Keep an eye on the cameras.
Library and recreation.
OK is there a box over there.
Get the thumbs up there.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Welcome to the Tavares city council
meeting for December 4, 2024.
Before we get started, I would like to bring in and introduce
the tarvarious high school brass ensemble
who have been playing Christmas music for us out in the lobby.
If they would come in and be recognized, please.
Y'all come on in.
It's right there in the middle.
Just go in the middle there.
Middle left turn.
There you go.
Turn around and think.
You look wonderful, all of you.
Sister wants to say something.
No, I just was.
No, I'm so happy that you all are here again this year.
We just love it.
It kind of kicks off our.
Our Christmas season, so Thank you.
Y'all are very, very good.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Now y'all can go get your cake.
And if anyone from the public is here
to speak on any of our agenda items,
please fill out one of the request to speak.
They're on the back table by the door
there and make sure you give them to Phil Clark
and he'll get them up here to us.
That's what we're going to start with,
an invocation and pledge from Pastor chase Allen of the First
Baptist church of Umatilla.
Well, good afternoon.
As always, every time you guys allow me to come,
I'd like to say thank you for allowing
me to come and represent first Baptist church of Umatilla.
And most importantly, Jesus.
Let's pray.
Father, we love you.
And Thank you so much for this afternoon.
God, I Thank you for this great city, for all that
it stands for all that it does.
And so, Lord, I pray that you would be with today's business,
that you would be with today's dealings,
that you would be with calm minds and cool hearts.
God, that you would just allow business
to be taken care of God, and that everything
that happens in this room would be
honoring and glorifying to you.
Thank you so much for your son, Jesus.
It's in his name.
We pray.
Amen Amen.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands.
One nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you guys so much.
Thank you.
Are there any changes to the agenda from staff.
None from staff.
Make a motion to approve the agenda.
Second OK we have a motion duly seconded to approve the agenda.
Any other discussion.
All those in favor, signify by saying Aye.
Aye Any opposed.
OK agenda has been adopted.
We have no proclamations or presentations swearing
in by the city attorney and disclosure of ex
parte communications.
Yes Thank you, Mayor.
There are no quasi judicial matters on the agenda today.
And we have no ordinance or resolutions
to read into the record, is that correct.
That's correct.
Mayor, Thank you.
The consent agenda.
Council members do I have a motion
to approve the consent agenda.
Make a motion to approve.
Second OK.
We have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda.
Any other discussion.
All in favor.
Signify by saying Aye.
Aye no resolutions and no ordinances.
OK, so that moves us into tab three.
The discussion of removing fluoride from the drinking water
into the.
If you will, if everyone here will indulge.
We're going to start out with a video, a seven minute video that
will explain why we're here and why the agenda item is before us
today.
So, Mark, do you want to go ahead and start that up.
Good morning.
Thank you very much for joining us here this morning.
I'm Dr. Joe Ladipo, the surgeon general of Florida.
And I am joined today by Dr. Ashley Mallon, who
is a professor at the University of Florida, and Dr.
Claire Stagg, who is a dentist.
So thank you again for joining us today.
I'd like to Thank the Fairfax water
treatment plant for hosting us.
Water fluoridation has been in the news a lot lately
and it started probably a few months ago
when a judge ruled that the EPA needed
to make some additional rules about safety regarding water
fluoridation systems and the policies
that communities in the United States
follow related to water fluoridation
in the United States.
In Florida, somewhere around 75% or 80% of Floridians
are in communities that have water fluoridation.
As a medical physician, I actually have historically
supported this practice.
It's something that we've learned in medical school,
is a public health measure that is helpful
and is something that as a physician, we should support.
The ruling several months ago prompted me and other people
to look more closely at the issue,
and that ruling was based on a report
that the National Toxicology Program assembled, that they
started actually working on it years ago,
reviewing data and studies of harms and benefits associated
with water fluoridation and increased
levels of fluoride in water.
And as I started both reading this report
and reading the actual studies that the report was based on I
was appalled, frankly, to just to be completely Frank with you,
while there's no question that fluoride is like other minerals,
an important mineral and fluoride absolutely,
positively can strengthen teeth, it is also the case
that fluoride is neurotoxic and the effects in terms
of any neurologic effects or any behavioral effects
are actually something that have been in the literature
for many years.
When this issue has arisen in the past.
What you've typically heard from organizations like the American
Dental Association, and many of my colleagues,
and frankly, you probably would have heard it from me if I had
been asked, is that the studies that have found harms related
to fluoridation were in communities that
had much higher levels of fluoride
than what we allow here in the United States.
Well, the fact is that not only, first of all,
did these studies find really very, very bad outcomes.
Specifically, many, many studies have
found a relationship between fluoride and fluoride
exposure and intelligence.
So typically, the relationship is somewhere on the order
of a half a standard deviation drop
in IQ in areas with higher levels of fluoridation,
which is a profound effect on health
and has profound implications.
But there are also neuropsychiatric risks
that have been raised, including things like attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, including things like problems
with executive function and decision making
and other behavioral problems in children.
And so the typical criticism has been that these studies were
in countries like China or India where say, the naturally
occurring amounts of fluoride are much higher than what we
have here in the United States.
Well, it turns out that, in fact, that wasn't true.
So in the last five or six years,
there have been several studies that have been published.
Dr. Malin has actually published some of these studies
in communities in Canada, also in the United States, where
levels of fluoride are actually quite
similar to the levels that we have here in this state
and in this country.
And these studies have actually found the same findings
that moms and children exposed to higher levels of fluoride
have experienced adverse neurologic and neuropsychiatric
effects.
I mean, it's appalling, but it's actually been documented
in multiple studies now.
So based on these findings and in recognition of the fact
that there are other sources of fluoride
that people in communities have access to whether it's brushing
with fluoridated toothpaste or whether it's using a fluoride
mouthwash.
And there are other sources too.
People go to the dentist and receive
fluoride there that it is.
It is.
It is public health malpractice with the information
that we have now to continue adding fluoride
to water systems in Florida.
It is public health malpractice.
And so we are issuing guidance to every community,
every municipality, every County in Florida
to stop adding fluoride to their community water systems.
And I will tell you that the data that we have,
the studies that we have primarily
are focused on pregnant women and children.
Those are clearly the most sensitive and vulnerable
populations for fluoridation in terms
of these adverse neuropsychiatric effects.
But I personally in my family, we've
pulled back in terms of sources of fluoride
because we're concerned about the effects.
There's less research there.
My sense is that those that research
will also show adverse effects and that remains to be seen.
But in this day and age, with the additional sources
of fluoride that people have access to
it is public health malpractice to continue adding fluoride
to community water systems that women and pregnant women
and children have access to.
So that's the announcement that we're making today.
We'll be issuing formal guidance that's
going to be available for every Floridian
to read and to better understand why we're
making this recommendation.
And we have a tool for Floridians
to look up their dresses and see whether their communities
add fluoride to the water.
And we encourage we encourage municipalities and counties
to look at the guidance to make the decision that is in the best
interest of your communities here
in Florida and your local communities.
And we encourage Floridians to look at the guidance
and speak to your local leaders, because this
is something that has been defended for a long time.
And it is public health malpractice
to continue doing it.
So next, we're going to have.
And for those of you that would like
to watch the rest of that video in your own time,
it's on YouTube.
It goes on for about 20 minutes total.
The interview is a dentist, a doctor and some other people
that are also in favor of removing fluoride
from community water systems.
So at this point.
We're going to start with our public comment.
We're I'll start with Dr. Johnny Johnson.
Please state your name and address for the record
and you have three minutes.
33 3.
OK I could fill up for hours, but that's OK.
My name is Johnny Johnson.
I'm a pediatric dentist.
I live in Chiefland, Florida.
P.o. box 2,450.
I'm also the president of the American Fluoridation Society.
Like our sister organization in the UK, British Fluoridation
Society and in Canada Canadian Fluoridation Society,
we disseminate evidence based scientific information
from around the world on water fluoridation,
good, bad, or otherwise.
I will tell you that the benefits of fluoridation
are well established.
There's no doubt that there are benefits
of at least 25% to 50% cavity reductions for everybody.
Those that are the most impoverished, those
of in your town that are 10% one out of every 10 people you walk
by that live in poverty, they have
double the number of cavities that all the rest of us do.
They don't get to go to the dentist hardly at all.
If ever.
The only preventive tooth, the only
preventive dental protection that they get
is fluoridated water.
What happens when you remove fluoridated water.
Two cities, three cities for Israel.
Juneau, Alaska.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Windsor, Ontario.
Remove fluoride from your water fluoridation.
In Calgary, they saw a huge, huge increase
in cavities from 2011 when they stopped it to 2019
when they reinstated it.
The rises were so horrible that these kids
had to go to the hospital for treatment
under operating room with general anesthesia.
The increases were skyrocketing.
They've reimplemented it.
It's going to go back down.
Buffalo, New York, stopped in 2015, didn't tell anybody.
They were going to move some equipment around.
Investigative journalists found out about it in 2022.
Revealed it.
Class action lawsuit was brought against the city of Buffalo.
I'm not threatening lawsuits.
I'm just giving you facts.
The city of Buffalo.
The two attorneys brought a lawsuit, 1 over $160 million
just settled.
And that money was not for pocket money.
That money was to go towards setting up clinics to treat
the kids that had been harmed.
That's all.
That's what happens when you stop fluoridation.
Your community saves over $600,000 in dental treatment
costs by fluoridating water, $32 per person per
person every year, taxable money that
they get to spend in your city.
They don't get taxed on the money when they
go spending at the dentist.
Lastly, let me also say that Dr. lopatto.
The adipose excuse me is entitled to his own opinions,
but not his own facts.
He is 100% wrong in what he's saying.
We have fantastic research from around the world
where we know what people are taking
in as far as fluoridated water.
And there are no changes.
The studies he's referring to they
have no clue what the intakes are.
They're just measuring it in urine from a biobank.
And I can go into that much further if you'd like.
All right.
Thank you.
Keep please keep fluoridation in your water.
Dr. Wade Winkler.
Please state your name and address for the record.
And you have three minutes.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
I'm Dr. Wade Winker and I live at 728 Boylston
Street in Leesburg, Florida.
I commend the commissioners for considering
this important preventive Healthcare Initiative.
I rise in support of community water fluoridation for Tavares.
I'm a Leesburg resident and practiced dentistry
in Eustis for 29 years.
My family resides in Leesburg, where
community water fluoridation is scheduled
to be reinstated early in 2025.
The information I'm about to share with you
is from the Center for Disease Control.
Community water fluoridation has been identified
as the most cost of excuse me.
Effective method of delivering fluoride
to all members of the community, regardless
of age, educational attainment or income level.
By preventing tooth decay, community water fluoridation
has been shown to save money both for families
and for the health care system.
Too many of our residents.
Too many of our residents present to our hospital
emergency departments and urgent care clinics
for treatment of dental related emergencies, which put an added
strain on a health care system that is already
overburdened and understaffed.
Hospitals do not provide emergency
dental care into various.
The return on investment over would be over $26 million over
10 years based on a $75,000 a year annual maintenance cost
that as Dr. Johnson just said, that's $30
saved for every dollar spent.
We can also prevent countless amount of pain, suffering, loss
of productivity and improve quality of life.
I support community water fluoridation for tavaris.
This will be a tremendous health benefit for tavaris residents.
Let's give our children a fighting chance for a lifetime
of dental health.
I leave you with a question.
Will we allocate $3.75 per resident per year
to protect them from dental decay.
Or will we continue to allow our residents
to spend an additional $2.6 million a year.
In local dentists offices.
A couple of points to what the surgeon general had to share.
All of the reports that he cited where he's saying that there
were adverse effect, we're well aware
of that, which is why the recommended percentage
is at 0.7 part per million.
All of the reports that he references
are where it's more than double that.
And we know that there concerns when you start raising that you
may not in the wrong concentration water
can kill you hypokalemia.
Look it up.
People die from drinking too much water.
Nothing in it.
I rise in support of fluoridation.
Thank you.
Dr. Alan Hayes.
We state your name and address for the record.
Thank you, Mr Mayor, and good afternoon,
commissioners and staff.
It's good to see you all.
I'm Alan Hayes.
I practice dentistry in Umatilla for 27 years.
I reside on B&B road in Umatilla.
For the last 20 years, I've been an elected official in this
state and one sort or another.
I'm here today completely embarrassed by the four times
that Surgeon General stated medical malpractice,
public health malpractice.
That is one big pile of baloney, pure garbage, to be very candid.
And I would tell him that if he were sitting here or standing
here today, I vehemently disagree
with the characterization that the surgeon
general of this great state has put
on the wonderful addition of fluoride in the proper dosage
to the drinking water.
The residents of Tavares are currently
blessed with that benefit.
You have heard from two other dental professionals.
You got to understand, folks, if we were in it for the money,
we would say, please don't put fluoride in.
It's going to be more money in the dentist pocket
and less money in the.
And it really doesn't have anything to do with money.
It's about the health of those children and the adults
that they're going to become to be maximally effective.
The fluoride ion must be incorporated in the enamel rod
as it's being formed in the jawbone of the infant
and the youngster.
It's most effective if it happens before the age of 16.
He mentioned the application of topical fluoride gels
and toothpaste and things that all of that is temporary.
That's like your wife putting on some makeup in the morning
and the first time she cries, it's
going to run down the cheek.
And if she doesn't cry all day long, she's going to take it off
before she goes to bed at night.
The superficial application of topical fluoride
is advantageous, but it doesn't do anywhere near the benefit
that the incorporation of this is in the formation
of that enamel.
It's just the best thing to do.
If you want to do the right thing, you do nothing.
Keep the fluoride in the water as you're doing already.
Thank you.
Justin Harvey.
Please state your name and address for the record.
My name is Justin Harvey.
I live at 103 South Osceola.
Orlando 32801.
I'm here to speak in full support of removing fluoride
from the public's water supply.
As you all have noted, the Florida surgeon general
has advised all communities to halt the practice of water
fluoridation and has called it public health malpractice
to continue doing so.
The incoming health and Human Services director, Robert F
Kennedy jr. is going to oversee all major health
agencies said on January 20.
They're going to advise all US Water Systems to halt water
fluoridation as it is quote, an industrial waste associated
with arthritis, bone fractures, bone
cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders
and thyroid disease.
So far, Collier County, Brooksville, Winter Haven
and Stuart, Florida have all removed fluoride
from the public's water supply, with many more communities,
including yourself and Naples, talking about this today
and in the coming weeks.
Two other important factors to remember with this.
We are indeed mass medicating the public
without their informed consent.
Since when did local officials get
tasked with the responsibility of putting
medicine in the water.
Doesn't really make much sense, does it.
We don't put antidepressants or statins in the water.
Why are we adding fluoride to treat gum or teeth.
This is a mass medication without informed consent.
If you also remember RFK jr. called this an industrial waste.
Well, he's right.
This is not naturally occurring fluoride.
It's from the groundwater.
As many mainstream media news articles will
quote that this is natural.
This is hydrofluosilicic acid, something
bought from a third party.
It is from the phosphate and fertilizer
industry, a substance that is so toxic that it
can't be dumped anywhere.
So they have found what they can do is sell it to municipalities
and spread it very thin and put it in the water supply.
As a fluoridating agent, there are no safety
studies on this substance.
It is so dangerous it will eat through steel,
glass and concrete.
A utility worker once told me they
would prefer not to deal with it because it is so dangerous.
They don't want the liability on their workers.
So you can by ending fluoridation,
you will not only save money, you will prevent your workers
from dealing with this hazardous waste
chemical, which why are we adding that to the water anyway.
You will not be mass medicating the public anymore
and we can get the neurotoxin out of the public's water supply
that is posing this unreasonable risk that
is cited from a federal judge.
The individuals before me cite this as Dr. oladipo's opinion,
but it is not it is clearly from a federal judge ruling
that this is a neurotoxin, something that we have
been stating for a decade now.
And in case you're wondering how we're
going to protect the public's teeth,
people can supplement on their own.
We've got data from fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities
and there is no significant difference.
Look at Portland, Oregon, who has never fluoridated.
You can match that with other countries overseas.
Most of the world does not fluoridate.
It's actually America that is heavily
fluoridated as 5% of the entire world fluoridated.
In closing, I would just like to say Winter Springs
and Castleberry have been fluoride free for decades,
citing health concerns and informed consent.
The public should have the right to choose
what goes into their water.
Let's end the practice today.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Chad Cameron.
Please state your name and address for the record.
My name is Chad Cameron.
I reside at 10:09 Second Avenue, Crescent City.
Today I stand before you with a grave concern that
should alarm each one of us.
The presence of fluoride in our drinking water.
This isn't merely a water treatment issue.
It's a pressing public health crisis
demanding immediate action.
Fluoride has been classified as a neurotoxin, a substance that
can harm our nervous system.
Florida surgeon general.
As we saw, said it's a public health
malpractice to continue adding fluoride to the water
systems in Florida.
And he urged every community to ceasefire
this practice immediately.
Fluoride toxicity is well documented
in the science is settled.
The National toxicity program conducted
a comprehensive review, culminating in a 2024 report.
This report concluded that fluoride
exposure from drinking water is associated
with lower IQ in children.
Furthermore, September 27, 2024, federal court
has mandated that the EPA strengthen its regulations
on fluoride, citing the current level possesses
an unreasonable risk, particularly
to infants and pregnant women.
Toothpaste labels warn us to call poison control
if a pea sized amount of if ingested,
if a pea sized amount necessitates such caution, why
is it in our drinking water.
At least with toothpaste, people can choose,
but with water they are denied this choice.
And that's criminal.
In my opinion, the stakes are immense, especially when
children with their developing brains
are highly susceptible to toxic substances.
The consequence the health and future of our next generation.
Why should we accept the deliberate addition of such
a chemical in our water.
Ethically, this is indefensible.
We are being medicated, poisoned without our consent,
a violation of our fundamental rights
to choose what enters our body in a society that
cherishes personal freedoms.
How is this acceptable.
This is not just about public health policy.
It's a personal it's about personal autonomy and freedom.
Let's also consider the environmental impact.
The byproducts of fluoridation can
leach into ecosystems, harming aquatic life and biodiversity.
Moreover, the economic burden is significant.
Maintaining these fluoridation systems is a waste of resources.
How can you justify spending money to poison our community.
The fact that I need to take time out of my day
and come here and educate you on the dangers of a documented
neurotoxin is beyond insane.
If I could fire all of you, who would even consider supporting
neurotoxins in drinking water.
I would.
In closing, let me reiterate the Surgeon General's words.
It is public health malpractice to continue adding
fluoride to our water systems.
So I ask you, are you going to heed the advice
of the Surgeon General.
Will you continue to use taxpayer money
to poison the community, or will you
choose to protect the children.
You have the power to change this.
I will remind you, with great power
comes great responsibility.
You are responsible.
All of you are responsible.
You can either heal or harm.
Please make the right choice.
Thank you.
Is there anyone else.
OK, we will close public comment and the remainder
will be comments from the council members.
Who would like to start.
Well, I thought we were going to hear from Mr Clark.
The cost factor of this.
Sure you're more than welcome to ask them Mr. Clark.
What do you want, Sandy.
I think it said that you were going to give us an update
of how much it costs us.
Yes so annually.
The chemical itself is around $15,000, about $5 a gallon.
OK, back up.
Chemical that's the chemical alone.
I have a cumulative cost.
The water staff, with their sampling and their maintenance
of the equipment and their drive time
is around 4 to $5,000 a year.
That's the water staff.
The lab staff who do analysts and doubt
prepare reports deal with the regulatory people.
Their cost is around 3 to $5,000 a year.
Equipment maintenance, which is pumps because it's
very, very harsh stuff.
So we have to replace the equipment
and keep it up and maintain.
That's around $5,000 a year.
We do $1,000 a year on the poly tank
depreciation because about every 12 years
we have to buy a $15,000 tank.
So add all that up.
It's about $30,000 a year.
Do we add anything else to our water.
Chlorine?
no, not chlorine.
Yes, sir.
OK because, I mean, if you were to ingest chlorine by itself,
isn't that harmful.
Yes, sir.
OK I just.
Concern because I went to my personal doctor
yesterday for a checkup and which I'm good right now
I don't know about after the meeting, but I'm good right now.
And he educated me on some things as well.
He's been doing physicals for athletics in various high school
for many, many years.
And his father before him.
And he has noticed over a period of times
that the students from Tavares itself versus the students
from astatula or Bassfield park or somewhere else
outside the city limits, that their teeth
are stronger than the ones that are outside the city.
So I'm like, OK.
So what I'm hearing is also and somebody called me today
and I don't know if they liked my answer
because some of what was presented here today,
on one side, if it's not.
Taking care of and it's not monitored
as far as the proper amount is.
Where I understand the harm is where it's at.
And if you do also and I pulled up,
I don't know how many people like the eye,
but I pulled up eye and I asked, how harmful is it if
or is there any benefit.
Because this one person said, well, kids don't drink
water today like they used to.
OK So a lot of little kids drink Kool-Aid.
So if it's.
If they drink Kool-Aid, does the fluoride still benefit them.
And they said Yes.
Even in the Kool-Aid.
So with what I'm hearing today, you got one side that
says it's not good for you.
You got one side that says it is OK for you.
And it's been operating since 95.
That's 29 years that we've been in operation going on right
at 30 close.
And we haven't had that much of a case.
And the thing about.
Every time something like this comes up, it's cancer related.
Cancer this cancer that.
Well, you might want to stop breathing
the air you're breathing now because you
may get cancer from that.
But the thing is it beneficial for our children.
Yes, it is.
As long as it's in the proper amounts
and as long as we're monitoring that, I got no problem with it.
So, Mr Clark, can you explain how
much fluoride we have in our water and how that's taken
care of.
Yes so naturally we have about 0.07 part per million
naturally in the water.
The EPA has recommended dosage of 0.7 to 1.3.
Their maximum level is 2 to four.
If you exceed two part per million,
you have to report that to your residents.
We've never exceeded two actually,
we averaged 0.7, which is the lower
end of the residual recommended for public use.
So I'm looking at a year's worth of data
and our largest residual was 0.72, which is in the lower
end of the EPA regulation.
OK we have never exceeded 0.73.
So we're it's well regulated.
We have a very constant water source.
So the fluoride is very, very, very constant at about
a 0.71 part per million.
And we dose about that with chlorine,
you may dose four parts per million to get two parts per
million residual because it's eaten up by demand and it also
dissipates, fluoride doesn't.
So if you put 0.7 part per million of fluoride
in it, the plant, you're going to get about that
anywhere in your system as long as you're low proportion dosage.
So very regulated on our dosage, very stringent.
It's tested daily, it's tested in monthly in a certified lab.
So I have a year's worth of data and
we've never gone above 0.72 residual of fluoride
in the water.
And, I did my own research and by no means
do I consider myself an expert at all.
I have to rely on the information
that I can receive from the experts that have spoken here.
Our surgeon general and just have to make
a decision based on that.
And the things that I've seen is it
seems like the studies say that the fluoride in too much
quantity is not good for you.
But as we're seeing here, the municipalities
are able to regulate that, and that's beneficial
to our underserved community.
And I trust, what our utilities director has just said here,
that we're dosing the proper amount
that needs to be served to help the individuals
in our community.
I know you brought this up in the year that I was off counsel
and there was a discussion about bringing a workshop.
And first of all, I'm sitting here thinking,
why wasn't there an advertised workshop for this.
It really is important.
This is a safety and health issue.
The money aside, it's a safety and health issue.
And I wish instead of just coming here at City council
meeting and having to respond back and forth as we
see great responses on both sides
of the aisle on this bad good.
And there's bad and good.
And you have we're sitting up here having now
to make a decision by 5, 6 people coming up here
and saying things where we could have had a workshop advertised
workshop That could have gone over a few weeks, a few days
to talk about this because I know you can't just well, let's
do a test on this and take the fluoride out for a month
and then see what happens I don't believe you can get
a good test from that, especially
since fluoride was put in there since 1995
here in the city of Tavares.
I wish that this is what we would have done.
I'm still sitting here studying this
and I've been studying this for the last
since I got my agenda on Friday.
So I'm sitting here doing this self-study on all the stuff
and listening to people, but it's even on both sides.
So I'm sitting here, what do I do.
What decision I make.
I see somebody come up.
OK We'll take it out.
See nobody.
OK, we'll leave it in.
I still want more data.
I still want more information.
I still want to hear more.
I want workshops.
I want.
We have 23,000 people in the city of Tavares.
I want to hear more advertised workshops
to see these people come in here and see what they have to say.
I really do.
I think this is something that we just can't right here
after this is my first time discussing this matter, to have
a half a dozen people come up, not even to say Yay or nay
on this and what we should do.
I really think we should step back here.
Step back.
Let's set some advertise workshops.
I'll even get people out there to come.
And we need to discuss this as a community.
As a community.
We did this years ago when we wanted to have
a direction for our town.
Which way are we to go.
How are we to develop.
America's seaplane city was born from that.
Now we're sitting here with a health and safety issue.
And again, the money I'm putting that aside
because it's a health and safety issue
that we're discussing here.
I say we need to bring in more people to discuss this.
I really do, because I'm seeing Yay
or nay on both sides of this.
I see one person.
OK I think maybe we'll take it out.
Let's see the next person.
Maybe we should leave it in.
That's my view at this moment, as I sit here.
Vice mayor.
OK well, I'm.
I'm not really interested in a workshop.
This is.
It's kind of something medical related to me,
and I just don't want to have a workshop.
I don't mind putting it off and.
And at the next meeting and having a vote and giving
me time, because I'm.
I'm a little disturbed with what I've heard here tonight.
I've heard that it's good.
It's good.
And then I've heard it's bad.
It's bad.
And both of them were very I believe both of them.
So I'm confused with that.
But then the next thing is I have a council member telling me
that the guy doing the sports physical is also doing a dental.
When do they do dental checkups for a sports physical.
I mean, I don't really believe that.
And then the water with the.
Yeah, but I don't ever remember them.
They never looked in my son's mouth
when we were doing a sports physical they
weren't looking at his teeth.
But anyway and then the thing about you
mix it with the Kool-Aid because nobody drinks
water, which is true.
So the fluoride is still in there with the Kool-Aid.
It's still water, but yet my doctor
tells me to drink more water.
And I say, well, I drink tea all day
and no, that's not the same thing as water.
Or beer.
Beer is a lot of water in.
But yet they say no, you can't count that,
but yet you can count Kool-Aid for fluoride.
So I'm confused with that one too.
And I know Councilmember gamble, you got your information
from wherever, and I just need a little time
to get my own information.
So I would like to bring this back at the very
next council meeting.
And as council member Grenier, I just
got this information on Friday.
It was on the agenda.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't look at my agenda
until probably Monday, and I saw it on there.
And I didn't really think much of it.
I really didn't understand why we
were bringing it back up because I have failed to watch the news.
I did hear RFK jr. just saying that he'd
like to take the fluoride out.
I didn't really understand why.
That anyway, I'm kind of torn with this,
and I believe both of y'all, but I wouldn't be doing I
wouldn't be doing my job here if I just made a haphazard
decision on what I want to do.
So I think I want a little bit more information.
And I really don't want a study from Australia that
really didn't do much for me.
I mean, I don't want to look at an Australian dental study
that was given to me.
So I think I want to get more information.
I want real figures on what the fluoride, show me
the different cities and you know fluoride so
easy to come by they can for $1 they can
get a gallon of fluoride water.
If you're telling me that it's good,
you really need this up till 16 years of age.
Well, if they're not going to take their kid to the dentist,
well, at least by the gallons or when they get their whatever,
food assistance let them get their fluoride water,
I think that's a way to still do it.
But that's not fair to say.
Let's take it out.
So I really want to bring this back at our very next meeting
that gives each of us two weeks to
and I think the city can help us by finding.
Some true reports and where we can compare to cities that
do have and I know you all have mentioned that but you're here
and you're on your side.
So of course, if you want the fluoride,
you're going to tell me a story about not a story.
I don't mean it's not the truth, but you're going to tell me
about how it is in this city.
But I want to go out and do a generic little research myself
and find out exactly what's going on.
So that's where I'm going to leave it.
So I'd like we're going to hear from you,
Mr. price, but go ahead and then I'll make a motion.
Well, I have here's my concerns with the fluoride issue.
First off, in Lake County, we have 14 cities.
And only three of them.
Currently have fluoride in their water.
That's Tavares, Eustis and Umatilla
and Leesburg just voted a few months ago to incorporate
fluoride into their water.
So you're going to have four cities out of 14 in Lake County
that have fluoride, which puts us in a minority amongst
and we don't hear any complaints from Claremont or lady
lake or Groveland or anywhere about teeth problems
for kids because of it.
I'm also concerned because a lot of kids these days,
they don't drink water out of the tap.
They're drinking sodas, they're drinking juices,
they're drinking bottled water, all of which
do have fluoride in them.
But it's actually in my opinion, I'm not a doctor,
but all the sugar in those sodas and juice
is probably doing a lot of damage to their teeth as well.
Our own utilities director just happened to say
that it was a harsh chemical.
I have been out to where we store the fluoride, where
it goes into the water system.
And you don't even have to get near it.
And all the metal parts and things around it are corroding.
They haven't been in contact.
They've just been near it like within 10 feet,
and they're corroding.
It's a very corrosive chemical.
And it's bad for if it's bad for metal,
it's got to be bad for your body.
So our surgeon general, this was his recommendation.
He has called it a neurotoxin, that it
affects people's intelligence, it affects the ADHD.
It's bad for pregnant women and their babies.
And not only are we drinking this in our water,
but we're cooking with it and we're bathing in it.
And every time we take a shower, all that fluoride is getting
soaked into our skin as well.
So we're getting a lot of fluoride exposure.
And I think.
We have a lot more seniors in Tarvaris than we do children.
And it's been documented the damage to seniors
in their brains from fluoride.
And personally, I'd like to see us take it out.
The phone calls and texts and emails
that I've been getting, as you can imagine, have been numerous,
and every one I've got has said, please take the fluoride out,
please take the fluoride out.
These are citizens of Tarvaris, so I'm
on the side of removing it once and for all from Tarvaris, so.
Well, I'd like to make a motion that we.
Put this on the next agenda to vote on it.
I second it.
And because I think it's just irresponsible on this.
Health and safety issue to just go over these four days.
I want to next weeks.
I really want to dig deep, deep because I
think everybody's right.
There's something about this that everybody
is right about this issue and I know which way I'm leaning,
but I still would prefer that.
I think it's more responsible to let's take a couple more weeks.
Let's study this.
Let's do our research, and within two weeks
we can make a decision and move forward with this.
I to second it.
OK council members, we have a motion and a second to.
Table this issue until our next city council meeting.
Is there any discussion on that motion.
Yeah I'd just like to say I know that we brought this up
four years ago and there was the talk
of getting a workshop together.
But yeah, this is not just something I want to make
a knee jerk reaction to.
We talk about all these studies.
I mean, the studies that I see talk more about the benefits
and it's been mentioned about the studies
that say it's bad for us.
I don't see those studies.
So I would like to see the studies brought forward both for
and against and give this council
another two weeks to be able to study both sides.
And that way we can make a more educated decision
and do what's best for the majority of our residents.
So I'm in support of bringing this back
and voting on it in the next council meeting,
and I would appreciate any information that you all
have that you all want to send to us,
that tells if you probably have more access to that than I do.
So if you could send that on through the city
and they can get it to all of us,
I think that would be a big help to.
My question is realistically at the next meeting,
is that going to be feasible or should we
wait till the meeting in January because of everything
happening between now and Christmas.
I think I'm good in two weeks because the next two weeks
I'm not going to be doing anything.
We're going to be going over Christmas and New year,
so we might as well just watch fresh on our mind.
I just as soon get it over with.
That's my opinion.
OK, so our motion is to table this until
our next city council meeting, which
would be December the 18th.
Is that correct That is correct.
OK all those in favor, signify by saying Aye.
Aye All opposed.
Aye OK.
And one final comment for those of you
who will be sending your studies and your links, send them to.
USC Novak at Tavares, fl.gov.
And if you didn't get that and didn't write it down,
just go to our website and look for the clerk's email.
You're going to email to the clerk of Tavares.
Your information, your studies, your links,
your views, your thoughts.
The clerk will collect them and disseminate them to each council
member and the council members will all
be informed with the same information
and can absorb the information that you submit to the clerk
at two various.org.
Thank you.
And while it's fresh on our mind Councilmember gamble.
Yeah our next meeting, New Year's day.
We're not going to have a meeting,
so we'd be pushing it all the way back to mid January.
I'd rather get it over with while we're.
That's what I was thinking, pushing it back to mid January
where you have enough time to get all the details.
Well, that's too much time for me to forget stuff.
OK Yeah.
The motion is already passed.
OK OK, then we'll move on to the next agenda item.
Thank you for everyone who came to speak.
Appreciate it.
I do have one question, if I may.
OK can you go up to the podium and so we
can get you on the record.
If you look on the periodic table of elements
in your chemistry lab, you'll see fluoride
is just above chloride.
Are you going to take chlorine out of the water next
if you decide to take fluoride out.
I guarantee you too much chlorine will kill you.
Graveyard dead.
Too much fluoride will kill you.
Graveyard dead.
But the proper amount will give you a lifetime of benefits.
And there's where the real thing comes in.
Your evidence right here of the proper dosage
is what you really need.
Thank you.
All right.
We'll move on to tab 4 to various public library happy
and healthy holiday series.
That's good.
We've been talking about health.
We're segue right into.
Good evening, Mayor.
Council, Mr Drury.
Let's see.
The Tiberias Public Library's happy and healthy holiday series
returns for its second year for meditation and karaoke
to cooking and budgeting.
The Tavares public library team has curated a slate of programs
designed to keep us all at our happiest
and healthiest this holiday season.
The series kicked off in November with programs
on budgeting and cooking.
And programs such as aroma therapy and Tai Chi
are scheduled to take place to keep us at our healthiest.
The offline project holiday edition meets Thursday,
December, December 19.
Patrons will turn in their digital devices,
listen to holiday music, and spend time
finishing their Christmas cards, working on puzzles or reading,
all while listening to holiday music.
And the graphics that you see with the red ribbon, those
are the graphics that we're using
to promote the series on the library's social media pages.
The library offered Christmas karaoke last year
and it was so much fun.
We decided to bring it back for a second year.
On Wednesday, December 18, Tori Harris
will present a festive concert featuring traditional carols
on the saxophone and delight your ears
and your soul this winter solstice
with violinist Isabelle Palmer.
And patrons are welcome to take their photos by the winter
themed backdrop and wrap their presents at the free gift
wrapping station.
All supplies provided.
It is a December to remember at the Children's cookie decorating
party and Santa's storytime.
That's various public library is both
an application site and a toy donation site for Toys for Tots.
Between October and November, we signed up
349 individuals to receive toys from toys for Tots.
We're also a donation site for the Tavares
police charity drive.
And national Thank you note day is December 26
and we will have a Thank you letter writing station
available for the entire week.
All supplies provided except stamps.
And the Tavares public library is happy and healthy.
Holiday series was selected as a program model
on the American Library Association's
programming librarian blog.
This blog is a number one resource for library programming
and meet Natalia.
Natalia is a library operations specialist.
She joined us this past August.
In addition to her regular duties,
she is putting together Christmas book bundles,
and she is also managing the Thank you
letter station outside of work.
She enjoys writing and she's currently
writing a book of poetry.
So do you have houseguests visiting.
If so, send them to the library.
All programs and activities are free and open to the public.
You only need a library card if you want to borrow something.
And from our bookshelf to yours.
Thank you.
Happy reading.
And have a very Merry Christmas.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas to you.
Lots of good programs.
All right.
Tavares recreation department fall program update.
I was back there.
Can you go ahead and handle the slideshow for me.
All right.
Mayor council members, Vice mayor, staff.
Thanks for coming out tonight.
Thank you, everybody.
I'd just like to give you all an update on the great fall season
that we just had and what we're looking
forward to even better spring.
It takes a whole team, and that means not just
all out here in front of me.
It takes a community as well.
So all you back here in the back of the locker room and all
out you out here watching that weren't
able to make it here today.
So let's go ahead and get started.
I like to hit some of the high points from this past fall
that we had.
We had some great points.
Some great things happen for us.
We have some obstacles and some challenges,
but we learned from those and go ahead and move forward.
So with that being said, let me go out and get some of my tools
out here.
All right, let's see what we got here.
All right, slide one.
Slide 1, slide one.
That's youth soccer.
Youth soccer.
We got here.
So what we have here in youth soccer.
So as you can see, we are out at the regional park.
For some of y'all.
That was the Golden Triangle shades.
Now, the Golden Triangle regional park,
we host soccer out there.
If you notice, one of the things that nice green,
luscious new sod out there.
So we have two 45,000 square acres, 45,000 acres
of brand new site out there.
These kids are playing on.
So in our fall season of soccer, they
weren't getting dirt stains.
They were getting grass stains.
So sorry for all your parents out there.
That's what you had to take care of.
And those uniforms.
So with for that fall season, we have
future stars, age groups, 5 to six instructional,
7 to 8, juniors, 9 to 11.
That brings us to a grand total of 119 participants.
Don't mind my spelling.
That's a program we're going to probably get on the slate
in spring to help us all out.
So that's 119 participants for our program,
for our fall program.
That's pretty excellent.
There's a lot of other programs in soccer
going on taking place throughout the Golden Triangle area.
So we're pretty excited about that.
And we look to build on that.
All right.
Slide 2 to slide two.
That's art 92.
Why slide two.
All right, all right.
Gamble all right, gamble.
This is right in your wheelhouse.
This is right in your wheelhouse, Babe Ruth
so we had our fall season of Babe Ruth.
All right, Babe Ruth.
All right.
We all know that.
Babe Ruth, baseball and softball.
So we had from ages 4 to 15, we had 14 baseball teams.
All right.
All the way up from 6 ball up to 15.
You and we had four softball teams.
Yes, you heard that right.
We had four softball teams.
So we usually always have a challenge
of getting the softball teams to participate in our programs.
We have four this year.
That brings us to a grand total of 189
participants for our fall.
Babe Ruth.
I think that was about a 5% to 7% increase.
So we're doing a really fantastic job with our Babe Ruth
programs, especially with all those Babe Ruth baseball
softball programs going on around the other cities,
travel ball and such.
So we're looking forward to a very exciting spring.
Again, if you look at those pictures,
man, them fields are looking amazing.
That's right there at our Woodley Sports Complex.
And we also play some of our programs out
of the Stover Sports Complex.
Come right on in here, sweetie.
Come on, grab a seat.
You're a little late.
Can we run some wind sprints after this.
OK, sir.
All right.
All right, let's go to slide number 3.
Slide number three.
All right.
We got our full steam ahead right here.
We had some feast or famine smarts out here.
That program.
Full steam ahead.
What does that stand for ask.
We're a recreation department.
We want we do treat the athletic inclined,
but we want to treat everyone in the community.
So S stands for Science.
I'm not it might be a little bit nervous,
so my writing might be a little bit off right here.
So we got the ST is for technology.
E is for engineering.
I'm just going to scribble out like that.
What that means.
A is for art and M is for math.
So six week program, one night a week, we had about 13 kids
show up each night.
They did a little something different that's
related to one of these topics.
So it was a little bit different for us
because it wasn't just recreation or sports
that we are all used to.
It was going to grab a little bit of something
different in the community, bring some of these other kids
out that weren't maybe not interested in the athletics.
That was a tremendous success.
Second time we did that.
So we're a super excited.
Everyone's excited about that program
and we're going to be we're very excited
and we're bringing that back in the spring.
So you let the grandchildren know it's coming.
All right.
We're going to move right on to slide number 4.
Slide number four.
That's our flip 92 point.
Remember that.
OK, slide number 4.
All right.
We got our home school programs.
Now, these are our big hit because we
do these during the day.
So all our home homeschool kids, that's usually about 10
o'clock AM, 11:00 AM during the day,
we got our home schooled kids.
We're looking for something educational
to get out of the house.
Well, we ran into a little issue with our aquatic invertebrates
program, had a couple storms come through.
So that one got canceled on us.
But we hope to reschedule that one.
Well, we did do is, hey, we're all the sea plane city.
So we did we've been working with the Marina Thanks
for Mr tweedie's the squad over there, they do a great job
and we do an aviation program.
That thing, as soon as we put that up for registration
maxes out at 25, kids get a waiting list of 17 to 20.
They want more of that aviation.
So we bring them out there.
Jones Brothers over there helps us out.
They walk around with the pilot, pilot Eli.
He's great.
He gets up there and shows that kids in the cockpit there how he
drives that plane around, lands it on the water
takes off from the water and everything else.
The kids and parents love that thing.
So we also have done programs with the wastewater department.
So clock.
Your team there and they do great over there.
The lab, we go over there and sometimes too,
and it's a great team got over there.
They do fantastic.
So our homeschool programs, they're
a big hit with all the kids.
We usually do those about once a month
and we're looking to pick those up and do even more of them.
So those have been a fantastic hit and they want more of them
because like I said, every time we
put one up there with registration,
there's a waiting list.
All right.
Moving right along.
All right, we got Boo Fest.
Boo fest.
That's the next slide.
Next slide is boo Boo Fest.
All right this one live.
Y'all, everyone knows this one.
It's the Boo Fest.
OK, so this one was important because we had.
We had over here.
Let me draw this up.
This is a very important one.
So we have Main Street right here.
We had price right here dishing out the candy.
You swing out over here into the event park section over here.
Even more important, we had singer picking
winners at the costume contest.
So we appreciate y'all out here participating, helping
us out with this big prize.
Thousands descended to downtown Tavares with this boot fest
once again.
So we had a tremendous success.
Lines everywhere.
I don't know why they form a line.
We told them, you don't have to form a line.
It's just like a buffet style.
But no matter what, they form a line.
So we're still working on that, how we do that.
But we had a great time.
We moved everything from the square.
We did it in a Wooten park.
I think everyone loved the feel and loved the flow.
Having everything condensed right down there.
So it was an electric event.
Fantastic, great weather.
So we just continue to look forward to building on that
and seeing what other things we can add to that.
So we enjoy everyone coming down, down for that.
All right.
Next up next up.
All right.
We got this is a good one.
Age 51 solid.
You ready.
Next slide.
Age 51.
Solid all right, this is our tiny tots.
This is where it all starts.
This is.
This is the fundamentals.
All right.
How important the fundamentals they
talk about the fundamentals in every sport.
This is where it is.
OK, tiny tots.
All right.
You got.
Do they start out small.
They start out small.
What we want.
We're trying to execute, get them up to the big leagues
up here.
So you got the fields up here.
So we teach them down here.
We want to get them up here to the youth soccer program.
So what we do, we do these tiny tots start small programs.
We got the 3 to five-year-Olds.
We did two sessions, as you can see
there, October, we did August 26 through August or September 30.
Then we did October 7 through November 18,
we had about 22 kids in session one and 22, 23 kids
in session two.
So that's once a week, every Monday night, 6 to 7.
Again, look at that graph.
It's shining.
We don't spray paint it.
It's like it comes like that.
You go out there and look, it looks
just like that in the picture.
So once I say one night a week for six weeks last night,
they do a little scrimmage.
And as you can see there, we give them some pizza,
have a nice little pizza party and some metals.
Fantastic time.
Next thing they're ready to move on up to the future stars
program of our youth soccer.
So that's the way it works.
We kind get them ready, build those fundamentals,
and they move on up.
All right.
So moving on around, are we going to talk
about some more fundamentals.
We can move on to the next slide along the same lines
as we had a little sluggers program.
So that's where your baseball and softball comes in,
your fundamentals.
It's the same idea here.
We got our kids one night a week,
little sluggers, 3 to five years old.
They meet out at Woodley 6 to 7:00 PM on Monday nights for six
weeks, teaching the basics and fundamentals
max out that program.
25 kids for each of those programs.
We're looking to figure out how we can do.
If we do a session, maybe we can do a Monday
night and a Wednesday night.
So we can maximize maybe even more kids out of those programs.
All right, let's move right along.
Yeah This is early.
42 or early 42 arc.
All right.
We're going to go into a TLC of cooks.
All right.
This is very important.
Now, as as a team, we've got to work together.
So we have a staff of only so many folks.
So you got to have build what we call relationships.
We build relationships.
So we have WREC over here, we have TLC over here.
So we build our programs and TLC, our programs,
and then we join forces.
That's how it works.
You work together, relationships and what that creates.
So we can do here and here.
So then we generate even more programming for the community
if we build relationships with other organizations
within our area.
So TLC, toddlers of Lake County is a perfect example of how we
build a relationship with them.
And out of the Civic Center, they've
been doing a kinder cooks program
with young kids and toddlers where they
come in with their parents.
They learn basic skills of cooking.
So the kids come in, they mix the ingredients,
the basic stuff.
Now we don't let them get into the ovens and the stoves
and the stuff like that because we don't
know what's going to happen.
That's for the adults.
But they come in there, they learn
how to mix the ingredients, put them
together, cook up some meals and with their parents.
And then the very last day of the month,
they actually be able to serve it to one
of their parents or guardians.
They come in and have a little like a little banquet
where they come out, take a menu.
They come out and take down their order,
fix it up, bring it out and serve it.
So we do that with them.
One, they do it one day a week for a month.
And kinder cooks program has been they've been loving it.
And we're looking to do more with the toddlers of Lake County
also.
So that's one of an idea of a relationship
that helps us expand our inventory of programs.
All right.
Let's go ahead and move on along to our next one.
Again we're talking about.
Our senior programs.
OK, so we got our senior series.
So this.
So we used to do Tuesdays.
Tuesdays we used to do Tuesdays 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
So what we decided to do to maximize our participation,
we found out checking schedules around the area
that Tuesdays from 1 to 3 seems like to be
very busy activity for seniors.
So we went ahead and said what, let's go ahead
and move those programs from an October for one to three PM.
Once we did that in October, we found
we got a little bit of an increase in our senior programs
for our senior series.
So in October, we started doing our senior series
every Monday from 1:00 to 3.
Now one Monday will be bingo, another Monday
be karaoke and dancing.
Another Monday is chair yoga and another Monday is
line dancing, arts and crafts.
So we average about 18 to 19 seniors
every time we do one of these programs.
So it's been going off great.
And then in January, we're looking to mix it up and refresh
it and we'll start adding in a little bit more,
a little bit some new stuff in there.
Keep them active, entertained and socializing.
Now take a hike.
I don't know.
I try to keep up to take a hike, folks.
It's pretty tough.
They meet at Wooten park.
So you got Wooten.
They go down here.
Wooten park.
We also ought to call.
Pontoon promenade.
We start teaching them that language.
They beat their.
They walk all the way over to Ingraham center.
Sit down.
We do some puzzles, suduko.
Don't if you've ever done those.
Those are tough.
I'm almost going.
Give me an easy one.
They do that suduko puzzle chat.
We talk about some health and health and wellness issues
for the senior community.
After about 15 or 20 minutes, turn around,
walk back to Wooten.
We started off about five or six seniors.
We're up to about 15 or 16.
Now that participate, and we're looking
to continue to build that up.
So that's going to take a hike program
in a good way, not a bad way.
All right.
We're moving right along.
Slide number 10.
All right.
This is another one.
OK how can we maximize our program inventory.
Again, would be very important if anybody's watching out
of the recreation staff that we do
a writing and spelling program.
Here we go.
So, Orlando club sport, there are sports social organization
out of Orlando.
We started talking with them not too long ago about expanding
their inventory of sport.
Adult sports programs out into this area.
Help us out because we're a lean, mean fighting
machine Mr. Drury that's what you always say.
We take that to heart.
So, hey, how can they come in and help us and support
us with some adult programs.
So they've been very successful doing some kickball programs out
here for us.
And they just kicked off an adult softball coed program.
They had about, I think, five teams for the first time.
That's pretty good.
So they just did that in the middle of that,
wrapping that up soon and we're getting
ready to meet with them again and start
looking at doing some adult flag football
and some more adult kickball.
So they've been doing very great,
talked to some of the participants there.
They've loved it.
They said it's run great, organized
and everything like that.
So we're very happy about that relationship
and continue to take small steps with them
and build on that and doing it the right way.
All right.
I'm so excited you guys taking the time here.
I know it's been a long season and we're ready to get some time
off and stuff like that.
Just really to recap, we got some great stuff.
We know we had a great fall.
We learned from it.
We had some challenges and obstacles.
Like I said before, coming up, we have
some great stuff coming up.
The spring.
We got our spring, Babe Ruth, that's our big season
going into all stars.
We got our star smart programs.
I mentioned the tiny tots and little sluggers.
We got homeschool programs, full steam heads coming back.
We're going to do adult flag football programs.
Don't worry, Mr gunner.
We're going to be doing some historical programs,
so we'll get you.
You go in there and go to your historical Research Center,
make sure you're all readied up for that, because it's going
to be we're going to be putting the ball in your hand soon, sir.
So you better be ready for that.
So we have all kinds of great things coming
down the pipe for everyone.
And again, we Thank everyone for being a part of our programs,
supporting the rec department and everything you do,
the community.
We appreciate everything you everyone does.
And I think that's all I have for now.
Or remember, we in the offseason stay healthy and safe
and we'll see you back in the spring.
All right.
There you go.
Thank you.
Very good.
All right.
I think I'm going to skip the tab 6
and then come back to New business and old business.
So tab six update on rails to trails project public works.
Thank you, Mayor.
As some of in January 2023, we received unexpected news
from CSX regarding their decision not
to sell the 11.5 mile corridor.
As a result, Lake County, Mount Dora and city of Tavares
agreed to pause and in grant applications
until CSX reached a definitive conclusion.
During this interim period, the unwavering commitment
of Lake County, Mount Dora and the city of Tavares
has been vital in keeping this initiative alive.
Our collaboration efforts have led to successful completion
of the planning, development and environmental study
for segment 5, which has been finalized in August 2024.
Furthermore, the lake Sumter Metropolitan planning
organization has included both segments of the trail
in their 2024 list of priority projects,
reinforcing our projects, progress and potential
for future success I am also pleased to announce that we have
received confirmation from the Trust for Public Land, which is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving
public access to outdoor recreation,
has confirmed that CSX and Florida Central Railroad has
expressed their willingness to sell the corridor
and associated lands.
At the upcoming meeting on the 18th trust for Public Land,
along with city staff, will present
the memorandum of agreement for the council's consideration.
This agreement will clearly outline the roles
and responsibilities of all parties
involved developing the corridor as a Rails to trails project.
This recent development has strategically
positioned us to apply for the 2025 race grant.
In this response to this positive progression,
Lake County, Mount Dora and Tavares
have developed a comprehensive scope of work
with kimley-horn to assist in preparing and submitting
this year's application and ready to initiate their task
order.
If council has no objections to pursuing this year's raise
grant application.
Taking advantage of this opportunity will require
a total investment of $36,000.
This amount will be shared equally among Lake County,
Mount Dora and city of Tavares, with each
entity contributing $12,000.
The city's proportionate share of $12,000 is budgeted
and will come from the Department of Public
works engineering budget.
Back to you, Mayor.
And just one thing.
The grant we're going after is a $25 million
raise grant to get that trail from downtown
to various to downtown Mount Dora completed.
We're very excited.
I know if Mr Singer wants to add anything.
He's been in a lot of our meetings.
In fact, we just had a meeting today on our horizon team.
Do you want to add anything.
No I just want to say it's been a pleasure
to serve on this horizon team for the past several years.
And I know we hit a little bit of a roadblock a few years back
when CSX was not willing to relinquish the property.
But now it's great news understanding
that they're willing to partner with us, do this project.
And, this is just going to be a huge thing
for the city of Tavares.
And not only the city of Tavares, but the County
and the YMCA as well.
So really excited about this project.
And I know it's been a little while coming.
Thank you, Mr Dillon, for all your work behind the scenes
and getting this project continuing to roll forward.
And I'm fully support of this and it's
just going to be it's going to be great for our community.
It's going to be a huge economic driver
and just can't wait for this project to come to fruition.
That's all I have.
Mayor, Thank you.
Thank you, Jean.
Thank you, Mr Dillon.
That's great news.
OK council.
Is there any new business.
Do we have any old business we need to bring up.
All right.
Just one.
James the cemetery gate.
What's the update on our gate.
Something happened Yes, it was damaged during Hurricane.
We do have a contractor lined up,
and the repairs should be completed
by the end of next week.
OK, great question.
Any other old business.
All right, audience to be heard.
Is anyone in the audience that wants
to come up and say anything.
OK come on up Mr. Santoro, state your name
and address for the record.
Speak softly.
Mayor members of council Mr. Drury.
City staff.
Miss Holt. Gary Santoro, Royal Harbor.
I don't have a dog in a fight on the floor.
I really don't.
But let me tell you something.
His report tonight was spot on.
He was able to give you the information that you needed.
Any chemical is bad for you if you
don't follow the manufacturer's instructions.
It is a corrosive.
I know that from being in the fire service,
these guys know it too.
But if you don't use it correctly, Yes, it is harmful.
But Mr Clark, Thank you for your information.
It was very informative to be able to give them exactly
what the staff is doing.
Thank you very much.
Anyone else.
OK we'll close public comment.
City administrator report.
I just want to highlight that the next two meetings
for the city council are December the 18th
and then January the 15th and no meeting
on the first Wednesday of.
January that's it for me.
There's no bag.
Nothing Thank you, Mayor.
You're not Sarah.
OK, sweetie.
Thank you, Mr Dylan.
Nothing to report today.
Thank you, Mr Clark.
Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you, Gary.
All the information that I spewed tonight
was given to me by my staff.
So they did a great job of making me look like I
know what I'm talking about.
So thank you.
Thank you Mr. O'Keefe.
Captain Yes.
Thank you, Mayor.
Council, Mr Drury.
Department directors.
I am not Richard Keith, the fire chief.
He had to step out today, so I stepped in for him.
We wanted to give you a little update of what
is going on in the Prevention Department
with Tavares fire department.
Lee, will you go ahead and stand for me.
So after you this year's budget, we increased a little staffing
in the Prevention Department.
As we've grown as a city, time on task has grown a little bit,
so I needed a little bit of help there.
We have decided and hired Lee Chaney, new employee,
started on December 2, and he's very excited to be here.
He's with me now.
He's cross training a little bit.
We're getting out into the city and I'll
give you a little bit of information
about his background.
Lee started in the fire service as an Explorer at the age of 14
with the town of Allenstown fire department.
In 1997, New Hampshire, Lee worked
as a full time fire Lieutenant and EMT
with Allenstown department.
From 2004 to 2010.
He moved to Florida in 2018 from New Hampshire, worked
for Orange County Public schools as a fire inspector
from 2022 to 2024.
He's currently certified as a fire inspector to.
With the state of Florida, and he's
currently working on his fire investigator license, too.
Lee is excited to be here and just wanted to welcome
him to the Tavares family.
Thank you.
Welcome Mr Aldrich, welcome in.
Lee, just a quick reminder, this coming Saturday
is our tavaris Candyland Christmas
parade and celebration.
The parade starts at 5:00 down Ruby street and Main Street,
followed by the festivities in the park
afterwards with ice skating, music,
and all kinds of activities.
So hope to see you there.
Thank you.
OK Thank you, Ms. Thank you, Mayor.
I have no business tonight, but I do want to say
welcome aboard to Mr Cheney.
Proud to have you on our team.
Thanks, Mr Faber.
I have nothing to report.
Welcome aboard.
We already met already in one of our pre-application meetings.
So you already have a little taste of Tiberius.
All right, Mrs. Holt. Thank you, Mayor.
No report.
Vice mayor.
I wanted to ask y'all.
We've got some projects going on,
some really good projects such as the regional park
and the rails to trails project.
And years ago, we had a lobbying firm that we used.
But the stars weren't quite aligned for us
because just the difference of a Republican governor,
maybe in a Democratic president, I mean,
that does make a difference.
It does.
And right now things are aligned very well.
So my thoughts are, could we entertain,
put it on the agenda for the next meeting.
To talk about hiring a lobbying firm because that they get
one grant for us and they're paid for plus
and I think things are lined up right now perfectly.
So would y'all be willing to entertain this.
Can we.
But it's on the agenda next time and discuss this
about a lobbying firm because we're
going to need more money than what
we've got for these projects.
Well, I think with the $25 million raise rent
that we're looking at and I just I think we're so close.
I know we've applied for that a couple of times.
And I just think, we're almost over the finish line.
And I think a lobbying firm would
definitely help us possibly get over that last hurdle.
And $25 million, I think the investment
would be well worth it.
So I'd be fully in support of putting that on our next agenda.
OK Yeah, because those are just two big projects that we
need to move forward with.
I mean, once the property and everything comes through,
we've got to move on those.
So OK.
And the regional parks going to need money
and just this is the perfect opportunity with the way things
are set up as far as in the legislature
and through the state and through the federal government.
I think it's a perfect time for us to do this.
OK I don't see any objection from the council.
So Mr Drury, can you put that on the agenda.
We'll do OK.
Councilman that was all, by the way.
That was all other than.
Hi, Mr Cheney.
Welcome no, no report today.
Great job, Steve.
Thank you.
Councilman singer.
Welcome, Mr Cheney.
Glad to have you on board.
Thank you for your service.
Looking forward to this year's Christmas parade.
Always a good time.
Miss Clark, I think I might be riding with you so excited
about that.
I know we had a good time last year, so it's
a great event seeing all the families
and the community come out.
So I'm really excited about that.
And one thing I just Mr. Tweedy, I
think we have our new boardwalk set up
and that's fully completed.
Is that my understanding.
Yes, sir.
Yes the trail bypass around the seaplane base
is now fully complete.
We have our final walk through tomorrow with the contractors
and engineers.
Just a few punch list items to complete in the next few weeks.
But it is open and being used and it
seems to be well received.
Great new safety feature for sure.
Thank you for all you did to get that up and running.
Really appreciate it.
Thank you for all your support.
That's all I have, Mayor.
OK Thank you.
I forgot something because y'all rush me.
Well Well, I was doing business and didn't get to talk.
I just wanted to make sure that you.
We have some of our mayor's Youth Council here tonight.
I just wanted to recognize them.
Yeah good seeing y'all here tonight.
Yes Thank you for coming.
And they've picked their.
You all have picked your departments.
Two departments that you'll be touring
over the next couple of weeks.
So thank you for doing that.
They'll be paired up with two departments
that they've picked over the next couple of weeks.
Nice good.
And we're going to get that information of what
each of our candidates picked and what they did.
Yes Yep.
You'll get an email that when they did it,
what department they picked and what they got from it.
Good Thank you.
Great Thank you.
Councilmember gamble.
Welcome aboard.
And that's all I got.
That was quick.
OK, well, too, want to welcome our new inspector
on board there.
My son's a firefighter.
Captain right up, Captain.
So I'm very sensitive to all you guys, so congratulations.
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving,
and I, too, am looking forward to our Christmas
parade on Saturday night.
I think it will be a great event, as everything always is,
in Tabriz.
So with that, this meeting is adjourned.
Happy days.