The next item on the agenda.

At this time, the City Commission will recess as the City Commission and convene into a special session of the community redevelopment agency.

We're not going anywhere though.

So I then will open the I believe special session of the community redevelopment agency.

And the first item on the agenda is to approve the minutes of the special Sarasota Community Redevelopment Agency meeting of January 5th.

And may I have a motion?

Move approval of the minutes for for the CRA for January 5th, 2026.

Second.

Move by Commissioner A.

Hearn Kutch, seconded by Commissioner Batti to approve the minutes of the January 5th special CRA.

And may we have your votes, please.

And that passed unanimously.

So now we move into item number two.

That the report that the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board is seeking a grant agreement approval for a redevelopment project located at Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Way and Leon Avenue for Margot Ventures LLC in the amount of $250,000.

And I will call upon Newtown CRA Advisory Board, Vice Chair Yancey, Member Preston, and Economic Development Manager Appleby to make a presentation.

Welcome, gentlemen.

Thank you.

Okay.

Good morning.

Wayne Appleby, economic development manager and staff liaison to the Newtown CRA advisory board.

We're here today.

If I could have the day to provide a board report, which I'm primarily going to let uh Mr.

Yancey talk about in regards to our initiative titled the Dr.

MLK redevelopment initiatives.

Last year, the CRA created uh this initiative and placed $900,000 into a fund for redevelopment opportunities to support redevelopment opportunities along the corridor.

Uh and the CRA at every meeting monitors what's happening with with developments and development opportunities along the corridor so that they can position themselves to be supportive when they see projects that meet some of their goals, you know, such as increasing the tax revenue, their primary purpose uh for the Newtown CRA, increasing job opportunities, uh revitalizing the corridor, trying to identify catalyst projects that will lead to reinvestments uh along the corridor, and when projects also meet a community service or need.

And so over the last uh uh several meetings uh they have been discussing a project called uh 2700 Margos.

It's a banquet hall uh renovation project at the corner of MLK and we on Avenue, uh and it is uh of all of the developments that or renovations that we're talking about along the corridor.

It's the one that's uh kind of shovel ready and further furthest down the path.

And so I'm gonna turn it over to Mr.

Yancey to talk about the project and the board's vote.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Right on coup.

Good morning.

I'm here today to present um, like Mr.

Appleby explained, um, the Marco Venure project.

Um I'm here to present the project.

The actual owners will uh promote the project, and you'll have um Apple opportunity to participate in the project.

So let's get started.

Um as Mr.

Appleby mentioned the project is at the corner of MLK and Leon Avenue is um the project type is a renovation.

It will be a banquet hall.

The project owner is a newtown CRA resident.

The project contractor is also a newtown CRA resident, and the project cost is $513,000.

Newtown CRA recommendations, how we arrived at the decision.

How we arrived at the decision?

Recommendations to award additional $250,000.

It was a three to O vote.

Before required conditions, before the money is before our money is spent, we have a few required conditions placed upon the owners.

Proof of non-CRA matching funds.

They have to make sure they have their additional funds, which my math comes up to $263,000.

Proof of actual costs.

We've been presented with some estimates, so we need proof of actual cost.

Basis for the recommendation.

MLK is a long MLK is long overdue for a CRA project.

The project is permitted and shovel ready.

Which means the city has already approved it.

The project will increase the tax base by hiring one full-time employee and one part-time employee.

The project will bring substantial funding, and the owner, owner of the project owns the project outright, no mortgage.

The property will provide a needed resource to the community.

The project aligns with Newtown CRA development plans and funding is available.

So just in summary, just to clarify a couple of points that Mr.

Yancey mentioned.

So we have a one vacancy.

We still have one vacancy today.

So there were three members that voted in affirmative for this recommendation to you.

And lastly, in one of the required conditions, just wanted to be clear that one of the required conditions were the awardees on personal funds must be spent first prior to the CRA funds being.

So we should see the project substantially on its way before our dollars would be put in.

So with that, the recommendation of the advisory board is to approve the grant agreement that's within your packet.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner questions.

Commissioner Batti.

Thank you, Mayor.

And uh thank you all for your presentation.

You know, uh the the CRA is a very, very uh sensitive you know funding source, you know, um in Newtown.

Um I know that one of the key things uh upon my running was um to bring attention to it, and that is uh transparency and accountability because when I came in in the office, uh there was hardly any funding going into the CRA because the tax base in in Newtown was so low.

So the incremental uh Avalon taxes weren't necessarily you know um replenishing what was going out.

Can you give me uh Mr.

Appleby if you if you have on you um you know where we were, where we have been and where we are right now?

Sure.

So in in 2018, um the the revenue uh provided to the CRA through advalorum taxes was approximately $50,000.

Um what is anticipated uh in this upcoming year would be $476,000.

So uh the fund has seen, you know, as a result of property values uh and ad valorum uh assessments going up.

Um it has seen quite a bit of growth, but you know, trying to implement all of the goals of the CRA plan on a reoccurring fund of $470,000.

Uh you have to make some priorities and choices in what you do.

Okay.

And uh thank you for that.

And and that's you know one of the essential components of uh of the CRA in way of you know it being able to fund projects you know on the corridor in the in Newtown period as we all know one thing that I'm I'm constantly uh striving to get out in in Newtown and outside of New Sarasota or whatever is uh how Sarasota is better when all of its neighborhoods are better.

You know me being the representative of District one you know Sarasota is great when uh Gillespie Park is doing better, when Arlington is doing better, when Bayuokis is doing better or Newtown is doing better.

But uh Newtown has a ways to go and in which to to catch up to the rest of the city you know in investing the neighborhoods.

One of the things that that I myself you know I'm working on is a total and complete uh revamping and revitalization and redevelopment of Newtown and uh putting together a consortium of of stakeholders in in the in the community Mr.

Yancey Mr.

Terrell Salem, Mr.

Keith DeBoes such as uh people such as Mary Mary Butler um and the alike to help you know push this initiative forward and that is so that everyone has some sort of idea because we will be bringing it to you and that is urban mixed use of commercial space on the bottom and attainable affordable housing up top and that will go from the east side of 301 down to like Leon Avenue correct so teaming up with uh developer Mr Scott Eller um with a French quarter type of face and or facade along the corridor to give it uh an ethnic historic and Newtown have it on its own character and identity to set it aside from say downtown or Rosemary or any other you know place in the city.

Now that being said, you know I'm trying to figure out how this you know project works within what we have coming down the pike.

We just did a 3D rendering or whatever that we'll be presenting sometime rolling out sometime soon in the near future uh just making some tweaks here and there um and especially like with a three member board with three people on the board which is a five member board and especially when we're talking about $250,000 and if I'm not mistaken you just said that it was $900,000 that you all earmarked for redevelopment or what have you.

That's that's correct uh $900,000 is in that line item for redevelopment projects along the corridor so it meets the definition because it's on the corridor of MLK Commissioner Batty you're referring to the uh 3D modeling and visioning project for the corridor uh which we hope to engage in community conversation in the near future to to have the community's voice and what they want to see on the corridor.

So this project is a little bit ahead of that uh visioning project it's also uh a block uh west uh from the area we were primarily focusing on initially okay so just to just just to be clear so we also have the uh African American Culture Center you know going going on essentially across the street or Caddy Corner if you will um that's going to have banquet space as well so I'm trying to make sure that there's not some sort of redundance of of service you know right there in the same area and two and especially with a five member board you know with three not having the opportunity to to s to speak to to um you know to this initiative of $250,000 or whatever um because that's a third of uh of of that allotted money and uh um that's pretty much the the the the budget uh of that you know and uh I don't know I'm uh I'm um I'm kind of having a hard time when it's like I said they're supposed to be five members or on this and when I know it's a quorum with three but the other two not even have an opportunity to weigh in on it.

You know, so um Mr.

Salem, you have a question.

Yeah.

Uh thanks.

Uh Terrell Salem, I'm the um prime contract on this project and the uh representative for the owner, Margot Venture.

So basically, um just to give you some background on this project.

This project has been in the making for over three years.

Um it was a process when we initially bought this project to the city.

It was denied because the zoning did not identify banquet halls.

So the owner had to wait for um amendments to be made to zoning, which repres uh recognize banquet halls as a standalone entity.

It was before previously it was um an accessory to an uh an another business.

So um the owner has already, out of her own funds, put eighty thousand dollars of funding, which we've submitted all of that documentation to the city.

For a project of this size, it has had to undergo major, major um engineering.

We had to have a civil engineer, had to have a structural engineer, had to have MEP uh mechanical electrical plumbing engineer and an architect.

So um all of those monies have already been pre-spent and receipts have been turned over.

Uh at the same time we finally got the zoning to recognize banquet halls.

We came back to the board again and um asked for 250,000 because of the outlay that had to be made initially of the $80,000 of the funds.

So that's why uh the ask was for $250,000.

But I think that the city needs to realize that this is a unique project.

Um, the CRA hasn't done anything in a long time, and except giving money to nonprofits, and that's all well and good.

But nonprofits don't generate tax revenue, right?

So this project is gonna have a value increase once I'm once I'm done.

We have uh about a $500,000 um improvement cost.

Trust and believe the uh tax assessor is going to reassess this building, and we do expect the average portion of the taxes to get up around probably about six six thousand dollars by themselves for just that alone that will be coming into the callers every year.

Um I know they said that there was uh two employees, but it's actually seven employees that will be working their part-time jobs as the Banqua Hall will operate from an hour of about um as early as 7 a.m.

as late as 1.30.

Um you mentioned the other projects.

This project was already identified before the thought came into who's ever mind about revitalizing the corridor.

The banquet hall across the street, that is not shovel ready.

Shovel ready means that it's ready to go.

Um as soon as I get approval from you all, go to the and then we take the letter that we'll get from you, go to the bank, get the uh remaining funds, we'll put the project in action.

We don't have to wait for anything.

That and Mayor, I have a point of order.

Mr.

Salem was not one of the three presenters that were indicated to us.

He came down without invitation.

I respect what he has to say, but do we need to officially uh receive him at the table and allow him to speak?

Absolutely.

Um because he's part of the board, so I mean that's why I didn't speak out of order.

I was I I was recognized.

I was recognized.

Um all respect, Ms.

Haldrick.

I was recognized.

I was raised, I was raised right.

And uh I don't speak until spoken to the Well, we sat on the planning board together, sir.

I know you you do it right, but I just wanted to confirm that this is in order.

Okay.

And and and he is able to answer the questions that Commissioner Battee asked.

Thank you.

And let it be known that you know Vice Mayor Ulrich is a stickler for procedure and rules or whatever.

So by no means disrespectful.

But I I think at this point we need to uh give time to other time.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner Ahern Kotch.

Thank you.

I have a couple of questions, Mr.

Appleby, and you the rest of you can feel free to weigh in.

Should that be the most appropriate person to respond?

And I will officially recognize Mr.

Salem.

A couple of questions about the details in the documentation that we have been given.

There are several references to hiring locally and from the community.

So in our blue sheet in the backup material from not the backup material that I pulled the minutes from the meeting.

And it's on page three of the minutes, the sixth paragraph, item number three.

The board discussed the funding level request at length and offered the following points in support of the $250,000 request.

The third one is hiring new and part-time employees from the community.

Do we have a definition of local hiring and or from the community?

It weighed heavily in the board's decision, and I would like to know what that means.

Yeah, I I don't believe there is anything legally that would hold the awardee to that particular type of hire.

I think it was a good faith effort by the applicant who was from the community, has an interest in serving the community, that that's what they would do.

But but to answer your question, Commissioner, I am not aware of any specific definition, and there's nothing in the grant agreement that requires them to hire a specific individual from the community.

Right.

I suspect like all employers, they want to hire the best employee they can get.

Sure.

I mean, from the community could be somebody from Arcadia.

Right.

I mean, you know, I don't know what that definition is, and it was one of the four reasons why they approved it.

And I would assume from the community means the city and or taking it smaller from the new town community.

But without that in there, it's it's a it was a main point of the reason why they supported it.

I just would like some clarity.

If if I can remember the conversation correctly, the board members speak to, their community was new town community, hiring people from the new town community.

But all I'm saying is I don't think that there's a legal nexus to actually require that.

Okay.

Well, I just want to make the point clear that should this pass that the owner of the project know that that was one of the four reasons that was stated by the board for approval is to hire from the community.

And what that actually means.

And then the name, because I'm a strickler for details.

We have it several times in here flipped around.

It's 2700 Margot or Margot 2700, or which of what is the name?

So the LLC is Margoventures LLC.

I know, right.

Um our understanding is that it's 2700 Margos would be the doing business as.

Mr.

Salem, do you know the No, it's uh Margot's at 2700.

It's a sign up right now.

Okay, with an at symbol.

Yes.

Okay.

So let's just make sure it's a um like that in the documents because in exhibit A, I think that's what it says is it with the at symbol.

Um but in the rest of the documentation it doesn't say that.

Um then we were given in the the sort of concept plan.

We were given page one twice.

At the beginning and at the end of our documents, and I know Mr.

Salem, I'm looking at you.

Um I believe this this is your mock-up.

I didn't know.

I know you didn't probably weren't required to provide the information, but we have it in the beginning and at the end.

And I didn't know if the last page was an update of the first page or if it's in there twice for some other reason.

Okay.

First of all, it's not concept.

This is permitted.

This is ready to go.

Okay.

Scope of work.

Yeah.

So this is this is an actual project.

Got it.

Um I supplied the full set of plans to staff.

Um I'm not sure how they compiled it for your uh feeling.

Okay.

Mr.

Appleby.

Yeah, could you uh I'm trying to understand that.

So on page 23 is there are no numbers on my backup material.

I just counted myself.

So page 23 and page let's see what would it be?

It would be page 16.

Read the label on the page.

Yeah, S1.

It says.

It's the scope of work S1.

And then uh it's supposed to be page 16 and then S1 is and it's teeny tiny, and I you can zoom in on the you know the the laptop, but uh you know you have to go all over.

And I just didn't know if you could point out if there was a difference between those two pages.

And while you're looking, Mr.

Salem, if I could ask you quickly.

In our introductory information here, um it talks about uh no, I'm sorry, it's in the minutes of the discussion at the planning board.

Um one of the reasons um that the it says staff asked Mr.

Salem whether awarding the full 250 from the previous request of I believe 160 or something like that.

Um would exceed the project's funding needs based on the information submitted.

Mr.

Salem responded that the funding at this level would eliminate the need for value engineering.

Is that a good thing?

Isn't value value engineering a good thing, or is it redundant in all the other permits that you received already?

Well, value engineering is not a good or bad thing.

Okay.

It's just based on your project, right?

So in the case of this project, the owner has already expensed $80,000 on those services.

If they value energy near anything, they would have to go back and spend more money on those same services.

So it's already been done as redundant.

It in this case it would be redundant.

And the but let me also clear something.

You stated that the original ask was 160.

The original ask was always 250.

Oh, yeah.

But here let me explain this too, please.

The this application process was we were the pilot program for this application process.

So when initial application was given, it was not uh designed to capture some critical information, most notably that the building is owned free and clear.

There was nothing that asked what's the status of the building.

Are there any encumbrances or anything like that?

So that was crucial.

So many of the five board members at the time that approved the 160, they were hung up on the fact that they didn't know where the rest of the money was going to come from.

So when we came back to the board, unfortunately, one member time had ended and another member had suffered a medical emergency, couldn't be there, but government must go on.

So we had three, we had a quorum, so that's why we ended up with a vote of three, and that's we came back and we said, hey, let's look at the 250 now that you have all of the pieces to the puzzle.

Okay, thank you.

So the answer is that the value engineering is redundant.

That's correct.

Got it.

Thank you.

Um and then uh on our blue sheet, Mr.

Appleby, it talks about in the last paragraph, it says that um the grant agreement is structured to ensure no uh no new town CRA dollars are expended until the renovation project has been substantially started.

What does that mean, substantially started?

It means they have to spend their 263 before one penny of our dollars go in.

Got it.

Um got that one.

Okay, those are my questions.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I was quite concerned about a 3-0 vote.

Um you addressed it.

I encourage you to get up to five, you know, five as quickly as possible on your board.

Um you have four now.

We have four now.

Uh and uh we'll be back uh on the first meeting of April for our annual report.

And uh my understanding is the clerk will present applicants at that time.

So appreciate that.

Thank you.

Um I think this is a good idea.

Uh I wonder, however, if any market analysis has been done to determine if an event venue can make it at the site.

In this area.

So as part of the application, they did provide a business plan and a pro forma that um again uh indicated if you uh if you can assume their assumptions are correctly that they will have the revenue to meet expenses.

Um but there is some honestly some subjectivity, I believe, to that.

You know, you do have to own those assessment uh assumptions.

Okay.

Thank you.

Mr.

Salem, please.

Thank you.

So basically, um this area is actively suffering from a lack of venue space right now.

Um course there is the nice, beautiful Robert Taylor, but that venue space come with a lot of limitations.

Um a lot of people that would like to rent that space because it's a government building, uh, to have certain events that they would like to have cannot utilize that space.

And currently uh these uh residents of Newtown are forced to travel outside of Newtown for that space, which if you are having certain things would increase the cost to attend because now you might need to take an Uber a little bit longer to get back home, assuming you have enjoyed your night.

So we currently have things such as repasses for funeral services, or we have um you know birthdays and things of that nature.

This is the ideal space for that.

And we have already, even though the space is not ready, have been asked on numerous occasions if we could uh rent the place out for those events, and we've um had to decline that at this time.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Um Commissioner Alpert, you no longer wish to ask questions.

No, Commissioner I'll rec ask my question.

Okay.

Thank you.

I I did just have a couple, and I'm glad Mr.

Salem is here.

But first I'll I'll ask Mr.

Appleby, what is the current use of that building?

So that may be a better question for Mr.

Salem as well, I believe.

I believe it's it's not substantially in use now.

Uh currently the building is being used by the owner to support a nonprofit that she has, which will also continue to utilize space in there.

Uh J5 organization is a uh uh girl organization.

So they are using it for their meeting space right now.

Okay.

But it's not being outlet to the general public right now for insurance reasons.

Okay, because the reason I was asking is I was wondering if it was um generating any revenue for the owner right now, and would the owner then have to suspend that use while is it renovation or is it total construction that you have addition and renovation?

So will she have to suspend well, I guess she's not doing business really right now, so won't have to suspend revenue generation while you are at work, right?

Right.

So basically what prior to um deciding to change use, um it was a daycare facility.

And that lease uh ended, and the owner knew that she was going in this direction, which she had started all the preliminary work prior to, and we hit that hurdle with zoning when we made application, and um so no viable business is in there at this point.

So this this has been ready for about three years now to kick off.

Okay, so so she is already sacrificing any revenue that could be generated.

So I'm assuming she is eager to get moving.

So I'm wondering what kind of time frame do you envision if the approval comes through today.

You're saying the work is already permitted?

Absolutely.

So when do you estimate uh you know being able for her being able to get into business?

Okay, so basically uh the loan process is about 60 days.

Uh so once the loan um process is over, so this is March, April, May, I expect to start construction in May.

Um I'm a pretty uh uh pretty fast contractor.

So I move things expeditiously, so um I'm incentivized as well to do so.

So I expect that I'll have this ready to go by end of year to um hopefully host something within the new year in the first year.

So we're looking at it generating income by January of 2027 if we move forward today.

Absolutely.

Which is positive for the CRA and is positive for the community.

Um yeah, that that is those are my questions.

And this I see Commissioner Aher and Kaj has one more, and we're sort of like deviating a little bit from the usual because we do have a request to speak that just came through.

So should we take the request?

Okay, we'll take Commissioner Ahern Kotch's question first.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

Appleby, on page 13 of the agreement, um it talks about um project publicity.

It says any news releases are other type of publicity pertaining to the project as stated here and must recognize the CRA.

Um, do we um did we ask our communications department if the city should be recognized expressly in that as well?

Uh I have not had that specific conversation.

Uh we typically um do actually ask applicants to do both on a normal uh on our normal nonprofit funding.

Uh we we could incorporate that language in here if that was the will of the commission.

Okay.

I think it would be a good idea.

As you recall, we have to the Newtown CR created a new branding last year, right?

So we've been trying to promote that brand image of Newtown.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um thank you for your presentation.

And I'm going to assume that we don't have any more questions after we hear from the speaker.

Yeah, but that may be an option.

We'll stay by.

Right.

Don't leave the room.

Thank you.

So and I will call up Martin Hyde.

Mayor.

I don't know, Miles or Laurie.

I don't know who is somebody on Zoom because you muted them.

Okay, thank you.

They're talking.

They were talking on Zoom and I was just trying to tell them you.

Oh, okay.

It wasn't that they wanted to make it no request to speak.

Thank you, Mr.

Hyde.

Well, uh, Martin Hyde.

I I was listening and so forgive the tardy thing.

You know, there's some but let me just say first of all.

I'm absolutely strongly in favor of investing in Newtown.

I'm not against this project or any other project.

But if I just heard what I've just heard, you had three people of whom was a one was an interested party voting to get 250 grand from the city.

Also appeared to be hearing that the contractor member of the board appointed given the job.

Isn't that the same contractor that left Miss Susie's in a pot of rubble?

Wasn't that a project just a few years ago that was going to regenerate and renovate the city that ended in disaster?

Is there no oversight here whatsoever?

Are we not going to ask the obvious question?

$250,000.

Let's spend it appropriately.

Let's not give it to who happens to be on the board.

Let's not give it to somebody that recently left a pond of rubble on Martin Luther King.

Come on.

That doesn't pass the sniff test.

That's all I need to say.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Hyde.

Commissioners.

Commissioner Batti.

Yes.

Can I bring the Mrs.

Hammond?

First, I want to make you know a point of clarification.

Are you on the board of the CRA?

No.

No, no, that is a good thing.

All right.

So first of all, um my um planning board uh position from the city, because you don't sit on one board at a time, unfortunately.

Um my term ended.

So I'm currently searching for a good board if y'all want to recommend one.

I'll take that.

Um second, um Ms.

Susie's, I was the contractor, but unquor unfortunately I wasn't the purse like Congress.

So I didn't control the money uh to to complete the project.

I um fulfilled my contractual obligation by doing what I was paid to do on that job, and I was paid to complete up to the uh concrete uh walls which were there, and I actually installed the uh roof system, and that was the end of funding.

Unfortunately, um Mr.

Sidesticker passed away, and that threw everything into limbo uh when you have heirs who don't have a directive as to complete something, it's their choice what they want to do with their money.

And if you disagree with them or not, I mean um the three or four kids, they decided to do different things with the money they inherited, and that was their right.

I respect that, and most reasonable people would understand that.

So hopefully that gives you clarification.

I would have loved to finish Ms.

Susan, because I like to make money.

And that would have paid uh a lot of money to me, and my family would have done well as a result.

Sorry.

Yeah, you know, but that's uh it's important to give the opportunity to to speak and uh give clarification, um even if in defense or whatever.

Um we all know how sensitive a topic, you know, Ms.

Susie's is and whatnot, you know.

One of the things now that I do you know agree with, and that is you know, like oversight, particularly like when it comes to to the CRA.

It's not a bank.

Okay.

I mean, that's not what it was it was intended uh by Obama to take care of blight and uh you know underserved communities in this CRA sunset is the CRA that sunset at downtown and whatnot.

And that's how the CRA handed B and those surplus dollars came into this CRA.

You know, so they weren't necessarily like generated where where it resides presently or what have you.

So I'm just trying to make sure that we are a good steward of the money that's there, you know, or what have you.

So if I may.

Mr.

Appleby, with his infinite wisdom, made a great decision.

And I don't know if you missed it.

But you don't put any money out into Margot's has already put out an additional, I believe 263, yeah.

On top of the 80 that they have already spent.

So you have a lot of safeguards in place.

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

So this is not anything like you have to do.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

No, I no, I appreciate that because it is a matter of our money being the last money in.

Okay.

And you know, to that point.

Um, so and we know how vital the revitalization of Newtown is, you know, not only to the community of Newtown, but to Sarasota overall, period.

Um and the project that we are working on to make sure that it's a destination and that uh is you know self-reliant and self-sufficient, you know, going forward.

Um that's all that I'm I'm making sure that that we are being good stewards and and to actually, and that's and I spoke about this before.

We need to define to whomever, what the CRA is and and and what is regulations are and and so on and so forth um going forward.

You know, and that and that's important because you know, we we we have given out money.

I mean, we had someone come to us not you know long ago asking for $250,000.

$250,000 in every single dollar of that $250,000 was going towards salaries, not one project.

Okay.

That's the kind of stuff that I'm talking about.

You know?

And it and it was at the you know, the the guidance of yourself, Mr.

Appleby, and you know, Mr.

Salem and Mr.

Yancey, that that didn't happen.

But that would have been $250,000 out of the pot and out of those coffers and whatnot that we actually need.

So, you know, I'm uh support this this this uh this initiative or what have you, but I just want to make sure that those go that we have those safeguards, you know, in place where the CRA is concerned.

It behooves us.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Mr.

Apple to be please clarify for us whether or not any members of the advisory board have any vested interest in this project.

Thank you, Mayor.

I did want to clarify that record.

So the three members that uh voted, the 3-0 was Vice Chair Yancy, Member Danny Preston, and Member Janine Johnson.

The one absent was Dr.

Rachel Shelley.

None of the four members of the Newtown Sierra Board have any meriterial interest or declared any marital interest in Margot's Ventures, LLC.

So that that was not an issue for this board.

Um to address uh Commissioner's questions about uh I I take to heart what he says about making sure we communicate what the CRA is and isn't.

So there are a couple of things that help us with that.

One is there's an adopted plan.

So nothing can be funded unless it's within that plan.

So we have a a plan that the community can see and that we promote uh through our new branding opportunities.

Secondly, it has to be in the budget.

And so we're about ready to start our budget cycle again.

You'll hear from the CRA what their recommendations are.

You did last year, you agreed with the CRA and actually established this $900, $900,000 line as a new program.

Uh and so there are ways to communicate that out, but we also hope with our new branding and our new mark marketing consultant that that message, Commissioner, will get out to the community at a higher rate than it has in the past.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Uh I see Commissioner A.

Her and Kaj has a question.

I just wanted to state that uh to support Mr.

Appleby and what he said um for the put on the record that Article 12, conflict of interest in the agreement clearly states no employee agent consultant officer, elected official appointed elected official of the grantee or CRA who exercises blah, blah, blah, blah.

There's a there is an article in here that addresses conflict of interest.

Um so that has been addressed uh legally in our our agreement here.

So did you have one more word?

Uh yes, in the in the additional round or what have you.

No, I was just uh um given you know Mr.

Yancey being that he is on the board and Mr.

Presson that they're on the board as well, the opportunity to to chime in, you know, if you particularly that that Mr.

Preston is a stakeholder in the and Mr.

Yancey as well in in the community and lives literally I mean is right across the street.

I'm sure he has uh some some some words that he likes to am I correct, sir.

I was gonna I was gonna just say, look, uh I mean Mr.

Hyde.

Announce yourself.

Oh, there we go.

Danny Preston.

Pastor Danny Preston, Mark Help Refirst Baptist Church.

My um concern was about what something you said uh uh about there being another facility available for the type of activity that the law Margo venture would be.

Uh I didn't know nothing about that.

I I don't see the Leonard Reed House as being a place where you can have more than 30 people.

Uh the building is not suitable for that type of activity.

It don't even have a kitchen.

I didn't see a kitchen in there either.

So I don't I don't think there that that particular facility is available to all members of the community.

Um I did have a problem with the um Ms.

Susie's thing, but that's I think we've cleared that up and we got that pretty much handled in terms of overspending, uh spending our money before the private sector spends their money.

So uh I I just think that you know this is a great venture for us.

It's uh first opportunity for us to sign and say, hey, we've accomplished something on the corridor.

I think it'll bring uh a lot of uh respect back to the city commission because of the Ms.

Susie mishandling, and I mean I ain't blaming nobody here.

I don't know if you was on the board then or not.

I don't know it doesn't matter.

What's done is done.

And we gotta move on and move past it.

But I think this would be a shining light on everybody, including the city.

Uh excellent.

Uh thank you very much.

Did you have anything else to add Mr.

Um Carlos Yancey?

Um I just want to add that I happen to be on SAC board.

Um we just had a retreat Saturday.

Um I think what the um Commissioner Batti was referring to is the additional lots that Sachs is uh we are planning to develop and in those lots we will have a banquet hall.

But those that project is at least six years out.

And SAC is a nonprofit, remember?

Am I right?

Yes, it's currently a not-for-profit.

So thank you very much for your presentation.

And uh believe Commissioner Ahern Koch would like to make a motion.

Yes, thank you.

I would move to support the CRA decision to provide 250,000 dollars to Margot at 2700 project with the caveat that the local hiring is stressed, and the addition of the City of Sarasota to Article 8.

And and about the them uh receiving the their funding before we document.

So is there a second?

Second.

Okay.

Motion by Commissioner Aaron Katsh and uh seconded by Commissioner Batti uh to uh provide to approve the grant agreement with the clarification that the uh local hiring is stressed.

Is stressed.

And the addition of the City of Sarasota to Article 8, which talks about when it's promoted, um they include the CRA and the City of Sarasota.

Okay.

Um I was I said who made the motion and seconded.

Is there does the maker of the motion wish to speak?

Yes, just very quickly, you know, the board spoke to this and why they stressed it.

Um we're constantly looking for projects that are going to be revenue generating on the corridor.

That's that's the idea.

And this looks like it's going to be a revenue generating project.

Um it is from the community.

Um they are going to hopefully hire locally.

They've done their due diligence in investment and in getting the permits and the processing uh already underway, and um uh you know, this there are no guarantees, but this is an awfully good start.

So Commissioner Batti is seconder.

Uh yes, thank you, Mayor.

Um yeah, you know, to speak to the motion.

Yeah, you know, to speak to the motion.

Again, it's imperative that uh that everyone understand, you know, the the sense of urgency and um, you know, almost like DEF CON 5, if you will, uh for where we are with uh with Newtown and it being uh revitalized and uh economically redeveloped, you know.

Um, I can't stress enough, you know, we're talking about like the the United Way's Alice report, you know, assets limited income, like constrained, you know, uh unemployment or whatever, which basically means they're working poor.

And and Newtown is by no stretch of the imagination the poor community.

Um and uh great strives have been made to rid ourselves of the moniker of like being unsafe or or or or or what have you.

Um so you know, it's efforts like these that that need to be applauded.

And unfortunately, when we when we think about projects like Miss Susie's, you know, I don't want this getting caught up in you know in in the water's kind of muddy because you got to understand you know where Ms.

Susie's was concerned.

Mr.

Sidensticker, you know, and his family had the best of intentions, honestly.

He passed away, you know, and uh and that's kind of like the the long and the short of it.

You know, he passed away and uh you know it was his project.

And uh, you know, and his his his uh heirs, you know, did what they could to to try and bring that to fruition.

Unfortunately, it was it wasn't able to be accomplished.

And um, you know, and they're not at fault for that, you know, um, and I don't want to put the you know the fault on them or whatever, it's just something that just didn't happen.

But that being said, you know, this project, you know, I hope you know moving forward that uh it accomplishes what the intent is.

Um to Mr.

Yancey's you know, point that there won't be a redundance of services, particularly like in the immediate, because that project across the street is years out.

You know, so as a representative, you know, of uh of District One, having grown up in Newtown, seeing what it what it used to be when I was a child and how vital it was and where it is now and not being as vital being a food desert, you know, for the most part, and we need things like this, you know, um for gathering spaces and uh uh communal spaces for people to come together and hopefully you know this is profitable and uh can help change the tax base up in Newtown and provide jobs for which is uh is uh intent is um and I'm sure they those jobs will be coming out of the community.

So I want to thank the commission for supporting this and uh thank the uh CRA board for for bringing this to us and uh let's uh make it happen and and uh get something positive going on the corridor.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor, thank you.

Um, by definition, it takes time for a CRA to accrue enough funds that can be made available to reinvest in a community.

That's exactly what it's supposed to do.

Community redevelopment agency.

So we're there now with this CRA.

I am not a market analyst, but I do know people like to have events close to home.

I do know that there are limitations on the use of Robert L.

Taylor, and I do think this would be a very good project for the new town area with the use of funds from the CRA.

Uh and some final words from me.

I mean, I am wholeheartedly in favor of this, obviously, besides the issue of uh increasing the property value when this is an ongoing uh profitable business.

But the more important thing to me, and I believe this was some a point that Mr.

Yancey made, right now in the community have to leave the community for to for a catering hall, place to hold an event, which means the money from the community leaves the community.

We want the community's money not only to stay in the community, but once this is an ongoing enterprise to bring others from outside the community to use this banquet hall.

And I suspect between weddings, funerals, and organizations events, this will not be the only place that's needed.

And we we probably there will be some more that come along and more people coming into the community to use the facility.

So this is going to be very positive on all accounts, and I'm really pleased that we can expect it to be in operation early next year.

So I hope that everybody else is supporting it.

And can we have your votes?

And it passes unanimously.

Thank you all.

And I'm looking at the clock.

Can we do consent one before we take a break?

Sure.

So we are now at consent agenda.

Oh, I have to close the