To order.

Welcome to the May 18th regular city commission meeting.

Please silence your cell phones.

And first we will have the invocation by the city auditor and clerk, followed by the pledge led by the vice mayor.

Those who can stand, please stand.

Are able to stand, 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.

Um I'm not aware of anything.

Okay.

We're at the point where we would be approving the proposed agenda schedule.

That with the items dealing with the uh downtown master plan ad hoc committee, I believe that's nine, two, and nine three, that we might want to combine nine, two, and nine three, because the first one discusses I thought was going to be a presentation on the background of the ad hoc committee.

And then the second one was uh about the um procurement, procurement of a consultant.

So I thought we might want to combine the questions and answers and discussions and presentations on top one but not the but not the motions.

Right.

Well maybe the motion would be after we combine talk about the two together.

Sure if you don't mind.

Um that doesn't necessarily have to be a change in the order day because you're gonna still have them in order.

They're not changing and move it to a different spot in the agenda.

They're still going to be in the same order.

You don't have to do a change order today.

At that time, we can just suggest does the commission want to combine this.

You guys talk about it.

If you go with it as a body, we can move forward with it from there.

But we don't have to consider a change to order today, in my opinion.

Okay, that's it.

Um mayor, did we also want to include the following item, which is nine four, and it's the budget amendment.

Yeah, I thought that would be dependent on what we decided to do about the procurement, because if we decided not to go forward with the procurement, that I the second item the next item would be moot.

Right.

Um, but for discussion purposes, we don't want to eliminate that for discussion.

Right.

Okay.

So then so may I have a motion then to approve the proposed agenda schedule?

Move to approve the proposed agenda schedule.

Second.

Moved by Commissioner Ahern Koch, seconded by the Vice Mayor.

Your votes, please.

And it passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

Now we've got a series of proclamations, so if you will join me up front and we'll go through those.

Commissioner.

Are they up there?

They're all up there in order.

Okay, so don't shuffle them.

Okay.

And I believe that I'm going to be inviting uh representatives of the Sarasota Police Marine Unit and if the U.S.

Coast Guard station auxiliary or any of their representatives are here.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Yeah, in the middle.

So I have a proclamation from the city, whereas National Safe Boating Week serves to raise awareness about the essential safety practices that help recreational boaters enjoy safer and more enjoyable experiences on the water year-round.

Whereas an average of 650 lives are lost annually in boating-related accidents across the United States, with drowning accounting for approximately 75% of these fatalities.

And whereas since its founding in 1958, the National Safe Boating Council has led efforts to promote boating safety through education, outreach, and training initiatives.

And whereas boaters have a variety of life jacket options available to them, and it is crucial to ensure that any life jacket selected is a U.S.

Coast Guard approved and suitable for the specific water activity and properly fitted to the wearer.

And whereas the Sarasota Police Marine Unit, along with the U.S.

Coast Guard Station Cortez and the U.S.

Coast Guard Auxiliary from Flotilla 84, partner together to administer safety inspections and to provide safety gear for items that may be found efficient during the inspections to help ensure safe voting activities in our area.

Now, therefore, the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, and on behalf of the citizens of our community, takes great pride in recognizing May 16th through 22nd as National Safe Boating Week, a week of special importance and worthy of the recognition of the residents of the City of Sarasota.

Thank you all.

And please introduce yourselves and if you'd like to say a few words, go for it.

I'm officer Dixon with the Marine Patrol unit.

We spend a lot of time educating rather than enforcing, but when it comes down to it, enforcement seems to be the only way that gets people's attention.

When we're down at the boat ramps uh doing safety inspections, it's a great time to get all your gear in order and ready for the new uh voting season.

So we thank you very much and appreciate it.

I'm Linda McDonald.

I am the public affairs officer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary 84.

And uh as he just said, first of all, I want to thank you for having us here.

Um we are out there every day doing boat checks out on the water for search and rescue education, and my job is to meet with uh the public, to meet with uh different organizations on education on how to stay safe out there because this year specifically, the accidents that are going on, terrible accidents have increased so much, and it makes all of our jobs almost impossible to do if you haven't done your due diligence.

So if you need any help whatsoever on boat checks, make sure you're safe, you can contact us and we will be happy to come out at no charge and make sure you're okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioners.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Appreciate you so much.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Picture.

And their proclamation.

Thank you.

Thanks very much.

Okay.

Well, the next one, I guess, representatives from our public works department.

Is that who's going to join me?

Okay.

Okay, well, I guess it's everybody involved in public works of some sort.

Which is most of most of everything.

Okay, proclamation, whereas public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities, and services that are a vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and to public health, high quality of life, and well-being of the people of the City of Sarasota.

Whereas these infrastructure facilities and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals who are engineers, managers, and employees at all levels of government and the private sector, who are responsible for rebuilding, improving and protecting our nation's transportation, water supply, water treatment, and solid waste systems, public buildings, and other structures and facilities essential for our citizens.

I said just about everything.

Whereas it is in the public interest for the citizens, civic leaders, and children in the city of Sarasota to gain knowledge of and maintain an ongoing interest and understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in their respective communities.

And whereas the year 2026 marks the 66th annual National Public Works Week, sponsored by the American Public Works Association, be it now therefore, the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, and on behalf of the citizens of our community takes great pride in recognizing the week of May 17th to 23rd, 2026 as National Public Works Week, a week of special importance and worthy of the recognition of the residents of the City of Sarasota.

Thank you all and introduce yourselves and say a few words if you wish.

I'm Crystal Miller, I'm the vice chair of the local APWA Suncoast branch.

And I'd like to say American Public Works Association.

It supports professionalism of all the public works employees and staff you see in the field and the ones you don't see behind the scenes.

And its goal is to make them all visible so that you acknowledge that what they're doing for us in the community.

And I would like to thank the board for recognizing National Public Works Week and all the people that support us in the community.

And on behalf of the local APWA Suncoast branch.

I totally forgot what I was going to say.

I would like to thank you for your support in celebration of National Public Works Week's theme, which is rooted in service, powered by community.

So if you see any of the public works workers out in the public, be sure to thank them.

Thank you.

Nick, would you like to say for all of the city?

Hey, good morning.

Um, specifically the men and women who are dedicated employees that serve the community, whether it's fixing the potholes, street lights, traffic signals, sidewalks, um, you know, pick up trash, maintain our fleet.

You know, they they they all are committed to serving the community and making the community better.

Also want to say that the work day typically doesn't end at the end of the day.

They work after hours on call during holidays, they miss time with family.

So there's so many things that these folks do day in, day out, and uh want to thank them for their commitment to the city and serving the community.

Thank you.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Jerry Pogle, Parks and Recreation.

Um as you know, uh it's a team effort.

Um to be able to provide the services to our residents.

It takes the support from our residents, right?

It takes support from the commissioners, from the city manager's office, from all the city departments working together, they put associations, boards, so forth and so on.

It's a team effort to provide these services.

Uh but with that being said, I do want to commissioners introduce you to our crew leaders.

And before you sit down, you can come up.

Uh I want you to come up because I want you to introduce you to the mayor, vice mayor, commissioners.

Come on, guys, come on.

Come on.

So, commissioners, these are the crew leaders, these are the individuals that lead the teams that actually do the work.

So commissioners, I'll repeat that.

These are the crew leaders.

They're the ones that lead the teams uh that actually do the work.

So we're not doing the work.

Nick's not doing it, we're not doing the work.

They're doing the work.

They're actually working supervisors.

So they work side by side with their teams to maintain your parks, your mediums throughout the city, the roundabouts, uh, your uh your uh streetscapes, right, your vacant lots, cemeteries, even the property.

If you take a walk around City Hall, that's maintained by your parks and recreation team.

Uh so they do a lot of work, whether it's a hundred plus degree temperature, whether it's pouring rain, and we're trying to get into a cool building or or have an umbrella, they're working out in that pouring rain.

Uh as long as it's not lightning, they're out there in that rain working diligently for you, Commissioner, for our residents.

Uh so I just want to make sure that the kudos go to where it deserves.

All right, so thank you so much.

Really put the pressure on me to follow that.

Um Vernhall, Utilities and Facilities Director.

Um, I just want to echo what Jerry said.

We all come down here and look pretty in our suits and ties, but these are the men and women that actually make the city run.

Uh and very succinctly, what we do is we make water.

Doesn't matter if the guys are down in the bottom of a manhole, in the bottom of a lift station, running pipeline, or operating treatment plants, which they do 24-7.

So when people are sitting home having Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving, there's people at these plants that are sitting there making sure everything's running right, and your water and sewer is good.

Um but any of that, we make water.

So that's what we do.

Thank you, Commissioners.

You all excuse me.

How are we going to do that?

I think we're going to be a shorter.

Can you read?

Can you see them at the alien?

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

I think I got something to show me.

Thank you all.

Okay, now representatives from Truly Valued.

Please join me.

Whereas Truly Valued Inc.

has served the Sarasota Manatee community for 10 years, creating a supportive environment where every young person is confident, every family is strengthened, and every life is transformed through education, empowerment, and meaningful support.

Whereas Truly Valued was founded in 2016 with a mission to empower youth and families by fostering positive self-esteem, promoting education, and nurturing confidence and strong character that lead to lifelong growth and resilience.

And whereas Truly Valued actively fosters a spirit of volunteerism by encouraging students and families to engage in community service, instilling values of compassion, responsibility, leadership, and unity, and whereas truly valued's decades-long commitment to educating families and strengthening community connections, exemplifies the power of collaboration and kindness, contributing to a more compassionate, inclusive, and resilient community for all.

Now, therefore, the city of the Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, and on behalf of the citizens of our community, takes great pride in recognizing May 18, 2026 as Truly Valued Inc.

10th anniversary day, a day of special importance and worthy of the recognition of the residents of the City of Sarasota.

Thank you and congratulations.

Good day, everybody.

My name is Siobhan Johnson.

I am the CEO and founder of Truly Valued.

Thank you for the acknowledgement.

It is so awesome to serve our community, helping our youth and families understand the ripple effect, how their actions not only impact themselves but impact the community around them.

At this time, I would like to ask our partners to come down because we cannot do anything, any of this work without them.

So don't be shy.

Come on down.

Right?

But again, you know, being able to help our children, help our families understand that their value means a lot to our community.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Thank you all so very much.

I am Dr.

Leslie Harrell.

I am the community engagement director for Truly Valued and also the Nurturing Families facilitator and trainer.

We work with youth and families throughout this community.

And we are so honored to partner with Sarasota Police Department through the Youth Empowerment Services, which is known as yes.

Our phones are on 24 hours a day for their service, and we are so proud and honored to be a part of this community.

I am also the facilitator for Rise Academy, which is our restoring trust, involving all stakeholders, supporting our accountability, and empowering communities.

It is our Sarasota County.

Good morning.

Thank you for having me.

My name is Carlos Yancey.

I am a third generation citizen of Sarasota's New Town, former resident of Sarasota's New Town.

Can't say enough about truly valued.

I became a board member about six months ago, and just um been able to look from the inside and see all the good things they're doing outside in the community.

Thank you again for having us and have a wonderful day.

Hello.

My name is Keisha Matthews, and I am the program delivery specialist for Truly Valued.

And we actually deliver services directly into the school systems in Sarasota County School Board and Manatee County.

So we service schools in Sarasota, Bradenton, and Palmetto, Florida.

I am honored to be a part of a dynamic organization that is transforming lives through character development and leadership skills.

We are a dynamic organization doing great things in a great city.

And so I would like to thank the city for this ceremonial document.

We are truly appreciative.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the never yeah.

You're too short to be back there.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Does that help?

Thank you very much.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we're not finished yet.

We're not finished yet.

I tried.

Well, in this case, it's time for commission recognition of the employee of the month.

I think it's of the month, yes.

Okay, and commission recognition is presented to Jamise Johnson.

And as you can see, Jamise is uh commission reporter for the city auditor and clerk's office, actually for all of us, and in appreciation of outstanding dedication, exemplary performance, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

The City of Sarasota proudly presents this employee of the month award to Jamise Johnson.

The diligence, self-motivation, and dedication you display by consistently going the extra mile to achieve optimal results is truly commendable.

Congratulations on being awarded employee of the month for May 2026.

This came as a complete shock.

Thanks, Miles for the nomination.

I like being in the background.

That's kind of my thing.

So being up here is kind of a little bit nerve-wracking.

But I want to first thank Miss Vito, who's no longer here, but she gave me an opportunity to serve in this position, and it's been a true honor and a blessing.

And then I also want to thank my family for being completely supportive of my position and filling in the gaps when I have longer meetings.

But I especially want to give a special thanks to Lori and Shayla for being amazing bosses and allow me to do my job and trusting me in that way.

So thank you.

I had words can express how wonderful Janice is.

I don't think people realize the work that she puts in to doing this.

I can go to her and ask her about something that happened if she can.

Oh, yeah, I know when I happened to find it real quick.

Here it is.

Boom.

Because she hears it, she listens to it.

She sits in here, she goes back, she listens to it over and over and over.

So her mind is amazing.

If you ever need something like, did we do this?

She knows it, she can answer it.

If not, she could find it quickly.

Um I don't think people realize with the minutes.

Her job is to accurately depict what happened in a meeting.

And that's hard to do sometimes.

Because people think that you're being biased or you have certain wait, no, she does it.

She accurately depicts what happens in the meeting.

That is her job.

She does it at it in a great amount of time because we try to get them done quickly, but she is absolutely amazing.

Couldn't ask for a better employee, and I'm just so grateful she's on our side.

So thank you.

Okay.

There we go.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Great.

Well, thank you all.

And that was that was the last question.

I didn't see anybody sneak up at it.

So that takes care of the present those presentations.

And next up is a, I believe, a scheduled presentation.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

This is agenda item 2.1.

And it's a presentation of the Sarah Snowda School of Arts and Sciences, America 250 student artwork quilt.

So if the Public Art Committee Vice Chair, Maria Schedler Luera, and School Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, Principal Tara Tatmosh, and Visual Arts Teacher Brian Hubbard and Digital Art Teacher Samantha Williams will make a presentation.

Thank you.

Hello, good morning.

Good morning.

And you have an opportunity now to introduce the student who is with you.

This is Jackson with us.

And he's going to help me present the flag after I intro the art teachers.

Thank you.

So I'm Tara Thomas, uh Proud Principal of Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences.

And Sierra and I have been brainstorming different ways to commemorate America 250.

This was one we could do rather quickly because we just started last month with our students before they left for the summer.

So we charge the students, well, I charge my art teachers to make this happen in two weeks so that I could get the flag printed for you.

So I would give them a chance to introduce themselves.

Well, my name is Brian Hubbard, and thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to show our student artwork with you.

But each kid created one individually.

So we'll send up.

So together it forms our flag, but individually they each told their own vision, their own story, and it really reminds us a lot of our nation, how we come from so many different visions and stories.

And I really wanted them to create something that they'd be proud about.

So up close as a flag.

But we get to see each student's you know individual ideas.

And then Miss Smoke.

I'm Samantha Miller.

I'm the digital art TV production and photography teacher.

We tasked each student to think of what America was to them, whether that was a sports, whether it was a historical moment, whether it was a favorite landscape they've been to.

So you might recognize that in some of it.

Each one has their own story, even a self-portrait in there of a student because she's American.

So you get to see that we are made of so many different experiences, so many different perspectives, and so many different interests, and it kind of is a little bit of a melting pot showing what we are as a nation in the past 250 years.

We then digitally put this together to put it into our flag, and we're so proud.

You might see some of them are more bold and some are more subdued.

And we asked them to use their voice and see how they want it to be seen.

So we thank you so much for the opportunity for these students to express themselves.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And before you leave, I believe Maria did you want to.

I just wanted to uh say on behalf of the public art committee that it's an honor to be here highlighting young artists and educators who are shaping the creative voices of the future of Sarasota.

And we know that public art is not only what we install in our spaces, but also who we invite into the conversation and into the creative process.

So I hope we can continue highlighting young artists so they can see themselves not only as students of the arts but also as active contributors to the creative voices of Sarasota.

So congratulations, students, and thank you, um Commissioners Mayor for highlighting their work.

Thank you.

Commissioners, do you have questions for our presenters?

Uh just to comment.

Uh I'm so proud of you and your peers.

Um it's amazing to me.

You know, when we think of art, we think of just going in whatever direction you want.

You were in a confined space, and still there's such creativity in your flag.

Thank you for doing that.

Commissioner Batti.

Uh yes.

Uh first of all, I just want to say thank you also very much for the work that you all are doing.

Uh, not just there at uh School of Arts and Sciences, but throughout this community, the murals that you have allowed on onto your school to uh depict the history of the area in Sarasota in general, and uh its culture and the the amazing work that that's displayed inside the school, the murals that uh you know the principal assistant principal took me on a tour through or whatever.

It was absolutely incredible, and you all have uh amazingly talented, you know, individuals and students there at that school, not just as uh artists, but you know, future scientists and and uh doctors, lawyers, um, and just amazing citizens, uh future citizens of this city and of this uh of this community and and the world.

But thank you also very much for the work that you continue to do.

Thank you.

Commissioner A.

Hearn Codge.

Yes.

Um again, yeah, thank you all for everything.

This is really uh a beautiful piece of artwork that you've put together.

Is that for us?

It is.

It is.

We um printed four copies, one is for you.

Um, one is for the school, one is for Rosemary District, and we will march with one in the Veterans Parade, which our drumline marches in annually.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

And Commissioner Albert.

I mean, I just want to say how cool that is.

It really is.

So whoever came up with the idea, uh, kudos to what was one of you, I don't know, but um I think it's it it it's really great, and it's really great to see the different things that the students came up with.

So thank you for providing one to us that's gonna be uh a highlight hanging in in City Hall.

Thank you.

Yeah, that that was going to be my question.

Is there any way that we could obtain a copy?

And I guess the question for Maria is can we post that in the lobby of City?

So I know Sierra is working on that those details, but yes, it will be installed in the hallway.

And just for the record, I hope you have a list of the students who contributed.

And can that go in the city's record too?

We can provide that.

If you could send that to us, that'd be greatly great.

Well, thank you very much.

Thank you for contributing to the flag and appreciate it all.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next on the agenda, before we do the citizens' input concerning city topics, I'm going to call upon Ms.

Griggs to recite the pledge of public conduct.

Thank you, Mayor.

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

We will not we will direct our comments to issues.

Thank you.

So we have uh six people who have signed up to speak.

And I will invite the first five to join us at the table.

Uh Benjamin Nelson, Martin Hyde.

I believe that.

Uh David Rayner, Stephanie Selaskar, and Kim Og.

And you each have three minutes, and if you will introduce yourselves, let us know whether or not you're a city resident, and if you are representing someone other than yourself.

So uh Mr.

Nelson.

Uh Benjamin Nelson, born here.

Lived here all my life, lived on 7th Street for 54 years.

My sidewalk is all busted up.

It's got holes the sides and bandhole covers in it.

The kids cannot walk on it.

You cannot walk down the street on the sidewalk.

You've got to walk on the street, not on the sideway.

I got I called up, I got laughed at.

And also, last April I reported a water leak on Bailey.

Still leaking.

So I'm glad the city works are here to listen to it.

And if they would please send somebody out and just look at it.

I mean, the kids walk to school and they and they reroute the traffic when there's an accident on Fruitville through our neighborhood.

So it gets busy at times.

So we have no sidewalk, period.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming in and making sure you're heard.

Thank you.

And I would appreciate some action.

Thank you.

Mr.

Hyde.

Well, obviously, I'm Martin Hyde.

I uh I don't live in the city.

Uh I think what a wonderful uh opportunity there, an example of what public input is.

And uh public works here.

Someone should be ashamed of themselves that a guy has to drag on down here.

And the idea that city staff would laugh at a member of the public is an outrage, and you should do something about it.

And Commissioner Helper, I'm right here.

I was just wanting to think about talking to the I'm hearing you.

Thank you.

So lots of self-congratulation here today.

Maybe next meeting, get some taxpayers up here and uh thank them for their large yes on your massive tax increases.

Here we are on another day.

During the work day, let's remember that.

You all moved the meetings during the day, so that uh you know, City Commission meeting of and for the people, cuts out every single working resident.

Poor guys like that had to come down and break into his day to get you to do your jobs.

You know, Ronald Reagan famously said the scariest words he'd ever heard were I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

How right he was.

This room just recited the Pledge of Allegiance, including the vitally important end statement.

Liberty and justice for all.

Yet you recently passed new rules of procedure at the last meeting suggested by staff, which restrict free speech and public input for all.

Last week you held a planning board meeting in part to discuss concurrency rules as they relate to development.

Concurrency has never been discussed by this board.

So uh whose direction did that get on the agenda?

What does it mean for those in the room?

Concurrency means traffic would no longer be a consideration on new development.

How does that get on an agenda if you've never talked about?

Who asked for that?

You know, Tao's no longer wagging the dog proverbial dog here, because the proverbial dog has given up even pretending it's in charge of policy anymore.

The question is, what is the point of elected representation when you get elected and you defer every policy matter to unelected staff?

If you want to ponder something over your summer break, maybe think about what your job actually is.

Listen to citizens.

And then ask yourself the second question.

Why aren't you doing it?

Thank you, Mr.

Hyde.

Mr.

Rayner.

Well, uh good morning.

Um David Rayner.

I am no longer a uh resident of the city of Sarasota.

I um I had lived at the Orchid Beach condominium, which uh is uh virtually next to uh Ted Sperling Park.

And um for nine years I've been complaining about Ted Sperling Park, but I finally gave up and moved.

Uh however, I'm here today at the request of the current condo board president who is away uh at a college graduation.

Uh she asked me to speak about um I'm also here as a member, still a member of the board of the Lido Key Residents Association.

And um having said that, uh I'm here uh uh twofold.

One, of course, is the continue the discussion about um Ted Sperling Park, which is currently being discussed uh as uh uh to be uh purchased by the um by the city from the county.

And I think that that is a wonderful thing.

Um ad-lipping a little bit, the mention of uh Ronald uh Reagan here from the government.

Umployee who was a very responsible person, told me early on, she said, Well, you know, one of the unofficial jokes around uh county parks is um when somebody comes in, they say, uh good afternoon.

How can we not help you today?

And I found that to be the case.

I found the county to be just horrendous to deal with over the last seven to nine months.

Uh this park is an outlier for them.

This park has been a problem for them.

The county commission, uh, the county commission at one point requested county staff to put together a list of its problem parks.

And count and this park, Ted Sperling Park, was uh on the top of the list of the 16 parks identified.

In 2022 and 2023, there were over 360 substantive uh police complaints.

That means it was uh there were out of a total of something like 600.

There were things like uh suspicious people, marine accidents, fires.

We had the um illicit uh jet ski rentals, which resulted in the death of the Baltimore Oriol farm team player.

So I'm here to say buy the park, create the park district, don't let parks be the last thing on the agenda.

The parts are vital to the community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Rayner.

Uh Ms.

Salascar.

Yes.

Okay.

Good morning, Commissioners.

My name is Stephanie, and we have a family with small children in the west of Trail Hudson Bayou community.

Our kids attend South Side School, and our backyard is very important to us along with our neighborhood.

It's a huge part of our daily life.

I'm here this morning with my family neighbors to increase visibility on how setbacks are being used and what real life impacts look like for Sarasota family.

Specifically at an approved build at 1627 Waldemere, our backyard neighbors.

It is our understanding that normal backyard setbacks for homes are 15 feet.

We were shocked that part of our backyard neighbor's house was being built six and a half feet from our property line, and it also spans well over 50 feet across basically the entirety of our backyard usable perimeter space and view.

Along with this cinder block mass being built extremely close to our backyard property line, multiple mature trees were cut down, including at least one live oak that provides canopy and buffering.

City staff assured us when we called multiple times that this was all within code and their hands were tied.

They even suggest we come here today.

So we researched the code and plans, talked to realtors, neighbors, south side parents, contractors, civil engineers, and urban planners in the area.

All shocked and in disbelief that this was actually in code.

One former Sarasota City Planner friend said it best.

It doesn't meet the standards for an accessory building and is out of context with the neighborhood.

The code being used here references in a detached accessory structure, which allows a five-foot setback instead of the normal 15.

To us, the detached structure, accessory structure, brings to mind a shed, not what functions like an extension to the primary home with two bathrooms, at least one bedroom, office space, and even a chimney.

The real difference seems that you walk outside to access it, which in Florida is comfortable most of the year.

So why is the setback five feet instead of 15 if it's their part of their home?

We love Sarasota, and we are asking for awareness.

This is a code issue, and these are real ramifications that these misinterpretations can have on the ability for families to truly enjoy their home and backyard.

We're asking for any meaningful recourse or mitigation, mitigation that the city can still encourage now that these impacts are already approved.

Guidance on permit appeal and review process and mature screening guidance for our neighbors.

We are asking the commission to look closely at the setback code and consider changes that reduce the chances of something like this happen to our neighbors in the future, including length massing restrictions for detached accessory units.

We love Sarasota and we love that it's growing.

We just hope continued thoughtfulness around the neighborhood canopy and how these projects feel in real life for surrounding the process.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming in.

Thank you.

And finally, Ms.

Og.

Yes.

Good morning.

My name is Kim Og, and I'm a resident of the Glossby Park neighborhood and the president of the original Glassby Park neighborhood association.

Would you speak into the mic?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Um Kim Ogg, I'm a resident of the Glassby Park neighborhood and the president of the original Glesby Park Neighborhood Association.

I'm here to address the recently approved art mural for the police substation in Glossby Park within the Glossapie Park neighborhood.

I feel that public art is an important part of our culture and lives, and I appreciate that we have it in our city.

I also feel that the location of each installation style and type of public art should be ultimately chosen by the citizens through an equal process of due diligence and a final vote from the citizens.

It seems appropriate since the citizens pay for the and fund the jobs of the programs provided by the city, whether that budget is comprised of tax dollars or grants procured by the departments.

It becomes even more important when a proposed location abuts and faces a majority downtown neighborhood zoned neighborhood of approximately 3,000 residents, primarily comprised of single-family homes, some only feet away.

Many of them are not on the city's email list, do not know about the city's website, may not have access to the internet, and did not know the installation was even proposed or that they could provide their own voice.

The neighbors feel they should have a say about installations that are this prominent and will call more attention to a building that many already feel blends in.

And I and many others feel this location for a mural is unnecessary.

We'll draw a lot more attention to the building, will not improve the appearance, and will impose a non-citizen approved mural facing single-family residences instead of the park itself.

One resident said the decision makers wanted to ask if the decision makers were okay with seeing a mural of this scale within feet of the front doors of their own homes each day.

Many whom I've spoken to feel strongly that this location did not consider the opinions of an all-inclusive representation of the approximate 3,000 residents within the neighborhood or other citizens that use the park that are not association members in a fair and informed manner.

It is apparent that the current method of one bulletin board, various association meetings that residents don't or should not have to attend, and city meetings are not known by every person out there and are not reaching enough residents.

In summary, I and many others feel this particular decision should be revoked, and if it must be proposed again, perhaps a different location should be considered with written notices to all residents.

Along with clear visible signs.

Thank you very much.

And I also had someone else who couldn't make it here today, and I'll be able to do that.

Okay, thank you for copies to hand out for that person.

And Tess Craig.

Hi.

Hello.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm Tess Craig, owner of the Artful Giraffe, Pottery Studio, and Art Gallery.

I am a citizen here and business owner.

I am also speaking on the behalf of the Breakfast House, Siegfried's Restaurant, Discover Sarasota Tours, The Cookie Cottage.

Make sure I got everybody.

I believe that's all of us.

I'm here today to provide you a brief update regarding our plan to create a new bungalow village at the intersection of Fruville and Tuttle.

Collectively, the businesses participating already serve more than 150,000 guests a year.

The buildings our businesses currently occupy were built in the 1920s and 1930s by John Ringling to house the circus workers.

For more than a hundred years, these buildings have been a part of our history and character.

In lieu of demolition, we are excited to share that after meeting with professional house movers last week.

We are now looking to finalize costs and logistics to move some of this the buildings and continue moving this uh vision forward.

Wendy Goldberg has closed on the property, the Fruitville property, and renovations have already begun to the current structure that will become the new breakfast house.

Her business will become an anchor for our new uh bungalow village.

Our hope is with your support, we can change the narrative from a loss to a celebration of heritage, while also creating a vibrant destination that supports local businesses, tourism, arts, history, and long-term economic growth.

For the artful giraffe specifically, this project allows us to continue supporting and showcasing more than 300 local artists through our gallery and also expanding our studio space where many of those artists teach classes and share their talents with the community.

This project is about not only preserving buildings, but also the local businesses, artists, and stories that make Sarasota unique.

We look forward to returning with additional updates soon.

Thank you so much for your time and continued support.

Thank you for coming.

Okay.

Moving along, uh, we've reached the uh item 6 4.1 approval of minutes of the April 20th Regular City Commission meeting.

Um I submitted one tiny non-substantive change, and with that, unless anybody else has anything else, I would move approval.

Second.

Moved by Commissioner Ahern Koch, seconded by Commissioner Batti to approve the minutes of April 20th.

If you will vote, please.

And it passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

Now, at this point, the City Commission will recess and convene into a special session of the community redevelopment agency.

So you don't have to leave, it's just we're changing hats for a minute.

So first on the CRA agenda is to approve the minutes of the special Sarasota CRA meeting of April 6th.

So move.

Second.

Moved by Commissioner Batti, seconded by Commissioner Ahern Kotch.

May we have your votes, please.

Passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

So the next up is the CRA.

I'll call upon Finan Director Strickland and Jeff Wolf, the partner of Forvis Mazar LLP to make a presentation regarding the CRA financial statements, auditors, reports, etc.

Good morning, Mayor and Commissioners.

My name is Kelly Strickland for the record.

I'm Director of Financial Administration.

And with me today, I have Jeff Wolf from Forfitz Mazars, and he is our external auditors for the CRA.

And I'll just kind of pass it to him to give you a review.

Sure.

And I'll be very brief considered I have your time.

Really, I don't really have a formal presentation prepared, but the CRA audit is really all about compliance.

You know, when the the set the state laws change requiring the audits of the CRA.

It was really focused on compliance, meaning is the revenue being the TIFF revenue being calculated correctly.

Is it being funded timely?

And ultimately are the expenses of the CRA in accordance with the CRA plan.

And is that are the funds being spent down as required?

So I'm happy to report that as relates to the financial statements.

We had an unmodified opinion.

That is the highest level of assurance you can receive that your financial statements are correct.

And also we had no findings or no compliance issues as it relates to compliance with the CRA.

So again, a very clean audit.

But um just it's you know no issues noted, and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions on the audit, but um again, it's really about compliance.

We had no compliance issues.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner's questions.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Oh, Commissioner Aaron Koch was first.

Thank you.

I just have uh I think one or two small questions.

Um page nine of thirteen, it talks about the um projects, and it's 17 uh uh 771,871 doll from Main Street streetscape improvements, and that's out of the CRA budget.

Let me get to the same place if you are um yes, ma'am.

I'm I'm on page nine, and what we are showing is a list of the budget.

That area was the budget for the specific projects within the CRA.

How how how what's the connection between Main Street and CRA?

That is a downtown project that was carried over from when the downtown sunset and it has stayed with that project.

Um it's incomplete, and it's just carried over until the dollars are used.

Okay, so those dollars are from the former downtown CRA.

Yes.

They're earmarked, they're sitting there waiting.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Um that's really important.

I did not did not know that.

Um then above it it says uh Main Street Streetscape 881.

Is that the same thing or is that a different thing?

I uh yes, ma'am, that is the same.

That is the same.

So why is it 881 and 771?

I see.

Mine says Newtown Sidewalk Lighting and Landscaping for 856, 891.

And then under it is 771, 871 for Main Street Streetscape Improvements.

Right.

And right above it, um, wait a minute, I'm got the wrong number here, but right above it on the other list above it, it says expenditures are the following.

Okay, those were the actual expenditures that were made.

Um that says, if I go across, I think that's 13307.

What is that?

I am trying to find where you are.

Right above it on the bullets, Ms.

Strickland.

The bullets right above that.

Yeah, sorry, I'm not being clear.

Right under the governmental funds um bold.

Same page.

On page nine.

Yes.

I'm sorry.

She's looking.

Right.

This is what she's saying.

Oh, okay.

So $881 was spent on the project.

So this section that you're looking at at the top, those are the actual expenditures below it are the budget that's carried over.

And in the CRA, unless we're told differently, the the projects do carry over.

The ones that were during the period of the downtown CRA carry over until those projects are determined that we're not doing them or they're completed.

Right, okay.

But what was the 881 for?

It was just I I can't, I'll have to get back to you on how much that word it was.

Those are my questions.

Thank you, and Vice Mayor.

Yes, thank you.

I do have two questions.

Good morning.

On page 17.

It lists, it says there are 37,372 of liabilities.

Do you know what those liabilities are?

Yes, ma'am.

I said yes.

I will have to get back to you and tell you what they are.

Okay.

It's probably at the end of the year.

So if we have any accounts payable that aren't paid by September 30th, and we set them up as a liability.

Okay.

I'd appreciate that information.

And my second question on page 22, item K.

Says there are no employees accounted for in the CRA.

So we know that advisory boards when they come to us and list their annual revenues and expenditures.

One of them is charges for services provided for by staff as staff liaison.

We also know that several uh city staff work with the CRA.

And so I'm just wondering, in order to be fair, wouldn't their services have to be accounted for?

Those services are accounted for in the general fund.

Uh the people are listed as employees of the general fund.

The CRA does a transfer of approximately $30,000 to the general fund for those services.

But yes, you are correct that within the planning department there are employees that work as the liaison for the committee.

And so we can track the money.

Thank you.

Okay.

Those are my questions.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Seeing no more questions, uh, I will ask for a motion.

Move approval to accept uh the uh report.

So move second.

Okay.

Move by Commissioner A.

Haran Kotch, seconded by Commissioner Batti to accept and approve the report.

Um we have a vote.

And it passed unanimously, and at that I will close the uh the uh adjourn the CRA meeting and reconvene as the city commission meeting.

So uh next on the agenda is consent agenda number one.

Uh Ms.

Griggs, do we have any items pulled?

Oh yes.

So we'll go down here.

Um Vice Mayor Ulrich has pulled item 6.1.

Vice Mayor Ulrich has pulled item 6.3.

Sorry.

Vice Mayor Ulrich and Commissioner Aher and Kotch pulled item 6.4.

Vice Mayor Ulrich and Commissioner Ahern Koch pulled 6.5.

And that is all that I have.

Oh can you can you do that again for more time?

Yeah.

Okay.

6.1, huh?

6.3.

Okay.

6.4.

6.5.

Okay.

And that is all I have on consent one.

Okay.

And what does that leave?

It leaves 6.2, 6.6, and 6.7.

Um, approval of the balance.

Oops.

Second.

I I I missed I moved.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Alpert moved, and Commissioner Batti uh seconded approval of the balance of consent agenda one.

Passed unanimously.

Thank you.

So Commissioner.

The Vice Mayor pulled item 6.1 about the annual comprehensive financial report.

I did.

This is a very important document that I think is worthy, worthy of at least a short presentation.

Please.

Good morning once again.

My name is Kelly Strickland, Director of Financial Administration for the Record.

And I have Jeff Wolf Forbus Mazars.

He is our external auditor.

And we do have a presentation that we will give on our financial statements for fiscal year ending September 30th, 2025.

Well, good morning, and while we get this going, I just want to thank you for allowing us to serve as your external auditors.

And we work for the commission and we take that role very seriously.

So with that, um I'll go into our presentation.

And I I will say in when it comes to auditing and you know, in audit reports, um, no news is good news, so this will be kind of repetitive, but you know, that is a good thing.

Obviously, if we had a lot of concerns or issues, it'd be a much different conversation.

But first um part of the agenda is our required communications letter.

Um this letter is very standard driven.

Um I won't go too much into detail about it, but it really covers our responsibilities as your external auditor, um management responsibility.

You know, ultimately they they prepare that very large document.

The Act for that's not our document.

You know, we audit it, um, and our our reports are ours, but it's really the responsibility of management to prepare that document.

Um also in here you'll have what we consider some significant estimates in your financial statements, um, also some significant disclosures and just some other required communications.

Um again, it's very standard driven.

Um, but um I'd be more than happy to go into it uh this letter if needed uh at the end.

So with with that, I'll go on to the reports.

Um first is our independent auditors report, and this is the report on whether your financial statements are materially correct.

Um you had an unmodified opinion.

Um I know that doesn't sound that great, but that that is like I said, that is the highest level of assurance you can receive.

That is a clean opinion that your financial statements are materially correct.

Um next is our report on internal control over financial reporting and on compliance.

So the standards require us to understand internal controls to help plan our audit.

Um we don't render an opinion on your control controls, but if we had any material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in controls, we would note those to you.

So part of it, you know, we get an understanding of your journal, your financial reporting process, your major cycles, your payroll, utility billing.

Um and certainly if we saw weaknesses in control controls, we would modify our audit.

But I'm happy to report um we had that report is a clean report, no findings, no issues noted.

Um our next report is our single audit reports.

Um once again, you met both the federal and state single audit threshold.

Um actually the federal went up to a million dollars this year, so that means you had more than a million dollars in expenditures, which is pretty common.

And then your state threshold is your 750,000.

So part of that audit process, um, it's it's basically a cycle of of what grants we audit.

We have to have a certain amount of coverage, um, 20 percent for federal, meaning we have to audit 20 percent of your federal dollars and 50 percent of your state dollars.

Um so um again, we we test for internal control over compliance, um, and also whether you're comp whether you have an um a clean opinion on compliance with the grants.

So I'm happy to report again.

Um you had clean opinions on all of our grants selected, and also no internal control findings um related to grants.

Our next report is our independence count reports, and this is really just on compliance as it relates to Florida statutes on investments.

So first we review your investment policy to make sure it's in compliance with state statute, then ultimately whether you follow that investment policy or not, you know, making sure you're within your thresholds and um other key components of your investment policy.

So once again, um no findings, no issues noted with that report.

Lastly, is our auditor general required management letter.

Um this does several things.

Um first it requires us to look at um any significant financial trends if you're if the city was in a real deteriorating position, we would be required required to communicate that to you.

Um it also has some transparency requirements or anything that we feel necessary to communicate to you that maybe doesn't meet the threshold of that internal control report.

Um we would do it in the management letter, and again, um no issues, no finding noted, so a clean report.

So um I think just in summary on the audit, again, a very clean, successful audit.

A lot of work goes into it.

And I and I will say this year you may or may not remember we were acquired by Forbes Mazars, our previous firm.

So this really was a fresh look.

That certainly it was almost like having you know uh a new audit that we knew we we knew the we we know management.

But so I I think really to get the same results under a new process really shows a lot.

Um it should be congratulated.

So with that, I'll just go in some uh real high-level financial highlights.

Um so this really is your citywide analysis, meaning if your city was a business, so you've got all your long-term assets.

So this is not typically what you see during the budget process.

You know, this is all your capital assets, all your long-term debt, pension debts, um, all that included.

So I I think the real key takeaway is that current ratio um first being the governmental activities um of 7.4 and your business type activities 7.2.

This is really just shows your your ability to meet your current liabilities with your current assets.

Um I think also important to note that you have positive debt position in every category.

Um that's not always the case, but you know, your pension funds are funded pretty well, so that really helps you have that positive net position.

Um so overall in you know, a change in that position of 17 million in the governmental activities and a positive change as well of 26 million in your business type.

And then um lastly, just looking at your general fund, which obviously you're probably more familiar seeing, and certainly um you know, being in budget season, you know, I I think really the the numbers that probably jump off the slide really is that that change in fund balance of of negative 12.5 and then that unassigned fund balance going from 28.7 to 10.8.

I mean, obviously that's the result of the hurricanes um and really the uncertainty from FEMA in reimbursement.

So I think you know, first you should be congratulated for having that fund balance, you know, that you had in previous, um, because obviously it'd be a very different story if you didn't have that cushion, that reserve.

But um I also think it's important just with the uncertainty in FEMA is certainly to look at it rebuilding that fund balance in in the next couple years budget.

So so you know, if if we're a fortunate you know scenario again with hurricanes that you'd be able to weather the storm.

So at that point, that's all I plan to cover.

Again, I think takeaway is a very a very clean, successful audit.

I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Uh Commissioners or No, I have no questions.

Thank you for that report.

Okay.

So seeing nothing, uh gonna have a motion on this agenda item.

Mayor, I have a motion, move approval of the city of Sarasota, annual comprehensive financial report and required auditor communication letter for fiscal year and September 30, 2025.

So move by the Vice Mayor, second in by Commissioner Batti.

Was that for acceptance and approval?

Yes.

Okay.

Uh and your votes, please.

Move uh passed unanimously, thank you very much.

Uh next up was item 4.3 that was again pulled by the vice mayor.

6.3.

6.3, you said 4.3.

6.3, sorry.

And we are being joined by this business district manager, Ryan.

And um.

No.

We had a substitute.

This is uh Ben Shavis, which is the Vice President of Operations.

Thank you.

So Vice Mayor, thank you.

I do have questions.

Uh we're talking about the mooring field.

And my first question is how many moorings are there?

How many were there originally?

And how many are there now?

So the mooring field has opportunity of 109 moorings in the bay.

Uh operationally, we have about 75 commissioned.

Uh although the hurricanes of recent uh did some damage on those and some material ways, and we are getting back to 75 in about four to six weeks.

The city just issued a PO to correct some of the failures we had during the storm.

So I would think in four to six weeks we're back to the capacity of 75.

And so it's taking this long.

I know everybody wants what they're interested in fixed tomorrow, but it's taking this long to repair moorings that were damaged in 2024.

Correct, yes.

Why is that?

Uh primarily based on the contractor.

We use the same contract that installed the field.

We thought that was strictly important.

And then obviously getting uh a budget amendment through the commission and then also the issuing the PO.

We're kind of at that mercy as well.

So we're as eager as the citizens are to get it back open.

We've uh unfortunately to turn away boats and uh not be able to, you know, allow all the boats that will come in.

Same at the marina as well.

We had over 25% of our docks damaged in the storm.

We just got those open in the first part of this year, and the mooring field is soon to follow.

So hopefully by this time next year we're in a back to normal operations.

Um obviously well before that from a financial aspect as well.

Thank you.

And so by this time next year, you hope to have how many moorings operational?

75, yeah.

And what was with the original 109?

Is that what you said?

So when the field was built in 2009, they put 109 anchors in the bottom.

So those are there for the life of the field.

Um but we only had 75 moorings active, uh, which means they have a pennant line and able to be used by the voters.

I understand.

Thank you.

Those are my questions made.

Uh, any questions from any of the other commissioners?

Uh thank you very much.

Thank you.

And would you like to make a motion?

I would move approval of the proposed fiscal year 2627 annual budget for the City of Sarasota Bayfront Mooring Field.

Second.

Move by Vice Mayor, seconded by Commissioner Batti to approve the budget.

Uh and your votes, please.

Passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

The next item was uh 6.4 that was pulled by both the vice mayor and commissioner Ahern Kotch.

And why don't I let Commissioner Aher and Kaj go first?

Thank you.

Sure.

Um Thank you, Ms.

Emshaw for being here and doing this.

I um I think this is an incredible item.

It's filled with so much information.

It's as dense as anything I could imagine.

I don't know what what's the most dense thing, a diamond or something, but um that's what this this document has, a tremendous amount of invaluable information.

And I would just ask if you could do a very short presentation, and I have one or two questions and let other commissioners ask some questions too.

Thank you.

For the record, Cindy Emschoff, General Manager, Office of Housing and Community Development.

So before you is the draft five-year consolidated plan and year one annual action plan.

So based on the city's receipt of federal grant allocation dollars, as well as state housing initiatives partnership program dollars.

We are coming before you to present this asking your approval for not only the advertisement, but to use the dollars for increasing housing units.

That's the overall summary.

This is a five-year plan, which is required by the federal government, and then the one-year action plan.

So if there's any tweaks that need to be done every year, an annual action plan can consider those urgent items coming to the fore.

We come up with this five-year plan based on a lot of input from the community.

And of course, we also do a needs assessment.

We speak to the public housing authorities as well as the continuum of care, which is Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness.

The best vehicle for getting public input seems to be a survey, which we put forth and this year it was slightly different.

We added a QR code to make it easy for people.

I spoke to the management of the public housing authority, community assisted and supported living, harvest house, Catholic charities, others.

So all of those multifamily units that are managed, I asked them to please put up the notice so that people would be aware of this survey.

The Sarasota County Director of Libraries also agreed to have a notice at all libraries because the persons who are able to participate, participate in the survey, live in the city, they can play in the city, they can come to work in the city, or just be a consumer in the city.

There was also a dedicated email address.

They could send any comments to the Office of Housing and Community Development.

And again, most of the comments were received through the survey.

We also had them put the survey notice posted on the CRA site, CCNA site, the neighborhood planner disseminated it through all the neighborhoods, and the county community health improvement partnership leadership council agreed to share it with that group as well.

I also contacted philanthropic organizations and other nonprofit agencies like Habitat for Humanity.

So trying to reach out to the most persons possible.

So again, we are proposing that those funds be used to increase housing units, both those that are for sale to low-income first-time home buyers, as well as affordable rental units.

Thank you.

Okay, so I do have a couple questions.

On page 45 of 181, halfway down it says that there's a it says discussion, and then it says housing problems are most prevalent among households in the 30 AMI, 0 to 30 and 30 to 50 AMI groups, where 80 and 78% of all households respectively have one or more housing problems.

So focus when we talk about doing something impactful, focus should be in those areas.

Is that what your what this conclusion is?

Well, one of the housing problems is overcrowding.

So absolutely our proposal to use funding to increase housing units will be addressing that particular issue.

And one of those things on crowding, I noticed in the report was the demand for two and three bedrooms was far greater than studios or one bedrooms.

Did I read that correctly as well?

Oftentimes yes, and certainly the housing units produced include that size.

Right.

Okay.

And going to the pit count.

Do you know about when we're going to get the numbers for the pit count, the point in time count?

I do not.

That would be a question for the continuum of care.

But the data that is used, the data sets that are used are vintage data sets, and that is controlled by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Okay.

It seems like we're two solid years behind.

And so that I think is an important number for us to have when we're when we're talking about this.

So on page 61 of 181, that's the third paragraph down.

It seems to me it says in in terms of need Sarasota's public housing applicants are predominantly in need of two and three bedroom units.

And I did the math, and that comes up to about 72%.

So this information is shared with all the the whole entire community of housing providers that when we talk about affordable housing.

And so I just wanted to make sure that that was something that is available for everyone to reference when they're thinking about their housing mix that they know that this is a big a big area.

It is shared with everyone.

However, this particular section is germane to public housing.

So that would be the Sarasota Housing Authority.

Authority.

Okay.

Very, very good.

And then my other question has to do with one second, let me get there.

On page 97 of 181.

And applying similar affordable requirements to redevelop redeveloped commercial properties with residential components.

That was a statement about barriers to affordable housing, and that was, I believe, like a recommendation for other barriers that we focus on.

Do you do you know anything about that?

Well, specifically, some verbiage is required by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

And so we use standard verbiage, but all of that particular nuance comes to you by virtue of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee report, which will be given to you later.

Okay.

All right.

And then I noticed on page 124.

Um, and it talks about priority needs.

It says production of affordable housing is number one of priority needs.

And number two, parks and recreation or community facilities is the number two priority.

That's interesting, isn't it?

How valuable parks are and recreation are to our overall communities' health and mental health and well-being.

Yes, it is.

Yep.

I thought that was very interesting.

Um then I think those are all my questions.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

I have two questions.

Ms.

Emschoff, you are generally a behind the scenes person, and I think you like it that way.

Um you do such good work.

Thank you for that.

Um page three of 181.

We have expenditures for both SHIP and CDBG.

Could you explain to us the difference between program delivery expenses and administration expenses?

Yes, I would be glad to.

So administration includes staff costs and operating costs for the general management and oversight of our grants.

So that would be preparing the budgets, preparing journal entries, um reports, preparing the consolidated plan and annual action plans, things of that nature.

Because it's generally accepted by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, that the allowable amount for administration doesn't cover all of the staff costs.

Program delivery is allowed and it's directly attributable to a specific homeowner or a specific project, maybe like AVI Park or a specific address, 1234 Main Street that Habitat or some other nonprofit agency is working on.

And so that could include staff costs for site inspections, for preparing work specifications, for determining income eligibility.

It allows us to cover additional staff costs.

Appreciate that.

Tables eight and nine.

So help me out here if I'm wrong on something.

In the first row of both of those tables.

It refers to substandard housing lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities.

Do we know the addresses of those households that are indicated in that table?

I believe the data set is based upon census data.

So we may or may not have specifics.

And can we use our SHIP and or CDBG funds to help with that?

Help with those problems.

The city does not have the funding to correct those specific problems at this time.

You'll recall that last July 1st, Sarasota County chose to take the administration of their ship funding.

They had already taken the CDBG, but they're also wanting to administer the federal home investments partnerships program funding.

Those are the lion's share of funds with which OHCD used to provide home rehabilitation.

So the county can be contacted for such things.

And anybody who calls our office or emails, they can be referred to for potential alternative funding sources, and those are on our webpage as well.

The county habitat for humanity critical repair, rebuilding greater Tampa Bay, and then also my safe Florida home.

Good.

And you say we have that information available available to people on our website?

Yes, it's on the OH CD webpage.

Okay.

Those are my questions, Mayor.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Before you do, Commissioner Batti has one question.

Thank you, Mayor.

And uh thank you, Mrs.

Mshop, and thank you for the work that you do.

Uh it's invaluable.

Um you said uh you know the purpose is to increase the affordable housing.

What what's the process in which you do this?

I mean, is it through purchasing property?

I mean, uh how is that?

It can be um we accept applications through a notice of funding availability.

So typically it's nonprofit developers who apply.

Sometimes to the point that parks or community development parks department or public works might apply for funding.

Those applications for funding are taken into consideration.

As far as housing is concerned, eligible expenses could be acquisition of property and construction of affordable housing units.

It could be acquisition of older housing stock and renovation.

Okay.

Uh excellent.

Uh thank you for that.

And I'm I'm a uh a bit confused, or you know, maybe I'm I'm just not understanding.

And I know that you are two you know separate entities and um uh especially with that of the housing authority where they once said that um upon their research that it was there was a demand of one and let's say studio and uh one bedroom, and you said now there's uh a demand for a two-bedroom and three bedroom is is it has there been a shift or or what really the needs assessment is compiled with input from the Sarasota Housing Authority.

So it's not necessarily my bailiwick to come up with that, but we do certainly get our comments from the director William Russell.

Okay, okay.

Uh thank you for that.

Maybe I just have to speak with Mr.

Russell and see you know where that where that is.

But uh thank you, Mayor.

Commissioner Ahern Kotch.

Yeah.

So uh just to that last comment, Commissioner Betty.

One is a request and one is uh uh um a supply.

Uh so I think that one of the differences is that if somebody requests to have a one-bedroom, maybe they need a two-bedroom, but they request a one bedroom because they know that there's more supply of that.

But uh if you look here on page 80 of 181, it talks about the numbers and the the lack of the need, and it goes by the AMI and it has so 50 AMI.

So this has to do with the AMI, but in this backup material there is about the the need versus the request.

Um I think that also may have to do with if you re if you request a one-bedroom and you really need a two-bedroom, but you live in a one-bedroom, the rent is less than a larger bedroom.

Okay.

Uh the overcrowding issue that Ms.

M.

Schoff was referencing.

Okay.

No, thank you for that clarification.

I appreciate it.

So my last question has to do with um the map on the very end.

And I can give this to you if you don't have it.

It's on page what page would this be?

166 of 181.

And I've got it right here if you need it.

Yes, you can show that on the overhead.

There's a uh a little uh parcel.

So this is 51 percent or more of low and moderate income block groups.

And all the way on the left there, that block there.

Is that because of Jefferson Center or what that was is confusing to me.

It looks like Jefferson.

Right.

But are you speaking of the other?

Yes, I am.

Well, again, it's based on the census data.

So there could be multiple addresses that comprise that, but according to the data set that is entered in to the federal software, this is one of the census tracts that we can use the funding for.

Yeah.

Just seemed a little odd to me right there on the water that that be one of the focuses of low and moderate income block groups.

Okay.

Again, I I don't think that's a good thing.

Yeah, I know you don't do it.

Maybe we can it is definitely something that the federal government.

Yeah.

It's a result of the federal government determining that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

So thank you very much, Ms.

Amsoff.

Okay.

So may I have a motion?

I would move approval of the draft consolidated plan for the federal fiscal years 26 to 2030 and the annual action plan for the federal fiscal year 26 to 27.

Second.

Okay, move by Commissioner A.

Hern Koch, seconded by the Vice Mayor to approve.

And your votes, please.

And it passed unanimously.

Thank you very much.

And is there one more now with uh item 6.5 again?

Uh the Vice Mayor and Commissioner Ahern Koch pulled that, and again it involves this MSH.

So wants to I'll go first.

Okay.

Um thank you again for being here.

Uh on page 12 of this report.

Item number 10.

Uh it says tenant eligibility 20 years at or below 50 percent AMI.

And the remaining 30 years at 80 percent AMI.

Why?

Why not maintain 50 percent AMI?

In a in the short answer, Vice Mayor, it's because we want the nonprofit developer to be successful in maintaining the pro the actual site and maintaining their operation reserves.

When we provide the funding, use a utilizing these federal funds, which is home investment partnership program, American Rescue Plan funding.

The most stringent requirement has to be met first, and it's based on the source of funding as well as the amount.

So 20 years is the dictated period of affordability.

Also within this grant, the qualifying populations of which there are four dictate that persons with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income must be served.

Based on what I have heard the Commission say they want to have affordable housing units for the longest period of time possible.

So we created in this document an additional 30 years of affordability and community assisted and supported living is gracious enough to agree to that.

But again, 50 percent and below the area median income is very little funding, requires basic subsidization.

And so allowing them to serve persons the final 30 years at or below 80 percent of the area median income will afford them the opportunity to again meet their operating costs and their reserves.

So ultimately, we're maximizing the amount of time that this particular property will be affordable.

We're just giving them a little added bonus to serve persons with greater incomes.

So are you saying you negotiated 30 years of additional affordable housing with this contract?

Yes.

Well, thank you for that.

I have one more question.

On page two again, I don't have my backup materials available to me now, but on page two it says maintain affordability for 20 years.

Is this related to the same grant we were we were previously talking about?

Yes, yes it is.

No more question on that then.

Uh Commissioner Aher and Kotch, did you?

My question was uh along the same lines, just ensuring that the affordability is longer than um 20 years and you know uh 50 AMI and ADA 80 and below is really you know where we should be focusing our dollars and our efforts.

So this is all very good news, thank you.

Thank you, Miss Emstra.

So may I have a motion, please?

I would move um approval of move to authorize um this the mayor and s or city manager to execute the documents related to this purchase and sale agreement.

Second.

Okay, motion by Commissioner A.

Hern Koch, seconded by Vice Mayor to approve and authorize, and may we have your votes, please.

So before we start consent two, we'll take a break until eleven A.

M.

Thank you all.

Good morning.

We are back in session with the May eighteenth regular city commission meeting, and we have rent reached consent agenda number two.

Um items have been pulled, if any.

Amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025.

Provide for supplemental appropriations in the amounts identified in exhibit 8.

Provide for serverity if any of the parts here of are declared invalid.

Providing for reading by title only and providing an effective date.

Resolution number 26R 3395.

A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, authorizing the mayor and city auditor and clerk to execute the local agency program agreement between the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Sarasota for the U.S.

41, State Road 45 from Myrtle Street to General Spatz Boulevard Resurfacing and Safety Improvements Project, providing for reading of this resolution by title only and providing for an effective date.

Resolution number 26R 3396.

A resolution of the city commission of the city of Sarasota, Florida, authorizing execution by the mayor and ask statation by the city auditor and curk on behalf of the City of Sarasota of the local agency program agreement between the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Sarasota for the design of Beneva Road to Bobby Jones Golf Club Circus Boulevard Project providing for reading of this resolution by title only and providing for an effective date.

Resolution number 26R 3397.

A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025 by providing for supplemental appropriations in the amounts identified in exhibit A.

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

Resolution number 26R 3399.

A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, amending the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025 by providing for for supplemental appropriations.

Any 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.

Ordinance number 26-5590.

An ordinance of the City of Sarasota, Florida, amending the code of the City of Sarasota, Chapter 33, traffic and motor vehicles, Article 4, stopping, standing or parking to increase the number of hours during which paid parking is in effect for on-street parking spaces for service parking lots and for city parking garages as more fully set forth hearing and to further increase fines for violation of city parking regulations as more fully set forth herein, providing for the severability of the parts hereof, repealing ordinances and conflict, providing for reading by title only and providing for an effective date.

Ordinance number 26-5595, an ordinance of the city of Sarasota, Florida to rezone a certain parcel of real property, totally totaling approximately plus minus 0.08 acres located on the north side of Wringley Boulevard, being west of Lime Avenue and east of School Avenue, with a street address of 2020, I'm sorry, of 2283.

I'm sorry, Ringley Boulevard from the Commercial General CG Zone District to the downtown Edge DTE zone district.

All as more particularly set forth herein, providing for reading by title only and providing for an effective date.

Sorry for the tongue ties.

Thank you very much.

We have uh quite a few people who have requested to speak.

Um I'm going to only we're gonna only do the one for now because that item didn't get pulled, and we'll do those at the actual when that item, that those items are.

Officially when the evidence gets pulled.

Okay.

I have a point of inquiry.

Um our rules of procedure do not allow for public comment during uh consent to items.

We should either suspend the rules or follow the rules.

No, um no, we do allow public comment on consent to items, it's just second readings.

But because of the type of item it is, we did not want to tell the public they could not speak to this.

We let you all make this decision, but on consent items, people can provide public comments.

Second reading.

So it's the second reading position, and that parking is a second reading item.

But because of the type of item, we did not want to tell the public no we need to let you all make that decision.

So I think we should suspend the rules and allow for public comment.

Um, but I don't know if we would do that by consensus or a motion.

Well I I I guess you said that we don't have to suspend the rules that we do allow on second reading.

Well, according to your new new rules, you are not allowed to have well, you can make the decision to not allow public comment on second readings.

But as a commission, you are these are your rules.

You can amend them as you want because of the type of item and because we just changed the rules so quickly on people.

We did not want to tell them no.

Um that they can speak to this particular type of item because it is generating a lot of interest.

So we've decided to let that be up to the commission.

But I didn't see anybody have an issue with it.

So I'm not sure.

Well, before we get to that, I think let's do one thing at a time, though.

Yes.

6.5.

7.5 was not polled.

Yet we have a request from the public to make a comment.

Yes, so I would say let's do that first and then go ahead and work on the balance.

But do we need to suspend the rules in order to do this?

No, we will we allow consent to, we've always allowed consent to public comment.

People just don't normally do it.

Okay.

Yes, so go ahead.

So John Simon has requested to speak on 7.5.

I think we're getting second readings and consent too mixed up.

That's right.

And I misspoke when I first mentioned it.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Simon.

I'm John Simon.

I'm a resident in 1350 May, and I'm representing myself.

I think the Commission knows at this point that I want a sound ordinance as much as anybody else in the city.

But I'm a little concerned about this particular uh amount.

Um it started Bob Fournier presented a uh an ordinance to the commission last year and didn't discuss any need for a a sound expert.

Um I attended a meeting with Mr.

Polzak uh a few months ago in which he raised the issue of having a sound expert, and he said maybe I forget the exact number, but it was somewhere between 7500 and 10,000, and it would take a month in order to do that.

And I'm confused as to how we've gotten to a 250,000 number and this extraordinary uh sound uh study that would be needed.

Uh I'm not sure what we're gonna get out of it at the end of the day.

We may end up with an ordinance that's still unenforceable or too difficult.

Um in the meantime, I think that the Commission could uh enact an ordinance to to take into account a plainly audible standard without a sound expert, because that's something that doesn't require a sound expert.

And the the commission could also uh have an ordinance that that uh covers the issue of car reving, which is a huge issue, and I don't think that requires a sound expert.

So uh at the bottom line, uh I'm not sure why we're spending 250,000 for this sound expert.

But uh but I do want a sound ordinance and I'd like it to be enforceable.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Simon.

Um so at this point, should I call upon a vote on the balance of consent to uh may I have a motion to adopt the balance of consent to move to second?

Okay, moved by Commissioner Alpert seconded by Commissioner Batti.

I have a question.

Oh, and Commissioner Aaron Koch.

Does that include the number five, the one that we just heard the public comment to?

Yeah.

Yes.

That wasn't pulled.

Okay.

We were just so there's no discussion for that one.

No, it wasn't pulled by anybody.

We just wanted to be if we want Mr.

Bozek to comment on that, we can do that at the end of the meeting.

Sure.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

So is that clear?

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

And as also going to be a roll call.

Aaron Kotch?

Yes.

Albert?

Yes.

Betsy?

Yes.

Yes.

Try as well.

Yes.

Okay.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Um we are at item 7.6.

Um.

And now we'll call upon person signed up to speak on that.

Uh wait, we got to go.

I'll make a motion to suspend the rules in public comment on second reading.

Yes.

Okay.

Move by Commissioner Alper to suspend the rules.

On public comment for items.

On public comment for this item.

Yes.

And second.

Seconded by the Vice Mayor.

Um do we have a vote on that?

Just a second, let me clear it.

We got a clear.

And now go ahead.

And there's unanimous agreement on that.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

So we have uh I believe if I counted right, 12 people signed up to speak, and I will call up the first five.

Um John Crow.

John Cross Cross.

Cross.

Okay.

Robert Carter.

Robert Carter, Martin Hyde, Chaplain Tom Pfaff, and Lynn Coy.

And Mr.

Cross, if you'd like to start.

Thank you.

First of all, Commissioners, thank you so very much for all you do for our city.

I can imagine the weight that you carry and the decisions that you have to make, and also how many people you have to please.

So thank you so very much.

I'm here today to speak on behalf of the First Baptist Church of Sarasota, where I have the privilege of serving as senior pastor.

We are church family, including members and attenders who are non-members of approximately 3,000 individuals.

And today, as we address this parking ordinance, I would like to just lovingly remind all of us that three of our five downtown churches precede the city charter.

The fourth is not that far behind, and then one of them are newer.

And it's been a joy to partner with the city all these years.

First Sarasota made a conscious decision years ago, for which I'm forever grateful to remain a downtown congregation because our church loves our city.

And I would like to ask today that as you consider this ordinance, it perhaps if you do uh find the need to increase revenue, and we all understand that.

I think all of us can identify there, that perhaps uh some type of solution could be to consider only charging for parking on Sundays after 1 p.m.

So that all those who need to park to attend worship at these various churches downtown as well as out on St.

Armand's Circle could attend church without having to pay to part.

So that's my simple request today.

And again, thank you for taking time to hear us out.

Mayor, I I'm sorry if uh I'm gonna just interrupt for a second.

Um I'm wondering if we should let uh people in the audience who are here for unfinished business know that we are not going to get to that till after launch, in case they don't want to wait for this item.

Excellent idea.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you.

Um, yeah, it's gonna take us a while to get through this item.

So if you are here for unfinished business or anything after that, uh, anticipate that we will not resume at least until one o'clock.

At least until Commissioner Alford for that reminder.

This is gonna take 45 minutes.

I mean, just the public comment alone was gonna be gonna be 36 minutes at least.

Twelve people for three minutes.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

Okay, so we heard from Mr.

Cross and now Robert Carter.

Good morning.

Uh I want to thank you all because I'm getting a ticket now.

We're talking about parking.

I'm getting a ticket for my two-hour limit.

So I'm contributing already to the benefit of the city.

Uh I'm here.

Uh I live in the county, but I have an office in the city, and I represent a senior warden, the Church of the Redeemer, downtown church.

Um I'd just like to make a couple points uh about civic duty and responsibilities.

There are moments in civic life when a decision appears financially practical on paper, yet proves culturally and spiritually costly in reality.

This decision to expand downtown paid parking into Sunday worship hours risk becoming one of those kinds of decisions.

No one will ever dispute that the city of Sarasota faces legitimate parking infrastructure expenses, garages have to be maintained, elevators repaired, debt obligations met.

But good governance is not simply balancing spreadsheets.

It is in fact balancing priorities, values, and the character of a community.

Our downtown churches are not occasional users of public space.

They're among the city's oldest and most consistent civic institutions.

Long before the restaurants, the boutiques and condominiums arrived, downtown.

Churches were already serving Sarasota's residents spiritually, emotionally, and materially.

The Church of Redeemer alone, downtown, uh congregation has exceeded 3,000 people.

And in 2025, uh those through the generosity of those people, we've contributed 1.25 million back into this community.

We feel like we're we're partners with the city.

That's all for charitable work, including food insecurity, outreach ministries, counseling, education, and direct aid for those affected by government cutbacks.

The economic and social impact of faith communities is significant and measurable.

Worshipers fill downtown streets and restaurants.

They support businesses before and after services.

The debate should not be framed as churches versus the taxpayers.

Churches are people and people are taxpayers and citizens.

Faith communities are among Sarasota's most active civic partners.

So the concern that we have is larger than just the fees.

Many worshippers understandably will experience this as a direct attack and burden placed on religious practice.

While unintended, I'm sure the optics are troubling.

In an error already marked by division and declining trust in institutions, Sarasota, we think should be working to strengthen partnerships between civil government and faith uh communities.

Other world class cities understand this balance.

There are numerous practical alternatives available.

One was just mentioned the delayed uh paid parking until after traditional worship hours, uh exemptions and validation systems like they have in many of the East Coast cities, uh, and creating designated parking church zones during service periods as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Carter.

I'm sorry you've run out of time.

Um next up is Martin Hyde.

Indeed.

So this second hearing is your last chance to listen to facts and common sense before gambling with the future of downtown businesses and the ability of people to worship without charge on Sundays.

But under your new rules of procedure, you can assert that you won't hear public comments on second readings unless there's material changes or it suits you politically, which doesn't make any sense.

Um ironically, and if you'll forgive the pun, that's rather tone-deaf.

In any event, um terms of things changing between the first and the second hearing, which is one of your standards, um, if you could just zoom in on that so everybody can see.

That's um that's a view of Main Street at 8 30 this morning.

Um not exactly thriving.

Um, not exactly uh that would be within your proposed hours.

Uh I'm not seeing a lot of demand there.

Um the uh the problem with the projection of increased revenue for increased hours is it assumes a straight line for every month uh uh and every day in a seasonal city, um, which you know the picture itself shows clearly isn't true.

My suggestion, as I told you before, is to put the prices up during peak demand, which creates revenue without staff cost increases.

The truth denied by the parking manager saying no more staff without acknowledging increased staff hours, cost of over one million dollars in the backup.

It kind of says it all.

It's over 60 percent of the projected revenue, additional revenue goes directly to increased staff.

When, and and it and it will be when revenues don't meet projections, your costs will potentially exceed revenue.

There is also no financial assessment for what impact it will have on business, if that's because they don't care.

The backup concedes it'll have broad commute citywide impact, quote unquote.

But asserts, again, in quotes, it'll be indirect in nature.

Perhaps staff would care to explain uh the distinction that makes a difference between direct and uh indirect impact.

There's also no consideration for the sanctity of uh Sundays with particular reference to churchgoers, charging to park while worshiping is surely not the right message for this city.

That said, it's not too late to revisit the clearly floored plan.

Increase parking charges if you must, but not ours.

Doing that, um increasing the hours will inevitably end badly for city businesses and for the city churches, not to mention the revenue stream.

You have an option here.

It hasn't been discussed properly.

You've took all the information from the parking manager, and he's flat wrong on his projections.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Hyde.

Uh next up, Chaplain Tom.

Chaplain Tom Pfaff, Sarasota Ministerial Association, it's Mother Han.

Thank you for the honor of being with you all this morning, and for the privilege of working with you, the City Council for over 25 years.

Now I turned 80 this year, and I remember the day when uh on Sundays you couldn't buy alcohol on Sundays, uh businesses were closed.

On Sundays, uh businesses were closed.

And I'm hoping this morning that I don't remember the day when I can go to church and brunch.

So I'm I'm going to change it to 130, John.

And not have to pay for parking.

Now there is a strong rationale that those who uh use a service ought to pay for it.

And then I was thinking, my gosh, uh, taxpayers certainly don't use all the services, and certainly they're not paying individually for all those services.

So I don't know why we pulled parking out.

I want to say that uh this month, your uh faith community downtown prayed twice.

We prayed in the National Day of Prayer, which uh that uh Commissioner Battee helped us out there.

Thank you for your prayers.

And also just yesterday's as someone in the rain uh celebrating with Washington, D.C.

our two hundred and uh fiftieth anniversary of dedicating America to God.

In both those cases, we prayed for not only our commission, but our staff and and the wonderful employees that are recognized today for your families to be healthy, wealthy, wise, and happy.

We care about you, our uh government as Scripture commands us to do that.

So I just want to thank you so very much that uh back when First United Methodist Church was deciding whether or not to move uh their church from downtown that we chose that day to stay.

I remember preaching that day on wisdom.

We're asking you to have wisdom today, and we're just thankful again for this opportunity to speak to you on behalf of your faith community, which I've calculated is over 10,000 congregants in our downtown churches.

God bless you all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chaplain Tom.

Next is Lynn Coy.

Good morning.

I'm so excited to be here to speak on behalf of First United Methodist Church.

Thank you, Pastor Tom.

Dan Bailey, I see you here, good friend from the Baptist Church.

Um is Lynn Coy, and I moved to Sarasota in 1985 from Chicago to provide care and support to my parents who retired here in the late 60s and had many wonderful years of retirement until they didn't.

I'm sure some of you can understand that.

Dad was an usher at first church from the late 60s until oh my gosh, I came down in October of 1985.

In November of 1985, Daddy's leg was amputated.

I tell you this because the only way I could get him to church was to pull up to the entrance and ask the ushers to help me get him out of the car and into a wheelchair.

I then parked the car as close to the entrance as I could.

After the service, I pulled the car to the front entrance and again depended on assistance to get Daddy back into the car.

I can't tell you how important it was that he was able to get into church so that he could hear the encouraging words from the pastor from his friends and from God.

So that's a specific reason why we're talking about the parking and and being careful about what you guys decide.

Sarasota has always prided itself on being a welcoming user-friendly city for residents, visitors, and our faith communities.

Increasing paid parking hours, particularly on Sundays, would create real hardship for many of our churchgoers, especially older adults and those with disabilities who rely on accessible free parking to attend services and music concerts offered by our churches.

Sundays are also a vital part of the local economy.

Many people leave church and head straight to brunch or to downtown shops, adding parking fees at that time will discourage people from staying in the city, and that will affect our small businesses.

It keeps our downtown vibrant, supports our churches, and maintains the welcoming atmosphere that defines our community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next five are Brett De Hart, Stephanie Kempton, Dan Bailey, John Harshman, and Vince Reva.

Mr.

Dehart, you may begin.

Thank you.

My name is Brett De Hard, I'm the pastor at First United Methodist Church here in Sarasota.

We're going to celebrate our 135th anniversary in October, as has been mentioned already.

About 15 years ago, the church made the decision not to leave downtown.

They had a very sweet deal from a developer willing to move us out to university with a brand new church and lots of money in the bank account to go with it.

And the church said no.

I'm newer, so but I'm told the city was not as vibrant as it was as it is today.

And I think staying downtown and making that decision has helped the city become vibrant as it is.

They're excited to see me stay under three minutes.

We'll see if it can happen.

But as a um graduate recently of Leadership Sarasota, I just want to thank you for your part.

I going through that program, I really saw all the amazing things that are happening in the city and gave me new appreciation for it, and I thank you for your part in that.

I'm a leader that's responsible for meeting budgets and raising revenue and money.

So I appreciate what you're dealing with.

Those are hard decisions, and uh I know you don't take them lightly.

I do want to speak in opposition to the the charge for parking at least on Sunday mornings.

Um we rely on city parking.

Uh it is vital to what we do.

Um we have folks, senior members that, particularly for our early 830 service that park on the street to have that accessibility.

Um folks that park in garages and the city parking.

Um of the things that we're gonna have to figure out if this goes through, um, due to our deal uh for the selling of the mark property, we have free access to the State Street garage for 10 more years contractually with the city.

How that's gonna happen with a gate that closes on Sundays, I don't know.

Um so that's a concern.

Uh paid parking raises the hassle factor.

Um folks, that they take that into account in coming downtown if it's just too much of a hassle.

I think about my senior mother.

There's no way she could work it out to pay for parking.

Um the hassle factor gets raised.

It's already been mentioned about brunch and people uh uh patronizing the businesses.

Downtown churches across the country are either dying or dead uh all over the country.

That is not the case.

Sarasota is an anomaly, and we'd like to keep it that way.

But we need policy that encourages that to happen.

Uh so I encourage you, please to help us with that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next up is Stephanie Kempton.

Hi, my name is Stephanie Kempton.

I am a member of the Vestry at Church of the Redeemer.

I have been a resident of the City of Sarasota for 26 years.

Um I live on Clematis Street.

My dad was CEO of Sarasota Memorial in the late 80s, and that brought us to Sarasota.

Um as a vestry member, our job is to um help to bring new Christians into the church and make our current Christians new within the church.

By enforcing um city parking on Sunday mornings, I think it will prevent people from attending church and bringing new Christians to Redeemer.

So I just want you to consider that as a member of the Church of Redeemer for 25 years.

I raised my children in the church.

It was difficult to bring them to church when they were babies.

Um, and parking played a big role in getting them into church.

We have older people that rely on city parking to attend our church, and I just wanted to advocate for the ability to bring members to the Church of Redeemer in a convenient way.

So please consider that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Dan Bailey.

Mr.

Maum, um, I'm here as a member of uh First Baptist Church.

I would adopt and endorse the comments made by my pastor, Dr.

Cross a few moments ago, as well as other speakers today.

One other aspect of this, it's not so much in my mind the money, is it is uh when you get to be the age of uh Chaplain Tom which I which I I have recently reached that same age.

People our age have difficulty with technology, parking meters.

And they go they'll go way out of their way to avoid having to park in a spot that has a parking meter.

So I think that's that a bit of a deterrent.

But I would like to commend the city for the job it has done on parking.

I mean, we have three fine parking garages now.

Um I think we have a very well administered program.

But we would just ask for this one little uh uh tweak to the program that you adopted, and that would be to delay the effect of uh uh Sunday parking until at least one o'clock.

Uh there's not a lot going on before that time.

When we come out of church and go downtown to eat, uh, Main Street has filled up, so in the afternoon there's going to be opportunities for for uh revenues, but we think that probably less so in the in the morning, and so we would appreciate uh some concession for the legacy churches, which if you consider how long they've been here, it's cumulatively centuries.

If you had up all their tenure, we've been here since uh 1901, uh 19 uh since 1924 at our present location.

I've been a member there for 68 years.

So uh we would just ask for that one small concession.

Thank you, Mr.

Bailey.

John Harshman.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor John Harshman.

I'm here speaking uh for myself, uh 52-year resident in Sarasota.

Uh it is uh, you know, parking is a very difficult um issue.

Everybody um has their own opinion and finds fault with it, but it is so nice to be able to be here today with all the pastors and the chaplain and and the ministers here to hear them present their position in a very civil and loving way.

So I really do appreciate their participation.

Um I would I would try to look at the whole uh parking structure that we have now and kind of go back to the original presentation that was given to you.

Um you had it looked like two options.

One, you could expand the hours in the days, or you could increase the parking rates.

And um, if you change the hours in the days, you have to change all the signs, so there's an expense in that.

And then you have to add personnel hours to that, so there's an expense in that.

If you if you just change the rate, and uh nobody likes to have a rate change at all except for maybe tourists, because they don't even even really know.

Uh when I go to another city, I just pay whatever the parking rate is, and I don't complain about it.

But um I if you just change rate, people are already conditioned to coming downtown during the times that they're going to come downtown and pay for parking.

And if it's increased a quarter or fifty cents, maybe that's going to be an issue.

That's where you guys have you know come in and make the make those tough choices.

But I would be an advocate for uh not changing the hours for charge parking and not changing the days, taking Sunday out of it and keeping it at 10 o'clock in the morning.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh Vince Reva.

Yes, thank you, Commissioners.

Uh my name is Vince Reva.

I'm a lifelong member or uh citizen of Sarasota County.

Uh born at SMH and born in the city.

Uh in later life I would be moved back into the city uh currently live in the county.

I'm also a lifetime member of Church of Redeemer.

You know, luckily my mom brought me there when I was about three and a half, and I'm still a member currently on the vestry um with a couple other speakers here today.

And it's a it's a proud church.

Uh the faith community in downtown Sarasota is unique.

Uh we've stayed and we've even grown a little bit with a couple other churches.

Um my concern is that we're going to lose some of our senior congregation to being inconvenienced or not knowing how to work the machines.

I have trouble with it when I go to other cities.

And sometimes I just don't stop.

I go find try to find uh free parking somewhere.

But to find different parking uh avenues means you gotta walk further.

So for our congregation, they need close parking.

I just see it as a deterrent, uh not a not a help to our congregation, which is a growing congregation, and that's partly because of the access.

We've always been landlocked at our location.

We parking's always been an issue, especially in the winter months, and we have a lot of uh the fairs that are along Gulf Stream, they eat up a lot of the parking.

So we deal with that already.

But I'm retired law enforcement here in Sarasota County.

And the two of the worst aspects of law enforcement was traffic, enforcement, and which nobody likes, getting tickets.

The second to that is parking enforcement.

So I hate to see our city have a negative aspect to parking by changing this on a Sunday.

Sundays are for worship, family, and kind of rejuvenating for the week.

And it most of the people, you know, I all the congregation is not doesn't live in a city, so we're all migrating into the city to try and park and enjoy a service.

So to me it's it's partly how having everybody using the machines.

I understand revenue that you need revenue.

I will I would just encourage you to look elsewhere for revenue or some of the other choices that might be there.

But I worry about congregation growth or decline with this decision.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms.

Mackey.

Oops.

Am I looking at the wrong list?

Yes.

No.

I am looking at the wrong list.

So sorry.

The last three are Jim Kaufman, Martha Mackey, and Eugene.

Okay.

Mr.

Kaufman, whenever you're ready.

I'm ninth out of twelve.

When I played baseball, I always batted ninth, so I'm very comfortable in this position.

Glad to be here.

There is not much left to be said.

All the good points have been taken.

So I'm going to scrap this well thought out presentation, and I'm going to spare everybody in this room by making it just a couple of observations.

These are nine coastal cities of similar populations.

You would know them.

Vero Beach, Fort Walton, Jupiter, Hallendale, Fort Pierce, Delray, Pensacola, and Bradenton.

How many of those charge for parking on Sunday?

No one knows.

We should know that.

Not very many.

Two.

What have they figured out that we haven't?

Well, they figured out that parking on Sunday is a really bad idea.

So before we launch into that, let's deeply consider some of the excellent points that have been made here.

Observation number two.

Churches are not businesses.

They have no recurring revenue.

They have no profit.

They live hand to mouth.

Most churches.

Could you could you speak up?

Okay.

Churches are not businesses.

They have no recurring revenue.

They have no profit.

Most churches lose money.

And you're desperate for that big contribution to kind of get you through to the end of the year.

They live a fragile existence.

Anything that impedes membership is an impediment.

You've had two folks up here, Chaplain Tom and Brett, talk about the decision to stay.

Well, the temptation lives.

We're getting a hundred million dollar type offers to leave the city.

But where would the city be if the heartbeat of compassion represented by these five churches took the money and ran?

We're here because we are anchorations serving the least among us.

And there is a need.

We can talk about food assistance, counseling, youth programming, addiction recovery, social cohesion.

It's real, it's ongoing, it's happening.

Don't put the burden on us.

Don't put the burden on religion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Martha Mackey.

Yes, thank you, Council.

My name is Martha Mackey.

I'm a member of the First United Methodist Church.

And I do have a little bit of a different take on all the good arguments you've heard from our various pastors, and it's a joy to be with all our faith community that worships together downtown in different in different churches.

As a public city commission, there may not be an obvious or apparent duty to provide parking to churchgoers or religious organizations.

But I would posit that there is in fact a duty of this commission to consider the negative financial impact of disincentivize churchgoers from attracting themselves and visitors to the downtown business and arts organization.

A recent example, if I may, of an elderly friend of mine who on a Saturday afternoon had tickets to the uh one of the arts theaters downtown.

And the person she usually goes with and who usually drives her on a Saturday afternoon was unable to take her.

And she said, Martha, would you please take the ticket and could you drive me?

I I know how my friend gets this downtown and this is where we're going.

She's nearly 90 years old.

And as we approach downtown and the theater she's familiar with, she took a she took a wrong turn and she said, Oh, darn it, I'm so mad at myself.

We're supposed to be on Pineapple Avenue approaching fifth five points.

I said, girlfriend, I got you.

I go this way twice a week.

So we aren't talking about Sunday morning free parking at this in this instance.

I know as a regular downtown churchgoer, my way around downtown, and I can get elderly people who want to participate in the downtown economy and arts uh events down there.

I'm very proud of that.

And once we get down there, I like, oh look, there's my church.

Gotta come sometime.

We do a little evangelation evangelizing when we're down there.

So my point is to disincentivize churchgoers by making it more expensive, because they will go out and silo themselves into the suburbs.

Keep the community vibrant by having people ambassadors for the downtown areas regularly coming and regularly knowing the way to go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Eugene.

Somebody in there.

Okay.

I'm going to wing it today, sorry.

Um.

So uh before I jump into details, um, I just want to bring back to the previous meeting.

Somebody in the commission said that uh, oh, these guys probably think that fart parking is free.

Uh I reject that premise.

Um I'm a homeowner in the city, I'm an engineer.

Um other people here are very successful smart people, so I mean uh you should probably check your disregard to to your to the public.

Um people that come to speak here, uh they think about this stuff a lot, much more than you and it uh on any one topic, right?

So the the collective wisdom here is 100x of everybody in the city staff in the commission.

Um last time I I talked uh how crazy it is that we want to raise the budget uh 40 percent, uh mostly because a lot of the reasons uh that the manager brought uh to the commission are kind of bullshit.

Um I'm gonna go over them.

Um so for example, the two elevators uh anywhere you look in any kind of quotes or guides or industry surveys, it's literally half the price.

Okay.

Now, garage directional, he wants to spend 230,000 on signage, okay.

Public works can do it for 30,000, for example.

License recognition, um it's already implemented.

Uh we can reduce the fees a little bit.

Okay, now meters, uh, and and this is touches at the core of the problem.

Uh I watched this uh the manager for five years uh destroy this city.

As somebody mentioned, uh Venice, uh Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Naples.

We don't want to become St.

Pete or Tampa.

Like people move here because they don't like it there.

Now what we can do.

So first, like at some point you have to say no.

He has been increasing budget consistently without disregard to any growth, uh economy, uh people.

So at some point you say, well, no, operate in your current budget and see what happens.

It has been five years.

Now you should offer resident permits, because that will provide a major budget increase.

Reduce staff.

He acknowledged he has too much stuff.

And he he got a lot more time on the staff hands after all the automation, please.

And finally, like maybe find somebody else that can manage the budget better.

We can't, you know, this is a this budget is a cancer on the city.

Everything else is like completely different.

That's it, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

So that could that concludes the public comment.

And um we all I I guess we would like um General Manager Harvey to come down and we'll have commissioner questions.

Yes, yes.

Okay.

Great.

And the Vice Mayor has do you want to start off with questions?

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Harvey, would you just briefly explain to us what an enterprise fund is?

Parking is an enterprise fund, is that correct?

That is correct.

And would you explain to us what that is?

Sure.

General Manager of Parking, Broxton Harvey, City of Sarasota for the record.

So Enterprise Fund is a fund basically unlike the general fund, we do not utilize tax dollars to fund ourselves.

We actually fund ourselves through the end user.

That means that anyone that actually parks or uses our parking infrastructure, they pay fees, and that actually goes back into paying for our expenses for the funds.

So therefore we are enterprise fund.

Okay.

And do you know of any other enterprise funds the city has?

Not off top of my hand, of my head, but uh, Ms.

Jorgensen.

What are some other enterprise funds that the city has?

So utilities, wastewater would be one, solid waste is another one with the city.

Van Wazel is also another.

Bobby Jones.

Bobby Jones.

Okay.

And that means that the people who use those facilities or services are the ones who pay the costs, expenses associated with them.

That is correct if they are enterprise fund, yes.

Okay.

That's real important to understand, I think, that we don't charge everybody for those services if they don't use the services.

Okay.

Um I have another question for you, totally different from the one I just asked, but I've been asked by several people.

Um does the city currently have an agreement with First United Methodist Church regarding parking?

Sure.

So I was um I was able to view the um agreement, so there is a 20-year agreement, which I think there are about 10 years left on it.

I think it um was executed back in 2016.

So yes, there is an agreement currently right now.

All right.

And is anything we're talking about related to changing parking?

Will that have any influence on that agreement?

No, we will still be able to honor that agreement.

As it is now.

Correct, yes.

And allowing the we won't charge them a little bit.

No, no, none at all.

Okay.

Thank you.

Those are my two questions right now, Mayor.

Okay.

Umybody else since all of you pulled it.

I I can go.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Harvey, I have to apologize.

The first time we heard this on first reading, it's my mistake and my misunderstanding.

I did not understand that we were going to be expanding paid parking to Sunday.

For me, um I thought it was going to be the Sunday was only for the safety um enforcement, like we had talked about a long time ago.

So all of this is new to me.

And that's that's my own, that's my own mistake.

So I just wanted to be clear on that.

So expanding it to Sunday, the paid parking is is a new uncomfortable space for me.

But what the other commissioners clearly understood that I did not was that it was going to be expanded and full payment there.

There were suggestions made about pulling it back to uh after one o'clock.

Um what are your thoughts on that?

Sure.

So what what we've done, we've done um some research on basically the utilization of parking on Sundays, right?

Um even as of yesterday, me and my staff, we actually went out and actually um looked at what was the actual occupancy of on street spaces.

And um what I first want to say is that all of the churches downtown actually do have some form of um their own parking lots.

Um of course that may not you know suffice and be enough because um as we've heard that they still you know rely on on street parking.

And um all parking would not be just metered that are around the churches.

A lot of the parking is, you know, two and three hour parking, which typically would cover the time frame in which uh most church services are.

Um we also have um where the churches, they um there's a couple of churches that actually utilize valet parking, so there's another way that they're able to actually park individuals or or people that may not be able to walk that far away or that would want to park a little bit closer to the to the entrance of the the church.

Um but to answer your question, what what do I think about you know rolling the parking back to you know maybe one o'clock or um so to be able to accommodate the church services, I would be in favor of that.

Um it would be a change to the to the budget.

Um but um if the concern is that uh we can actually there there's different ways that we can do that.

We can actually maybe look at creating um zones near those churches so that the entire city doesn't have to roll back to one o'clock, or we can just look at you know rolling back the entire city.

So um there's there's different options.

There's permits that can be um issued so that people can park on the street that go to churches.

Um again, the creation of zones.

Um again, this is not just about the churches, even though I know that everyone here um has a strong commitment, and the goal of the parking division is not to charge people when they're in Sunday service, and it's not to write a citation.

Um we're looking at the city as a whole.

We still have boat ramps in which this will um affect.

We still have the beach parking on um Ben Frank.

So there's other, you know um parts that of this puzzle that actually go instead of just a downtown core in the churches during um 7 a.m.

until 1 p.m.

time frames.

Okay.

Um not a fan of the Ben Franklin expanded paid parking either.

Uh just to make that clear for the record.

Um Ms.

Jorgensen, is this something that we should consider continuing so that we could get more information and more details on the impacts and the options that we have in front of us?

I think personally that's a question for the City Commission to determine if they want to continue it or not.

But I mean a possibility if we could, if we do continue it, could we come back with more information in front of us and have those numbers?

You could.

I want uh I do want to just state and I'm not sure if Mr.

Harvey is um able to give an answer to this, but if we continue it, there is a loss of of revenue that we would have you know um lose for until we get it back for second reading.

Because if this passes on second reading today, the changes can go in effect, and obviously, you know, the revenue changes would obviously go into effect immediately.

So we just have to take that into consideration as well.

And and and that can be a motion when we get to the motions, and I would think that if we were there were a motion to continue, it might be listing the items that of information that we need and as the rationale for continuing, but that would be subject to a vote of this commission whether or not to continue.

Okay.

Okay.

And you still have a couple a little bit more time with you?

Well, thank you.

I do have a lot of questions, but I don't have the anything else in front of me except for what we've already passed on first reading.

So, you know.

Okay.

Yeah.

I I would think we just need a whole lot more information.

Okay.

Commissioner Baby was next.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

And uh thank you, Mr.

Mr.

Harvey.

Um one of the things I want to, you know, before I actually get to the question, I mean, questioning is for public consumption, because a lot of people don't understand like how we even got here, and that is as the city has grown, you know, we've had to get get ourselves into expanding the parking situation and can't do it on the street, so we had to do this via building garages.

Um and those garages are bonded, they come with covenants and and uh obligations and so on, um, they have to be paid for, and that's how you know we we we got here.

Um so that being said, you know, the one of the things that that I'm um hearing, and uh um is about the parking department, you know, um like going into the black or or what have you being able to pay for itself.

Um so is it about that or is it about us being able to pay for these park, you know, these parking garages and how much you know of this budget is wrapped up in enforcement, you know, and uh uh of of being able to take take care of, you know.

Um so to answer your question, um is it about capital improvements or going into the the black?

I would say it's both.

So it's uh about actually paying for the capital improvements because right now the way that we're charging fees and our hours, we're unable to do that.

Um and then we also want to establish a contingency.

Um the hurricanes hit us hard.

Um so we still have not bounced back.

Um prior to that our garages were around about 66 percent, which still isn't great, but we were able to actually function.

Um right now they're you know sitting around 25 to 40 percent.

So that also transfers to on street end-up parking lots as well.

So um so there's a need for additional revenues, so just so that we're able to function and again as an enterprise fund to be able to pay for ourselves.

Um to answer your question as far as um I guess uh uh I'll repeat this again.

I'm not asking for any more staff um to to actually roll out these changes.

Um right now, if we were to look at, you know, a part of my staff, I actually have 25 staff members and about seven and a half.

We can have a part-timer um is is parking enforcement.

So um I would say that's you know, a little bit less than a third of my staff um is actually wrapped up into enforcement.

Okay.

Yeah, because the last um last time you were here, um I asked you like you know, how much revenue would be generated, you know, through Sunday, through Sunday parking.

That's correct.

I think you said projected of about like uh a million dollars or so.

That's correct.

Um one of the one of the things that uh we do is comparing ourselves to other municipalities and what it is they do that and how they pay for these things and whatever.

Um, I have I had the the uh Minister Taker and Mrs.

uh Johnson report pull up like the number of times, particularly since I've been on the commission, how many times the the uh parking department has come to you know the commission and asked for any type of proposed increases or or or what have you.

And you know, since I've been on the commission, it's been about almost nine and what have you.

And I kind of I take kind of take exception to that because the taxpayer, I mean the the the you know, it's always on the backs of of uh of our residents.

And although I did uh support it on the first reading, I don't think that I can support paid parking on the second reading or whatever.

Um and I understand you know, like the million dollars that that you said would uh would be generated on on Sundays, but when I go to different, you know, municipalities and they pay, they have paid parking.

One of the things that I would like to see us that makes us different is to give give our residents some type of reprieve, particularly on Sunday and whatnot.

Paying through through the week, we've we've expanded the hours of pay of paid parking.

And uh I would just like to see us give some something back to the residents of the city, particularly in this time, you know, where we are in in in the the global landscape.

Um, you know, people having a hard time paying for gas, you know, to even get downtown or whatever.

Um you hear like the the residents talk about in the church goes talking about how um important they are to the local economy on the Sunday and whatnot.

I mean you go to say somewhere like Cascadale on a Sunday and it's packed, you know, and it's because people are able to come downtown and enjoy themselves.

Even myself when I come down here on Sunday, or I don't really feel like parking in my you know spot here at City Hall.

I want to pay, I mean, uh park on the street on Sunday.

I think it would be great just to be able to park on on the street and and uh it'd be free on a Sunday.

You know, it's the Sabbath for God's sake.

So that's just my position on that on the second reading of what happened.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Commissioner Alpert.

I've got a uh a few questions that I wanted to ask Mr.

Harvey.

Um, this is this is not an easy choice, because I think what what um the churches are talking about, same thing the retailers talked about, so you know who do we burden?

Um so we either increase the fees on the regular hours and burden the restaurants and retailers more, or we keep it like this and you know, burden the churches.

And I'm and I'm looking at the churches who have been here to speak.

Church of the Redeemer, um, don't they have access to Gulf Stream, which is all free parking?

Is that correct?

Yes, that is correct.

That is um 77 spaces, three hours, and then another uh maybe 25 to 40 that are two hours.

Yes.

Right.

And then uh the first Baptist church, um, that's you know, the it's located on Main Street, but all of the side streets surrounding it are free parking, isn't that correct?

Um timed or no restrictions at all, so totally free, yes.

So there's a lot of parking around there.

The uh there's a um a uh agreement with the church that's on Pineapple.

Correct.

And there's and Pineapple is free parking, correct?

Yes, it is.

Yes.

So I guess I'm I'm trying to see there aren't a lot of spaces, it doesn't seem like to me that impact actually the churches where we're charging for parking.

Um I would say that's that's a that's a correct statement.

The only one that I would say that the paid parking would impact is um is first um yes, correct.

But that's just the the spots that are on Main Street.

Oh Main Street, yes.

Yeah, there's a lot of style streets, aren't there?

Correct.

Yes.

So that they they would have that and and they do have a parking lot.

Um I would have been in favor of uh actually raising the fees during the hours that we had, because I think it is a point that if we change the hours, we've got to change all that signage.

I don't know if you've already had it printed.

Um because we do have to make sure that the department can pay for itself.

This is right of way that is being used to store cars.

And so, you know, the people using that and and I and um why I understand the sentiment wanting to uh give some relief to our residents.

It isn't just our residents who are parking there who are using that, but if we give give that relief, then we put a burden on all our residents to pay for that and not the user who is using it.

So I think your first suggestion was your first suggestion was to raise the raise the fees slightly during the hours that we had.

Um I actually recommended that maybe um a while back.

That was your yeah, that was your first choice.

Um is that what you would still recommend or in light of either.

In light of um I would say I mean, they're they're both great options.

Um again, we can look at a solution for the 7 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

Um.

So whether it's to increase the actual fees within the existing hours or to actually expand the hours and keep the existing fees.

Um we were actually you know reduced by five hours on a Sunday from 7 a.m.

until one, um, which will reduce uh revenues by around about 300,000.

Um that's doable.

Um I would say it may just take a little bit longer to maybe I have a five-year plan as far as a couple of improvements and to get us where to where we want to be.

Um it'll just maybe take maybe just a tid tid longer.

Okay.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I got a couple of questions.

First of all, uh following along the lines of what Commissioner Albert says, I was confused in terms of the number of timed spaces surrounding our houses of worship as opposed to paid spaces, because the uproar that I heard, it made me think that maybe they were misinterpreting and that we would start charging for those free spaces.

But that's not the plan.

We're not planning to start charging for the free spaces that are surrounding the churches, right?

That is correct.

They will still remain two and three hours.

Free parking, or if there is no signs like on Goodrich, there's no parking signs at all, so you can park there for as long as you want.

And I would imagine if the church is found an a problem with the two-hour parking that you would consider increasing it to three hours.

I would have no issue with that.

So then the other thing I wanted to know is would you clarify the gateless garages?

Because a couple of people of the commenters talked about raising the gates, and we don't have gates anymore, right?

That is correct.

We haven't had a gates for about a year now.

So we have a gateless solution.

Um all of the gates have been taken out, and um our garages are monitored by um license plate recognition cameras, and um you utilize apps and pay stations the same way you utilize um the same technology on the street, you use utilize the same technology um inside of the garages.

So in order to get free parking anywhere now, I mean in a paid space, whether it's paid space on the street or paid space in the garage, you do have to log into the app because when you drive into the garage, it captures your license plate, you log into the app, and then the app figures out, oh yeah, you're here for your free period if you're only gonna, you know.

So everybody is gonna have to use the app and learn how to use the app or the pay station.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

And by doing that, it reduces the staff needed for enforcement.

That's the same thing.

So we have savings.

And and the other thing that you mentioned with the gate list is it it meant that people could drive in more quickly and people could leave more quickly, so it was better for traffic movement.

That is correct.

Yeah, points of ingress and egress are a lot smoother now.

Um we don't have backup where people are actually waiting to come in or actually leaving out at the same time and causing traffic jams.

So we don't have that anymore.

Okay.

I've got to confess I'm old.

I don't like using apps on my phone.

So I used ParkMobile for the first time, like two months ago.

Okay.

Um it took me time to figure it out, but it wasn't too bad.

Again, a lot of concern for older people is using the apps.

Um, is it possible for you to provide tutorial information for the churches that they could give tutorials to their older members who are uncomfortable using the app?

Yeah, yeah, sure.

I mean, we can definitely do that.

But but the goal would be for them not to have to, you know, utilize the parking on the street um during those times.

But um I could definitely do a tutorial.

My staff actually already have like printouts and handouts and I think we have we put information on our website as well.

But I mean if they're going to use the garage.

Oh, yes, yes.

Well, if you were talking about the agreement with uh everybody.

Correct, yes, we we can provide tutorial information.

Okay.

Um what's the story with my time?

I'm sorry.

I think I missed up your time, but just keep going.

Just keep going.

Okay.

So I think you got a minute left.

So currently, um, what is the time of a parking charging enforcement or whatever, uh say on Friday and Saturday evenings.

What time does it end on Friday evenings and Saturday evening?

Okay.

So on street is from 10 a.m.

until 8 p.m.

8 p.m.

10 a.m.

until 8 p.m.

Um in the garages right now, currently the garage is from 7 a.m.

until midnight during the week, and on um Fridays and Saturdays all the way to 2 a.m.

Okay.

So if you come downtown to have fun, have a nice evening on Friday or Saturday night, have an extended dinner.

It's free parking.

Um if you can find free parking after eight, it it is free uh on the street.

But if you go into the garage, it's still a charge up until 2 a.m.

Right.

But but I mean I was one of the and right now with Sunday, if you go to dinner downtown, it's free parking.

That's correct.

So that is one of the concerns that we're providing free parking for Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night.

So if we implemented on second reading what we approved on first reading, but took away the charge for 7 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

on Sundays, we would be capturing revenue from the people who came downtown to party.

That is correct.

Okay.

Yes.

So um and and then again, something quite a few people have emailed us about, both from the churches and the general public, is the threat that I'm not going to come downtown if you're going to charge me to park, although they may discover that it's easier to come downtown Sarasota than it is to go to UTC or wherever they're talking about.

My question, though, is sort of like a cost benefit analysis.

If people choose not to come to downtown Sarasota because of parking costs, which in my opinion is two or three dollars, then the downtown businesses would theoretically suffer from loss of customers.

If we don't have parking and everybody comes down charge for parking and everybody comes down, the business's revenue will increase from you know the additional people.

How does the revenue that flows to the businesses affect the city's revenues?

Do we get any benefit financially when the businesses downtown do well?

Sure.

So when the business is downtown do well, of course we have more parkers, more drivers that actually come in to actually utilize our facilities.

But as far as um the businesses aspect, that would be asked Strickland to come down to answer that question.

But yeah, so if we're charging for parking and more people come to park, we have a benefit there.

But if we're not charging for parking and people come downtown, Ms.

Strickland, does the city get any financial benefit when the downtown or whatever businesses are doing better?

Of course.

And how much does that amount to?

We get what?

How much of that seven cents do we get?

One cents we get all of it based on our population in the county of Sarasota, and then of the six percent, we get a percentage of that for through our state shared revenue and our half cent sales tax.

So how much of that seven cents would I mean?

I divided it out just to give you some numbers.

So our municipal revenue sharing program, we have a budget of 2.8 million dollars, and this is general fund revenue.

So that's about 233,000 a month, or approximately 7,800 a day.

We have a budget, and that's general fund also.

Um we have a budget of six million dollars.

That's $500,000 a month.

What I'm trying to get at if a particular business gets an additional diner customer who spends an additional hundred dollars.

How much and so for a hundred dollar check they'll be having seven cents.

For a hundred dollar check, they'll get a seven dollar uh tax.

How much of that actually would flow to the city, like seventy cents?

One penny, one penny of that comes to the city for our our capital improvement program, and then a portion of the other six cents comes to the city based on the population of the counting.

Okay.

So as long as a business is doing well, we're getting their sales tax.

Also, as long as the business is in in business and the the property ownership, we get sales tax are we get uh property taxes.

Well, but sales tax.

Yeah, it's just the sales tax and it's not the whole thing, it's like one percent, so for an additional you know, it's not it's not going to help parking, it's not going to go into the parking budget if parking is an enterprise fund, it's just strictly user fees that take that support the parking fund.

But it's also not really going into the city's coffers in any significant amount.

So it seems to me that it's to the businesses advantage for us to have a well designed parking program.

Um would you be willing if the businesses decided that, gee, they might have a problem with c people coming not coming to their businesses because of the parking charges.

Would you be open to meeting with them and seeing what other alternatives there are?

I could see maybe the businesses saying, oh, well, we will anti-up a fee to the enterprise fund, or maybe some businesses might say um we will give uh people who come to our business, restaurant, whatever, um, on their check, if they show us an active park mobile um session, we'll give them a two dollar rebate because isn't that really what they're paying for parking?

Is too much.

Sure, sure, sure.

Um I'm I I'll be more than than than um open to having a discussion.

Um anything that could benefit you know the business owners, um, um the entities downtown.

Um I'm more than willing to have those conversations.

Okay, great.

Yes.

Because yeah, obviously the businesses want people to be able to park and patronize.

Correct.

Uh and we don't want the general taxpayer to be subsidizing the people who come to park.

That is correct.

Okay.

Yes.

So um and I took up more than my time, so could the Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

Um park mobile, the hard part of that is installing it on your phone and getting your license, your license plate or plates activated.

Next time you go in, all you have to do is pull it up and punch in your license plate and start your time rolling.

That is correct.

Yeah, the hardest part is the first the first session, the first setup.

Yeah.

So I'd be more than happy to help anybody with that.

Um trying to summarize for myself really.

This all started in an effort to bring revenue to the parking enforcement enterprise, a parking enterprise fund, because of all the deficits we've heard about and received complaints about, right?

Uh elevators for the parking, garages, all that that we've heard about.

And you came to us with choices.

Uh two choices, right?

Correct.

Basically, what were they again?

So the first one was um employee um permit increase.

Um that was um not approved.

Then the second one was the um increase of citation fees.

Um then also this one, which is uh the third option, but a two-parter, um, to increase the um the parking fees or to increase the hours and keep the um existing parking fees.

Right.

And so I think this commission tried to find and ended up choosing the option that we thought would be less disruptive to the citizens by increasing hours, not increasing rates.

Yes, that's correct.

Is that right?

Yes.

And so I think it's important for us to pass this ordinance on second reading today, but with some adjustments, some changes to the ordinance as currently written.

Um then you could always when we get back from recess or in fall or early winter, come back with some additional recommendations to the ordinance.

Is that is that correct?

That is correct.

Um thank you.

That's it, Mayor.

I sort of got it together for myself, and I think I know the direction I'd prefer.

Commissioner Aher and Kotch.

Yes.

So we still have pay stations in the garage, right?

We do, yes.

Okay.

Because some people have asked me about that and were concerned that they too are uncomfortable with navigating the app and wanted to make sure that there were still pay stations.

So I wanted to get that on the record.

And then my other question had to do with permits like resident permits in certain areas of the city.

You know, we have the ones for businesses, but other areas of the city, that could other be that could also be an option, correct?

Um permits possibly.

We could have to see how it will work, but we could definitely look at some type of permitting program.

Yes.

Okay.

That would be that would be good.

And then just a reminder that we did in the very beginning of the metered parking have an ambassador program.

Um I'm I think the DID was involved in that and organizing that so that they could help the businesses help the people who were standing out there staring at the meters.

Sure.

Uh and not knowing what to do and navigate it.

So if we have to go back to an ambassador, some sort of an ambassador program, you know, we we do have volunteers and and folks who volunteer to do something like that, and that could be a useful tool.

Uh and just getting people past the first step of installing the app or or understanding the system and how it works.

Um that that's it.

I uh I I just I do want to say that um that I understand how important it is that we move forward with a part of this ordinance, but I am not comfortable going forward with all of it, having learned what we have learned.

So I'm eager to hear what the other commissioners think.

Okay.

Commissioner Albert is next.

Um I just wanted to to clarify something that there might have been a misunderstanding.

Um if you park in free parking, you don't have to learn the app.

You know, if you go into a parking garage, you have to learn it because you have to, or if you're parking at a meter.

But if you're not parking at a meter, you don't have to use the app, you don't have to learn the app.

That's correct.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

And uh Commissioner Batti.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

First off, and I just want to say, man, that you know, your department is like a zero-sum game and you're like in a no-win situation no matter what you where you go.

Um and what I wanted to ask you is so if we were to say forego Sunday or whatever, you uh explore the uh another way of the to make up revenue or whatever if we did that.

Um I I would it would be a loss if we did not do Sunday altogether.

It would be a loss of a million if we just excluded five hours, it would be 300,000.

Um but I would just have to come back in front of Commission with a a way to maybe make up that shortfall because not having Sunday parking, we would not be able to, you know, um swap out those those elevators and replace those meters on street and replace vehicles.

And and and that's more or less like a projection though, right?

This is not like a it's not an actual figure, right?

Well, well, everything is a is is an estimate, it's a projection, but we did utilize um a consulting um company that actually provided us um a tool that we were able to utilize and we actually started out with maybe ten different models, and I ironed it down to just only two.

Um there were seasonal options, there were time of day models, right?

Um I thought that the one that would be the the least um intrusive would be either increasing the rates by themselves or expanding the hours by itself.

Okay.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um that I had from earlier was um right now Sunday, you do have an enforcement staff that's enforcing safety, right?

That is correct.

So it's not like you would have to add new staff if we added Sunday hours.

Well, we will probably well I'll have my existing staff, we just rework the the hours, but I wouldn't have to add an additional no.

Okay, great.

And and then the other thing you just responded to Commissioner Batti, um, that $300,000 is an estimate and I'm s and it may not for those five hours, it that number may not be correct.

So it's it's you know, you from experience you will see whether how close to 300 is more less.

Um and it's really just going to affect the timing of when you can do the capital improvements that you feel are necessary, right?

Yes, that is correct.

Okay.

And any other I just remembered I forgot to ask.

Um you said that if you know if we change the hours on Sunday to start at 1 o'clock instead.

Um you said it's gonna affect um you know St.

Armand's, um, the beach parking, you know, other parts of the city.

So um I'm thinking about the the um bond on the you know St.

Armand's parking garage.

Is that going to affect that at all that we're not charging if we decide to not charge during those hours?

I would say it wouldn't affect a bond because um right now uh the bond was um is based on the current hours that we have and uh the rates that we have, but we can always add additional revenue sources.

We just can't take away revenue sources from the district.

And then I'm thinking about the effect on the uh Ben Franklin Drive parking.

And so many people go out to the beach early, you know, and they're they will be um their parking, let's say they're they're 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock in the morning parking, and so they're parking for all those hours, and then at 1 o'clock the parking meter kicks in.

So how is it gonna affect them?

They're gonna have to, when they park, I assume, uh, go on the app and the app then will wait and start charging at 1 o'clock.

That is correct.

Just like it does right now, like you cannot go up to a meter and pay for parking before 10 o'clock.

So the same thing will start at 1 o'clock.

Um and if they're on the beach, they can utilize our app or you know they can walk back to a meter.

Right.

Yeah, that's I uh you know I.

I came, you know, came in, you know, basically thinking it's kind of a uh uh a no-brainer to just say, okay, we'll just start at one o'clock on Sundays, but I but I am struggling with making that exception, and then we have the retailers who come in and say, you know, you're affecting our business.

Now I live downtown, so I'm downtown a lot, and I can say during during the week, you can't find parking on Main Street.

There's paid parking on Main Street, but that is not, you know, it doesn't seem to be detouring anybody because you know, when I look for parking, I'm you know, I I'm struggling to find a place, but there are still free spots always, you know, if you go um on the side streets.

So I get I guess that you know, just trying to weigh the the the difference, especially when I know a you know a lot of the churches have a lot of free parking all around them that they can take advantage of.

So I don't know where I'm going on with this, but anyway, um thank you.

Mayor, I know where I'm going.

I'd like to make a motion.

Okay, so if we have finished questions, I will thank Mr.

Harvey and thank you very much for your insight and your time.

All right, thanks.

And Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

Move to adopt proposed ordinance number 26-5590 with amendment to begin Sunday parking at 1 p.m.

Do you want to say Sunday parking?

The night before when does it end?

So like he suggested 7 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

be free on Sunday.

Sure.

Is that okay?

Sure.

Should we rephrase it?

Uh Sunday parking to be free 7 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

Okay.

Is that meet with the Is that clear?

It's clear.

Yeah, is it legally?

Yeah, we're good.

She has to say what she paid which paragraph?

I think to change in the I mean I think staff we can make that change.

Okay.

She wouldn't have to say that.

Yeah.

I'll second it.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Motion by the Vice Mayor, seconded by Commissioner A.

Heron Kotch uh to uh approve on second reading proposed ordinance 26-5590 with the change that Sunday parking would be free between 7 a.m.

and 1 p.m.

Correct.

Would you like to speak to the motion?

Well, you know, from the get-go, we really wanted the approach that would be least disruptive to the people.

uh to uh approve on second reading proposed ordinance twenty six dash five five nine zero with the change that sunday parking would be free between seven a m and one pm correct would you like to speak to the motion well you know from the get go we really wanted uh the approach that would be least disruptive to the people um we have to come up with revenue so our enterprise fund does not need to borrow from the general fund uh by definition it's not supposed to do that I think this will help us uh the free parking on Sunday will delay when will when the uh parking fund will be able to do all the capital improvements it needs to do like elevators um so I think this is a good compromise Commissioner here and cut I'm fine okay anybody else want to speak to the motion I'm just gonna say I think that this is a good compromise as we see what happens we can make adjustments I think the businesses can make adjustments let's go ahead and do this and see you know how it works so shall we call the question yes please and also roll call Albert yes Betty noir and cut yes okay motion passes oh wait no I voted yes well okay might have hit the wrong button there so let me clear that's not my vote let's hit your buttons again okay motion passes four to one thank you very much um we still have one more item on consent agenda but it is twelve thirty five so just a voice vote just a full okay so pull it for a for an actual vote which we have to do anyway okay so we are gonna handle seven point two before we had some point seven sorry okay I already read the title so you can just go right into it so it was pulled by Commissioner Ahern Kotch I would uh yeah I would move approval of ordinance number twenty six dash five nine nine five second okay motion to approve by Commissioner Aher and Kotch seconded by the Vice Mayor um just a second thank you and roll call Betsy yes yes Aaron Kotch yes Albert yes thank you good passes unanimously uh we are going to break for lunch uh shall we say one forty five does that delay I mean that gives us an hour and ten minutes do we want to thirty sounds for me one forty five one forty five one one forty five or do we want to do less than an hour one o'clock either way I don't care okay wanna do less than an hour I don't want to do so we are adjourned until one forty five for lunch thank you all

Nina,

Okay.

Okay, we are back in session.

I hope everyone had a pleasant lunch.

Um, and our first item at this point is unfinished business nine one.

And um do we need okay, and we're going to receive a presentation and discussion regarding update on the Bay Park phases three A and three B design and funding with the parking garage design.

And I'm gonna call upon A.G.

Lafley, CEO, and Diana Shanin, COO of Bay Parks Conservancy to make the presentation.

Ready?

All right.

Uh the objective today is to preview a balanced, coordinated, and we believe integrated plan to complete the Bay Park and the site build out in the next three and a half years.

And replace it with one to one and a half acres of stacked parking garage on high ground as far away from the bay as we can get that will serve the current site users, including the Van Weasel Performing Arts Hall, the park guests, and everyone else in the interim, and we'll serve the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center when it's built.

Okay.

Um, so that's it.

Take it away, Di.

I'm just gonna give you a quick update on the park.

We've had more than a million visitors since it opened, and in fact, we've had one point one five million as of today to be exact.

But what's great about it is they're all size sizes, shapes, ages, and abilities.

I mean, the bay is a perfect signature city park that allows the superpowers of parks to really benefit the community, you know, whether it's physical, social, emotional, mental.

I mean, it all happens at the bay every day.

What I want to do, you know that we don't build parks to get awards.

Um we have gotten some.

And in the machine, really quick, sorry.

Sorry, sorry.

Miles, can you pull up the presentation?

And stop the clock.

There you go.

Okay.

That's right, here.

Pictures of people from your community.

That's what you missed.

Okay.

Um this lists the awards, and we don't do this to get awards.

We tend to get awards because of others recognizing what's happening in the park.

Um I'm proud to announce that last week.

The um Florida Trust for Historic Preservation announced the I forget the name, so I'm going to read it.

Restoration rehabilitation or adaptive use award.

The Chitsi Library got that for the rehabilitation of that work.

They, as you know, is now our offices.

So we're again another award.

While I don't need to read our guiding principles, you know they've been guideposts from the beginning.

These six principles we use to make every decision were principle driven, we're not rules and regulation driven.

And this is about the and so all of these things can coexist, and we don't compromise.

There are three additional principles which are incredibly important.

I'm going to emphasize them.

The first is the first and best use of the site and the first and best use of the land and water on the site.

We carefully evaluate this every time.

Hurricane Ian, three hurricanes in nine weeks.

Um things that go on every day.

Um cause us to continuously think about what is the absolute best use of this acre of the of these square feet.

Second um additional principle is we really are focused on the greater good in the longer term.

1.2 million visitors, 2,700 friends who donated from the private sector from the beginning, um, literally hundreds of implementation partners and programming partners.

Um that's that's really who we represent.

Uh and of course, the city and the county with whom we are partners.

And then the last piece is associated with the first piece.

Um, this place is truly a living learning lab.

Something goes on.

I can't tell you.

Every time we put a sh shovel in the ground, we learn.

Okay.

And um we learn from the past, we learn from uh our mistakes, uh, we come to grips with the realities of the present, and then we try to create um a better future.

Next slide, please.

Um this is simply um what you partnered with us in the public-private partnership to do.

These are our roles and responsibilities.

So design and build, operate, maintain, and program with excellence, uh plan with discipline.

I'm not going to read the rest of it, but we've raised a bit over $65 million since the beginning, very quietly from private sources.

We've also secured over $18 million in grants, which go with $2 million that the city secured, and of course, all those grants come to the city because the city administers them as part of their resources.

The next slide simply shows in a couple of pie charts.

Implementation and operations means all of the design and build that's been done in the park to date through December 2025.

Operations includes what it costs us to manage, maintain, and program the park year by year.

Um the private side's in.

We said from the beginning we'd be in for half.

We said from the beginning we'd be in, we'd raise the money before we spent it and we wouldn't borrow.

And so far, knock on wood, we've been able to deliver on that.

Um important slide.

I'm not going to belabor it, but I'm going to call your attention to three things.

One, a third to half of this site was water.

It was bay.

Okay.

That's important.

Remember that.

Secondly, um, on the right-hand side is the bay is the pain terminal.

It was a major hurricane in the 20s.

The pain terminal was built in the latter part of the 20s.

And for most of the next hundred years, it has been a center for fishing and boating.

It is well suited for fishing and boating.

When we tried to shoehorn other things into the fishing and boating area, it really didn't work too well.

And third, you'll thirdly, you'll note the first community center and the first performing arts center where Elvis Liberacci and I could go on performed was located on the highest ground and the farthest away from the bay.

Next slide, please.

This is the original site conditions, and um this is a color aerial photograph.

So I think you get the message.

I mean, it's mostly hardscape.

That hardscape was impervious, and therefore everything that hit the hardscape ended up in the water.

Next slide, please.

Just for reference, this is the September 2018 master plan.

A lot has changed.

We've learned a lot.

There were five, sometimes some count six restaurant and other buildings around the public boat launch.

They're basically all gone.

The um the uh the viewing bridge over the public boat launch is gone.

Okay, next slide, please.

This is the last formal master plan that City Commission approved in 23.

We're working on one that's continued to evolve and will be back in the near future with a proposed update, including the new location of the Sarasona Performing Arts Center.

This is important.

Um these are the elevations.

Um of the single best ways to uh combat sea level rise and storm surge is to elevate.

And the higher you are from mean water uh in the bay, um, the better off you are during a storm condition.

And you can see there's some pretty sizable changes that we're building into the design and plan, especially as we do the center of the park or the heart of the park.

Um, just a friendly reminder.

While we are proud of the design, and as AG said, we learn.

You know, we did suffer a million dollars of damage throughout the site after, especially after Milton.

We learned once again.

This is I love this side by side.

This is the left side is the resilient shoreline of phase one, the day after I took it nine hours after Milton left town, um, and also nine hours after Melton.

This is an overlook by the Van Weasel, just 200 yards north.

But we have learned the importance of designing for resiliency.

We've also learned about native and natural always beats man-made.

These learnings and others have impacted and informed the design.

We can constantly are evolving what we're doing to make sure it's based on learnings and best practices.

Importantly, everything we do supports, you know, in the city and the county's environmental priorities, whether it's resilience, stormwater, and improving water quality and environmental restoration.

We don't see this as a trade-off.

So if you were in our team meetings, you would see these are and's.

They're not supposed to be a trade-off.

We do this and we provide a great park.

Ooh, sorry, how did that get all the way to the end?

Ha!

I'm telling you the end of the story.

Not good.

Um we also take very seriously the role of this site, north to south.

It's protecting the 600 acres of city from Sarasota Bay and Storm Surge and all the bad, good and ugly.

Um, and it's protecting the bay from the bad, good and ugly of the city.

And so we know on the northmost point to the southmost point along that coastline, we have an important role to do in the park.

Um there's a process that we follow.

Um, think of it as a layer cake process.

First and foremost, we clean up.

So that means dredge ponds, dredge bayous, dredge boat basins, um, window mangroves, take out invasive plants, etc., etc.

Uh then we lay down uh storm water management.

Um it is still our goal to eventually treat and eventually cleanse all 300 million gallons that flow through the site each year before they go into Sarasota Bay.

We talked a little bit about um resiliency, and we'll talk more about Florida friendly and native plantings and all the other things we can do to build resilience, but clean up, lay in the stormwater and water quality, make the site more resilient, restore, preserve, sustain, and add green space.

You know, the goal is to end up with about 25 plus acres of park and 40 acres south of the boat basin.

And then and only then do we look at park design amenities and features.

Um next slide.

Uh I'm not going to belabor, but when we started, probably half this many people were coming to this site.

You know, now 800,000 plus we estimate used the site in the last year.

You can see the mix.

Um, you know, park guests are not surprisingly the largest group.

Van Wazel's not surprisingly the second largest group.

But now that we have all the data from parking and everything, we have a really good fix on how many voters use the largest public boat launch within 20 miles, and it's a lot.

But we have a lot of site users, they have a lot of needs.

We try to work with all of them to balance and accommodate the mix of users and needs, which is what the next slide talks about.

How do we design for it?

How do we manage it?

How do we coordinate it?

Next slide.

Just a quick update on phase two on 2A.

As you all were there in October, we opened the historic Chitsi.

We actually opened it in July, as well as the promenade, the garden club lawns that were severely damaged from the storms are back in action.

The Bayfront Community Center, the first meeting was C CNA in February.

And then the floaty day docks that opened.

And I need to, given its public works appreciation week, honestly, we're partnering with the city with Public Works and Parks and Rec and with Broxton and his team to really have a robust and wonderful experience for anyone who wants to come to the site by water.

And that has gone extremely well.

So those are all projects as part of phase two that are complete.

And coming attractions.

So, Mayor Trice, you have asked me for two years what are we going to name Town Square?

So I thought I would announce today we're going to name it the Plaza.

And the reason we're going to name it the Plaza is in recognition of Plaza de Santo Domingo.

You may not know this.

In April of 1964, then Mayor Hirsch, Ohio, and now dedicated the area between municipal auditorium and the Art Center as Plaza de Santo Domingo in recognition and dedication for Sarasota's sister city, which is the capital of the Dominican Republic.

He called it, the quote he did as part of that dedication said it is the very hub of our civic life.

So seems pretty appropriate.

So we will call that area when we open it up in October, the plaza.

The rehabilitated municipal auditorium is underway in terms of the construction.

We plan to open it at the end of February for the females in the audience.

We will have new wonderful and plentiful restrooms in that building.

Resilient Shoreline is going to start any day now.

And you all approve the contract with John F.

Swift construction.

That's an eight-month process from the time SWIFT mobilizes, and that's a very important project.

And then the first Bayfront restaurant we are planning to open up in the fall of 2027.

Okay, the next slide.

This is a reprise.

We took the Bay Park Improvement Board, the city and the county through the design and plan in October.

You approved the design and plan.

You actually approved funding contingent upon the county approving their share of the funding.

They approved the first year set aside in their budget, so we were grateful for that.

And uh and hoping that there is no major change in personal property tax between now and the end of July.

We will see.

Okay, we're all watching with bated breath.

Um I will go back to the county for the last piece of funding.

But this is about a $20 million improvement.

It's, I mean, we lay out all the benefits.

It's really a win-win-win all the way.

It's a win for the boating community, it's a win for resiliency and stormwater management, and we turn the periphery of this area into into park.

Um next slide is the center of the park.

Yep, we call phase three B the heart of the park.

Um we are using the five-layer cake approach that A.G.

talked about.

Um it combines, it'll improve resilience.

So from the resilient shoreline that will end up about nine and a half feet in some places in elevation.

It will go to the east to about 25 feet on the west side of where the performing arts center currently is uh recommended to be placed.

Um it'll be 22 feet on the east side of that spAC footprint, if you will.

What I love about this is it's gonna give us more park space, more play space, more green, more resilience, all built with stormwater capability that you may and may not see.

We're gonna do above ground and below ground, um, and some more food and beverage options.

Um this is one of if Town Square was my favorite, this is now going to be the next one.

It's gonna be fantastic for the community because of all how we're gonna play with topography and elevation that we have to do anyhow to make the site more resilient.

We're gonna use that to our advantage.

Next slide.

You're probably wondering what all those boxes are in the upper right-hand corner is the new water first waterfront restaurant.

Three buildings in the middle, the largest ones is Sarasota Performing proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center with a flex theater and a donor lounge to the north.

Um restaurants will be built.

And we're looking at the positioning of them right now.

The most notable piece in this diagram is the location of a single garage.

We've been working this since we were tasked now almost a year ago with providing a garage that would deliver 700 to 750 spaces.

As interim city manager Jennifer Jorgensen knows, we've pushed and pulled around a whole bunch of different designs and plans, and we've landed on one proposal that we're giving to her and Broxton and Steve and the city team at the end of this week.

But essentially, it's a single building on an acre to an acre and a half, replacing 8.4 acres of surface parking.

And there are two choices.

There's four levels and five bays, or five levels and four bays.

That's as complicated as it gets.

We finally reduced this to as much simplicity as we could get.

We're still looking at how to design the exterior of it so it would look integrated with the park.

But first we have to get the function and the plan right.

And I'll come back to this in a minute, but if we can lock on the function and the plan with um with the new city manager on board in the next couple of months, then Kelly Strickland has time to work through the financing, and we have the year we need, or whoever the city ends up bidding, has the year they need to build the garage.

It took about 11 months to build the St.

Armand's garage.

Okay.

Next slide.

Was this going to be a tag team?

This is just simply another view.

It gives you some idea of what it might look like.

Next slide.

I'm running to the finished eye.

We have two minutes.

That's from 10th Street.

That's from the corner of 10th Street.

So you can see that even with a 90-foot new Sarasota Performing Arts Center and 80-foot Van Wazel Performing, current performing arts hall in the background, and a 37 or 47-foot garage next to a 50-plus foot municipal auditorium, which you can't see.

You're still going to be able to see park.

You're still going to be able to see bay when you either drive, walk, or bicycle to the entrance of party.

Can I do one comment on that?

This intersection of 10th Street and Tammyami is extremely important to the park.

It's important from its we say it's the vehicular, primary vehicular address access point.

And importantly, it's where our community, a lot of our community needs to come across.

And so one of the things we're making sure as we integrate the proposed SMAC location is to make sure this seems will always be welcoming and will be park when you come to that corner.

Okay.

Next two slides we're going to skip through because they, I mean, only we could be interested in those things.

But they simply reassure us what the human, you know, what the human uh view is going to be.

Last two slides.

Um this is the current timeline with approximate completion dates.

So the headline is virtually all of phase two will be completed by the fall of 2027.

All of phase two by the fall of 2027.

We believe we can complete Centennial Park if we go ahead, okay, with the funding also by the summer of 2027.

And we would like to build be in a position where the city could build out the parking garage at the same time that Van Wazel Performing Arts Hall is doing their renovation on the inside and their um their flood resistance on the outside, okay.

Okay.

Continue.

I can continue.

So what will we need by when?

This is the preview.

Centennial Park is you know in our circle of concern, but not in our circle of control.

So we'll know more in 60 days, and we'll take appropriate action with our colleagues at the county if and when we can move ahead.

The garage we've outlined the timing on, and we'll have the two options to you and Steve and Broxen as we talked before the end of the week.

Um that has a certain timeline given how it would be financed.

And then phase 3B, we have a little bit of time.

Um, but if we can get it approved, including the funding by fall of 27, we can complete the park in 29.

And the last thing I would simply say, you may have seen or heard or uh read about the Sarasota Orchestra is moving to a new music center.

They will be putting a shovel in the ground in 27, and they plan to open in 2930.

So if the park's done in 2829, if the new music center opens in 2930, if we have a garage up, we would have a place, a placeholder for the new, any new Sarasota Performing Arts Center, and it sort of fits.

It fits from a sequence standpoint and it fits from a moving around the site.

And there are a lot of moving pieces that we're trying to balance and uh juggle here.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Uh commissioners, do you have well the vice mayor has a question to start with?

I do.

Thank you for that update.

And you're right, we don't need any awards.

We can see it and how wonderful it is.

So thank you for all the good work you're doing.

If you look at slide 25 of 33.

Oh, I don't have slide numbers.

Hold on.

Oh, the two slide numbers.

Here we go.

25.

Yep.

That uh toward the bottom, it refers to a more resilient shoreline.

And um you mentioned, you know, we all learned from 2024, and we're increasing the amount of resiliency at the park because of that.

But currently there are a bunch of live oaks in that area between the Van Weasel parking area and the Bayfront Mert.

Yes.

What are the plans for those trees?

Okay.

I just got a question about this over the weekend.

We went through every one of those live oaks with um the city's arborist with Kimley Horns, Arborist with our arborist, and with Sasaki.

Some of them aren't so live.

Okay.

Like the big oak on the West Lawn at the Garden Club, we learned after the three hurricanes, it was actually dead.

Not just the one that fell on the roof.

But long story short, they're evaluated by at least three arborists, one from Bay Park Conservancy, one from the city, one from the landscaping team.

And if they're dead, dying, or the prediction is they're not going to make it with all of the construction that's going around.

By the way, we're only moving Earth around except for sidewalks and benches.

We took out all of the platforms, then we take them out.

But what we do do, um, Vice Mayor, is we more than compensate by, you know, we we plant way more trees than than we remove.

So if trees come out there, and that's not an appropriate place for live oak species A, B, or C, then we will be planting more trees in the center of the park and more trees in the east side of the park.

Do you have any idea how many of those nineteen are in what shape?

And we'll I know we scored every one of them.

Yeah, we can.

So I'd be happy to share the details with you, but we score every single oak.

Yeah.

I guess the only other thing, and those live oaks are at least uh yeah, those are local.

The other thing we do is we've been removing a lot of non-native, non-salt tolerant, you know.

It's all part of the living learning laboratory.

We can see that.

You can see it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Aaron Kotch.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you for your updated report.

Um I would appreciate seeing the Arborist report and evaluations as well.

I think typically it's poor, moderate, and good condition, so they go by those three criteria.

Happy to share.

Yes, thank you.

I would appreciate that.

And then on the page, the working master plan elevations, I don't have numbers on my pages.

I got it.

12.

Yep.

Yeah.

You have a number and it says plus, and then there's a number in parentheses.

And then there's a number after it.

So there's five in parentheses and then twelve after.

What are those two?

So the one in parentheses is the current condition, existing condition.

So if you take um let's do where the spaq's gonna be.

That's actually a typo on the first one, but plus six means it's six feet elevation right now today.

And twenty-two, it's that should be twenty-five on the west side, that is a typo.

Um, it will get to twenty-five feet elevation.

I think so.

You can see, let me give you one other piece.

Go to the east, and you can see that the existing conditions on the east along Tammyami are larger numbers, higher elevations.

So like nine and a half or eleven or twelve that are in parentheses.

Okay.

In the parentheses current.

Okay, and then the municipal auditorium there, it says 1515, so it stays the same, obviously.

We're not gonna lift it up.

We're choosing not to do that.

Okay, yeah, good choice.

But the rod.

But the garage we're going to put a couple feet, you know, foot and a half higher.

Okay.

All right.

Where we can do where we can get some elevation, we go for it.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

That's really good to know.

Um.

And then I had some questions about the rest the restaurant.

Sure.

Some folks.

Sure.

I don't know if you know these details at all yet.

How large it's going to be, how many seats, how tall?

Under 5,000 square feet inside, um, over 100 seats inside, over 100 seats outside.

So when you say over 100 seats inside, you mean 100?

100, 100,000.

Could be 500.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

No.

I mean, there are 120.

Yeah.

Okay, 100 to 120.

But they're still pushing, they're still pushing plans around.

No.

It'll be 100 to 120 inside.

It'll be 100 plus outside.

I gave you the square footage.

Is it 5,000 square feet just inside, right?

Yeah, inside in under roof.

Conditioned under roof.

Yeah.

And I want to make sure you understand under roof means all of the kitchen and back kitchen.

It means the dining area.

And it means the bar and lounge area.

So anything that's under roof is within that 5,000 square feet.

The design is intended to be 2027 version of Sarasota Modern, so it's glass all the way around, flat roof.

It's built on the ground will be elevated 12 feet in the air, and you you may remember that's uh that's an area where um the natural slope is at five feet, so we'll be seven feet above that.

I believe the floor of the restaurant is going to be at 13 and a half or fourteen feet.

So we'll be above Cat 3.

Um it'll be built on pylons.

So it'll be floodable.

Yeah, piles.

It'll be floodable underneath.

Um it's gonna cost a little bit more to build that first restaurant because we're gonna have to keep it safe.

Um but it's an incredible location.

It's a one-of-a-kind location.

And can you show me the slide where it's located approximately?

And let me know if that's approximate or if it's no, that's pretty well.

Hold on, I'll get it.

I'll go to this one.

Um right here.

That's close enough to A.

G.

How about this one?

Yeah.

Up that's that's pretty close where it says restaurant number one.

Yeah, this is probably better.

At the dead end of 10th Street.

I'm not sure I remember how to do this.

Is it face up facing us?

Face up, here you go.

Can you see that?

That gives you an idea of the location.

Yeah.

And that gives you an idea of what it would look like to use like my arms weren't long enough to box me out of here.

That's looking west.

Okay.

Um it's designed by Sweet Sparkman.

Um the winning bid was Venice Pierre Group, family-owned uh proprietors who manage um Finns and Sharkies on the beach in Venice and uh concessions at CSTP.

Um the construction team and engineering teams, the team we've been using all along.

Yeah.

My concern, my concern with the logista location is that right now it's a view corridor.

It goes straight out to the bay.

You see the water there from 10th Street, you know, and it seems like that's gonna be blocking that the two proposed, the proposed flex theater.

Do you have that slide again?

This one right here.

I see.

Oh, I see what you're saying.

Yeah.

Um I will say it's in your the we go through this a lot.

I would say it'll be in your view, it won't block your view.

I'm serious.

It's not intended to be.

That's that's not a I'm not a lawyer.

It's not intended to be a hedge.

But can I do another one?

One of the other things that we have, if we can go back to this one.

What's very important to us, there is a walkway for anyone in the community to walk around.

It's good.

We're gonna continue that.

We've we have we have made sure you don't feel you're not gonna feel like you're invading someone's meal or um, and so we've made sure that circulation is for anyone as part of that.

It is.

Yeah.

Yeah, I I I see.

It's just there is another shot that really um where you show 10th Street and and it and where today you would be driving around the roundabout and look if you're going south to your right, and you have this spectacular, usually where the sunset is view.

Yeah.

Uh, and it seems to be that that this will be completely blocking.

But what we're going to add is we're going to add park that doesn't exist along that um south barrier.

And if we looked at the east side of the canal, which is just a walk around right now, we'll be adding seating as part of the centennial park improvement.

So there are going to be plenty of view quarters.

Um high did you say it was going to be?

Well, it's going to be set.

At 12 feet.

The foundation bottom will be 12 feet and the floor of the restaurant will be 13 and a half feet.

And it'll be one story.

One story.

One that's it.

One story.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, it's one story.

Okay.

Thanks.

I don't have the menu yet.

Not interested in the menu.

All right.

The view corridor.

Any other questions, Commissioners?

No.

Okay.

Not for me.

Well, I I did want to follow up on the point that uh Commissioner A.

Her and Kotch was making in terms of the view.

Uh that publics at 10th Street, the best view, I think, in town is from their parking lot.

And I don't think it's going to block the view from the parking lot.

And I'm assuming it's not going to block views along the two, you know, through the canal or you know, Centennial Park.

So it's not like what we see at the quake.

Look, the view that we're losing.

The view quarter is very um fair question to ask, and we spend a lot of time in those view quarters.

Um there is going to be an observation deck on top of the flex theater.

And we try to think about the view from the water, because this restaurant will enable people to arrive via boat.

And um, you know, there's this in Marina Jacks basically on on this side on on this side of the bay.

Um so we do look at it, and I'm not gonna tell you that there aren't, you know, there aren't we still have a lot of buildings on this site.

But this is a relatively small building, believe me, the 90-foot new performing arts center and the 80-foot current performing arts center and the 47 or 37-foot garage are gonna block more of you than one of these little restaurants.

Yeah.

Um another thing, you do need to blow your own horn in terms of the 1.2 million visitors you achieved in what time span?

Three and a half years.

Three and a half years.

Yeah.

So in a city with 58,000.

It's an extraordinary number.

Yeah.

It is.

So congratulations on that.

And I am going to point out you, or actually the architects that are hired to design the garage, I think are going to have a major challenge trying to come up with design that's both compatible with the municipal auditorium and also with the new performing arts center.

So, you know, that's like a difference of 80 years in architectural design.

So uh it'll be interesting, but I I hope that it can be compatible with both buildings.

There are lots of design options, and um, you know, we're in the early stages of that.

Once the city locks down on the function and the location and this the size, then we can start playing with it.

But yeah, there really are a lot.

Though you'll see a lot of good ideas.

Great, great.

Thank you.

Um so not seeing anything else.

Uh thank you very much for your presentation.

And I'm looking for a motion to accept the presentation.

So move.

Was that what the motion is to receive the presentation?

Okay.

Move by the vice mayor and seconded by Commissioner Batti.

Was did I hear that?

Okay.