending $104.19 per resident and
have a Class 2 CRS rating.

1830
02:03:52,787 --> 02:03:52,995
Thank you.

1831
02:03:54,675 --> 02:03:59,318
We are spending $186.80, and we have a
Class 6 rating.

1832
02:03:59,318 --> 02:04:03,960
Now, I believe there was some mention
about a Class 5,

1833
02:04:03,960 --> 02:04:08,173
and I believe that is based off— we have a
study,

1834
02:04:08,173 --> 02:04:11,612
and that study just has to get reviewed.

1835
02:04:11,612 --> 02:04:14,621
And once those points are reviewed,

1836
02:04:14,621 --> 02:04:18,833
it will be updated and we will move to a
Class 5.

1837
02:04:18,833 --> 02:04:23,132
So if I remember, that is the situation
with that.

1838
02:04:23,132 --> 02:04:29,064
Um, And pretty much what this puts us at
is a situation where we are—

1839
02:04:29,064 --> 02:04:32,847
get this to move over. Thank you. All
right.

1840
02:04:32,847 --> 02:04:38,779
So our annual fee is— average residential
fee is $244.56 at the 2038.

1841
02:04:38,779 --> 02:04:43,851
I was told about, oh, we got to look at
inland communities.

1842
02:04:43,851 --> 02:04:49,010
Well, Clearwater, They're only spending
$195 a resident. St.

1843
02:04:49,010 --> 02:04:51,245
Petersburg, they do spend—

1844
02:04:51,245 --> 02:04:56,065
they're spending $280, a lot more, but a
lot more land than us.

1845
02:04:56,772 --> 02:04:59,506
And the county is by the MSTU,

1846
02:04:59,506 --> 02:05:03,789
so it's a little different to judge it by
that.

1847
02:05:03,789 --> 02:05:08,436
But they have a Class 2 rating. And the
city of St.

1848
02:05:08,500 --> 02:05:10,058
Petersburg has a Class 5 rating.

1849
02:05:10,058 --> 02:05:12,990
What I'm saying is It— we do need the rate
study.

1850
02:05:12,990 --> 02:05:17,957
The rate study is going to show us to do
what Pinellas County is doing and tier our

1851
02:05:17,957 --> 02:05:21,667
system. So you saw there was 20 on Tier 3,
$25 for stormwater.

1852
02:05:21,667 --> 02:05:25,677
Look at the very difference compared to
Tier 1 for Pinellas County.

1853
02:05:25,677 --> 02:05:27,831
So we should expand out these rates.

1854
02:05:27,831 --> 02:05:30,344
I'm not saying we need the rate increases,

1855
02:05:30,344 --> 02:05:34,893
but we need the rate study so that we can
do the rate increases on the right

1856
02:05:34,893 --> 02:05:38,004
populations, the populations that have the
concrete,

1857
02:05:38,004 --> 02:05:41,715
that have the impervious surface, that
causing the stormwater,

1858
02:05:41,715 --> 02:05:43,510
not your mobile home resident.

1859
02:05:43,510 --> 02:05:48,357
Because right now we have a system where
the mobile home resident pays as much as

1860
02:05:48,357 --> 02:05:51,768
someone with a 10,000-square-foot home,
which isn't fair.

1861
02:05:51,768 --> 02:05:53,304
That's all the cards.

1862
02:05:56,022 --> 02:05:59,517
Next, um, let me see, Commissioner
Johnson.

1863
02:05:59,517 --> 02:06:05,044
Yeah, I, I just wanted to say, um, you
know, I, I, I still think we,

1864
02:06:05,044 --> 02:06:10,002
we are missing the boat if we don't go 15%
on this right now.

1865
02:06:10,002 --> 02:06:16,505
Um, we have, you know, we, we, we've We
had a crazy year, you know, 2 years ago.

1866
02:06:16,505 --> 02:06:18,131
And I don't want to—

1867
02:06:18,131 --> 02:06:24,796
I just don't like kicking the can down the
road for people that need us to do our—

1868
02:06:24,796 --> 02:06:30,567
to make these— this is one of those tough
decisions that we talk about.

1869
02:06:30,567 --> 02:06:33,655
And I do— I just think that, you know,

1870
02:06:33,655 --> 02:06:39,752
we owe it to the people that have been
flooded to take this task seriously.

1871
02:06:39,752 --> 02:06:46,254
And not that we shouldn't be responsible
and not that we We shouldn't overspend.

1872
02:06:46,254 --> 02:06:50,887
We need to be fiscally responsible with
the funds we get.

1873
02:06:50,887 --> 02:06:55,114
But we have some big projects that are on
the books,

1874
02:06:55,114 --> 02:06:59,666
and we're going to be kicking stuff down
the road if we—

1875
02:06:59,666 --> 02:07:05,355
projects will come off the books and move
later if we don't pass this.

1876
02:07:05,355 --> 02:07:11,208
Because we really will need more rate
increases. We have zero right now.

1877
02:07:11,208 --> 02:07:17,954
I think we all understand there's going to
be more rate increases in order to catch

1878
02:07:17,954 --> 02:07:22,668
up to where we need to be. And so we— this
is not the end.

1879
02:07:22,668 --> 02:07:24,456
And by pushing it out,

1880
02:07:24,456 --> 02:07:30,959
I think we're just delaying pain and we're
taking projects off the board, right,

1881
02:07:30,959 --> 02:07:36,567
that we need to get done. So that's my 2
cents. Thank you. Thank you.

1882
02:07:36,567 --> 02:07:38,599
Commissioner Lauser. Yep.

1883
02:07:38,599 --> 02:07:42,989
So, so last meeting, I think, uh, that
this was heard,

1884
02:07:42,989 --> 02:07:47,947
I was probably one of the ones that
brought up the 7.5 split.

1885
02:07:47,947 --> 02:07:53,962
And, and the reason I did that was
Hopefully, when we do have the new rate

1886
02:07:53,962 --> 02:07:54,449
Hopefully, when we do have the new rate
study,

1887
02:07:54,449 --> 02:07:59,895
we can we can more fairly address the the
rates to to other people.

1888
02:07:59,895 --> 02:08:05,666
But given given a majority of the
discussion since that has happened, I

1889
02:08:05,666 --> 02:08:06,073
discussion since that has happened, I
mean,

1890
02:08:06,073 --> 02:08:11,681
there's a lot of people concerned about
stormwater, and I don't know.

1891
02:08:11,681 --> 02:08:18,021
It feels it feels irresponsible to to kick
some projects off the off the list.

1892
02:08:18,101 --> 02:08:22,093
So I'm I'm kind of back. Back up in the
air. Sorry. Thanks.

1893
02:08:22,093 --> 02:08:24,077
Thank you. Commissioner Smith.

1894
02:08:24,077 --> 02:08:28,377
I've listened to everything Vice Mayor
Johnson said, and I agree.

1895
02:08:28,377 --> 02:08:32,875
I've met with staff and talked this over,
and this is one that I do—

1896
02:08:32,875 --> 02:08:37,174
I was for the 7.5 splitting up due to the
fact of the rate study,

1897
02:08:37,174 --> 02:08:39,688
but I've kind of learned a little bit.

1898
02:08:39,688 --> 02:08:42,995
It would still cost us possibly more at
that time.

1899
02:08:42,995 --> 02:08:45,575
So to me, this is a very important one,

1900
02:08:45,575 --> 02:08:50,536
and these residents here are just the tip
of the iceberg of people that had

1901
02:08:50,536 --> 02:08:54,505
situations in their homes that— and, and
must be dealt with.

1902
02:08:54,505 --> 02:08:57,151
I just want to be correct, and, and I'm,

1903
02:08:57,151 --> 02:09:01,979
I'm comfortable after talking with staff
supporting the 15, 15% increase,

1904
02:09:01,979 --> 02:09:06,742
and I'm a very frugal person when it comes
to budgets, um, at this time.

1905
02:09:06,742 --> 02:09:12,166
But if there is any kind of wiggle room
when it comes to the rate study we do see,

1906
02:09:12,166 --> 02:09:17,524
I want to make sure that that's addressed
to our residents further down the road.

1907
02:09:17,524 --> 02:09:21,360
I also want to make sure it's clear to the
residents that—

1908
02:09:21,360 --> 02:09:26,784
from New Haven and Lincolnshire that came
here and spoke today— that this project,

1909
02:09:26,784 --> 02:09:29,033
even if we were at the same point,

1910
02:09:29,033 --> 02:09:32,936
is not going to be solved tomorrow with
this rate increase.

1911
02:09:32,936 --> 02:09:33,196
Right.

1912
02:09:33,196 --> 02:09:38,314
I want to make sure they're just not being
told that— This needs to be improved.

1913
02:09:38,314 --> 02:09:43,432
This will be there, and tomorrow your
project will be done because the city will

1914
02:09:43,432 --> 02:09:44,712
fund you after this.

1915
02:09:44,712 --> 02:09:49,894
There are a lot of projects in this city
with stormwater issues, and like I said,

1916
02:09:49,894 --> 02:09:52,261
a lot of residents whose homes flood.

1917
02:09:52,261 --> 02:09:57,379
And I helped many friends and residents
who had to put their lives out the curb.

1918
02:09:57,379 --> 02:10:00,898
And trust me, it does eat me to know that
I don't want—

1919
02:10:00,898 --> 02:10:04,097
I wouldn't want that to be my mother. or a
friend.

1920
02:10:04,097 --> 02:10:06,976
So I am comfortable after meeting with
staff,

1921
02:10:06,976 --> 02:10:09,919
and I was one of the ones trying to divide
it.

1922
02:10:09,919 --> 02:10:15,037
And thank you, Commissioner Lowser, for
dividing that baby in half kind of deal.

1923
02:10:15,037 --> 02:10:20,155
But I am at this moment comfortable with
what the FAB went with support and what

1924
02:10:20,155 --> 02:10:25,017
staff said at the 15% increase. Thank you.
Thank you. Commissioner DeBriesi.

1925
02:10:25,017 --> 02:10:29,240
Thank you. Not to avoid some
repetitiveness, I am I asked a lot of

1926
02:10:29,240 --> 02:10:30,263
repetitiveness, I am I asked a lot of
questions about,

1927
02:10:30,263 --> 02:10:35,445
you know, what was going to happen and
appreciate all the information I received.

1928
02:10:35,445 --> 02:10:38,580
One question I didn't ask is with the rate
study,

1929
02:10:38,580 --> 02:10:41,779
it's possible some folks' rates will go
up, right?

1930
02:10:41,779 --> 02:10:45,363
Depending on what the recommendations are.

1931
02:10:45,363 --> 02:10:48,419
Is it— could it be possible that some
might go down? No.

1932
02:10:48,419 --> 02:10:49,715
That's also possible.

1933
02:10:49,715 --> 02:10:55,014
You know, I said this last time. You know,
this is the work you want us to do.

1934
02:10:55,014 --> 02:10:57,731
Um, you know, this is life and property.

1935
02:10:57,731 --> 02:10:59,429
And, um, you know, I was,

1936
02:10:59,429 --> 02:11:03,981
I was okay with the 7.5 because we were
waiting for the rate study.

1937
02:11:03,981 --> 02:11:09,347
But, um, you know, knowing there's going
to be an adjustment later on and we're

1938
02:11:09,347 --> 02:11:14,850
probably going to have to increase next
year, that zero I don't think is, is, is,

1939
02:11:14,850 --> 02:11:16,344
is the real situation.

1940
02:11:16,344 --> 02:11:21,779
Um, you know, hearing the conversation
today and the staff and the conversations

1941
02:11:21,779 --> 02:11:27,145
I've had with staff, I'm okay going back
to 15. Thank you. Commissioner Holmes.

1942
02:11:27,145 --> 02:11:32,444
Geez, we're going to call John Solomon
now? Cut that baby in half? Anyway, um,

1943
02:11:32,444 --> 02:11:32,648
now? Cut that baby in half? Anyway, um,
Mr.

1944
02:11:32,648 --> 02:11:37,946
City Manager, how many other projects do
we have in the city of Largo that are

1945
02:11:37,946 --> 02:11:42,158
pending that's similar to, to New Haven?
Do you have any idea?

1946
02:11:42,158 --> 02:11:47,729
Well, I'm not aware that New Haven— I'm
not aware there's a project for New Haven,

1947
02:11:47,729 --> 02:11:52,484
so we don't have— How many projects do we
have Stormwater? Stormwater.

1948
02:11:52,484 --> 02:11:57,783
I mean, the CIP, I don't know the exact
number of projects we have in the CIP,

1949
02:11:57,783 --> 02:12:00,432
but there's— we've gone over the chart.

1950
02:12:00,432 --> 02:12:05,798
I know, I recall there's probably at least
a dozen projects that we have in the

1951
02:12:05,798 --> 02:12:09,331
queue. There's at least 10 that are
funded, I think.

1952
02:12:09,331 --> 02:12:12,660
All of them are emergencies too, I would
imagine.

1953
02:12:12,660 --> 02:12:17,619
Now, I don't— if this was a tax, I'd be up
in arms, but this isn't a tax,

1954
02:12:17,619 --> 02:12:21,830
it's a fee. And it's a fee we're going to
have to pay one way—

1955
02:12:21,830 --> 02:12:27,061
you'd pick it one way or another, so I'd
go along with the 15%. Get her done.

1956
02:12:27,061 --> 02:12:32,360
Thank you, Commissioner Holmes. I'll just
say me too. I'll entertain a motion.

1957
02:12:32,360 --> 02:12:36,775
I move to approve Ordinance Number 2026-24
at the rate— the rate—

1958
02:12:36,775 --> 02:12:38,134
the 15% increase of—

1959
02:12:38,134 --> 02:12:43,433
on first reading and schedule a second
reading and public hearing on September

1960
02:12:43,433 --> 02:12:43,704
reading and public hearing on September
3rd,

1961
02:12:43,704 --> 02:12:44,044
2026.

1962
02:12:44,044 --> 02:12:44,653
Second.

1963
02:12:44,653 --> 02:12:49,781
I have a motion and a second. Any further
discussion? All in favor say aye.

1964
02:12:49,781 --> 02:12:50,262
Aye.

1965
02:12:50,262 --> 02:12:54,044
Roll call, please. Uh, Commissioner
Holmes?

1966
02:12:54,044 --> 02:12:54,556
Yep.

1967
02:12:54,556 --> 02:12:55,726
Commissioner DeBrisi?

1968
02:12:55,726 --> 02:12:56,928
Yes. Mayor Brown?

1969
02:12:56,928 --> 02:12:57,633
Yes.

1970
02:12:57,633 --> 02:12:58,963
Commissioner Lauser?

1971
02:12:58,963 --> 02:12:59,316
Yes.

1972
02:12:59,316 --> 02:13:00,758
Commissioner Holk? Yes.

1973
02:13:00,758 --> 02:13:02,264
Vice Mayor Johnson?

1974
02:13:02,264 --> 02:13:03,578
Yes. Commissioner Smith?

1975
02:13:03,578 --> 02:13:09,342
Yes. Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you.
Next up is item number 17.

1976
02:13:09,342 --> 02:13:13,468
All right, that's me as well, so get to
listen a little bit longer.

1977
02:13:13,468 --> 02:13:14,881
Well, staying there, aren't you?

1978
02:13:14,881 --> 02:13:21,267
So this item is, um, just— so basically
the history of this is with borrowing the,

1979
02:13:21,267 --> 02:13:26,874
the bond money back in 2022, um, we
borrowed $58 million at non-taxable,

1980
02:13:26,874 --> 02:13:32,092
so we borrowed about 4 point 0.035 at
taxable, so meaning that, um,

1981
02:13:32,092 --> 02:13:35,285
the rates were lower on that $58 million.

1982
02:13:35,285 --> 02:13:41,671
Uh, there are some federal rules— I'm just
waiting for my presentation to come up—

1983
02:13:41,671 --> 02:13:47,823
um, with regards to arbitrage and rebate.
That's what it's called. Um, this is—

1984
02:13:48,160 --> 02:13:48,385
here it is.

1985
02:13:48,385 --> 02:13:53,609
So the focus of this is really to talk
about the interest that we earned on that

1986
02:13:53,609 --> 02:13:56,417
bond money since we've had it invested,
um,

1987
02:13:56,417 --> 02:14:00,466
and then also what we have to remit back
to the U.S. Treasury.

1988
02:14:00,466 --> 02:14:05,234
The reason that it's on as a legislative
item is because it's going to be

1989
02:14:05,234 --> 02:14:10,131
forthcoming as a budget amendment. It was
not budgeted in this fiscal year.

1990
02:14:10,131 --> 02:14:14,572
So again, as I mentioned, we issued $58
million in nontaxable bonds.

1991
02:14:14,572 --> 02:14:17,707
We invested those funds in treasuries,
agencies,

1992
02:14:17,707 --> 02:14:20,254
and a local government investment pool.

1993
02:14:20,254 --> 02:14:24,825
As expenditures came in, we withdrew
monthly for project expenditures.

1994
02:14:24,825 --> 02:14:29,919
So we had it in its own investment pool
versus the city normal operating cash.

1995
02:14:29,919 --> 02:14:34,816
So the allowable expenditures for those
bond proceeds included equipping of

1996
02:14:34,816 --> 02:14:35,274
bond proceeds included equipping of
various

1997
02:14:35,274 --> 02:14:39,780
capital projects, including without
limitation our City Hall project,

1998
02:14:39,780 --> 02:14:42,588
as well as demolition, acquisition,
design.

1999
02:14:42,588 --> 02:14:48,008
So during the course of the projects, you
know, we— there were construction delays.

2000
02:14:48,008 --> 02:14:53,363
We were able to allocate some additional
infrastructure projects to the bond money

2001
02:14:53,363 --> 02:14:55,844
to show that it was spent down faster.

2002
02:14:55,844 --> 02:15:00,089
It was other eligible projects that the
city spent general funds,

2003
02:15:00,089 --> 02:15:05,575
lost funds on that we could have used that
bond money to try to reduce the amount of

2004
02:15:05,575 --> 02:15:08,122
the arbitrage rebate that we would owe.

2005
02:15:08,122 --> 02:15:13,411
So there are several different regulations
from the Treasury regarding nontaxable

2006
02:15:13,411 --> 02:15:18,440
debt. The exception that we were trying to
reach would have been the spending

2007
02:15:18,440 --> 02:15:22,097
exception. They say there's a 2-year
spending exception.

2008
02:15:22,097 --> 02:15:26,733
You have to spend the entire $58 million,
including estimated interest,

2009
02:15:26,733 --> 02:15:28,562
within certain time periods.

2010
02:15:28,562 --> 02:15:33,786
So we would have had to meet 10% spent at
6 months, 45% at 12 months, 75% at 18,

2011
02:15:33,786 --> 02:15:35,549
and then 100% at 24 months,

2012
02:15:35,549 --> 02:15:40,774
which meaning the bond money would have
needed to be completely spent by January

2013
02:15:40,774 --> 02:15:40,904
needed to be completely spent by January
of

2014
02:15:40,904 --> 02:15:44,431
2024 in order for us to not owe arbitrage
back at all.

2015
02:15:44,431 --> 02:15:49,525
So the positive thing is the interest
earnings on that nontaxable piece on the

2016
02:15:49,525 --> 02:15:49,721
earnings on that nontaxable piece on the
$58

2017
02:15:49,721 --> 02:15:54,684
million amounted to $3.2 million over the
course of the time that we had it.

2018
02:15:54,684 --> 02:15:59,386
And we worked with an independent
arbitrage calculation group to do this

2019
02:15:59,386 --> 02:16:00,104
arbitrage calculation group to do this
calculation

2020
02:16:00,104 --> 02:16:05,394
annually. We had spent the money fully
from this piece of debt within fiscal year

2021
02:16:05,394 --> 02:16:07,483
2025. So we earned $3.2 million.

2022
02:16:07,483 --> 02:16:12,381
The amount that we received last year is
the amount due was $1.392 million.

2023
02:16:12,381 --> 02:16:16,299
It did increase slightly because of the
time value of money.

2024
02:16:16,299 --> 02:16:17,867
We have not paid it yet.

2025
02:16:17,867 --> 02:16:22,699
However, in the same timeframe, we've made
about $46,000 more in interest.

2026
02:16:22,699 --> 02:16:26,879
So the increase from last year to this
year has paid for itself.

2027
02:16:26,879 --> 02:16:31,972
So the remaining amount of that $1.8
million was maintained by the city within

2028
02:16:31,972 --> 02:16:32,168
million was maintained by the city within
our

2029
02:16:32,168 --> 02:16:36,021
capital project fund and eligible for
capital project uses.

2030
02:16:36,021 --> 02:16:39,744
So we do have, as I mentioned, the
additional borrowings.

2031
02:16:39,744 --> 02:16:43,335
We borrowed that $4 million taxable piece
back in 2022.

2032
02:16:43,335 --> 02:16:47,841
We also issued a bank loan in October of
2024, and with our spending,

2033
02:16:47,841 --> 02:16:51,041
we met the spending exceptions for the
bank loan,

2034
02:16:51,041 --> 02:16:54,633
and there are no spending requirements on
taxable debt.

2035
02:16:54,633 --> 02:16:58,225
You don't have to spend it within a
certain time frame.

2036
02:16:58,225 --> 02:17:03,449
So as I mentioned, the reason I'm here
presenting this is the approval to pay it

2037
02:17:03,449 --> 02:17:03,645
presenting this is the approval to pay it
now

2038
02:17:03,645 --> 02:17:07,367
is requested because of the forthcoming
budget amendment.

2039
02:17:07,367 --> 02:17:11,873
And this year we've only earned about
$220,000, $230,000 in interest,

2040
02:17:11,873 --> 02:17:15,008
so we can't pay it out of our interest
earnings.

2041
02:17:15,008 --> 02:17:18,469
We are going to pay it out of an
expenditure account.

2042
02:17:18,469 --> 02:17:21,865
It's going to show up in our, our budgeted
expenses.

2043
02:17:21,865 --> 02:17:24,216
So I am available for any questions.

2044
02:17:26,417 --> 02:17:30,265
Thank you. Do we have any cards on this?
We have no cards.

2045
02:17:30,265 --> 02:17:34,577
So that money currently lives in the, in
the capital fund, right?

2046
02:17:34,577 --> 02:17:38,889
The capital project fund. Okay.
Commissioner— Vice Mayor Johnson.

2047
02:17:38,889 --> 02:17:41,278
Uh, yeah, just, I, I like this rule.

2048
02:17:41,278 --> 02:17:45,325
I think it's great that the federal
government has this rule.

2049
02:17:45,325 --> 02:17:47,514
We got to spend it or not use it.

2050
02:17:47,514 --> 02:17:52,689
Looks like we tried to spend it and we
didn't get it all spent, but, you know,

2051
02:17:52,689 --> 02:17:54,679
I love that we had that in it.

2052
02:17:54,679 --> 02:17:59,190
do it in an interest-bearing account, a
safe one, so that, you know,

2053
02:17:59,190 --> 02:18:04,431
we are responsible with the government's
money, the federal government's money.

2054
02:18:04,431 --> 02:18:09,474
So I think that is wonderful. I just
congratulate you and the staff. That is

2055
02:18:09,474 --> 02:18:09,872
congratulate you and the staff. That is
great.

2056
02:18:09,872 --> 02:18:14,648
Thank you. Any other questions?
Commissioner DeBriesi. Just a quick one.

2057
02:18:14,648 --> 02:18:19,823
Because I'm familiar a little bit, they
require us to invest the money, right?

2058
02:18:19,823 --> 02:18:20,337
Yes.

2059
02:18:20,337 --> 02:18:22,275
When we get it and then want the money
back.

2060
02:18:22,275 --> 02:18:24,961
So I always thought that, you know, I
always loved that rule.

2061
02:18:24,961 --> 02:18:28,484
But, you know, they make us hold on to the
money and then they want every bit of

2062
02:18:28,484 --> 02:18:29,894
interest we earn on their money.

2063
02:18:29,894 --> 02:18:32,492
So that's really the genesis of what's
causing this, right?

2064
02:18:32,492 --> 02:18:34,684
And because of the timing that we issued,

2065
02:18:34,684 --> 02:18:37,251
our average interest rate on the bonds is
2.62%,

2066
02:18:37,251 --> 02:18:40,246
and our average yield on that money
particularly was 3%.

2067
02:18:40,246 --> 02:18:44,524
So we were earning more than what we were
paying So in a normal environment, it—

2068
02:18:44,524 --> 02:18:46,021
that's not how that happens,

2069
02:18:46,021 --> 02:18:50,192
but I think anybody that borrowed in that
time period is experiencing the same

2070
02:18:50,192 --> 02:18:50,513
thing.

2071
02:18:50,513 --> 02:18:54,938
Okay, thank you. I move to approve
authorization to remit arbitrage rebate

2072
02:18:54,938 --> 02:18:55,417
authorization to remit arbitrage rebate
funds to

2073
02:18:55,417 --> 02:18:59,424
the United States Treasury Internal
Revenue Center in the amount of

2074
02:18:59,424 --> 02:19:00,261
Revenue Center in the amount of
$1,410,718.57.

2075
02:19:00,261 --> 02:19:04,183
Second.

2076
02:19:04,183 --> 02:19:07,132
I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please?

2077
02:19:08,668 --> 02:19:10,659
Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?

2078
02:19:10,659 --> 02:19:11,092
Yes.

2079
02:19:11,092 --> 02:19:12,120
Commissioner Louser?

2080
02:19:12,120 --> 02:19:13,645
Yes. Commissioner Holk?

2081
02:19:13,645 --> 02:19:16,600
Yes. Vice Mayor Johnson? Yes. Commissioner
Smith?

2082
02:19:16,600 --> 02:19:18,045
Yes. Commissioner Holmes?

2083
02:19:18,045 --> 02:19:18,318
Yep.

2084
02:19:18,318 --> 02:19:20,081
Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you.

2085
02:19:20,081 --> 02:19:24,515
Next is item number 18, resolution number—
You're not going to do the next one too?

2086
02:19:24,515 --> 02:19:25,126
That one's not me.

2087
02:19:25,126 --> 02:19:33,376
Thank you very much.

2088
02:19:36,376 --> 02:19:39,378
All right, good evening, Mayor and
Commission.

2089
02:19:39,378 --> 02:19:44,142
I'm Shelby Bochman, the Utilities
Director, and I'm joined by Bill Brown,

2090
02:19:44,142 --> 02:19:47,144
our Assistant Environmental Services
Director.

2091
02:19:47,144 --> 02:19:52,104
We are here because the Environmental
Services Department was proudly led by

2092
02:19:52,104 --> 02:19:56,803
Director Irvin Keddie from 2007 until his
retirement in 2020. Thank you.

2093
02:19:56,803 --> 02:20:01,502
During his tenure, he led more than $100
million in major infrastructure

2094
02:20:01,502 --> 02:20:03,068
reconstruction projects,

2095
02:20:03,068 --> 02:20:07,375
helping create a stronger and more
resilient future for Largo. Mr.

2096
02:20:07,375 --> 02:20:09,659
Keddie was also a teacher at heart,

2097
02:20:09,659 --> 02:20:14,815
inspiring many team members to pursue
higher education and professional growth.

2098
02:20:14,815 --> 02:20:19,905
His leadership and commitment left a
lasting impact on both the department and

2099
02:20:19,905 --> 02:20:20,101
lasting impact on both the department and
the

2100
02:20:20,101 --> 02:20:25,322
people he served. We still tell stories
about him. stories about him frequently.

2101
02:20:25,322 --> 02:20:28,650
Our deep injection well is a fitting
tribute to Mr.

2102
02:20:28,650 --> 02:20:34,132
Keddie, honoring his background in geology
and his commitment to the future of Largo

2103
02:20:34,132 --> 02:20:37,591
Environmental Services. Yesterday would
have been Mr.

2104
02:20:37,591 --> 02:20:39,092
Keddie's 79th birthday,

2105
02:20:39,092 --> 02:20:43,726
making this recognition especially
meaningful as we celebrate his life,

2106
02:20:43,726 --> 02:20:44,443
meaningful as we celebrate his life,
leadership,

2107
02:20:44,443 --> 02:20:49,077
and lasting legacy. The department is
requesting approval from the City

2108
02:20:49,077 --> 02:20:49,730
requesting approval from the City
Commission

2109
02:20:49,730 --> 02:20:54,428
to name the future deep injection well
number 1 in honor of his years of

2110
02:20:54,428 --> 02:20:55,016
number 1 in honor of his years of
dedicated

2111
02:20:55,016 --> 02:20:56,321
service to the city.

2112
02:20:56,321 --> 02:21:00,682
Resolution number 2470, a resolution of
the City of Largo, Florida,

2113
02:21:00,682 --> 02:21:05,303
designating the City of Largo Deep
Injection Well Number 1 as the Irvin

2114
02:21:05,303 --> 02:21:06,018
Injection Well Number 1 as the Irvin
Keddie Deep

2115
02:21:06,018 --> 02:21:10,639
Injection Well Number 1 in honorary
recognition of former Environmental

2116
02:21:10,639 --> 02:21:11,160
recognition of former Environmental
Services

2117
02:21:11,160 --> 02:21:15,846
Department Director Irvin Keddie,
providing for an effective date. Thank

2118
02:21:15,846 --> 02:21:16,106
providing for an effective date. Thank
you.

2119
02:21:16,106 --> 02:21:20,467
Do we have any cards on this? We have no
cards. Commissioner Smith.

2120
02:21:20,467 --> 02:21:25,478
So Director Keddie and I served on
committee a couple times on Florida League

2121
02:21:25,478 --> 02:21:25,608
committee a couple times on Florida League
of

2122
02:21:25,608 --> 02:21:27,691
Cities. He was a very smart man,

2123
02:21:27,691 --> 02:21:31,922
and I enjoyed way-over-my-head
conversations with him many times.

2124
02:21:31,922 --> 02:21:36,933
And I always loved when we went to the
Florida League and we would be sitting

2125
02:21:36,933 --> 02:21:37,258
Florida League and we would be sitting
there

2126
02:21:37,258 --> 02:21:41,033
and people would— he would lean in and
say, we're already—

2127
02:21:41,033 --> 02:21:42,790
Largo's already doing that.

2128
02:21:42,790 --> 02:21:44,222
So he was a very good—

2129
02:21:44,222 --> 02:21:49,104
My question and concern that kind of
popped in my head a little bit Is, um,

2130
02:21:49,104 --> 02:21:53,204
I never had a conversation on deep well
injectors with him, um,

2131
02:21:53,204 --> 02:21:57,044
and I'm kind of not a fan of deep well
injection injectors.

2132
02:21:57,044 --> 02:21:59,582
Did we ask his family if this was okay?

2133
02:21:59,582 --> 02:22:04,366
I did not personally ask if it was okay,
no.

2134
02:22:04,366 --> 02:22:07,739
Would we not think it would be best to ask
his family if it was okay?

2135
02:22:07,739 --> 02:22:08,176
We didn't do that.

2136
02:22:08,176 --> 02:22:11,182
Okay. I just want to make sure because
that's the one I'm—

2137
02:22:11,182 --> 02:22:15,380
I don't want to be putting I would not
want my name on the side of something like

2138
02:22:15,380 --> 02:22:15,432
want my name on the side of something like
a

2139
02:22:15,432 --> 02:22:17,971
trash can if, you know, I didn't care
about that.

2140
02:22:17,971 --> 02:22:19,046
We could do that, though.

2141
02:22:19,046 --> 02:22:21,950
It's the only thing that kind of popped in
my head a little bit.

2142
02:22:21,950 --> 02:22:25,544
Well, I will say he was very much in
support of them.

2143
02:22:25,544 --> 02:22:27,261
Of the depositors?

2144
02:22:27,261 --> 02:22:32,607
Yes, yes. This was his— if he could have
stayed this long to see it out,

2145
02:22:32,607 --> 02:22:37,063
he would have. But we will absolutely get
in touch with him.

2146
02:22:37,063 --> 02:22:38,845
with his family and ask.

2147
02:22:38,845 --> 02:22:44,079
Okay. As long as you— I'm a little bit
more reassured there. Okay. All right.

2148
02:22:44,079 --> 02:22:45,506
Thank you. Thank you.

2149
02:22:45,506 --> 02:22:49,856
I'm just going to add, I did have
conversations about, you know,

2150
02:22:49,856 --> 02:22:54,546
like Commissioner Smith, I wasn't a huge
fan of deep well injections,

2151
02:22:54,546 --> 02:22:58,352
especially the way that it was early on
explained to me.

2152
02:22:58,352 --> 02:23:03,790
And I probably spent 2 hours with Irv
Keddie talking about what exactly they are

2153
02:23:03,790 --> 02:23:03,994
Keddie talking about what exactly they are
and

2154
02:23:03,994 --> 02:23:07,868
how they function, and then learned even
more since then.

2155
02:23:07,868 --> 02:23:12,150
So he was a great leader over there, and I
think this is great.

2156
02:23:12,150 --> 02:23:13,849
It's great to— it's fine.

2157
02:23:13,849 --> 02:23:18,064
I mean, it's a good idea to check with the
family to say, hey,

2158
02:23:18,064 --> 02:23:19,831
we're looking to honor Mr.

2159
02:23:19,831 --> 02:23:23,909
Keddie in this way and want to make sure
it's okay with you.

2160
02:23:23,909 --> 02:23:26,288
So great idea, Commissioner Holmes.

2161
02:23:26,288 --> 02:23:31,046
Well, I'll tell you what, I've had many
conversations with Mr. Keddie.

2162
02:23:31,046 --> 02:23:32,677
And the problem with Mr.

2163
02:23:32,677 --> 02:23:37,095
Keddie is he was so smart and he knew his
subject matter so well,

2164
02:23:37,095 --> 02:23:42,125
when he was having a conversation with
you, you just sat there and stared.

2165
02:23:42,125 --> 02:23:45,659
Uh, okay, no problem. He was a very good
guy though.

2166
02:23:45,659 --> 02:23:48,446
I move to approve Resolution Number 2470.

2167
02:23:48,446 --> 02:23:49,494
Second.

2168
02:23:49,494 --> 02:23:52,607
I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please?

2169
02:23:52,607 --> 02:23:54,973
Mayor Brumm? Yes.

2170
02:23:55,724 --> 02:23:56,366
Commissioner Louser?

2171
02:23:56,366 --> 02:23:56,783
Yes.

2172
02:23:56,783 --> 02:23:57,907
Commissioner Holk?

2173
02:23:57,907 --> 02:23:58,261
Yes.

2174
02:23:58,261 --> 02:23:59,513
Vice Mayor Johnson?

2175
02:23:59,513 --> 02:24:00,749
Yes. Commissioner Smith?

2176
02:24:00,749 --> 02:24:01,038
Yes.

2177
02:24:01,038 --> 02:24:02,098
Commissioner Holmes?

2178
02:24:02,098 --> 02:24:02,708
Of course.

2179
02:24:02,708 --> 02:24:03,832
Commissioner DiBrizzi?

2180
02:24:03,832 --> 02:24:04,153
Yep.

2181
02:24:04,153 --> 02:24:04,683
Yes.

2182
02:24:04,683 --> 02:24:06,080
Motion carries 7 to 0.

2183
02:24:06,080 --> 02:24:07,060
Thank you.

2184
02:24:07,060 --> 02:24:17,772
I missed it now. No longer a commissioner.
Next is item number 19.

2185
02:24:20,772 --> 02:24:24,908
Good evening, Mayor and City
Commissioners. My name is Ara Woodard.

2186
02:24:24,908 --> 02:24:27,747
I'm the housing manager for the City of
Largo.

2187
02:24:27,747 --> 02:24:32,562
I'm involved in this project because the
housing division oversees the federal

2188
02:24:32,562 --> 02:24:37,377
community development block grant funding
that is planned to be used for this,

2189
02:24:37,377 --> 02:24:42,377
this project. I also have Officer Keith
Bowling with Largo Police Department here

2190
02:24:42,377 --> 02:24:47,192
with me today. He was instrumental in
bringing the issues on this project site

2191
02:24:47,192 --> 02:24:47,315
bringing the issues on this project site
to

2192
02:24:47,315 --> 02:24:52,007
the forefront. And was a big part of the
project team along the way as well.

2193
02:24:52,007 --> 02:24:56,266
So the project site is a triangular parcel
just south of Rosary Road,

2194
02:24:56,266 --> 02:24:58,118
north of 8th Avenue Northwest.

2195
02:24:58,118 --> 02:25:00,957
The CSX rail line runs along the east
portion,

2196
02:25:00,957 --> 02:25:03,920
and Lake Placid Mobile Home Park is to the
west.

2197
02:25:03,920 --> 02:25:08,920
This site is in the Clearwater-Larga Road
Community Redevelopment District within

2198
02:25:08,920 --> 02:25:13,365
also the city's Community Development
Block Grant, or CDBG, target area.

2199
02:25:13,365 --> 02:25:18,427
There is currently a narrow path along the
way that is heavily used by pedestrians

2200
02:25:18,427 --> 02:25:23,118
and cyclists to connect the neighborhood
to Rosary Road and then offshoot to

2201
02:25:23,118 --> 02:25:27,501
Clearwater-Largo Road shopping and
transit, as well as Missouri Avenue.

2202
02:25:27,501 --> 02:25:32,501
And I'm going to turn it over to Officer
Bowling to talk about some of the issues

2203
02:25:32,501 --> 02:25:36,513
that have been occurring on this site for
the last several years.

2204
02:25:36,513 --> 02:25:40,749
All right, good evening. Keith Bowling
with the Largo Police Department.

2205
02:25:40,749 --> 02:25:44,985
This space has been a problem for law
enforcement for several years now.

2206
02:25:44,985 --> 02:25:49,339
It has been something that because the
grass ends up growing up very high,

2207
02:25:49,339 --> 02:25:53,458
people go in there, they hide, and then
illegal activities take place.

2208
02:25:53,458 --> 02:25:55,105
Not only illegal activities,

2209
02:25:55,105 --> 02:25:58,636
but also there's there's items that are
discarded by people,

2210
02:25:58,636 --> 02:26:00,224
trash left on the property,

2211
02:26:00,224 --> 02:26:04,754
and then that creates more problems in the
future for mowing and maintaining.

2212
02:26:04,754 --> 02:26:07,579
The grass right now, I just out there
today, is.

2213
02:26:07,579 --> 02:26:09,108
In some places waist-high,

2214
02:26:09,108 --> 02:26:13,639
and in some places on the south side where
it's the most difficult to get in,

2215
02:26:13,639 --> 02:26:18,522
where there's a lot of debris that's left
on the ground, is almost as tall as I am.

2216
02:26:18,522 --> 02:26:21,111
I'm 6'4. And so the grass is extremely
high.

2217
02:26:21,111 --> 02:26:24,524
It makes it difficult for officers to
drive into the area.

2218
02:26:24,524 --> 02:26:28,819
It also makes it difficult for grass
cutting to be done because you can't

2219
02:26:28,819 --> 02:26:29,172
cutting to be done because you can't
really

2220
02:26:29,172 --> 02:26:31,466
see. We don't want to run over someone.

2221
02:26:31,466 --> 02:26:34,173
We don't want to cause more problems that
way.

2222
02:26:34,173 --> 02:26:37,291
There are some sick trees that are
dropping branches,

2223
02:26:37,291 --> 02:26:40,645
making it difficult to cut the grass
around the branches,

2224
02:26:40,645 --> 02:26:43,410
which causes that grass to grow up even
higher.

2225
02:26:43,410 --> 02:26:47,117
The overgrown grass creates hiding spots
for people to camp in,

2226
02:26:47,117 --> 02:26:48,646
to attract abnormal users.

2227
02:26:48,646 --> 02:26:51,588
Illegal camping, alcohol use, drugs,
prostitution,

2228
02:26:51,588 --> 02:26:55,177
and disturbances have all been police
calls on this property.

2229
02:26:55,177 --> 02:26:59,119
We've had a campfire that spread to a
nearby storage yard business,

2230
02:26:59,119 --> 02:27:01,767
setting a customer's utility trailer on
fire.

2231
02:27:01,767 --> 02:27:05,533
Noise complaints, complaints from Teakwood
West and Lake Placid.

2232
02:27:05,533 --> 02:27:07,768
Also in the same area as the sidewalk,

2233
02:27:07,768 --> 02:27:12,299
the sidewalk conditions are broken and the
roots are pushing up the sidewalk,

2234
02:27:12,299 --> 02:27:16,241
which is creating a little bit of a
walking hazard for individuals.

2235
02:27:16,241 --> 02:27:19,418
This is a heavily traveled area. People
use it, as Ms.

2236
02:27:19,418 --> 02:27:24,243
Woodard said, for shopping, business to
the Missouri area, and connecting through.

2237
02:27:24,243 --> 02:27:28,420
We have learned that there are some
citizens that live in the area that

2238
02:27:28,420 --> 02:27:29,126
citizens that live in the area that
actually cut

2239
02:27:29,126 --> 02:27:33,774
the grass along the sidewalk to make it
safer and better for individuals to use

2240
02:27:33,774 --> 02:27:33,951
safer and better for individuals to use
the

2241
02:27:33,951 --> 02:27:37,657
sidewalk. We've also had shopping carts
discarded on the space,

2242
02:27:37,657 --> 02:27:41,364
especially at the south end, which tells
us a couple of things.

2243
02:27:41,364 --> 02:27:45,071
Number one, people are using this as a
corridor to go shopping,

2244
02:27:45,071 --> 02:27:46,953
but the shopping carts get left.

2245
02:27:46,953 --> 02:27:51,013
We as the police department have removed
shopping carts 4 or 5 times.

2246
02:27:51,013 --> 02:27:53,484
The shopping carts, if they're left there,

2247
02:27:53,484 --> 02:27:55,955
collects trash and collects more problems.

2248
02:27:55,955 --> 02:28:00,192
We've compared the calls for service with
and for our trespass warnings.

2249
02:28:00,192 --> 02:28:04,899
Our trespass warnings are when we find
people that are inappropriately using the

2250
02:28:04,899 --> 02:28:07,723
property, we'll trespass them from the
property.

2251
02:28:07,723 --> 02:28:10,841
We compared them to Woodrow Park about two
years ago.

2252
02:28:10,841 --> 02:28:14,901
Woodrow Park underwent a lot of upgrades,
and it's a beautiful place.

2253
02:28:14,901 --> 02:28:17,666
We see a lot of individuals playing
basketball,

2254
02:28:17,666 --> 02:28:22,020
and we're seeing more normal users in the
space. We have in the past year.

2255
02:28:22,020 --> 02:28:26,550
Trespassed approximately 14 individuals
from the prospective space that we're

2256
02:28:26,550 --> 02:28:28,786
speaking about now. In that same time,

2257
02:28:28,786 --> 02:28:31,669
we've trespassed 2 individuals from
Woodrow Park.

2258
02:28:31,669 --> 02:28:36,435
We feel like turning this space into a
good space will help eliminate some of the

2259
02:28:36,435 --> 02:28:40,789
calls for service for the Police
Department and will help make it a better

2260
02:28:40,789 --> 02:28:41,318
Department and will help make it a better
space for

2261
02:28:41,318 --> 02:28:42,142
our community.

2262
02:28:42,142 --> 02:28:44,024
And just to add on that,

2263
02:28:44,024 --> 02:28:50,611
there was 122 calls for service overall in
addition to the trespasses during that So

2264
02:28:50,611 --> 02:28:55,865
CPTED is a way to improve the site, to
reduce some of the problems.

2265
02:28:56,444 --> 02:29:01,042
For those that are familiar, I love CPTED.
I think it helps us out quite a bit.

2266
02:29:01,042 --> 02:29:04,186
For those that are not familiar, natural
surveillance—

2267
02:29:04,186 --> 02:29:06,456
if we have good citizens in that space,

2268
02:29:06,456 --> 02:29:10,588
they help keep the abnormal users from
coming in and abusing the space.

2269
02:29:10,588 --> 02:29:15,245
And they also are a force multiplier for
the police department because when they

2270
02:29:15,245 --> 02:29:15,420
the police department because when they
see

2271
02:29:15,420 --> 02:29:17,515
something, they're going to call us.

2272
02:29:17,515 --> 02:29:20,775
We don't have to go in there every day and
check it out.

2273
02:29:20,775 --> 02:29:25,373
Also, natural access control. We have
paths that are welcoming to our citizens.

2274
02:29:25,373 --> 02:29:29,389
So, again, that brings our citizens in
there to help with the natural

2275
02:29:29,389 --> 02:29:30,146
there to help with the natural
surveillance.

2276
02:29:30,146 --> 02:29:34,686
Territorial reinforcement tells the
community this is a space that is valuable

2277
02:29:34,686 --> 02:29:34,803
community this is a space that is valuable
to

2278
02:29:34,803 --> 02:29:37,364
us. It clearly defines the use of the
space,

2279
02:29:37,364 --> 02:29:40,623
and it makes abnormal users feel unwelcome
in the space.

2280
02:29:40,623 --> 02:29:43,708
And then the maintenance and management of
the space.

2281
02:29:43,708 --> 02:29:47,433
Spaces that are left unmaintained usually
attract more problems,

2282
02:29:47,433 --> 02:29:49,936
and that's what we've seen with this
space.

2283
02:29:49,936 --> 02:29:54,768
We expect that regular maintenance and the
attraction of our good citizens into the

2284
02:29:54,768 --> 02:29:59,424
space will reduce the likelihood that that
area is being used for crime, reduce—

2285
02:29:59,424 --> 02:30:02,800
it will reduce the negative impact it has
on our citizens,

2286
02:30:02,800 --> 02:30:06,118
and it will reduce the policing needs for
the same space.

2287
02:30:06,118 --> 02:30:09,775
And I I want to hand it to Commissioner—
or Commissioner—

2288
02:30:09,775 --> 02:30:15,037
Officer Bowling for bringing this to our
department's attention to really look for

2289
02:30:15,037 --> 02:30:19,978
ways we could use SEPTA to solve these
issues instead of having repeat police

2290
02:30:19,978 --> 02:30:20,299
issues instead of having repeat police
calls

2291
02:30:20,299 --> 02:30:24,919
out to that site. So we got a team of
staff together from many different

2292
02:30:24,919 --> 02:30:29,731
departments. We had Housing, Economic
Development, Engineering, Recreation,

2293
02:30:29,731 --> 02:30:34,800
Parks and Arts, and the Police Department
on the project team for this project.

2294
02:30:34,800 --> 02:30:39,677
We held an input session at Lake Placid
Mobile Home Park with the residents.

2295
02:30:39,677 --> 02:30:43,783
We also had another input session, as you
can see in the photos.

2296
02:30:43,783 --> 02:30:48,724
This was about 2 years ago. It's been a
while in the making for this project.

2297
02:30:48,724 --> 02:30:50,200
We had a great turnout.

2298
02:30:50,200 --> 02:30:54,370
They provided input on how they currently
use it, how they liked—

2299
02:30:54,370 --> 02:30:59,632
what they'd like to see out there, and the
improvements they'd like to see happen.

2300
02:30:59,632 --> 02:31:04,380
And we also did a survey to the broader
neighborhood in that area as well.

2301
02:31:04,380 --> 02:31:09,257
Some of the big items mentioned were
having a better walking path, lighting,

2302
02:31:09,257 --> 02:31:11,695
and also some active uses toward that.

2303
02:31:11,695 --> 02:31:17,021
We did definitely take into consideration
things that would be lower maintenance as

2304
02:31:17,021 --> 02:31:20,293
far as active uses and in the design phase
as well.

2305
02:31:20,293 --> 02:31:25,106
So the design that has been approved
through the city small-scale site plan

2306
02:31:25,106 --> 02:31:25,619
through the city small-scale site plan
approval

2307
02:31:25,619 --> 02:31:30,688
process does replace the current narrow
path with a broader multi-use path that

2308
02:31:30,688 --> 02:31:30,945
path with a broader multi-use path that
runs

2309
02:31:30,945 --> 02:31:32,292
through the property.

2310
02:31:32,292 --> 02:31:37,297
There would be some exercise outdoor
exercise stations similar to what we have

2311
02:31:37,297 --> 02:31:37,426
exercise stations similar to what we have
at

2312
02:31:37,426 --> 02:31:40,634
Woodrow Park that would go along the path
as well.

2313
02:31:40,634 --> 02:31:42,944
This is a small area for a dog park.

2314
02:31:42,944 --> 02:31:46,345
I realized after it looks like it's a
small dog park,

2315
02:31:46,345 --> 02:31:48,334
but it's for all all size dogs.

2316
02:31:48,334 --> 02:31:53,146
Just a small area on that south side that
serves as that active use for the

2317
02:31:53,146 --> 02:31:54,558
residents in the area.

2318
02:31:54,558 --> 02:31:58,921
There has been a need requested from
multiple residents in different

2319
02:31:58,921 --> 02:31:59,755
multiple residents in different
neighborhoods

2320
02:31:59,755 --> 02:32:02,450
in that in that area for a dog park. park.

2321
02:32:02,450 --> 02:32:06,813
So that kind of fills the need for the
broader neighborhood as well.

2322
02:32:06,813 --> 02:32:12,011
It also includes adding solar lights to
make sure that the pathways are well lit,

2323
02:32:12,011 --> 02:32:16,117
and there would be fencing along the CSX
line on that east side,

2324
02:32:16,117 --> 02:32:21,507
as well as resetting some of the boundary
up where the property narrows to the north

2325
02:32:21,507 --> 02:32:23,176
end with some new fencing.

2326
02:32:23,176 --> 02:32:28,181
So this project is proposed for funding
from our federal community development

2327
02:32:28,181 --> 02:32:28,501
from our federal community development
block

2328
02:32:28,501 --> 02:32:33,185
grant funding. It was included in our
prior action plan for this project.

2329
02:32:33,185 --> 02:32:35,624
We did receive 6 bids for the project,

2330
02:32:35,624 --> 02:32:40,115
and we have selected or recommended Sega
Construction for the project.

2331
02:32:40,115 --> 02:32:45,505
You will note in the commission memo there
were a couple alternate items that we had

2332
02:32:45,505 --> 02:32:50,125
listed. Some of them were like the dog
park walking path that was budget

2333
02:32:50,125 --> 02:32:50,767
park walking path that was budget
contingent

2334
02:32:50,767 --> 02:32:52,628
if we had the funding for it.

2335
02:32:52,628 --> 02:32:56,221
We did not see that that was a necessary
necessary item.

2336
02:32:56,221 --> 02:32:58,980
This is not the main path through the
park.

2337
02:32:58,980 --> 02:33:02,317
This was another ancillary path within the
dog park,

2338
02:33:02,317 --> 02:33:04,562
so that was removed from the scope.

2339
02:33:04,562 --> 02:33:08,284
The other one for the crimson stone base
was an alternate.

2340
02:33:08,284 --> 02:33:13,353
We'd either do concrete base under the
exercise equipment or the crimson stone.

2341
02:33:13,353 --> 02:33:15,920
We're opting for the, the concrete base,

2342
02:33:15,920 --> 02:33:20,860
which is more ADA-friendly as well for
that area, and so removing the crimson

2343
02:33:20,860 --> 02:33:21,245
that area, and so removing the crimson
stone.

2344
02:33:21,245 --> 02:33:24,710
This total cost does include contingency
cost as well,

2345
02:33:24,710 --> 02:33:29,715
so it may end up coming in less than that
depending on how much contingency is

2346
02:33:29,715 --> 02:33:32,410
needed for it. I did want to touch on too,

2347
02:33:32,410 --> 02:33:35,939
just for providing all the information on
this project,

2348
02:33:35,939 --> 02:33:40,431
we did evaluate the estimated operating
cost changes for this project.

2349
02:33:40,431 --> 02:33:45,564
Some of the assumptions that we used was
estimating based on the the call volume

2350
02:33:45,564 --> 02:33:50,184
that we had of the 122 calls or 22 hours
of measured police service, um,

2351
02:33:50,184 --> 02:33:54,227
estimating a 50% reduction in the number
of calls through this.

2352
02:33:54,227 --> 02:33:59,552
We've seen a bigger reduction at some of
the other parks that have had improvements

2353
02:33:59,552 --> 02:34:04,108
already, and this cost also doesn't
include vehicle costs and so forth.

2354
02:34:04,108 --> 02:34:05,648
Um, so this is, we hope,

2355
02:34:05,648 --> 02:34:10,396
on a conservative estimate for the
reduction in police service calls cost.

2356
02:34:10,396 --> 02:34:13,155
Um, the current mowing by Public Works
Yes.

2357
02:34:13,155 --> 02:34:16,364
The current cost for the mowing is 3 times
a year,

2358
02:34:16,364 --> 02:34:21,561
but it really is only doing the north end
of the property because there's so much

2359
02:34:21,561 --> 02:34:23,486
debris and trees and so forth,

2360
02:34:23,486 --> 02:34:27,143
they're not even able to access safely on
that south end.

2361
02:34:27,143 --> 02:34:31,892
So that's based on the current 1-year cost
for that 3 times a year mowing.

2362
02:34:31,892 --> 02:34:37,153
The plan is to move the mowing maintenance
responsibilities from Public Works over

2363
02:34:37,153 --> 02:34:38,565
to the Parks Division.

2364
02:34:38,565 --> 02:34:43,955
And so the Parks Division used their level
of service analysis to identify that they

2365
02:34:43,955 --> 02:34:46,650
would maintain it at a level of service D,

2366
02:34:46,650 --> 02:34:51,719
which is once a week mowing during the
heavy growth season and every other week

2367
02:34:51,719 --> 02:34:51,975
heavy growth season and every other week
when

2368
02:34:51,975 --> 02:34:54,350
it's the low growth season for grass.

2369
02:34:54,350 --> 02:34:59,419
Other than that, it would include also
emptying the trash can that would be out

2370
02:34:59,419 --> 02:34:59,547
emptying the trash can that would be out
on

2371
02:34:59,547 --> 02:35:04,680
the site and so forth. So the net cost is
just under $4,000. For an annual cost.

2372
02:35:04,680 --> 02:35:09,814
They are— the Parks Division did indicate
that they would be able to handle this

2373
02:35:09,814 --> 02:35:11,353
within current staffing.

2374
02:35:11,353 --> 02:35:15,075
They are currently maintaining the old 201
Highlands site,

2375
02:35:15,075 --> 02:35:20,465
and they do anticipate sometime that that
will also fall off their radar for what is

2376
02:35:20,465 --> 02:35:22,133
on their workload as well.

2377
02:35:22,133 --> 02:35:26,240
But there is no new staffing added as part
of this project cost.

2378
02:35:26,240 --> 02:35:31,373
And lastly, just want to show tie-back to
the city's strategic This ties in very

2379
02:35:31,373 --> 02:35:36,442
closely with our public health and safety
goal to build a community of safe and

2380
02:35:36,442 --> 02:35:37,854
healthy neighborhoods,

2381
02:35:37,854 --> 02:35:42,795
and also the community pride goal to
foster a vibrant and nurturing community

2382
02:35:42,795 --> 02:35:43,051
foster a vibrant and nurturing community
that

2383
02:35:43,051 --> 02:35:45,105
attracts residents and visitors.

2384
02:35:45,105 --> 02:35:48,762
Staff recommends approval and is available
for questions.

2385
02:35:48,762 --> 02:35:54,188
Thank you. Do we have any cards on this?
We have no cards. I have a question.

2386
02:35:54,188 --> 02:35:57,781
You mentioned some of the trees that are,
you know,

2387
02:35:57,781 --> 02:36:01,868
big branches are Is there plans to remove
those ill trees?

2388
02:36:01,868 --> 02:36:07,223
And also, is there any plan to use tree
fund money to plant trees out there?

2389
02:36:07,223 --> 02:36:11,848
The ones that are already dead have been
tagged by the Parks Division for which

2390
02:36:11,848 --> 02:36:12,082
tagged by the Parks Division for which
ones

2391
02:36:12,082 --> 02:36:14,423
would need to come down as part of that.

2392
02:36:14,423 --> 02:36:18,814
There are a few trees on the north side
that are in the way of the sidewalk

2393
02:36:18,814 --> 02:36:23,087
expansion, and those will be replaced
elsewhere on the property for that.

2394
02:36:23,087 --> 02:36:27,653
We, at this point, we haven't identified
additional ones beyond that for that,

2395
02:36:27,653 --> 02:36:32,043
but that, that is going to be covered
under the Community Development Block

2396
02:36:32,043 --> 02:36:32,336
under the Community Development Block
Grant

2397
02:36:32,336 --> 02:36:34,385
allocation for those trees as well.

2398
02:36:34,385 --> 02:36:37,354
Great, thank you. Commissioner DeBriesi.
Thank you.

2399
02:36:37,354 --> 02:36:41,313
Just for the what-if question, this is all
block grant money, right?

2400
02:36:41,313 --> 02:36:44,008
The project cost is, yes.

2401
02:36:44,008 --> 02:36:45,559
Was there anything that was—

2402
02:36:45,559 --> 02:36:49,380
that money was allotted for that's not
going to get allotted for now?

2403
02:36:50,503 --> 02:36:53,494
No, this project's been in the making for
2 years.

2404
02:36:53,494 --> 02:36:56,366
So if there's any unexpended funds, for
example,

2405
02:36:56,366 --> 02:37:01,092
if we don't use all the contingency when
we do our annual action plan for CDBG,

2406
02:37:01,092 --> 02:37:06,057
we would count that as our rollover funds
and reallocate it towards something else.

2407
02:37:06,057 --> 02:37:09,633
Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Holmes.
Who owns that land?

2408
02:37:09,633 --> 02:37:11,718
The City of Largo owns it.

2409
02:37:11,718 --> 02:37:12,600
Really?

2410
02:37:12,600 --> 02:37:13,113
Yes, sir.

2411
02:37:13,113 --> 02:37:16,929
CSX doesn't have a, a front on that at
all?

2412
02:37:17,603 --> 02:37:20,158
There was, I think it was back in the
'90s,

2413
02:37:20,158 --> 02:37:22,654
they deeded the property over to the city.

2414
02:37:22,654 --> 02:37:25,685
Also, a portion is unimproved 4th Street
Northwest.

2415
02:37:25,685 --> 02:37:27,193
So we're the slumlords then?

2416
02:37:27,193 --> 02:37:31,198
It's part of it. Looking back in some of
the older pictures too,

2417
02:37:31,198 --> 02:37:33,576
it's been a problem for several years.

2418
02:37:33,576 --> 02:37:34,570
It's been a problem for years.

2419
02:37:34,570 --> 02:37:36,042
The storm exacerbated it. Yeah.

2420
02:37:36,042 --> 02:37:39,842
So there's been, there was a lot of trees
that came down on that property during

2421
02:37:39,842 --> 02:37:40,744
those 2 hurricanes.

2422
02:37:40,744 --> 02:37:47,444
I used to ride my bike back there and I
got to the point Yeah, this is not—

2423
02:37:47,444 --> 02:37:50,302
this is not good. Sidewalk shot.

2424
02:37:50,302 --> 02:37:54,769
I move to approve award of contract number
26B849,

2425
02:37:54,769 --> 02:37:59,860
800 4th Street Northwest Green Space
Improvement Project,

2426
02:37:59,860 --> 02:38:06,649
to Cigna Construction LLC in the amount of
$693,840.78 for the base bid plus

2427
02:38:06,649 --> 02:38:08,704
selective alternatives.

2428
02:38:10,112 --> 02:38:10,417
Second.

2429
02:38:10,417 --> 02:38:13,516
I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please?

2430
02:38:13,516 --> 02:38:15,620
Commissioner Lauser?

2431
02:38:15,620 --> 02:38:17,338
Yes. Commissioner Holk?

2432
02:38:17,338 --> 02:38:17,675
Yes.

2433
02:38:17,675 --> 02:38:18,943
Vice Mayor Johnson?

2434
02:38:18,943 --> 02:38:19,200
Yes.

2435
02:38:19,200 --> 02:38:20,260
Commissioner Smith?

2436
02:38:20,260 --> 02:38:20,613
Yes.

2437
02:38:20,613 --> 02:38:21,625
Commissioner Holmes?

2438
02:38:21,625 --> 02:38:22,058
Yep.

2439
02:38:22,058 --> 02:38:23,118
Commissioner DiBrizzi?

2440
02:38:23,118 --> 02:38:23,455
Yes.

2441
02:38:23,455 --> 02:38:24,435
Mayor Brown?

2442
02:38:24,435 --> 02:38:24,981
Yes.

2443
02:38:24,981 --> 02:38:30,067
Motion carries 7 to 0. Thank you, and
thanks for all your work on this.

2444
02:38:30,067 --> 02:38:35,870
It's going to be a great improvement over
there. Thank you, sir. Thank you, guys.

2445
02:38:35,870 --> 02:38:40,025
Thank you. Next is item number 20. See,
now I'm caught up.

2446
02:38:40,025 --> 02:38:42,533
Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners.

2447
02:38:42,533 --> 02:38:47,332
My name is Charles Stanton and I am the
Horizon Operations Manager.

2448
02:38:47,332 --> 02:38:52,777
Tonight I bring before you a lease
agreement with Bocelli Modern Italian for

2449
02:38:52,777 --> 02:38:53,135
agreement with Bocelli Modern Italian for
space

2450
02:38:53,135 --> 02:38:54,568
at Horizon West Bay.

2451
02:38:54,568 --> 02:39:00,227
The Celli will occupy approximately 6,443
square feet within the parking garage

2452
02:39:00,227 --> 02:39:03,308
building along our West Bay Drive
frontage,

2453
02:39:03,308 --> 02:39:08,466
creating a prominent new dining
destination along our downtown corridor.

2454
02:39:08,466 --> 02:39:13,624
The initial lease term is for 10 years
with 2 additional 5-year options.

2455
02:39:13,624 --> 02:39:18,854
The Celli Modern Italian is a contemporary
Italian restaurant that blends

2456
02:39:18,854 --> 02:39:24,155
traditional cuisine with modern influences
using the freshest ingredients,

2457
02:39:24,155 --> 02:39:27,020
house-made pasta, and brick oven pizzas.

2458
02:39:27,020 --> 02:39:31,175
Guests can expect an inviting atmosphere,
craft cocktails,

2459
02:39:31,175 --> 02:39:36,333
and a full liquor bar well suited to
intimate dinners, group gatherings,

2460
02:39:36,333 --> 02:39:37,910
and special occasions.

2461
02:39:37,910 --> 02:39:41,348
The Largo location will feature an open
kitchen,

2462
02:39:41,348 --> 02:39:45,217
private dining space for parties and
corporate events,

2463
02:39:45,217 --> 02:39:47,581
and takeout and delivery service.

2464
02:39:47,581 --> 02:39:52,596
Bocelli currently operates a Tampa
location on Bayshore Boulevard near

2465
02:39:52,596 --> 02:39:53,169
location on Bayshore Boulevard near
MacDill.

2466
02:39:53,169 --> 02:39:55,676
and has been since 2021. Excuse me.

2467
02:39:55,676 --> 02:39:59,330
And they are very excited to soon be open
in Largo.

2468
02:39:59,330 --> 02:40:03,485
Thank you, and take any questions you may
have. Thank you.

2469
02:40:03,485 --> 02:40:08,141
Before I ask for cards, Commissioner
Johnson. Vice Mayor Johnson.

2470
02:40:08,141 --> 02:40:13,801
Yes, I just have to point out that I'm
going to abstain from this item and item

2471
02:40:13,801 --> 02:40:14,016
going to abstain from this item and item
21.

2472
02:40:14,016 --> 02:40:19,460
The firm for which I'm employed was
solicited to bid the fire sprinkler work

2473
02:40:19,460 --> 02:40:19,603
solicited to bid the fire sprinkler work
at

2474
02:40:19,603 --> 02:40:23,472
these spaces and possibly the fire alarm
work as well.

2475
02:40:23,472 --> 02:40:28,988
So I'm going to abstain from discussion
and voting. Thank you. Do we have any

2476
02:40:28,988 --> 02:40:29,418
and voting. Thank you. Do we have any
cards?

2477
02:40:29,418 --> 02:40:30,761
We have one card.

2478
02:40:30,825 --> 02:40:36,389
Greg Gardner. This is— this one's going to
be fun. Okay. Bocelli.

2479
02:40:36,389 --> 02:40:42,038
Largo is going to give Bocelli Oh, Smith,
thank you. Proud of you.

2480
02:40:42,038 --> 02:40:43,750
Thank you very much.

2481
02:40:43,750 --> 02:40:49,400
Okay, and you, um, I think I knocked on
about 400, 470 businesses.

2482
02:40:49,400 --> 02:40:52,396
Guess whose name came up? That guy.

2483
02:40:52,396 --> 02:40:59,244
Okay, he basically walks on water in the
City of Largo. This city does love him.

2484
02:40:59,244 --> 02:41:05,920
That's from Matthew Faustini's stab. It
was ridiculous, but the city does love

2485
02:41:05,920 --> 02:41:06,263
was ridiculous, but the city does love
you.

2486
02:41:06,263 --> 02:41:10,371
Um, and because you've done a lot for this
city.

2487
02:41:10,371 --> 02:41:12,083
But Shelley's— okay,

2488
02:41:12,083 --> 02:41:19,102
so the city is going to give $1.6 million
of taxpayer money to an establishment in

2489
02:41:19,102 --> 02:41:22,355
Tampa, and we're trying to conceal it.

2490
02:41:22,355 --> 02:41:27,063
But of course, we all know that you can't
conceal this.

2491
02:41:27,063 --> 02:41:32,627
No one ever approved for this. This is
kind of— this is so silly.

2492
02:41:32,627 --> 02:41:38,533
But it does create great editorial because
Here's the bigger picture.

2493
02:41:38,533 --> 02:41:42,984
You're not going to believe me, and you're
going to—

2494
02:41:42,984 --> 02:41:46,922
you can kick me later if I'm wrong. It's
fine.

2495
02:41:46,922 --> 02:41:50,688
Biltmore is owed between $6 and $12
million.

2496
02:41:50,688 --> 02:41:57,536
I don't know the number, but it's massive.
So John's doing lawfare. Drag it out.

2497
02:41:57,536 --> 02:42:00,189
Drag it out 18 months, 2 years.

2498
02:42:00,189 --> 02:42:06,524
We're broke because we're robbing from
departments, and these managers are

2499
02:42:06,524 --> 02:42:07,123
departments, and these managers are
having,

2500
02:42:07,123 --> 02:42:12,002
uh, finance manipulate the books. This is
borrowed money.

2501
02:42:12,002 --> 02:42:17,395
Now, you don't have to believe me, but
it's going to come true.

2502
02:42:17,395 --> 02:42:22,188
And if I'm wrong, you can kick me. That's
fine. You too.

2503
02:42:22,733 --> 02:42:23,295
I know you want to.

2504
02:42:23,391 --> 02:42:26,324
Okay, so it's fine. But it's a big hoax,

2505
02:42:26,324 --> 02:42:32,338
and it's wrapped around this Woody Brown
gimmick of we're going to have an instant

2506
02:42:32,338 --> 02:42:34,904
downtown. So it's a vanity project.

2507
02:42:34,904 --> 02:42:40,037
We're going to fund with taxpayer money
basically the entire buildout.

2508
02:42:40,037 --> 02:42:43,777
I don't really think this is going to go
over well,

2509
02:42:43,777 --> 02:42:48,324
especially as you're threatening these
guys a pay cut in 2028.

2510
02:42:48,324 --> 02:42:53,311
It just doesn't make sense. We're
bankrupt. We don't have the money.

2511
02:42:53,311 --> 02:42:56,244
We don't have the money to pay Biltmore.

2512
02:42:56,244 --> 02:42:59,617
We don't have the money to really do
dredging.

2513
02:42:59,617 --> 02:43:03,944
We're robbing Peter and it's all going
into Coconut Palace.

2514
02:43:03,944 --> 02:43:07,831
That's all I have to say. Um, it'll prove
to be true.

2515
02:43:07,831 --> 02:43:13,697
The deceit again comes from Kerp and these
2, and you guys are left in the dark.

2516
02:43:13,697 --> 02:43:17,877
And I got— had a little privileges to
inside information,

2517
02:43:17,877 --> 02:43:23,230
so maybe you'll get I told you so or
something like that. Thank you. Good

2518
02:43:23,230 --> 02:43:23,670
something like that. Thank you. Good
night.

2519
02:43:23,670 --> 02:43:27,117
Thank you. That was the only card. Mr.
DeBrisi.

2520
02:43:27,117 --> 02:43:27,597
Thank you.

2521
02:43:29,724 --> 02:43:34,507
Bear with me, Charles, and feel free to
phone a friend on some of these.

2522
02:43:34,507 --> 02:43:40,022
So trying to get down to, you know, what's
actually happening, so— and help me out.

2523
02:43:40,022 --> 02:43:41,550
You know, with Horizon,

2524
02:43:41,550 --> 02:43:46,067
the city is now in a unique position of
being a commercial landlord,

2525
02:43:46,067 --> 02:43:49,190
and we are directly leasing for space,
correct?

2526
02:43:49,190 --> 02:43:49,657
Correct.

2527
02:43:49,657 --> 02:43:54,147
Okay. No third parties that are managing—
they're not— we're directly leasing.

2528
02:43:54,610 --> 02:43:55,272
Correct.

2529
02:43:55,272 --> 02:43:58,430
All right. I also learned recently that
you're a real estate—

2530
02:43:58,430 --> 02:44:00,294
licensed real estate agent, correct?

2531
02:44:00,294 --> 02:44:00,941
Yes, sir.

2532
02:44:00,941 --> 02:44:05,278
Okay. Thank you. We'll talk about these
particular spaces in a bit,

2533
02:44:05,278 --> 02:44:09,356
but when it comes to leasing commercial
space, as we are now a—

2534
02:44:09,356 --> 02:44:10,974
as a commercial landlord,

2535
02:44:10,974 --> 02:44:15,893
is it unusual for the landlord and
prospective tenants to negotiate a tenant

2536
02:44:15,893 --> 02:44:19,324
improvement allowance? It's common. It's
very common.

2537
02:44:19,324 --> 02:44:22,560
As a commercial landlord myself, I agree
with you.

2538
02:44:22,560 --> 02:44:27,803
I have, you know, a space I'm redesigning
right now that I'm in negotiations with

2539
02:44:27,803 --> 02:44:31,558
the person wanting it that wants an
improvement allowance.

2540
02:44:31,558 --> 02:44:36,218
Regarding these spaces, they're first
generation considered empty shell,

2541
02:44:36,218 --> 02:44:36,736
generation considered empty shell,
correct?

2542
02:44:36,736 --> 02:44:37,185
Correct.

2543
02:44:37,185 --> 02:44:41,348
Essentially, they are completely
unfinished and there's not even a concrete

2544
02:44:41,348 --> 02:44:41,681
unfinished and there's not even a concrete
floor.

2545
02:44:41,681 --> 02:44:43,126
100% correct.

2546
02:44:43,126 --> 02:44:47,308
All right. Was there a reason we left
those spaces unfinished? There was.

2547
02:44:47,308 --> 02:44:51,661
And the reason being is that we had no
idea what type of tenant would occupy

2548
02:44:51,661 --> 02:44:51,948
idea what type of tenant would occupy
those

2549
02:44:51,948 --> 02:44:54,583
spaces. So potentially, even if you said,
hey,

2550
02:44:54,583 --> 02:44:58,879
we're going to fill out every one of them
as a vanilla box, build them out,

2551
02:44:58,879 --> 02:45:03,519
put a slab in them, a bathroom, put the
electrical requirements, the AC in there,

2552
02:45:03,519 --> 02:45:05,524
it could end up being wasted funds.

2553
02:45:05,524 --> 02:45:07,758
Because if a restaurant comes in there,

2554
02:45:07,758 --> 02:45:12,226
they're going to end up cutting out the
slab and tearing it out to reconfigure

2555
02:45:12,226 --> 02:45:12,455
slab and tearing it out to reconfigure
that

2556
02:45:12,455 --> 02:45:13,830
space to what they need.

2557
02:45:13,830 --> 02:45:17,611
So in order to save money, it makes more
sense to leave them bare.

2558
02:45:17,611 --> 02:45:22,136
And then supply more TI dollars and let
those tenants build it out how they see

2559
02:45:22,136 --> 02:45:22,365
those tenants build it out how they see
fit.

2560
02:45:22,365 --> 02:45:27,005
Okay. I would imagine there are very few
businesses that would want to assume the

2561
02:45:27,005 --> 02:45:31,588
cost of an unfinished space such as this
and do the build-out on their own dime.

2562
02:45:31,588 --> 02:45:33,478
So in my conversations, that was—

2563
02:45:33,478 --> 02:45:36,572
your information is confirming what's been
told to me,

2564
02:45:36,572 --> 02:45:38,348
is that these were left undone.

2565
02:45:38,348 --> 02:45:41,441
There was always going to be tenant
improvement money.

2566
02:45:41,441 --> 02:45:45,852
Because, you know, we would never expect
any business to be able to basically

2567
02:45:45,852 --> 02:45:46,195
any business to be able to basically
finish

2568
02:45:46,195 --> 02:45:46,711
our work.

2569
02:45:46,711 --> 02:45:47,176
Right.

2570
02:45:47,176 --> 02:45:53,242
So, all right. So I spent a lot of time
researching tenant allowances for empty

2571
02:45:53,242 --> 02:45:59,539
shell first-generation spaces such as this
and found that basically allowances per

2572
02:45:59,539 --> 02:46:04,531
square foot can range anywhere from $100
to $400 per square foot,

2573
02:46:04,531 --> 02:46:07,679
and most average around $200 square foot.

2574
02:46:08,240 --> 02:46:08,579
Would you agree?

2575
02:46:08,579 --> 02:46:13,569
I agree. Um, will the city recoup this
money during the lease period? They will.

2576
02:46:13,569 --> 02:46:18,247
At year 9, they will recoup that. What
happens if— I've got to remember the

2577
02:46:18,247 --> 02:46:18,621
happens if— I've got to remember the
lease.

2578
02:46:18,621 --> 02:46:22,239
I read it. Is there an out clause for them
to get out? No.

2579
02:46:22,239 --> 02:46:25,483
So there is a guarantee on the lease that
they hold.

2580
02:46:25,483 --> 02:46:30,223
So there is— They leave one year, they're
in it for 10 years no matter what?

2581
02:46:30,223 --> 02:46:32,361
Mm-hmm.

2582
02:46:32,361 --> 02:46:33,475
Um, I'm sorry, go ahead.

2583
02:46:33,475 --> 02:46:35,333
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off,

2584
02:46:35,333 --> 02:46:39,187
but we do run a financial background check
to ensure that there is enough funds for

2585
02:46:39,187 --> 02:46:41,602
them to guarantee the lease over the
10-year period.

2586
02:46:41,602 --> 02:46:45,224
And with first-generation space, really,
if 10 years they decide, or whenever,

2587
02:46:45,224 --> 02:46:48,381
if they do leave, that it's
second-generation space, that, you know,

2588
02:46:48,381 --> 02:46:51,725
we're going to gain more on it because
we're not going to have to do the

2589
02:46:51,725 --> 02:46:52,189
we're not going to have to do the
build-out.

2590
02:46:52,189 --> 02:46:53,139
Correct.

2591
02:46:53,139 --> 02:46:57,177
Okay. The— you know, looking at the rate
that we're charging,

2592
02:46:57,177 --> 02:47:01,679
that we're providing in tenant
improvement, it's a little above that

2593
02:47:01,679 --> 02:47:02,208
improvement, it's a little above that
average,

2594
02:47:02,208 --> 02:47:07,107
but it's in the range. You know, that's
not necessarily the bother for me.

2595
02:47:07,107 --> 02:47:11,873
It's— but it's, you know, it's close. I
mean, it's within average. Sure.

2596
02:47:11,873 --> 02:47:15,382
And if I could provide a little more
clarity on that.

2597
02:47:15,382 --> 02:47:20,214
So the 2 current fast casual restaurants
that we have, Pappas and Parlor,

2598
02:47:20,214 --> 02:47:24,981
their buildouts have averaged almost a
little over $400 per square foot.

2599
02:47:24,981 --> 02:47:30,012
And I would argue that a full-service
restaurant with a bar The size of this

2600
02:47:30,012 --> 02:47:30,343
restaurant with a bar The size of this
space

2601
02:47:30,343 --> 02:47:33,123
is, is going to cost more than that. Okay.

2602
02:47:33,123 --> 02:47:36,168
Um, and this is up to an amount, not—
Correct.

2603
02:47:36,168 --> 02:47:41,067
So if, if hypothetically, if they built
this whole entire space out for $1

2604
02:47:41,067 --> 02:47:41,597
this whole entire space out for $1
million,

2605
02:47:41,597 --> 02:47:45,701
we would reimburse them up that $1
million. And last question.

2606
02:47:45,701 --> 02:47:50,136
Thank everybody for your patience. Where's
the funding coming from?

2607
02:47:50,136 --> 02:47:52,882
Um, I believe just from our city funds.

2608
02:47:55,882 --> 02:47:59,241
Commissioner DiBrizzi, this will come from
the general fund,

2609
02:47:59,241 --> 02:48:03,439
and we do plan to either issue debt or
interfund loan to pay for TI dollars

2610
02:48:03,439 --> 02:48:04,391
for this project.

2611
02:48:04,391 --> 02:48:08,914
Okay, all right, thank you, appreciate it.
Thank you. Commissioner Holmes.

2612
02:48:08,914 --> 02:48:13,681
Um, over the weekend I was scrolling
through Facebook and I came upon an entry

2613
02:48:13,681 --> 02:48:13,987
through Facebook and I came upon an entry
there

2614
02:48:13,987 --> 02:48:17,593
from someone named SL in Largo. I have no
clue who that is.

2615
02:48:17,593 --> 02:48:19,915
And for— I don't know how they did it,

2616
02:48:19,915 --> 02:48:24,988
but they had 3 projects listed that what
you just said now about the one restaurant

2617
02:48:24,988 --> 02:48:28,777
where we're picking up the tab to get the
building of it done,

2618
02:48:28,777 --> 02:48:33,422
apparently we're doing it for all 3 of
them, and it came to over $3 million.

2619
02:48:33,422 --> 02:48:35,195
And my question is, you know,

2620
02:48:35,195 --> 02:48:39,901
we're working on a budget right now where
we're picking up the pennies on the

2621
02:48:39,901 --> 02:48:44,851
sidewalk right now, and yet I looked at
this and I asked for some confirmation on

2622
02:48:44,851 --> 02:48:47,174
it. I haven't heard back from anybody.

2623
02:48:47,174 --> 02:48:50,780
Everybody on the dais got a copy of this
thing, by the way,

2624
02:48:50,780 --> 02:48:54,264
because I sent it to the city manager and
everybody else,

2625
02:48:54,264 --> 02:48:57,686
because I wanted to know where did this
thing come from?

2626
02:48:57,686 --> 02:49:00,620
Where did these people get all this
information?

2627
02:49:00,620 --> 02:49:03,737
Because I, I was very surprised by the
whole thing.

2628
02:49:03,737 --> 02:49:05,436
I sent it to you.

2629
02:49:05,436 --> 02:49:07,310
All right, so here's the money.

2630
02:49:07,310 --> 02:49:11,905
So this is going to be over $3 million all
between just these 3 restaurants,

2631
02:49:11,905 --> 02:49:16,500
and we're picking up pennies in the
sidewalk right now to try to balance the

2632
02:49:16,500 --> 02:49:16,863
sidewalk right now to try to balance the
budget

2633
02:49:16,863 --> 02:49:19,705
out coming up. Whose great idea was to— I
mean,

2634
02:49:19,705 --> 02:49:24,663
I'm all in favor of having these renters
coming in, having these leases like that,

2635
02:49:24,663 --> 02:49:28,895
but where's all this magical fund? Where's
this money all coming from?

2636
02:49:28,895 --> 02:49:33,430
I mean, we're telling the police
department we got to cut back on stuff and

2637
02:49:33,430 --> 02:49:33,853
department we got to cut back on stuff and
various

2638
02:49:33,853 --> 02:49:35,969
departments we have to cut back on,

2639
02:49:35,969 --> 02:49:40,806
and yet we have no problem whatsoever
spending over $3 million on some eateries.

2640
02:49:40,806 --> 02:49:41,512
Thank you.

2641
02:49:42,588 --> 02:49:43,632
I have a problem with that.

2642
02:49:43,728 --> 02:49:45,382
I mean, I'm all in favor of the eateries.

2643
02:49:45,478 --> 02:49:47,688
I have a problem with the money.

2644
02:49:47,688 --> 02:49:50,658
Commissioner, this is, uh, these, you
know,

2645
02:49:50,658 --> 02:49:55,492
these funds were always considered to be
part of the project cost, um,

2646
02:49:55,492 --> 02:50:00,534
because we obviously couldn't design
commercial real estate space without

2647
02:50:00,534 --> 02:50:01,224
commercial real estate space without
completing

2648
02:50:01,224 --> 02:50:05,783
the project and recruiting tenants and
building out the, you know,

2649
02:50:05,783 --> 02:50:09,788
the Horizon Complex. So again, always part
of the project.

2650
02:50:09,788 --> 02:50:15,037
And it's within what the Commission
contemplated when we adopted this. Thank

2651
02:50:15,037 --> 02:50:15,313
contemplated when we adopted this. Thank
you.

2652
02:50:15,313 --> 02:50:19,181
I read through the attached— they're not
in this packet,

2653
02:50:19,181 --> 02:50:21,115
but they're attached leases,

2654
02:50:21,115 --> 02:50:26,432
and it still has 201 Highland as the
addresses in several places. Just so you

2655
02:50:26,432 --> 02:50:26,778
addresses in several places. Just so you
know.

2656
02:50:26,778 --> 02:50:31,612
Thank you. We'll make the correction.
Absolutely. Any other questions?

2657
02:50:31,612 --> 02:50:36,654
Commissioner DeBriesi. Thank you. More of
a comment, and I appreciate it.

2658
02:50:36,654 --> 02:50:39,900
You know, the dollar amount is shocking, a
lot.

2659
02:50:39,900 --> 02:50:45,287
You know, in looking through all of this,
I was recognizing that we, you know,

2660
02:50:45,287 --> 02:50:50,812
we have the space, and we have to turn it
into something. We can't go backwards.

2661
02:50:50,812 --> 02:50:52,469
We can't leave it empty.

2662
02:50:52,469 --> 02:50:57,787
You know, it was— I don't think this was
left undone on purpose, as we talked

2663
02:50:57,787 --> 02:50:58,202
left undone on purpose, as we talked
about.

2664
02:50:58,202 --> 02:51:01,240
And, you know, if we would have finished
it,

2665
02:51:01,240 --> 02:51:04,210
it would have cost about this much as
well.

2666
02:51:04,210 --> 02:51:06,558
So as City Manager Kerb mentioned,

2667
02:51:06,558 --> 02:51:10,633
this is always going to be part of the
cost of the project.

2668
02:51:10,633 --> 02:51:12,705
You know, it's— I didn't know—

2669
02:51:12,705 --> 02:51:17,608
I asked the question that is coming from
the general fund is, you know,

2670
02:51:17,608 --> 02:51:22,995
that part gets me a little bit. But, um,
and we may have to issue debt for it.

2671
02:51:22,995 --> 02:51:28,106
Um, but like I said, we have— we're here,
um, and the job is to, you know,

2672
02:51:28,106 --> 02:51:29,971
to make this building work.

2673
02:51:29,971 --> 02:51:33,838
And, and if we don't provide tenant
improvement dollars,

2674
02:51:33,838 --> 02:51:36,601
we're not going to get anybody in there.

2675
02:51:36,601 --> 02:51:41,988
We're just going to have empty space
considering every— you know, like I said,

2676
02:51:41,988 --> 02:51:45,441
it's a dirt floor. Um, so, you know, we've
got to—

2677
02:51:45,441 --> 02:51:48,134
we've got to We've got to do something,

2678
02:51:48,134 --> 02:51:53,521
and that's really probably the only
comforting part of me for this is that you

2679
02:51:53,521 --> 02:51:53,797
comforting part of me for this is that you
know

2680
02:51:53,797 --> 02:51:59,322
we have to do something with this. And you
know in the long run it will pay off.

2681
02:51:59,322 --> 02:52:04,226
You know this is a you know we've said
that we're a fifty-year project,

2682
02:52:04,226 --> 02:52:09,129
and you know the first iteration of a
business is going to go in there,

2683
02:52:09,129 --> 02:52:12,652
and you know we will see the return in
later years.

2684
02:52:12,652 --> 02:52:17,417
But it is a lot of money upfront right
now, and that's you know does.

2685
02:52:17,417 --> 02:52:23,218
You know, concern me, but, you know, like
I said, we have to do something with this.

2686
02:52:23,218 --> 02:52:28,467
Thank you. Yeah, the other thing that
seems to be important is that 6 months

2687
02:52:28,467 --> 02:52:28,743
seems to be important is that 6 months
ago,

2688
02:52:28,743 --> 02:52:34,337
when it probably would have made sense to
a lot of people to put a floor in there

2689
02:52:34,337 --> 02:52:39,241
and run pipes and stuff, we didn't know
who the tenant was going to be.

2690
02:52:39,241 --> 02:52:44,559
And so we would have been guessing and
most likely would have had to retrofit

2691
02:52:44,559 --> 02:52:44,973
most likely would have had to retrofit
stuff,

2692
02:52:44,973 --> 02:52:47,805
or the tenant would have had to, I guess.

2693
02:52:47,805 --> 02:52:50,913
But either way, it would have— to your
point,

2694
02:52:50,913 --> 02:52:55,678
it would have probably cost about the
same, I would expect, you know.

2695
02:52:55,678 --> 02:53:01,134
Yeah, we had our internal construction
team come up with a budget if we were to

2696
02:53:01,134 --> 02:53:06,521
build those spaces out into vanilla box,
and it was right around $280 a square

2697
02:53:06,521 --> 02:53:06,866
and it was right around $280 a square
foot.

2698
02:53:06,866 --> 02:53:12,046
Okay. Mr. Kerb. And I want to emphasize
that the tenant improvement dollars

2699
02:53:12,046 --> 02:53:12,598
that the tenant improvement dollars
leverage

2700
02:53:12,598 --> 02:53:15,637
additional investment from the
restaurateur,

2701
02:53:15,637 --> 02:53:20,748
so we're fully expecting build out in
excess of our, our contribution, um,

2702
02:53:20,748 --> 02:53:24,546
and remind everyone that value stays with
the city, um,

2703
02:53:24,546 --> 02:53:27,033
to when they're approving our space.

2704
02:53:27,033 --> 02:53:31,798
Also, this puts the— puts the, uh, those
spaces are on the tax rolls,

2705
02:53:31,798 --> 02:53:36,840
so we will see property tax revenue from
the commercial real estate that,

2706
02:53:36,840 --> 02:53:41,329
that we have here. So it's, it's not a—
Excuse me, and sales tax.

2707
02:53:41,329 --> 02:53:42,710
Yeah, well, correct.

2708
02:53:42,710 --> 02:53:46,094
Yeah, we'll see revenue from, from this
the site,

2709
02:53:46,094 --> 02:53:49,271
and it's part of our downtown activation
plan.

2710
02:53:49,271 --> 02:53:54,382
And as we've seen already, you know, we're
already realizing the benefits.

2711
02:53:54,382 --> 02:53:58,871
Um, you know, our downtown CRA district
grew at a rate of 8%, um,

2712
02:53:58,871 --> 02:54:02,048
last year versus the city at large at only
4%.

2713
02:54:02,048 --> 02:54:07,504
Um, so we're already seeing the return in
value in that investment through that

2714
02:54:07,504 --> 02:54:12,822
increment, and this would be a direct
contribution to the general fund. Thank

2715
02:54:12,822 --> 02:54:13,098
contribution to the general fund. Thank
you.

2716
02:54:13,098 --> 02:54:15,860
Any other questions? Motion. I'll do it.

2717
02:54:15,860 --> 02:54:21,040
I move to approve the lease agreement
between the City of Largo and Pacelli

2718
02:54:21,040 --> 02:54:21,454
between the City of Largo and Pacelli
Modern

2719
02:54:21,454 --> 02:54:22,007
Italian.

2720
02:54:22,007 --> 02:54:23,247
Second.

2721
02:54:23,247 --> 02:54:28,065
I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please? Commissioner Halk?

2722
02:54:28,770 --> 02:54:28,883
Yes.

2723
02:54:28,883 --> 02:54:29,986
Commissioner Smith?

2724
02:54:29,986 --> 02:54:35,758
Yes. Commissioner Holmes? No. Commissioner
DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?

2725
02:54:35,758 --> 02:54:36,211
Yes.

2726
02:54:36,211 --> 02:54:37,394
Commissioner Louser?

2727
02:54:37,394 --> 02:54:41,733
Yes. Motion carries 5 to 1. Thank you.
Next is item number 21.

2728
02:54:41,733 --> 02:54:47,192
All right, so this evening we also bring
you another lease agreement with Dead

2729
02:54:47,192 --> 02:54:47,542
you another lease agreement with Dead
Bob's

2730
02:54:47,542 --> 02:54:49,991
for space here at Horizon West Bay.

2731
02:54:49,991 --> 02:54:55,870
They'll occupy approximately 2,072 square
feet within the parking garage building in

2732
02:54:55,870 --> 02:54:58,669
the plaza adjacent to our outdoor stage,

2733
02:54:58,669 --> 02:55:03,708
connecting the bar restaurant directly
with one of Horizon's key outdoor

2734
02:55:03,708 --> 02:55:04,338
with one of Horizon's key outdoor
gathering

2735
02:55:04,338 --> 02:55:09,867
areas. The initial term is for 10 years
with 3 optional 5-year renewal periods.

2736
02:55:09,867 --> 02:55:14,835
Dead Bob's is a well-established
neighborhood sports bar and restaurant

2737
02:55:14,835 --> 02:55:15,535
neighborhood sports bar and restaurant
started in

2738
02:55:15,535 --> 02:55:20,434
2014 with 2 existing locations in St.
Petersburg and another in Tampa.

2739
02:55:20,434 --> 02:55:25,683
It's known for its casual atmosphere,
Extensive sports viewing experiences,

2740
02:55:25,683 --> 02:55:31,072
an approachable American menu of burgers,
wings, seafood, and daily specials,

2741
02:55:31,072 --> 02:55:34,781
along with weekend brunch and extended
evening hours.

2742
02:55:34,781 --> 02:55:39,540
This will be Dead Bob's 4th location
overall and its first in Largo,

2743
02:55:39,540 --> 02:55:44,998
bringing a strong local following and a
casual dining and entertainment option

2744
02:55:44,998 --> 02:55:45,278
casual dining and entertainment option
that

2745
02:55:45,278 --> 02:55:49,897
complements Horizon West Bay's growing mix
of restaurants, retail,

2746
02:55:49,897 --> 02:55:55,426
and entertainment. Thank you, and I'm
happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

2747
02:55:55,426 --> 02:55:59,695
Do we have any cards on this? We have one
card. Greg Gardner.

2748
02:55:59,695 --> 02:56:04,944
All right, Curtis, I confess there is a
connection between the initials you

2749
02:56:04,944 --> 02:56:10,193
mentioned, and I'll provide you a document
of all the monies that we spent.

2750
02:56:10,193 --> 02:56:15,931
It is $3.3 million of taxpayer money given
away crony capitalism that no one voted

2751
02:56:15,931 --> 02:56:21,040
for, no one approved, is so Woody could
have an instant downtown gimmick.

2752
02:56:21,040 --> 02:56:23,769
That's what it is. It's just a gimmick.

2753
02:56:23,769 --> 02:56:28,178
Uh, John will lie to everyone because
that's what he does best.

2754
02:56:28,178 --> 02:56:32,797
He says there's going to be return. No,
there won't be any return.

2755
02:56:32,797 --> 02:56:37,486
It'll be what, well, 9 years, uh, for, um,
the silly, uh, Bocellis.

2756
02:56:37,486 --> 02:56:41,335
Uh, Dead Bob's is 415,000. I looked at
that at 7 years.

2757
02:56:41,335 --> 02:56:47,004
You have to look at— I didn't drink the
Kool-Aid. You have to look at Dead Bob's.

2758
02:56:47,004 --> 02:56:51,553
It's a dungeon. So it's this little
dungeon that's no atmosphere.

2759
02:56:51,553 --> 02:56:54,842
I don't know why anyone would want to go
there.

2760
02:56:54,842 --> 02:57:00,021
When you go to the beach and go left or go
right, it's nothing but beauty.

2761
02:57:00,021 --> 02:57:05,130
So what Dead Bob's will be is, okay, it's
new and that'll last 18 months,

2762
02:57:05,130 --> 02:57:08,069
and then it's just become a watering hole.

2763
02:57:08,069 --> 02:57:13,038
And lounge lizards are gonna hang out, and
it's just, it's not a value.

2764
02:57:13,038 --> 02:57:16,397
It's not a downtown. It's not a gathering
place.

2765
02:57:16,397 --> 02:57:19,896
I mean, I know you wanna believe it is. It
is not.

2766
02:57:19,896 --> 02:57:24,096
There will be anger and outrage that you
spent $3.3 million,

2767
02:57:24,096 --> 02:57:26,895
and it's $97 million here. It's not $85.

2768
02:57:26,895 --> 02:57:30,604
You're stiffing Biltmore, and this is
borrowed money.

2769
02:57:30,604 --> 02:57:31,214
Thank you.

2770
02:57:32,113 --> 02:57:36,885
And then later I'll say, I told you so.
Okay? And all his numbers are right.

2771
02:57:36,885 --> 02:57:41,908
He's not lying as far as build-out. As far
as what you say, DeBriesi, it's true.

2772
02:57:41,908 --> 02:57:45,989
They do. But it's not taxpayer dollars.
There's a big difference.

2773
02:57:45,989 --> 02:57:47,558
This is crony capitalism.

2774
02:57:47,558 --> 02:57:51,765
So, so would a retail establishment do
this type of build-out? Yes.

2775
02:57:51,765 --> 02:57:56,035
I don't know if they'd go as high as $1.6
million. I don't know. No.

2776
02:57:56,035 --> 02:57:57,353
No, that's excessive.

2777
02:57:57,353 --> 02:58:01,811
And if he can't do Buccelli's in $1.6
million, there's something wrong.

2778
02:58:01,811 --> 02:58:03,946
But he'll use all of $1.6 million.

2779
02:58:03,946 --> 02:58:08,027
But it's— the average consensus, as I
canvassed for 5 full weeks,

2780
02:58:08,027 --> 02:58:10,287
is no one's in love with this place.

2781
02:58:10,287 --> 02:58:14,431
The only people that are loving this place
is you guys. That's it.

2782
02:58:14,431 --> 02:58:16,189
It's gonna be ooh, ahh, ooh.

2783
02:58:16,189 --> 02:58:20,898
Just look at the numbers going into the
ice cream store. He'll never make a

2784
02:58:20,898 --> 02:58:21,337
ice cream store. He'll never make a
profit.

2785
02:58:21,337 --> 02:58:25,481
Buccelli's won't make a profit after 2
years. But Chellis is done.

2786
02:58:25,481 --> 02:58:30,379
And yes, he can bankrupt, and no, there's
no recourse, not through bankruptcy.

2787
02:58:30,379 --> 02:58:31,697
So that's my 2 cents.

2788
02:58:31,697 --> 02:58:34,585
I'll give you the document that you asked
for,

2789
02:58:34,585 --> 02:58:37,913
and then you can pass it on to whoever you
want, and,

2790
02:58:37,913 --> 02:58:42,308
and I'll come back and say I told you so.
Good night, guys. Thank you.

2791
02:58:42,308 --> 02:58:43,752
That was the only card.

2792
02:58:43,752 --> 02:58:46,084
Any questions?

2793
02:58:46,084 --> 02:58:50,558
I move to approve the lease agreement
between the City of Largo and Dead Bob's

2794
02:58:50,558 --> 02:58:50,731
between the City of Largo and Dead Bob's
Bar

2795
02:58:50,731 --> 02:58:51,591
and Restaurant.

2796
02:58:52,226 --> 02:58:52,483
Second.

2797
02:58:52,483 --> 02:58:55,262
I have a motion and a second. Could you
poll the board, please?

2798
02:58:55,262 --> 02:58:57,109
Commissioner Smith? Yes.

2799
02:58:57,109 --> 02:58:58,426
Commissioner Holmes?

2800
02:58:58,426 --> 02:59:01,831
No. Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor
Brown? Yes.

2801
02:59:01,831 --> 02:59:03,004
Commissioner Louser?

2802
02:59:03,004 --> 02:59:03,357
Yes.

2803
02:59:03,357 --> 02:59:04,466
Commissioner Holk?

2804
02:59:04,466 --> 02:59:04,915
Yes.

2805
02:59:04,915 --> 02:59:08,213
Motion carries 5 to 1. Thank you. Thank
you.

2806
02:59:08,213 --> 02:59:11,362
Good job, Charles. Next is item number 22,

2807
02:59:11,362 --> 02:59:19,761
Ordinance Number 2026-29.

2808
02:59:22,761 --> 02:59:25,617
Good evening, Mayor and City Commission.

2809
02:59:25,617 --> 02:59:30,472
I'm Laura Corey, Assistant Director for
Recreation, Parks, and Arts,

2810
02:59:30,472 --> 02:59:35,613
and I have with me Jerry Reming, the
Assistant Director for the Library,

2811
02:59:35,613 --> 02:59:39,968
and we're presenting, uh, the few
ordinance changes for 2026.

2812
02:59:39,968 --> 02:59:43,681
I'm going to let Good evening, Mayor,
Commissioners.

2813
02:59:43,681 --> 02:59:49,464
Providing rental meeting spaces for public
use and rental is an important part of

2814
02:59:49,464 --> 02:59:51,035
the library's mission.

2815
02:59:51,035 --> 02:59:56,247
Rental fees have not significantly
increased over the years and no longer

2816
02:59:56,247 --> 02:59:56,747
increased over the years and no longer
reflect

2817
02:59:56,747 --> 03:00:01,888
the staff time and resources needed to
support and maintain the service.

2818
03:00:01,888 --> 03:00:03,459
Over the last 3 years,

2819
03:00:03,459 --> 03:00:09,028
the library has averaged approximately
$5,000 annually in room rental revenue.

2820
03:00:09,028 --> 03:00:14,597
Modest increases to the Jenkins Wing
meeting room fees are therefore proposed.

2821
03:00:14,597 --> 03:00:20,121
The courtyard gazebo was renovated into
the community butterfly garden

2822
03:00:20,121 --> 03:00:25,723
in FY 2022 and has become a busy and
vibrant place for library patrons.

2823
03:00:26,236 --> 03:00:31,337
The library proposes changes to simplify
the rental structure for that space and to

2824
03:00:31,337 --> 03:00:34,533
better align the options with other city
facilities.

2825
03:00:34,533 --> 03:00:39,328
The courtyard gazebo and the entire
facility strikethrough on pages 2 and 3 of

2826
03:00:39,328 --> 03:00:39,512
facility strikethrough on pages 2 and 3 of
the

2827
03:00:39,512 --> 03:00:44,552
amendments to the fee ordinance were added
in error and will be changed before the

2828
03:00:44,552 --> 03:00:48,916
second reading, along with any other
guidance that is provided tonight.

2829
03:00:48,916 --> 03:00:53,587
The primary proposed changes are the
courtyard gazebo offers as a space-only

2830
03:00:53,587 --> 03:00:53,956
courtyard gazebo offers as a space-only
rental

2831
03:00:53,956 --> 03:00:56,721
at $300 plus applicable tax per 3-hour
block,

2832
03:00:56,721 --> 03:01:01,516
comparable with a space-only rental option
for the terrace at the Central Park

2833
03:01:01,516 --> 03:01:02,929
Performing Arts Center.

2834
03:01:02,929 --> 03:01:07,293
The entire library also was stricken by
mistake my mistake, offers for—

2835
03:01:07,373 --> 03:01:12,269
offer for rental at $3,000 plus applicable
tax per 3-hour block.

2836
03:01:13,424 --> 03:01:17,571
Jenkins Wing meeting rooms adjusted rental
rates to better reflect the staff time

2837
03:01:17,571 --> 03:01:20,540
and resources required to support and
maintain the spaces.

2838
03:01:20,540 --> 03:01:24,585
Overall, the intent is to create a simpler
and more consistent rental structure

2839
03:01:24,585 --> 03:01:28,271
while aligning the library's offerings
with other city-owned facilities,

2840
03:01:28,271 --> 03:01:30,421
and I'm available to answer any questions.

2841
03:01:30,421 --> 03:01:31,830
Thank you. Questions.

2842
03:01:31,830 --> 03:01:36,460
Ordinance number 2026-29, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida.

2843
03:01:36,460 --> 03:01:40,351
Diane, hold on, I still have a little bit
of presentation.

2844
03:01:40,351 --> 03:01:43,142
I'm so sorry, I, I won't take too much
time.

2845
03:01:43,142 --> 03:01:47,393
Um, but on the Recreation, Parks, and Arts
side, so we confused it,

2846
03:01:47,393 --> 03:01:51,516
we did 2 sections, Section 6 and Section
10, this, uh, this time.

2847
03:01:51,516 --> 03:01:56,465
Um, but annually the Recreation, Parks,
and Arts Department reviews their fees

2848
03:01:56,465 --> 03:01:56,718
and Arts Department reviews their fees
for,

2849
03:01:56,718 --> 03:01:59,763
um, uh, to ensure fees are updated and
relevant.

2850
03:01:59,763 --> 03:02:02,999
In September of 2025, just to give some
background,

2851
03:02:02,999 --> 03:02:08,010
the City Commission adopted a variety of
changes to our fees and fee structures

2852
03:02:08,010 --> 03:02:08,264
changes to our fees and fee structures
that

2853
03:02:08,264 --> 03:02:12,641
included an additional Capital Recreation
Improvement Fund that were—

2854
03:02:12,641 --> 03:02:16,892
that is to help supplement the cost of
future RPA capital projects.

2855
03:02:16,892 --> 03:02:21,650
The proposed fee ordinance before you
tonight updates some additional fees,

2856
03:02:21,650 --> 03:02:26,725
primarily child care camp memberships and
rental fees to be reflective of market

2857
03:02:26,725 --> 03:02:31,229
rates and to ensure that they cover the
cost of delivering the service.

2858
03:02:31,229 --> 03:02:35,733
This aligns with our department's cost
recovery policy, and on average,

2859
03:02:35,733 --> 03:02:38,144
it's about a $5 increase per activity.

2860
03:02:38,144 --> 03:02:41,870
After surveying neighboring communities,
and the—

2861
03:02:42,661 --> 03:02:48,823
our proposed fees still remain competitive
to offer those same services,

2862
03:02:48,823 --> 03:02:55,412
and the proposed changes overall will help
generate Revenue to further offset

2863
03:02:55,412 --> 03:03:01,659
the general fund cost of delivering
recreation services to the community.

2864
03:03:01,659 --> 03:03:08,334
Staff estimate the fee increases over the
course of a year will generate about

2865
03:03:08,334 --> 03:03:14,495
$430,000 in revenue beginning FY 2027. I'm
here to answer any questions.

2866
03:03:14,495 --> 03:03:16,207
Now, now you can go.

2867
03:03:17,279 --> 03:03:21,054
Ordinance number 2026-29, an ordinance of
the City of Largo, Florida,

2868
03:03:21,054 --> 03:03:25,431
amending Sections 6 and 10 of Appendix B
of the Largo City Code to amend certain

2869
03:03:25,431 --> 03:03:29,315
fees charged by the Library and
Recreation, Parks and Arts departments,

2870
03:03:29,315 --> 03:03:32,980
providing for severability, providing an
effective date. Thank you.

2871
03:03:32,980 --> 03:03:34,567
Do we have any cards on this?

2872
03:03:34,567 --> 03:03:35,199
We have no cards.

2873
03:03:35,199 --> 03:03:40,013
Any questions? I move to approve Ordinance
number 2026-29 on first

2874
03:03:40,013 --> 03:03:45,192
reading and schedule a second reading
Public hearing on September 15th,

2875
03:03:45,192 --> 03:03:45,557
2026.

2876
03:03:45,557 --> 03:03:46,312
Second.

2877
03:03:46,312 --> 03:03:52,018
Thank you. We do have a question,
Commissioner Smith, uh, out of the

2878
03:03:52,018 --> 03:03:52,690
Commissioner Smith, uh, out of the
library.

2879
03:03:52,690 --> 03:03:57,473
Uh, Section 6, number, uh, C, uh, the
non-PPLC residents—

2880
03:03:57,473 --> 03:04:03,599
you stroke through the single-family
visitors card to now just a non-PPLC

2881
03:04:03,599 --> 03:04:05,949
residence of 25, 50, and 75.

2882
03:04:05,949 --> 03:04:07,105
Yeah, just adjust—

2883
03:04:07,298 --> 03:04:11,483
adjusting the, uh, My question is, by
striking out the family, um,

2884
03:04:11,483 --> 03:04:14,906
would that now eliminate a whole— or is it
just— okay,

2885
03:04:14,906 --> 03:04:17,886
I just want to make sure that that
doesn't, uh,

2886
03:04:17,886 --> 03:04:20,232
say every person that comes from one—

2887
03:04:20,232 --> 03:04:22,524
Absolutely, it still qualifies. Yeah.

2888
03:04:22,524 --> 03:04:24,259
Also on, um, number E, why are you—

2889
03:04:24,259 --> 03:04:27,581
why are we striking out the lost library
card and computer— I mean,

2890
03:04:27,581 --> 03:04:30,456
computer card I get, but, uh, lost library
card of $1 fee?

2891
03:04:30,456 --> 03:04:32,717
Uh, we no longer charge that fee, um,

2892
03:04:32,717 --> 03:04:36,690
because it's a been detrimental to people
getting their materials

2893
03:04:36,690 --> 03:04:38,524
if they have to pay that card.

2894
03:04:38,524 --> 03:04:40,835
But don't they— can't they use their
driver's license?

2895
03:04:40,835 --> 03:04:42,703
They can, but not at the self-check
stations.

2896
03:04:42,703 --> 03:04:45,733
So then they would have to come to the
desk every time to get their card.

2897
03:04:45,733 --> 03:04:48,074
And how many times does that happen?

2898
03:04:48,074 --> 03:04:50,699
Over the years, we've probably—

2899
03:04:50,699 --> 03:04:54,002
I would say annually for the lost card,

2900
03:04:54,002 --> 03:04:58,914
for the lost library card, it's probably
about under $100.

2901
03:04:59,772 --> 03:05:04,450
Okay. Oh, okay. All right. It's called
responsibility. Okay.

2902
03:05:04,450 --> 03:05:08,738
I was gonna follow up on that question,
but under $100,

2903
03:05:08,738 --> 03:05:14,039
I think we're okay. I assume there's not
people that lose their card

2904
03:05:14,039 --> 03:05:16,378
many, many times. Oh, they do.

2905
03:05:16,378 --> 03:05:21,972
Well, they, they do, but yeah, we note
when we've given them a new card.

2906
03:05:21,972 --> 03:05:27,689
Okay. Yeah. Thank you. I do have a motion
and a Second. Yeah. All in favor say aye.

2907
03:05:27,689 --> 03:05:28,075
Aye.

2908
03:05:28,075 --> 03:05:32,472
I got to do a roll call. I have to do a
roll call. Sorry, sorry about that.

2909
03:05:32,472 --> 03:05:33,563
Commissioner Smith?

2910
03:05:33,563 --> 03:05:35,874
No. Commissioner Holmes? Yes.

2911
03:05:35,874 --> 03:05:39,308
Commissioner DiBrizzi? Yes. Mayor Brown?
Yes.

2912
03:05:39,308 --> 03:05:40,335
Commissioner Lauser?

2913
03:05:40,335 --> 03:05:40,769
Yes.

2914
03:05:40,769 --> 03:05:41,700
Commissioner Holk?

2915
03:05:41,700 --> 03:05:42,197
Yes.

2916
03:05:42,197 --> 03:05:43,304
Vice Mayor Johnson?

2917
03:05:43,304 --> 03:05:45,278
Yes. Motion carries 6 to 1.

2918
03:05:45,278 --> 03:05:49,626
Thank you, thank you, thank you. That's a
lot. Next up, uh, let me see.

2919
03:05:49,626 --> 03:05:52,259
City Attorney Allen, anything this
evening?

2920
03:05:52,452 --> 03:05:53,431
I do not, thank you.

2921
03:05:53,431 --> 03:05:57,899
Very good. Vice Mayor Johnson? I have
nothing, thank you. Thank you.

2922
03:05:57,899 --> 03:06:03,025
Commissioner Smith? Uh, this coming
Saturday out at, uh, at Ulmer Park is the,

2923
03:06:03,025 --> 03:06:03,222
Saturday out at, uh, at Ulmer Park is the,
uh,

2924
03:06:03,222 --> 03:06:06,574
annual— the, um, monthly, uh, Largo
Evening Market.

2925
03:06:06,574 --> 03:06:11,765
Um, stop out there from 5 to 9 at Ulmer
Park and, um, uh, check out the vendors

2926
03:06:11,765 --> 03:06:12,028
Park and, um, uh, check out the vendors
and,

2927
03:06:12,028 --> 03:06:15,642
um, the food trucks and, um, visit the
facilities here.

2928
03:06:15,642 --> 03:06:20,045
There is a parking garage, so there'll be
overflow so you can park.

2929
03:06:20,045 --> 03:06:25,105
Um, look forward to seeing as many
residents out there to participate in that

2930
03:06:25,105 --> 03:06:25,433
residents out there to participate in that
event

2931
03:06:25,433 --> 03:06:28,390
this Saturday, uh, from 9 to 5 at Almer
Park.

2932
03:06:28,390 --> 03:06:31,873
It's the Largo Evening— uh, the Largo
Evening Market.

2933
03:06:31,873 --> 03:06:36,342
Uh, second item, um, we talked at the law—
2 meetings ago about, uh,

2934
03:06:36,342 --> 03:06:39,233
short-term rentals, and I said that, um,
um,

2935
03:06:39,233 --> 03:06:42,781
the board kind of was looking for
direction on like a,

2936
03:06:42,781 --> 03:06:47,578
a joint collaboration between the, the
code and, and, um, planning board.

2937
03:06:47,578 --> 03:06:52,704
Um, I have had a couple residents who
attended that reach out to me still with

2938
03:06:52,704 --> 03:06:58,224
concerns because there was no real address
from staff really of that we already have

2939
03:06:58,224 --> 03:07:00,195
a shortage of police officers,

2940
03:07:00,195 --> 03:07:05,387
and this distinguish between a police call
and a code enforcement call back and

2941
03:07:05,387 --> 03:07:10,447
forth, um, it really doesn't seem to, in
these residents' mind, be addressed.

2942
03:07:10,447 --> 03:07:14,324
Police say it's a code issue. Code says
it's a police call.

2943
03:07:14,324 --> 03:07:19,778
So they were fearful that this would kind
of bog down a little bit and there was no

2944
03:07:19,778 --> 03:07:22,998
real direction from this commission on
that item.

2945
03:07:22,998 --> 03:07:26,481
The other one was— trying to read my own
handwriting.

2946
03:07:26,481 --> 03:07:30,949
Oh, the— we all know that most of this
stuff happens on the weekend.

2947
03:07:30,949 --> 03:07:35,483
There's no clear direction. and staff
talked about the possibility in

2948
03:07:35,483 --> 03:07:36,403
talked about the possibility in
communication.

2949
03:07:36,403 --> 03:07:38,046
They're talking internal,

2950
03:07:38,046 --> 03:07:43,303
but these residents still fear that that's
just talk and it's not gonna actually

2951
03:07:43,303 --> 03:07:48,494
come about, of a weekend patrol for them
to call and handle these situations on

2952
03:07:48,494 --> 03:07:50,137
these short-term rentals.

2953
03:07:50,137 --> 03:07:53,554
So I just wanted to let the residents know
where we—

2954
03:07:53,554 --> 03:07:57,366
if we could give clear direction on where
we are on those,

2955
03:07:57,366 --> 03:08:02,294
or if there is any clear direction on
those 2 items. And that's all I have.

2956
03:08:02,294 --> 03:08:06,040
Or if we can get something in an email
down the road, if—

2957
03:08:06,040 --> 03:08:08,734
It's like something's walking up now, or—

2958
03:08:08,734 --> 03:08:09,649
Hello.

2959
03:08:09,649 --> 03:08:11,873
Well, and I'd be happy to address—

2960
03:08:11,873 --> 03:08:17,366
the police department was involved through
the drafting of this legislation at every

2961
03:08:17,366 --> 03:08:22,860
step. Chief Laux has assured me that they
have plenty of officers on patrol that can

2962
03:08:22,860 --> 03:08:26,784
handle issues related to short-term
rentals as they come up.

2963
03:08:26,784 --> 03:08:31,493
So that is not an issue. And then we do
have— what was your second part?

2964
03:08:31,493 --> 03:08:32,931
The weekend violators.

2965
03:08:32,931 --> 03:08:36,921
Yeah, so the, you know, the parts of the
code that, you know,

2966
03:08:36,921 --> 03:08:40,191
require attention on the weekends, PD can
address.

2967
03:08:40,191 --> 03:08:44,769
We can address issues like noise and,
again, those things after hours.

2968
03:08:44,769 --> 03:08:49,674
Code will be available to handle other
issues, for example, garbage, waste,

2969
03:08:49,674 --> 03:08:53,205
other things that know, create, um, create
complaints.

2970
03:08:53,205 --> 03:08:57,914
Um, and I'm very comfortable that between
the police department and code

2971
03:08:57,914 --> 03:09:00,726
enforcement, we'll have everything
covered.

2972
03:09:00,726 --> 03:09:05,828
Um, we'll have a system in place to track
those, um, so that we can start, um,

2973
03:09:05,828 --> 03:09:09,359
you know, get the registration process up
and running.

2974
03:09:09,359 --> 03:09:12,433
That'll provide us the, the accountability
for,

2975
03:09:12,433 --> 03:09:16,422
for owners and contact information for
property managers, um,

2976
03:09:16,422 --> 03:09:19,038
so we can deal with the issues promptly.

2977
03:09:19,038 --> 03:09:23,878
So Again, there will be no gap in
enforcement. Awesome. Thank you so much.

2978
03:09:23,878 --> 03:09:26,414
Thank you.

2979
03:09:26,414 --> 03:09:31,312
Thank you. Commissioner Holmes? I've got
nothing. Thank you. Commissioner DiBrizzi?

2980
03:09:31,312 --> 03:09:36,211
Thank you. Just a quick thanks to everyone
involved in getting the proclamation for

2981
03:09:36,211 --> 03:09:40,814
JWB done. That's an organization near and
dear to me given the work that I do.

2982
03:09:40,814 --> 03:09:42,762
So it was— I was happy to see it.

2983
03:09:42,762 --> 03:09:47,660
So thank you to everybody who was involved
in that. Thank you. Commissioner Lowser?

2984
03:09:47,660 --> 03:09:51,555
Uh, yeah, so happy birthday to the JWB,
and, uh, don't forget, uh,

2985
03:09:51,555 --> 03:09:53,798
concert on the breezeway Friday night.

2986
03:09:53,798 --> 03:09:57,693
I think it starts at 6 out at the Largo
Golf Course. So thank you.

2987
03:09:57,773 --> 03:09:58,207
Hopefully I'll be there.

2988
03:09:58,207 --> 03:09:59,813
Commissioner Holk?

2989
03:09:59,813 --> 03:10:01,259
I have nothing, thank you.

2990
03:10:01,259 --> 03:10:04,666
Thank you. I, um, this is just to go off
of, uh,

2991
03:10:04,666 --> 03:10:10,061
Commissioner Smith's comments about code
enforcement and short-term rentals.

2992
03:10:10,061 --> 03:10:15,456
Um, I, I do think that there would be some
value to having at least one code

2993
03:10:15,456 --> 03:10:17,515
officer working on Saturdays.

2994
03:10:17,515 --> 03:10:17,949
Right.

2995
03:10:17,949 --> 03:10:19,947
I think that, I think that, um,

2996
03:10:19,947 --> 03:10:25,104
it could be structured where they have a
day off during the week and they make a

2997
03:10:25,104 --> 03:10:29,938
little bit more because they're working on
Saturday or something like that.

2998
03:10:29,938 --> 03:10:33,741
Maybe you'd find one of the several
officers that say, hey,

2999
03:10:33,741 --> 03:10:37,609
I'd work on Saturdays for an extra $100 a
week or something.

3000
03:10:37,609 --> 03:10:41,218
And, and, uh, and it, it would solve so
much, I believe,

3001
03:10:41,218 --> 03:10:43,281
from businesses that do illegal—

3002
03:10:43,281 --> 03:10:47,148
do stuff that's against code on the
weekends to you name it.

3003
03:10:47,148 --> 03:10:52,369
And I would recommend that that officer
not be responding to anything but what he

3004
03:10:52,369 --> 03:10:57,784
sees or she sees. So just canvass the city
and look for any violation that can maybe

3005
03:10:57,784 --> 03:10:59,331
be addressed right away.

3006
03:10:59,331 --> 03:11:04,358
You just walk up and say, you're not
allowed to have this or not, or whatever.

3007
03:11:04,358 --> 03:11:06,357
So That would be my suggestion.

3008
03:11:06,357 --> 03:11:10,482
Maybe we could take a look at doing that
sometime in the future.

3009
03:11:10,482 --> 03:11:14,543
I did want to mention, I always do this
and I forgot this time,

3010
03:11:14,543 --> 03:11:18,797
Rob Healy and Paul Wallace were
reappointed to the Police and Fire

3011
03:11:18,797 --> 03:11:19,828
reappointed to the Police and Fire
Retirement Board

3012
03:11:19,828 --> 03:11:22,664
of Trustees. So thank you for their
service.

3013
03:11:22,664 --> 03:11:26,339
I know both of them have been on that for
a little while.

3014
03:11:26,339 --> 03:11:29,497
And then I think that's it. I had one more
thing.

3015
03:11:29,497 --> 03:11:34,138
But I can't find it on my paper, so I'm
going to— I'll leave it at that.

3016
03:11:34,138 --> 03:11:38,714
I do want to welcome Bocelli's and Dead
Bob's to the City Largo family.

3017
03:11:38,714 --> 03:11:43,678
We're looking forward to them getting
their build-out and their improvements.

3018
03:11:43,678 --> 03:11:48,125
I know both business owners are very
excited to locate here in Largo,

3019
03:11:48,125 --> 03:11:52,960
and I think they'll bring a great
atmosphere to our new complex. Very good.

3020
03:11:52,960 --> 03:11:54,700
Any action items? 3 things.

3021
03:11:54,700 --> 03:11:59,534
A request by Mayor Brown for a report
report on the culverts at Donegan and

3022
03:11:59,534 --> 03:11:59,856
report on the culverts at Donegan and
under

3023
03:11:59,856 --> 03:12:02,499
New Haven Drive and areas south of there.

3024
03:12:02,499 --> 03:12:07,720
A request by Mayor Brown that staff look
at why the lake along Donegan Road is at

3025
03:12:07,720 --> 03:12:11,201
such a high level. And this one I'm not
real clear on—

3026
03:12:11,201 --> 03:12:15,713
a request from Vice Mayor Johnson for
solid waste comparison of rates,

3027
03:12:15,713 --> 03:12:18,807
commercial and residential. Yeah, in our
future—

3028
03:12:18,903 --> 03:12:21,633
in future evaluation, I'd just like to get
commercial rates.

3029
03:12:21,633 --> 03:12:27,935
But yeah, not, not commercial as in like
businesses, but right, what— so,

3030
03:12:27,935 --> 03:12:32,165
so privately, private haulers providing
curbside,

3031
03:12:32,165 --> 03:12:36,394
both recycling and solid waste pickup.
Thank you.

3032
03:12:36,394 --> 03:12:42,610
There's a lot of, a lot of them pay, you
pay for recycling as well. Yep.

3033
03:12:42,610 --> 03:12:49,257
All right, meeting's adjourned. Thank you
very much. I took my body and quit.

3034
03:12:49,257 --> 03:12:53,573
Great job, everybody. All right, Michael,
who won?