[1) Call to Order – Roll Call]
[00:00:13]
CALL PLEASE. THERE'S ONLY SO MANY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MAYOR DAVIS, HE'LL BE HERE LONG LATER. OKAY. DEPUTY MAYOR JONAS HERE. COUNCILMAN MURPHY HERE. COUNCILMAN ALTMAN PRESENT.
COUNCILMAN BUTLER HERE. CITY MANAGER MANNS, CITY ATTORNEY DRISCOLL HERE. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MAY BE SEATED. FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE
[4) 500/1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Presentations]
500 TO 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN PRESENTATION. WE HAVE ANDY FIGARD HERE AND SHE HAS JESSICA MEREDITH, OUR YOUTH LIBRARIAN, IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CITY COUNCIL. IT IS OUR HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU. TONIGHT IS SOME AMAZING YOUNG READERS AND FUTURE LEADERS AND TO. TO MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION, I WILL INTRODUCE OUR YOUTH EDUCATION LIBRARIAN AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, JESSICA MEREDITH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. I FEEL LIKE I WAS JUST HERE, BUT IT'S ALREADY BEEN A YEAR AGO SINCE WE'VE DONE THIS. AND WE HAVE MORE READERS FOR YOU, INCLUDING A REPEAT PERSON WHO'S NOW IN THE NEXT CHALLENGE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY COMPLETED. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT THESE READERS TODAY. I HAVE A PACKED ROOM FOR THEM, I'M SURE. SO. AND IT'S NOT. IT COULDN'T BE A BETTER NIGHT. ON A RAINY NIGHT, THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN READING A BOOK. SO WE'RE ALWAYS HERE ABOUT INSTILLING EARLY LITERACY FROM BIRTH, ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH KINDERGARTEN THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS NEXT BATCH OF READERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR CHALLENGE. SO FIRST UP, WITH 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP ANTHONY AND FRANK AND DINO.FOR. FRANK. FRANK AND ANTHONY ARE REGULAR STORYTIME ATTENDERS PRETTY MUCH SINCE BIRTH. SO VERY EXCITED. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO STAY UP HERE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ONE BIG GROUP PICTURE. ALL OF OUR READERS ARE RECEIVING A BOOK THAT THEY GET TO KEEP FOREVER, AS WELL AS A CERTIFICATE AND A RIBBON AND A TROPHY. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP BEAU ROBINSON FOR 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN. THANK YOU. WITH HIS COOL BACKWARDS HAT. GOOD JOB. WE ALSO, AFTER THEY COMPLETE THIS CHALLENGE, WE HAVE READERS THAT CAN DO 500 BOOKS BEFORE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO WE'D LIKE TO BRING UP OUR FIRST RECIPIENT, WHICH IS MATTHEW GAGLIO. OH, AND YOU HAVE A BOOK SHIRT ON, I LOVE IT. NICE. THERE WE GO. CONGRATULATIONS. GO AHEAD AND STAND RIGHT UP HERE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SHE WAS HERE LAST YEAR FOR FINISHING 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN. AND NOW SHE'S ALREADY COMPLETED 500 BOOKS IN THAT FIRST YEAR SINCE GRADUATING. THAT I'D LIKE TO CALL UP MISS SARAH. SHOOT. THERE YOU GO. GOOD JOB, SARAH.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GIVE ALL OF THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. OH. I'M SORRY. CITY MANAGER MANNS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TAKE A PHOTO OR DEPUTY MAYOR? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TAKE A PHOTO? SOMEONE. EVERYONE COME TAKE. I'M JUST KIDDING. ALL RIGHT. DO WE WANT A CROWD IN FRONT OF HERE REAL QUICK? HERE, FRANK. HERE. ALL RIGHT, GUYS, LOOK AT THIS GUY IN THE BLUE SHIRT. EVERYBODY OVER HERE. WE GOT IT. OKAY. GOT IT. SAY READ. READ. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
[00:05:16]
GOOD JOB. CONGRATULATIONS, GUYS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS, JOB. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.[5.a) T. Scott Baker, Police Pension Board]
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP SCOTT BAKER FOR HIS POLICE PENSION PROCLAMATION. IT'S A PROCLAMATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY. WHEREAS T SCOTT BAKER BEGAN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WITH THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA IN 1980, SERVING THERE THROUGH 1986 BEFORE JOINING THE NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A PATROL OFFICER IN NOVEMBER OF 1986. AND WHEREAS, DURING HIS DISTINGUISHED CAREER WITH THE NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, MR. BAKER ADVANCED THROUGH THE RANKS OF DETECTIVE CORPORAL, SERGEANT, LIEUTENANT AND ULTIMATELY CAPTAIN. ENTERING THE DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PROGRAM IN 2006 AND RETIRING IN OCTOBER 2009. AND WHEREAS, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 1998, MR. BAKER WAS ELECTED TO THE NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE PENSION BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF SECRETARY TREASURER, HANDLING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PAPERWORK OF THE PENSION PLAN AS A TRUSTEE UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN OCTOBER 2009.AND WHEREAS, UPON HIS RETIREMENT, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HIRED MR. BAKER AS PLAN ADMINISTRATOR, A POSITION IN WHICH HE HAS CONTINUED TO SERVE EVER SINCE, BRINGING HIS COMBINED SERVICE AS SECRETARY, TREASURER AND PLAN ADMINISTRATOR TO APPROXIMATELY 28 YEARS. AND WHEREAS, THROUGH HIS EXTENSIVE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, THOUGHTFUL JUDGMENT, PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY, MR. BAKER HAS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE RESPONSIBLE OVERSIGHT, SOUND ADMINISTRATION AND LONG TERM STABILITY OF THE POLICE PENSION FUND, HELPING SAFEGUARD THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS EARNED BY THE CITY'S POLICE OFFICERS AND RETIREES.
AND WHEREAS, THE CITY COUNCIL WISHES TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZE T SCOTT BAKER FOR A LIFETIME OF DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE AND TO EXPRESS ITS SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR HIS LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE PENSION BOARD, ITS MEMBERS AND RETIREES, AND THE COMMUNITY HE HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHOPPER DAVIS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR T SCOTT BAKER FOR HIS DISTINGUISHED LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER AND HIS APPROXIMATELY 28 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE PENSION PLAN AND EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR HIS COMMITMENT, LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY AND ENDURING SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. APPARENTLY, HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW. AND MISS MAN'S, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. AND FOR THIS THIS PROCLAMATION, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I ENJOYED MY TIME WITH THE PENSION BOARD AND HAD A GREAT TIME SO FAR. SO. SO JUST REAL QUICK, I KNOW EVERYBODY LOOKS FOR CHOPPER UP HERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE'S RUNNING A LITTLE LATE, SO YOU GET ME INSTEAD. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE CITY AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL
[5.b) E-Waste Recycling Day (By Title Only)]
RIGHT. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE E-WASTE RECYCLING DAY BY TITLE ONLY. YES. OH, THERE HE IS. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2026 SPECIAL MEETING AND SEPTEMBER 15TH[6) Approval of Minutes]
REGULAR MEETING TO APPROVE. SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE AYE. FIVE NOTHING. VOX POP. ALL[7) Vox Pop for Items Not Listed on the Agenda or Listed on Consent Agenda]
THOSE IN ATTENDANCE MUST BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS OPINIONS AND REFRAIN FROM MAKING PERSONAL ATTACKS. ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES DISORDERLY OR WHO FAILS TO CONFINE REMARKS TO THE IDENTIFIED SUBJECT OR BUSINESS AT HAND, SHALL BE CAUTIONED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND GIVEN[00:10:03]
THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONCLUDE REMARKS ON THE SUBJECT IN A DECOROUS MANNER AND WITHIN THE DESIGNATED TIME LIMIT. ANY PERSON FOUND TO COMPLY AS CAUTION MAY BE BARRED FROM MAKING ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS DURING THE MEETING BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER, UNLESS PERMISSION TO CONTINUE OR AGAIN ADDRESS THE COUNCIL IS GRANTED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT. THE FIRST PERSON THAT WE HAVE LISTED IS JULIA BARTUNEK. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JULIA BARTUNEK. I LIVE AT 2645 MEADOWOOD DRIVE, NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA, THREE FOUR, SIX, FIVE, FIVE AND A. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I REALLY LOVE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE WITH THE SIDEWALKS TO MAKE OUR CITY MORE WALKABLE AND FRIENDLY FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO ENJOY IT. THE REASON I'M HERE TONIGHT IS TO SPEAK AND HELP TO ADVOCATE FOR DEAR FRIEND OF MINE THAT HAS A STAGE FOUR CANCER IN HER NECK AND IN HER HIP. SHE HAD WORKED ON PLANTING A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IN HER FRONT YARD THAT SHE COULD ENJOY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF HER LIFE. SHE MAYBE HAS ONE YEAR LEFT TO LIVE, IF THAT MAY BE TWO. AT BEST. SHE HAS BEEN PLACED AT A CLINICAL TRIAL AT MOFFITT RESEARCH CANCER CENTER. WHEN THE CITY PUT THE SIDEWALK ON HER PROPERTY AT. THE EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY DESTROYED HER BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN AND HER BEAUTIFUL TREE. SHE WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER SPRING IN HER LIFE BECAUSE SHE IS IN THE WINTER OF HER LIFE. AND THIS GARDEN WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT SHE ENJOYED. AS SHE CAN NO LONGER. SHE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO WALK OR TALK SOON. SO I'M IMPLORING THE CITY TO PLEASE HELP TO RESTORE THIS GARDEN THAT SHE NEEDS. AND SHE ALSO BEING THAT SHE HAS STAGE FOUR CANCER, CAN'T WORK AND IS ON A LIMITED INCOME. AND HER FENCE ALSO HAS INCURRED EXTRA COSTS FOR HER DUE TO THE SIDEWALK.AGAIN, WE LOVE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE. WE LOVE THEM. WE LOVE THE SIDEWALKS, WE LOVE THE BIKE PATHS, BUT WE NEED SOME HELP FOR FOR THIS LADY, MY DEAR FRIEND. THANK YOU.
SHE'S NEXT. WE HAVE AN ADDRESS. DEBBIE. DO WE HAVE AN. I'M DOROTHY CLARK, I'M A TAXPAYER, AN OWNER OF 5995921 MONTANA AVENUE IN NEW PORT RICHEY. PULL THE MIC DOWN CLOSER TO DOROTHY CLARK. YEAH, OKAY. I OWN A HOME ON FIFTH ON MONTANA AVENUE, 5921 MONTANA AVE. I DO HAVE STAGE FOUR CANCER. I MOVED HERE NINE YEARS AGO FROM MASSACHUSETTS. IF YOU CAN TELL BY MY ACCENT. AND I MOVED HERE. I WAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR 20 YEARS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND I CAME HERE. I GOT DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER ONE WEEK AFTER I RETIRED, AND I MOVED HERE AND BOUGHT A HOME HERE TO MAKE MY REST OF MY LIFE HERE. I WAS DOING OKAY UNTIL 2024. MY CANCER CAME BACK FEROCIOUSLY, AND I'M NOW IN THAT STAGE WHERE I'M LOOKING AT END OF LIFE. NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. MY CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, A LOT OF THEM ARE IN MASSACHUSETTS. I JUST CAME BACK FROM A TRIP TO MASSACHUSETTS AND VERMONT AND MAINE TO SEE MY FAMILY, TO LET THEM KNOW EVERYTHING. AND WHILE I WAS THERE BEFORE I LEFT, I TALKED TO THE FENCE PEOPLE. I TALKED TO GARCIA CONSTRUCTION, AND I ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS ABOUT THE FENCE AND STUFF. AND I HAD A FENCE. I HAD HIRED A FENCE GENTLEMAN, STRONG STAND, STRONG FENCE COMPANY TO DO MY OTHER PART OF MY FENCE. I SAID, IF THERE'S ANY ISSUE, ANY PROBLEM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN LET HIM KNOW TO DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY. INSTEAD, I GOT PICTURES SENT TO ME, WHICH I DO HAVE HERE, WHERE THEY TORE THE FENCE DOWN AND BROKE IT AND THEN BROKE MY PULLED OUT MY TREE, MY MONEY TREE, AND MY ORCHID TREE AND BROKE MY PLANTS AND STUFF AND MY MY VASES AND STUFF. I'M 75. I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY ANYMORE TO DO ALL THAT WORK.
AND GOD AND I STILL RAKE. I STILL TRY TO CLEAN THE SIDEWALK NOW, AND I'M TRYING TO DO THE BEST I CAN WITH WHAT I HAVE. BUT MY FENCE WAS GOING TO COST 3400. IT WENT UP TO 5500
[00:15:03]
BECAUSE OF THE FENCE THAT WAS TORN DOWN. AND BY THE CITY, THE GARCIA CONSTRUCTION. I DON'T KNOW WHO EXACTLY DID IT, BUT IT'S JUST IT'S A LOT FOR ME. AND I TOOK OUT A LOAN. I I'M ON A PENSION TO I'M IN THE PENSION THING WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TOO, BUT I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS AWAY WHILE IT IS. AND I GOT THESE PICTURES, THOSE PICTURES. GIVE THOSE PICTURES TO. I'M OKAY. I'LL BE OKAY AT THE END. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.OKAY. SORRY. I CAN KEEP IT HERE. LET'S SEE IF. IS THERE NOT LIGHTING UP. YEAH, I GOT HER CONTACT INFORMATION HERE. NO. ALL RIGHT. I'LL GIVE YOU WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO ONE MINUTE.
I'LL PUT A FINGER UP AND I'LL GIVE YOU A CLUE. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT. HELLO? BETH FRAZIER, 8040 ISLAND DRIVE, NEW PORT RICHEY. I AM HERE REPRESENTING NEW PORT RICHEY, MAIN STREET, AND I WANTED TO THANK ALL OF OUR CITY OFFICIALS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT OF MAIN STREET AND TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR SUPPORT ASSISTS US IN WORKING WITH OUR DOWNTOWN PARTNERS AND BUSINESSES. CONTINUE TO TO CONTINUE TO BRING EXCITING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS WORKING TO INCREASE WHICH WE ALL WANT VISITS AND TOURISM TO OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. AS WE ENTER TO THIS INTO THIS NEW YEAR, WE WOULD LIKE WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON. YOU'RE RIGHT. NOW WE'VE GOT OUR UPCOMING CIP OR TREAT IN, WHICH IS A WINE STROLL. ON OCTOBER 29TH, WE HAVE OUR CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE, WHICH IS ALWAYS THE FIRST SATURDAY IN DECEMBER, WHICH ACTUALLY THIS YEAR IS 125. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR MURDER MYSTERY, THE DYING TO DINE AT THE HACIENDA ON JANUARY 23RD. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL 2026 AGAIN. ALSO, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MAIN STREET IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. FOR OUR EVENTS, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR COMMITTEES THAT DO THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT YOU SEE TIDES OF TIME. WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHERS COMING UP, AS WELL AS OUR MURDER MYSTERY AND SO ON. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOLUNTEER AT AN EVENT. YOU CAN VOLUNTEER ON ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING MAIN STREET. THE NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED TO SPEAK IS DONALD CADLE. GOOD EVENING. I'M DOCTOR DONALD CADLE, 6820 RIVER ROAD, NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN REGARDS TO THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, THE CRA, AND I REALLY THINK THAT IT SHOULD HAVE SOME PRIVATE CITIZENS IN ADDITION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ON IT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, I THINK IT'S ELIGIBLE TO HAVE UP TO NINE MEMBERS ON THE CRA, AND I THINK THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M SPEAKING FOR. THE OTHER IS THAT THE PROPERTY THAT IS AT THE CORNER OF MAIN AND BANK, WE HAD TRADED THAT AS PART OF THE RECREATION THAT WE HAD FOR LITTLE LEAGUE, AND I HATE TO SEE THE CITY SELL THAT PROPERTY, GIVE IT AWAY, WHATEVER IT WOULD BE. I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO, AND WE SHOULD USE IT FOR THE CITIZENS BENEFIT RATHER THAN FOR PEOPLE'S PROFIT. SOMEWHERE ALONG THAT LINE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M IN FAVOR OF THE BRAINSTORM, SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED TO SPEAK, JOHN MARTIN. I GOT MY TIMER. JOHN MARTIN, 6030 OAK RIDGE
[00:20:05]
AVENUE, NEW PORT RICHEY. I CAME HERE IN 83 FOR HOME HEALTH CARE, AND I WAS TOLD AHEAD OF TIME THAT THERE WAS NOBODY HERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 55 AND. BASICALLY THE CHILDREN WERE INVISIBLE. WHAT I THE REASON I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE SO MANY CHILDREN HERE WAS BECAUSE I VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STREET PARADES, BOAT PARADES, THE SUPER PLAYGROUND, AND I SAW KIDS COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK AND I THOUGHT, WHERE ARE THEY HIDE ALL DAY LONG. YOU KNOW, WE SEE THEM AT THE SCHOOLS. AND SINCE THEN, I'VE. THE WONDERFUL JOB THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS FOR THE PARK, THE QUALITY OF THE PARK AND AND THE SPLASH PAD THAT WELCOMES FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. AND I NOTICED A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE MUCH MONEY AND THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PLACES TO GO. SO THIS IS A MAGNET DOWNTOWN. BUT WHAT I ALSO SEE IS THERE'S NO PLACE OTHER THAN THAT, AND THERE'S NO PLACE INSIDE FOR THEM, AND THERE'S NO PLACE THAT I HAVE SEEN OTHER THAN THEM GOING TO SCHOOL, THAT THERE'S ANY CHANCE OF EXPOSING THEM TO THINGS LIKE THE DISCOVERY CENTER, THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, AND THE STEAM CONCEPT. AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 CHILDREN, YOUNG CHILDREN, IT'S LIKE HERDING CATS. YOU KNOW, YOU GET THEM, YOU FINALLY GET THEM DRESSED UP AND IN THE CAR SEATS, AND YOU GET THEM IN THE PARK AND THEY HAVE A GREAT TIME. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GET THEM BACK IN THE CAR, IN THE CAR SEATS AND TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND I, IT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL IDEA TO LET THEM WALK FROM THE PARK TO THAT BUILDING, THAT BANK BUILDING. AND, AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE REPRESENTING NEW PORT RICHEY IN, IN ITS REAL WHAT I CONSIDER HUMANITY. IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL CITY TO WALK ANYWHERE AND, AND TO SEE FAMILIES WALK. BUT THERE'S EVERYTHING IS FOR ADULTS, ALL THE RESTAURANTS, ALL THE VENUES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO THERE IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. THAT'S FINE. THEY'RE NICE RESTAURANTS. THEY'RE NICE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES. BUT FOR A FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN, TO GO INSIDE A BUILDING WHERE THEY'LL HAVE EDUCATIONAL OR HANDS ON OPPORTUNITIES IS, I THINK, WHAT'S MISSING FROM NEW PORT RICHEY. AND YOU'VE GOT IT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. IF YOU CHOOSE THE BRAINSTORMS DISCOVERY CENTER, AND IT'S WELCOMING TO FAMILIES. AND THAT'S, I THINK, THE SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION THAT GETS MISSED WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE IS WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? AND THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE AND THEY'RE THEY'RE GREAT KIDS. SO I THINK THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE WAY TO. THIS WOULD GIVE NEW PORT RICHEY THE WAY TO ROUND OUT AND REPRESENT US AS A REAL FAMILY TOWN. SO THANK YOU. THE NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED TO SPEAK IS ANDREA MUNG. AND I'M SORRY IF I MISSPELLED THAT. MISSPOKE. HI, I'M ANDREA FROM 6545 ADAMS STREET. WE MOVED BACK TO NEW PORT RICHEY WITH MY SON 12 YEARS AGO. WE LOVE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. WE LOVE DOWNTOWN. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT A LOT OF THE BARS DOWNTOWN, BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH FOR MY SON TO DO OTHER THAN THE PARK. HE'S GETTING OLDER. HE'S 12 NOW. HE LOVES SCIENCE, A CENTER, A PLACE WHERE KIDS COULD GO BESIDES, A PLAYGROUND WOULD BE AMAZING. AND I JUST WANT TO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR BRAINSTORM. THANK YOU. THE NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS GARY ROBLES. GARY ROBLES, 2101 LARKSPUR COURT, NEW PORT RICHEY 34655. GOOD EVENING, ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. AS YOU HEAR PROPOSALS REGARDING THE 1956 FORMER GULF STATE BANK BUILDING ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF MAIN STREET AND BANK STREET, YOU WILL FACE OPTIONS THAT INCLUDE ITS DEMOLITION. AS A TOWN HISTORIAN, I AM COMPELLED TO SHARE A BRIEF LOOK AT THIS BUILDING'S ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEFORE ANY PERMANENT DECISIONS ARE MADE. OUR DOWNTOWN HOLES AND ARCHITECTURAL TIMELINE OF THE 20TH CENTURY. WHILE THE STRUCTURES FURTHER EAST ON MAIN STREET AND GRAND BOULEVARD REFLECT OUR JAZZ AGE HISTORY, THE 20. THE 1921 FIRST STATE BANK, THE 1919 GEORGE SIMMS LAND OFFICE, AND THE 1922 CLARK BUILDING. THIS FORMER GULF STATE BANK BUILDING REPRESENTS OUR LEAP INTO THE JET AGE. WHEN IT OPENED IN FEBRUARY 1956, GULF STATE BANK WAS THE SECOND BANK IN DOWNTOWN, THE FIRST HAVING CLOSED DURING THE GREAT[00:25:06]
DEPRESSION. GULF BANK REPRESENTED POSTWAR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ARCHITECTS. EXCHANGE MAGAZINE FEATURED THE BUILDING ON ITS COVER, CALLING IT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BANK BUILDINGS IN THE ENTIRE SOUTHEAST. IT USHERED OUR TOWN INTO MID-CENTURY MODERNITY.BOASTING THE AREA'S FIRST DRIVE IN TELLER WINDOW TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWING AUTOMOBILE CULTURE, THE ORIGINAL 3500 SQUARE FOOT, FULLY AIR CONDITIONED DESIGN FEATURED AN EXPANSIVE SOLID GLASS FRONT FACADE, TERRAZZO FLOORS AND A DRAMATIC SEMI-CIRCULAR TELLER DESK CONFIGURATION. WHILE THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN HEAVILY REMODELED AND EXPANDED OVER THE DECADES TO INCLUDE A SECOND STORY AND AN EXTERIOR MURAL CHAMPIONED BY JANINE HUMPHREY, WHO PASSED AT AGE 97 THIS SUMMER. THE BONES OF THAT 1956 MID-CENTURY TREASURE STILL EXISTS WITHIN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE. I ASK THAT OUR COUNCIL PLEASE CONSIDER THIS HISTORY AND EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE RATHER THAN DEMOLITION.
COMMUNITIES LIKE THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS BOAST A WEALTH OF MID-CENTURY DESIGN AND HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PRESERVED THEIR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE TO CREATE THRIVING, CULTURALLY RICH DESTINATIONS. I RESPECTFULLY ENCOURAGE OUR COUNCIL TO LOOK TO THOSE SUCCESSFUL MODELS AND CONSIDER THE LONG TERM VALUE OF PRESERVATION IN YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED TO SPEAK IS JACKIE PHILLIPS. JACKIE PHILLIPS, 5441 DRINKER DRIVE, NEW PORT RICHEY, 34653. I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE SIZE OF THE AUDIENCE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CHAMBER HERE TONIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO TURN AROUND AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU. NO MA'AM. NO MA'AM. YES YOU CAN. YOU HAVE TO TALK INTO THE MIC. YOU HAVE TO TALK INTO THE MIC BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOME. OKAY, I CAN DO THAT. I AM SO IMPRESSED THAT ALL OF YOU ARE HERE. AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT AMENDMENT THREE. IF WE LOSE OUR PROPERTY TAXES, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A WORLD OF, YOU KNOW WHAT? BECAUSE THIS WILL CAUSE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE MINIMALIZED OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE MINIMALIZED ALL OUR PARKS AND EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN AND DONE SO MUCH WORK ON THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS. WE WANT TO KEEP OUR CITY JUST AS IT IS. SO LET'S THINK REALLY HARD WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING FOR AMENDMENT THREE AND WHAT YOUR DECISION IS. AND I'M ALSO RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL FOR NEXT YEAR. MY SITE IS JACKIE PHILLIPS 2027.COM, ALL IN LOWERCASE. SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY SITE AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS ALL AT OTHER MEETINGS OF GET TOGETHERS. YOU HAVE ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? IF YOU HAVE OR COME ON DOWN. YEAH. WELL, HI, MY NAME IS BOB BOUCHARD AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A D A ADDRESS TO 6152 MISSOURI AVENUE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, GUARANTEEING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC AND COMMON ACCOMMODATIONS, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. TRICYCLES, YES, CAN BE USED AS A DISABILITY TRANSPORTATION. THEY ARE OFTEN
[00:30:06]
USED INDIVIDUALS WITH BALANCING ISSUES. OTHER PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AS THEY PROVIDE A STABLE, SECURE RIDING EXPERIENCE. ELECTRIC TRICYCLES ARE INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST PRACTICAL AND EXCLUSIVE BICYCLE THAT CAN BE USED FOR DISABILITY ADULTS.DOES ANYBODY HERE KNOW WHAT IS OPDMD IS? IF YOU DON'T, THAT MEANS OTHER POWER DRIVEN MOBILITY DEVICES. IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THESE DEVICES CAN BE BATTERY FUELED OR OTHER ENGINES.
ONGOING STAFFING TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO USE OPDMD FOR MOBILITY ARE NOT TURNED AWAY OR TREATED INAPPROPRIATELY. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHATEVER MOBILITY DEVICES THEY CHOOSE TO USE. IT CAN BE A POWERED WHEELCHAIR, A MANUAL WHEELCHAIR. IT CAN BE A SEGWAY, A TRICYCLE, A BICYCLE, A SCOOTER, A MOBILITY BIKE. IT CAN BE WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO USE. SO WHEN I GO OUT AND I'VE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FOUR TIMES, ONLY ONE TIME DID THE OFFICER IN SIMS PARK ALLOW ME TO STAY WITH MY MOBILITY TRIKE. OKAY, SO WHEN YOU PUT UP YOUR LITTLE NOTES THAT SAYS NO OTHER ELECTRONIC VEHICLE BEHIND THIS POINT, THAT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL. WE CANNOT BE KICKED OUT OF PUBLIC PLACES BECAUSE WE'RE RIDING AN ELECTRIC TRICYCLE FOR DISABILITIES. NOW, I'VE DONE EVERYTHING I COULD TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WILL REALIZE THAT OUR TRICYCLES ARE FOR HANDICAPPED.
WE MADE FLAGS, WE BOUGHT FLAGS, WE HAVE STICKERS. WE HAVE WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO USE WHAT WE HAVE. SO NO MORE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH A D A THANK YOU.
THIS GROUP LOVES IT WHEN I STAND UP HERE. I'M GLAD TO SEE FINALLY YOU ALL SHOW UP. IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP, THEY THINK WE DON'T CARE. YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MY NAME IS JUDITH ALLEN. MY ADDRESS IS 5940 GRAND BOULEVARD. I'M THE ONLY HOUSE ON THE BOULEVARD WITH A BLUE TARP AND SIGNS IN THE WINDOW THAT SAYS NO HOT WATER SINCE 2017. BECAUSE OF THAT. EXCUSE ME, MA'AM, OKAY. WE DON'T WE DON'T POINT FINGERS OUT OF HERE.
WE DON'T TAKE POINT FINGERS AT PEOPLE AND NAME PEOPLE HERE. THIS IS FREE SPEECH. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE NEED TO DO AS A GROUP IS TO DEMAND A MORATORIUM ON BARS, AND THAT NO MORE OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY GOES TO SUPPORT BARS DOWNTOWN. WE FINALLY AND AT LAST HAVE A GROUP HERE THAT HAS A BETTER IDEA FOR THAT BUILDING. SO DEMAND A MORATORIUM BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THE MONEY, THE TAXPAYER MONEY IS GOING TO GO TO SUPPORT YET ANOTHER BAR.
IT'S MORE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO HAVE CARD READER SERVICES TO HAVE A BAR THERE, BECAUSE EVERY DRINK YOU DRINK, EVERY MOUTHFUL OF BAR FOOD YOU EAT GOES INTO THAT PERSON'S POCKET. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? NOW I'VE BEEN DENIED ONCE AGAIN, A GRANT. I STILL DON'T HAVE HOT WATER. AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE A CAP WAS SET ON THE CDBG GRANT IN 2023 FOR 80,000. AND SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD THREE HURRICANES, TWO WINDSTORMS, INFLATION AND OTHER
[00:35:01]
THINGS THAT HAVE RAISED THE PRICE. IT WAS DONE DELIBERATELY SO THAT I COULD NOT GET A GRANT.NOW THIS WOMAN WRITES NOTES FURIOUSLY. THOSE ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION. I WAS HERE LAST IN SEPTEMBER 15TH. THAT WAS MY BIRTHDAY. I TURNED 81. AND IF I'VE GOT THE COURAGE TO STAND UP HERE AND DEMAND THAT THESE PEOPLE LISTEN TO US, WHERE ARE THE REST OF YOU? WE NEED SOMETHING ELSE IN THAT BUILDING AND DOWNTOWN RATHER THAN A BAR. SO LET'S ASK ALL OF US TONIGHT FOR A MORATORIUM ON ALL BARS, AND TO SEEK OUT OTHER WAYS WE CAN FILL DOWNTOWN WITH CHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLE. SO WHO'S FOR THAT? LOOKS LIKE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE. I'M STILL NOT GETTING A GRANT. FORTUNATELY. FORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT AS HOT. THANK YOU. I SENT THESE PEOPLE.
WAIT A MINUTE. DON'T YOU SHORT ME. IT'S NOT ON. OKAY? I SENT YOU PEOPLE PICTURES OF MY.
THANK YOU MA'AM. SEWING SHOWING 94 DEGREES IN MY HOUSE. 94. THANK YOU. I'M GETTING READY FOR WINTER. WHEN I GET TO. SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. TOILET SO I CAN FLUSH IT.
BECAUSE I HAVE NO HEAT. I HAVE NO AIR. YOU LET ME 81 YEAR OLD LIVING IN THIS CITY. HI, MY NAME IS ANGELA GATES. I LIVE IN FIVE, FIVE, THREE, EIGHT JO BETH DRIVE, NEW PORT RICHEY 34652. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY OWN PERSONAL STORY OF HOW I DRIVE TO TAMPA TO GO TO THE GLAZIER MUSEUM TO TAKE MY TODDLERS. I'M A FORMER TEACHER OF THE LAST 12 TO 13 YEARS OF MY LIFE AT HUDSON HIGH, WAS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS, AND I SAW A LOT OF POVERTY, POVERTY, AND KIDS WHO WERE LIVING IN TENTS. AND IT WOULD JUST BE REALLY GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE A MUSEUM FOR KIDS HERE IN THIS AREA. SO I DRIVE TO TAMPA TO GO TO THE GLAZIER MUSEUM, AND I PAID $20 FOR PARKING HAPPILY, BECAUSE RIGHT NEXT TO THE MUSEUM IS A PARK. AND THE PARK IS AWESOME.
AND IT'S A LOT LIKE OUR PARK. AND SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HAVE A SCIENCE MUSEUM HERE, IT'S MONUMENTAL. I DID GO TO THE EVENT FOR CHRISTMAS THAT BRAINSTORMS HAD, AND MY KIDS STILL REMEMBER IT, AND HE'S THREE YEARS OLD, SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. HI, MY NAME IS DANIELLE ROBERTSON AND I HAVE LIVED AT 6730 EAST FLORIDA AVENUE AND I'VE LIVED AT 5903 LOUISIANA AVENUE MY WHOLE LIFE. I CURRENTLY LIVE IN PORT RICHEY, BUT I'VE GROWN UP HERE, FORMER FOSTER CARE KID, AND NOW I OWN MY OWN PRIVATE PRACTICE DOING COUNSELING. SO I HAVE LIVED HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I COME BACK TO THIS TOWN. I'M A LOCAL AUTHOR NOW AND I AM SO HONORED. I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY. I AM COMING TO SPEAK BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE BRAINSTORM SCIENCE PROJECT IS GOING TO BRING A LOT OF REVENUE. AND I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THIS TOWN WAS EMPTY. LIVED HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'VE SEEN IT COME THROUGH A LOT, AND I THINK IT HAS MORE HOPE AND VISION FOR US TO GROW. I BROUGHT MY LETTER OF SUPPORT. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHO TO GIVE IT TO. HERE YOU GO. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KIMBERLY OTTAWAY, 5641 MAIN STREET, OTTAWA'S ICE CREAM PARLOR IS A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNER. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR BRAINSTORM AND THE SCIENCE EXPLORATION CENTER. WE MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR DOWNTOWN. WE SHOULD ASK NOT ONLY WHO CAN FILL THE BUILDING, BUT WILL BRING SOMETHING NEW AND VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALREADY HAVE NUMEROUS BARS AND PLACES FOR ADULTS TO GATHER. WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS SOMETHING LIKE BRAINSTORMS, A DESTINATION WHERE CHILDREN, FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND ADULTS CAN COME DOWNTOWN TO LEARN, EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THOSE FAMILIES DON'T JUST VISIT ONE BUILDING. THEY EAT DOWNTOWN. THEY SHOP DOWNTOWN, AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GET SOME ICE CREAM DOWNTOWN AND DISCOVER THE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE. ALONG THE WAY, BRAINSTORMS
[00:40:01]
COULD CREATE STEADY, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITY THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN. FUNDING IS SOMETHING THE CITY SHOULD CONSIDER, BUT SO IS LONG TERM VALUE OF WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US CHOOSE SOMETHING THAT GIVES FAMILIES ANOTHER REASON TO COME DOWNTOWN, AND MAKES OUR DOWNTOWN MORE DIVERSE. AND I WANT TO LEAVE WITH A QUOTE, INVESTING IN YOUNG MINDS ISN'T AN EXPERIENCE, IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE YOU'LL GIVE BRAINSTORMS THE OPPORTUNITY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NIKKI FRENETTE AND I AM HERE TONIGHT. NOT ONLY AS SOMEONE WHO CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, BUT AS AN EDUCATOR AND MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR WHO HAS SPENT MORE THAN 20 YEARS WORKING WITH AND SERVING THE FAMILY AND CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. OVER THOSE 20 PLUS YEARS, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WATCHING CHILDREN GROW FAMILIES, OVERCOME CHALLENGES, AND OUR COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. I'VE ALSO FIRSTHAND SEEN FIRSTHAND JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE SAFE, POSITIVE PLACES THEY CAN FEEL SUCCESSFUL, CURIOUS, CONNECTED, AND EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING. THIS IS WHY I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN BRAINSTORMS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HANDS ON SCIENCE DISCOVERY CENTERS, IT IS EASY TO THINK ABOUT SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, OR MAYBE A REALLY COOL PLACE FOR KIDS JUST TO PLAY. AND YES, BRAINSTORMS WILL BE ALL THOSE THINGS. BUT FROM A MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, IT IS SO MUCH MORE. PLAY IS HOW CHILDREN LEARN. EXPLORATION BUILDS CONFIDENCE. SOLVING A PROBLEM AND SAYING I DID IT BUILDS RESILIENCE. WORKING BESIDE ANOTHER CHILD BUILDS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS, WHICH I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE. A LOT OF OUR CHILDREN ARE LACKING THESE DAYS, AND HAVING A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES CAN LEARN, LAUGH, EXPLORE AND CONNECT STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIPS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER. I WORK WITH CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLE WITH BEHAVIOR, TRAUMA, ANXIETY, SELF-REGULATION, AND SOMETIMES SIMPLY BELIEVING THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT TEACHING HAPPENS WHEN A CHILD DOESN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY ARE BEING TAUGHT. THIS IS WHAT MAKES A PLACE LIKE BRAINSTORM SO SPECIAL. IT GIVES CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER WHAT THEY ARE GOOD AT. THE CHILD WHO STRUGGLES SITTING STILL IN A TRADITIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT MAY BE THE CHILD WHO BECOMES COMPLETELY ENGAGED WHILE BUILDING, EXPERIMENTING, CREATING, AND FIGURING OUT HOW THINGS WORK. ALL OF THESE CHILDREN DESERVE A PLACE TO SHINE, TO BRAINSTORM. BRAINSTORMS ALSO REPRESENT SOMETHING BIGGER FOR NEWPORT RICHIE. IT SAYS THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND THAT INVESTS IN ITS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. IT CREATES ANOTHER REASON FOR FAMILIES TO COME DOWNTOWN, SPEND TIME TOGETHER, VISIT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND SEE NEWPORT RICHIE AS A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES BELONG. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT PREPARING OUR CHILDREN FOR THE FUTURE. I BELIEVE A PLACE LIKE BRAINSTORMS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD SOMETHING FOR THEIR FUTURE, RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS AN EDUCATOR, A MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR, AND SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN THE POWER OF CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT BRAINSTORMS AND NEW PORT RICHEY, BECAUSE WHEN WE INVEST IN A CHILD'S CURIOSITY, CONFIDENCE, AND CONNECTION TODAY, WE AREN'T JUST CREATING STRONGER LEARNERS, WE ARE CREATING STRONGER FAMILIES, A STRONGER COMMUNITY, AND A STRONGER NEWPORT. RICHIE, YOU GUYS HAVE MY LETTER ALREADY. DONNA JENSEN 5922 WYOMING AVENUE, NEWPORT. RICHIE. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT HAS SHOWN UP FOR BRAINSTORM SUPPORT TONIGHT. IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF THESE BLUE SHIRTS AND ALL THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE AS A DIRECTOR AND ONE OF THE ORIGINAL DIRECTORS OF BRAINSTORM. I THINK THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAT CAN COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. I GREW UP HERE. I WAS BORN HERE. I RAISED MY CHILDREN HERE. UNFORTUNATELY, MY GRANDCHILDREN DO NOT COME TO NEW PORT RICHEY. THERE IS NOTHING FOR THEM TO DO. I HAVE LITTLE ONES STILL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THEY DON'T COME HERE.THEY USED TO COME AND PLAY IN THE PARK, BUT THEY'RE TOO OLD TO PLAY IN THE PARK. WE NEED SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO, OUR CHILDREN TO, TO. AND IT'S NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN. DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER IS FOR EVERYBODY OF EVERY AGE. MAYBE JUST AS A VOLUNTEER, MAYBE AS A PAID EMPLOYEE, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BRING SOMETHING TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED. MY CHILDREN AND MY GRANDCHILDREN THAT GREW UP HERE
[00:45:02]
HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE COUNTY TO GO TO ANYTHING THAT WAS WAS AN EVENT. THERE WAS NOTHING HERE WE CAN BRING. HERNANDO, CITRUS, PINELLAS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STUDENTS TO OUR CITY INSTEAD OF US TRANSPORTING THEM FOR AN HOUR TRIP SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS PROPERTY FOR BRAINSTORMS AND NOT ANOTHER BAR. WE NEED SOMETHING FOR THE YOUTH OF THIS COMMUNITY AND OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO IMPACT NEWPORT, RICHIE. THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT OUR ENTIRE COUNTY. THERE IS NOTHING FOR THEM IN THIS COUNTY UNLESS YOU GO ARE IN SPORTS AND NOT EVERY CHILD WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN SPORTS.THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT I CAME OUT FOR A GOOD CAUSE. ANGELA NAPOLITANO, 6013 ADAMS STREET. I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING FOR BRAINSTORMS. I'VE ALREADY GIVEN MY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BUILDING AND THE PROPOSAL THAT'S GOING ON TONIGHT. I'M COMING UP HERE, AND I'M GOING TO GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL AS I LOOK BEHIND ME AND I, I SEE MICHELLE FROM ONE COMMUNITY NOW AND I SEE NIKKI FRENETTE AND MY HEART BREAKS FOR THE KIDS IN THESE IN THE KIDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THEY THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO HERE. NOBODY BELIEVES IN THEM.
WHERE ARE THEY GOING? IF WE DON'T INVEST IN THEM, THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WE'RE INVESTING TO PUT MORE MONEY IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S POCKET OR FOR A GOOD TIME. AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I LOVE MY COCKTAILS TOO, BUT I DON'T NEED EVERY PLACE IN NEWPORT RICHIE, TO BE A BAR. YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT I THANK YOU. I GREW UP HERE, ALTHOUGH I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK.
I GREW UP HERE, AND I RAISED MY CHILDREN HERE. MY SON WAS BORN AT NORTH BAY. I JUST STARTED WORKING AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE PAST TEN YEARS, AND I'M THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AND I SEE EVERY CHILD. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, SOME OF THESE KIDS HAVE SOME REALLY SAD STORIES, AND IF THERE WAS A PLACE THAT THEY COULD GO OR SOMEONE THAT EVEN BELIEVED IN THEM, AND WE DID THAT THIS YEAR AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE WERE LIKE A FIVE YEAR SCHOOL. THESE KIDS FELT LIKE NOBODY BELIEVED IN THEM. THEY WERE THE BAD NEWS BEARS. WHO'S GOING TO INVEST IN THEM? UNTIL WE GOT A PRINCIPAL THAT CAME IN, PLANTED THAT SEED EVERY DAY FOR THESE KIDS, THAT YOU ARE WORTH IT. THEY ARE WORTH IT. AND THEY PROVED IT TO US. WE GOT THE A, THEY'RE WALKING AROUND ACADEMIC SCHOLARS, THEY'RE WALKING IN SAYING, GUESS WHAT? I GOT AN A MISS NAP. INSTEAD OF FIGHTING OR RIPPING URINALS OFF THE BATHROOM WALLS. AND I'M TELLING YOU, THERE'S BEEN SOME CRAZY STUFF IN THAT BUILDING. OKAY, I GOT ONE MINUTE. ANOTHER THING THAT I ALWAYS DID AND I LOVED WAS CHAPERONING TO STARKEY PARK WITH THE WATERSHED AND TAKING THEM DOWN TO THE RIVER. WE HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE THEM DOWN TO STARKEY. NO OFFENSE, FRANK, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. BUT I REMEMBER ONE YEAR WE TOOK OUR KIDS FOR A FIELD TRIP. WE WALKED DOWN TO CASCO FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE FROM GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE COULD WALK THEM DOWN FOR FIELD TRIPS INSTEAD OF BUSSING THEM OUT TO STARKEY. SO WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN OUR CHILDREN IN OUR FUTURE. OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HATE TO EVEN SAY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE MIGHT END UP ANOTHER GHOST TOWN. THANK YOU.
I'M THE SON THAT WAS BORN IN NORTH BAY. CHARLES WEIS, 6013 ADAMS STREET. WHAT I WANT TO BRING THE PRIORITY OF THIS MESSAGE IS I'M GOING TO REITERATE A LOT OF THINGS THAT MY MOTHER SAID, BUT I WANT TO OFFER A PERSPECTIVE. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PRIORITY. I HAVE THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION HERE WITH ME, AND I WILL READ FROM IT IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT IF WE THINK THERE ARE REALLY TWO PRIORITIES THAT KIND OF COME TOGETHER, AND IS THE COMMUNITY AND OUR CONSTITUTION, AND SO I WANT THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME TO THINK, ARE THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME ALIGNED WITH YOUR PRIORITY? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENT US, NOT OTHER INTERESTS. AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THIS CITY. AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF RUMORS, AND I SUPPOSE WE COULD IGNORE THE RUMORS, BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD FORGET ABOUT IT. AND THAT REFERS TO WHERE A LOT OF THIS MONEY TALK IS COMING FROM. AND IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. BUT WE HAVE A LOT THAT WE CAN INVEST IN HERE. WE HAVE A LOT OF VALUE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE KNOW IT. WE SPEAK PROUDLY OF OURSELVES. SO WHAT I WANT THE COUNCIL TO
[00:50:07]
CONSIDER IS WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MOVING PARTS WITH ALL OF THE PROPOSALS, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO GAIN FROM BEING TRANSPARENT AND FROM BEING COMMUNICATIVE, COOPERATIVE IN OUR COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO BEST FIT THAT. BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN, WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER BUILDING THAT IS GOING TO PERPETUATE THE SAME VISION THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY CONSENTED TO BY THE CITIZENS. WE KNOW WHERE THAT VISION IS COMING FROM. FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND OUR PRIORITY IS HERE AND IN THE CONSTITUTION, I WANT YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES, DO WE NEED ANOTHER BUILDING OR EXCUSE ME, WOULD YOU PREFER A BUILDING THAT WE CAN SAY OUR CHILDREN WENT TO? WE LEARNED AND HAD FUN? OR DO WE WANT ANOTHER BUILDING THAT OUR CHILDREN SAY? THAT'S WHERE MY MOM GOES TO PARTY AND DRINK. I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE BY READING FROM THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. THIS IS THE FIRST PARAGRAPH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO FIND THIS. WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY. DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS SIGNED IN 1776, AND IT TOOK MANY YEARS BEFORE WE HAD THIS DOCUMENT HERE. SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE BILL OF RIGHTS CAME AFTER. BUT ONE THING THAT WE CAN ALL LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT AND SEE IS THE FIRST WORD IS WE. I WANT PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THEIR PRIORITIES.THE COMMUNITY, THE CONSTITUTION, OUR POSTERITY, AND WE THE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? IN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NELSON AND I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT BRAINSTORM. AND ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE NOW IS MORE. MORE FOR THE KIDS AND NO MORE BARS THAT THAT WE CAN MAKE OF. MY NAME IS NELSON HOY. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE. I DON'T LIKE BACK IN THE AUDIENCE. I'M SORRY. MY NAME IS NELSON HOY. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE IVORY CLUB OF TAMPA BAY. THE IVORY CLUB IS A CLUB OF AFRICAN PROFESSIONALS IN THE BAY AREA. WE BASICALLY SPONSOR AND SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH IN THE BAY AREA. AND WE JUST HAD AN EVENT LAST WEEK KNOW A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT AN AWARD ON BEHALF OF THE IVORY CLUB TO MAYOR JOSHUA DAVIS. HE'S BEEN SUPPORTING US FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. HE'S BEEN COMING TO OUR EVENTS AND BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO US. I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR MANY YEARS NOW. SO, MR. MAYOR, YOU WANT TO STEP FORWARD? LET ME GET TO THIS AWARD. JUST SO THAT YOU GUYS ALL KNOW. WE HAD A VERY, VERY INTERESTING A PHOTO OP WITH MAYOR AND THE MAYOR OF TAMPA. SHE COMES FROM EVENTS TOO. AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE TWO PEOPLE PROBABLY NOT ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM, I'M NOT SURE, BUT JUST GET ALONG AND DO GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE PROUD OF YOUR MAYOR. HE REPRESENTED YOU GUYS WELL. AND SO PLEASE, MAYOR. POSITIVE THING THAT ALWAYS STUCK AROUND THE PLACE TO BE A BAD DOG. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GO BRAINSTORM.
FRANK STARKEY, 5988 CENTRAL AVENUE. MY COMMENTS ARE PROCEDURAL, NOT HAVING TO DO WITH ANY OF THE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS I'VE SERVED ON THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE FOR THESE, AND I'VE GOT TO BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE PROPOSALS AND THE TEAM'S PROPOSING THEM PLUSES AND MINUSES FOR ALL OF THEM. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THEM SPECIFICALLY.
[00:55:06]
HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY THAT MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS BUILDING AND THE REASON I DIDN'T PROPOSE ANYTHING FOR IT, IS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO RENOVATE THAT BUILDING. AND IT'S AS A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT DEAL, WHETHER IT'S DONE BY THE CITY OR BY A PRIVATE DEVELOPER. IT'S A VERY THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS ON IT. SO IT'S REALLY A DIFFICULT THING FOR SOMEBODY TO EVALUATE. MY OTHER CONCERN IS THAT NONE OF THE PROPOSALS ARE. THEY'RE QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN VARIOUS ASPECTS ON EVERYBODY'S TEAM, BUT NOBODY HAS SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE IN THE IN THE LEAD ROLE ON THEIR TEAM, WITH A WITH DEVELOPING A PROJECT OF THIS COMPLEXITY THAT WILL LEAVE A LOT OF THE ONUS ON THE CITY, WHICH YOU'RE NOT USED TO DOING IN A, IN WHAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. SO I WOULD CAUTION YOU ABOUT THAT SITUATION BECAUSE THAT CAN GET THAT CAN GET HAIRY AND IT CAN BE HARD TO GET TO A DEAL IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S EXPERIENCED WITH THE CAPITAL RAISE, WITH THE FINANCING, WITH THE WITH UNDERSTANDING THE PROFORMA TO BEGIN WITH, THE CONSTRUCTION ASPECTS AND, AND COMPLEXITIES.AND WHEN YOU HAVE MIXED USES, THOSE COMPLEXITIES AREN'T ADDED TO EACH OTHER. THEY ARE SQUARED.
IT'S THAT YOU GET REALLY, REALLY COMPLICATED ON CONSTRUCTION ISSUES AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS WHEN YOU'RE DOING A MIXED USE. BUILDING AN ADAPTIVE REUSE IS ALSO TRICKY.
AND SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS THERE. THE HACIENDA WAS A SIMILAR CHALLENGE, AN OLD BUILDING THAT WAS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF OF WORK. THERE WERE. IMPROPER ADDITIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ROOF, NEEDED TO BE DONE. THE BUILDING NEEDED TO BE EVALUATED STRUCTURALLY. THE WAY THE CITY WENT ABOUT THAT, I THINK, IS HOW YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THIS PROJECT. THANKS. START BY I WOULDN'T I WOULDN'T REJECT JUST SET ALL THESE PROPOSALS ASIDE FOR THE TIME BEING AND DO WHAT YOU DID ON THE HACIENDA, WHICH WAS USE CITY MONEY OR GRANT MONEY IF YOU CAN GET IT TO DO THE EXPENSE, WHAT I CALL THE EXPENSIVE, UNSEXY PARTS OF THE BUILDING. EVALUATE THE STRUCTURE, UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT HOW FEASIBLE IT IS FOR REUSE. MY GUESS IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PRETTY ROBUST STRUCTURE, BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO EVALUATE. CAN YOU ADD A SECOND FLOOR TO IT? CAN YOU ADD WINDOWS TO THE TO THE WALLS, ETCETERA. FIX THE UNDERSTAND THE ROOF SITUATION? IF NOT, FIX IT ANYWAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION TO SET THIS ASIDE AND GO ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE CAREFULLY. AS FOR THE PARKING GARAGE, I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE A PARKING GARAGE THERE, BUT I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A CITY PROJECT, WHICH YOU KNOW HOW TO DO. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT ONCE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. ANYBODY ELSE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING? EMERSON MARTIN 9330 CREEDMOOR LANE, NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA. THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WHEN TRYING TO THINK AHEAD AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHITECTURE, WE THINK THAT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO LOOK MODERN. I WILL TELL YOU THAT MYSELF AND MANY OTHERS FOR MY AGE GROUP ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE THE LOOK OF OLD BUILDINGS. IT'S WHAT MAKES A DOWNTOWN AREA FEEL LIKE A DOWNTOWN AREA, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE BRICK WALLS AND THE MURALS.
I'VE BEEN TO YBOR, THE SPONGE DOCKS IN SAINT AUGUSTINE, AND I LOVE THEM AND THE WAY THAT THEY LOOK. I WOULD BE DEVASTATED IF THEY MODERNIZED. I FEEL SO LUCKY TO HAVE THAT SAME THING HERE LOCALLY. I LOVE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN AND SEEING THAT BEAUTIFUL BRICK WALL AND THAT OLDER LOOKING MURAL. FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BRAINSTORM'S, THEY SAY THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THE BUILDING AND THAT IS A LARGE PART OF MY SUPPORT FOR THEM. ALSO, IF THERE ARE NO SAFETY RISKS, I THINK THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE A WASTE OF TIME, RESOURCES AND ALSO A SHAME TO TEAR APART SOMETHING SO VINTAGE, TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND PLAIN. I THINK THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAND OFF THIS BUILDING TO A BAR OR SOMEONE THAT WILL CHANGE THE BUILDING, YOU WILL DO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. IF EVERY BUILDING IS A RESTAURANT OR A BAR, THERE'S GOING TO BE LESS BUSINESS BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE WILL EAT OR DRINK AND THEN GO HOME.
BRAINSTORMS IS PROVIDING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THEY'RE PROVIDING AN EXPERIENCE. ONCE PEOPLE ARE DONE WITH THAT EXPERIENCE, THEN THEY CAN GO TO THE RESTAURANTS AND THE BARS,
[01:00:01]
AND THEN THERE WILL BE MORE BUSINESS IN THE AREA. GOING BACK TO YBOR, ONE OF ITS POSITIVE ASPECTS IS THAT IT IS IT HAS NOT ONLY A NIGHTLIFE BUT ALSO A DAY LIFE. SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE COMING TO THE BUSINESSES DURING THE DAY TO VISIT THE MUSEUMS AND ARTS BUILDINGS, BUT THEN ALSO COME AT NIGHT FOR THE BARS AND THE RESTAURANTS. ALSO, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE HACIENDA AND IMAGINE IF WE TORE THAT DOWN. THAT WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN SO DEVASTATING. ANOTHER ASPECT OF MY SUPPORT FOR BRAINSTORMS IS THEIR EFFORT TO MAKE EDUCATION MORE ACCESSIBLE AND FUN. BRAINSTORMS IS NOT ONLY PROVIDING SCIENCE LEARNING THAT'S ACTUALLY LIKE SUCH A SMALL PART OF IT. ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF HAVING MUSEUMS FOR CHILDREN IS THAT IT TEACHES THEM TO BE AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS, WHICH BUILDS NOT ONLY EMPATHY, BUT IT ALSO BUILDS CURIOSITY, CRITICAL THINKING, LEARNING, LISTENING, CREATIVITY, CONNECTION, AND FAMILY BONDING. AND THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT PARTS OF CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS STEVE ROBERTS. 5502 TROPIC DRIVE.MOST OF YOU GUYS KNOW ME AS OWNER SAMMY SURF SHOP. I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF ANY OF THE PROPOSALS TONIGHT. I STILL NEED EVALUATE THEM JUST LIKE YOU GUYS ARE. BUT I AM SUPPORTIVE OF RETAIL. NEW PORT RICHEY DOES NEED A DAY LIFE. IT DOES HAVE A SMALL DAY LIFE, BUT MOST OF ITS NIGHT. A PERSON TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY IS, OH, YOU LIVE IN NEW PORT RICHEY? I SAID, YEAH, OH YEAH, WE GO THERE TO PARTY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE RETAIL. AND IT'S VERY SAD BECAUSE SAMMY SURF SHOP HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR FIVE YEARS HERE IN NEW PORT RICHEY. BESIDES, WHEN THE WHEN THE ANTIQUE STORE WENT OUT, WE ACTUALLY BECAME THE OLDEST RETAIL IN NEW PORT RICHEY, EXCEPT FOR THE CAMERA STORE. AND THEY CHANGED OWNERSHIPS.
THAT'S SAD. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF RETAIL COME AND GO, SO I WOULD ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO SAY, LET'S SUPPORT RETAIL. THANK YOU. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING, YOU CAN WORK YOUR WAY DOWN. PLEASE. I'VE LIVED IN NEW PORT RICHEY MOST OF MY LIFE. I MOVED HERE IN 19. ADDRESS, PLEASE. OH, JULIE RAYBURN, 5700 GEORGIA AVENUE, NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA. I GREW UP IN THIS CITY, WENT TO GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL, GULF HIGH SCHOOL, RICHEY ELEMENTARY. I HAVE SIX CHILDREN.
I STILL STILL LIVE IN DOWNTOWN NEW PORT RICHEY. AND I HAVE. A DAUGHTER WHO IS GOING TO MOSEY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH FOR A FIELD TRIP. SHE'S IN THIRD GRADE AND IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO TAMPA FOR THAT. I THINK SCIENCE IS SO IMPORTANT.
I HAVE A SON WHO IS AT USF AND HE'S MAJORING IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME IF HE HAD A PLACE LOCALLY WHERE HE COULD LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE. I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO IS IN HIGH SCHOOL, A FRESHMAN. SHE WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR. SO THAT'S ANOTHER IF YOU IF YOU LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE'S SO MANY GREAT CAREERS THAT YOU CAN GO INTO. AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO JUST WALK AND TAKE MY KIDS TO A SCIENCE PLACE. I GO ALL THE TIME DOWNTOWN, SUPPORT LOTS OF BUSINESSES, GO TO SIMS PARK BECAUSE I HAVE MY OLDEST CHILD IS 22 AND MY YOUNGEST IS EIGHT, AND I'VE GOT THREE SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. ONE GOES TO ELEMENTARY, ONE MIDDLE AND ONE HIGH SCHOOL. AND I JUST THINK THE SCIENCE CENTER WOULD BE AWESOME. AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE CITY.
AND I THINK THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE AND WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THINGS TO HELP THEM GROW AND LEARN IN SCIENCE AND HAVE FUN AS A FAMILY. AND I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MATT MURPHY, GRADUATED CLASS OF 1988. I WAS JULIE LAW BACK THEN, BUT SO I JUST THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN SCIENCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NO ONE ELSE COME FORWARD. I'M INTERESTED IN TALKING. PLEASE COME DOWN.
CLOSER TO THE FRONT. THANK YOU, MAYOR DAVIS. KATE CONNOLLY, VERMONT AVENUE. I'M HERE TODAY
[01:05:08]
TO, OF COURSE, SUPPORT THE BRAINSTORMS PROJECT. I PERSONALLY AM INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT PROJECT SUPPORTED IN DIFFERENT AVENUES, WHETHER IT BE PRECISELY AT THE PLANNED LOCATION NOW AND OR AT OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WOULD BE SERVED BY THE COAST AS WELL AS THE RIVER. I AM, HOWEVER, MOST AGAINST A PARKING GARAGE IN ANY PLAN ON MAIN STREET. I FIND IT TO BE IN COMPLETE DEFIANCE OF ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES AND MAIN STREET PRINCIPLES AND NEW URBANISM THAT WOULD AFFORD FOR US TO ACTUALLY EARN AN INCOME FROM ANY TAXABLE BUSINESS OR NONPROFIT OR ANY ENTITY, RATHER THAN PARKING PAYMENTS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE BETTER LOCATION SERVED FOR THAT, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. ONLY ONE PLAN IS INCORPORATING A PARKING GARAGE AND WHO IS PAYING FOR THAT PARKING GARAGE. I'M ASSUMING THE CITY ENTIRELY.YET THERE HAS BEEN EXTREME SCRUTINY TO ONE PROJECT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE PARKING GARAGE AND THOSE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO GO TO IT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CLARIFICATION OF THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ALL EARNING YOUR PLACE WITH A PROPER VOTE AND BEING RESPECTFUL OF THOSE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS, SIMILAR TO THE HACIENDA THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED BY MULTIPLE SPEAKERS IN THE BRIEF TIME I'VE BEEN HERE AND HOW IT WAS CHAMPIONED BY THE LATE, GREAT FORMER COUNCILMAN BOB LANGFORD AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER WITH VERY PUBLICLY DISCLOSED PLANS.
DESPITE THE PUSHBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED AT DIFFERENT TIMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO COMPARE IT TO THE THEATER THAT I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC DRIVERS, AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE BOARD. I WOULD BE GLAD TO SHARE THE FINANCES THAT HOVER AROUND A MILLION PER YEAR, AND AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY CRA TO THE THEATER TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD KEEP OUR ROOF ON AND KEEP THE BUILDING STRONG FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS. SIMILAR TO THE HACIENDA. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SUCH DEVELOPMENTS AT THE PROPERTY AS WELL AS THIS HEALTH CARE BUILDING PROPERTY. I RECALL THE MASTER PLAN FOR MANY YEARS AGO NOW, I THINK IT WAS 2019, 2020 BEFORE I EVER RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL OR MAYOR AGAINST THE HONORABLE CHOPPER DAVIS AND LOST BY ABOUT 13 VOTES, AS I OFTEN SAY. BUT I'LL SAY NOW AND JOKE IN THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT AGREED WITH THE THINGS I WAS SAYING. I WAS SHOCKED THEN BY THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER, WHETHER IT BE A WELCOME CENTER, A MUSEUM, A SCIENCE CENTER OR SOMETHING TO INCORPORATE ANYTHING BUT BARS. AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES, I DO THINK THERE'S A GREAT CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF OUR GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC. THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED, AND IT COULD BE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED TO ONE PERSON THAT HAS HAD A DREAM FOR THE PROJECT. I SUPPORT BRAINSTORMS, BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT SCRUTINY TO BE APPLIED TO ALL AND AT ALL TIMES, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE COMMUNICATIONS AND FINANCES OF EVERY SINGLE PARTNER AND KNOW EVERY SINGLE PARTNER AND EVERY SINGLE PLAN AND SEE THE SAME SCRUTINY APPLIED THAT HAS BEEN TO THE BRAINSTORMS PROJECT. TO ALL. I SEE THAT THERE'S NO CLOCK RUNNING AND I HEAR THAT IT'S NOT WORKING TONIGHT, SO I'M NOT SURE MY TIME. OH, HOW DID I KNOW I MUST BE USED TO THIS? WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VOTE. I GREATLY RESPECT YOU ALL AND I APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT, GET THE CLOCK RUNNING. NO. I'M KIDDING. ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY LIKE THIS, WHEN ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE ARE HERE, THE CLOCK IS BROKE. LET'S PEOPLE POWER FOR YOU. AN ADDRESS TO START, PLEASE. MARLO JONES, MY ADDRESS IS RIGHT HERE. I'D LIKE TO FIRST AND FOREMOST, SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE. THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP TODAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY, JUST IMAGINE IF ALL OF YOU CAME TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, HOW MUCH CHANGE WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THIS CITY.
SO WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS I LOVE THE PROPOSALS. I GREW UP HERE ALL MY LIFE. MY FAMILY MOVED HERE IN 1925 AND WERE THE STONEMASONS AND LABORERS OF MANY OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY. WHEN I GREW UP HERE IN THE 90S, ALL WE HAD WAS A BASKETBALL COURT AND TWO SWIMMING POOLS. OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR CITY WITH OUR PARKS, RECREATION, OUR GREEN SPACES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. LIKE MY COLLEAGUE GARY SAID, FOR THIS CITY, FOR THE NEXT 100 TO 200 YEARS, WE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE A THING ABOUT IT. THIS SMALL TOWN IS WHAT MAKES NEW PORT RICHEY. NEW PORT RICHEY AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO MOVE WITH THE TIMES. I LOVE ALL THE IDEAS.
[01:10:02]
I'M HEARING EVENT CENTERS. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WOULD BE NICE NOT TO DRIVE MY THREE DAUGHTERS ALL THE WAY TO MOSEY, AND I COULD GO RIGHT DOWN THE STREET OR AROUND THE CORNER. SO WHAT I SAY TO YOU IS, PLEASE, LET'S SELECT SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE WANT THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR. AND I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE DELIVER. AND I TELL YOU ALL, IF THEY DO NOT DELIVER, IT IS YOUR DUTY COME APRIL OF 2027 TO MAKE CHANGES ON THIS DIOCESE. THANK YOU. HI, I'M JUDY THOMAS. I LIVE AT 6014 LAFAYETTE STREET. I DON'T ENVY YOU, BUT I DID WANT TO SAY THAT I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 54 YEARS. CAN'T BELIEVE IT AND RAISED MY THREE CHILDREN HERE. I'M VERY BLESSED TO HAVE HAD ONE OF MY CHILDREN COME BACK AND BRING ME FOUR OF MY GRANDS. SO WE'RE WE'RE INVESTED IN THE CITY. I THINK IT'S A FABULOUS IDEA TO HAVE THE PROPOSAL THAT'S COME BEFORE YOU THE THE MUSEUM, BECAUSE I DO REMEMBER ABOUT 30, 40 YEARS AGO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A HANDS ON MUSEUM IN DOWNTOWN. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST BE TREMENDOUS. I TO BROUGHT MY KIDS DOWN TO THE HANDS ON GREAT EXPLORATIONS DOWN IN SAINT PETE OR MOSEY, WHATEVER. IT WOULD BE PHENOMENAL BECAUSE THE CITY IS AT THE JUST THE PEAK TO TO ENJOY THAT TYPE OF THING. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS PROJECT HAS BROUGHT UP A VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. AND THAT'S OUR MURALS. AS YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MENTIONED BEFORE, SWEET, PRECIOUS JANINE HUMPHREY JUST PASSED. AND I JUST WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE MURALS THAT ARE THERE NOW NEED TO BE TOUCHED UP, IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD. I KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO BE SEALED PERIODICALLY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE, LIKE I THINK EVERY FOR 3 OR 4 YEARS, THE MURAL THAT'S ON THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING RIGHT NOW IS REALLY SAD. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE ARTISTS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT COULD POSSIBLY REFRESH IT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SEALED.WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I DO AGREE WITH MR. STARKEY. I THINK THAT THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY THAT PERHAPS WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED TO JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND AND DO A LITTLE BIT MORE DUE DILIGENCE INSTEAD OF MAKING THIS DECISION VERY QUICKLY. AND JUST HAD THE THANK YOU. I WAS AT JANINE'S LIFE, CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE. AND I THINK THAT SHE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN TO THINK THAT WE'RE EVEN CONSIDERING NOT PRESERVING THAT MURAL ON THAT WALL. SHE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE WHOLE PROGRAM. THAT IS SUCH A STUNNING MURAL. IT WAS IT WAS CREATED BY THE ARTISTS AND THE MONIES WERE PRIVATE MONIES. THE GENTLEMAN THAT'S THE CAPTAIN ON THE BOAT IS THE FELLOW THAT PAID THE, YOU KNOW, WROTE THE WHOLE THE CHECK FOR THE WHOLE THING. JACK KRUK, HE'S GONE NOW.
BUT AGAIN, SURELY THERE'S A WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHATEVER ACCESS OR EGRESS TO THE BUILDING THAT WE HAVE TO PRESERVE THAT THAT MURAL. AND THEN I'D ALSO IMPLORE YOU THAT IF WE CAN LOOK INTO HOW TO PRESERVE THE MURALS THAT ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, SOME GRASSROOTS, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY DO NEED TO BE PRESERVED. THANK YOU. EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. LIKE I SAID, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK, WORK YOUR WAY DOWN HERE, PLEASE. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE COMING. WE'LL MOVE ON. OKAY. YES. DO YOU WANT TO START? I'LL SAVE MY
[8) City Council Response to Vox Pop Speakers]
COMMENTS FOR THE A PORTION BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE. WELL, THERE WAS TWO THINGS REAL QUICK. I DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SIDEWALKS. I THINK AN ADDRESS WAS SHARED WITH THE LETTER. SO JUST JUST IF THE STAFF CAN PROVIDE SOME SORT OF SUMMARY OF WHAT TOOK PLACE THERE AND I IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE RIO DRIVE SIDEWALKS. THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I REMEMBER RECENTLY. THE OTHER COMMENT WAS ON THE. THE ISSUE WITH ADA AND OUR PARKS, IF THAT'S RELATED TO THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS JUST PASSED, I'VE MADE MY COMMENTS CLEAR ON THE WHOLE,[01:15:05]
BEING ABLE TO USE MICRO MOBILITY IN OUR PARKS, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE CITY ATTORNEY, IF THEY COULD PROVIDE SOME SORT OF INTERPRETATION AND GET BACK TO US ON WHERE WHERE WE FALL WITH THAT AND THE, AS IT RELATES TO THAT SPECIFIC ORDINANCE THAT WAS JUST PASSED, AND WE CAN LOOK AT BOTH MATTERS AND REPORT TO YOU ON OUR FINDINGS. AND THEN THE CRA COMMENTS I'LL KEEP FOR CRA. YEAH, ME AS WELL. WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DISCUSS. I THINK COUNCILMAN PATEL ANSWERED OR GOT A. WE'LL GET A DECISION ON THE ADA FOR THE PARK BECAUSE I DIDN'T I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING LOOKED AT OR, OR A PROBLEM. THE.I DO THINK THAT THE MURALS DOWNTOWN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT PRESERVING THEM. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THEM. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE PRESERVING THOSE AND AND DOING THAT. MICROPHONE, MICROPHONE.
IS IT ON? YEAH. I WAS JUST SAYING THAT THE MURALS DOWNTOWN, THEY DO NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRESERVING THEM. WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THEM. SO WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER COMMENT WAS ABOUT THE ADA. BUT COUNCIL MEMBER TELL SPOKE ABOUT THAT ALREADY. SO I'LL SAVE MY COMMENTS TILL CRA. I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING. I JUST THINK WE NEED. IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SIDEWALK, SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TRACK IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER SO IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO HERE. I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING I'M COGNIZANT OF MRS. CLARK'S COMMENTS. AND GARCIA, WHO WAS THE CONTRACTOR ON THE SIDEWALK PROJECT, HAS NOT COMPLETED ALL OF THE RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT. BUT WE'LL LOOK INTO HER SPECIFIC INSTANCE TOMORROW, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HER.
THAT IS THE IS IT THE RIO DRIVE ONE, AM I NO, THAT'S NOT IT IS RIO DRIVE. IT IS THAT PROJECT AREA. YES. MONTANA. SAME GRANT BUT DIFFERENT STREET. OKAY. YES. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE SPOKE ABOUT CONCERNS OF IT ENCROACHING ON THEIR GARDENS BEFORE WE APPROVED IT. SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS OUR RIGHT OF WAY. YES. MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT
[9) Consent Agenda]
AGENDA MOVE FOR APPROVAL. I'LL SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I, I I. THAT'S[10.a) Second Reading, Ordinance No. 2026-2378: Amendment of Chapter 3, Code of Ordinances RE: Prohibitions on Alcoholic Beverage Possession or Consumption in Open Containers]
FIVE NOTHING. OKAY. READING OF ORDINANCES. SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026 2378.AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER. CHAPTER THREE CODE OF ORDINANCES AND THE PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. POSSESSION OR CONSUMPTION ON OPEN CONTAINERS. I'M NOT HEARING YOU OUT HERE AT ALL. I DIDN'T REALLY HEAR THAT EITHER. OKAY. THIS IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026 2378, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA, PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENT OF SUBSECTION C OF SECTION THREE, DASH FIVE OF CHAPTER THREE OF THE NEW PORT RICHEY CODE OF ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM PROHIBITIONS ON CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN CERTAIN PLACES, PROVIDING FOR THE PROHIBITION OF THE CONSUMPTION AND POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN RAILROAD SQUARE BETWEEN 2 A.M. AND 8 A.M. ANY DAY, PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT, SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NO ONE COME FORWARD, BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE. MOVE APPROVAL OF THE PRESENTED ITEM. I'LL SECOND MAKER. NO, SIR. I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SAYING WHEN 2:00 WHEN THE BARS ARE CLOSED, SO ARE THE SIDEWALKS FOR DRINKING.
AND THEY SHOULD BE CORRECT. SECOND NO I'M GOOD, THANK YOU. NO, I THINK THIS IS NEEDED SO WE CAN ENFORCE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT STUFF'S NOT HAPPENING. PATEL IT'S THE SECOND READING.
MY COMMENTS ARE THE SAME. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I, I. THAT'S FINE.
[11.a) New Port Richey Main Street Inc.’s Alcoholic Beverage Special Event Permit Application and "Wet Zone" Request for the Sip-or-Treat Fall Wine Walk]
NOTHING. BUSINESS ITEMS MAKE A NEW PORT RICHEY MAIN STREET ALCOHOL BEVERAGE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE WET ZONE. REGARDING THE SIP AND TREAT FALL WINE WALK. OKAY, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS APPLICATION IS FOR THE SIP AND TREAT WINE WALK, WHICH IS DUE TO BE CONDUCTED ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2026 BY THE CITY'S MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION FROM 5:00 PM TO 9:00 PM IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, PRINCIPALLY ALONG MAIN STREET BETWEEN THE EAST BOUNDARY OF ADAMS STREET AND THE WEST BOUNDARY OF BASICALLY BETWEEN RIVER ROAD AND US HIGHWAY 19. THE MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION HAS HELD THESE TYPE OF EVENTS IN THE PAST, AND HAS DONE SO WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. THE SPECIAL EVENT TEAM HAS MET AND REVIEWED THEIR[01:20:11]
APPLICATION AND IS RECOMMENDING. IF IT MEETS WITH YOUR APPROVAL, THAT WE APPROVE THEIR APPLICATION TO CONDUCT THE EVENT AS SET FORTH IN THE APPLICATION FOR OCTOBER 29TH, 2026, AND I'M PREPARED TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE RELATED TO THE PROPOSED EVENT. YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NO ONE COME FORWARD, BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE. I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND TO MAKER. NO, I'VE I'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT A BUNCH OF TIMES. IT'S IT'S GREATLY ATTENDED. AND IT SPEAKS TO RETAIL. SO IT GETS PEOPLE OUT AND MOVING AROUND THE CITY. SO THANK YOU, MAIN STREET SECOND. YEAH. I AGREE, IT'S A GREAT EVENT AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN INCIDENT FREE. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR IT. SO. YEAH, I THINK MAIN STREET HAS A DIFFICULT TASK OF TRYING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN AND PROMOTING ALL THOSE DIFFERENCES.AND THIS IS A, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THEM COMING UP WITH AN EVENT AND PARTNERING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR BUSINESSES ARE REPRESENTED. SO THANK YOU. AND TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO COME OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE DOWNTOWN. SO THANK YOU TO THE MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION FOR PUTTING IT TOGETHER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I, I, I, THAT'S
[11.b) 2026 Cotee River Bike Fest Alcoholic Beverage Special Event Application]
FIVE NOTHING. SO THE 2026 CODY RIVER BIKE FEST ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION. THE APPLICANT FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION IS MISS TINA FARRELL, WHO I BELIEVE IS IN ATTENDANCE, BUT I HAVE NOT PICKED HER OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A THICK CROWD TONIGHT.OH, THERE SHE IS. AND SHE REPRESENTS THE CODY RIVER BIKE FEST AT WHICH THEY ARE PROPOSING TO SELL BEER, WINE AND SELTZERS. AND THE SPECIFIC PROPOSAL IS TO CONDUCT THE EVENT ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9TH FROM 4 TO 11. ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH FROM NOON TO 11, AND ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11TH FROM 1:00 PM TO 5:00 P M. AS I RECALL, THIS IS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENT AND THE ALCOHOL AND THE SPECIAL EVENT TEAM DID CONVENE A MEETING ON JULY 28TH TO CONSIDER THE APPLICATION AND FOUND IT TO BE IN ORDER AND RECOMMEND THEN IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION AND THE SPECIAL EVENT AS PRESENTED IN THE DOCUMENTS SUPPORTING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO YOU BY MISS PIGGOTT. AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WILL APPROVE HER EVENT APPLICATION THIS EVENING. PUBLIC COMMENT. I DON'T SEE TINA JUMPING UP EITHER. BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE TO APPROVE.
A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. NO, IT'S A GREAT EVENT. ANOTHER ONE THAT BRINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO THE CITY. THE ONLY THING I WOULD MAYBE MENTION TO TINA, SINCE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, TO MAYBE DO SOME NONALCOHOLIC OPTIONS FOR YOUR BEVERAGES, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE PEOPLE COME HERE AND ASK FOR THAT AT DIFFERENT CITY EVENTS. WELL, SECOND. YEAH. THANKS, MR. JONES, FOR PASSING ALONG SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED TO SOME OF OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AND TO THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. I WILL SAY, SINCE I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN A FEW APPLICATIONS, BUT SINCE THE CHANGE IN WHERE THE SET TEAM MEETINGS OR WHOEVER'S FACILITATING THOSE TOOK PLACE, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING A A MORE CONCISE PICTURE OF THESE EVENTS AND THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED. SO THANK YOU TO THE THE STAFF THAT ARE WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER THESE PACKETS WITH THE EVENT ORGANIZER AND THEN TO THE EVENT ITSELF, A 20TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY. I THIS EVENT HAS INVESTED IN THIS CITY WHEN IT WAS, YOU KNOW WHAT SOME PEOPLE CHARACTERIZE TONIGHT AS AN EMPTY TOWN, NOT NOT A LIVELY TOWN. AND SO THEY'VE, THEY'VE STAYED LOYAL TO THE CITY. THEY HAVE A RICH HISTORY HERE. AND IT'S A, IT'S A CHARITABLE EVENT. AND SO IT DEFINITELY SHOULD WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THEM. AND I KNOW LATER TONIGHT WE WILL CONSIDER AN ITEM THAT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE EVENT. BUT IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION, EVERYTHING'S PUT TOGETHER PROPERLY. AND THANK
[01:25:02]
YOU FOR BEING TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYTHING YOU SHARED WITH US. WELL, I'M READY TO VOTE, SIR.RIGHT. OR MATT, RATHER, I'LL JUST SAY THAT IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN ONGOING EVENT AND I'VE PARTICIPATED IN MANY YEARS, VOLUNTEERED FOR IT MANY YEARS. IT'S JUST A GREAT EVENT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD VERY MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS EVENT IS THEY COME IN ON TWO WHEELS, AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN A 20 TO $100,000 TOY. AND SO THEY'RE PROTECTING THEIR TOY AND THANK THANK THEM FOR SPENDING THEIR TIME AND, AND THEIR MONEY IN OUR TOWN. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I, I THAT'S FIVE NOTHING CITY
[11.c) City Event Request - Mayor's Kickball Tournament]
EVENT REQUEST FOR A MAYOR'S KICKBALL TOURNAMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST IS TO RECEIVE SOME FORMAL SUPPORT FOR THE KICKBALL TOURNAMENT THAT WAS PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR AT A FORMAL FORMER COUNCIL MEETING. WHAT SPECIFICALLY WAS REQUESTED WAS TO HOST A KICKBALL TOURNAMENT, WHICH WOULD BE HELD AT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE CITY. IT WOULD BE A COED TOURNAMENT WITH PERFORMED ON A DOUBLE ELIMINATION BASIS. THERE WOULD BE SOME COST TO THE CITY TO HOST THE EVENT. THERE WOULD BE A REGISTRATION FEE PER TEAM. THE PROCEEDS FROM THE TOURNAMENT ARE PROPOSED TO BENEFIT THE RECREATION AND AQUATIC CENTERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, THE RICHEY SUNCOAST THEATER AND THE GULF HIGH SPORTS PROGRAM, AND SOME OF OUR COSTS. SINCE IT COULD BE OR IS PROPOSED TO BE. HOSTED AT THE FORMER GULF HIGH SCHOOL PROPERTY AND THE CURRENT GULF HIGH FIELD COULD INCLUDE SOME PORTA PORTABLE TOILET FACILITIES AND WASHING STATIONS, SOME POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SUPPORT, SOME FIELD REPAIR AND PREPARATION, GAME EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, MARKETING AND INSURANCE PREMIUM COSTS ON THE CURRENT GULF HIGH PROPERTY, THE. AN ABSENT A FORMAL MOTION WHICH WASN'T MADE AT THE MEETING WHERE THE EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED. I DON'T FEEL THAT I HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT TO OBLIGATE THE CITY'S RESOURCES AND FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM, SO I'M ASKING YOU TO MAKE A MOTION IN SUPPORT OF IT. IF IT'S YOUR DESIRE TO DO SO, SO THAT I CAN START TO LINE UP THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE EVENT, WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. ANGELA NAPOLITANO I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A COMMENT OR A QUESTION. AND BY THE WAY, KICKBALL WAS MY FAVORITE WHEN I WAS A KID. BUT SO WE'RE PAYING FOR IT. AND WHO IS IT BENEFITING THE THREE PEOPLE? THE THREE GROUPS ARE? OH, OKAY. OKAY, SORRY I MISSED THAT. THANK YOU. OH, IT GOES TO THE KIDS AT GULF HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH. THE ONES THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PLAY THE SPORTS THEY'RE GOING TO. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. RICHEY SUNCOAST THEATER. AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT NEED FUNDING TO HELP GET THEM INTO SUMMER PROGRAMS AT AT THE REC CENTER. GREAT. COUNT ME IN. I'M A GOOD KICKBALL KICKBALL PLAYER. YEAH. ANYBODY ELSE? KATE CONNOLLY, VERMONT AVENUE. I AM IN 100% SUPPORT OF ANY KICKBALL TOURNAMENT AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPORTS, OTHER THAN SOCCER OR FOOTBALL IN EUROPE. I WOULD LOVE TO CHALLENGE THE MAYOR HIMSELF IF HE IS WILLING TO PLAY, BUT I'D BE GLAD TO SEE HIM REFEREE AND I'M SO EAGER TO SEE SUCH SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF IT BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THE THEATER. I LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT, BUT GREAT IDEA AND THANK YOU FOR DOING IT. ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, SO WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THE EVENT. I'LL SECOND THAT MAKER. NO, I THINK IT'S A GREAT EVENT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.HOPEFULLY WE GET A LOT A LOT OF PARTICIPATION. I'M JUST DISAPPOINTED. KATE CHALLENGED CHOPPER BEFORE ME. PETER, IT'S NOT A ONE ON ONE SUPPORT. MAYBE NOT THE KIND OF KICKBALL I'M THINKING ABOUT, BUT. COULD I HEAR THE DATE AGAIN? NOVEMBER 14TH. NOVEMBER 14TH STARTING AT
[01:30:10]
8 A.M. SO. AND OH, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE FIELD USED. AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO OCCUPY OUR TERRITORY. THANK YOU. JUST TO SAY THAT, JUST TO SAY THAT THE THE PERSON WHO MOTIONED AND SECONDED, I HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS OUT THERE AND HAVE TEAMS. THEY'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO A TEAM. ARE YOU COMMITTING TO A TEAM? I WILL JOIN A TEAM. OH, I HOPE THERE'S AT LEAST TWO BLUE SHIRT TEAMS. JUST TO START WITH. IT IS AN ADULT LEAGUE AND AND IT'S COED MINIMUM MINIMUM OF TEN ON A TEAM AND FOUR HAVE TO BE WOMEN. SO YOU CAN HAVE MORE. IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN TEN ALL ALL WILL KICK OR BAT IF YOU WANT TO SAY THAT. BUT THE TWO OF THE FIELDS WILL BE AT SWETMAN AND THEN THE OTHER TWO WILL BE AT GULF HIGH. AND WE. OF COURSE, WE ALREADY HAVE APPROVAL OF GOLF I. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE SPONSORING. WE'RE SPONSORING OUR, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUT GULF HIGH KIDS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN'T AFFORD TO PLAY PLAY THEIR SPORTS. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I AND THAT'S. FIVE AND THEN ALSO YOU CAN REGISTER AT THE REC CENTER. THEY HAVE THE APPLICATION THERE. AND IF YOU SEE ME AROUND TOWN YOU MIGHT JUST GET AN APPLICATION FROM ME. ANYHOW, REGISTER AT REC CENTER. OKAY.[11.d) FY 2026-2027 In-Kind Support for Special Events]
THE 2026 627 IN-KIND SUPPORT OF SPECIAL EVENTS. BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS TO REVIEW THE RECOMMENDED ALLOCATION OF IN-KIND SUPPORT FOR OUR ANNUALIZED SPECIAL EVENTS OCCURRING DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2627. AS I'M SURE YOU'LL ALL RECALL EACH YEAR, THIS IN YOUR IN YOUR BUDGET, WE APPROPRIATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT OUR ANNUALIZED IN SPECIAL EVENTS. ON AN IN-KIND BASIS FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO, THE NONPROFITS THAT DO PROVIDE EVENTS DURING THE YEAR THAT PROVIDE A COMMUNITY BENEFIT. AND THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS. CODY RIVER BIKE FEST. PACK THE PARK THE DOWNTOWN. TRICK OR TREAT, THE HOLIDAY STREET PARADE, THE DOWNTOWN NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENT, CHASCO FIESTA STREET PARADE AND CHASCO FIESTA. THIS YEAR, WE BUDGETED AN AMOUNT OF $119,000 TO SUPPORT THOSE EXPENDITURES, AND AS IS THE CASE EVERY YEAR, THEIR REQUEST EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND WE PREVENT IT.AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE WE'VE RECOMMENDED AN AMOUNT BASED ON WHAT THEIR EVENT COSTS WERE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. AND KEVIN AND I WORKED ON A RECOMMENDATION TO ADVANCE TO YOU THIS EVENING. AND OUR RECOMMENDED AMOUNT IS AS FOLLOWS. CODY RIVER BIKE FAST RECOMMEND ASKED FOR $30,000, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING AN AMOUNT OF $25,000 PACK. THE PARK ASKED FOR $5,000. THEIR EVENT COST LAST YEAR WERE ONLY 2000. WELL, THEY WERE UNDER 2000. WERE RECOMMENDING 2000 DOWNTOWN. TRICK OR TREAT. THEY ASKED FOR 3000. WE'RE RECOMMENDING 3000, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR EXPENSES. LAST YEAR, THE HOLIDAY STREET PARADE ASKED FOR 15,000. WE ARE RECOMMENDING 13,000. THEY DID SHOW HIGHER EVENT COSTS. FOR SOME REASON. THEIR EVENT COSTS WERE MUCH HIGHER FOR THE HOLIDAY STREET PARADE THAN FOR THE CHASCO STREET PARADE, THE DOWNTOWN NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENT REQUESTED $45,000, WHICH INCLUDED A LOT OF COSTS THAT WEREN'T CITY COSTS. THEY WERE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE PRIVATE COSTS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT, AND THE BALL DROP.
[01:35:09]
WE'RE RECOMMENDING 18,000. THE CHASCO FIESTA STREET PARADE REQUEST WAS 15,000. WE'RE RECOMMENDING 13,000. THE CHASCO FIESTA REQUESTED 65,000, AND WE'RE REQUESTING 45,000. AND IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE TO NOTE THAT LAST YEAR. WE WAIVED THE ENTIRE FEE FOR CHASCO FIESTA AND THE CODY RIVER BIKE FEST, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE TO PAY THEIR EVENT FEES AT ALL. AND THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE WAIVED LAST YEAR FOR THE CODY RIVER BIKE FEST WAS 31,000 285,000, AND THE AMOUNT WAIVED FOR CHASCO FIESTA WAS 40 JUST OVER $48,000. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OF US. WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU KNOW, I DON'T SHOW UP FOR LIKE A YEAR AND THEN YOU CAN'T SIT I CAN'T I CAN'T SHUT UP. BUT I'M A LITTLE UPSET ABOUT THE PACK, THE PARK. ANGELA NAPOLITANO I'M REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE PACK, THE PARK THAT YOU WOULD TRY TO LOWER WHAT THEY'RE ASKING BECAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST FUNDRAISER FOR PACK A SACK. AND I'M THE PAKISTANI LIAISON AT GULF MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO EVEN FEED ALL THE HUNGRY CHILDREN. I HAVE A WAIT LIST FOR KIDS. SO TO EVEN LIKE, I THINK THEY JUST OH, THEY ONLY ASKED FOR FIVE GRAND, BUT YOU'RE WAVING CODY RIVER BIKE FEST AND CHASCO. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THEY GO TO I'M SURE THEY, I, I'M HOPING THAT THEY GO TO OTHER CHARITIES AND STUFF. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FEEDING OUR CHILDREN HERE IN OUR BACKYARD. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD RECONSIDER. I DON'T NEED THE EYE ROLLS. I'M JUST HOPING THAT YOU WOULD RECONSIDER AND, AND GIVE ONE COMMUNITY NOW THE 5000 THAT THEY NEED, LIKE AS A LIAISON. I'M, I'M GOING AROUND MYSELF TRYING TO RAISE MONEY AND, AND DO THE DONATION OF THE RAFFLE BASKET AND ALL OF THAT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FEED THESE POOR KIDS. THANK YOU. MR. MAYOR. DID YOU WANT ME TO RESPOND? ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? SEEING NO ONE ELSE, COME GET ONE. OKAY. YES. GOOD EVENING. I'M CHUCK GRAY, 5636 GRAND BOULEVARD, NEWPORT. RICHIE, I OWN THE OLDEST BUSINESS IN NEWPORT. RICHIE.AND BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND ENJOYED THE WAY I'VE SEEN THE GROWTH OCCUR. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INTENTIONS HERE TONIGHT WITH THE WITH BOTH THE BRAINSTORM GROUP AND I'M SURE THE OTHER GROUP AS WELL. I DON'T HAVEN'T HEARD THEIR PROPOSAL, BUT I THINK THEY'RE BOTH WORTHY AND I THINK THEY BOTH NEED TIME FOR CONSIDERATION. BUT I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHASCO FIESTA BUDGET. I'M VICE PRESIDENT, HAVE BEEN DOING CHASCO FOR OVER 30 YEARS NOW AND. I LOOKED OVER THE PROPOSAL FOR SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE CITY. WE SPEND, WE HAVE TO RAISE. WE HAVE A BOARD THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S THAT'S AN EMPLOYED PERSON THAT WE PAY. EVERYBODY ELSE IS A VOLUNTEER.
AND WE ALL SPEND HUNDREDS OF HOURS. WE SPEND OUR OWN MONEY. WE RAISE MONEY BY GOING OUT AND FINDING SPONSORSHIPS AND SO FORTH. WE WE HAVE TO RAISE OVER $300,000 TO PUT ON CHASCO FIESTA FOR NINE DAYS. I WAS ALSO ONE OF THE INITIAL PEOPLE THAT STARTED BIKE FEST WITH DAN TIPTON, THAT WAS MAYOR AT THAT TIME. AND SCOTT MILLER, WHO WAS CITY MANAGER AT THAT TIME. IT'S A GREAT EVENT. AND BUT I DECIDED THAT I WOULD PEEL THAT OFF OF WHAT I WAS DOING BECAUSE CHASCO FIESTA TAKES SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT. WE LITERALLY WORK ALL YEAR ROUND TO PUT THE
[01:40:05]
PUT THE EVENT TOGETHER. AND I NOTICED THAT THE BIKE FEST WAS GETTING. I WAS SUGGESTING $25,000 SUPPORT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT WHAT I DO THINK IS THAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF A PER DIEM COMPARABLE SUPPORT FOR CHASCO FIESTA. WE'RE A NINE DAY EVENT. IF THE PER DIEM FOR BIKE FEST, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M USING THEM ONLY AS AN EXAMPLE, IS, LET'S SAY $8,000. AND THEY'RE GETTING 25,000. SO BASED ON THAT, OUR NINE DAY EVENT SHOULD BE 72,000. BUT WE ONLY ASKED FOR 65,000. AND I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TIME AND EFFORT, TALENT AND TREASURE THAT IT TAKES TO PUT ON CHASCO FIESTA FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY, AND NONE OF US GET ONE DIME. THIS IS NOTHING. WE WE DON'T WE DON'T PROFIT FROM CHASCO FIESTA AT ALL. NONE OF US DO. AND I JUST THINK THAT IT'S A GREAT EVENT. IT'S OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD. WE'VE WE'VE DEVELOPED IT INTO A REGIONAL EVENT AND WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE. MY TIME IS UP. OKAY. SO ANYWAY, I'D LIKE YOU TO RECONSIDER THAT AMOUNT, THAT ADDITIONAL 15,000. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. HELLO, COUNCIL, I'M MICHELLE HEMPHILL, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SAC, WHICH IS THE PARK TO PARK FOR PARK EVENT. I JUST RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT ALL THE NON-PROFITS I UNDERSTAND BUDGET WISE, YOU HAVE TO CUT. BUT WE REALLY DO NEED THE $5,000 TO COVER THE EXPENSES. AND I'D ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER BECAUSE, AS ANGELA SAID SO, WELL, WE ARE TRYING TO FEED KIDS HERE, NOT JUST IN PASCO COUNTY, BUT A LOT OF KIDS HERE IN NEWPORT. RICHIE. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? GO AHEAD. DEBBIE. I'LL COVER BOTH MATTERS. IN-KIND MEANS WE COVER OUR STAFF EXPENSES. WE CAN'T USE THE PUBLIC FUNDS TO HELP PROVIDE THE FOOD SERVICES.OUR ESTIMATES FOR PACK THE PARK ARE THAT IT'S GOING TO COST LESS THAN $2,000 FOR STAFF EXPENSES. THAT IS WHY I LIMITED THE CONTRIBUTION TO $2,000 THAT WILL COVER ALL OF OUR EXPENSES.
SO YOU WILL HAVE NO CHARGES FOR THE EVENT. THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS. AND IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE PERCEIVED DISPARITY BETWEEN WHAT IS BEING RECOMMENDED FOR CODY RIVER BIKE FEST AND WHAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED FOR CHASCO, IT'S RELATED TO THE FACT THAT CODY RIVER BIKE FEST DOESN'T CHARGE ANYTHING FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER THE PARK, AND CHASCO DOES. THEY CHARGE AN ENTRY FEE, SO THEY'RE MAKING THAT REVENUE FOR PEOPLE ENTERING THE PARK. SO AND THAT'S THE ONLY EVENT WE HAVE IN THE CITY WHERE THEY MAKE AN ENTRY FEE OFF OF EVERYBODY THAT ENTERS. AND NOT EVERYBODY LIKES THAT. WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE, BUT THAT'S REVENUE THAT THEY MAY OFF OF USING OUR PARK FACILITY. SO THAT KIND OF MAKES UP FOR THE LITTLE BIT OF LOSS IN THE AMOUNT OF IN-KIND THAT THEY RECEIVE. AND THAT'S HOW WE VIEWED IT. IF YOU VIEW IT DIFFERENTLY, YOU'RE THE BOSSES, WE CARRY OUT YOUR ORDERS. TELL ME WHAT THE NUMBER IS. REMIND ME THOSE TWO NUMBERS AGAIN, OR REMIND THE PUBLIC ALSO OF WHAT THEIR WHAT THEIR REVENUE, WHAT THEY ASK FOR IS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR AND WHAT WE DECIDED. WELL, THEY ASKED FOR 65,000 AND WE GAVE THEM 45,000. AND WHAT DID THEY HAVE? THEY SAY THEIR, THEIR COSTS WERE LESS. I HAVE TO LOOK IT UP. IT'S IN THE REPORT. 6586 OKAY. BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION. VOTE. FOR DISCUSSION. LET ME LET ME PUT MY $0.02 IN TESCO FIESTA OVER 100 YEARS OLD. ALL THE YEARS UP UNTIL THE ECONOMY TANKED IN 2003 TO 2007. SOMETIME IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THE CITY'S
[01:45:04]
OFFICIALS WERE VERY STRAPPED FOR MONEY. AND SO THEY SET UP THIS PROCESS TO CHARGE. AT THAT TIME, UP UNTIL THAT TIME, THE CITY'S ORDINANCE, THEIR ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, SAID THAT NO ONE WHO'S A CIVIC ORGANIZATION OR A NONPROFIT SHOULD BE CHARGED FOR CROWD CONTROL. SO TO ME, THIS IS A CROWD CONTROL ISSUE, CROWD CONTROL FOR THE BIKE FEST GOES WELL BEYOND THE PERIMETERS OF THE PARK. THE PARK IS NOT THE LIMITATION OF THAT EVENT FOR CHASCO FIESTA. HOPEFULLY WE CAN SORT OUT THIS WHOLE ISSUE ABOUT THE REASON TO CHARGE, BUT THE REASON TO CHARGE IS BECAUSE WE. THAT COMMITTEE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THE CARNIVAL ANYMORE.BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE CITY. IT'S BECOME DENSER AND WE CAN'T PUT THE CARNIVAL IN TOWN ANYMORE. SO NOT A DIME IS MADE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHARGING MONEY, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CHUCK AND CAMI AUSTIN, WHO'S BEEN THE PRESIDENT FOR MANY YEARS, WORK ALL YEAR FOR WHICH YOU MAY OR MAY NOT LIKE OR ENJOY. AND I'M SORRY, BUT IF YOU WON'T PAY THE $5, WHY DID YOU PAY $10 TO PARK TO GO THERE? BECAUSE THE MONEY IS GOING FOR PORTA POTTIES AND AND CONTROL AND POLICE AND SECURITY THAT'S HIRED IN ORDER TO CHECK EVERYBODY'S POCKETS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SAFE TO GO IN. SO THE CITY HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE THEN. WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS FOR OVER TWO YEARS ABOUT HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN KIND. MONEY IN THE BUDGET IS NOT REAL MONEY.
THE REAL MONEY IS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND THAT REAL MONEY IS PAID BY TAXPAYERS MONEY, JUST LIKE THE RECREATION CENTER. ALL OF THE FREE CONCERTS, IF I MAY, ARE NOW INCLUDING MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION TO SELL ALCOHOL TO MAKE MONEY FOR THEIR NONPROFIT, WHICH DOES A CITY SERVICE. THE CHASCO FIESTA COMMITTEE PROVIDES A CITY SERVICE. IT'S IT'S NONPROFIT IS ITSELF. IT'S PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS GROUP HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL DAY. SO WHEN YOU SAY IN-KIND, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THE PACK, THE PARK, ASKING FOR MONEY FOR YOUR PROJECT, FOR WHAT YOU DO, OR FOR THE CHASCO FIESTA FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT'S COST A GOOD BIT OF MONEY, INCLUDING THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE CITY RELIES ON THAT NONPROFIT ENTITY TO CARRY ON THIS, THIS WHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CITY PROJECT. OUR NEW 4TH OF JULY, OUR NEW NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION, OUR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, HAD BEEN SPONSORED PRIVATELY BY JOHN GILLIS, WHO'S HERE. AND SHOUT OUT TO JOHN FOR PUTTING ON THE FIREWORKS FOR ALL THESE YEARS. THANK YOU JOHN.
HAVE A WHOLE COMMITTEE OF A WHOLE BUILDING HERE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER PRIVATELY PROFITING AND WANTING TO HELP MOVE THE CITY FORWARD, AND GOOD FOR THAT GROUP. I FEEL LIKE I'M IN CHURCH AND IT'S THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM OVER THERE, AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS EVERYBODY HAS AN INTEREST IN THIS CITY. WHEN WE COME TO NONPROFITS AND WE TALK ABOUT CHARGING $5, WE COULD RELEASE THE $5. WE COULD LET EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY'S RECREATION DEPARTMENT GET IN FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY'RE A MEMBER OF OUR CITY. TOURISTS COME IN, TOURISTS FEED OUR ECONOMY, OUR PRIVATE ECONOMY, BUT THEY ALSO ARE HELPING TO FEED THE REVENUES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PUT ALL THESE PROJECTS ON. SO I WOULD SIMPLY SAY THAT BECAUSE WE ARE THIS FAR ALONG AND THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN MADE THAT I WILL VOTE, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION SO I CAN BE THE FIRST ONE TO TALK ONCE IT BECOMES OFFICIAL, IF SOMEONE WILL SECOND IT. MOTION TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND AS PRESENTED? I'LL SECOND IT BECAUSE WE CAN AMEND THE MOTION.
YES. MR. MAYOR, IF I COULD SPEAK FIRST. SURE, I ALREADY DID. BUT NOW I GET TO SPEAK FIRST AGAIN. BUT MODIFICATIONS DO YOU WANT TO MAKE? WELL, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS, BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT WHAT I HEARD ABOUT PACK THE PARK SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF THE OTHER NON-PROFITS TO GET INVOLVED IN YOUR SOFTBALL AND YOUR TOURNAMENT. IN OUR WINTER WONDERLAND, AND IN ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER'S CHARITY CHARITABLE CAUSES FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CITY AND OUR RESIDENTS. SO GETTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2000 AND THE 5000 YOU'RE ASKED FOR IS GOING TO COME FROM THIS ROOM.
[01:50:05]
I'M GOING TO BET, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL LET THE WORD OUT THAT IT'S NEEDED, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP SPONSOR A KICKBALL TEAM WITH YOUR PACK THE PARK GROUP, AND SEE IF WE COULDN'T GET THE MAYOR TO MAYBE INCLUDE THAT IN SOME KIND OF CHARITABLE SHARE. OR IF NOT, AT LEAST. BOTTOM LINE IS WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. AND THERE'S BEEN AN AWFUL LOT OF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BREWING BAD BLOOD, WHICH WHICH WE DON'T DESERVE. WE ALL AGREE. IT'S A GREAT PLACE. I MAKE THE MOTION. IF WE DON'T LIKE IT, IT'S BECAUSE THE CITY HAS DECIDED WHAT THE BILL IS. SO MY FINAL WORD IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GIVING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH OF OUR CITY'S RESOURCES ARE WE PUTTING TO THESE EVENTS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERTIME OF OR EXTRA SERVICES OF POLICE, AND YOU LOOK AT THE CHASCO FIESTA, WHEN IN THE OLD DAYS THE TOWN WAS DEAD, WE MOWED THE SIDEWALKS AND EVERYBODY WENT TO CHASCO FIESTA. AND YOU WENT IN THERE AND YOU BOUGHT YOUR FOOD AND YOU BOUGHT YOUR DRINK AND YOU HAD YOUR. NOW THE CHASCO IS PRETTY OKAY, BUT THEN WHEN IT'S OVER, THEY GO FOR THREE HOURS TO RAILROAD SQUARE TO PARTY. AND WHAT DO I SEE? POLICE, FIRE SERVICES, ALL PROVIDED. SO WE'RE ONE CITY. IT'S ABOUT TIME WE KIND OF STOPPED THIS MADNESS THAT I THINK IS OCCURRING.RECOGNIZE THE EXPENSES? LET US KNOW AS A COUNCIL. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO PRETEND THAT WE'RE GIVING MONEY TO ANYBODY. WE'RE GIVING SERVICES AND THEY'RE DESERVED SERVICES, AND THEY'RE JUST AS DESERVED AS THE SERVICES OF US MAINTAINING PEACE IN OUR STREETS UNTIL 2:00 IN THE MORNING, IN OUR COMMERCIAL ZONES AND AREAS. SO THE WHOLE THING WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A WORK SESSION. I'M CALLING FOR IT STILL, BUT THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR. LET'S JUST GO THROUGH THIS ONE MORE YEAR, BUT PLEASE, LET'S HAVE THAT MEETING. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT UP HERE FOR A LONG TIME. THANK YOU. SECOND. YOU KNOW, I'M I'M IN AGREEANCE.
WITH WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT PETER'S GOT TO SAY UP HERE? YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A TON OF EVENTS.
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE EVENTS ARE FOR A REASON. THEY'RE TO GENERATE REVENUE IN OUR CITY, HELP OUR BUSINESSES CREATE TRAFFIC SUPPORT, NOT FOR PROFIT. YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU ALL ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON. AND I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF US WORK TOGETHER COHESIVELY TO TRY TO PUT THESE EVENTS TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, FOR MYSELF, I'M ON THE CHASCO FIESTA COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, SO I CAN SPEAK TO THAT WHOLEHEARTEDLY OF THE TIME IT TAKES AND WHAT EFFORT THERE IS THERE TO DO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE COST INVOLVED, THE TIME. AND AS WE ALL KNOW HERE, EVERYTHING'S GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE. NOTHING'S GETTING ANY CHEAPER, YOU KNOW. SO I DO AGREE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S KIND OF ROLL WITH THESE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR. BUT MOVING FORWARD, I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE MORE OF A BEFOREHAND NUMBER SO WE CAN KIND OF GET THESE NUMBERS INVOLVED AND GET THEM IN OUR BUDGET. SO THIS WAY WE DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE. BUT ALSO ON THE OTHER HAND, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING THESE EVENTS OUT BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF WE'RE NOT HERE TO HELP, AND I'M NOT SAYING JUST THE CITY, I'M SAYING COMMUNITY AS WELL, SOME OF THESE EVENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE. SO WE NEED TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF THAT. SO I'M KIND OF PUTTING IT OUT THERE TO YOU GUYS. WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR PART TODAY, BUT I WANT TO SEE YOU GUYS DO YOUR PART GOING FORWARD. MATT. YEAH, I AGREE WITH BOTH OF THEM ON THAT. WE NEED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO REALLY LOOK AT IT FROM MY, MY PERSPECTIVE IS I THINK THAT ANY CITY DEEMED EVENT THAT WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY BIG ONES THAT WE'VE HAD FOR LONG PERIODS OF YEARS, LIKE CHASCO AND, AND CODY RIVER. AND THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR SERVICES PROVIDED. AND THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A, NOT A COST ASSOCIATED. WE JUST PROVIDED SERVICES TO PUT ON THOSE EVENTS BECAUSE IT'S OUR CITY. AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT EXPENSES ON OUR SIDE TO KEEP GOING UP. YOU KNOW, THE EVENT FROM CHASCO FROM 20 YEARS AGO IS A LOT DIFFERENT FROM THE EVENT OF CHASCO NOW. BUT TECHNOLOGY AND HAVING TO PLAN FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST ALL KINDS OF CONTINGENCIES WITH CROWDS AND THAT KIND OF THING. IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT. IT'S A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. AND WE NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE. SO WE JUST GOT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M I'M A BELIEVER IN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A CITY EVENT. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PROBABLY PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE PACKAGE. BUT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE SPENDING TOO. YEAH, I THINK PART OF THE DISCONNECT AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE LAST YEAR ABOUT HOW
[01:55:01]
WE WANT TO START TACKLING THE EVENT PROCESS AND HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TO THE TO THE CREDIT OF THE THE DEPUTY MAYOR, JONAS, HE'S KIND OF TAKEN THE LEAD ON THAT TO, YOU KNOW, POKE THE CITY COUNCIL TO TRY TO GET THEM TO START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. AND WE HAVE BEEN I MEAN, FEBRUARY 17TH, THERE WAS A WORK SESSION WHERE WE KIND OF LAID OUT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. I. JONAS WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO TALKED ABOUT THE CHINA GIVE SOME SORT OF CRITERIA TO THOSE EVENTS CONNECTED TO THE FLORIDA SPORTS COAST. AND I SEE HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE A REGISTERED 501 C THREE. SO WE DID GIVE INPUT TO TO STAFF. AND I THINK WHERE. AND SINCE THEN, NOW, YOU KNOW, I GET IT'S BUDGET SEASON. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT THAT COMES WITH THAT. BUT SINCE THEN, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD MENTIONED OR IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COUNCILMAN ALTMAN, I CAN'T REMEMBER, IS MORE OF A A TIERED STRUCTURE WHERE I MEAN, THE ONE COMMITTEE NOW IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. THEY'RE COMING HERE REQUESTING FIVE. WE'RE HAVING THEM ESSENTIALLY GUESS OF WHAT THEY MAY NEED, EVEN THOUGH AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CALCULATIONS ARE DONE BY STAFF. AND THEN STAFF IS SAYING, WELL, WE THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE CLOSER TO TWO. SO THEN WHEN IT COMES BACK BEFORE COUNCIL, COUNCIL'S INTENT IS TO DO 100% IN-KIND SUPPORT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ONLY DOING 60% BECAUSE THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS THEY'RE GOING TO BE CHARGED AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CHARGED. AND TO THE CITY MANAGER'S POINT AND TO COUNCILMAN ALTMAN'S POINT, IT'S NOT CASH. IT'S NOT A CHECK. IT'S THE CALCULATED COST OF RUNNING THE EVENT. AND THAT COST PRIMARILY IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY HAS TO COME FIRST. AND SO IF THIS COUNCIL DECIDES THAT FOR CHASCO FIESTA, THEY PROVIDE THEIR OWN SECURITY, THEIR OWN FENCING. AND SO ALTHOUGH THERE IS A POLICE PRESENCE, WE BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE 100% IN KIND, THEN I THINK THAT DIRECTION SHOULD BE GIVEN VERSUS, HEY, CHASCO GUESS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND $65,000 WORTH OF IN-KIND SUPPORT FROM POLICE AND FIRE AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEN HAVE CITY COUNCIL COME BACK AND ONLY GIVE YOU 45. IN MY MIND, THE EASIEST WAY TO CORRECT THIS GOING FORWARD IS WE DID GIVE STAFF A CRITERIA. NOW WE NEED TO PUT NUMBERS TO IT. IF YOU HAVE FLORIDA SPORTS, IF YOU CAN PROVE THERE'S AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT WITH FLORIDA SPORTS COAST ATTACHED TO IT, AND YOU'RE A 501 C 3 OR 501 C FOUR, THEN AT THAT POINT, EXCUSE ME ONLY AT 5O1C3. AT THAT POINT YOU GET 100% FUNDING CONTINGENT ON APPROVAL BY COUNCIL, 100% FUNDING, NOT $2,000 OR $6000 OR $18,000. BECAUSE TO MR. GRAY'S POINT, IT'S JUST NOT PROPORTIONAL ACROSS THE EVENTS. AND SO GOING FORWARD, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS ANOTHER WORKSHOP.I THINK WE WORKSHOPPED IT TO DEATH. I THINK CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO COME BACK WITH US AND SAY, GOING FORWARD, NEXT YEAR'S EVENTS, YOU WE'VE LAID OUT A STRUCTURED TIER SYSTEM, 100%, 80%, 50%. WE CAN SET THE CALCULATION UP HERE. THAT WAY, WHEN STAFF COMES AND RUNS THEIR NUMBERS, THEY JUST KICK IT BACK TO US FOR FINAL APPROVAL AND WE'RE DONE. WE GAVE THEM A PERCENTAGE DIRECTION VERSUS THIS. WELL, CHASCO GOT SIX GRAND OR 45 GRAND AND A BIKE FEST GOT 25. AND SO THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T THINK IT IS IN GOOD CONSCIENCE TO AGAIN, SAY, YOU KNOW, WE TOLD THEM THIS LAST YEAR, WE SAID, LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO GET THE HOUSE IN ORDER AROUND EVENTS. AND TO THE CITY MANAGER'S CREDIT, THERE WAS A WORK SESSION. IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED. THERE'S A THERE'S BEEN AN EVOLUTION ON THE CITY STAFF SIDE OF HOW THE CITY EVENT PROCESS TAKES PLACE. SO THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENTS. I DON'T WANT TO DISCREDIT THAT.
BUT THE CORE ISSUE OF THE CITY COUNCIL SETTING THE CRITERIA AND POLICY HAS NOT BEEN MET. SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR CITY STAFF TO PRESENT THAT TIERED LIST OF PERCENTAGES FOR NEXT YEAR AND FOR THIS YEAR, SINCE WE DIDN'T GET THE JOB DONE. THAT'S NOT THE FAULT OF BIKE FEST. THAT'S NOT THE FAULT OF ONE COMMUNITY. NOW WE SHOULD GIVE THE THE SAME TIERS AS WE DID BEFORE, WHICH CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE ENDED UP JUST HONORING THEIR REQUEST, WHICH WOULD BE 100%. SO IF THE SECOND AND THE MOTION WOULD MODIFY TO SAY WE WILL GIVE THE REQUESTED AMOUNT FOR THESE EVENTS AT 100% UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ALREADY KNOW IN ONE CASE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FIVE GRAND, IT'S GOING TO BE TWO GRAND. SO WE KNOW WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY SPENDING THE REQUESTED AMOUNTS POTENTIALLY BY DOING THAT. EVERYONE HERE WHO HAS BEEN EVERYONE THAT WAS HERE LAST YEAR WHO WAS LED TO BELIEVE WE WERE CHANGING THE PROCESS IS STILL BEING HELD TO THAT BELIEF. WE'RE BEING FAIR. AND THEN WE NEED TO SET A DATE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, FEBRUARY. WE NEED AN ACTUAL ITEM THAT CHANGES THE PROCESS FOR HOW WE DO THOSE EVENTS, AND IT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE SPECIAL EVENTS SNEAKS UP ON US AGAIN. BUT IF THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO CHANGING THAT, AND I KNOW I'LL BE THE BIGGEST ADVOCATE, I THINK ONE OF THE BEST IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WORK SESSION WAS THE
[02:00:02]
FLORIDA SPORTS COAST, FINDING WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THEM. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IN OUR TIERED RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT FOR, FOR FOR THESE EVENTS, I THINK WE SHOULD AMEND THE MOTION TO DO FULL FUNDING, KNOWING IT'S NOT EVEN GOING TO BE THAT AMOUNT. IT'S GOING TO BE LESS, HOPEFULLY. I JUST THINK THAT. I JUST THINK WE'RE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM AT THE AT THE STARTING GATE. AND LAST YEAR WE WENT AHEAD AND, AND FORGO THE COST, THE TOTAL COST ON TWO EVENTS.SO THIS IS JUST A STARTING GATE. THIS ISN'T WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, THE WHOLE EVENT IS GOING TO GO ON THE CHASCO THE MODIFICATIONS ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS YEAR. THEY'RE PUTTING IT TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. SO THIS IS JUST A STARTING GATE. AND SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE STARTING GATE NUMBERS. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. WAS THERE ANY ENTERTAINMENT FROM THE SECOND OR MOTION TO AMEND. NO, NO. IF THE SECOND WANTS TO ASK ME TO I'LL CONSIDER IT. BUT I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S UP TO THE YOU SAID IT. WHATEVER BILL IS GENERATED BY THE COMMITTEES IS THE AMOUNT THAT THE ENTITIES ARE BEING CHARGED, AND THEN THEY'RE BEING DISCOUNTED. SO WE GET THE ABILITY TO CHARGE MONEY TO THE NONPROFITS TO GIVE US BACK MONEY TO HELP US PAY FOR SERVICES. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MOTION, ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECOME MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T IDENTIFY WHAT PART OF TOWN IS BEING AFFECTED BY THE AMOUNT OF SECURITY THAT'S REQUIRED. SO BASICALLY, WE'RE IN CHARGE OF SECURITY. I MEAN, THE OLD THE OLD DEAL WAS CROWD CONTROL AND CROWD CONTROL AND SAFETY AND SECURITY TO ME IS WHAT WAS MEANT BY THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE OF OUR CITY. AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT THE CROWD CONTROL FIGURES MATCH UP WITH THE AMOUNTS THAT WE'VE APPROVED, AND THAT THE CITY MANAGER COMES BACK TO LET US KNOW HOW MUCH OVERTIME AND EXPENSES ARE REQUIRED, BECAUSE IT'S NO LONGER, AGAIN, IT'S NO LONGER THE DOWNTOWN OR THE CITY'S PARK. AND FRANKLY, I SAY TAKE OUT THE FENCES, STOP CHARGING THE FIVE BUCKS, BUT STOP MAKING THEM RAISE THE MONEY WITH A $5 CHARGE THAT THAT OFFENDS SOMEBODY SO THAT WE CAN PAY YOU THE DIFFERENCE IN THE POLICE THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD BECAUSE WE'VE GOT PORTA POTTIES, EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, NATIVE AMERICANS OVERNIGHT STAY, HOTEL STAYS, INSURANCE. IT'S A BIG DEAL AND IT'S A BIG COST. AND IT'S THANKFUL TO FOLKS LIKE CHUCK, CAMMY AUSTIN TO, TO YOU AS A NEW MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE AND TO THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE, IT WAS IT WAS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHEN WE HAD A NEW PORT RICHEY CHAMBER, AND IT WAS THE CITY. AND IT WAS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE LIBRARY WAS THE BENEFACTOR. WAY BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS OF SOME OF THIS, THE CITY'S LIBRARY. SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CITY EVENT. PLEASE RELOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS AND SEE IF WE CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN TO TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMENT. I DO AGREE WITH IT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE MOTION SO WE CAN JUST KEEP ROLLING AND, AND THE $5 IS GOING TO THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT THEY HAVE TO HIRE. IT'S NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HELP SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT. SO, SO THIS MOTION IS JUST FOR THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS BY CITY STAFF. SO FOR EXAMPLE, CHASCO FIESTA WOULD GET WOULD GET IN-KIND SUPPORT UP TO 45,000.
IF THEY GO OVER THAT, THEN THEY HAVE TO PAY THAT, MAKE THAT DECISION. LET US KNOW SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE COST. LAST YEAR WENT OVER. WE DIDN'T CHARGE THEM LAST YEAR. LET'S USE THIS AS A WAY TO COLLECT DATA FOR THE SOLUTION. I HAVE THE DATA. THERE'S SEVEN PAGES OF DATA RIGHT HERE. THERE'S POLICE'S 18,000, 15,000, 9000 FIRE AT ONE POINT WAS 200 AND IT WENT UP TO SIX GRAND WITH NO EXPLANATION. SO EXCUSE ME, I HAVE THE DATA. WE HAVE THAT DATA TOO. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU'RE YOU'RE IN THIS RESPECT IN THE ACTUAL REPORT 65,000. RIGHT. BUT IN YOUR REPORT IN THE REPORT FOR CHASCO, IT SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN. AND IN EVERY SINGLE CASE, IT'S THE POLICE THAT THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST COST EXCEPT FOR ONE COMMUNITY. NOW, BECAUSE THERE IS NO CROWD CONTROL COST FOR THAT. AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES THEY THEY GET TO ADMINISTER, THE CITY MANAGER GETS TO ADMINISTER AND DECIDE WHO TO PUT WHERE. BUT IT'S CITY COUNCIL'S JOB TO DECIDE PERCENTAGES AND DECIDE IF WE WANT TO GIVE IN-KIND SUPPORT IN THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, POLICE COULD TURN AROUND AND PACK THE PARK COULD TURN OUT TO BE A $6,000 EVENT, AND NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO 90%. YOU ARE INTENT UP HERE IS NOT BEING MET WITH THE CURRENT WITH THE CURRENT STRUCTURE. LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THIS IS A STARTING GATE. THIS ISN'T LOCKED IN NUMBERS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY
[02:05:02]
YES. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A LOT, NOT LESS COMPLICATED. I DON'T THINK WE NEED PERCENTAGES. I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY OF THAT. I THINK IT'S SIMPLE. WHATEVER THE CITY SERVICES ARE, WE PROVIDE THEM. I MEAN, AND IF THERE'S OTHER COSTS THAT THE EVENTS NEED, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY PAY FOR IT OUT OF THEIR SPONSORSHIPS. BUT AS FAR AS THE CITY IS CONCERNED, WE PAY FOR OUR SERVICES, WHAT IT COSTS TO DO IT AND KEEP IT REAL SIMPLE. I JUST, I JUST DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE IT COMPLICATED FOR ALL EVENTS.YOU'RE SAYING FOR FOR ALL EVENTS. WELL, IT'S MOTION SERVICES FOR THE CITY PROVIDES RIGHT? NOT, NOT COST FOR PORTA POTTIES AND ALL THAT KIND OF DIFFERENT EVENT. THAT'S ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW. WE DON'T CHARGE THEM FOR PORTA POTTIES. WE DON'T. THIS IS THE ONLY I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT. BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME DETAIL BECAUSE THERE ARE COSTS OF RENTING THE FACILITY AND THE PEACE HALL AND SOME OF THOSE. AND THOSE ARE STANDARD COSTS.
THEY SHOULD WE SHOULD DECIDE FROM A TIERED BASIS IF WE WANT TO LET THAT GO FOR EVERYBODY, OR PICK OUR 4 OR 5 BIG EVENTS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A CITY DEEMED EVENTS. YEAH. NOT EVERY EVENT. RIGHT. YEAH. SO THERE'S MORE. I THINK I'M GOING TO CALL THE QUESTION IF I CAN. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I THAT'S FOUR AGAINST. OKAY, 4 TO 1. MOVING ON TO RATIFYING
[11.e) Ratification and Approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA)]
APPROVAL OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION. THIS ITEM IS BEFORE YOU. AS A RESULT OF THE FACT THAT THE WEST PASCO ON WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION WAS DUE FOR A WAGE INCREASE COVERING THE FISCAL YEAR 2627 AND AMENDING TWO ARTICLES WITHIN THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. AND MR. WETZEL'S PREPARED TO PRESENT THE AGENDA ITEM TO YOU THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MISS MANNS. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. AFTER A RESPECTFUL AND POSITIVE NEGOTIATING MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE PBA'S NEGOTIATING TEAM, STAFF IS PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU A PROPOSED FINAL AGREEMENT THAT HAS BEEN REACHED BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PBA REGARDING WAGES AND ARTICLE AMENDMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AGREED UPON BY THE UNION AND THE CITY'S NEGOTIATING TEAMS. ARTICLE 14 THE PAY PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO WAGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 627. THE STEPS REFLECTED IN APPENDIX A OF THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT SHALL BE REPLACED AND INCREASED BY 2% FROM FISCAL YEAR 25, 2025 2026. THE INCREASE WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2026. THE NEW STARTING SALARY FOR AN ENTRY LEVEL POLICE OFFICER WILL BE $60,000 PER YEAR. ARTICLE 15 THE HOLIDAYS SECTION FIVE THE LANGUAGE WAS REVISED AND UPDATED WITHIN THIS SECTION TO CLARIFY THE PAYROLL PAYMENT PRACTICES FOR CITY HOLIDAYS, AS IT PERTAINS TO AN EMPLOYEE REQUIRED TO COVER A NON-REGULAR, REGULARLY SCHEDULED SHIFT OR EVENT ON THE ACTUAL HOLIDAY NOT OBSERVED WHEN IT IS THEIR DAY OFF. AND FINALLY, ARTICLE 25. WITH REGARD TO THE PENSION PLAN, IT WAS AGREED TO AMEND THE PENSION PLAN DOCUMENT FOR THE NEW PORT RICHEY POLICE PENSION. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ACTION TAKEN TO AMEND THE FIREFIGHTERS PENSION. THIS. THIS. THIS CURRENT YEAR. AGAIN, WITH REGARD TO THE DEFINITION OF AVERAGE, FINAL COMPENSATION WILL BE REVISED AND UPDATED TO PROVIDE UNIFORMITY REGARDING THE FINAL CALCULATION OF THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS, RATHER THAN HAVING TWO CALCULATIONS AND AMOUNTS THAT THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE CALCULATION AND AMOUNT, THE PORTION OF THE PENSION PLAN THAT WAS FROZEN IN NOVEMBER OF 2017 WILL BE UNFROZEN. TO COMPLETE THIS FINAL CALCULATION, AN ORDINANCE WILL BE PRESENTED FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY CITY COUNCIL AT TWO UPCOMING MEETINGS TO TO REQUEST TO AMEND THE POLICE PENSION. OVERALL, THE BUDGET AND FISCAL IMPACT FOR THIS YEAR, THE FISCAL. THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM WAS ANTICIPATED AND ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027 BUDGET. THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR AMENDMENTS NECESSARY TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027 BUDGET TO FUND THIS ITEM. AND FINALLY, IT'S THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE PBA. I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARD TO THAT PROCESS OR THE ISSUE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. SEEING NO ONE COME FORWARD, BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE. I'D MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION. SECOND, YOU CAN HAVE IT. NO. I'M HAPPY TO SEE[02:10:01]
THAT WE'RE SETTLING UNION NEGOTIATIONS, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. MATT. I'M GOOD.RACHEL. YEAH. JUST TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER AND TO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THE UNION FOR NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH. I I'M VERY PROUD THAT OUR CITY CONTINUES TO HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNION. PETE. I'M GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY I, I I THAT'S FIVE NOTHING. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS NOW. NO, SIR. NO.
OKAY. I'M GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS. WE'LL BE BACK. AT WHAT TIME IS IT. 812.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.