This time the City Commission will recess and convene into a special session of the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency.

And the first item on that agenda is to, I believe, to approve the minutes of the special uh meeting of uh March 2nd.

So move.

Second.

Okay.

I think it was I heard Commissioner A.

Hearn Kotch uh moved and and Commissioner Matty.

No, it can't.

I need it to be clear because he said it first.

So I thought she said it for the first time.

Is anybody here?

Okay.

So okay, so moved by Commissioner Batti, seconded by the Vice Mayor to approve the minutes of the March 2nd special CRA meeting.

Thank you.

And your votes.

And that passed unanimously.

So as part of the community redevelopment agency, we will now receive uh the annual report from the new town CRA advisory board, and I will invite the advisory board vice chair Yancey, uh Member Preston, Economic Development Manager Appleby, and Business Relations Coordinator Galant to make the presentation.

Okay, good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Come on.

Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Mayor.

I'm Wayne Appleby.

I'm the staff assigned to the Newtown CRA advisory board, and we're here for our annual report today.

With me is uh our Vice Chair Carlos Yancey.

And Ms.

Shelle Kalat, our other staff member.

So I'm going to kick us off and then uh Mr.

Yancey will take over.

So just as a reminder, the the community redevelopment agency is created under Chapter 163 of the Florida statutes.

A CRA was uh first established in the city in 1986.

Um and that was to establish the area that was downtown.

Uh and in 2008, uh the city uh decided uh after doing a study and uh getting the uh county commission to agree to submit to create a CRA for the new town area and your new town district was established uh in 2008 under a resolution.

Now, under Chapter 163, uh you are the governing body.

That's why you convened this meeting as the CRA, and we're here as your advisor, or the the Mr.

Yancey's here as your advisory board vice chair to give you the update.

Um just as a reminder, this is the district itself.

This is the legal boundary of the district.

Um it's essentially on a north to south, it's north of 17th Street, but south of Myrtle.

It's east of 41 and west of the county line.

Your last resolution was uh revised since 2008.

There's been a uh two or three different resolutions, but the last one was passed in 2022, and that was where you established a five five-member board.

And their primary uh responsibility is to be the source of community input to the agency uh in regards to local redevelopment planning.

I won't read all the purposes and duties.

And you currently have uh four advisory board members in one vacancy.

Our chair is Dr.

Shelley, and unfortunately she is unable to be here today.

Um Vice Chair Carlos Yancey, uh member Danny Preston and uh member Janine Johnson, and hopefully after this presentation you'll appoint the fifth member.

I'm gonna turn it now over to Mr.

Yancey to give you an overview of all of their priorities.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Good morning.

Our priorities must be approved by the CRA redevelopment approval plan and also the annual budget for our priorities.

Thank you.

Current priorities.

We currently um since I came on the board, we've been doing this sidewalk thing.

It's our biggest budgeted item.

It's uh we have some um uneven sidewalks that we're gonna um replace and update to make them um more usable, serviceable.

And we also have the the electric power extension.

Those were the lights going down um 27th Street for for some reason they were installed without lighting systems, so we had to bring the power to those.

Um took a bite out of our budget, but um the community is happy, very happy.

And just to clarify on that, there was light to the light polls uh from 301 to um North Orange, but there was not power to the outlets on the polls from North Orange to MLK Park.

So that's uh what Mr.

Yancey is referring to that they funded and completed this year, hence there was able to have holiday lights uh the entire length of MLK this year.

Yes.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Appleby.

MLK commercial corridor redevelopment.

We currently have um uh Margot Ventures LLC.

Um they're gonna do a banquet hall there.

We have some mixed use development from Bay First Bank and Helen Payne.

Um we have some um we've been meeting and we have some plans for that.

Um I don't think we've ready to unveil those yet.

We have Merit and Marion Anderson land purchase agreement, site development in process, new time.

Well, town hall, restaurant, building condition assessment.

That's been complete.

We have we'll assess the building, we're um having an engineer go in there and find out the exact cost.

Um Baker's gas station is in progress.

We're gonna do some solar testing over there.

Um North Orange and MLK landowners discussion that's ongoing.

We're we're um trying to sow up some land for this uh development we have in plan.

I think this current priorities continue.

The legacy trail, where we're in meetings to bring the legacy trail um from downtown through Newtown up through Manatee County.

Park improvement, light improvement for Fred Atkins Park, MLK park improvement, approved funding, entrepreneur site startup, business incubator centers.

We're currently in process of locating a spot for office space in Newtown.

Newtown Business Grant Assistance.

We have we have a nine business grant awards completed.

Thank you, Rochelle.

I think that thing is crazy.

Newtown Home Form beautifications.

That's where we go out and um paint the homes of um current residents.

We've already painted 28 homes, which I think is is real nice.

We have 14 more in process.

We have some pictures of of some before and after pictures.

Um I believe Mr.

Appleby has some more pictures.

Anyone is that interested.

I believe he can um show quite a bit more pictures.

Uh not-for-profit grant program, the business development CAC CEO, and SCORE funding.

We funded um the CEO program, um, which is ran by the uh career source, and we also funded SCORE to do some evening sessions.

We we we the first time around we did them in the mornings and a lot of the business business owners um said they would uh have came if it was in the afternoon.

So this time we're in the afternoons, see if that can accommodate the business owners a little bit better.

We have the home, the home and stabilizations.

I'm sorry, I went over my time.

No, no, no.

We we also have 2026 and 2027 applications for the non not-for-profit business of business grants are available as we speak.

Good morning, Rachel Kalant, Business Relations Coordinator for the record.

Um, I'd like to share with you about the Newtown um CRA advisory board's efforts for branding and marketing within the newtown community.

About a year ago, about a year and a half ago, the board budgeted money towards a communication plan and has procured a marketing consultant that works with the board.

We did come before you when the brand was launched.

So you've seen this logo before.

And the board has taken the initiative to be more present in the community so that folks in Newtown understand what the advisory board does and the service, the services or programs they offer.

And in so doing a logo of brand was necessary to create that recognition.

As part of that effort, we've also the advisory board has also launched a website which lists all the programs that the board offers and allows for online applications to those programs.

As part of that effort, the board also launched a an event to bring the community together and to celebrate the what makes New Town so great.

And it was called The Taste of Newtown.

That happened in November.

I was glad to see some of our commissioners there.

And the community really loved it.

We had great feedback on that.

We had about six performances, more than 20 vendors, and it was the board was able to be present.

All of our advisory board was present to interact with the community, engage and share about what the advisory board does in Newtown.

And it was it was as I said in November, but the board does plan for this to be an annual event.

There's been some discussion about whether it will happen again in November or there might be a different date because there are some other activities in the community in that at that time.

So the board is reevaluating the best timing for this event, but they do plan to host it again.

And the other priority I'd like to share with you.

I'd also like to say I did not condone my picture being in this uh presentation, but there it is.

Um but the other priority I'd like to share with you is the MLK visioning that the board is doing.

And that has been an ongoing effort.

The board has set aside money to work on a visioning project wherein the community identifies what they would like to see in terms of redevelopment, specifically along MLK corridor.

That's become um the biggest prior one of the major priorities for the board in terms of funding in that, and that the reason for that is because the board has identified that when you get your corridor re-established and redeveloped, that helps with your your um revenues, obviously.

So that's where they see they will have the the most potential for return on investment.

But they'd like to work with the community to get that input.

What would the community like to see?

As part of that effort, we've been working with the local architectural firm to do a rendering of MLK corridor.

But we're approaching the board's approaching it in sections.

So currently the first section in phase will be 301 to North Orange.

And uh that will show the community uh what real what redevelopment might look like.

But more than that, it's a dynamic model.

So the community will be able to tell us what they want redevelopment to look like, what they want revitalization to look like, and that model will be very um interactive and allow us to engage the community in discussion in real time.

What would the density look like?

What would the light plane look like, what would foot count and traffic count look like?

So that model is nearing completion, and we're hoping to engage property owners soon for that discussion and then the wider community as well.

And the last priority I'd like to share is um about a cultural event event in-kind services.

As um Mr.

Yancey mentioned, we do the board does have a cultural event grant program, and as part of that in-kind services are also budgeted within the board's budget.

Summary.

Newtown CRA advisory board expressed gratitude to the city commissioners for its continuous support over the past year and beyond.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh commissioners, questions.

Commissioner Ahern Koch will start us off.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

I really appreciate you putting this together.

Um it's good to see it all in one picture.

Um, some of the items that you detailed.

I just had some quick questions about.

Um for the sidewalk connectivity program.

That's phase one.

Do we know the total costs of phase one, phase two, and phase three?

Um we do not.

They're still in design at this point.

Um, and our anticipation is that uh the CRA money along with uh federal dollars that have been earmarked would put about two thousand we'd have about two thousand two million dollars available for the project.

We do not believe two million will take care of all of the phase one sidewalks, so we are having to prioritize even the phase one sidewalks.

And when we do the um sidewalks, are we talking also about curbs?

Well, they will be ADA compliant and curb cuts as appropriate when the at intersections specifically, not the transportation person, but uh yes, uh there will be some of that.

And there's some areas where the curbing is cracked or it's non-existent.

I mean it's sort of a mishmash of problems.

And just wanted to make sure it's not limited to just sidewalks.

I mean, that's an issue.

Right.

But also to the, you know, to make it a really complete um project.

I believe that's the intent because a lot of the costs that are driving at the intersections is having to like relocate storm drains and other things.

So I believe it's broader than just the sidewalk itself.

Okay.

And is there a timeline set for this?

Uh there is a timeline.

I apologize.

I don't know the timeline right now.

We're having, we're asking the transportation planners to come to the next CRA meeting to give an update uh as to where the project is.

So apologize, I don't have that timeline at the moment.

Okay, great, thank you.

I'll just attend the meeting and learn for myself.

Um the status of the MLK park improvements.

Um I walked past it after the parade this weekend, and it looks like it seems stalled a little bit, is it?

Um I thought the the Sarasota Bay Estuaries piece of it was going to be completed already in March, uh beginning of April.

I know we're beginning of April, but just curious on an updated.

Do you know where we are with that?

Well, I do know that the Sarasota Bay Estrade program is in process.

I I don't know if it's got installed.

I that's new information to me.

So I think it's not information, it's a question.

Yeah, so I'm not sure.

I mean, the last report we had is that it was in in progress.

Uh I do know from the city's perspective, as you may recall, uh Mr.

Fogle, I think at a meeting recently expressed concern that uh the bids came in uh way over estimates, estimates.

Um the parks uh and rec staff did come to the last Newtown CRA meeting, and the CRA agreed to fund that gap.

So I believe they are just putting the last pieces of funding together to move that project forward, but parks would be best to give a timeline on that as well.

Do we uh it's gonna ask for the timeline?

We don't know.

Okay, all right.

Um the um business incubation center site location.

Where are you looking?

Sites.

We've we've um looked at some of um Mr.

Jackson Grime property.

We looked at some of some other where he's currently located or other pieces of property that he's currently located on the end.

Um we need we started some negotiations with him.

We also have a couple other business owners on the corridor that we want to negotiate with as well that property actually are are on the corridor that might align better to for what we are trying to do.

Do you know can you tell me where on the corridor that you are looking at?

Or is that something you just don't want to read?

Oh yes, I can tell you.

It's right across the street from um Bay First Bank.

It used to be um the Democratic um headquarters, I believe.

Wasn't that in Democratic headquarters?

Yes, it was.

I believe it's the Democratic headquarters, and we're in negotiations to try to um lease some of that space there.

Excellent.

Okay.

Commissioner, we also did look at uh Jamie's commercial garden uh uh property, but uh the uh uh there was one vacancy, but unfortunately it it for us, but good for the community.

It did get filled by a business, which is a great thing.

Um so um, you know, we just can't respond as quickly as as sometimes others can to act, uh and so we missed that opportunity.

So we we will continue to look at any opportunities we can.

So if anybody has any additional locations, we would be willing to have that conversation.

But we do want to be obviously near or on the MLK quarter.

Great.

Um on the 28 homes that were painted and completed, over what timeline is that?

So that's from 2023 to today.

Okay.

So we did have a pause in there as we had to work through a solicitation process for the painting contract.

Uh and that paused us doing some homes for several months.

Uh but now we have uh a painting contractor by contract for three years and can extend for two years.

So now they're starting to move a little faster uh because we have the contract in place.

And what are the qualifications for that?

To be an applicant.

Uh essentially it they're very minimal as uh as requested by the board is that the home is owned by the property owner.

It's in located within the newtown CRA district, obviously, and that the homeowner has to have paid their taxes in full.

And they just go online to apply for something.

They can go online to apply, they can call us, yes.

Okay, excellent.

Um then um you're still doing the program with the CEO and the score program.

Um how much funding do you supply for that?

What's your level of funding and working with that those two programs?

Yes, so uh career source CEO program is uh approximately right at 20,000, I believe.

And uh score is 4900.

Both really good programs.

Thank you.

Those are my questions.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you all for the hard work.

We really appreciate it.

I have several questions.

On page 15 of your PowerPoint.

Could you put it up on the Elmo too, Mr.

Appleby.

Would you explain number 11, please?

Yes.

Go ahead, Richelle.

Yes.

So the board has established a cultural events grant program to enable and support events in Newtown that celebrates Newtown's culture and to attract people to Newtown so dollars circulate until people understand what Newtown has to offer.

As part of that, sometimes there are street closures, there are police officers that are present to assist with traffic control, et cetera, and just as normal events would it would involve.

And so as part of their Culture Events grant program, the board also budgets funding towards those in-kind services to for the further permitting and the and the police officers street closures, etc.

I see.

Not just staff participation, but other things that are required when you have those events.

Correct roll closures, et cetera.

This is this not pay for our staff as it as in um what police staff, off-duty police officers are thank you.

And on page 16 gotcha.

Would you explain number 12 Sure.

The board has budgeted 40,000 towards Salvation Army Street Teams, which comes and and is meant to come and clean and help clean the streets, keep the streets of Newtown clean.

And it's a 4000 budgeted item as requested by City Commission and prior years.

And that has been a rebudgeted item every every year.

Gotcha.

Thank you very much.

It is contributing to a larger contract the city has not with the CRA.

We're just contributing funds to that larger contract.

I see.

And then lastly the home painting program you have is that in collaboration with the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation or do they have a separate program?

That is a separate program.

However, sometimes persons when they come to have the homes painted I mean if the home is not in a condition to be painted as determined by the contractor then we do refer the homeowners to other programs like the Historic Preservation Society's program.

Thank you.

Those are my questions.

We also try to align ourselves with rebuild together.

They're funded by the Barant Foundation to do home repairs in Newtown and so we try to collaborate on on on that as much as possible if they've repaired a home and and they know that the exterior needs to be painted then they'll reach out to us we let them know what homes we're painting and we try to be uh collaborative partner in that way.

Very good thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Batti Uh yeah I wanted to ask um and thank you for that presentation I really appreciate it.

About the the bathrooms at MLK Park I mean in is that uh including improvements to them or or what have you I believe as part of the the project there are some planned approvements there but um uh again I'm not I don't think we're Mr Apple I had to speak to Mr.

Appleby Madam Mayor uh since there's so much interest in um the MLK park restoration why don't we I'll have Jerry put together something that I can provide to everybody.

Mr.

Appleby and the CRA board is fantastic and very dialed in but a lot of the specifics they're not going to be aware of so we'll put something together to answer all these questions so Mr.

Appleby doesn't have to be on the hot seat for the rest of the day.

Is is that acceptable to the Commission?

Sure.

And we'll we'll make that answer sidewalks yes ma'am sidewalks I get out I get with Mr.

Patellan we'll get you an answer on the sidewalks as well.

And did you have additional questions Commissioner?

Yeah.

Can you do me a favor and uh give some uh type of synopsis on what we're working on the corridor you mentioned about the um the mixed use project that that that uh we're currently working on just to give the Commission and the public an idea um this is uh initiative that myself and um Mrs.

Um and we're gonna start with uh properties that we can control, which is Hell and Pain Um and Bay First Bank.

Um we're doing uh urban mixed use with uh commercial space on the bottom and uh attainable affordable housing up above.

Um so if you can I know you mentioned that that we're not ready to roll that out yet.

It's not quite ready for prime time.

Could you you know give the commission and the public a brief synopsis of that?

Mr.

Yancey.

Yes, Mr.

Patsy.

Um we've been meeting for roughly pretty close to a year now.

I'm not exactly sure the um some of the um gentlemen, Mr.

Batti just mentioned, um Scott Elliott, myself, Keith the Bowles to Rail.

Um we we've been meeting to try to bring the residents of Newtown a nice remnant for a nice uh mixed use property.

We currently have with HOT architect a design that we haven't unveiled yet.

But I believe with that unveil, that answer a lot of questions to what's going on, how it's gonna look, and you know, I I haven't seen it yet, but you know, I'm itching to see it, and I would uh I would be eager to roll that out to uh to residents of Newtown, the city commissioners, mayor, and everybody else to get your input as well because this is a community project.

Yeah.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Yancey.

Um just so the for the uh information to the commission um that uh project that he's talking about, the unveiling of the renderings that uh we've done with uh Hoy Architects.

Um they've completed you know one part of it and uh we're gonna be looking at another phase in terms of uh a different type of rendering that makes it look a bit more historic and and uh ethnic because the the whole purpose was the uh to give it a French quarter type facade, you know, to give it its own character and and identity um set aside from anything else in the city to make uh uh the area more desirable as a destination for people to come and shop and and uh and uh be entertained and uh and get uh an idea of the history of of Newtown and what it what it uh what it's all about in the community.

So that's what what uh Mr.

Yancey was just uh touching upon.

And we put together a consortium of people with myself, Scott Eller, uh Mr.

Yancey himself, Mr.

De uh Keith DeBoes, um, Mr.

Terra L.

Salem, uh Mr.

Wayne Appleby, Mrs.

Gallant, uh, Mary Butler, um, and we we will be bringing in uh a number of other uh stakeholders in the community that uh wish to be a part of this.

I've already spoken to the um a number of the foundations about it.

Uh they are very eager and very excited um uh about this prospect and said that they are 100 percent behind in in support of it.

So I'll be you know once we get this uh this completed, we'll be rolling it out to the the foundations and uh a number of different organizations here at the commission and uh um and community stakeholders uh throughout the city of Sarasota.

So just to give you uh uh an idea of that what have you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um before we go to round two, is there anything you wanted uh uh Commissioner Albert to ask?

Okay.

Okay, then I I wanted to know a little bit more about the business incubator plan.

Um is it mainly just going to be office space?

Is it gonna be services like mentoring and coaching?

What's the plan on that?

The business incubator plan is intended at this point to be a pilot program.

Um what we recognize as staff is that there are entrepreneurs in Newtown who need support and we'd like to reach them.

And by rolling it out as a pilot program, it would help us to establish what those needs are more clearly so that we can put together a more detailed um program to support them.

So the initial pilot would be partnering with our current um community organizations that are already involved in the CRA's um programs, the CEO program, career source score, and uh having them inviting them to have office hours at this incubation space in the community, that entrepreneurs can come in and meet with them in their own community, um, which will hopefully remove a barrier, and that they would be able to then have those services that those programs offer um readily available to them.

We would also envision that the incubation space would host entrepreneurs for office hours, that they can reserve office hours there, they can come in and say we have phone calls, take meetings.

We also envision that it would offer ongoing training outside of one-on-one mentoring for the entrepreneurs.

And as that pilot is launched and established, we'd be able to collect information that would then help us to know learn more about how can we build out a more robust program and tailor it even more for the community.

Thank you.

I like that.

I'd like to add to that.

Um NBC, which is Newtown Business Um Council, just was awarded uh three three hundred thousand dollars from the Brandon Foundation.

They're gonna they're gonna give us three a hundred thousand dollars for the next three years.

We're gonna have a um a position available, a navigator position available.

We're currently um have openings for that position right now.

Um that person is gonna be in instrumental in what uh Rocher was just talking about.

Um I believe um she that person is gonna need an office space, it's gonna have an office space, and that person will be you know working as a arm of the Newtown Business Council, and that person will be able to hopefully get us to the next level, and also I envision um being able to uh make this navigator position ongoing with grants and things, different things of that nature.

So it won't just be a three years and and and and gone, it'll be an ongoing position for someone that wants to, you know, it's a lot of different organizations doing things, but this one person would hopefully share things up and be a point of contact for all the agencies within the um the community.

Thank you.

Um Commissioner Ahern Koch, second round.

Just a a comment about the um case of Newtown event.

It was really, really, really well done and very well received.

Thank you.

So my vote is yes, do it again, and yes, uh I liked November because it's the weather's so nice.

So we like November as well, um, Commissioner.

However, I believe the Big Mama Collie Greens were was uh close by less than a month in between each other, and I might have took a little bit of our swag away.

So we're trying to find a time that won't interfere with what's already committed, and and we could get our you know, sneak our time in.

I like the weather in November too.

But the weather's it's still been good up until today.

Yeah, I I don't I um I because of its proximity to the color greens, I was not expecting a huge turnout, and there was a huge turnout.

I mean, for you know, the limited amount of time you had to promote it and put it together and all of that, uh, and it being the first one.

So I was pretty impressed by that.

Thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Batty.

Uh thank you very much, Mayor.

Um Mr.

You you were talking about uh can you put your slide up again?

Which one?

Um you have a number of uh projects, you know, this one through eleven that uh see let me see this year's development.

Current priorities.

Yeah.

Okay.

It's up there.

But you had you had a list of like one through eleven digits.

Yeah.

First one was the sidewalks.

Okay.

Oh, there we are.

Um can you give give them uh also um uh brief synopsis on what's going on with the legacy trail as well and whatnot.

We talked we've there been a number of meetings as well just uh for the Commission's information and the public's information about the legacy trail and bringing it up through new up through Newtown and possibly you know both both railroad sites, correct?

Yes, we had a couple of meetings at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, John Thaxon was spareheading those meetings.

Um, just the Charles Hines is what we're doing.

Charles Hines, yes, yes, thank you.

Thank you.

I couldn't remember Charles' name.

Um the big thing we're focusing on now is which track.

You know, we have two tracks coming down Newtown.

We have one over by um Lennar Reed, not the Lena Reed House, the actual Lennon Reed Road, and we have another one over closer to the where the Lemon Reed House is, but it's um so John Thaxton said, let's try let's just let's just focus on both tracks.

So as you know, the legacy trail usually comes off the railroad tracks and you know and winds on down.

So we're focusing on both tracks.

Um one track might get us a little bit more participation, the closer track to um I guess that would be the which track would that be, Wayne.

The one closer to Dana Preston's church.

That's over there, like uh Leon Avenue.

Leon Avenue.

Yes.

Yes, we got Leon.

And I guess the other one for lack of other um names would be the um Lenar Reed is close to Lena Reed over there.

And you know, once we get the funding and get everything, um Charles Hines has been wonderful.

He's been um with this things from uh Northport all the way down to Newtown where it is now.

So hopefully we'll get the funding.

We'll um get the try to get the trail through Newtown up into Manatee County, and hopefully Manatee County will pick it up and keep going with it.

And I would just add that uh uh former county commissioner Charles Hines, he's with the um for public trust uh and he uh is is in fact uh negotiating with the railroad uh as part of this project and is slated at this point to come to the May 13th Newtown CRA advisory board meeting and give an update as to uh the status of the legacy trail.

So that would be a great meeting if you have an interest in Legacy Trail.

Um that will be a primary presentation that day on May 13th.

Excellent.

It's at five o'clock at Erl Taylor.

Uh beautiful.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Appleby.

And um in also for the Commission, you know, the with this entrepreneurial start start-up, you know, program.

One of the things that uh that I noticed, you know, um when I came into office initially was um, you know, what was going on in Newtown when we rolled out the stimulus packages of a $5,000 grants and so on.

Um a number of businesses in Newtown couldn't necessarily participate.

Um so what I thought about when speaking with the CRA at that time in this composition was um you know what we can do about that, and that was when we bring entrepreneurs or or those that uh want to start businesses and so on, that we get them with mentors so that these businesses can operate and function the way that a business should, and not having to always rob Peter to pay Paul or what are making sure that your paperwork is in in order.

So that should there be, and heaven forbid that there not be um anything close to what we were dealing with then that you will be able to apply for for that stimulus or whatever it may be or whatever at that particular time and your paperwork and everything be in order because you had you know the the proper guidance um to uh be able to do that and be in a position to do so.

So that that was one of the the main goals of this entrepreneurial um uh endeavor was to put put anyone with the mentor so that they can you know uh be able to operate their business um correctly and so that the it can sustain itself and therefore Newtown get back to it being self-sufficient as it once was or whatever.

So thank you.

Are there any other questions from the commissioners?

Uh then may I have a motion to accept the advisory board's report?

Some of the second uh moved by Commissioner A.

Henry Kotch, seconded by Commissioner Batti to accept the advice in Newtown CRA advisory board report.

And it passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for the appreciation.

May I add something uh mayor, if I may.

I just like to uh um because Mr.

Appleby, if I'm not mistaken, will be you know departing from the city at some point.

Um he's been a huge asset and completely instrumental in the success of the CRA and what it is we we've been doing and think up in Newtown, man.

We can't, you know, thank you enough for your leadership for your knowledge and uh the the work that you put in, man, to get us to this point along with uh Ms.

Galant, you know, you've been instrumental as well keeping me in check or whatever when need be.

But uh but yeah, man, can't can't thank you enough, man, and uh your efforts are to be applauded.

That's my pleasure entirely.

Love working with the Newtown community.

Thank you.

Much respect to you.

Yeah, I I would like to add to that that Mr.

Appleby has put the board, advisory board, on strong footing, and while we will miss him, I think it will continue to move forward thanks to the work that he has put in place already.

Yes.

It wasn't all me.

Thank you.

Don't say that.

I like to say I like to second it as well.

Yes, yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

We now need to fill an opening on the advisory board.

Um there's one opening, and uh we had what four applicants.

So I will entertain a um motion, a nomination.

Um before I make the nomination, oh I I wasn't gonna make the nomination.

I just had a question because I'm a little confused.

One of the applicants also is an applicant for the human relations board, or was that a mistake?

No.

That's right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sorry.

Yeah.

But so I was gonna say, Mayor, uh, we have, I think, four highly qualified applicants for this position.

Um I did note that Mr.

Williams is the only applicant for the Human Relations Board, and he's extremely qualified for that board.

So my preference would be to have him on that board rather than this one.

Of the remaining three candidates, all highly qualified.

I nominate Charles Walker.

I second that motion.

Um Commissioners, any other thoughts.

Well, I I agree they they all uh appear to be really qualified.

So you know, I was torn, so I'm happy to support Mr.

Walker.

Me as well.

Okay, so I believe we have a consensus supporting uh the selection of Charles Walker as the next member of the advisory board.

Perfect.

Thank you, Mr.

Welcome, Mr.

Walker.

Yes, great.

Uh and with that, our tasks as the New Town CRA have ended for today, so I will adjourn that and reconfigure.