Okay, good morning, everyone.

It is Monday, August 18th, 2025, and this is the regular city Sarasota City Commission meeting.

And if you haven't done so already, remember to turn off your phones or put them on silent.

And I will call on our city auditor and clerk Griggs to do the invocation.

Please stand.

Heavenly Father, we affirm our faith in thee.

We seek your divine strength, wisdom, and guidance in the deliberations that affect the lives of each of the citizens of our community.

In the name we pray, amen.

And I'll call on Commissioner A.

Hehern Cox to lead us in the fledge.

I pledge allegiance.

All right.

Miss Griggs, are there any changes to the order of the day?

Yes, Mayor.

Please remove agenda item number 10.1 public hearing array, proposed ordinance number 25-5572, proposed ordinance, amending the description of the proposed powers, functions, duties, and authority of the downtown improvement district per request of City Auditor and Clerk Riggs.

And that is all the changes to the order of the day.

Okay.

Well, I guess since since you requested it, well, I didn't, but I'm gonna put it under my name.

All right.

Um can I get a motion on the change the order of the day?

I move to approve the changes to the order of the day.

Second.

All right.

Um Vice Mayor Trice moved to approve changes to the order of the day.

Commissioner Ulrich seconded.

If you will vote, Commissioners.

Is that your vote?

It passes four to oh.

Okay.

Um can we get a motion for the proposed agenda schedule?

So home so move.

Second.

All right.

Uh Commissioner Rick moved to approve the proposed agenda schedule.

Vice Mayor Trice seconded.

If you all vote, Commissioners.

Is that your vote?

Yes.

All right.

The motion passes for.

All right.

Umriggs, if you will recite the pledge of public conduct.

Thank you.

We may disagree, but we will be respectful to one another.

We will direct all comments to issues.

We will not engage in personal attacks.

All right, we have two people signed up to speak.

Um you will have three minutes.

And um, when you begin speaking, be sure to state your name and whether you're a city resident.

Um, I have a Mr.

Powell and Martin Hyde.

All right, Mr.

Powell, if you'll state your name for the record and uh whether you're a city resident.

Reginald Powell, I'm a citizen residence.

Can you can you come closer to the mic, sir?

My bad.

Yes, Reginald Powell.

Uh I'm a citizen of the community.

All right, thank you.

Go ahead.

Uh I was here February second.

And July 1st of last year.

And I was talking about protesting of me getting kidnapped.

Exonerated by Bacon Titus at 2 30.

Four in the morning, kidnapped by Klugel's Klan, police chief Gordon Jolly, who is known as a he plant drugs on people in North Carolina and he sold moonshine.

And somebody hired him and kidnapped me for five and a half months.

Put me in jail.

Took me on the fifth floor, called me niggas niggas.

You need to take a shot.

So when I threw my food on the corporal.

I mean, Mayor, I we need to like, he needs the the language is inappropriate at the end.

What language did I use?

Well, but he's saying what was said.

All right.

So anyway, they tried me twice.

Double jeopardy.

Then when I get out of jail, I couldn't see commissioner.

And explain it to her.

Then when I go to the courthouse, they put a sign up saying I'm coming to kill everybody in a truck in a shotgun.

I never own a truck in my life.

I only do sport cars.

Okay.

Now my daddy was stationed in Vietnam for two tours.

And they had me in their jail.

They would let my mama see me, my brother see me, and they came to take me to my father's funeral.

And I never got to go to his funeral.

And I'm just won't just for me, my son, my grandkids, which all took all my money, fired me, took a took a shot at me.

After I went to the uh to Tampa Court on the way back, you tried to run me off the road.

Then that didn't work.

Then they took a shot at me by the fire station.

Okay.

And I had to sue uh Ed Yes or wife at Eaton Corporation.

And I told her to stay out of uh why would you risk your a six-figure job to mess with me?

Well, she lost her job.

And the nurse and all the supervisors.

They beat me, hit me.

Uh same thing at Sun Hydro.

I've sued them too.

And I'm gonna sue the city for what they've done to me.

And they try to, even the news people.

I call Renee Gibson.

She like, well, what you want me to do?

You do all the black stuff.

What's wrong with mine?

So I got me a news people from out of town to have the yard.

Because this place is corrupt.

You, commissioner, put a new lock on your door.

There you go.

Thank you.

Somebody will follow up.

That's what they told me last time.

Ain't nobody following that.

Oh, line corrupt songs.

Martin Martin.

Indeed.

Um, obviously I I remain Martin Hyder.

The uh last month's budget workshop.

Umctuated with let's be candid, brazen lies.

Um I can substantiate them though.

Um the first is that the city has no money.

It has tens of millions of cash gathering interest in unassigned fund balances, which for the uninitiated is money that they can transfer around.

They just choose not to.

By way of example, the Van Weißel has 12 million dollars in an unassigned fund balance on which it gained five hundred thousand dollars in interest, which it added ridiculously to its income statement.

It's taxpayers' money, not Mary Bensell's or the Van Weazels.

Line number two is that the city is on the hook for debris removal court costs from last year's storms.

Completely false.

The city has had nearly eight million dollars already, with the balance guaranteed 100% by FEMA.

Staff knows that fact, but pretended in multiple conversations that it uh might not come to justify a 10% tax increase, tax rate increase, they call it millage, it's it's really pillage, um, on top of six percent for uh for property values.

Infrastructure costs aren't even figured out yet, but uh when they are, as staff well knows, 75% is payable by FEMA, another 12 and a half percent by the uh state.

So the city is liable potentially for barely 10%, which potentially would be around three million dollars at most over the next two to three years.

Line number three was the budget itself, because it wasn't complete, and you know that.

No sums were approved for staff raises, despite the city being in active negotiations as we speak to give them.

Quotes at the meeting included one commissioner asking, are we missing the opportunity to capture more?

I think she means tax.

Um you know, staff is running the uh the city commission.

Yes, Mr.

Go ahead.

Anyway, so I'd heckle me too, but I thought it came from you.

The um stop's running the commission, um, not the uh the the city.

Uh twice the rate of inflation pay increases compounded over the last ten years.

Uh another commissioner said another astonishing quote: let's hit it out of the park this year.

Um by which I presume they meant uh hitting the rich right retirees, uh, which is also a quote which has come from this day several uh times.

Oh, in truth, uh they pay his salary.

Um the economic envy, I'll just take an extra few seconds, seeing as we had a little interruption.

The economic envy is exactly why President Trump is sitting in the White House.

Um it's un-American.

Single bid $900,000 fountains next month a $2,000 ahead junket at Beachfront Hotel with Sunshine Little Concerns.

Sort of thing Governor DeSantis and his Doge team are looking to put an end to.

And you're about to get a visit.

I'm real soon.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Um moving on.

We'll go into the approval of minutes.

Item number um 41, the minutes for the regular Sarasota City Commission meeting of July 21st, 2025.

Can I get a motion?

So move.

Uh mayor, I submitted a few substantive non-substantive changes.

As did I.

And with the changes submitted, I move approval.

Okay.

I think Commissioner Batty moved as a second.

Sir, thanks.

Thank you.

All right.

Commissioner Batty moved approval of the uh regular Sarasota City Commission meeting minutes of July 21st, 2025.

Uh Commissioner Alrich seconded.

If we could vote, Commissioners.

Is that your vote?

All right.

The motion passes unanimously.

Okay, our next item is item 5-1 and under board actions.

It's the final report regard um regarding the ad hoc Van Wazel Purple Ribbon Committee on the use and reuse of the Van Wazel Performing Arts Hall.

And I'm going to call upon Mr.

Charles Cossler, Chair of the Ad hoc Van Wazel, Purple Ribbon Committee, and Mr.

Jim Shirley, facilitator, to make the presentation.

Thank you, Mayor.

Commissioners, for the record, my name is Jim Shirley, and I have served for the last year and a half as the facilitator for the ad hoc Purple Ribbon Committee for considerations on the Van Wazel Performing Arts Hall.

And I have to tell you, for me, uh most of these experiences are always educational, but this has been a um a conflictive educational situation for me in that I've learned a lot that I didn't know.

Uh and uh we've gone through some very interesting and difficult times as a community, but I have watched six, seven people work as hard as people could work for this community.

And I want to recognize and compliment the members of the Purple Ribbon Committee, most of whom are here today.

And if you don't mind, I'm just gonna name them for the record.

Um the chair of the committee at this time is Mr.

Charles Costler, who is here with me today.

Also David Rovine, Selma Goker Wilson, Marty Hilton, and not with us today is Robert Bunting, who could not be here because of family situations, and Melissa Gisinger.

And I would also like to recognize that for a good portion of this time, Miss Lee and Chung also served on the committee and had to step off after the hurricanes because of conflict with her personal business and so on.

But these people have put in countless hours of review and study and listening.

And I think the main thing that I want to point out, because this you know started out as a fairly emotional uh consideration for a lot of people, uh as well as should.

Uh the arts are near and dear to the hearts of virtually everybody in Sarasota and Sarasota County.

And uh the Van Wesel Service uh performing arts hall has served this community exceptionally well for many, many years.

Uh but what we did in our deliberation was focus on the facts.

We tried to take emotion and personal bias out of everything and focus on the facts of the situation.

And uh I want to compliment again the members of the committee because they were able to do that, and they've done a very very good job of uh making an in-depth analysis of this situation on behalf of the citizens of Sarasota.

And uh I think we're very lucky to have them do that.

And at this time, I'd like to uh acknowledge and recognize our chair, uh, Mr.

Charles Cosler, who will make the report of the final recommendations of the Purple Ribbon Committee to you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jim.

Good morning, Commissioners.

I'm Charles Cosler, the chair of the Purple Ribbon Commission.

Um I am also domiciled in Sarasota.

I am also domiciled in Sarasota.

And I'd like to make a few remarks before we get started.

With a career of 35 years of theater design consulting, I led the Purple Ribbon Committee in exploring use and reuse of the Van Wazel Hall for the city's mandate.

I'm proud of the committee's work culminating in the report that includes findings and recommendations and reports on the following relevant topics.

Climate, architectural assessment, historic considerations, theater design analysis, reuse options, and the business of show business.

The need sections contains an analysis of two surveys, an inventory of existing venues, the listing of local arts groups highlighting those that have a venue, summaries of presentations to the committee and citizens' input.

Also included for convenience are summaries of the 2021 and 2025 Cairns Van Wazel Theater Building Assessment.

The reuse of the building, however, is completely contingent on A, increasing the storm resilience of the building, B, the effectiveness of the climb proofing, C, insurability, D, compliance to current building standards, E, the progress and location of a new performing arts hall, F a viable and sustainable proposal, and G, alignment with the Bay Parks mission.

Unfortunately, no local group or entity came forward that met any of the conditions listed above.

The 2024 hurricanes were game changing for the committee's work and the impact on the Van Wazel.

We came to realize that the Van Wazel's location was so vulnerable to storms that the liability to the building plus the findings of obsolescence and deferred maintenance of building and theater systems could lead to more disruptions of presentations or with unrecoverable storm damage, no presentations.

For 55 years, the Van Wazel has continued and expanded the growth of the performing arts and culture in the reason in the region.

Culture is the brand along with the natural beauty and weather that attracts tourists, businesses, and new residents to our area.

Accordingly, the perform the Purple Ribbon Commission unanimously recommends that floodproofing and repairs outlined in the Cairns 2021 and 25 building assessments be made to sustain the Van Waisel and a new sustainable performing arts center project should be accelerated to provide the greater Sarasota area with a modern venue for now and into the future.

It has been challenging and rewarding to chair the PRC and the committee is grateful for the guidance of Jim Shirley, the support of Alexa Balonis, and encouragement from Mary Benzell and the Van Wazel staff.

And now if you have questions, I'll be glad to answer.

Ms.

Griggs, my outline says Commissioner questions, then people call upon people to speak.

Should we go ahead and have people speak for you?

Yeah, that's what I think would be better.

Okay.

All right.

Again, you'll have uh well actually this is part of the I guess we'll do the maybe we'll do the questions because they've got some time left.

I can pause that and come back to that.

Okay.

And I was just I can all right.

So we'll come back to you if we need a rebuttal.

All right.

Um let me have um we've got about five people signed up to speak, so when you start your comments, um, and we'll have you come back up for commissioner questions.

Okay, so you want us to go back to thank you.

Selma Goker Wilson, Brian Hirsch, Martin Hyde, Lori Muldowney, and Aaron DeFasio.

When you speak, be sure to um state your name and whether you're a city resident.

Selma Gokler Wilson.

Hello, my name is Selma Gokar Wilson.

I'm a resident of the city of Sarasota, an architect licensed in the UK and Turkey, and was a member of the Ad hoc Purple Ribbon Committee.

I wanted to thank you for forming a committee to determine the viable and financially sustainable options for future reuse purpose.

Ownership andor operation of the Van Vasel Performing Arts Hall.

This was the correct procedure to follow for a city asset of such importance and uh was very forward-thinking of you.

So thank you.

I would also like to thank my fellow committee members for spending hours serving for this purpose.

I would like to just take a moment to comment on the process of the committee, because should you in the future have similar committees, maybe there are some improvements that can be made.

I was a member who from the onset wanted to know our purpose and the process we were going to follow on our task to collect data, deliberate, provide expertise, knowledge, and eventually compile a report.

And I have been minuted to ask for this many, many times.

Recognizing that all members come to the table from diverse backgrounds, an agreed upon purpose and a framework to reach a consensus seemed important.

Having served on the Purple Ribbon Committee for two years, I can safely say that a consistent understanding of our purpose and a framework for discussion was lacking.

In consistent information, change of facilitators, absence of facilitators, change of chairs, all contributed to an ambiguous consensus of the final report.

As a result, the report consists of sections which reflect individuals' findings, sometimes opinions, that are not that are at times superseded in the conclusion.

It was not until the last meeting that of that voting as a methodology was clearly and openly defined.

New material to be included in the report was even presented at this last meeting.

The constantly changing versions made it difficult to assess and comment on, etc.

It is for this reason that I volunteered to use my laptop during the last meeting to act as a scribe to record our edits during the meeting and form a final version that all members agreed on.

This seemed important.

It was my intention, as can be evident from the recording of the meeting that we read and edited the whole report.

Had a framework for reaching a consensus been determined from the onset, we would not have spent our last meeting editing and voting on items for four hours.

And we would not have missed voting on the prologue of the report, which is now included in the report before you even though it was not read into the minutes and voted on.

Since it was made explicit that we are to read into the minutes and vote on each section, I would like to ask this section to be omitted from the report.

Thank you very much.

Brian Hirsch.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Thank you.

I'm Brian Hirsch, CEO for the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, which is in within the city of Sarasota.

As the CEO for the Arts and Culture Alliance, we are officially the local arts agency.

So I wanted to help contextualize some information today about the arts and culture sector.

I did present to the Purple Ribbon Committee two times as well.

Sarasota County is of course known as Florida's Cultural Coast, so it continues to draw visitors and serve residents alike.

In addition to serving a great quality of life that the arts and culture sector brings, it's a great economic impact as well that arts and culture has.

It's over 342 million dollars every year and growing.

And it's and it's 3600 employees from the arts and culture sector every year.

It also continues for Sarasota to have a loyal and dedicated following of audiences after 2020, while throughout the country, other communities suffered.

The arts and culture sector in Sarasota continued to grow.

In addition to our arts and culture community serving tourists and residents, and there are many folks who continue to live and move to Sarasota.

Our arts and culture sector also continues to serve the community through its outreach and impact throughout the community.

With that, the Arts and Cultural Alliance is here to serve.

If there's anything we can do to offer you clarity, we're happy to do so.

And also thanking the Purple Ribbon Committee for its continued service.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Martin Hyde.

So uh my uh you know, my own system is uh is a performer.

Uh she's been on Broadway, been in the West End, she's in Germany, uh, she's currently starring in Starlight Express.

And she also runs a theater school, so the assumption or assertion perhaps that uh I'm against the arts would be uh would be wrong.

However, the uh Van Wezel committee did come up with, you know, frankly, a rather predictable set of opinions.

Obviously, the answer one gets to any question is dependent on who one asks.

You know, I forgot to bring my little prop I bought on Amazon.

I bought a camel, a little stuffed plush and uh forgot to bring it, but uh to point out that it is said that a camel is uh is a horse designed by a key committee.

A $900,000 storm barrier that Tampa bought would have saved the vast majority of the damage to the Van Weasel.

They knew that they wanted it trashed.

Um the assertion, and this is an important thing.

The assertion of uh climate change.

I I called it weather, but whatever.

Climate change being the uh driving factor here is contradictory and it's also interesting.

Because if it's really so dangerous to have a building on the bayfront, why then build another one?

Doesn't really pass the sniff test.

I suppose the argument is it'll be up on stilts, but uh it still doesn't make any sense.

If you really believe that area is going to be ten foot underwater, it ain't gonna make any difference if the performing arts center is dry, if the rest of the place is uh waist deep.

So why not put it somewhere safer?

But coming to the bottom line, you know, because I'm a numbers guy.

200 million dollars plus at a cost of eight million dollars a year, that's the minimum it's gonna cost, including operating losses, seems a trifle optimistic for a city that uh can't afford pay raises for its staff this uh this year.

But I got a simple solution, a way to uh to kick this proverbial can down the road, because it is too big of a decision uh to leave to a hand pick committee or to commissioners.

Um the citizens.

I've said this before.

It's real simple.

I'd invite you to uh submit one question in November of 2026.

It won't cost you any extra money to put it on the ballot.

And real simple, they don't necessarily use my verbiage.

Do you want your taxes to rise by 10 percent for 30 years to pay for a new spec?

And if the answer to that is yes, then you've got your answer.

Thank you very much.

Lori Moldani.

Good morning.

For the record, my name is Lori Moldowney, and I'm here representing the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation.

I have been following closely the discussion of the Van Wesel Performing Arts Hall, as have many others in the community.

I'd like to acknowledge the hard work of this committee in the creation of the report that is before you.

Also, I would like to recognize the contributions of the community-based Save the Van Wazel Committee for their efforts to post the various reports and testimony.

Well, I might hold the record for citizen input to the Purple Ribbon Committee.

I appeared eight times over the course of their deliberations.

Um these presentations had to do with discussing the significance of the whole, establishing its eligibility for listing in the National Register, and the benefits and responsibilities that come with this listing.

Along with me, other community members believe so strongly that the hall is eligible for the National Register that they hired an architectural historian to complete the paperwork to determine this.

I presented this preliminary site information questionnaire to the Purple Ribbon Committee and the City Commission in Mar in March.

At that meeting, several commissioners expressed concern that submitting a preliminary site information questionnaire form would be premature if it preceded this report.

Considering the expertise of the committee members.

Um, in deference to those commissioners, we delayed the submission of the form.

Now the report has been issued.

And I'd like to highlight the historic preservation section of the report, which was prepared by the committee's preservation expert, Marty Hilton.

If you're looking at the report on page 43, it states that of primary consideration is a Van Wazel's potential eligibility for designation.

Official recognition as a cultural resource would help inform decisions about the building's future, which is really what uh so much of the work of the PRC focused on, including potential upgrades to improve the whole, alterations to accommodate a new use, or even documentation to mitigate its possible demolition.

The statement is followed by preservation recommendation number one, prepare and submit a preliminary site information questionnaire to the Florida Division of Historical Resources requesting a determination of eligibility.

So I just wanted to bring that to your attention.

I think it's a pretty straightforward statement, and um we would like to proceed.

Other vitally important recommendations in the report, which have already been mentioned are implementation of the Cairns Engineering Report for still water flood proofing and storm surge protection.

Both these recommendations are consistent with uh the people's resolution on the Van Wazel, which can be found at Keep the Van Wasel.com.

In closing, I'd like to say that icons deserve to be cherished and treasured, and in some cities they are, like the Guggenheim in New York and Falling Water in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.

And I hope you will do this for us as well.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Aaron DeFasio.

Hello, Commissioners.

For the record, I'm Aaron DeFazio, and I'm the managing director of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation.

I would like to thank this commission for hearing the public outcry as its beloved and iconic Bayfront performing arts hall began to be called obsolete by those with a desire to see a new building constructed.

You nominated a committee with a remit to identify a future use and purpose for the building currently used as the city's premier arts hall.

The directive bore after two grueling years this report.

The pages created by the highly qualified volunteers who focused on the specific assignment, taking into consideration relevant factual information, include a roadmap for the city.

If culture is the brand, as Chair Cosler has said, then the Van Weasel is our logo.

A tally essence structure so synonymous with Sarasota around the world that it was included in the Macy's Snow Globe.

The Van Weasel was identified by Karen's engineering as structurally sound.

It is also actively in use for the foreseeable future and has numerous potential long-term uses pending the needs of the community at such unforeseen future date that it is presumably no longer serving the city as its performing arts hall.

This is not an either-or decision.

There is no reason the Van Wazel cannot continue its legacy while and after another performing arts hall is created.

As such, it is critical that the city is the steward of Sarasota's architecturally and culturally significant yet vulnerable structure, lead the way in demonstrating for other coastal communities how to storm harden and adapt these places, which anchor our cultural identity.

The path for the Van Wazel has been identified.

Work with Karen's Engineering to create and implement a resiliency-focused hardening and maintenance plan.

Proceed with the National Register Historic Designation to open the door to critical funding.

Make any interior improvements that will enhance the experience for performers and audiences.

And as the needs of the community change, you could consider the sensitive transition to a partially open-air, wet flood-proofed venue.

To denigrate the old in justification of the new is an outgraded, outdated tactic favored by the myopic.

To quote Maya Angelou, do the best you can until you know better.

Then when you know better, do better.

Commissioners, we know better now.

Please show us how to do better.

Thank you very much.

All right.

Now we'll we'll go back to Commissioner questions if Mr.

Shirley and Mr.

Costler would like to come back up.

Do we have anybody wanting to ask a question?

I don't see anybody on the board.

I have a question.

I'll start.

All right.

Commissioner Ulrich.

Thank you, Mayor.

First of all, uh I want to thank you and everybody who served on the committee for their diligent and hard work over two year period of time.

The report contains so much good information.

So there's been chatter, and Miss Goker Wilson referred to it in her comments.

Would you confirm for the record that the report as submitted was not approved by the whole committee?

The report.

The report as submitted.

The report as she was voted on by the committee.

Yes, it was.

The the findings in the report were voted on and approved unanimously by the committee.

And is there anything additional to what the committee voted on and approved included in what we have today?

There is not.

And I will tell you that Ms.

Jorgensen came in halfway through the meeting or toward the end of the meeting, she came before us and said, now I want to tell you that you all must approve this report.

It's very important.

And we did.

We had a vote and it was approved.

Thank you.

I think that was good to get on the record.

Thank you.

I have other questions, but I'll pass for now.

Okay.

Commissioner Aherncotch.

Uh yeah, thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Um I would like to ask um Ms.

Cooker Wilson to come down as well to speak to that statement, because um it's my understanding that prologue in the very beginning was not read in and approved by the entire body of the uh Purple Ribbon Committee.

And um she stated for the record that it wasn't, and so I would like to clear that up and ask her that question if she could come down here, please.

Just go ahead and state your name and if you would respond to the question.

My name is Selma Goker Wilson, and the question is regarding the prologue, not the whole report.

Correct.

And I did go back and watch because I did think that we had read it, because that was the intention, and we did not read the prologue.

We had we went back to it because we had a typo.

The word city was misspelt, and I had written a comment the night before about a color change in the text.

So we went back to the prologue, but we did not read the prologue.

And because we were told that we have to read everything and then vote on it procedurally, it is my understanding that that section only was not voted on, not the whole report.

And because not only myself, but Chair Cosler also stated we're going to do the whole report.

I think it was all of our intention to read the whole report.

I just think we missed it.

So we have to I I want some clarity.

Are we talking about this what we're talking about?

It's the section before the table of contents.

I'm not sure that I'm looking, yes.

Yes.

Yes.

This letter here that starts out with Sarasota, the the cultural capital of Florida.

Okay.

Um first of all, I don't understand what the problem is.

It's nothing, there's nothing controversial here, I don't believe.

But second of all, this was proposed, oh, I would say several months before we finished.

Um there was a big discussion about what is the big framework that we're working on here.

There was a lot of discussion, and then finally, um bombunting was tasked with writing drafting this, which he did.

And he came, he brought it to us, and we all read it, and we all agreed on it.

So I I'm very surprised at what this objection is about or that it's even coming forward.

Well, the the you know, the objection is that in my experience when we have done these kinds of committees, for example, the tree committee, right?

They met for over two years, and when they discussed different items, they would have a recommendation.

So each and every recommendation that they came and gave to the city that eventually found their way or not into our ordinance, the way we continue to proceed was voted on by every member of that committee.

And it wasn't one report, it was each recommendation was voted on specifically, so that we could gauge the support or go back and look at the discussion for each one of those recommendations.

And this to me, this this prologue here frames the mind of the rest of the report.

And I found this very opinionated more than fact-based.

And that's why I was asking, is this one person's opinion on the committee, or did the whole purple ribbon committee read this prologue and vote and say, yes, we support this language, because a lot of this language is very subjective.

And so I think it's important to get clarity on uh when a document is submitted and accepted by a commission, it lives and it lives and it's referenced.

And if we don't have an accurate framework for how this document made it on our shelves, then we we have to be very careful about what we do, because it will be referenced, and these words will be referenced at this body unanimously accepted and voted for all of the content.

And I just want an accurate representation of if that was true or it wasn't.

Jim, you can back me up on this, but I believe that we it was read and we all agreed to it.

That is my memory.

Now, I will tell you that did we have a very strict uh procedure uh in terms of uh calling for a motion and for votes and so forth?

No, we did not.

We are our style was to be somewhat casual, but we did vote on things.

And um, so this was this was voted in my memory, this was voted on by the entire committee.

Is that your memory, Jim?

Yes, correct.

It was.

Okay.

So for example, on page 49 of 57 or 47 of the document, the very last line states, it seems clear that the reuse of the hall is untenable.

Was that a unanimous vote of all the Purple Ribbon Committee members that they accepted those words?

Yes.

Everybody brought, everybody was encouraged to write a report, bring it to a draft, bring it to the committee, and then the committee would read it, mull it over, and suggest changes.

That was our process.

And I uh wrote that and submitted it, we discussed it, and everybody, it was unanimously approved.

Is that your recollection, Ms.

Goker Wilson?

No, it does not.

There are because in this report there are different reports from different folks, and they're conflicting, right?

If if there's a recommendation to submit this for National Historic Preservation, that's a process, and it's an effort that you know I would love to support.

If this statement by the entire that same committee says it seems clear that the reuse of the hall is untenable, why are we putting a penny into it?

So it seems to me that there are opinions in here and there are facts in here.

And it's being stated that everything in this document was unanimously voted on and accepted by the entire committee, and that doesn't seem to be the case.

That may be an opinion, but it doesn't seem to be a fact.

Well, the fact is that as Chair Cosser indicated, with the process that was used, as the committee went through each of the individual members writing certain sections based on their expertise and so on.

That the committees listened to what they had to say, they made uh uh they made recommendations for adjustments, and then at that time in the process, uh each of those was voted on by the committee.

All right, and either accepted or not, and in my there were a couple of cases where the information was not accepted, and that was not included in this report.

So Mr.

Shirley, did did somebody read and present the whole document as a whole piece because there's conflicting information here.

For example, um it stated, and I know this is a tiny little detail, but I tend to be detail-oriented, that the Van Wazel was closed last summer for two months, that's on page three, or three months that's on page eight, and for four months, that's on page twenty-three.

I don't know what it is.

Is it two months?

Is it three months, or is it four months?

And what that tells me is that three different people have three different opinions about something that's factual in a document that will live on our shelves.

And what that means is that people can reference it and use it to suit their needs and quote it.

And I don't want that.

I think it is really important the work that you all put into this be properly represented in this report.

And and I'm not seeing a unified opinion here and a unified recommendation.

And and that's the issue that I have with a lot of this.

It seems very opinionated and less fact-based.

Now there are some excellent things in here, and I commend you all for doing that.

But I attended not all of the meetings, most of the meetings for most of the time.

And I could hear, right?

The differing opinions.

What I don't see here is a unified voted on opinion.

Either yes or no, or the vote was split three to three or four to three.

That's what I would like to see in a report.

Okay.

And I will stop right now, um, because my time is up for the moment.

Okay.

Commissioner Batti.

Uh uh thank you all.

And uh thank you to the uh purple ribbon committee as well for the uh arduous task that you had before you and the conclusion that you've all come to.

Um I want to ask when was the first time that uh the van weasel was ever proposed uh or the idea proposed of putting the van weasel in the historical you know designation.

And I'm not just talking about this year, last year.

I mean when I uh if I may comment.

This uh very justifiably has been an ongoing conversation in the community, not just the Purple Ribbon Committee, but in the community for quite some time.

Uh there are uh and it became very clear in the meetings that we had and the presentations that were made that there uh is a definite faction in the community who would love to see uh um uh the application for the van weasel having a national historic designation.

Uh and um as a matter of fact, one of our committee members, uh Mr.

Hilton, uh, is among those and and justifiably.

The Purple Ribbon Committee did not feel that that would be their decision to make.

And you'll note that in the report it was acknowledged that there is a great interest in the community, and there are pros and cons for that.

So uh sorry, let me apologize, sir.

I don't know.

No problem interrupting.

Um my mind.

So if if it wasn't their decision to make, then why was it even ever proposed and when I um I mean was this uh is that what you all were that would task.

As we were listening to input from the community, there were several presentations from folks in the community who are very passionate about uh applying for a national designation, uh national historic designation.

My language may not be exactly right there.

Uh and and that's that's great, but it was not a part of the charter of the purple ribbon committee to make that recommendation.

You know, if if if indeed the community feels that this is something that should be done, then that should be made to the commission, and the commission would make that decision on whether or not to apply for it.

Exactly.

So just based on on that matter.

And you know, because we have these situations that that happen and come up in this in this uh um in this community, and it's happened since I've been on this commission, like the McAlvern House.

Right.

You know, out of nowhere, everybody's coming talking about, hey, save this building, save this building.

When they find out that a developer has bought purchased a thing and now want to tear it down, tear it down or whatever.

Colson Hotel.

I mean, the thing's been riddled in and with uh uh, you know, drug use and and all sorts of things going on there or what have you.

Um a derelict building dilapidated or what have you.

No one said anything about that.

Developer comes purchases it, and all of a sudden, you know, there's an uproar.

Now we we form this purple ribbon committee, although there have been there been, you know, rumblings in the community about you know the the history of this building or the structure of whatever for for some time, you know, now of a sudden, you know, let's apply for for you know the application of putting it in a historical designation, you know, and even with with you know what you're being questioned with right now, it's it seems to me and people that I've spoken now you you don't like the Cairns report.

And all you know, now this is a way to sort of come about, you know, someone said a myopic view.

That's a myop view as well.

Well, now it depends on how you want to parse it, and you know, what whatever you want to say.

Right.

You know, so you don't like the Cairns report, so let's find a way to sort of circumvent, you know, that you know, the process and how you all came about, you know, your decision.

And that's where I take umbrage with, or what have you.

The current Cairns report has been unanimo unanimously, you know, voted on, or what have you, and accepted, even the first one uh uh uh or whatever, because you know this decision is paramount to the identity, you know, of this of the city, okay.

And you know, to sit and go back and forth on what you know, we'll be here for who knows how long, going back and forth in terms of whether or not to accept this report or not, and and it was supposed to be uh of a lot more comprehensive than the first one, correct.

Talking about the Cairns report.

Yes.

Yes, yes.

And you know, I mean, even in that one, and get what page is on five or seven or whatever where it says the Van Wazel as presently constructed, you know, can't be expanded upon, you know.

Um and to Commissioner A.

Herm Kaj's point, you know, why even put money in it uh uh or whatever.

But regardless, the Van Wazel has to, you know, stand for whatever duration that it may um until the new performing arts center is is erected or whatever.

So um this this this whole thing of like trying to you know go around the process because we don't like the the results and the decision made by you know Karen You know, is uh something that that uh you know I'm not willing to accept uh yield mayor.

Thank you.

I'd I'd like to respond.

Um from the time that we started meeting um Marty Hilton, who was our historic preservation architect was very strong and suggesting that the Van Ways will be listed and we listened to him, but then the storms happened and that changed everything.

And that took a lot of our focus.

And so when it came down to writing this report, yes, there might be some differences between the various uh members' report.

I could have used an editor I'll admit that freely.

Um but when it came down to historic preservation, I'll just read to you exactly what was written.

It said subject to number eight, and number eight has all those conditions for reuse of the Van Wazel.

Um if an if a National Register of Historic Places nomination is a consideration, prepare and submit a preliminary site information questionnaire, a PSIQ to the Florida Division of Historic Resources.

And as Marty pointed out to this, this is not this is something that uh the historic society here could do.

It's not something with the commissioners have to do.

You know, and so that's that's the way that we that's the way that we dealt with it.

And that's how they come up.

I mean, we sit here as a body, you know, every other Monday, you know.

We all have very in opinions.

We all have varying perspectives and views on various topics and whatever.

There's a vote taken, that's the process, whatever it might be, you know you either on the one side of it or the other.

3241 50.

And that's that's how it works.

And guess what?

Once that vote is taken, it's out in the ethos and it's to be accepted.

And that's how I look at this with the Cairns Report.

All right.

Vice Mayor Trice.

Well, I want to thank the Purple Ribbon Committee.

I also observed uh most of the meetings uh and I appreciate all the time you spent.

Uh I learned a lot, just as Mr.

Shirley said, and Mr.

Shirley has been in that industry for many years.

I wasn't, but I just learned so much.

Um taking us back to when we established the committee.

We purposely said we need an architect, we need an engineer, we need somebody who's knowledgeable about um theater financing, about theaters in general.

We meet need members of the public, climate adaptation, and um uh historic preservation.

So I appreciated that each one of the members came from their professional backgrounds and you know, I'm sure as consultants, you were probably charging, you know, several hundred dollars an hour for your insight, and you volunteered that insight to us, so I really appreciate it.

I looked at the report from the standpoint of one chapter was giving us the engineering perspective, another chapter was giving us climate act adaptation perspective, another chapter was giving us uh whether or not the uh Van Wezel could function in a current Broadway blockbuster environment, which by the way is how I see using the word obsolete.

It was wonderful for Broadway productions when it was built and even when it was renovated, but it can't handle first run Broadway blockbusters now just because of the way the building is designed and constructed.

So from that perspective, it's obsolete to be able to handle contemporary Broadway blockbusters.

But any event, uh the as I see it, each one of those professional expertise chapters fed into your 12 recommendations.

So while I see the different professional difference, you know, disagreements, the recommendations I believe from what you're saying were all agreed to by the committee unanimously.

The 12 recommendations that appear on uh pages eight through 10 of your report, that's uh nine through twelve of 15.

I guess 10 to 10 through 12.

10 through 12, but um so the recommendations, that's what everybody came together on.

That's what I see using moving forward, and I wanted to point out two of the recommendations that were most meaningful to me.

Um we can't foresee the future.

I appreciate the recommendation that the investment be spent to uh repair, upgrade, maintain the Van Weasel for as long as we need it as our primary performing arts center.

But number 10, the very capable staff at the Van Weazel Performing Arts Show Hall should continue to monitor and assess how well the hall withstands the environmental challenges it faces and report their findings to help make more informed final decisions on the reuse and or repurpose of the building.

So I'm assuming you intended for the staff of the hall over the years as it continues in operation to provide updated recommendations.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

And we felt they were the they were in the best position to really understand what was happening day to day at the hall.

And then the other recommendation that was meaningful to me was number twelve.

Should the Van Wezel sustain unrecoverable storm damage, it would seem prudent to clear and incorporate the site into the Bay Park.

So I'm interpreting that is if it's damaged in an unrecoverable manner, don't rebuild it.

Correct.

And if I may comment um uh Commissioner, and thank you for your comments.

Um this your interpretation is what was intended by the committee to take place, i.e., the rec the findings and the recommendations of those first twelve pages is what the committee recommends to you to do.

Just like with the Cairns report, which the committee did not write, and you know, it shouldn't, and the reports from other alliances and Ringland College and so on, we felt it was important to include that information in there.

For example, the uh interpretations of Mr.

Cossler as a theater expert.

You know, those were all discussions.

Uh, the those findings at the time that they were put together and agreed upon were voted on by the committee, and that's why they were placed there as background information to the findings and the recommendations of the committee.

What the committee is recommending to you is exactly what you interpreted.

Based on all of this information, the committee recommends that the City Commission take this course of action.

That is the intent of the report.

Thank you.

I uh I I would just like to respond.

And and by the way, uh Ms.

Trice, thank you for your comments.

I appreciate it very much.

Um on page eight, uh, third paragraph down.

Uh I just want to read this out.

I think it's important.

The findings below are a distillation of facts and expert opinions from building assessments done by others and chapter narratives written by committee members.

Right, where are you?

Well, Paige?

Oh, so out of our big thing right.

Yeah, out of your pocket.

Um findings.

Okay, go ahead.

I'm sorry.

The findings below are a distillation of facts and expert opinions from building assessments done by others and chapter narratives written by committee members.

So that's the framework for all of the findings and recommendations.

As you can imagine, though, you know, this is a very complex issue.

Uh there are there are no real simple answers.

And uh I have to admit, I mean, I've I have lived in Sarasota for 42 years, and last year was the first time I ever saw a hurricane here.

And none of us did.

You know, we uh and as you said, you can't predict the future.

I think the important thing from this report, and I believe this would be representative of everyone in the committee, but I am not saying this as this is a fact for the committee.

I'm just saying it to you.

Clearly, arts and culture are the soul of Sarasota.

You know, we have beautiful beaches, we have great climate.

But what brings the philanthropist here, what makes this community continue year after year after year to have great school systems, to have great quality of life is the presence of such a rich and vibrant arts and cultural community.

It's not the only thing, but believe me, it's a major driver of that.

And as we look going forward, um I think it would be almost impossible right now to say in four years if you elect to go ahead with a new performing arts hall and it's built, uh you know, the the current van Wasal structure should be that.

Because what's going to happen is over the next four years or six years or whatever that ends up being, Mary and her staff or the people running the van wasel are going to be giving you constant updates on what's happening.

You know, I I would never have dreamed that the Van Waza would have been shut down because of water in the orchestra pit.

But it was.

We have to face that fact.

And that's not saying it's going to happen again.

It may not happen for another 30 years.

We don't know.

But if we want to have this continued uh as this committee, can excuse me, this community continue as the arts and cultural center of the State of Florida, which it is, then we need to make investments in making that future happen.

We can't dodge around it because seven years from now, if we have another storm, we don't have another performing arts hall.

You're not going to get those Broadway shows here.

You're not going to get anything.

And that I mean, we have a great opera.

We have a great orchestra.

We have great theater, un unbelievable theater for a community this size.

And what helps feed the community is the variety offered by a professional performing arts hall by people like Mary and her staff who are outstanding.

And that is a key part of the soul of this community.

So I mean, that's what unfortunately you guys are faced tasked with looking at that.

But don't overlook the fact that John Ringling and his group a hundred years ago and other people set a lot of this in place.

And that's why what we have, we have today.

We've got to look at this is where we are now.

Things have changed.

Theater has changed, you know, having a first-run show.

Uh my gosh, it it's crazy.

And we just simply can't accommodate it now.

So the decision is do we want to prepare for continuing to be the cultural coast of Florida, or do we just want to kind of give up?

I mean, that's really the decision when you get right down to it.

Thank you, Mr.

Shirley.

Um and and I appreciate uh, you know, I I've known you a long time, and and I appreciate that you became the facilitator for the committee and appreciate all the people who served, served on the committee.

I think you did a uh a great job of really trying very hard to look for um you know how this facility can be reused and its current condition.

Um was let me ask you a question.

Was it a requirement that everything that was voted on had to be unanimous before it would be included?

I mean, we don't we don't have unanimous votes here that require that's how we um We never we never discussed it, but uh as chair, in my opinion, um I just felt that if there was a majority, then um the majority ruled.

It was not you know, it did not have to be an unanimous, except for at the very end, as Ms.

Jorgensen told us, you know, everybody has got to approve this committee, which they did, this report, which they did.

Um so the findings that was voted on and unanimously approved by the committee?

It was not only voted on, it was gone over word by word by word several times.

And the recommendations as well?

Same thing.

Same thing except so basically the bottom line whether whether the opening was voted on unanimously or not voted on unanimously, that's not what the report is.

The report is the findings and the recommendation.

That's the bottom line of the report.

If there is a there's a typo or a slight inconsistency, does that really matter to the findings and recommendation that was approved unanimously by the committee?

I would say no.

I would say you're exactly right.

We felt that the findings and the recommendations were basically the heart of the report.

Right.

And that's that's basically, yeah, that's basically the report.

As you said, that's the heart of the report, and that's you know, that's the action that people will be looking at in terms of what action to take.

Um, you know, I I agree agree with Vice Mayor Trice.

I think, you know, the water, the water intrusion is certainly an issue, you know, and and you know, temporarily we can do the, you know, do the recommendations to um protect it as much as possible.

But that doesn't change, does it, the um obsolescence of the facility for modern productions.

That's correct.

Absolutely correct.

And I I just wanted to say also that um one of the recommendations was to develop a contingency plan.

And I would recommend to the commit commission that that be carried out.

I think that's very important.

If we have another storm and the hall is offline for again a number of months or the rest of the season, I think it's very important, especially to the local groups that use the hall repeatedly and have for many years, being the orchestra, the concert association, the ballet.

Uh those are our local groups.

And if they don't have a place to perform, they can't perform.

And they can't they can't thrive, and there it's going to be a real damage to their uh organization.

So I think having a contingency plan is a very important thing to do.

Thank you.

I agree.

All right.

Um, thank you.

Um I have a specific question about the National Historic Designation.

Can I ask Mr.

Hilton to come down since that was his chapter, please?

Hi, good morning.

I'm Marty Hilton.

Go ahead and state, yeah.

Okay.

Marty Hilton.

Um The question was asked about why was this not anticipated to designate it historically nationally a while ago.

Isn't there a doesn't the building have to be a certain age before that takes place?

Or that's correct.

It's not really a rule, but a guideline that's used in uh designating, at least on the National Register of Historic Places, uh, 50 years is the uh date that's typically used.

And how old is it?

Uh it is now 50 years old.

Okay.

Um 1970, essentially.

So it's a pretty fresh topic as far as eligibility for it uh in the in that sense.

Um what are the other reasons that it's designated historically?

Yeah.

And can I can I clarify what it's not designated qualified?

It would be, yeah.

Let me clarify one thing, which is part of my report, which I kept very short, concise.

Um The National Register of Historic Places is an honorific listing.

There are four criteria.

It does not provide any protection in terms of demolition or alteration.

It does not uh regulate or review, you know, doesn't establish a review process unless it's a federal property or federal money is being used.

Then it triggers what's called a Section 106 review process.

And that also doesn't mean a building or site can't be altered or demolished.

It just means it goes through the process.

That's very different than your local ordinance, right?

And the Historic Preservation Commission, which means everything changes to an exterior of a building, any demolition permits gets reviewed by that commission.

So I just want to be very clear about the difference between national register listing and a local, either at the county or the city level.

Okay.

So it does have to be 50 years old typically, or uh a establish um extra significance, if you will.

For example, the Guggenheim Museum in New York was listed when it was about 30 years old.

Um reasons for designation.

Um so we're talking about we all are, I think now uh much much familiar with the female substantial improvement, so-called 50 percent rule.

So being determined eligible, and let me make that clear too, the PSIQ, the preliminary site information questionnaire is not a designation.

It's asking the state, and every state has a State Historic Preservation Office.

It's asking our SHIPO, Florida Division of Historical Resource to essentially evaluate and determine whether it's eligible or not.

Once that letter is issued, it is treated as if it were on the register.

And what that means with the famous substantial improvement rule is it gives you more latitude.

If you exceed the cost of repair, right?

And I've been assisting through my role with Architecture Sarasota, many property owners who are up against this issue where a significant historic property would ultimately be demolished, but because we've been able to secure a determination of eligibility, it's giving them more um latitude.

It also perhaps opens up some funding opportunities as well.

And and doesn't it also if if uh associated with people who have been there, historic people, isn't that part of the story that you tell when you designate something nationally?

Yeah, there are three, there are four criteria really, and one has to do with people, the other is events that take place, and then uh architectural significance, and the last one often is archaeology, it's a little more complicated than that.

Um I've stated over and over again throughout the process, and let me back up and say this.

Acknowledging that this building is significant does not mean that the building can't be altered or doesn't mean that the building can't be demolished.

My point is is we may treat it a little differently in terms of how we document it, right, throughout the process, and I said that in my report to mitigate any potential loss.

And um it's hard pressed to uh have a performing arts hall that's been here 54 years and had all the amazing performers and had all the people who've had their first per, you know, gone to their first ballet as a kid, what have you.

It's really challenging to have a building like that that's not culturally significant.

Let's put its architecturally architecture significant.

But can you just speak to the the architectural significance as well?

I can speak to the architecture significance.

So as director of historic preservation at the University of Florida in 2018, and my expertise is mid-century modern architecture and its preservation.

I worked with the State of Florida, the Florida Division of Historical Resources, and I did a statewide survey of mid-century modern architecture that was just eligible based on its architectural significance.

And that took into account, obviously that's architectural significance, but also integrity.

This building has had some changes, right, around 2000 with the fly loft and the addition.

So I did this with a colleague at the University of Florida.

We had a team of outside experts who guided us.

581 buildings were found eligible.

And the state of Florida asked us for 50, what they called flagship, what are the priority buildings.

So to go to Commissioner Batti, when was it first proposed to go in the National Register of Historic Places?

That was in 2018 when the state of Florida, Van Wazel was included in that 50, and it was accepted by the State of Florida as being potentially eligible then.

Did it receive a letter?

No.

You may have received a letter as a city.

That was the state's responsibility to follow up with those 50 properties.

But 2018 was the first time.

Thank you.

All right, moving on.

Umisher Albert.

Thank you.

Um first of all, I have a procedural question, Ms.

Griggs.

Um, so our charge here today is to discuss and receive this report.

Are we allowed to take any action, make any motions other than accepting or or not the report?

I mean, typically as a body, anything outside of um schedule presentations, you can, but I recommend that because it's under board actions, and that was all that the committee was tasked to do, that's really all we should be doing right now.

And if you guys want to have maybe the interim city manager bring something back, that's a different discussion, but thank you for that.

Um and so um I was not on the city commission when the blue turned purple ribbon committee was established.

And so I had to go to the resolution that established the committee to help me learn what I should be looking for from you.

And it's in that resolution 23R-3177.

Three specific tasks.

You know what they are.

I don't know that I need to read them to you.

Um based on those charges, I was looking for a report that was a unified report that sort of brought everything together.

And so I was really quite confused when I read the report and saw individual chapters by subject area expertise.

It didn't help me until I saw the recommendations, but the report itself didn't lend to the recommendations because it wasn't a unified report.

And so once I got that, I got the recommendations.

But it would have been helpful to me to have that loud and clear in that first prologue that this is how this report is put together.

Then I might not have been so confused when there were as Commissioner Aaron Koch said some in inconsistencies and differences of opinion.

Okay.

Understood.

All right.

We don't have anybody else.

You have another question for your final round, Commissioner.

Yes, I do.

Aaron Kotch?

You have three minutes.

Okay.

So I have a really important question.

And the the very last recommended last page 12 of 57 when it says should the Van Wazel sustain unrecover unrecoverable storm damage.

It would seem prudent to clear and incorporate the site into the bay park.

What is unrecoverable storm damage?

Is there a number?

Is there a threshold?

Who makes that determination?

That's a big thing to determine, and it's very subjective.

What was your discussion about what that would be?

Unrecoverable is a big word.

But I think, you know, after a storm, when you look at the building and you did decide, you know, is this something that we can repair or not repair?

There's no threshold.

I don't want to cut you off.

I've got three minutes.

There's no threshold, there's no number, there's no determined by an engineer.

Any substance to that word?

Well, we would think that the that the city would, you know, ask an engineer to look at the building and say, can we recover?

And if with this, then how much is it going to cost?

Well, I mean, anything can be recovered and rebuilt.

Absolutely anything can be.

But um so for me that word is it's really important.

That recommendation is pretty serious, and that the determining word is very flexible and subjective.

Um that's one of the ones that concerns me.

In the um in the findings on page six or eight of 57.

Um, number four, it says, a proposed new performing arts center, possibly in the northeast corner of the Bay Park will subsume the current uses of the Van Wazel Performing Arts Hall.

We asked that this be discussed in the use, the reuse, so the potential to continue use and reuse.

And that statement to me conflicts with the option of it being the continued use.

And that was one of the assumptions that was made when f making your findings.

Can you explain that to me?

Well, there was also discussion about um competition between there should be no competition.

No, no, no, no, it was that wasn't it.

There should be no competition.

Whether if it continued as as a use or its reuse would compete, and if that was okay.

If I can finish my thought.

Yeah.

The idea of at first, when we first started meeting, the idea of noncompete was an issue.

And that meant non-compete between the Van Wasel and the new performing arts as we understood it.

That softened over time.

Um we were told by um uh city manager, I believe, uh, that that was that that that was not a problem anymore.

I'm just gonna, I'm sorry I have to cut you off.

I've got a couple seconds.

Um I wanted to ask um on number five, Mr.

Shirley, you may or may remember this, I don't know.

It says that um halfway down about the city and the conservancy regarding polluted wastewater running across the parking lots of the Van Wazel.

Is that accurate?

Was there polluted wastewater?

The reference there is to the report that was given to us by Mr.

Lapley and the Conservancy and stating uh he talked about I can't remember exact words, but basically talked about the baffling that they're doing and the uh trying to take away the uh further uh damage to the bay, and specifically it was talked about the water flowing across that parking lot into the bay.

We're we're referring to his comment there.

If we change nothing in this, and there's some things I would like to suggest we change, can we change that word?

Because I'm pretty sure it's not wastewater.

I'm pretty sure he's referencing stormwater.

Those are two very different things.

And that that could be I don't uh Charles, I would ever defer to you.

I mean uh I I think uh switch between stormwater and wastewater.

It's fine with me.

And we could go back to the tape and see exactly what he said.

Yeah.

But um that could that could be an interpretation because this it's not to imply that there's sewage running there.

Okay.

It's to imply that we're polluting the bay with the way the water is running off.

And and I get that, but you know, I got you.

I think it's really important.

Um there are a lot of a lot of items in here I I think that should be um clarified.

So excuse me.

May I point out one item that you referred to?

Oh, I don't know if I'm allowed to, though.

Um yeah, we're we're we're out of time for her portion.

Yeah, I was just going to say the question you asked, it's in the recommendations regarding the Van Vasel being continued use.

The recomm one of the recommendations, I believe, number F.

It includes being reused.

Right.

Okay.

Commissioner Bat to you.

Uh uh, thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to ask, so how much um you know five minutes?

This is just just a second.

Yeah.

Um, you know, and this is going to uh the Vice Mayor's point.

Did you speak to Karen about uh basically the the water intrusion?

That's that's what I have an issue with and when I like in terms of you know compromising you know that building or what have you.

And I asked that just because like I went over there at three in the morning on my bike right after the storm.

Literally right after the storm.

I was out in the storm on my bike.

I saw that, and I have the photos right here of that that door, the bottom that goes down totally and completely twisted.

And I took photos of it.

I have photos of all the furniture and all the water intrusion in that building floating in the bottom of it at three in the morning.

How much does that play a role in the the the compromising of that building right now in terms of the water intrusion?

Well, you're talking you're talking about storm, you're talking about storm damage because there is water intrusion that is not storm-related.

Well, the water intrusion was from the storm.

Yes, that's correct.

But there also is water intrusion, ongoing water intrusion for years in the building because of the hydrostatic pressure of water pushing up from the bottom.

Um I think it's I think it was very important that we deal with, you know, the and and there's measures ongoing right now.

I I spoke to Jerry Sheffield on the way in that they're working right now to put barriers at the various doors and so forth to prevent uh, you know, water from coming in.

Whether or not, you know, depending on what kind of a storm it is, whether it's three or four or whatever, you know, category three or four depends on how successful those measures will be.

And we don't we don't know.

I think that Bob Bunting has said that anything above three is going to be pretty catastrophic for the building.

Okay.

So you you were talking about the pressure underneath the the measure of the pressure underneath and so on.

Like what is that all about?

This uh, you know, I don't know much about that.

Well, it has to do with sea rise.

Okay.

The sea rise uh how much of a role does that play into the the compromising of the other structure as well, you know.

We don't know for sure.

We we you know, we don't know what it's doing to the foundations, whether the salt water is doing to the foundations and so forth.

All we know is that these slabs that were poured down there in 1970 code at that time did not require them to be reinforced against hydrostatic pressure.

So they're falling they're vulnerable now because it was sea level rise, which is about six feet now.

Uh that pressure is increasing and will continue to increase over time.

And so at some point it's there's water coming in now, which they have to use pumps and things to deal with on an ongoing basis.

And at some point in time it may be that the uh slab that is the Grand Fourier may start to crack and break from the pre from the pressure.

Is there salt deposits in there presently, right?

Correct.

Those are my questions, Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Vice Mayor Trice, this is your second round, so you have five minutes.

Well, actually I was prepared to make a motion, but I see Commissioner Ulrich.

All right, Commissioner Ulrich, this is your third round.

You have three minutes.

Thank you.

Um this is a procedural question to Ms.

Griggs again, uh, that might uh help making of the motion.

Anyway, um our task today is not to approve this report, but either accept it or not accept it.

When you accept it does not mean that you acknowledge accuracies or inaccuracies, it means you're accepting it.

When w if we accept this report today, um it seems to me then that the job of the purple ribbon committee has been accomplished and they are then some sunset.

Is that correct?

Right.

They are they are sunset.

They are already they've made it.

Oh, their sunset already.

Yeah, yeah, they're done.

You're done.

They were done in the so done.

Okay.

They they were they sunset in July.

So exit.

All right.

Uh commission uh well, before you go to that, I'm gonna take a little time uh for my s my second round.

And um just you know, ask Mr.

Cossler or whoever can wants to answer this.

Um for people who don't know what hydrostatic pressure is, and you know, can you explain what the ongoing situation is that they're that the you know that they're pumping having to pump out water now, that water is seeping through the uh foundation.

Is that correct?

And that the pr pressure I don't know, and I don't think it's known exactly where it's coming from.

It's just that water keeps coming in the building, and I think it's around the kitchen area or so.

Um maybe Jerry who is here could say.

That's okay.

I don't but it's just the water there's a water table everywhere there's a water table.

And the water table under the van weasel is at a certain level.

And as sea level rises, it rises and it just keeps pushing.

And that's basically the long and short of it.

Okay.

And the hydrostatic pressure is the water pressure pushing water into the foundation and or seams or somewhere where it's capable of penetrating the building.

And that's been going on for quite some time.

And I I do want to acknowledge uh Mary and her staff for the absolutely unbelievable job that they not only have done in the last few months, but for several years in keeping the land basel operating beautifully.

I mean, it's uh it's a lot of work.

I I had no idea they were doing all of that all the time, but they we've got a wonderful staff there.

Okay.

I don't know whether you've toured the building or not, but when you tour the building and you walk down there, or at least this was before even before the storms, when you walked on the tile in the hall, it went squish, squish, squish, you know, and so the water is there, and the and as Mr.

Batis said, there's salt deposits in the piano room and also in the in the orchestra pit.

So it's happening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, I I I have toured the building and you know, seen what what's been happening there for the past few years and the and the shortcomings of the building um as it sits today, you know, certainly for a you know, perhaps um, you know, depending on what what we're able to do concerning that um for you know, maybe one of the um performing arts foundations, you know, smaller venues or something, we don't know.

Even you know, I I thought it was interesting that um you were unable to find anybody willing to take on the building and um find, you know, be able to reuse it.

Well there was not that they were not willing, uh but if you look at the cost of running that building.

Right.

Almost nobody else could do that, honestly.

It's just way beyond their means uh of being able to pay the bills to run something like that.

And could I also add a lot was discussed in this particular you're also asking someone to step forward to consider taking on a building that they may not take occupancy uh for five or six years.

I think that's an important piece of that conversation.

I think that's why it was important the the committee came to the conclusion that you know it it should be looked at then you know at a later time, depending on um what happens as terms of looking then the possible reuse.

So I think that was I think that was a really good conclusion.

All right.

I am going to uh stop here.

Vice Mayor Troy.

I have a three-part um motion.

Um I move that we thank the Purple Ribbon Committee for the excellent job that they uh provided to the City of Sarasota, and that we accept the report that they presented.

And the third part is that we ask the interim city manager to take the um immediate recommendations and ongoing recommendations and uh at some point in the future present an action plan to the city commission.

Second.

I'm not sure we can put that in the So then it's two motions.

I I do not want us to put this thing on the shelf.

I want to make a separate two separate motions.

Yeah, motion to thank them and accept the report.

Second.

Okay, so well the already Commissioner Betsy already seconded that, so Vice Mayor Trice uh move to thank the uh Purple Ribbon Committee.

Um I'm sure she wants to amend it too, and the facilitator.

I consider the facilitator part of the committee and also the past members of the committee who are no longer on the committee.

And it's and accept the report.

And uh Commissioner Batti seconded that.

Commissioners, is there discussion?

Yeah, okay.

If you will vote.

Is that your vote?

Okay.

The motion passes unanimously.

And may I make the second motion?

Yes.

I I move that uh we ask the city manager, interim city manager, to take the um immediate recommendations of the report in the on the report and the ongoing recommendations and provide an action plan to the city commission.

Second.

May I ask a question?

Um so just those two portions and nothing else in the entire just the recommendations.

And the other with the considerations for the future could be five, ten years from now, we don't know.

Um to twelve is what you're saying.

One to ten.

One to ten.

On pages what, please?

Those are on pages um of fifty-seven to eleven of fifty-seven.

Oh and do what with those?

Um develop an action plan to present to the commission, city commission.

For further discussion, editing and adoption.

Yeah.

You can add those words.

I'll accept those words.

Are you accepting that?

I'm accepting those.

Well, uh then maybe the motion needs to be changed because if we're going to be discussing it and editing and changing it, then whatever he's presenting is going to be, you know, maybe different or not different.

And and we actually do that anyway.

So I want an action plan from the city manager, and what we do with it after it's presented is up to us.

But the motion is for an action plan.

Okay.

And very specific.

Is there a second for the one to ten seconds?

Yeah, from one to ten.

Okay.

Let's make sure this is clear because there's a lot of talking going on.

Let's repeat that.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah, go ahead.

I move that we ask the city manager to take the immediate recommendations and ongoing recommendations from the Purple Ribbon Committee final report and develop an action plan for review and consideration by the city committee.

Still second for the temptation.

And consideration means we vote on adopting it or not adopting it.

Just want to be clear.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

It is Monday, August 18th, 2025, and we're here for the Sarasota Regular City Commission meeting.

And we went into recess and we are back as the city commission.

But the next item on our agenda is for us to recess as a city commission and come back as the community redevelopment agency.

So as the community redevelopment agency, the next or the first item on our agenda is the approval of the minutes of the special Sarasota Community Redevelopment Agency meeting of April 21st, 2025.

Move approval.

Second.

Okay.

Commissioner Ulrich moved approval of the special Sarasota CRA meeting of April 21st, 2025.

Vice Mayor Trice seconded.

If you'll vote, Commissioners.

Oh, I submitted a non-subsidive change.

Sorry, I see Miss Griggs looking at me.

That's all right.

Is that your vote, Commissioners?

Yes.

Motion passes unanimously.

All right.

Second item as the community redevelopment agency is CRA two, which is a report regarding the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board.

And I'm going to call upon our Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency Business Relations Coordinator, Gallant, and Advisory Board Chair Chow to or Chu to make the presentation.

And I'll let her pronounce your name.

Sure.

I'm Alex Chow.

I am the current chair of the Newtown CRA Advisory Board.

And uh Good morning, Rochelle Gallant Business Relations Coordinator.

Okay.

First, I wanted to thank you, Mayor Alpert, Vice Mayor and Commissioners for your ongoing support of our board.

On behalf of the Newtown CRA Advisory Board, I want to reaffirm the mission is to foster economic development, celebrate Newtown's heritage, and improve residents' quality of life.

Today's purpose is going to be a quick update for you on the CRA's marketing and communications strategy.

A little background for you first.

On September 12th of 2024, the Newtown CRA Advisory Board approved the scope of services for a comprehensive communications plan on December 9th of the same year, following the City of Sarasota's procurement process at large was selected as the vendor.

The goal was to build a consistent brand, stronger engagement, and greater visibility for the new town CRA.

Now I want to talk to you about our progress.org.

This is the first dedicated website for the CRA.

We've uh previously just been going through uh city means for advertising our different events and things.

So this is a dedicated CRA hub for updates, events, and other resources.

It makes it easy for residents to learn about our grant programs and other initiatives, which will hopefully hopefully increase participation.

And the Marion Anderson Place site redevelopment to demonstrate to visitors that growth is happening here.

That's the landing page of the website.

So just a really clear logo.

We have education, heart and family, and then the amaryllis just to symbol, you know, symbolize uh faith and growth and renewal and you know, everything fresh about the neighborhood.

Um and those are all symbols that again we heard public feedback are very important to the people of the community.

Uh we also have some social media mock-ups.

Um, these will showcase event promotion, progress updates, and community stories.

So our next steps, uh, we're gonna begin a full rollout of the marketing and communications plan.

We will be launching monthly e-newsletters, expanding our social media presence, and using branded items at community events to encourage engagement.

Our expected impact is increased transparency and trust through consistent updates, greater community participation in Newtown CRA programs and events, and a strengthened positioning of Newtown as a place to live, work, invest, and visit.

In closing, this plan ensures Newtown's story is visible and celebrated.

Thank you again, City Commission, for your partnership, and we are excited about the positive changes ahead.

Thank you.

And also as part of the board report, um, we wanted to bring forward uh that the CRA has been receiving regular updates from the Newtown Business Council, which is a recently formed economic focused nonprofit organization that has been doing work in the Newtown community.

On May 8th, at its regular meeting, the Newtown Advisory Board, um, CRA Advisory Board received a presentation from the Newtown Business Council on this on its initiative, the Newtown Thriving Community Action Plan.

After reviewing the plan, the advisory board voted to formally support it and to partner with the Newtown Business Council in presenting to today to the City Commission.

The action plan reflects community identified priorities for economic growth, infrastructure, safety, and cultural preservation.

And the CRA's participation ensures that its own redevelopment activities remain aligned with the vision and goals expressed by the community itself.

So at this time we'd like to invite Ms.

Mary Butler, chair of the Newtown Business Council, to join us and make a presentation about the Newtown Thriving Community Action Plan and the work that this organization has been doing in the community.

Good morning.

I'm Mary Butler, Chair of the Newtown Business Council.

Morning.

Okay.

So we put together a presentation just to share, you know, um what we've achieved, and we've been meeting since um 2023.

Um and this is our agenda.

Okay.

And so here's a look at our um equity impact investment.

Um we started out this with what our partner um with what our partner we started out, and um these are things that we've accomplished, you know, since we started.

We started doing training, and and the training um was about the economic development organization training.

I'm a little nervous.

That one, okay.

And um, we we we we got a chance to actually um go and and visit and and do a presentation, not a presentation, but we did get a chance to do the workshop.

I'm a little nervous, yeah.

You're doing great.

I try not to be, but it's a little nervous.

So this is part of the workshop that that we had did in October 2023.

And then next we did the equity impact investment.

We did the first phase, and then we were accepted into the second phase.

Um the second phase was for 12 months, and we had different sessions: a partnership session, a community check-in session, community of practical uh practice, virtual convening, and also activities for self-reflection.

And um, this was pretty awesome.

Then we got a chance to um have uh uh uh uh workshop here in in Sarasota, and then our um team came and visit us.

One was from Miami, um, and then we had um the other two, they came, and I can't remember what city they were from.

But we had two days of um community building, which was awesome by the way.

So if if I might just comment a little bit further, that this uh Newtown Thriving was birthed out of a process that we began with support through the economic development um administration, and it was a program um focused on partnerships within the community and how to strengthen partnerships for economic outcomes.

And so our office as your economic development agency or um organization worked with Newtown Business Council throughout this program.

And so this slide shows the kickoff for that specifically.

Thank you, Rochelle.

Um, and then of May, May um last year from the 15th to the 17th, um, we were invited to a summit and the Nean City Um Escape Summit.

Um, it was awesome, guys.

You know, we got to spend those two days.

Um, I think it was over 500 people attended this summit, and um, we had so many different workshops to work on community engagement and economic development.

So I was very happy to be a part of this.

Yes, because the program that we we joined together and worked on worked on together was a two-year program, and so this presentation highlights some of the work that has been done over those two years and has informed the um the Newtown Thriving Community Action Plan and how it came to be.

And these are just some pictures um that we took while I was there.

Um, this is the presenters, people were presenting, and we also talked about a community land trust, what I thought was pretty awesome community wealth building.

And once again, we got a um community tour.

Um very, very awesome.

Never knew there was a black wall street um there, but we got a chance to walk around and get a see of all the artwork that was in Durham.

So out of our project, um, Newtown Thriving was developed, and it was developed in 2024.

After that, we started having community workshops, and we got a chance to get the input from the community.

Exactly what do you want?

You know, how do you want it if Newtown can be the most thriving um most thriving city in Florida?

What would it look like?

And this is what the workshops this is what we got out of the workshops, and we got some really good community leaders to come out and speak and tell us what they really thought.

And once again, we had another community workshop as well.

And once again, one of the things that came out of our workshops were priorities, you know, what really matters, you know, to Newtown community, and um health and wellness, arts and culture, business and finance, youth education and mentorship, community safety and security.

And um we broke out into brook breakout sessions, and we wanted to say, hey, let's put a let's prioritize these and let's give them some names and find out what it is and how we can work towards these five priorities.

And so we had another workshop that basically um we got the information that we needed from the residents as far as Newtown Thrive and what it would look like, along with community members and residents.

And here we are at our workshop.

We broke out into um groups and we started to do the work.

And once again, um, what would it take to make Newtown the most thriving community in Florida?

So, as Ms.

Mary mentioned, these uh were elevated by the community as priorities if the communities if we're going to be the most thriving community, and we're going to develop an action plan, it needs to be built around these pillars, these five pillars.

And as also mentioned, the community also identified strategies within each of those pillars, and then prioritize strategies within underneath those pillars, and that and these have been pulled together and uh fleshed out in the community action plan, which is part of your board packet.

And here we are in our breakout session, and so like mom Rochelle was saying, we wanted to prioritize, you know, what what does it look like?

And these are some of the topics that basically came up when it came to arts and culture.

What was the most important thing?

And some of the things that we we we were able to get from this was like music in the park.

What do you want to see?

Hip hop, jazz, um, storytelling.

So we got a whole bunch of great information from these workshops.

And then once again, here we got youth and education, what means the most parenting issues, gun access, social media, and other fluent um contact.

Um, how do you get the parents to admit children have issues?

I mean, these are things that are coming from the community, and it's like, okay, let's write them all down.

And then we had another um meeting, um, collaboration.

Actually, it was this year, April the 28th, 2025.

We came back together again.

Um, and we we had our consultants that came this time with us, and then they shared um the beginning of our um community action plan.

And then this is both of our consultants here.

Okay.

Um, and then we got a community walk.

So we um got out in the community, um, we met with some local business owners.

We actually came down to City Hall, um, and we also met with Brother Lance, and we got a chance to to visit the park, MLK Park, and gather some really good information about Newtown community as a whole.

Fred Atkins Park.

And in conclusion, it just really turned out very well, and um we're we're glad to be um in partnership with the city of Sarasota and um we're looking forward to making Newtown thrive and um something that all the community um will appreciate and work towards making Newtown the most thriving place in the in the in Florida.

Thank you.

All right, thank you very much.

Umrick, thank you.

Well, I am so excited about what you're doing.

It just gives me goosebumps uh focusing on Newtown's history and the legacy that's there, while also working toward building a more vibrant community.

Um it just I wish you all the best and whatever I'm speaking for all of us now, whatever we can do to help uh please come forward.

I do have one question.

Uh who were your facilitators in the training and who were your consultants?

Our facilitators were um members of the Newtown Business Council because again, uh Newtown Business Council um as a newly formed organization saw the need and started to reach out to the community.

So they facilitated the workshops, and then um at the first community workshop, other members of the community became involved and continued on in the process.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um I also thank you for the work that you're doing and for the outreach.

Um I attended the one event in I think it was in July, or a couple of them anyway.

Um, and uh I was really pleased to see the amount of people that were there in attendance.

It was not a short meeting, it was long, and people stuck it out and really participated.

Um, so just great job.

Um my question to you has to do with the the tagline, Newtown Thriving.

Why the word thriving?

Can you just explain the meanings behind that and what that means?

Well, let me start with how we got there.

And so we wrote a list.

I think we had about maybe 10 to 15.

We wanted we know we wanted to include Newtown, and we had a list um of what to add to it, and um we ended up and we took a vote, we took a vote, and um everyone just seemed to like the thriving part because what it represents is that we are building, you know, we're gonna continue to build, and we're just not gonna just stop once we do this, we're gonna continue and continue to thrive.

So that's how we came up with Newtown Thrive and we always want to be thriving and look into the future.

And I we and while we understand the past and we know the history of Newtown, and we accept it, and then we move on so that we can continue to thrive.

Yeah, and I think that speaks to um the uh the the continued um connections and relationships that you have to build to keep that continuum going along.

And along those lines, what has been the participation of the county in all of this?

Um, if any from the county, the Sarasota County government and you know their their uh you know activities and and promotion and support, if any.

Right.

At this point, the the neither the Newtown Business Council nor SSC staff has engaged the county.

Um the Newtown Business Council felt strongly about first bringing this to the Newtown CRA Advisory Board as a representative body of the community for the for um acceptance of the plan and for participation, and then to the city commission.

Um the next steps I as I understand, Miss Mary, as that the Newtown Business Council will be getting to reach out to other partners, including the county and local organizations for support and partnership in the plan.

Yeah, I think that would be a really good idea because um community is knows no uh municipal limits and you're gonna have far more resources and partnerships um if you branch out and bring the the entire community together.

Thank you.

Yeah, we're really building this bridge as we walk it, and we do plan on reaching out um to others as well.

I just I also wanted to add because uh commissioner all right you did ask about our consulting team.

And so um again, as this program as we began this process, it was through the program uh funded in part by the EDA, also with sponsorship and support from the International Economic Development Um Council.

And so as part of that program, we were matched with a program manager, and when that program came to an end, the work needed to continue.

And so we we um worked with the consulting team who was actually that program management manager.

So that was HBU CDAC, which was a partner organization of that overall program.

They continued on with us as consultants.

All right, Commissioner Batkey.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh first of all, I just want to thank you all so very much, like the CRA, um, for the work that you all are doing in the community.

Um and and uh staying intact, you know, as a board with uh uh a singular focus and uh vision for for you know what's going on um and what needs to happen in the community.

And then another, you know, can't, you know, say thank you enough or you know, even if I did a thousand times, it wouldn't, you know, um it wouldn't be enough to to thank you uh Ms.

Mary Butler for the uh tireless you know effort, you know, that you you put in the community.

I mean you are truly like boots on the ground and whatnot.

And um, you know, this whole new town thriving, you know, you you you carry that moniker well and uh and you you put it on your shoulders and and walk with it, you know, and uh and I've witnessed it and and experienced it, you know, um in the community and your engagement is uh is unmatched and unparalleled.

Um one of the things that uh um that I'm singularly uh proud of along with um what we're doing in the community is Scott Eller and myself, you know, talking and whatnot.

You know, I said, you know, when running for the seat the first time that uh you know you have to have expectation.

Expectation gives you a vision.

Vision gives you an opportunity of a future.

And the people with no vision, as it says in the good book, shall perish.

So that's why it was imperative that Newtown be put in a historical uh district.

Not so much about the history of Newtown because that's intact and cannot be diminished, you know, or ignored or dismissed.

But uh to help scale off gentrification, you know, and that was one of the main purposes of uh putting Newtown in the in the historical district from my perspective.

Um but as I say, you know, gentrification, you know, takes on uh a um different meaning for myself because it means um to enhance to improve, thus refine and to make better.

And what will happens is we get caught up in the enhancement and the improvement of uh brick and mortar.

And forget about the refinement and um improvement of the quality of life or and or the people that that live where that brick and mortar is going to want to reside or what have you.

So um the uh gentrification takes on a different meaning for myself.

The one thing that getting back to what I was talking about is partnering up with uh with the Newtown Business Council in uh um Amarillis Park, you know, what uh uh Mary Butler and her, you know, uh and her um team are doing along with the CRA and keeping them apprised of what it is we we got have happening.

We haven't come up with a name for what it is we we're doing yet, but uh Miss Gallant, you know, who is uh um she's kind of our gatekeeper, if you will, and um shepherding this whole initial initiative and making sure that we all stay on track on track.

But Scott Eller and myself were talking one day about um the the vision of Newtown and he's asking me what my vision was for Newtown.

And again, speaking to your point, Mrs.

Butler, it thrive in into the future.

And the only way to to accomplish that is to have investment or what have you.

You know, you have a number of people on the corridor, because Newtown, think about it's you know, one of the only places in the city that you know, communities or neighborhoods that actually has a business uh district, you know, or you know, or a corridor, business corridor.

And you have a number of property property owners up there that uh either one the the challenges that that they face is too many people on the deed, no money to invest in it to improve it.

Cl clouds on the title, you know, um, and just not sure what you know what what what to do with it.

So to develop it.

So in talking to Scott Eller, you know, came up with this idea.

He said something about um a French quarter type facade.

So but didn't know how to go about doing it.

I said the best way that we can do it is to buy the air rights up above.

That way people can retain the ownership of their properties or what have you, put some money into their pockets or whatever the ones displaced or or anything of that nature, um and to create urban mixed use along the corridor.

So we've located a number of uh parcels, um, gotten into buy in some some buy-in from some property owners up there, um, where we would be doing um commercial space on the bottom and uh attainable affordable housing up top and uh and you know have that you know market rate as well because you know it has to be diverse in order for it to be able to preserve itself or whatever.

So Ms.

Galant, if if you could you if you could uh expand on on that for me, and I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Sure.

Um I so I what has been happening is based on the community's interest and with this initiative of Newtown Thriving and with your CRA advisory board, there's been a focus on on redevelopment.

How does Newtown continue to thrive?

And so the there's a focus on specifically through your Newtown CRA advisory board along the MLK corridor and a number of properties that can be redeveloped.

Um and so um there we're looking at how can we engage property owners to um make sure that we maintain generational wealth um and ensure future generations continue to thrive and stay within Newtown.

So I think that's a framework for what um Commissioner Bati was just discussing.

Um and there'll be more discussion around that to come and we're excited to be playing that role and helping bring this conversation and carry it forward.

Did I do that for you?

Uh yes, uh, thank you very much, Ms.

Glon uh Mr.

Appleby is you know is uh is is a part of this as well.

Um Mr.

Cobra has attended our meetings, Mr.

Mr.

Bullock.

Um we're in the in the phase now where uh we've um partnered or or spoken with uh Hoy Architects to do a 3D imaging of uh what the corridor could look like um and then you know take those steps from there.

Um, you know, we'll be getting with uh Mr.

Eller, who plays a vital role in all of this, um, that he'll be trying to accomplish this through tax credits and and and and uh and a variety of different methods that that um that we'll be doing.

But we've created a team um because I wanted to usher in new and young leadership, you know, in to the uh community of Newtown.

And that is uh Mr.

Terrell Salem, Mr.

Keith DeBose, Mr.

Carlos Yancey, um Mrs.

Mary Butler, um, Ms.

Galant, um as well to uh help, you know, push this initiative, you know, down the down the field and push us across the goal goal line.

Uh, you know, it's imperative that that we as I like to say solve today's problems with today's answers and not yesterday's answers.

You know, revisionist history is not going to get get you anywhere.

Okay.

And so we we want to make sure that the the future of of Newtown is intact and whatnot.

And with uh what the the work that Amarillas Park and Mary Mary Butler is doing along with the CRA and Ms.

Galant and the team that we've assembled or what have you, um I think we we can accomplish that just to give you all uh a heads up on in terms of what it is we're doing.

How many meetings have we had so far, Ms.

Galant?

We've been meeting for the past few months now.

I believe that you requested the first meeting in April.

In April.

So we've been meeting every Friday since since then or what have you.

And uh um and I think we've gotten quite a bit done in in that in that time.

So uh Vice Mayor Trace.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um I have to say when I joined this commission just about three years ago, one of the first things I did was attend observe a Newtown CRA advisory board meeting, and I could sense a bit of frustration among the board members that they wanted to get something accomplished, but it wasn't happening.

And in the time since then, the board has like really moved forward.

I've seen what you've accomplished already, I've seen your plans for what's going to happen next.

And similarly, I've been attending the Newtown Thrive, you know, Newtown Business Council meetings and seeing the ins excitement among the people who are participating.

Um so I'm thrilled with the forward progress and the plans.

I am curious how are the two entities working together, collaborating, coordinating so you know, the synergy of working together can get so much more accomplished than working separately.

So how are you working together?

May I take a stab?

Uh so as the uh Newtown CRA Advisory Board and as you as the agency, we all have a redevelopment plan that we have approved that's on the record, right?

But that is a document.

So I see our role as the advisory board as making sure the work that Newtown Thriving does is sticking to the plan and really serving the area.

That's kind of our we're the gatekeepers of that.

But we feel so lucky to have this organic organization from the community that's out there taking those words from the pages and putting them into action.

So I think they come to us with ideas, they present us with you know, findings from the community that they really want to see happen, that we say, you know, we do have some money here, and then we can find the budget for that and present that to you all to kind of make that happen if we all you know see that as a good idea.

And again, it it rep is representative of the plan that we've all adopted.

So that's how I would answer that question.

They may want to add to that.

Yeah, um I definitely see is that an opportunity for us all to work together.

I've always been very fond of um um community is all of us.

And you know, Newtown is Sarasota.

And Sarasota is Newtown, you know.

So just having that known that we have this opportunity that we can come together and we can make this happen is is pretty awesome.

And you know, as we look around in other communities, we gotta pat ourselves on the back because this is not happening everywhere.

You know, we have other communities that are looking at us now and are saying, hey, how is that getting done?

Even our consultants are are just so happy for us.

I believe we had about maybe 23.

Um you were one of 24 cities selected for the program.

Um and then and then a practical tactical way to answer that question, Commissioner.

Um as staff for the advisory board, we do um also sit in Newtown Mrs.

Council meetings and the Newtown Business Council is regularly agended for the Newtown Advisory Board, CRA advisory board for presentations and updates.

So there's a constant connection and discussion happening.

Thank you.

And I just want to add out of all of the 24 cities, I think we have done the most.

Um we have come so far, and just to let you know that Newtown Thrive and just did receive their 501c3.

So we're really excited about that as well.

Well, I also have to say one of the reasons I suspect that we are doing so well is because of Mary Butler.

Thank you.

And everyone else, thank you.

Well, uh, you know, I want to add to everybody's thing, you know, that thank you all for what you're doing.

I love the new logo.

Um I love Newtown Thrive as a you know, as a um, I guess tagline or name for what what you're doing.

Um I think everybody has um really contributed, you know, including Mr.

Appleby and the committee and and and Mary and Ms.

Collant.

Um for years uh on the commission, there was a frustration that we wanted to get Newtown thriving, but it could it just didn't seem to happen, you know.

And now it's yeah, I feel like it's really moving forward.

There's an impetus, and I'm just really excited to see what you know what comes as a result of this.

Um Commissioner Batti, you had one more comment?

Yeah, I and I just wanted to add it was well uh thank you, Mayor, because you know it's been in the news uh lately uh about the Marion Anderson you know property or what have you, and uh that you know will be coming, you know, to us uh about Mr.

DeBose and uh in and uh gateway um that will be going on to that that that parcel of land and and hopefully trying to you know accomplish that wasn't accomplished before that I'm still you know upset about but you know we're moving forward and uh we'll make some things you know um happen on that property that uh is derelict um desolate and uh contaminated, you know.

So we we'll get that going as well.

So I just wanted to bring that to your attention as well.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right.

I don't see any other questions.

So um I would like to ask for a motion.

I move that the um we accept the community redevelopment agency uh advisory board report as presented.

Second.

Okay.

Uh Commission or Vice Mayor Trice uh moved acceptance of the community development agency board's advisory report.

Um Commissioner Battee seconded.

Any discussion, Commissioners?

Seeing none, let's vote.

Is that your vote?

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And believe it or not, we're just to consent agenda number one.

Um are there any items to be pulled from consent agenda number one?

I I did ask to I I I apologize, I did not get my questions in, so uh I would like to pull it.

I just have one question.

So there's no yeah, there's no balance of sold district.

Right.

So um and just identify yourself for the record.

Julie Ryan, business district manager.

Yes, hi.

I just have a question on the very last page.

Um there it talks about the bid um results, and it goes from basically 30,000 to 758,000.

And I thought that was quite the variance in a bid.

Um I believe they were 40, 43, 30, 40, 81, 11, 64, and 758,000.

Uh uh is did they did uh did they misunderstand or I mean there were two that were in the hundred thousands.

Uh uh that just seems like a big spread for gold leaf paint.

Um I'm gonna bring up procurement because that is outside my expertise.

Renee Hayes, GM procurement official.

Um yes, we actually um conferred with the um we did our uh responsible and non-responsive um checks with the vendors and we kind of looked at that as well and met with um Julie and and Wayne Um, wondering if maybe they there was some issue, but there wasn't any issue.

They bid accordingly.

Really, okay.

Quite the difference there.

Yeah, okay.

Um and then uh just just a semantics suggestion um that uh um we we replace the you know interior and exterior painting and pressure washing because it reads a little bit like pressure washing interiorly instead of interior and exterior painting and pressure washing.

So just a semantics, but that was my question.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And with that I would move approval.

Okay, Commissioner Ahenkoch moved approval of uh consent agenda number six six one six one.

And um Commissioner Batti seconded any discussion, Commissioners?

Hearing none, if we could please vote.

Is that your vote?

Yes.

Okay, the motion passes.

Thank you.

Uh consent agenda number two.

Are there any items to be pulled?

I have three um to pull uh seven one, seven four, and seven five.

Okay, is there a motion to approve the balance?

Oh, she is trying to read them.

Okay, sorry.

Thank you.

Um go ahead and read all of them.

Resolution number 25 are 3337.

A resolution of the city commission of the city of Sarasota, Florida, amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024 by providing for supplemental appropriations in the amounts identified in exhibit A, providing for servability if any of the parts hereof are declared invalid, providing for reading by title only and providing an effective date.

Resolution number 25R 3338, a resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, providing for supplemental appropriations, any of my any amounts identified in exhibit A.

Providing for serverability if any of the parts hereof are declared invalid, providing for reading by title only and providing an effective date.

Resolution number 25R 3345.

A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, by providing for supplemental appropriations in the amounts identified in exhibit A, providing for several ability if any of the parts hereof are declared invalid, providing for reading by title only and providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 25-5566.

An ordinance of the city of Sarasota, Florida to rezone certain real property located at Northeast Corner of the intersection of South Palm Avenue and McNish Square, having street addresses of 65 South Palm Avenue and 130 136 Mira Mar Court from the downtown Court DTC Zone District to the downtown Bayfront DTB zone district, subject to conditions voluntarily proffered by the property owner.

All as more particularly set forth herein, providing for reading by title only, providing for servability of the parts hereof, and providing for an effective date.

Also known as the Sarasota Yacht Club, subject to all future land development being in compliance with approved site plan 08 SP-16.

Affirming planning board approval of minor conditional use application number 24 MCU-03 to allow an expansion of the existing Sarasota Yacht Club and approving site app site plan application 24-sp 1-2 to allow construction of a new three-story building with ground floor instruction parking, expansion of the existing clubhouse, and structured parking in addition to the existing outside dining deck area.

All as more particularly set forth herein, providing for reading by title only and providing for repeal of ordinances in conflict and providing for an effective date.

That's it.

That's it.

Okay.

Move approval of the remainder of consent too.

Second.

Can I just clarify?

I believe Miss Griggs, you read all of the resolutions right.

Okay.

I just wanted to be clear.

She read everything and um I pulled three of them.

So that's okay.

You know, is there even though they're polled, she can read them.

I just wanted to make sure that we're going to be able to do that.

Okay.

That yeah, the balance uh the balance of um consent agenda number two is item seven two and seven three.

Uh Commissioner five, right?

I'm sorry, did I miss it?

He pulled seven five.

Okay.

So we just have seven, two, and seven three left.

So Commissioner Alwick moved approval of uh the balance of consent agenda number two, and I believe Commissioner Battee seconded.

Um there's no discussion, Commissioners.

If you will please vote.

And also a roll call.

Aaron Coch, yes, Albert?

Yes.

Ulrich.

Yes.

Yes.

Is that your vote, Commissioners?

The motion passes unanimously.

Okay, item seven one.

Just one little quick question I have.

Um and Mr.

Bullock, I believe you can answer this question.

Um page nine is uh the agreement.

Uh it says sub subresist recipient agreement checklist.

Um do I take that that that is an official agreement that the money has actually been transferred to the city that's guaranteed Well, the grant has been awarded, so we're going to get the grant.

Uh I'll need to know from Yeah.

Is it a reimbursement grant?

Yeah.

It'll be a reimbursement grant.

We'll spend the money and then we'll get we'll get the cash.

But is that um the agreement the surety that we're we're go we're going to be reimbursed?

We we 100 percent expect this money to be reimbursed.

Okay.

We have signed these will be signed agreements.

So there's there's really no reasonable risk to the city that we won't get the money.

Okay.

That was my question.

As long as you feel confident with that.

Okay.

Do you want to make a motion regarding that?

And then move approval of resolution 25R-337.

Second.

Okay.

Um if there's no discussion, if you Commissioner Aaron Koch moved approval of resolution number 25R 3337.

Commissioner Batti second, if you will vote, Commissioners.

And also a roll call.

Albert?

Yes.

Yes.

Ulrich?

Yes.

Rice?

Yes.

Yes.

Commissioner Aaron Cotch.

Can you hear you one more time?

Thank you.

Is that your vote, Commissioners?

All right.

The motion passes unanimously.

Okay.

Item 74.

Proposed ordinance number 255566.

Um this one I pulled for an express vote.

Um let me see if I have I think I had a question in here.

Uh I think I have a question for the city attorney.

Uh on this one.

And I apologize for not doing these earlier.

We were at a conference, and so it's a pretty busy week.

Um the word rehabilitation is referenced in here several times.

And I know there's restoration, rehabilitation, repurposing, rebuilding are some of the terms.

Do we need to have the word?

Do you feel like it's uh prudent to have the word rehabilitation described in um or defined uh in this, or you're comfortable with the common understanding of what rehabilitation is?

I think and we covered this quite a bit during the hearing itself.

I think it's pretty good where where we are sitting with this.

Um so that language, it's like what it means is referenced from this to something else.

And so that's on record.

Okay.

So you feel like that's good enough if it's on record in the meeting, um, that can be referred to by video or or I guess some other meeting.

And there's a record of that meeting, official record.

Okay.

Okay.

And um my other question had to do with I remember the difference between uh a certificate of occupancy and a temporary certificate of occupancy.

What's the nuanced difference of that?

Um actually ask uh Lucia to address that if she's coming down.

Because it's stated in here twice and it's sort of called out, and I was curious what that's good morning for the record.

Lucia Panica, Director of Development Services.

A temporary certificate occupancy means that you normally have something else to complete, something very, very minor that would allow for the occupancy of the building, but not the close out of the permit.

And then the certificate of occupancy is um you've completed everything, permits closed, everything's done.

So the temporary one is really like a a question of weeks or months, maybe, but not years.

Correct.

Okay.

Um was there a reason why it was called out in here?

Is there an expectation that there'll be a temporary uh certificate of occupancy that could um sort of impede on the timeline of how this is going to go between the residential, the mixed use and the actual um historic piece of it?

Was that why there was a concern or uh I just missed the nuance of why that's called out here.

Um let me pull up the ordinance and up to the page six of eleven.

Um it's number three and number five.

It's it's called out twice.

It says for the purposes of this subsection, the term certificate of occupancy shall include a temporary certificate of occupancy, and it's again in number five.

And so it's just curious the nuance of why it's called out twice in the ordinance.

Well, Lucia looks that up.

It it is absolutely standard in almost any construction building of any significance that there's a TCO temporary certificate of occupancy while those non-life safety issues are being addressed.

They didn't get something painted right or they got a a little minor thing here or there, but all the primary elements of the building are in place.

And so uh I'm not at all surprised it's in there because it's common and Lucifer.

Maybe because it's complicated because there are the three pieces of it the residential, the historic, and the commercial, that you want to make sure everything keeps flowing.

If there's something that's not painted right, it's not going to hold everything up.

Exactly.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.

No.

So yes, that's correct.

I just wanted to understand the the nuance of that.

Um unless anyone else have has any questions, I would move approval of ordinance number 25-5566.

Second.

Okay.

Commissioner Ahan Koch moved approval of ordinance number 25-5566.

Uh Vice Mayor Trice seconded.

If you'll vote, Commissioners.

Also, roll call, Betty.

Yes.

Ulrich?

Yes.

Rice?

Yes.

Heron Koch?

Yes.

Albert.

Yes.

I don't know why I didn't show, but sorry.

It is 5 00.

Okay.

All right.

That that was your vote, Commissioners 5-0?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

The the last item that Commissioner Ahern Koch pulled was item 75, proposed ordinance number 25-5570.

Um.

And I don't know who's responsible.

So what's your question?

I just have a question for the attorney, and it's on the last pay on page six.

Um, when it's referenced um special event there on C.

The hours of operation for the club shall be from 8 a.m.

to 9 p.m.

with special events allowed to continue until 10 p.m.

I'm not recalling if there was any definition or description of what a special event was.

Could a special event be literally any time we turn on the lights, it's a special event.

I mean, is there something that differentiates a special event from regular operations of the club?

And was there discussion of it?

Is it necessary to define it or clarify it?

Let me look back here.

Isn't it usually in contracts that the common meaning of words in the contract are you know given a fact unless otherwise defined?

Yes.

Yes.

So special event would be something special besides the normal operation.

The normal operation wouldn't be considered special.

Okay, so then there could be a special event every night.

No.

No.

Why not?

Cease being special at that point, probably.

But one night it's a birthday, one night it's an anniversary, one night it's July 4th, one night it's uh happy vote day.

Yeah.

I mean I think the way it's written it's just gonna have to be given the plain textual meaning of the So it's assumed that it's not gonna be every night is what we're saying.

Right.

Legally, it's assumed it's not gonna be every night or more often than maybe once a week.

Right.

And and you're comfortable with that language.

I'm comfortable with that.

Okay.

That's it.

Mayor, I do have a comment.

Okay.

Yes, Commissioner Ulrich.

Thank you.

Um on page three of the agenda request, the very last sentence says there were no changes to the ordinance since first reading.

At the July 21st meeting, the commission requested that the hours of operation be included in the ordinance.

And they have been included in the ordinance.

I just wanted for the record to state that because that's an inconsistency.

Thank you.

Okay.

So C is new.

I don't know.

I don't have that in front of me, but I do recall that we asked for the hours of operation to be included, and they have been.

Yeah.

I I recall the the opposite that we thought it was redundant to, you know, it was kind of um to put the hours of operation in there.

I think the applicant um agreed to do it, but I I I just think you know.

Yes.

And that is a change.

Yes.

Thank you.

Yeah, I was gonna say, can you hear it?

For the record, that was for the uh bird key yacht club application, not for the Sarasota Yacht Club application.

Both were on the same agenda is at the same time.

Uh-huh.

Thank you.

Okay, so I'm remembering the yeah, the bird key one.

Yeah, okay.

As long as the attorney feels like that, the language is clear, then I'm okay.

Um, and with that, I would move approval of proposed ordinance number twenty-five dash five five seven zero.

Second.

Okay, Commissioner Aaron Coach moved approval of ordinance number twenty-five dash five five seven zero.

Umric seconded.

If there's no discussion of your vote, commissioners.

Yes.

Yes.

Albert.

Yes.

Betty.

Yes.

All right.

The motion passes unanimously.

Um we go into unfinished business.

I I don't yeah, we think we're going to need to adjourn for lunch, because I don't think the two unfinished business items are going to be short.

So it is eleven fifty-one.

We will be back at one o'clock.

We're in recession.

Okay, everybody, it's uh it's one oh one, so we need to get started here for the Monday to uh reconvene the Monday, um August 18th, 2025 regular city commission meeting.

And um at this point in the agenda, we're on item nine one, unfinished business.

So that's a uh continued discussion of our capital improvement program, and I'm gonna call upon public works director Jeff Coat to make the presentation.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners for the record, Doug Jeffcoat, uh public works director.

As the mayor had uh noted, this is a continuation of the discussion regarding the capital improvement program that was presented to you during the budget workshops.

Commissioner had asked that we come back and uh be able to have some further discussions in regards to that.

Um, but I would like to just do a little bit of summary of what was presented to you at that time, just to bring you up to speed.

One, there is no been no changes to what was presented to you in the budget workshop.

So the document that's attached to the agenda is the same document that was in the budget workshops in regards to that.

Uh kind of the summarize the capital improvement program.

Uh the total cost of the twenty-six through twenty thirty plan, excluding utilities, is two hundred and seven million.

The total funding requests for the for approval for the fiscal year twenty-five twenty-six is forty-two million.

Uh just kind of follow up in regards to that, as uh we've talked in the past at the last presentation at your budget hearing on September the third.

The funding that's in the identified for 2526 will be asked for your approval as part of that process.

Uh in my memo that was uh, and I believe it may be page three of the backup today.

List out all those projects that uh have funding sources uh for the twenty-five twenty-six in regards to it.

Um the other big item here is is that there is a new project.

It's listed on the first page of the document.

Uh the big document that we had, and that's related to repairs associated with Helene and uh Milton.

And what we did there was um we took dollars from other projects that had already been approved by the commission, the funding sources, and moved them into this project.

So they're reappropriated dollars.

We'll be starting work on those.

Uh I know the bids are going out, and uh they're just finished design on a lot of that, so that's going to be moving forward.

Associated to that.

Um, Mayor, in in regards to that, uh again, this is uh this will be back in front of you.

As part of the public hearing uh for the budget.

Uh, but uh I'll turn it back over to you and uh open it up for discussion and question.

I do have staff here available to answer questions regarding specific projects or anything related to the capital program that I can't answer.

Okay.

And you can stay there, Mr.

Jeff Coat, because there's plenty of room.

We have got one person signed up to speak, so we're gonna do that, and then we'll go into commission questions.

Uh Mr.

Martin Hyde.

So uh obviously I'm I'm Martin Hyde.

Um Capital Improvement Projects.

It's not a small issue, and uh it shouldn't be undertaken uh lightly.

And uh so I get a couple of thoughts as regard to that versus particularly specifics uh within this year's uh this budget.

You know, at this time, it'd be reasonable under the uh current staff inflicted budget crisis to postpone four year vehicle replacement.

You know, that takes four million dollars off this yard, this year's ask, you know, wanting a new car and you want a new truck this year, next year is good enough.

So you could take four million straight off the top line.

Each item in itself needs to be questioned in terms of the totals and uh of urgency, not really disputing stuff with regard to the storm.

This is arguably a job, though, that uh it'd be better bought before a finance board, which you don't have uh before it's bought to you, uh rather than trying to debate $27 million over the next four years in a few minutes of the dice.

They could score projects one to ten, ranging from wants to needs, which remain important distinctions.

Um there is one last question, which you know I couldn't help but notice per what you were talking about this morning with the CRA.

Um question to consider.

Is did any of you notice that under one percent of this 207 million dollars is scheduled to be spent directly in Newtown?

Ten percent of the population of the city of Sarasota is Newtown.

Under one percent.

Actually, I'm being generous, it's about half of one percent over the next four years is slated for Newtown.

So if we're really talking about making something thrive, and and and arguably that's what a capital project is, then maybe we want to have a conversation about getting a finance board, scoring these things one to ten, and rather more equitably discributing whatever monies that it is that you have available to represent the population as a whole.

Thanks.

Thank you.

All right, Commissioner Questions.

Commissioner Batti.

Uh yes, uh, thank you, Mayor.

Uh yeah, I just wanted to uh you know ask me Mr.

Jeffko uh uh about the you know the statement made by Mr.

Hyde when I we spoke about that, you know, prior to this uh coming back from lunch, you know, about less than one percent of this amount of money being spent or allocated for Newtown.

I I you know, in identifying specific projects, they're all been laid out in front of you as part of the capital improvement program for the the next five-year program.

Um there are specifically identified projects for Newtown associated to the new town, you know, lighting sidewalks, things of that nature.

But many of the other programs, such as resurfacing and stuff like that also are distributed in regards to we do work up in Newtown and all the districts around the city.

So you can't just specifically look at this document and say only one percent is because there's other programs, just our regular sidewalk or curb programs, some of their regular programs or parks.

Good many of the dollars that are spent in the parks are spent up in Newtown in regards to that.

Now I'll be happy to sit down with staff and we can get you a total number of what's being spent, but just looking at the document, you can't just sit here and say this is only what's being spent in the Newtown area.

Okay, yeah.

Um thank you.

Thank you for that clarification.

Um, you know, uh particularly over in Gillespie Park.

You know, um when we're talking about since I've been on the commission, we've been talking about sidewalks and and and so on, uh along 10th Street and in uh the arteries of that of of uh Gillespie.

Uh anything in that regard.

Well, yeah, you know, as it relates to the sidewalks, uh a lot of that is now being done as part of uh resurfacing programs and things of that nature.

And uh fortunately for uh you know the the major thoroughfares in Gillespie, they are in good shape.

Uh you know, they're not falling apart.

We are taking a look at some of the other uh auxiliary roads that are around there, and as we've been doing, you know, some of the items in there, traffic calming has been a big part of that in taking a look at it.

So we address those items as they come through.

And that's part of the overall program of trying to, you know, ensure that that's happening.

Excellent.

Uh yield, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

I really appreciate it.

All right, thank you.

Um Commissioner Ahern Kotch.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

Jeffco, there are a couple of items in here that are allocated for projects that we have not voted on necessarily yet to go forward with.

And uh could those monies better be allocated somewhere else in, for example, it says seawall replacement upgrades, um uh 100,000 penny sales, um, sales tax 2.4 million, potential CDBG grant, 14 million potential FEMA.

Um, if we are waiting to do those projects on these potential funds coming in, could we not take funds from projects where it's allocated where we're not sure we're going to go forward with them or not, spend them where we know we need them, and then talk later about once those projects are voted on and go forward, um, then we talk about allocating funds for them?

In in regards to that, I it really will depend on specific projects that you're talking about, because like those potential funding, what we're looking at and the dollars that have been assigned to that is is the match money.

When we go and we apply, a lot of times we've got to show that we have the match money, so for us to be able to get those additional dollars out there, we've got to show that we have dollars there to do that.

Now this is a living document.

The commission can make whatever decisions that they would like in regards to that.

Can if you as a commission decide that this project is definitely more in line and we're moving that forward, or the commission would like to move that forward, definitely can do that and say, let's move those money.

The thing that we also have to be very understandable of is almost every one of these dollars has restrictions on them and how they can be used.

So we may say we have dollars to do this, but it may not be appropriate to be able to take those dollars and move them to this project because they don't fit that box that those dollars can be used for.

You know, a perfect example would be your multimodal fees and stuff like that.

You're just not going to be able to use them to do those in a park, you know, in regards to that.

But for other items, and you know, and that's the benefit of this program and the benefit of those dollars is that there are processes in place in regards to for this commission to be able to move money around as long as it's used in the appropriate manner.

And it's got to be capital, you know, no doubt about it.

So specifically I'm looking at penny sales tax funds, which I think are the most flexible of the funds.

Well, your penny sales tax, because you know they were voted on as part of a referendum, would require a public hearing to be held to move those funds if they are being used separately differently than what they were voted on.

You know, we have to go through that.

And which we do.

I mean, we we've done that uh constantly, you know, in regards to that, and especially in times where the money wasn't there that we needed previously.

Right.

And and I'm referring to the Bobby Jones Clubhouse, which I'm not sure of the status of that, and if there are funds that we we borrowed funds for the whole Bobby Jones, and I don't know if we use all those funds, if there's anything left.

Um but here is 900,000.

We haven't decided on what that's going to look like a clubhouse.

Maybe that will happen this year, but potentially next next budget season.

So that's $900,000 we could use to complete one of those projects that needs to be done, ASAP.

Um also the Sarasota Performing Arts Center is 1.2 million dollars of penny tax.

We are still in discussing this.

We haven't voted to go forward with it, and it's 1.2 million dollars.

So that's already 2.1 million dollars of funds that could be spent right now on things we need right now, and then once we've decided on those, perhaps we could then allocate funds at a later date.

Um I don't know if that makes sense, but or if there are any restrictions on the not being able to do that.

No, you know, the penny four numbers are are just all the penny.

It would just require a you know public hearing in regards to if you're moving dollars from one project to another project as it relates to that.

Now, the $900,000 that it's set aside for the Bobby Jones is is debt service.

You know, you you you you're only sitting here with a 15-year period, so you're having to start you know accumulating that to be able to whenever you do go out for that borrowing that you have those dollars set aside to move that forward.

And um is that what we should be doing now is accumulating the dollars now for something that we haven't even decided on yet.

If I might, specific to Bobby Jones, we will be bringing back the options and a funding plan for each of those options for you to discuss.

You'll recall you talked about it some time ago and continued the discussion.

You didn't make a decision on which way to go.

So we will be bringing that back.

When we do, you'll see the funding plan, which if you choose one of those options and move ahead, it would start to consume that $900,000 a year for the next few years in order to help pay for that.

So you know, this is this is as much art as it is science.

Um we have a fixed amount of money and and trying to put it in the right box.

But what uh Mr.

Jeff Coate talked about, this is a living document.

So you may amend this as priorities change or projects get ripe, suddenly we get something permitted, or a grant comes through, we could be back in front of you saying we need to amend the CIP so that we can move this one forward, and here's where we suggest taking the money from.

So it it does live even after you adopt it, has some requirements, uh like you mentioned the public hearing.

But frankly, whenever you touch penny tax, you have to have a public hearing to allocate it.

And you know, it's not a big deal, it's just a process we have to follow.

Okay.

I just was wondering in being artistic, since this is uh as as artful as anything else, if there were things that were urgent where we don't have funding for and areas where we are not unsure of, and maybe we could postpone a year, uh or not even postpone a year, but it's actually not going to be ready for a year and take those dollars, spend them wisely now, and then deal with that if if indeed these things do come to fruition.

And and if if I may, part of that is the very first item you have of the Hurricane Helene Milton, so on infrastructure damage.

We've moved a lot of money up front to start getting those repairs underway.

Now, should we get FEMA reimbursement, then that can replenish some where some of this came from, you can decide do you put it in reserve, do you replenish the capital program?

So those choices would be available, but to move those damaged things up front, we pulled from other projects that were in the CIP scheduled sooner, and we put that money in here to get those repairs started.

And just to confirm that these are a no-specific prioritization order.

That is that is correct.

Otherwise, we could then talk about how we are going to move things around.

I think that's it for the just the moment.

Okay, Commissioner Ulrich.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Jeff Coat, on page two, the pages that fold out.

Um item number two.

And this is true for other items on other pages as well.

In the funding source column, uh the third category down, it says potential CBDG and then potential FEMA.

So my question for all of these where we have potential is if the funding doesn't come through, then we just don't do the project.

Is that correct?

We the project is going to get pushed out if, you know, until you actually have funding, the the project just gets pushed out in regards to it.

It'll stay on the list but not get done.

That it wouldn't be associated with that day, you know, next year or the year following, it would have to be pushed out.

Gotcha.

Okay.

On page four, item number 10, and on page 11, item number 38.

Both of them refer to undergrounding of lines.

Uh we received an email comment from uh somebody from the Rosemary district pleading to hurry up and underground those lines.

Um could you explain why we can't just hurry up and underground those lines?

Well, we don't own those lines for the first part.

You know, that's uh Florida Power and Light.

So as you will see in what's on the screen here, under the undergrounding of power lines number 10.

The second red line item and the the one above it talks about moving dollars approximately $600,000 into the Ballur of the Arts in the 10th Street project for the undergrounding.

And so that is to start the process working with FPL to start their engineering and design work.

And so what you said to me when we talked about this was well you have to design the project before you build it.

That's correct.

That made sense to me.

On page 13, item number 47, and on page six, item number 17.

I think they're related.

One is referring to the school avenue Mert.

13.

The one on page 13 is referring to the School Avenue MERT.

And the one on page six is uh referring to the Hyde Part Street redesign.

Um there is some discussion in the neighborhood about the school avenue MERT.

And my question then would apply to any project where uh we decide we don't really want to do it.

Um it is related to Commissioner Ahern Koch's question, where you have money allocated for one project, and you decide not to do it, but then it impacts on other projects like the school avenue MERT not being done would impact on do we really want to do the Hyde Parts street redesign.

As you can see, and the Hyde Park one is the one that's up here for being shown as number 17.

The the funding for that is undetermined and the funding source is out in outer years.

So you you're looking at the fact that whatever it's giving us time with the school avenue MERT in regards to how that moves forward, whether this would move forward at all, too.

You know, if there was a decision or there was impacts that one wasn't, you know, if one doesn't go forward it it makes the other one not go forward, then we're all good because this is out several years anyway.

Now I'll be happy to bring up uh Alvy and Corinne, our transportation planners to have some more conversation.

Um, my my question really was about money and moving money around.

And you're exactly right.

If there is a decision by this commission not to move that project forward, those funds would become available for use somewhere else within the program.

And they'd be restricted to multimodal?

Depending on the funding sources that are there.

I see, okay.

And that particular funding source is undetermined.

And if you see a favored project that has the words undetermined next to it, it's it's not likely to get built soon.

I got you.

Thank you.

One last question, May Amir?

Um I have to find it now.

Four and a half minutes.

What?

Yeah, four and a half minutes.

Oh, oh great.

Uh page nine, item number thirty one.

Affordable housing trust fund is the title.

Could you explain the rationale for funding that through the tree replacement fund?

Well, it's not got any.

As you can see, you I'm number you said page nine.

Page nine number thirty-one.

As you can see, there is no dollars sitting there.

Oh, yes.

Previously there were dollars in that item as part of the project.

The tree replacement fund dollars were being used to add additional trees to the project that was being built under the affordable housing program.

So what we do is is you've got dollars that we use for, and you'll see that in some other of our streetscape projects too, where the tree replacement fund will be used to help offset the landscaping costs for the cost of trees, because they're now being used out of this fund and being located on a project.

So are you suggesting that for item number 31?

There is no funding at all currently.

Right.

Well, that doesn't matter to me.

Zero dollars or a billion dollars, the funding source is my question.

Yes, and and that was the purpose is as if there was a there was a previous project that was defined for affordable housing, and they were using for the tree fund to be able to put additional trees on the project.

Thank you.

Yep.

Uh that's it for now.

Hey.

Um I've got th three questions, Doug.

Um I'm going from page three, where you have the um kind of list of funding requests.

Okay.

And um, yeah, not not the pull-out pages, yeah, just the in the beginning under the general fund.

Says project from projects that have a funding request for 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Okay.

And it's kind of a summary.

Right.

It's part of the memo?

Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah, that and um I was looking under the um where it says the city multimodal trail network being expanded.

And if you can just talk about what what that includes.

What I will do is I will ask um her transportation planners to come up and talk about that for you.

Make sure you introduce it.

Good afternoon, Alvie Mary Carallis, Chief Transportation Planner.

So for the city multimodal um network, we have, you know, it's a bucket, it's a program.

So we have various uh projects in there, primarily that's where circus trail extension is.

So that is currently the priority, and whatever leftover funds, then we move on to the next trail project that we have.

Uh so currently Circus Trail is the one um having those funds allocated towards it.

Okay.

Um would you all be the ones to ask then about the water transit projects since that's transportation?

Yeah.

Okay.

So right now we have um we issued a PO for uh design.

Uh the water transit money that you see there would be for the actual construction.

Okay.

So right now we're we are going to kick off design in a couple of weeks, and then um that money is for construction.

Okay.

Do we know where the that's they're going to be?

Like we're looking at infrastructure right for the for them to dock.

So the two locations are one at Ken Thompson and then the other one is at Marina Jacks.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Um, and I think those are the well, I don't know if the bridge be the bridge being replaced and rehabbed.

Um, that's not a particular bridge, is it?

It's just uh the that's our regular program in regards to maintenance and maintaining our bridges.

Okay.

And then my last one, it's not not transportation.

Well, since you're up here though, I will ask this.

Um about the Fruitville Road, you know, because there, you know, it's certainly been a priority of mine uh to enhance Fruitville Road.

And so I wanted to, you know, I talked to you about uh this being something that's on uh the list for the MPO.

So do you want to talk about that and how that's looking to be funded?

Of course.

So um we recently received from the Metropolitan Planning Organization their draft costs feasible plan is out for public comment.

Um Freeville Road made it to the list uh for federal funds.

So um that is how we are trying to leverage our funds and being strategic about getting additional funds to be able to to get Fruit Bill Road um funded and uh move moving along.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

And the last question I have, Doug, is just and and I'm sure this is just our regular program as well, but the affordable housing that is named there, you want to talk about what that funding is for?

So the uh the affordable housing that reflects funding is actually out of the penny for sales tax.

It was a project that was the determined for penny four to be able to move additional housing forward in regards to workforce housing and um to do that.

So that was a part of the penny sales tax.

So wherever we can identify that.

That's correct.

That's that's available funding for that project, those types of projects.

Okay.

That that's all I had.

Um Vice Mayor Trice.

Yeah, yeah, I I'm sorry.

Uh I I had some follow-up questions on Fruitville, but you may be able to handle them.

Um my concern is uh project number 45 Fruitville Road improvements.

Um there's $12,000 there and penny three, and I know you can't really do anything with $12,000, and there's also nothing listed in the out years.

So are we to expect, depending on what we were just told about uh potential allocation funding coming to us, that there will be some amendments in the year ahead of us if the money comes through or and I'm I'm just wondering I guess we can do some planning for $12,000, but you know how far out am I still gonna be alive when when something happens?

You know, I I I think the the thing here is is it has kind of been at this place until I really a decision.

How do you want to move forward with Fruitville Road?

As um transportation planners had said, you know, that is now something that's been put on the MPO as a priority in regards to trying to work through that.

I think it's really going to be up to this commission of how quickly you want to move stuff forward associated with Fruitville Road.

Yes, I mean it's it's uh the same thing.

It's a project that if you decide you want to fund some you want to move this forward as a priority, somebody else is going to have to the dollars are gotta come from somewhere else, and where are those dollars do you want to come from?

I would say if the Fruitville Road is a priority to this commission to move forward, you're probably looking at, you know, probably $500,000 to start the visioning process, just like you had for Main Street.

You know, it's been six years since the last and you know, there's definitely things that could come out of that, you know, work that was done six years ago, but you all know it as well as I do.

That corridor has changed in regards to that, and there's plans to make other changes, including, you know, FDOT has come and presented their plans for everything on the other side of 301 going out, you know, east.

So it it definitely is going to have to start another process.

We just can't start with what it was, you know, presented six years ago.

There's definitely gonna have to be a visioning that we're spending 500,000 to do the visioning on Main Street, so that's pretty much what you can expect that you're gonna be doing for Fruitville Road.

It's a shame we can't use it for this.

That would be my preference, but that's that it okay.

All right, uh Commissioner Aherncotch.

Thank you.

Um back to the Boulevard of the Arts and the 10th Street um projects, uh I think it was undergrounding of lighting.

Um is it um do we account for the raise grant in this?

Is it being accounted for?

Would that include that?

I believe it does, but hang on one second, let me just uh get to that and I will that's gonna be uh number 38 11 of 22 for the page.

You will see on here for this the 10th Street and Boulevard of the Arts out in the outer year, you see the 12 million dollar.

But does that does that include the um lighting undergrounding of the lighting?

If you will also notice uh as we talked about the underground of lighting, then the red description there, you will see we're moving that six hundred thousand into this project.

Okay, so then the other item will go away.

Yes, we took six hundred from the other project and put six hundred thousand here.

Great, thank you.

And then my other question was um the one-stop shop improvements.

Yes.

We just built that building.

I will allow staff to come down and explain the needs as it relates to the one-stop shop and the additional funds that they're looking at.

Good afternoon for the record of Lucia Panica, Director of Development Services.

Um the one-stop shop was built with some flexible space, some space for additional offices in the future if we needed it.

We found out that we needed it a little bit sooner than we expected.

So that money will be primarily used for the build-out of some of those offices.

Um and it's $500,000.

Yes, at least.

We might um in addition to that, we as we're we've been in there for about a year.

Um we have found that, you know, as we are getting comfortable, I guess, with the building, there have been some improvements that we needed with how things are functioning.

Um our electronic submittals are now, you know, booming, so that does impact a little bit the design of some of our floors.

Um as we are in the building and getting comfortable with it, we have found that we need certain things tweaked, which is common for for a new building like that.

Seems like a lot of money for uh a new building.

I mean, I don't know, I just I don't know exactly what it's for.

It's it's a lot of money um for a new building.

And then I also see there's uh parking, two million for parking.

Yes.

Can you talk to me about that?

Yes.

In regards to that, you know, one of the things that uh with everything happening, everybody coming over here in regards to the other building in the one-stop building that there's a need for parking in in regards to that.

So this money is set aside to be able to try to develop some additional parking in the area associated allowing for business at the one-stop shop.

What does that look like develop parking, additional parking?

Well, that's uh we're we're taking a look at uh you know some of the adjacent lots that are around the city hall in regards to if they're available for us to do some service lot parking and um being able to work through that.

There, you know, it's been identified we need parking.

And uh how do we how do we do that?

We don't have a specific site in mind, but that this gives us the ability to have some resources should we find the spot we're looking for.

Okay.

Um and so that I guess would be an example.

I mean, I know parking is always uh an issue and we we talk about it all the time.

But if if again this would be an example of something, you know, if we don't have something identified in the need right away, if we're sitting setting two million dollars aside, could we use those resources somewhere else and then once FEMA comes in, if that happens, then do that.

Or it some other funding comes in.

No, and unfortunately.

That's exactly what I'm gonna tell you.

It's restricted.

Right.

That's what I was pretty sure you were gonna say.

Um, I'll leave it at that.

Okay.

Okay, uh Commissioner Ulrich.

Thank you.

My question, um my remaining question was sort of answered.

Uh it was regarding uh item number 66 on page 18.

Uh additional parking for the one shop one-stop shop.

And as we talked about related to undergrounding the lighting in the rosemary district, we had to design it before we built it.

And regarding to this additional parking, we have to identify where it's going to be before we can pave it over.

Um and so there's a two million.

We can use it for other stuff within the category.

It can be used within the category, but this is a very restrictive category in regards to it has to be specifically used related to building associated when I say building the development these monies come from the developers paying into the building fund.

So it has to be associated specifically related to the activities of supporting the developers through the building department.

And state statute sets out perhaps the developers had a hand in writing the the law.

Um it's sets out very restrictive uses for the fees that they pay and what we can spend it on.

Yes.

Um that's sort of the end of uh thought process.

It wasn't a qu it didn't end up being a question.

Okay.

Commissioner Batty.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

So it has any um I mean you're talking about two million dollars for parking or whatever money like for the project that I'm talking that I was speaking of today, like affordable housing up in Newtown or whatever.

Has I mean that's those are capital improvements that we need, you know, in District one.

And and you know, Commissioner, that's exactly right.

As as your groups and the CRA up there put these projects together, this is the process in regards to being able to identify where we could potentially get funding to move those projects forward.

And doing so.

Okay.

So as you said, design it then.

You you you've got to design it first.

But you know, uh a lot of that is is comes from the conversations that you know the the presenters were having earlier today through the you know the CRA in regards to their vision of what projects they're looking to move forward, you know, and then I believe you heard the ask, you know, in in regards to commission, we we may need support in regards to the funding.

So as those things are identified and coming through the CRA board in regards to saying, you know, one, that's a funding source as you know, they're doing it, but if they need subs you know, additional dollars, we've provided penny in the past to support projects and combined dollars to do that.

I mean, you your sidewalk program up there is a perfect example where, you know, using grant dollars and you know, penny dollars to support, you know, some CRA dollars that have been applied.

Uh thank you.

Thank you.

Um, Commissioner.

Vice Mayor Trice.

Yeah.

This is a quick one.

It's going back to the one stop shop parking, looking at that two million dollars.

Am I correct in assuming that you have to identify and purchase land for parking?

And since we're talking in the middle of downtown, we're not talking about inexpensive land.

You're correct.

We have we have to identify and purchase.

But that fund could be used for land purchase, not just paving the land after it's purchased.

Okay.

That's correct.

I'll follow up on that question.

Yeah.

Um, my question is, and this is more of a I guess a philosophical question, is you know, every year it's really obvious that we got a lot of capital improvements, but not a lot of funds for our capital improvements.

Um has there, you know, been any talk or discussion or you know, in in anybody's experience here of additional ways to fund the capital improvements, is that the you know, bonding and and that sort of thing to make this happen, because obviously otherwise, you know, there's never going to be enough generated by, you know, these the penny sales tax and the you know sources of revenue that we have.

Um, so that if, you know, we let's say we get the the penny sales tax money, we use it, but then um, you know, we're able to do some kind of bond.

Which what do you say to that?

Yes, I mean uh you know, there's definitely programs in regards to you you take a look at uh the clubhouse being a perfect example is the conversation is there about coming forward and do you bond that.

You you've got other projects that we talk about bonding, you know, uh the performing arts center and things of that nature.

I I think you come to, you know, th from a staff standpoint, financial standpoint, you it's uh, you know, what is the best way to do this and and what is the funding sources available to be able to support such a thing uh in regards to that.

You know, one of the things that I will say within the past five years that staff has done an excellent job of is going after grants.

You know, that's another way that we've been really taking our dollars and stretching those dollars that we're able to get further in regards to it.

However, you know, that's only so much too uh in regards to that.

But yeah, you know depending on the the size of the project, bonding really can make sense in regards to it.

Now the thing that you're faced with is with a bonding issue is the term and length in being able to support that.

Penny sales tax is a 15-year, so you're not gonna go out 30 years for a bond when you only have 15 years worth of revenue to be able to support that.

So those things have to be considered.

And mayor, you you have in the past used your surtax to pay debt service.

Uh Kelly tells me you pay debt service on Payne Park through so and it's pretty common to use uh SERTAX for that.

It's a capital project and you either borrowed in one form or another.

And and bonding isn't your we use that term generically, but sometimes a a a short-term bank loan makes sense and you can use SERTAX uh penny tax for that as well.

Okay.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

All right, Commissioner Ahern Cotch.

Um for the parking and the two million dollars.

Yes.

It comes from the building services fund and it can only be used for the building services funding.

Supporting the building it.

Would that mean the parking on that lot would be 100 percent restricted to the building's uh services um employees, or uh could it be city employees or how detailed do we get into the granule there?

Or uh could it be city employees, or how detailed do we get into the granule there?

Well, I think the thing there is is going to be its use to support the operations.

So as opposed to, you know, people coming into the one-stop doing their permits and things of that nature, they can use that parking lot because it's parking lots there to support that operation.

So it's not limited just to that.

Now, just like the building of it, if there's purposes or things like that that are not related to it, when we'd have to find another funding source to be able to support that.

So we're going to be able to do that.

That could definitely be it.

So do we know the need, the number of parking spaces that are needed?

I do not know right off the top of my head.

I just I'm just trying to figure out how we came up with the number two million.

Uh probably uh looking at lots, you know, in what's available around us is just where the two million dollar figure came from, because it at a minimum that's where we're going to be starting.

Okay.

I I just I wonder if anybody knows what the need would be, because it would seem that we would say we need five now and we anticipate we're going to need 30, so let's look for 40.

Or we need 200.

Uh I mean, I'm just curious, do we have an idea of what we're looking for?

We do have an idea, unfortunately, Broxon's not here today to help us with that.

But the the notion that I would be surprised if two million dollars bought and built uh a lot that we're looking for, but it can certainly make a contribution to it.

This this would probably involve some other funds and would also in doing that be available for other parking.

So I don't I'm not sure we'll ever gonna find a lot that only will support the building services need.

I suspect we'll find a lot and building services funds can contribute to the uh purchase or development of that lot.

The same way we constructed the building, a portion of it was from the building services fund and portions of it came from other funds because other departments use it.

Correct.

Um, any time you get an update on what the actual need is, I would just be curious as this goes along.

Um other uh questions.

So I don't think there's anything to take a vote on.

No, there's not.

Uh you know, again, just to this will be back in this will be back in front of you as part of the budget, you know, hearing for approval.

Uh if there are, you know, if for some reason you are looking at moving dollars into the 2526, you know, column, that would be the time to make sure that they happen because you will be voting on them.

But uh other than that, this will be what's being presented to you as part of the the budget.

Mayor, may I ask?

As long as Mr.

Jeff Cote is still here.

So what how do we do that then at the uh budget meeting?

If I, for example, wanted to move all nine million dollars out of the Bobby Jones clubhouse.

900,000.

Okay, 900,000.

Nine million.

Oh well, wish we had nine.

Close enough.

How how would one go about doing that?

At this table.

You you would just make that recommendation and you would have to get two other commissioners to agree with you to make uh that funding change.

You'd have a motion.

You would.

But Commissioner, we would hope that before you raised it on September 2nd or whatever that date is, that you would at least mention it and give us a chance to because it would mean we'd probably have to do some things.

Would want to prepare the document.

So if you uh if the commission did as a body vote for that, we could have that document for you, and it would it would go a little smoother.

So and maybe that's the message.

If if anyone is thinking between now and the adoption of the CIP, you do want to move some money around, it would be really good to let us know, and we can at least prepare in the event two of your colleagues went along with you.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

And may I one mayor, just one comment?

Um I want to thank you for doing this.

It's this is so important, and all of these projects speak to all of us here at the table and our entire community, and um you know, calling it out, the willingness to discuss these in big picture and in detail, I think is really invaluable.

So thank you for taking the time adding this to the agenda and giving us the opportunity to have this kind of pre-this meeting discussion and publicly here, also having other discussion.

And when I said pre-meeting, I meant individually.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chuck.

Okay.

Trunk okay all right let's move on to item number nine two which is the discussion regarding the city manager search update and uh Ms.

Griggs and Mr.

Polzak hey don't everybody leave it one time.

I know geez Louise some happy news um just an update so as of Friday afternoon we receive re proposals from all three firms that you all selected um we will get those out to you all as soon as possible um we just go through them and make sure we have everything we need before we get them out.

Our ask though and I want to bring this up now I thought about bringing it up on the comments but I think now we'll probably be the best situation our goal would be to possibly bring this topic to you all in a special meeting instead of waiting till the September meeting to talk about this we do have two dates already kind of booked on your calendars we already had a tentative workshop scheduled for the 26th and we also had a hold on your calendars for the 28th of August to hold interviews but we're not we're not gonna have interviews ready then because you guys have to select the firm so our goal would possibly to use one of those dates to have a special meeting so you got to talk about it and if you want to make a decision you can make a decision at that meeting instead of waiting until the September meeting.

So I just wanted to bring that to you all's attention.

We're gonna go ahead and probably get you all of the proposals but all of the proposals will also be in the backup material with agenda item but we want you all to go ahead and be able to start looking at them before we put the agenda at them so I have a question go ahead.

Yeah uh I have a question are you you suggesting that you will get the proposals to us and one week from tomorrow potentially we will what vote if you don't have to vote I'm just saying I want to make it a special meeting so you can take action whatever the action is even if you direct us to go back and do more research if we do a workshop you can't take any action.

So so then theoretically the action could be to invite each of the them to meet interview and interview yes interviews yes whatever you all it's not necessarily choose based on I just want you all to be able to vote.

That's what we don't want to make it a workshop.

Okay.

We anticipate that you're gonna do interviews at least we just want you all to be able to make a decision.

So I just wanted to bring that to you all's attention and if you have any questions.

And you'll reach out to us regarding choosing date one of those two dates?

Um it's already on your calendars so you all are already booked for it.

So I think we'll just pick a date oh okay and I will have to talk to the interim city manager to see if he wants to still have a workshop or something else but we can have that discussion offline but what was the other date?

The 28th.

Both of those have already been booked on your calendars the 26th of August and the 28th of August.

And I have on the 26th workshop in there.

Yes and then oh I thought you were talking thinking that the works the workshop would turn into a special meeting.

I don't know.

We just need to talk I just want to give you both dates are a possibility.

Okay.

Yeah one one maybe 26th or the 28th.

Okay and when do you anticipate paid um getting us the materials for that?

I would hope to maybe tomorrow excellent.

Yeah yeah we just got to finish looking at them but yeah and that's all the up do you have anything do we want to decide right now or do you want to um we do have one person signed up to speak we do I'm sorry Mr Hyatt.

I didn't forget it.

My apologies.

This is the last Martin Hyde was the last e all moment of the day it presents some kind of value even if you don't necessarily get it at the time.

So the city manager delay is arguably a good thing because it gives you time to reflect on what you want and what you need in a city manager.

And more particularly the culture here at uh at City Hall.

It really is and you know I don't want to overstate it but it really is a massive cultural decision for you five based on let me be frank the various words responses you've been offered today to various matters.

It's really very simply a choice between you getting to shape policy or having an elected an unelected city manager dictate them to you.

One issue definitely to put into uh into writing will be to get a commitment from any new manager that they won't engage in lobbying for two years after leaving the post per most ethical guidelines.

Furthermore, approval of statements to the public, like last week's 400,000 of fees levied on credit card charges to utilities and being stated as not adding income quote uh for the city, which is factually incorrect.

It's a flat out lie.

It's an obfuscation.

And uh, you know, you're the ones that are gonna be held responsible uh for that.

But it's coming from and and for what it's worth, and you city manager should be the type to explain why that charge is being enacted.

When I sat here and you sat here, when you pass that ordinance and they said we won't do it until we bring it back for you.

And the next thing is you're reading it in the newspaper.

Right?

How does that happen?

You're the city commission, they are your staff.

So I I mean I've never heard of budgets being described as art over science, because they're basic math.

If one of my staff said that to me, that well, I don't know what would happen to them, but they wouldn't be my staff for much longer.

Staff wants heads up on any changes or chang that you might make um when ironically they never give you one.

Two million for parking, well, it's not enough.

Maybe it'll be three million, maybe it'd be four million.

It's not really half of one percent, it's really something else.

Nonsense.

Absolute nonsense.

And you sit there and let them get away with it.

So bottom line phrase I've used an awful lot.

Do you want the tail wagging the dog?

And uh maybe if you don't, maybe if you value, if you all that time you spent trying to get elected, maybe you should consider that as your primary criteria for your next appointment.

Thanks.

Thank you.

All right.

If there is no other discussion, um we can move on.

All right, unfinished business, and this is item nine and three, and it's a discussion regarding uh delaying the start time for the October 20th, 25 2025 regular city commission meeting.

And um I believe it's probably Commissioner Ahern Codge, it doesn't say on here.

Well, I I I put it on here for her, but it just so I can give a little bit of a background.

Um this item was added at the request of Commissioner Ahern Cosha had the commission um discussed changing the start time of the October 20th, 2025 regular city commission meeting to one p.m.

I believe it's because since both of you all are on the MPO board, um this request was asked um and so it's being brought to the Commission to approve.

Yeah, it's it's um if if we don't, then it means we miss the the meeting.

But um but my request would be that if we start it later, which I think would have to be probably around one o'clock.

Yes, that's what I propose the one o'clock start time.

Um that we have um a I guess more limited agenda so that we aren't here like eight hours after that.

So you know, if possible to limit that sort of keep it at at you know four hours if possible.

Um Vice Mayor.

I was just gonna I I looked at my calendar for the 21st.

I was just wondering if uh in the outside chance that we find that that October 20th meeting is extending well past nine o'clock, that we do have some space-time reserved on the 21st to continue the meeting rather than say we will be, you know.

We can't control sometimes how long the meeting is going to be.

So just setting aside, you know, extending it, you know.

1 o'clock on the 21st, if we go over.

I I think if you don't mind, Mayor, um, I think as staff, we can probably try to do a good job of trying to make sure that agenda is not too much.

Whether we have to rearrange some things to make sure that we've done it before.

I think we could, I think we can figure out a way to like minimize how many items are on that agenda just to be accommodating.

Um what we will possibly add in to is a you know how you have a lunch, maybe you have a dinner break.

We'll just depends on how many items we have, but we will I think working with the interim city manager, we can try to make sure that we minimize it as much as possible.

We can be very strict on staff about it, and we'll try to make sure we do that.

Thank you.

So we don't have to do that.

Commissioner Ahern Cotch.

Yeah, and this is uh um sort of our special request.

Usually the meetings don't conflict with our schedule, but when there's a holiday and they're pushed to uh another day, then that's when it doesn't.

I think twice this year.

It's going it conflicts.

Yeah.

So that's the only request.

And uh typically the other boards we don't really do that, but this one is so important and so big and big dollars are being voted on, and so that's where our presence there is pretty important for the city of Sarasota.

So I'm gonna follow up on the 20 the October 21st as a uh option.

Um I've got a flight out this 7 a.m.

the next morning.

So if you meet on the 21st, no, we'll we'll we'll we'll try we'll we'll make sure that the agenda is up Thank you.

Yeah.

And can we have officially uh a meal break at six P.M.

Yeah.

We'll do five.

So you can so it can be like four hours like we do now.

Okay, yeah.

All right.

So do we need a vote to uh Yes, I need a motion because that uh delay it till one o'clock.

Move to delay the start time for the October 20th, 2025 regular city commission meeting to 1 p.m.

Second.

Okay, is there any other discussion, Commissioners?

All right, if you'll vote.

Is that your vote, Commissioners?

All right.

Passes unanimously, thank you.

Okay.

Um let's see, is this the one that was yes?

That was the continued yeah.

Yeah.

So then we have new business.

And that's item 12.1, and it's regarding the re-ringling surface slot justice center proposal.

And our deputy senior manager Robinson will do the presentation.

Yes, ma'am.

Very briefly.

Um we were engaged by the county, and you'll all remember the discussion relative to the relocation of the criminal justice center.

And to be clear, we're not talking about the jail, we're talking about the office buildings that currently house uh the state attorney, the public defender, some records departments, some ancillary nonprofits that used to hold the sheriff's office record division directly across Ringling Boulevard from the old police department, uh 2050 Ringling.

Um as some of you might remember, there was uh the old police department was at 2050 Wrangling Boulevard.

We tore that down in 2009, built the new police department at uh on Adams, and a surface lot was was built and financed there partially by the city and partially by the county as a um as part of the the outcome of the CRA being dissolved in downtown.

Um the discussion came up as the relocation because they're working on that entire criminal justice facility there, whether or not the city would be uh amenable to having a conversation about them potentially using the surface lot where the old police department used to be.

What the county is basically asked is if if uh basically a thumbs up or thumbs down if you would like uh city staff to engage with the county to have a discussion about if we would even be willing to entertain a building going on that lot as it currently stands.

So really that's that's it.

And if you look in your backup, um there is a map on page of course I can't see the page numbers now.

Three, thank you, Commissioner Ankirk.

I knew I could count on you.

Uh and that would be just to be clear as item number two.

So one is where the current location is, two is the potential lot where the old police department be would be, and the third is on the county-owned lot at the corner of Ringling and Shade.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Albrecht.

Thank you.

Um so when you say the county wants to use that lot, does that mean the county is interested in purchasing the lot from the city?

That is yet to be determined.

So it could be a partnership, they could build on it.

There could be a land lease.

We have not had that discussion yet.

That's part of the discussion.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Ahern Cotch.

Um thank you.

So I was interested in any details we would have about this as well, because we just had a discussion about, you know, the city setting aside two million dollars for parking needs.

And here's a you know.

I'm just curious.

You know, uh shuttles, golf carts, all kinds of things.

It's just the the point being that um these needs are real.

And was there any were there any more details given about what this would look like this discussion or it would be in English generally.

Are you sure?

I I can't speak speak for certain, but I'm hoping.

So there would obviously anything that would be deemed as consequential to the city would be discussed if we were if the board was willing to allow that discussion to take forward.

Simply unless the city had some desire or allowance that this could move forward with county staff, they already have a third location that they could move forward with.

So basically and to uh this is a long-term discussion, right?

This is not something that's gonna happen more than likely in the very near future, but this is a great option as far as the uh location is concerned.

It uh is directly across the street.

And obviously parking would definitely be part of that conversation, whether or not we were granted a number of spots within a new building if parking was incorporated underneath the building.

There's I mean, we've been through this before.

You start it start at a nothing and you build up from there, li legitimately build up from there.

So really what we're asking is would you even entertain um Mr.

Bullock and I engaging with county staff to have a conversation about the development or use of this this particular lot.

If there's no taste for it, they just would like to know uh ahead of time so they can work on other options.

So let me ask, has the city um in our thoughts and planning and discussion anticipated this for another use for the city so that we don't uh interrupt any plans or any long-term designs that we have had in in process or or in discussion.

As currently uh no, there's nothing planned there.

It is a it's an in it's a revenue generating uh surface parking lot.

Do we know what how much revenue it generates?

Some.

I can get that for you.

I don't know.

Be interested to know that.

Vice Mayor Trice.

Yeah, I uh my question when I first saw the thing is does SPD have any plans?

I mean, you never know.

There are all sorts of things that crop up.

Oh yes, we need to buy this, and that's a perfect location to stick it.

So I can tell you that if you look on the map on on page three, if you look to the west, which would be directly to underneath lot number two, that's undeveloped land that is uh currently held by the police department.

So if there was a need for expansion or use, it would go over there.

There is no parking of SPD vehicles in that surface lot as it currently stands.

I believe we agreed to give the county five for their marked uh court uh deputies to be able to park there.

Everything else is is uh metered parking or uh app parking, pardon me.

And and my other thought was uh somehow I have gotten the impression that the city sells land low and buys it high.

So I would strongly advocate against selling that land to the county that we should retain ownership or w whatever agreement that you negotiate with them should not include selling them the land.

What about a shooting range?

We already picked that location near your house.

Yes, ma'am.

So really the question the question that stands is whether or not we want to entertain that conversation with the county or not.

Um I I from my point of view, I think it makes sense to entertain it.

I don't think we should limit what can be discussed.

I think they should be allowed to talk about whether it's a sale or a lease or whatever it is, um and let that discussion happen.

We don't have to agree to it, but I think it's a it's in my view, um as a user of the courthouse and the justice center.

Um I think that's a great location for it because it's right next to the courthouse.

It will, you know, it makes sense for a lot of the court personnel, the you know, the the people who use the justice center to be able to go back and forth there.

Um because I usually like I I will usually park in that parking garage there that's by number three.

And you know, and it's it's not a terribly long walk, but if you had to do that constantly all day, um it would be, you know, somewhat inconvenient.

So I th I think um our lot makes perfect sense.

Commissioner Ulrich.

Um I agree with what the mayor just said.

I think it'd be worth having discussions and um put it all on the table for discussion.

Sale, not sale.

Uh the best deal is what we want.

Right.

Right.

That's what I think too.

And I'll just take for the record, I'm not sure I even want to do a deal.

I don't I don't mind um getting more information.

Um but I'm very much on the fence about um doing a deal or selling it.

I agree with the Vice Mayor.

Um we as a city are growing, our needs are growing, and um I think it's important to think long-term about who who what we have, where we want to be, what we want to do with our current assets, um, and just be very strategic and careful about that.

So I am you know who knows what what it's gonna look like, but I'm I'm not a huge fan of selling our our land that we have in the city, especially in the city of Sarasota.

And downtown.

And downtown.

I not so sure.

Yeah.

And obviously anything before any deal was negotiated or discussed, we would get some guideline provisions from the Commission before we entertained that.

And obviously, with uh regarding any sale of any city owned asset or land, it will come back to you before anything is agreed upon.

So just want to make sure that's 100 percent clear.

But maybe uh in the meantime, and I'm sorry to cut you off, we could get some more information about what how much income it's generating, um, you know, what it's worth.

Um, you know, we purchased land to build, you know, attainable housing across the street.

It was seven million dollars.

I just I don't want to be short-sighted about our assets, and this seems to be quite an asset.

And um, yeah, let's just be very careful.

I will get I'll get all that requested information, but I do need to vote whether or not you want to allow this conversation to go forward at the end of the day.

Yeah, because that that that would be part of what you need to do.

I can absolutely get that information to you uh in the interim.

So happy to do that.

Commissioner Ulrich, are you signed up again for another question or comment?

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

All right.

So seeing seeing none, can we get a motion?

Move to approve discussions between the city and the county regarding use of the property that is labeled number three.

Two, labeled number two on our backup materials.

Second.

Which is the ringling surface parking lot.

Sorich move to approve discussions and negotiations with Sarasota County for the ringling surface parking lot to be use utilized for our criminal justice center building on the lot identified as number two in the map back up.

And um the Vice Mayor seconded.

Um other discussion?

Okay.

If you will vote, Commissioners.

Is that your vote?

Okay.

The motion passes 4-0.

Thank you.

All right.

Do we have any other citizens' input concerning city topics?

One more.

Okay.

Um David Lowe.

Thank you.

Uh good afternoon.

I'm David Lowe speaking as a resident this afternoon.

And I hadn't planned to speak, but one topic that um I don't recall seeing in the budget or hearing discussions about, and all the discussions about facilities is the federal building.

And I know, Mr.

Polzak, you have you and your team over there.

You're a total of about four or five people.

Um I'm hearing discussions about um more money to be spent on lease old improvements at the uh new one-stop shop.

I know the annex building is undergoing renovation.

I don't know all the plans.

But it certainly would seem that it should be a topic of discussion of that's a beautiful historic building.

Nobody's talking about knocking it down.

But the potential income stream that might be possible there as a boutique kind of location for think of a law firm, an advertising agency or something.

So I would encourage um us, you to think about the words that fit in the mix of all $2 million uh parking lots, $500,000 more, an additional this or that, a uh beautiful new pond out front.

Um it seems to me that um some discussion, and particularly I I have to comment on the Fruitville opportunity as such an economic potential driver in the longer term that I would hate to see us um spending money or are not receiving income streams such as the Federal building that might be possible.

There might also be some intangible improvements of having Mr.

Polsac right in the same building steps away rather than block and a half.

So it occurs to me that I would encourage you in the final uh stages here that you um think about that.

And also I haven't heard any real discussion about the implications of AI on future uh efficiencies and future um uh space needs and what how that might change the way we do business and contain the staffing needs we have.

Um, you know, I'm using it, and I mean it's amazing to help me write stuff.

Um I'll admit it, right?

And so just thinking ahead, I know it's it's not just something in the future, but it's happening now.

And so I would hope that as your broader discussions on this, that that be a consideration um in your conversations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Um we are down to remarks of commissioners, announcements, and items for next agenda.

So, Commissioner Ulrich.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um speaking of AI, we had a presentation about AI at the recent Florida League of Cities meeting, and they suggested that at least you should have a policy on the use of AI for your city.

And so I recommend that the city manager come back to us with that, and I hope you'll join me in that recommendation.

And that can be done as an administrative regulation, which can be approved by, yeah.

Just so to the clerk's point, our IT department has been investigating uh AI, specifically the ones that that dovetail into our current record system.

Because obviously there are um we are on the cutting edge of a lot of legal uh issues as it pertains to AI.

What's tangible, what is uh what can you actually um what can you testify to if it's used in a court of law?

I mean, there's a lot of things that are gonna have to be cleared up.

However, that being said, taking a cautious approach to incorporating AI into our workspace, uh uh our IT department or IT director have have been working on incorporating that into our city website and or into some of our practices.

I can give you a uh I can have uh Hermenio Rodriguez come and give you guys all a briefing on in reference to what we're doing, the program that we're using and its capabilities and some of the stipulations and guardrails that we're putting in place because again, that is uh AI is a an avenue for bad actors to enter into our operating system.

So it it's not something uh that we take lightly.

Obviously, we do not want to be held hostage either by Skynet uh with the Terminators or a third-party actor that's using AI.

No one got the Skynet uh the Terminator T 100.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sheryl.

The um we don't want that to happen.

And it there are there are issues both on the law enforcement and the city government side, which hopefully they talked about during your presentation.

We want to make sure that we're locked down as well as we can to use the best tools that are safe for our environment.

So we will bring that back and I can schedule that if you'd like.

All right.

And does that include discussion of possible um policies or administrative rules?

They can include anything you'd like.

Yeah, I think it should.

And I think as we as we grapple with the future, it raises all sorts of interesting possibilities as well as some security concerns.

But um part of it will be us uh continuously learning because it keeps evolving and getting either better or scarier, depending on you know where you stand.

So give us a little time and we can benefit perhaps from some of the information you all picked up this week, this past week.

Thank you.

That's it, Mayor.

All right, thank you.

Um Commissioner Hernkoutsch.

Um yes, thank you.

Uh I uh participated in a Sister Cities um peace summit that they uh organized at Silby Library.

I was there with several other um speakers.

And um it was a packed house in the middle of August.

So it was really unbelievable to see so many people there eager to talk about how we can have um civil conversation uh as a community moving forward.

Um and then like you all, I attended the um Florida League of Cities annual conference in Orlando, just got back yesterday.

Uh some of the things that I attended was the advocacy committee meeting as I'm on the advocacy committee.

see so many people there eager to talk about how um we can have um civil conversation uh as a community moving forward um and then like you all I attended the um Florida League of Cities annual conference in Orlando just got back yesterday uh some of the things that I attended was the advocacy committee meeting as I'm on the advocacy committee uh this year is going to be extremely important for not just me to be an advocate for the city but also for all of us in our own ways to meet with the legislators uh here uh in Sarasota in addition to going to Tallahassee especially per property taxes that's of course the big um item that we'll come back um uh expanding the um the homestead exemption um property tax doing away with it or not doing away with it other forms of revenue um other forms of a limiting um cities and their abilities uh there are there are a lot of concerns that many of the items will come back that did that failed last year sovereign immunity um business tax CRAs uh doing away with CRAs uh doing away with the special taxing districts that we have as well um so I'll try to keep everybody at these meetings up to date as much as I can but uh miss jorgensen is also going to try to attend the advocacy committee meetings and be able to uh share all the information on on the proposals and the bills as they move forward and as you all know uh the session is starting early this year so we just finished and we're jumping right back in right away um and then of course I attended I'm on the FAST committee the federal action strike team and uh normally there are two um fast uh fly-ins to DC this year we're only going to do one because of the sh the early um legislative session in Tallahassee uh the FLC feels like we're gonna be doing our policy committee meeting September October November then we're all going to be going to Tallahassee in December and January so we're gonna have to focus on Tallahassee and think about DC once this year and not twice.

And then I attended other sessions uh one was a legislative wrap up that was also very interesting um one uh was on natural gas and very specifically natural gas as a revenue source uh and it is being used by some municipalities as a revenue source and I can um share that information with Mr.

Bullock and get some details about that I found it very very interesting um and then um I also attended one um that was uh presented by Eric Sorkin was his name I believe who is the head of Doge I skipped that one yes and um that was also a very commissioners on doge uh isn't he the head of Doge I don't know that he's the head but he's one of the people that's on the commission for okay I thought he was that the head of it anyway it doesn't matter um they laid out um um their plan and um it it seems that um most municipalities and counties will be um doged doged is the is the word so um so that was it interesting and one last item is that I also met with um uh two people from the Florida League of Cities about um a municipal a statewide municipal um template for a tree ordinance and what it does is it just sort of um standardizes language in a municipal tree ordinance for all the cities so that when you have landscape architects and arborists from a region they're speaking the same language they're they're examining and evaluating trees on the same terms on the same level so that it becomes a much more useful less subjective tool and they're very interested in that being a presentation uh both um a webinar and also at an at the conference potentially next year I'm gonna have to put together a package and a presentation as you know I'm the Florida League of Cities representative to the um Florida Urban Forestry Council.

So hopefully that's something that we can get on uh underway and I would like to add to the agenda once we get everything organized uh a presentation to this commission of what that would look like um a a tree ordinance uh a municipal tree ordinance and um because I just want to do a presentation uh I'm anticipating a short seven minute presentation and if this commission is interested in a larger presentation bringing the folks from the council here to do more interactive QA but the first step I anticipate just being a you know putting the foot in the water and letting you all see what that would uh what entail without bringing them down from Tampa and us setting aside you know major a major agenda items so one step at a time on this one and that's all I have did you take yourself Vice Mayor yeah um I also since Florida League of Cities conference was still top of mind before I forget um but before I go into what's on that sheet

But the first step I anticipate just being a you know, putting the foot in the water and letting you all see what that would uh what entail without bringing them down from Tampa and us setting aside you know major a major agenda items.

So one step at a time on this one, and that's all I have.

Did you take yours?

Yes.

Okay.

Vice Mayor.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um also since Florida League of Cities Conference was still top of mind before I forget.

Um, but before I go into what's on that sheet, uh the fact that Commissioner Ahern Koch brought up the thing about property tax.

We I suspect all of us don't look at the sheet yet.

Don't look at the sheet in.

Uh I think never hand it out.

Right, right.

Yeah.

Well, except I would um we probably all went to the session on property tax, and Florida League of Cities really gave uh good recommendation on how the city could uh create a strategy of educating the public and then educating our representatives.

So I was wondering whether or not we should share Florida League of Cities information with the city ma interim city manager to see whether or not Sarasota sh should have a strategy or whether we will the commissioners will work independently and and do it.

So what are your thoughts on whether we go through the city manager to get a unified strategy first?

I definitely think that is top of our efforts legislatively, and you know, they had that QR code that you can request a report done for your city.

I know I filled it right up right away.

You did maybe you did, Jennifer Jorgens Jorgensen did as well.

So once they put that together, I have to say that I found it extremely useful when I was in DC talking about Muni bonds and exactly what that would take when I spoke with Vern Buchanan when I spoke with Greg Steube and others.

They were able to see real numbers, real projects that would be impacted, and not talking in in sort of um imaginary worlds to give them real numbers, you know, that we know that it's the general funds, a third of our our budget.

We know that the police department takes all of it and then some.

Okay, then the other things that I like to have three takeaways from any conference I go to.

So my three takeaways, uh the public engagement award went to the city of Jacksonville Beach.

They have take two Tuesdays, and every week they have a two-minute video that they produce and put out on social media and all their uh sites, and the fact that it's only two minutes it gets to more people.

Vice Mayor.

Oh, sorry.

It's two minutes, it gets to more people, and I think that's something I would like us to look into.

And since I said that, um let me preface this whole thing.

Is each of these are things that I as vice mayor am not necessarily advocating or even asking the interim city manager to look into it.

I'm thinking we probably have some enterprising staff members that will see that as an idea, and they might decide to make a phone call or two and then go up through their chain if they think that there's something they want to recommend.

Uh the next thing that intrigued me is City of Altamont Springs has something they call crane rides, and actually it's an A, it's an autonomous vehicle uh funded by FDOT as an experiment.

I don't like an autonomous vehicles, but this was a uh fixed route, fixed schedule, uh elect electric vehicle, and it's it's in connect and it's parallel to what I would like to see as a downtown tram on a fixed route on a frequently circulating, and the advantage of that is being a people mover, it cuts down on parking needs and all of that.

So there isn't the advantage there.

And while you all were at the DOGE session, I was at the micro mobility section session.

And uh very common problem throughout most of the cities was young people on private high speed electric uh bicycles or on the ones that the city is providing.

And the lack of regulation of these young people and lack of enforcement.

And I believe I've heard similar complaints in Sarasota.

Um this is something we should probably look into.

But my big thing is I was really excited when we got the micro mobility, but I'm a senior citizen who has not been on a two-wheeler for over fifty years, and I'm not about to start now.

Um and I said, where are the three-wheelers?

And I have found there's so many seniors who have moved downtown because of walkability.

The only time they get their cars out is to get groceries.

And if there were, you know, micro mobility things for seniors, that would be really great.

And the city of Tampa says, yes, we are working with our two vendors to do that and to provide micro mobility for disabled people.

So it would be really good if somebody working on that might make a phone call to Tampa and say, who are you a vendors and what are you getting them to do?

So I just wanted to share this information widely.

May I comment real quick?

Um Commissioner Aaron Cos.

I just wanted to say that the the beep.

Um if you're going to be going to Orlando for the legislative policy committees.

I did a tour of the beep in the a fixed route autonomous.

Now this was like five years ago.

Um, but they'll give you a tour and you can ride in it, you can see how it works, what happens behind the scenes, um, and it was really fascinating.

Um so I would highly recommend if you, you know, organize that however you need to, but beep will do it for you in Orlando.

Thank you.

Have you ever ridden on a three-wheeler bicycle?

No, because I would buy one if I could try it first.

They're a lot trickier than you think.

Turning when you're on one is really tough.

Well, it's better than walking.

Um you can get more her.

All right.

Well, I went to the uh Florida League of Cities annual conference as well, and everybody else talked about all the stuff that was there.

So I don't need to.

Um right, uh Mr.

Bullock.

Um unfortunately, Mr.

Jeff Coate got away from me.

Okay.

I just wanted to publicly acknowledge the really extraordinary job that he's done uh not just during his interim time, but afterward, the most gracious man in the world, uh knowledgeable uh people can talk to him in a way that they might not talk to Pat.

I agree.

And and uh he just he's just been a real asset.

He is retiring.

We'll we'll have some recognition for him.

Um there may be some ongoing things that I ask him to to continue to help us with on a contract basis, so you may get a chance to see him again, but without him being in the room, uh unfortunately, I I just want to say it out loud that uh how much I appreciate his highly competent work and willingness to take on anything.

Agreed.

Mr.

Robinson.

Uh yes, ma'am.

Just one quick update to Mr.

Lowe's uh statements reference to the Federal building, as some of you may recall when we purchased that building, and this was uncovered by Mr.

Um Appleby when we did enter into discussions about potentially leasing that property when we uh first vacated when we first started talking about vacating that to bring HR and finance under one roof in the annex building.

There's stipulations with the land use pursuant to the actual purchase of that building from the Federal Government that significantly limits the um engagement for leasing opportunities.

Um I know David would love to run a uh micromobility transit center from there, right?

So unfortunately, sir, that will not be possible.

Um not in the foreseeable future.

And I'd also like to remind you that um to Commissioner A.

Hearn Koch's point, you know, that is a heck of an asset, and we are vacating Parks and Rec is vacating the Payne Park Auditorium for the players, so they are they're moving into the first floor of the Federal building.

Um in conversations with Ms.

Jorgensen, as you might know, that um the special events team has moved out of the municipal auditorium because the bay is taking that building over and they've moved into the second floor of that building.

Um we do have Sister City still there, so they still have a workspace, um, as well as Dave Tomasco and the Bay Park estuary program is also on the second floor.

Um and we're also going to be moving um Amy E.

Jones, our grants administrator, up to the second floor from the first floor, and the police uh advisory panel chair, or I'm sorry, not the chair, the um administrator will also be housed in there.

So it really is a full house still.

Um we shuffled it around, and just because we moved a bunch of people over there, uh over here, you know, in a perfect world, and I don't know if you know this, but the annex was actually designed to put additional stories on.

So we that was actually if you go in the stairwell, there's a stairwell to nowhere.

It literally leads to the roof line.

Back when that building was actually built, I think the they had thought about bringing everybody on this campus.

Not sure we have the funding stream for at the moment.

So we're we're doing the best we can with the assets that we currently have.

So Mr.

Lowe, thank you for the idea.

But we have a packed house.

I'm trying to get phones and and computers over there as it currently stands.

Just wanted to give you that update that it was definitely something we thought about, because it is an amazing building, historic, great.

Um, but believe it or not, as soon as we started shuffling people around, that filled up very fast.

So um just want to put that on the record so you know that we're not uh we're not cooling and heating a vacant building over at the federal building.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

Um Mr.

Pulzak.

Yes, I do have a couple announcements uh if you'll indulge me.

Sure.

First is a uh attorney client shade meeting announcement pursuant to Florida statute section 286.011 subsection eight.

The city is currently being sued regarding a motor vehicle accident, and the city attorney's office would like to have a private attorney client session known as the shade meeting with the city commission.

In accordance with Florida Sunshine Law, Florida Statute 286.011 subsection eight.

I'm hereby announcing at a public meeting that the city attorney's office is requesting a shade meeting in the case of Adrian Langford versus the City of Sarasota et al.

It's case number 2020, CA 004688 NC filed on the circuit court for the 12th Judicial Circuit.

The subject matter of the meeting shall be confined to settlement negotiations or strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures.

We will reach out to each of you at a later date to arrange for a time and date which is convenient and provide such notice to the public in accordance with Florida law.

Second announcement is that the city has received a formal proposal for settlement in the following case.

It's Denisha Stanley versus the City of Sarasota, case number 2024.

CA 003177 NC.

This is an auto accident case involving a city employee.

The city's received an offer to settle the case for 160,000.

The city attorney's office is not recommending settlement at this time, nor are we requesting the shade meeting to discuss.

However, if you want to discuss this meeting at a discuss this issue at a shade meeting, please let me know and I'll schedule that.

Thank you.

That's it for me.

Ms.

Criggs, nothing.

Okay.

Well, if there is nothing else, we are adjourned for August 28th.