Ocala City Council Regular Meeting – February 17, 2026

The Ocala City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 4:00 PM in Council Chambers at Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue. Council President Ire Bethea Sr. presided. Present were Mayor Ben Marciano, Pro Tem Jay A. Musleh, Council Members Kristen M. Dreyer and James P. Hilty Sr.; Council Member Barry Mansfield was excused. The meeting adjourned at 5:09 PM. The council approved the consent agenda, conducted public hearings and first readings, approved all general business items, and received departmental reports.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved by roll call vote, 4-0 (Mansfield excused), with Pro Tem Musleh moving and Council Member Dreyer seconding.
• Approved items included Budget Resolution 2026-127 accepting and appropriating $23,429 in Community Development Block Grant program income; additional expenditures of $45,551.56 under the Carahsoft Technology Corp. cooperative purchasing agreement for Juniper support solutions, increasing aggregate contract expenditure to $93,179; adjustment to Mayor and City Council vehicle allowances; and Budget Resolution 2026-128 transferring $22,400 from the General Fund Reserve for Contingencies to increase vehicle allowances.
• Reappointments were approved for Joshua DeMonte to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board; Howard Gunn and Tanya Hanks to the Housing Authority Board; Jean Floten to the Municipal Arts Commission; James Hartley to the Board of Adjustment; Kevin Steiner to the Municipal Code Enforcement Board; Elgin Carelock and TamBoura Jenkins to the Planning and Zoning Commission; Rick Gullet to the Utility Advisory Board; and Robert DuMond to the Tree Commission.
• The February 3, 2026 City Council meeting minutes were approved.

Proclamations and Awards

• Mayor Marciano presented the Mayor’s Citizen Recognition Award to Kevin Christian, recognizing his 25 years as director of public relations for Marion County Public Schools, his work across 57 schools, and his leadership during crises including the 2018 Forest High School shooting.
• Mayor Marciano presented the Engineers Week Proclamation to Alan Garri, Vice President of Kimley Horn, and Mackenzie Fix, President of the Forest Chapter of the Florida Engineering Society, proclaiming February 22–28, 2026 as Engineers Week in Ocala.
• Mayor Marciano and City Manager Pete Lee presented a service award to Fire Captain Anthony Ortiz for 25 years of service with Ocala Fire Rescue.

Public Hearings

• Council President Bethea opened the public hearing at 4:19 PM for the application by 3100 College Road Holdings, LLLP, doing business as Paddock Market, at 3100 SW College Road, Unit 300, requesting a permit for the sale of beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption. Chief Planning Official Endira Madraveren reported seven calls for service over a two-year period, no churches, daycares, or schools within a 500-foot radius, and staff recommended approval. Attorney Rod Feiner of Coker & Feiner represented the property owner and clarified that each individual restaurant must separately apply to the State of Florida after receiving a city location permit. There was no public comment. The council approved the permit 4-0, with Council Member Dreyer moving and Council Member Hilty seconding.

First Readings of Ordinances

• Ordinance 2026-7 was introduced to rezone approximately 2.26 acres in the 1400 block of NE 14th Street from RO, Residential Office, and R-1, Single Family Residential, to R-3, Multi-Family Residential (Case ZON 25-0016). Council Member Hilty introduced the item.
• Ordinance 2026-8 was introduced to rezone two properties totaling approximately 30.49 acres at 5019 W Silver Springs Blvd and the adjacent parcel east, from PD, Planned Development, to M-1, Light Industrial (Case ZON 25-0018). Council Member Dreyer introduced the item.
• Both ordinances are scheduled for second and final reading on March 3, 2026.

General Business

• 10a: Approved the purchase of Sulzer Pumps and equipment from Hydra Services Inc. for Fiscal Year 2026, with an estimated annual expenditure of $250,000. Motion by Hilty, second by Dreyer; 4-0.
• 10b: Approved the Community Development Block Grant 2025 grant agreement totaling $510,378. Motion by Dreyer, second by Musleh; 4-0.
• 10c: Adopted Budget Resolution 2026-129 appropriating the CDBG allocation of $510,378. Motion by Hilty, second by Musleh; 4-0. Note: The agenda and minutes list this budget resolution as item 10c, while the transcript quotes a presenter referring to it as item 10F.
• 10d: Approved a five-year lease agreement for Brick City Center for the Arts between the Marion Cultural Alliance and the City of Ocala. Motion by Dreyer, second by Hilty; 4-0. Staff noted the MCA has leased the building for 20 years and invested $77,732 in capital improvements during the initial lease term.
• 10e: Approved additional expenditures under the contract with Morse Communications Inc. for physical security equipment, increasing aggregate expenditure by $116,929. Motion by Dreyer, second by Musleh; 4-0.
• 10f: Approved a $992,054 construction contract with FSV Construction Company for the renovation and expansion of the Ocala Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. Motion by Hilty, second by Dreyer; 4-0. The project is funded by carry-forward dollars from prior years; Police Chief Mike Balken said the buildout would take approximately four to six months.
• 10g: Approved the purchase of six 250 kVA voltage regulators from Sunbelt Solomon Services, LLC in the amount of $105,084. Motion by Hilty, second by Dreyer; 4-0.
• 10h: Approved a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing agreement with Alan Jay Fleet Sales for a 2026 Ford T-350 van for the Ocala Police Department in the amount of $148,885. Motion by Dreyer, second by Musleh; 4-0. Fleet Division Head Liza Warmuth said the van replaces a 23-year-old repurposed ambulance with approximately 180,000 miles and that outfitting costs are included in the quote.
• 10i: Adopted Resolution 2026-14 amending the Public Transportation Grant Agreement with FDOT, increasing funding by $478,285 for design and construction of the airport fuel farm, wash rack, and parking concrete pads. Motion by Hilty, second by Musleh; 4-0. The total project cost is approximately $1.27 million.

Discussion: Carry-Forward Budget Practices

• During the 10f discussion, Council Member Musleh expressed concern about using carry-forward dollars from prior years, especially if they came from non-construction accounts, and said large projects should be put into reserve funds rather than carry-forward. He emphasized his comments were about the broader budget process, not the specific project.
• Council Member Hilty noted carry-forward allows unspent, unobligated funds to move into the next fiscal year, preventing loss of budgeted money and enhancing fiscal efficiency.
• Council Member Dreyer suggested allocating carry-forward funds from the operating budget to a reserve fund to maintain financial stability.
• City Manager Pete Lee said staff is evaluating the use of carry-forward funds as part of the budget process and is pushing departments to spend money in the year it was budgeted.
• Police Chief Balken confirmed he will provide Council Member Musleh with a list of the carry-forward items from prior years.

Department and Manager Reports

• City Manager Pete Lee announced upcoming events: Sculpture Scroll on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 11 AM to 5 PM; Fire Station 8 groundbreaking on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 10 AM; and the skate park opening later that week.
• Lee reported FDOT has completed a speed study and will lower the State Road 40 speed limit to 25 miles per hour from US 441 to just west of Tuscawilla Avenue within two to three weeks. The city is developing a comprehensive plan for the corridor.
• Lee discussed the draft fact sheet for discontinuation of curbside recycling and requested council feedback. Council Member Musleh favored mailing the notice with utility bills; Council Member Dreyer supported the letter and noted media coverage failed to mention that recycling centers will be established around the city; Mayor Marciano said the new container-based process will reduce contamination rates and favored issuing an informational letter. Lee said staff will evaluate recycling center placement for public access.
• Ocala Police Department: Chief Mike Balken reported for January 26–February 8, 2026: 7,829 total incidents, 5,473 proactive calls, 2,356 dispatched calls, 274 crimes, 214 arrests, 1,105 traffic stops, and 158 crashes. He also reported that the Real Time Crime Center helped resolve a double homicide related to domestic violence within about three hours.
• Ocala Fire Rescue: Fire Chief Clint Welborn reported for the two-week period February 3–16, 2026: Fire Rescue Four had 164 unit responses and Fire Engine One had 127; call types included 66 motor vehicle accidents, 6 structure fires, 37 community paramedicine/CORE calls, and 986 total calls for service, bringing the year-to-date total to 3,308. The department welcomed new Firefighter/EMT Emil Henry.
• The Internal Auditor and City Attorney each reported no report.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No member of the public provided comment during the Paddock Market public hearing, and no public comment cards were submitted for the general public comment period.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 4-0.
• Paddock Market alcohol permit approved 4-0.
• Ordinance 2026-7 and Ordinance 2026-8 introduced for first reading, with final adoption scheduled for March 3, 2026.
• All General Business items, including the Real Time Crime Center construction contract, were approved or adopted by 4-0 votes.
• Council unanimously directed City Manager Pete Lee to meet with the interim superintendent of Marion County Public Schools to request advance notice of future school capacity expansions, following Council Member Dreyer’s report on traffic concerns at Fort King Middle School and the planned expansion of its AI Magnet Program by 300 students.
• Staff will proceed with public outreach on the discontinuation of curbside recycling, including mailing the informational letter with utility bills and establishing recycling centers around the city.