Oh, it is.

We have o'clock.

It's on time now.

My watch is a little late.

We'd like to call the um March 18th, um, third Wednesday at meeting of the Clearwater Marine Board to order um to start things off.

I would like to say at least to the board.

Never got the notification for the January meeting.

I would have been here.

I was a little bit behind.

Ask everybody, and I'll you know, we'll do it.

And uh never got the notification, maybe confusion with one of my old emails.

My apologies.

Thank you, Mike, for taking over.

I did watch the the the show, and um uh that's a good way to put it.

That that would segue right into um um talking to the Stevenson Creek people, and uh good morning.

Good morning, I'm Sherry Day, president of the Stevenson Creek Advocacy Group, and I want to thank you all for coming at eight o'clock in the morning.

Um the day after St.

Patrick's Day.

Everybody Perky.

Um we appreciate your attention to this, and I want to say also that um uh we're limiting our conversation today to the Manatee Protection Zone, which you've received the draft letters.

Um wanted to know your opinion of it.

Is it well suited for you to sign it today?

Um personally, I'm I'm I'm glad that we were able to separate the two items that you have guys have concerns with right there, and that someone clearly went through and pared it down to just say the exact point of what we need to say to the city council.

They have to do something about this.

Yeah.

Um do you do you have anything to add to this, or do you think we can just vote that we approve your we would love for you to vote it as is.

I would only note that what you have is not today's date, so it probably needs to have today's date.

Um yes.

Good catch.

Yes.

I have one here with today's date.

Okay, and and and what would be the procedure for that?

If we approve it, we could just go ahead and sign or the chairman could just sign it now.

Uh yes, when you you would need a motion to approve a second, um, and you would just state that you would be correcting the date to today's date.

Okay, and the one I have here is dated March third.

There's no change.

Not the content, only the date.

But you have a correct one right there that's dated today, right?

Yes.

You do you want time to read it?

Oh no, no, I've got she's got one, it's got the correct date on it.

That's that's what you'd have sent.

So I'm good.

I I'll make one.

Okay.

We have we have a motion to approve this letter to send to city council.

Mike seconds it.

All in favor say aye.

If passes, we will sign your letter.

We will get it to city council, and um uh I personally will watch to see when it comes um before the city council if it comes up at a meeting or a work session and thank you and see if I can't be there to to show our support.

Um we are fully behind it.

Thank you very much.

It's a beautiful little thing, and and we don't have Mike today.

Uh no, you're stuck with me.

That was which is fine.

We'll do, but but Mike Mike got me to um meet him down at Stevenson Creek and we uh did an interview for Bay News Nine.

We heard that.

Uh yes, we talked about it, and um, and I understand you maybe did another story with one of the other news stations.

We had a beautiful piece on Channel 10 TV news very at length.

His focus was on the loophole that allowed the permit to pass the state.

Oh, so it was more about the docks, it was about the docks, absolutely, and the permit that allowed them to bypass all of the aquatic preserve language.

And had a big sign in front of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and said we tried for a month to get an interview from them, never got one.

So it was uh I'll send you a copy of that uh video.

Yeah, but uh just a link would be I mean the link that would be better.

There was also a story online about the Stevenson Creek that I read the other day.

There's a lot of them, and if you go to our website, StevensonCreek.org, there's a section of media, and it has all of both written and TV videos.

We we've been promised a a link, and maybe it just hasn't got to me, or whether the Bay News 9 story has aired yet.

But Mike and I both talked to them, and we kind of one walked away and let one be interviewed, and then I walked away and they interviewed Mike.

So I don't know what Mike's input in on it was, but I know he's as positive about this as we are.

That um I followed up with the uh gentleman that interviewed you and asked, did it air?

I'd like to have a copy, and I haven't heard back.

Yeah, that's uh I I followed up last week and and hoping I'd have some information for today and and and got nothing.

Uh no, he's a busy guy, but um, and these things take time, but uh now is the time if we're gonna put this before the city council to put a little bit of a I don't think pressure on them because I don't think the city council is going to need pressure on this either.

I'm can I just ask a quick question?

What's what's the mechanism for the letter to get the does Mike's your office delivered?

Right, right.

Is what happened?

Uh a package will be put together that uh with a draft of a local ordinance, a map defining the boundaries, a letter of our intent of what we want to do, and then all supporting data and that and reports that's been compiled.

That will go to FWC for review.

They'll then get back with us, let us know if yeah.

Specific question was how how does this letter get the city council?

Do we read the code?

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm talking about how we get it to FWC.

Uh yeah, the let you we'll we can get it, we'll get that to city council.

We'll present the city council.

So the letter is just gonna be a part of a bigger package of careers.

Here's what we're trying to do.

Correct.

That's yeah, that would be included in the package that goes to F W C that we are as a city in support of it.

Yeah, all this information also I'm sorry, I'm gonna get your name.

Uh William Hodson, H O D G S O N okay, thank you.

I've done it like quite a bit.

Okay, good.

The um information on the little, like you said, a loophole, the ability to financially circumvent some things, has gotten a lot of attention.

And I think uh a lot of people did not know about that.

I just you know, figured this stuff just happened.

Is that on the docs though?

Just just the whole circumventing a lot of the and and um D E P is kind of they they knew about it, but you know, again, they got to stay in Erlane being a state agency, and I think I think this is gonna get I think there's gonna get bigger than the that was the entire focus of that 10 minutes.

Yeah, because it's like wow, you can do that.

But it's legal, it's not like they did bypass anything illegally, they did all the right things, right?

And and just just to be clear, um, and and this has come back to us several times.

Um the purview of this board.

We there's nothing we can do on that note to help.

This is just FYI.

It's yeah, we understand that now it's private property, right?

It's between the city and the the licensing board or permitting boards, state county, everybody county.

Um, we don't have anything.

We we not that we wouldn't love to get in it because most of us agree it's it's a it's a dumb idea.

Yeah.

Um the the tides, the height, the depth of the water, the size of the boats they picture in their brochure that will go in there on the side, actual size of the boats you'll be able to get in there.

Um one of those maybe weight amount things, but just that we're we're killing time here because it's for us, it's not worth talking about.

And on that note, I want to apologize to you folks about that January meeting.

If we had known that the docks were beyond your purview, we would not have taken your time and called you here at eight o'clock in the morning.

I just learned that this was not in your purview.

We got a call, I got a call at 9:30 the night before the January meeting to attend.

So we were blindsided and unprepared.

I wish I had.

And um I thank Mike McDonald for that.

Since then, I've talked with the city of Clearwater about the notification procedure because it's it's wacky.

You know, we requested a special meeting.

Last I heard was it could not be it.

Uh it didn't sound like it was important enough to have a special meeting, and then I get a call at 9 30 at night to come to the meeting.

So the excuse I was given was if you were registered with the city to get notifications, you would have gotten that notification, and that notification came only at 5 30 the night before the meeting.

So that's a whole nother thing about notifications, but it's just led to a lot of confusion and a waste of city resources.

So I'm sorry for that.

So a formal copy of that letter after the meeting.

Uh I can sign it, or does the whole board need to sign it?

Or um, since she has a version with the correct date.

Um we can do it right now, right?

If you're okay with handing that over to the board, um, you're able to sign it now.

Then they can go get breakfast.

Yep, they're free to go at that point.

Get coffee.

Okay.

Size font, March 18th.

I feel like I'm signing the constitution.

Okay.

Yeah, right.

We have a special pen.

So the special pen.

The one I borrowed from that one that barely works.

Well, you're signing.

Let me just mention um Mr.

Simple, the state legislature representative Burfield, Tim Burfield, is very aware of our work here.

And she has um has invited another meeting to discuss her representing and opposing that loophole.

Okay.

So we're we're getting in that arena as well.

Yes, like I said, I think you you've got to do that.

That's where it needs to be.

You have exposed something that that a lot of people were unaware of.

Yep.

And the people that were aware of it were like, boy, I hope somebody notices this and rings a bell.

Yeah, which I think you might have done.

So we're not you, but this this circumstance.

Mean Mr.

Capitalism may take them down before the state ever gets around to it.

But um we could only try.

When when when the people that put their boats in there realize they can never get their boats out and end up putting them in Clearwater Bay Marina or somewhere else, then uh you'll just have some empty floating docks there.

Well, it's an aquatic reserve, and it's supposed to be preserved.

And this the whole dock thing by violated um some language that said it was consistent.

Their project of nine docks was consistent with others in the aquatic reserve.

There's no other but single dots, and so it should have never gone from there.

30 years of restoration work and a hundred million dollars, thank you.

All right, continues to silt in, it will only get shallower.

My following at 1809 Apache.

And all I'm going to say is we did spot five manatees past week.

Uh it's very hard to see them, but we have a lady in a uh in a high rise who gets a good shot at it, and she reported to me three and then another day two.

So they are continuing to come in through the winter months, uh not at the high level of volume that they were before, but we are seeing them.

And um, so in just as you stated, the rest of Stevenson Creek is now.

I I believe and I hope uh being seen as a model of urban creek restoration for the state of Florida, and the city of Clearwater has taken the lead and stepped up every time this past week.

Reported to me over off of Hope Avenue, a place where trash was coming through the sewage system or the drainage system into a finger on the creek.

So I reported that to the city, and they and we asked for a goat, which is a barrier to be placed in the very next day.

We've got a barrier.

So we're monitoring that when the spring rains come, we hope to prevent a lot of trash from getting down into the explorer.

And you can see the cities on your side on the city's city's been right there the whole time.

Well past the C D B meeting in inappropriately, and that's it would have prevented all of this.

Well, I'm talking about from about 2,000.

The city's done a lot of expert clean water act projects along the Greek state of the arc.

We're glad about that.

And what I learned is that there's plans in the coming years that two of those first three bridges are going to be replaced in the next.

Yeah, we're here in the middle of the city.

I followed up with Mr.

McDonald, and he said he did not have any formal knowledge of that.

Knowledge and everything.

We found out the morning of the interview.

I did a little drive-through on the way to the interview.

Um thinking of what I was gonna say when the guy asked me questions, and a city employee was there on the bridge, and I stopped and took a look at the I think it was the Betty Lane Bridge, and um, and I told him what I was doing, and he told me what he was doing was an early early purview to begin the steps to rebuild the bridge, and that the next one up was going to be.

The Betty Lane Bridge was rebuilt uh about 2000, somewhere in that period.

Um because it was really dilapidated, but it's a good bridge now.

But I think you're talking about Douglas Street and um maybe somewhere else, I'm not sure.

Douglas and yes, I might be wrong about the uh Betty Lane's a good bridge now.

In fact, they raised it up.

Actually, the Betty Lane is no, we we were on the we were on the bike path bridge.

Yeah, I went to the meetings with the engineers on the Betty Lane Bridge, and it was low, and that's a evacuation route, so it was actually raised to provide protection.

Oh, good.

And the homeless people like it under there.

No, well, the Tommy picks up trash, reported all the trash going under the bridges.

The cities has put in rep uh rough uh concrete ripraff to keep the place from being too comfortable, and it's cut down on the uh hanging out.

All right, thank you so anyway.

Thank you very much.

Best of luck.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We are talking to you about the rate increase.

Uh we did skip around a little.

We haven't approved the minutes yet for I'm sorry, yeah, December or January.

I missed one meeting.

Um let's jump back.

Um we jumped to the first item because uh I wanted to get right to them.

Uh can I get a motion to approve the uh meetings from the December 10th meeting?

So moved.

Second that that is passed.

And um, next item.

Can we get an approval for our special meeting uh from January 28?

So moved.

So moved.

So moved.

I've read them read them both, and I watched the video for the 28th and found them be true.

So those are both patents.

Sorry.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Bill Hodson, division manager, marine aviation.

Uh for the agenda item approval of the rate increases for city council.

What we recommend at this point is bringing the recreational rate up to the 100%, which would be uh effective October 1.

That's recreational rate only.

The commercial rate, they increased uh 50 percent that went into effect February 1st, so just last month.

We recommend to remain that remain at that rate until the completion of the marina construction, the beach marina construction.

At that time, we'll have a market rate study completed by independent certified appraiser, and then we would bring that recommendation to uh the board and city council and uh with respect to the recreational uh slips.

What what do you know right now about demand for them at these new high prices?

Is it soft okay or what?

No, we're pretty steady.

We get steady phone calls, uh, generally around the 40 foot to 50 foot range is what people are mostly looking for.

Uh I I don't anticipate having a problem really filling those charge.

Is the charge by the slip or by the foot?

By the foot.

Uh the in-state resident or resident rate would be $23 a foot at the final rate.

It'd be $25 and 30 cents a foot for a non-resident rate.

The reason I asked that question is there was always the dilemma.

Here's a slip.

It will accommodate up to X.

Well, I'm only gonna put a 20-foot boat in there, so I'm only paying for 20 feet, but it would fit a 60-footer.

We wouldn't we wouldn't put a 20-foot boat there.

No, no, no, I'm just using that as an example.

You would pay the rate of the size of the slip or the size of the football.

Right, right.

You're buying you're you're renting the slip.

What you put in there is up to you.

Well, if your boat is more than five feet beyond the slip, we generally wouldn't put you in there anyway.

If we did, you would pay that higher rate.

Right.

But what I'm you I understand what I'm getting at is that the slip could command up to this, therefore you're renting the slip up to the parameters of it.

Correct.

As opposed to just by the foot.

Correct.

It is not a straight by the foot where you're not gonna put a 20-foot patch or 60-foot slip and pay for a 20-foot boat.

Yeah, yeah.

If you got a 20-foot boat, you can't afford the 60-foot you spend that money on a new boat.

Um one of the questions did I see something in my clear letter emails that there was a we went from from step one to step two, and there was a little party, and we weren't invited.

Oh, for the marina construction?

Yes.

The uh I know they tried to put together it was the first week of February, that first Monday.

Um apologize you weren't invited.

We didn't organize that, that was done by the tenant group, Trish Rodriguez and that group.

They really wanted more of a soft opening, more for an introduction to the hotels and the concierge who would be guiding people towards the marina.

They wanted them to come into the marina and see what it looked like.

Yeah, so they could kind of better uh direct their guests.

They didn't want to do a full opening because we don't have our kiosk in yet.

We there it still looks somewhat like a construction zone.

So it wasn't news ready.

I was just feeling a little left out.

It was not intentional.

Okay.

Any other questions on that?

When will the fuel dock be open?

Fuel dock.

Uh they're out there actually out there.

I met with electrician yesterday working on it.

We had some delays with that.

Uh they didn't want to run the piping, obviously, until we had road plates.

Sure.

So we ordered road plates the end of January, the in conjunction with that phase being ready for us to be able to be in there to work for phase two.

And the weather delayed the road plates, and then when I called to ask for an update on the guy said the order had been canceled, so we had to reorder them all over again.

They were coming out of North Carolina, and that really harsh weather they had the end of January really messed some things up.

So the road plates got delivered, and they're working on it now.

Uh when a crew's available for for the installer, EPI is doing it for us.

When they can get the crew out there, they said they should have someone out there next week to continue on it.

Uh you know, I hate to next week, next week, next week.

Every time I talk to somebody, it's next week, but we're hoping by next week, next couple of weeks.

Okay, by mid-Mar mid-April would be a target.

That would be the push.

Okay.

If not sooner.

Okay.

We have the pump, everything's ready, it just has to be everything has to be hooked up.

Okay, great.

Thanks.

Good to know.

Okay.

Um moving on.

Uh the Harbor Marina update.

That would be Kelly.

Good morning.

Uh everybody's uh had a good St.

Path's Day last night.

Um as far as the Harbor Marina, we're excited to give us your full name.

Oh, sorry, uh Kelly Petrich on the engineering division manager.

Okay.

City of Clearwater.

Um, as far as the uh the Harbor Marina, um, we're very excited to say on the south end we have uh uh got a uh low bidder now on board, which is uh Kelly Brothers, and we're actually on the uh the 330 council date.

Um we're gonna bring that contract to council.

So we're hoping to have the Kelly Brothers then start around uh the May time frame on the south side.

Um, and with that should be complete.

We're hoping by the end of this year to early next year, then we'll be um as we as you know we we've divided into the south end and then the north end.

Um as far as the north side, we we are now done with the uh 90 percent uh construction drawings, um, which we were reviewing.

Um so we're gonna have some time for comments, and then we're hoping in about four weeks to have the complete hundred percent construction drawings done for that.

Um, and then we we probably will go out to bid between um probably by June, we imagine we'll we'll get that bid package together and get that on the street.

And it's usually that's usually about a 90-day process to get somebody on board as far as a low bid contractor.

So we're hoping right now we're kind of shooting for the September 16th council date for the north side, um, which would have us um kind of around that Octoberish time frame to get somebody on board, and then it'll be about six months to a year to complete complete that one.

So probably be by hopefully by we'll be finished by the next storm season of next year on the north side to get all those complete.

Uh that's all the updates I have for the harbor marina.

Any questions, gentlemen?

Um you're gonna fill us in on the beach marina reconstruction also.

Uh yeah.

Um as far as the beach marina, I got uh some updates here.

So right now, the um so we had we did switch over from the phase one to phase two, which which we feel like it went went pretty well on that end.

Um as far as phase two, right now we're doing the demo of all the buildings and docks, and that that is now complete.

Um and then they're also 90% complete with the removal of the timber and concrete piles out there.

Um and then um we're we're moving pretty well on the new the new sheet pile wall.

Um it's largely completed, and the rock is a um it's on now 90% done.

And so basically we're doing we're trying to move the schedule along.

So as we get the sheet piles in, we're going back and we're forming and doing all the concrete work right behind it.

Um so we currently have the first 50 feet port of actually of the the actual bulkhead right behind the the sheets.

So it's it's going well.

Um and then uh so we're the the pre-dredge survey was also completed last week.

Um, and Orion construction expects the submittal information to go in this week.

We're looking at the the dredge will will then happen as soon as this survey has been approved.

Um and the uh the steel pipe piles are delivering this week, and the install will start as soon as possible on that.

Uh as far as the the upland work, uh I'm sure you notice that we did get the concrete that the uh the pavers in on the phase one, so we're able to have that completed so we'll be to can access the building now on both sides for the beach marina buildings.

So we're very excited to get that in.

Um as far as the upland work for the uh phase two, all the sidewalk demo has been completed.

The utilities have been shut off, and we started uh this week, they will be re-piped.

Um, and the stormwater outfall extensions will also be installed this week.

As far as the electrical work, uh the demo of all the marine power has been turned off and removed.

The underground rough in will start when the Orion has the bulkhead work completed.

Um a new transformer service is required to power the east trash compactor.

Um, and a work order for this has been submitted to Duke Energy.

The uh existing transformer will then be removed and the new transformers installed, so it can provide a temporary power to the remaining critical systems for the for the marina.

Um as far as the remaining phase one work to get that completed.

We are looking at the the end of March to get our temporary kiosk in place.

Um at that point, we're gonna coordinate with the the existing tenants and the existing kiosk and get that get that removed.

Um the electrical room exterior will be finished after the electrical is completed, so the side of the switch gear switch gear can be accessed.

Um, and then the open planner beds will be completed with the phase two work as the irrigation system is tied to the phase uh two controls.

Um questions.

Curious what they're gonna do with the dredge spoil.

Where they're gonna put that.

Oh, that's being um just as as of within phase the same as we do with phase one.

That's gonna be sent to a approved location as per our Army Corps permit.

On the west side, what why isn't the the driveway entrance from Coronado open yet?

There's still some barriers there.

Yeah, well, at this point, um, based on the the location of the temporary see not the the the um the the kiosks that are out there right now that's not gonna be the permanent locations.

Um that's actually gonna be switched because of that location.

We're really scared with the pedestrian traffic walking there.

We want to keep it just one way, we don't want to have that open and people because a lot of people congregate right now on the street there just in the current location.

So and then they get shade there as well.

So we're gonna keep that as as one way, and then as soon as we bring the the kiosk in that'll bring the be there permanently, we're gonna make that a two-way, and then we have to restrict that that uh parking lot as well.

So when did you say it'll be the end of this?

Um they should be shipping in in a couple weeks here.

A couple weeks.

And how about the barriers on the seawall on the west end too?

There's just a bunch of plastic barriers.

Same same problem, same concern.

Yeah, those will be removed once we get everything.

Okay, waiting for a railing there or something like that.

That is that's that's for the railing.

We're waiting on the delivery of the railing, and then all of those orange and white barricades along that cap will be removed.

Okay, I thought that might be case.

Thanks.

And then the good news is we are we are way under budget and we're on schedule, so everything is moving forward.

Fingers crossed that it continues up, but we're still scheduled for the summer time frame to complete everything and been uh very happy with uh with the progression of our contractors.

Okay, he's doing the construction management.

Uh, that's uh Coca-Lakis construction.

Okay.

The years we've been overseeing this.

I never thought it would come off as smoothly as it has.

You guys would be to be commended.

That's um good job.

Yeah, it's a lot of the sidings are going in a lot easier this time, actually, than the phase the phase.

It's like greasing the wheels on a moving train.

Yeah, fingers.

There's there's so many moving barbs you can see uh on that, and whatever.

We've been really happy with our contractor and the UR and everybody on the teams are doing a great job on this one.

Next good.

All right.

Um we have other people uh here uh well before before you go.

Yeah, did we are we gonna address the uh seminal the conclusion of the seminal uh ramp rehab?

Um well we've got a director's report coming up.

Maybe you can ask some questions uh um about uh uh to Bill about that when he comes up.

Either way, or Kelly's been involved in that as well.

Oh, you're involved in that too.

What was your question?

Well, the uh uh uptide portion and the the uh docks are done, but the submerged portion is not.

I understood that was going to be done in two phases.

So what's the status of the second phase?

Which is yeah, well, we're still working on the EOR.

We haven't um received their final drawings on that, and then we're gonna put together a bid package to uh similarly go out to bid for that.

Okay, it'll be a similar phasing plan.

Okay, any guesstimate on when that when that might happen?

Um I imagine that's gonna go out to bid by summer time.

And then that's a 90-day process again.

So maybe we start it in the fall.

Yeah, okay.

We're hoping to start that in the fall.

Okay, thanks.

And it should go pretty similar as far as time frame.

Thank you.

Yeah, ideally, we'd like to eat that into the winter.

Thank you.

A lot easier to start.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Um, before we hear the director's report, I guess my year is up.

Um, the election of a new chair or vice chair.

Um, or whether you would prefer to keep things going.

Does anybody have a suggestion?

You're doing a great another term.

I tried to I'm glad somebody finally said it.

Because I haven't never done this before, except as vice chair for Mike.

I think one time I filled in for you nervously.

That's fine.

Um, and here I skip the minutes approval right off the bat just to prove how good I am.

Well, but we understand why you did that in expeditious uh maneuver.

I we applaud you for that.

I did want to get them on their way and and um and they're they're they're very nice and very persistent, um, and they really believe in their cause.

So um I was maybe it was a good thing I skipped the supports good cause, and I think they've uncovered something that needed to be.

Do we need to vote on them individually?

Uh yeah.

So even if you're keeping things the same.

Well, I suppose if you're keeping things exactly the same with the chair and the vice chair, what you can do is somebody can put forward a motion to have the chair remain and the vice chair remain, and somebody can second it, then we can go unanimously and bang the gap.

I second it.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Good job.

I'm chairman once more.

Dispatch that in a hurry, didn't we?

It's all my years in the boat business.

This is one of the coolest things I've ever done to be involved in all these projects and things, and and this will start.

Um you and I are 10th year.

It's good.

We all have a year.

I've lost track.

I'm glad you have if you remember a year ago, we had to go before the city council, and them say that we could have another term because you're only supposed to have two unless there's special circumstances, and the special circumstances is keeping these chairs full.

Uh, and also maybe that we've been on it so long that we know all these projects that are going on.

Well, it's nice to have some true maritime people on the board.

So I think back to that's my background too.

14 uh building a sailboat in our garage with my dad, and and uh and uh were you able to get it out once you got it built?

Um well we didn't put the mass funds.

We got it down to um he bought an 11-foot flat flat uh flat bottom eleven foot rowboat, and we built a cabin on it, he got a pole, we build a mast, a big slab of steel for a rudder.

Um he bought a parachute that we made all the lines, all the rigging and the sails out of, and the best it could do was with a good wind, you could keep pace with the river.

The Allegheny River and Oil City.

And if you didn't, if you lost the wind, then you had to drag it up the shoreline back to where we kept it in the little marina.

And of course, you know, I was 130 pounds back then.

Um so long time I've been I've been doing this, and and uh uh it's good to stay involved.

Um so moving on.

We have a director's report.

Somebody I'm sure has I don't really have anything else to in the director's report.

We kind of covered it.

There are any questions I could help answer.

One one question I had we had discussed a couple times um recommendations for kayak launch, the sandy area just to the west of the fish cleaning station at the seminal ramp.

Um there's a sandy area there.

It would cost nothing just to put up a couple well, very little, put up a couple signs and race strike, uh kayak paddle board launch, uh, you know, 15 minute loading right there in the in the cul-de-sac there by the dumpster, and also the possibility of a similar circumstance up by the shuffle board court on Stevenson's Creek.

There is an undeveloped area just to the east of the shuffle board court itself.

You've got plenty of parking there.

A lot of people launch kayaks so forth in there now.

Um that would do two things take some of the pressure off the other launching facilities and give them more of a sheltered area in which to launch.

And I don't know what the process is.

We had mentioned that in the past a couple times.

If that had been proposed to whoever that needs to get proposed to, it's not a lot of expense to do that.

It's an area that's pretty much already there.

Right.

That's uh parts and rec is already looking into that.

Okay, excellent court.

About three years ago, we the area you're talking about, seminal boat ramp, we cleared that of rocks and tried to clear that out and give people an opportunity to, but to actually make it a kayak ramp, there's certain criteria that has to and it has to be brought up to certain ADA requirements and stuff.

That's uh parks and rack has reached us, and that is something that's in the works right now.

Especially the shuffle board court with Stevens Creek make it more of a kayak area.

Sure.

So that is in the works out where that is in the planning stage right now with parks and recs, but I have seen some rec recent correspondence back to the right.

And I'm sure you could get some some volunteer assistance on that from some of the uh kayak uh clubs and uh for instance like um Ospreay Bay, you know, they have a big kayak group.

You get a bunch of people out there clear some rocks, yeah.

Would seem interesting to speculate that if that happened and it became a launching point for such light watercraft, one would wonder why there would be heavier craft in the same vicinity, such as at the docks.

Yeah, the the seminal one um because the the no weights the the return to normal operation starts just past that that they're kind of protected if you've ever run out hurricane pass um Dunedin Pass, no, because it's done even pass hurricane pass, and they rent the kayaks and the sailboats, and the first thing they have to do is cross the channel on a Saturday afternoon with boats coming in at those and everywhere.

Steepest angle they can, so it takes them 20 minutes to cross the channel, and it's five feet deep at high tide in some places, and yeah, there's no no room for error.

No, okay, that'd be great.

And they do they would need to look at restriping and and a little bit different signage.

Some people launch there now, right?

But there's a lot of you know, no parking, no stopping, and the uh parking departments down there often just waiting for somebody to take the keys out of the ignition.

So, but that would keep them off off the ramps and kind of out of harm's way too.

So thanks.

Yep.

Um board members to be heard.

Does anybody else have any new projects?

Um the only thing I can say is I I hope things are well with Mr.

McDonald.

This isn't me, he's fine.

Yeah, I don't remember him missing a meeting.

Um St.

Patrick's Day yesterday, McDonald.

Um I I will add that I um I've gone out twice in the last 25 years as a designated driver.

You can tell by my name, we bit Irish.

Um, as my mother Rosemary Callahan would tell you.

Um and I I don't entertain it.

Uh you know, first St.

Kevin is the real Irish Saint, uh, well before St.

Patrick's, two, there were never any snakes in Ireland, and three, he was Welsh.

Um, but it's more the debauchery and the drunkenness and the uh the wolf pack was out this weekend.

Um massive number of the UI arrests before St.

The real St.

Patrick's Day even got.

And uh I had a very nice Guinness at home last night, and I'm glad you guys are all here and safe.

And I quick question goes for any missing members.

Yeah, just before you stop.

Is there any action underway to fill how many open seats do we have on the board at the moment?

One two, I think just one.

Just one.

Uh do we have is there Ferrari a board member now?

Oh no, he's done.

Yeah, yeah, he stepped down.

Yeah, I I had a carefully worded conversation with him on the phone.

He contacted this you guys and got my phone number.

And having just moved here from San Diego, he didn't feel that he knew anything that we were talking about up here.

And I told him, you know, yes, I've been voting here many, many years before I ever joined the board.

So kind of had a let up, but that's not unusual for our new people to come in and learn about the projects as they go along.

And how many seats are open?

One or two.

Well, if he's gone, I think there's two.

I think we ought to.

Is it appropriate for us to approach someone?

Because Trish McDonald, our Trish McDonald.

Um Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, thank you.

Well, I'm looking at McDonald over there.

The sign Trish Rodriguez, I know had um thrown her hat in the ring, and she would be a good one.

Also, another one that I personally know is uh Courtney Ross.

Uh who lives just up on Osceola.

If we remember back in the day, Ross Yacht Service.

Who you're mentioning is she's the girl with the with the marina group.

Yes, and she hadn't thrown her hat in the ring when I did.

One, I think she'd be more effective staying in charge of that group because she's been doing a wonderful job.

But two, she couldn't do, I don't think she could do both.

Okay.

Her leaving the Diaz going out there and presenting things to us.

Okay.

Um, but that's but that's her call.

Yeah.

But um only because she had thrown her hat in the ring would it be worth it to say, hey, what you want to do?

Right.

You can approach anyone you want, but I think they have to apply through the city.

There's a process.

But it's very easy.

Yeah.

Um I have a oh gosh, I can't think of Eric's last name, but a local commercial realtor.

He handled some property for me years ago.

His family's from here.

His brother owns the fish house there at the Dunedin docks.

Um, and his whole family's been voting here for years.

He's got stone crab traps, you know.

You name it, though not commercial.

And I pushed him for years, and it was like you are like one of the perfect people.

You're out there on the water all the time, and it's hard to get somebody in there.

So, yeah, you know any other boaters?

Um, yes, yeah, they're in the like the whole family for years have been right around the country club there, up above the country club, whatever that neighborhood is.

Um just drew a blank on his name.

Ums the uh the two of them in Dunedin.

Um the restaurant there on the dock, yeah.

The fish house and the restaurant.

Um Bay Cafe.

I I I was introduced to him through the late Ashley Pimley, who was a longtime member of the environmental board, who also is a major factor in my Walt Wickman owns that is is that his brother.

Eric Wickman, yes.

Okay, okay.

He has a listen for order, yeah.

No, he couldn't.

Eric, if you're out there.

So um so pe but people like that that have an interest in what's going on down here.

Um please, you know, talk to anybody.

You're allowed to suggest to anybody, and they can apply through the city, and it's not a terribly in-depth thing, you know.

Just you know, you're you're not a felon.

I don't even know if that's a I didn't even know if that's a little bit of a conviction.

That's it.

Yeah, and on that note, any anyone that does apply for the board and they do get on the board like his situation, if they want to get up to speed, reach out to us.

We'll we'll we'll sit down with them, they come in the office, we'll give them any kind of documentation we have, any archive information, try to get them feeling a little more comfortable with that for them to contribute.

Good idea.

I'll talk to Walt and Courtney.

Good.

Anyone have anything to add?

I'm good.

Uh did I skip something?

Yeah, this oh gosh, are there citizens here waiting to be heard?

No, you're not here for that.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

There's two things I skipped.

Um thank you.

Um if we have nothing else to add, though, um we'll motion to make a motion, and I'll second this meeting is adjourned.

All right.

Thank you.