[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
THIS SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA DATED WHAT IS TODAY, JULY 20TH. THANK YOU. 2026 WILL NOW COME TO ORDER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND SORRY THAT I WAS LATE.
WE HAVE A SIMPLE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET.
[1. PUBLIC COMMENT]
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? ONE CARD. OKAY. THREE MINUTES.I THINK IS ADEQUATE. SARAH BOREN. HEY. SARAH BOREN.
3888 STREET. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER CREATING TWO BUDGETS.
ONE WHERE THE AMENDMENT THREE IS PASSED AND ONE WHERE IT'S NOT.
AND I HAVE FOUR REASONS FOR PUTTING FORWARD THIS RECOMMENDATION.
ONE, THERE ARE NOW THREE LAWSUITS AGAINST THIS REFERENDUM.
TWO THE THIRD AND MORE RECENT LAWSUIT BELIEVES THE FIVE YEAR RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR NEWER FLORIDA RESIDENTS TO RECEIVE THE EXPANDED HOMESTEAD BENEFIT COULD VIOLATE EQUAL PROTECTION AND RIGHT TO TRAVEL PRINCIPLES BY TREATING NEWER RESIDENTS DIFFERENTLY FROM EXISTING RESIDENTS.
SO IF THE COURT STRIKES THAT PROVISION, THE FISCAL ESTIMATES WOULD BE WAY OFF THAT ARE FLOATING AROUND AND INACCURATE BECAUSE MORE HOMEOWNERS WOULD QUALIFY SOONER. THREE THERE IS SEEMINGLY NO LEADER STEPPING UP TO PROMOTE AMENDMENT THREE AFTER THE LEGISLATURE FROM PAST IT, GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS PUBLICLY STATED HE WILL VOTE FOR IT.
BUT HE'S NOT GOING TO ADEQUATELY ACTIVELY CAMPAIGN FOR IT.
SO THERE'S A CHANCE THAT WITH NO ACTIVE CHAMPION, IT MIGHT NOT PASS, RIGHT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK GOOD BY BEING PROACTIVE AND HAVING TWO BUDGETS.
SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? HEARING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE COURTESY OF THE FLOOR.
AND WHEN WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER BACK ON THE DAIS, WE'LL PROCEED WITH HIS PRESENTATION.
[2. TOPICS]
EVERYBODY GOT ONE OF THESE? OH, THERE'S TWO, I GET TWO.THANKS. OKAY. MR.. HOGENCAMP. THANK YOU. AND I AM SORRY I'M LATE.
MAYOR AND I WERE. WE'RE PREPARING FOR THIS. AND THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE.
I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES. HI, ABBY. WE APPRECIATE YOU.
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO KICK OFF BY HAVING OUR PUBLIC UTILITIES DIRECTOR, TROY STEVENS, GIVE A PUBLIC UTILITIES OVERVIEW, PLEASE. EVEN IF THAT'S CONTRARY TO THE AGENDA.
THAT WAY, YOU YOU CAN, YOU CAN GO ON HOME. AFTER ANYONE ASKS YOU QUESTIONS LIKE THAT.
I GUESS I'M GOING TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE CIP.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SET UP FOR WE'RE ALMOST COMPLETED AT WATER PLANTS.
WATER PLANT TWO IS COMING TO A HEAD WHERE IT'S ALMOST DONE.
AND WE'LL JUMP ON WATER PLANT THREE RIGHT AFTER THAT.
WE'VE BEEN ELIMINATING THE CHLORINE GAS, WHICH THIS COMMISSION WANTED TO DO.
WE'LL CONTINUE ON A COUPLE OF THOSE THIS COMING YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN REDUCING WATER INFILTRATION INTO OUR SEWER MAINS.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE DONE PALM AVENUE, WE'VE DONE SARATOGA, WE'VE DONE DONNA ROAD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR SMOKE TESTING, SMOKE TESTING AND MIDNIGHT RUNS AND TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE FLOWS COMING IN, WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE COMING IN AT CERTAIN TIMES.
[00:05:07]
A WATER MAIN AS WE SPEAK. SECOND PHASE OF THAT WATER MAIN MATTER OF FACT, THE CONNECTION TO THE BASE.WHAT'S THAT? IS THAT THE CONNECTION TO THE BASE? IT WILL BE.
ULTIMATELY IT WILL BE. SO I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING WHILE WE'RE GOING.
WE'VE STILL GOT A BORE FROM SHERRY DRIVE TO THAT TO THE FRONT OF THEIR SCHOOL.
SO THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE EITHER. OH, OKAY. AND WE'RE DOING THAT PART THE DOING THAT AS WELL.
OKAY. DURING THIS PROJECT. SO I KNOW THE BASE'S STILL THERE.
THEY HAVEN'T EVEN REQUESTED THEIR FINAL TRANCHE OF MONEY THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE CONNECTION.
SO RIGHT WHEN YOU FINISH YOU MAY BE WAITING FOR THEM A BIT.
WELL WE'LL, THE WATERLINE WILL BE THERE AND IT WILL BE UTILIZED ESPECIALLY ALONG MAYPORT ROAD.
YEAH. LET'S SEE, BESIDES THAT, WE HAVE COMPLETED EXPANSION OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, PROVIDE ADEQUATE SERVICE TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
GOING FORWARD, MAJOR CIP PROJECTS RELATED TO THE POTABLE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WILL FOCUS ON REPLACING AGING, SUBSTANDARD WATER MAINS. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT ARE EITHER CAST IRON WATER MAINS THAT'S BEEN IN THE GROUND FOR 40, 50 YEARS OR ASBESTOS CEMENT. THOSE ARE ALSO IN THE IN THE GROUND.
OKAY. SO IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE WILL BE TRYING TO PHASE THOSE OUT AS WELL.
OKAY. NOT THAT THOSE LINES ARE BAD OR BAD HARMLESS HARM.
HARM TO US. BUT THEY'RE 50, 60 YEARS OLD NOW.
YEAH. MAY I ASK THEN DO YOU THINK WE'RE WELL BEHIND THE CURVE ON PHASING OUT? BECAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITH SOME REGULARITY.
WE'RE REPAIRING BUSTED MAINS. WELL WE ARE. I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE NOT THE MAINS THEMSELVES, BUT THE WATER SERVICES. OKAY. SO WOULD YOU SAY WE NEED TO BE ACCELERATING OUR INVESTMENT THERE OR JUST KEEP DOING IT? WE'VE GOT A GOOD CIP. YEAH. I THINK AS WE GO.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WE'RE PRIORITIZING, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM PARTS OF THE CITY AS WE GO.
OKAY. THE, THE PROPOSED CIP WILL ALSO RESULT IN COMPLETION OF OUR WATER PRODUCTION MODERNIZATION EFFORTS BY INSTALLING ADDITIONAL RAW WATER STORAGE AT WATER PLANT TWO.
WITH THAT, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REDUCE INFILTRATION AND INFLOW IN OUR SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM.
AND WE'VE GOT, WE'LL BE MATCHING WITH A 50% GRANT.
SO WE'VE GOT A WE'RE PROPOSING 1.4 MILLION FOR THE, TO RETROFIT RETROFIT SOME PRIORITY LIFT STATIONS, VULNERABLE LIFT STATIONS.
WE HAVE A $700,000 GRANT THAT WE'LL GET BACK ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED THAT PROJECT.
SO THIS WILL ONLY COST 700 000. WHAT I WAS WANTING TO DO IS GO THROUGH THE BASICALLY THE START OF THE WATER PRODUCTION AND JUST HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING THIS COMING YEAR.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, OKAY. THERE'S NO SLIDE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH. I'M LOOKING AROUND. YEAH. SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER THE BIG TICKET ITEMS. OKAY. THE BIG TICKET ITEM FOR WATER PRODUCTION IS THE GROUND STORAGE TANK AT NUMBER TWO.
WE HAVE, BUT WE'RE BUDGETING 2.75 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING GROUND STORAGE TANK.
OKAY. SO WE'LL BUILD A NEW GROUND STORAGE TANK AFTER WE TAKE DOWN THE OLD ONE.
SO WITH THAT, THE FUTURE PLANS IS ALSO TO REMOVE THE ELEVATED TANK THERE AT WATER PLANT TWO.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS GROUND STORAGE TANK IN FIRST BECAUSE WE DON'T WE NEED THE CAPACITY.
WE'VE ALSO HAVE 750,000 FOR A REPLACEMENT WELL AT THAT SAME WATER PLANT.
[00:10:02]
PERIODICALLY YOU HAVE TO GO AND DO, YOU KNOW THIS IS, THE LIFELINE OF OUR WATER SYSTEM IS THE WELLS.SO WE ARE PROPOSING PUTTING A BRAND NEW WELL OVER THERE.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT THE OLD PUMP AND VIDEOTAPE AND CHECK OUT THE CASING AND WHAT KIND OF SHAPE IT'S IN, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE AS FAR AS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FIX IT IF IT NEEDS FIXING.
IT DOESN'T NORMALLY GO BACK IN THE HOLE. OKAY.
IT'S JUST JUST THEY'RE JUST NOT WORTH FIXING AT THAT POINT.
JUST REPLACE THEM. GOT IT. SO THAT REALLY TAKES CARE OF THE WATER PRODUCTION.
BIG TICKET ITEMS ON DISTRIBUTION IS REPLACING 4000 LINEAR FEET OF EIGHT INCH IRON ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPE WITH 12 INCH PVC ALONG, WHERE YOU AT HERE. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SEMINOLE ROAD? SEMINOLE ROAD FROM SELVA MARINA TO SATURIBA.
AGAIN, THAT IS A IT'S AN OLD PIPE. SO IT'S BEEN WE'RE WANTING TO REPLACE THAT PIPE AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT 950,000 IN THERE FOR THAT JOB. THAT PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES WITHIN THAT BUDGET, A SIDEWALK FROM COUNTRY CLUB TO SUBMARINE. SO THAT'S IN THE MULTI-USE PATH.
COMMISSIONER RING. I WAS GOING TO ASK IF THAT 950,000 INCLUDED THE, THE ROADS, THE WHATEVER, ALL THAT YOU'RE REPAVING OR IS IT JUST THE PIPE WORK ITSELF? WE WILL BE, WE'LL BE SHARING THIS PROJECT WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WE'LL BE. RESURFACED. NOT RESURFACE. SO WHEN YOU GO TO LAY ALL THAT NEW PIPE DOWN SEMINOLE, THE 950 IS JUST THE, THE NEW PIPE. IT'S NOT THE LANDSCAPING.
OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN WHEN WE REPLACE ALL THE WATER SERVICES AS WELL, NOT JUST THE WATER MAIN, BUT OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING, KEVIN, THAT THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A SIDEWALK.
YES. MULTI-USE PATH FROM PART OF THAT STRETCH.
WOULD THAT BE FOR ALL INCLUSIVE IN THE 950. IS THAT MORE.
THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S FINE. WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT AMOUNT FOR THAT PROJECT.
COMMISSIONER GRANT. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
THAT UNIMPROVED SIDEWALK SECTION UP THERE. I DON'T KNOW.
AND I'LL GET THE. AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THAT THERE'S A SECTION.
YEAH. THAT'S NOT. YEAH. THAT'S UNIMPROVED. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK IT GOES. YEAH, IT MIGHT DO IT, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
IT MAY GO ONE MORE BLOCK, BUT YOU SAID IT GOES TO SATURIBA.
WHAT'S THAT? YES. ALL RIGHT. SO, BRUCE, YOU LIVE UP THERE? IT'S NORTH OF SATURIBA [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH. IT'S PAST LIKE YOU KNOW, 19TH UP.
RIGHT. AND IT'S IT'S YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIDEWALK THAT'S KIND OF CRACKED AND IT'S CORRECT.
YEAH, YEAH, THERE'S ONE IN IT. IT'S. YEAH, IT'S HIGHER ON ONE. YEAH, YEAH.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO IMPROVE THAT, THAT SECTION OF THE SIDEWALK.
YEAH. SO WE'LL BE WE'LL BE FUNDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERNEATH IT.
RIGHT. AND THEN THEY'LL HELP US WITH THE SIDEWALK.
WELL, THIS IS KIND OF. I NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH.
YEAH, THAT BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TO THE POINT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
YES. COUPLE, YOU KNOW, OUR LAST MEETING AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE, HOW WE GET CREATIVE AND, AND HELPING THE SIDEWALK SITUATION, WE'RE HAVING TO DIG IT UP ANYWAY TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE.
EXACTLY. WE HAVE THAT SITUATION ON THE [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL.
YEAH. SO THIS IS THE WAY TO. IS IT THE SAME WIDTH? I MEAN THE SIDEWALK. IT'S GOING TO BE A FOOT.
A FOOT. OKAY. THAT'S DIFFERENT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.
OKAY. AND HE'S NOT EVEN DOING IT. ANOTHER PROJECT IS CAVALLA ROAD.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE REPLACED SOME OF THE SERVICES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE WEST END.
NOW WE'RE PROPOSING ON DOING THE EAST END. WE BUDGETED 270 000 FOR THAT.
[00:15:05]
THAT JOB IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ENTAILED DUE TO, DUE TO THE FACT THAT ALL THE WATER METERS ARE ALL IN CONCRETE DRIVEWAYS.SO OF COURSE, WE'LL HAVE TO GO IN THERE AND CUT THOSE AND MOVE THEM BACK OUT TOWARD THE ROAD THERE, WAY UP, UP IN THE FRONT DOORS OF THESE PLACES.
AND THAT SECTION IS ALL UNDER CONCRETE. WE'VE GOT 200, 000 TO REPLACE OR TO CONSTRUCT 280 LINEAR FEET OF 12 INCH PVC ON ATLANTIC BOULEVARD FROM 1089 TO 1075.
THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO HELP START THE LOOP ON ATLANTIC IS WHAT.
THAT IS JUST THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT JOB. THE LOOP.
FROM AROUND THE CORNER UP WHERE THE PAWN SHOP IS UP TOWARD PAST THE.
MAYPORT. DOG POUND OR THE LITTLE DOG WASH AREA UP THERE IN THAT AREA.
IS THAT FOR PRESSURE IMPROVEMENT? IT IS. IT IS OKAY.
COMMISSIONER RING. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY FOR ATLANTIC AND MAYPORT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? YEAH. AROUND THE. YES. THAT'S FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
CAN WE NOT GET SOMETHING FROM THEM? WHAT'S THAT? WHILE THEY'RE ALREADY TEARING UP THAT INTERSECTION THERE? ARE WE NOT? THIS IS FURTHER EAST FROM WHERE THEY'RE AT.
YEAH, JUST JUST EAST OF THE FARM SHOP. AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT REPLACING PVC.
THAT'S THE MOST THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF RUN THESE DAYS IS PVC PIPE.
OKAY, GOOD. JUMPING OVER TO THE SEWER TREATMENT WE'VE EARMARKED 500 000 FOR RECLAIMED TREATMENT REHAB. WE'VE JUST HAD A ENGINEER DO A STUDY.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY ANALYZED THAT STUDY COMPLETELY YET, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR.
NEW CHEMICAL FEED PUMPS, NEW ANALYZERS AND NEW DISTRIBUTION PUMPS.
THE DISTRIBUTION PUMPS WOULD GET THE WATER FROM THE PLANT TO THE ATLANTIC BEACH COUNTRY CLUB.
SO IN THAT SO 500 000 WON'T DO EVERYTHING WE WANT TO DO THERE.
WE WANT TO EVENTUALLY HAVE TO BUILD A GROUND STORAGE TANK.
AND WHEN THEY NEED IT, WE'LL HAVE IT. RIGHT NOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
BUT THIS 5000 WON'T WON'T DO THAT. COMMISSIONER.
TROY IF YOU WOULD JUST EXPAND ON WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING THERE.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING ABCC A BIG FAVOR.
I MEAN, IT, IT WE BOTH BENEFIT FROM THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO PUSH MORE OF THIS NON-POTABLE WATER THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO THE INTERCOASTAL OR SOMEWHERE LIKE SO WE GOT THE, THE CLUB NEEDS MORE WATER. AND, AND SO IT HELPS BOTH PARTIES.
IT DEFINITELY DOES. IT'S ALSO GOING TO HELP US WITH SENATE BILL 64.
EXACTLY. IF WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT IN, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO GET RID OF, WE CAN GET IT OUT THERE ON THE YARDS AND POND OUT THERE OR WHEREVER. COMMON AREAS. YEAH. THEN IT'S ONLY GOING TO HELP US.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO GET SENATE BILL 64TH MAY NOT COST AS MUCH AS IT'S POTENTIALLY GOING TO.
I KNEW IT, I JUST WANTED TO GO ON THE RECORD FOR YOU.
SO YOU YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HEAR ABCC, WHAT DO THEY NEED HELP WITH? SO I, I MIGHT AS WELL BRING IT UP RIGHT HERE THEN.
AND IT'S NOT ON YOU, BUT WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE'RE DOING ROAD WORK OR RIGHT OF WAY WORK NEAR THE PLANT, ARE WE LOOKING AT GETTING MORE PIPE IN THE GROUND FOR THE TREATED WASTEWATER PLANT PROGRAM? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE ONLY AREA YOU'RE DELIVERING TO IS THE CLUB.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE 100% RIGHT. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT RUNNING IT OUT TO THE SUB MARINA, THE WALKWAY, OR YOUR MEDIANS ALL ALL THE WAY DOWN IT. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND IN THE STUDY WE HAVE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST RUN IT DOWN THAT WAY AND MAYBE MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE HOMEOWNERS ALONG SELVA MARINA IF THEY WOULD WANT IT. RIGHT. BUT NOT BUT LIKE I SAID, IF WE CAN GET AS MUCH WATER ON THE GRASS OR SOMEWHERE, THEN PUT IT DOWN IN THE RIVER, THEN THAT'S A BENEFIT TO ATLANTIC BEACH.
[00:20:04]
HOW DO WE START WORKING OURSELVES OUT FROM THE CLUB TO GET MORE USE OF TREATED WASTEWATER.AND THERE'S A CRUCIAL MEETING ON AUGUST 4TH. IF THINGS DON'T GO OUR WAY.
YEAH. IT'S IT'S IT'S JUST WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS, $30 MILLION.
AND CROSSING MY FINGERS. YEAH. ME, TOO. KEVIN.
YES. THE WHOLE STATE OF FLORIDA IS IN TROUBLE. BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE NEVER, NEVER MEET THAT. COLLECTION SYSTEM. I'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE RETROFIT OF SOME PRIORITY LIFT STATIONS FOR VULNERABILITY TO FLOODING. WE'VE EARMARKED 1.4 MILLION FOR THAT, WITH 700,000 COMING BACK TO US FROM A GRANT. WE PUT 375 000 FOR SEPTIC TO SEWER FOR 14 HOMES IN THE MARSH, OAKS, BEGONIA AND PRIMARILY BEGONIA AND TWO TULIP. WE'VE PUT 250,000 FOR INFILTRATION AND INFLOW CONTROL.
SO THIS WILL BE ONGOING WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THIS WILL JUST CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO, TO LOOK AT THIS INFLOW.
OKAY. AND THAT'S BASICALLY ABOUT WHAT I'VE WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
OKAY. THAT'S THE BIG TICKET ITEM IN THE CIP. COMMISSIONER KELLY.
SO WE GOT A GRANT FOR WHAT, 200 000 FOR SEPTIC TANKS, RIGHT? ANOTHER ONE. DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TRANCHE OF FUNDING.
THAT'S GOING TO HELP THIS. THAT'S THAT'S FOR THE INTRUSION, RIGHT? THAT'S FOR THE FOR THE INTRUSION, BUT. NO, NO, THAT WOULD BE FOR THE CONVERSION.
CONVERSION. CONNECTIONS. THAT WILL IT WILL HELP THIS 375 THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE WELL MORE OVER THAT TO DO, TO DO THOSE HOMES OVER THERE.
OH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT, IF I MAY. SO WE'VE GOTTEN TWO LARGE TRANCHES OF FUNDING.
WE HAVE AN APPLICATION IN FOR A THIRD. AND IF SUCCESSFUL, WE WOULD IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR TAKE ON THAT PROGRAM AND GET THOSE GET THAT CONVERSION UNDERWAY.
IN THE 2027, 28 YEAR. OKAY. TROY. ALL OF THOSE HOMES, ARE THEY IN ATLANTIC BEACH OR SOME OF THEM STILL GETTING OUR WATER BUT IN JACKSONVILLE? IF WE'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT LONG BEACH HOMES.
JUST ABOUT THE ONE AND HOW MANY ARE THERE? WE'VE EARMARKED 14 OF THEM.
14. BUT THERE'S 56 ALTOGETHER. WHAT'S THAT? HOW MANY ARE THERE ALTOGETHER? NUMBER RINGS A BELL IS CLOSE. AND AND THAT INCLUDES THOSE THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
AND WE'RE NOT. WE DON'T HAVE TO ACTIVELY SEEKING FUNDING.
COJ HAS A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM AND MIGHT GET TO THOSE.
SO ALTHOUGH THEY TAP INTO OUR WATER, BUT THEY'RE NCOJ WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
THEIR, THEIR CONVERSION. IT REALLY WOULD BE A POLICY MATTER IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO TAKE ON, YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD DO IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COJ BUT NO, WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUR CITY LIMITS.
RATHER WE'RE JUST DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ENVIRONMENTALLY.
THIS ISN'T PART OF THAT SENATE BILL [INAUDIBLE].
SO IF ANYBODY'S IN HERE THAT CAN CORRECT ME, PLEASE DO.
OKAY. AND THEN HOW MUCH IS IT? DID YOU OR DO YOU KNOW YET? I GUESS YOU'D NEED THAT THIRD ONE FOR PRIVATE HOMEOWNER TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THAT? THAT THE, THE $1 MILLION PLUS THAT WE HOPE AND EXPECT TO HAVE YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR WILL LARGELY PAY FOR THE WHOLE CONVERSION. WE DO EXPECT TO DEVELOP A POLICY AS FAR AS PROPERTY OWNER PARTICIPATION.
WE HAVE NOT WE HAVE NOT LANDED ON THAT. WE WOULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY COMMISSION AND, FRANKLY, PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS. OKAY. THERE'S NO CONNECTION FEE.
NO. I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS I THINK THERE WILL BE WE DON'T IT'S WE'LL HAVE TO ESTABLISH.
[00:25:01]
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE. YES. AND WE TALKED ABOUT FINANCING IT AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE.YEAH. OKAY. YES, COMMISSIONER. GRANT. TROY, DO YOU HAVE IS THERE SOME PLACE WE CAN SEE, LIKE THE TIMING AND THE AND THE FLOW OF THESE PROJECTS? DO WE HAVE A? WE UPGRADE.
WE'RE NOT THE NOT THE EXISTING ONES, BUT THESE COMING UP, AS YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, HELP THE, THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO THE CLUB, RIGHT. THOSE FOLKS ABREAST IS IT ALL. IF I MAY ADDRESS THAT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND.
WE ARE IN TWO MONTHS UNVEILING SOMETHING CALLED OPEN AB, THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROJECT TRACKER THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS FOR PUBLIC FACING PROJECTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO TO KEEP ACTIVE.
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY YEAH, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
AND, AND WE DON'T NEED IT BECAUSE OF WHAT RON HAS DONE, I.
I'M CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO ROLL IT OUT. FRANKLY, I JUST LEARNED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ABOUT IT, WE'RE. WE'RE ACTUALLY USING THAT PROJECT INTERNALLY.
IT JUST, IT HAS BEEN USING IT AND NOW WE'RE USING IT INTERNALLY.
OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE GETTING. AND THEIR DESIGNEES ARE GETTING FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND I'M, I JUST I CAN'T WAIT TO POPULATE A DASHBOARD.
YEAH, PRECISELY. SUPER. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT'S, I, I CAN'T WAIT.
YEAH. WELL, KUDOS TO THAT GROUP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. STEVENS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU ALL. THANKS, JORDAN.
IF I MAY, MAYOR, YOU CAN SIT DOWN. JUST KIND OF PUT A BOW ON IT FROM A FROM A HIGH LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE CARRYING OUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN OUR, OUR OVERALL WATER SYSTEM BUDGET FROM THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE WE ANTICIPATE DECREASING FROM $10.1 MILLION TO $8.5 MILLION.
OF THAT, WE'D BE SPENDING $5.5 MILLION ON CAPITAL PROJECTS VERSUS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.
AND THEN ON THE SEWER SIDE, OUR CURRENT OPERATING SEWER SYSTEM BUDGET IS 11.2 MILLION, AND WE EXPECT TO REDUCE THAT TO 9.1 MILLION JUST BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN REINVESTING IN THE SYSTEM AND USING THE MONEY TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. FOR EXAMPLE AS I THINK TROY SAID OUR WATER PRODUCTION MODERNIZATION ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS YEAR, WE'LL SET US UP FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS, YOU KNOW, NOTWITHSTANDING A LESS SIGNIFICANT WORK.
AND WE ARE SPENDING $3.8 MILLION IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR ON CAPITAL PROJECTS ON THE SEWER SIDE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE EQUALLY IMPORTANT POLICE DEPARTMENT. I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT CHIEF VIC WILL HAVE TO REPORT, AND I'LL TRY TO ACCENTUATE SOME THINGS. AND IF HE MISSES ANYTHING, I'LL. I'LL I'LL JUMP IN, BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH PRECEDENCE FOR HIM MISSING ANYTHING.
CHIEF, IF YOU WILL, WILL YOU INTRODUCE YOUR STAFF AFTER I INTRODUCED, REINTRODUCED BRITTANY PURCELL, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND BOB BLANCO, OUR HR DIRECTOR, IS BACK THERE.
WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE? CERTAINLY. CHIEF LIEUTENANT JAMESON HAS RUN THE MONITORS FOR ME TONIGHT.
LIEUTENANT PECK IS HERE. HE'S IN CHARGE OF OUR FLEET AND ALL THE SUPPORTING EQUIPMENT LIKE RADIOS.
COMMANDER CAMERON IS HERE. HE IS IN CHARGE OF PORT SERVICES.
AND COMMANDER LARSON, SHE IS OVER THE PATROL DIVISION.
AND I SEE A FEW OF THE PATROL OFFICERS HERE. AND SOME OF THE UNION MEMBERS WANTED TO SIT IN.
SO THAT'S WHO ELSE IS IN THE AUDIENCE. THANK YOU FOR.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. I JUST WANT TO GO OVER REAL QUICKLY, CHASE, IF YOU COULD PUT UP THE STAT TOTALS FOR ME, PLEASE. JUST A REAL QUICK 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW.
OR JUST MAKING SURE WE SHARE THIS FOR EVERYBODY ONLINE, PLEASE.
[00:30:13]
THANK YOU DONNA. SO THE FIRST SLIDE YOU SEE UP THERE IS JUST A COMPARISON ACROSS THE FOUR DUVAL COUNTY POLICE AGENCIES.THIS IS REALLY NO MORE THAN TO SHOW YOU THAT PROPORTIONATELY, FOR THE SIZE OF OUR CITIES AND THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS WE EMPLOY, WE'RE IN JUST ABOUT THE RIGHT PLACE. I LOOK AT ALL THOSE NUMBERS AND THAT TELLS ME PROPORTIONATELY WE'RE DOING ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WORK FOR THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS WE HAVE HERE AND THE SIZE OF OUR POPULATION. WE'LL DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
WE USE THOSE AS OUR KPIS FOR THE AGENCY. IN THAT LAST PAGE, WE'LL GET TO THE SECOND SLIDE YOU'LL SEE IS JUST A MONTH TO DATE TOTAL. AGAIN, THAT TELLS ME WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THE YEAR LOOKING AT THOSE MONTHLY NUMBERS, THOSE KPIS.
AND THE THIRD SLIDE IS PROBABLY THE MOST TELLING FOR US.
THE LAST ONE, WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
FOR 2025 WE ANSWERED ABOUT 30,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE.
OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME TO AN EMERGENCY CALL WAS 2.36 MINUTES.
I THINK THAT IS A VERY ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE TIME.
EVEN REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIZE OF OUR CITY WE WROTE 1198 REPORTS.
WE MADE 507 ARRESTS. OF THOSE, 119 WERE DUIS.
I DID CATCH SOME COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE IN PASSING THAT, YOU KNOW, GEE, YOU GUYS HAVE A DUI UNIT NOW AND YOU HAVE A DRUG UNIT AND YOU GUYS ARE MANUFACTURING CRIME. WELL, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS NO, WE'RE NOT.
THAT TELLS ME THAT THERE'S THAT MUCH WORK FOR THEM TO DO OUT THERE.
WE SPECIFICALLY WERE ASKED TO FOCUS ON TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
WE CREATED A UNIT WITH FOUR OFFICERS IN IT, TWO DUI OFFICERS AND TWO MOTOR OFFICERS NOW TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC SPECIFICALLY, AND THEY'RE GOING OUT AND DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO DO. THERE'S WRITING MORE TICKETS, THERE'S MORE ENFORCEMENT, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK FOR THEM TO DO. OUR CLEARANCE RATE. CAN, I GUESS, GO AHEAD. YEAH, CHIEF.
SO YOU MAY I THINK YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A MORE CONCENTRATED MANPOWER EFFORT ON TRAFFIC AND, YOU KNOW, DUIS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND DRUGS IS THE REASON THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP.
IT'S LIKE, INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU CHANGE THE PLAN BASICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS, THIS EXISTING CONDITION THAT WE HAVE OTHERWISE NOT BEEN ABLE TO. CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE MANPOWER THAT WE HAD, REALLOCATE SOME PEOPLE.
WE HAVE IN PART OF THIS IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE FULL STAFF NOW AND WE HAVE BEEN FULL STAFF SINCE 23 ABOUT BUT IT TAKES US ABOUT 12 MONTHS TO GET OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
SO BEING FULL STAFF, WE'RE ABLE TO PLACE OFFICERS IN THOSE KEY POSITIONS NOW THAT WE DIDN'T BEFORE.
THE DUI UNITS, THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNITS, THE DRUG UNITS.
SO THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS WE KNOW ARE OUT THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO ME, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU GUYS DO.
IS IT TAKING AWAY FROM ANY OTHER AREA OF CONCERN THAT YOU GUYS ARE OTHERWISE NEEDED? NO. CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, THE LUXURY WE HAVE NOW BEING FULL STAFF, WE'RE ABLE TO DIRECT OFFICERS TO DO THE THINGS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME OFFICERS THAT CAN GO OUT TO THE BEACH NOW AND RIDE THE FOUR WHEELER OUT THERE ON THE, OUR BUSY WEEKENDS. AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY ABLE TO TAKE 1 OR 2 OFFICERS.
AND THIS IS FOR CAREER ENHANCEMENT FOR OFFICERS AND PUT THEM IN TEMPORARY DUTY POSITIONS IN THE CRIME SUPPRESSION UNIT AND THE INVESTIGATIVE UNIT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO WORK IN A SMALL AGENCY AND DO NOTHING BUT COME TO WORK IN PATROL EVERY DAY AND JUST RIDE THE BEAT AND ANSWER CALLS FOR SERVICE.
ELECTRIC BIKES. DO YOU DO YOU SEE, DO I SEE ANY OF THIS IN THE NUMBERS OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GUYS SEE AN INCREASE IN ANY OF THESE ISSUES? I MEAN, ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES BECAUSE OF THAT?
[00:35:01]
WE'VE SEEN A FEW INCREASES IN TRAFFIC CRASHES RELATED TO E-BIKES OR OTHER MEANS.WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS WE'VE WRITTEN TO BICYCLES.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED WAS EARLIER, PROBABLY THE END OF THE WINTER TIME, BEGINNING OF SPRING, WE WERE OVER 119, 120 BICYCLE CITATIONS FOR THE YEAR.
SO YES, WE'RE WRITING MORE TICKETS, WE'RE SEEING A FEW MORE ACCIDENTS. AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN DUVAL AND SAINT JOHNS COUNTY WITH THE NUMBER OF BICYCLE AND E-BIKE ACCIDENTS. THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE ON THE RISE. AND FLORIDA HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF THOSE UNFORTUNATELY. YES COMMISSIONER.
MAYBE WE GET THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THERE SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT TO YOU.
WE'LL SEND IT BACK OUT IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT. THE OUR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT.
OKAY. WHICH WILL HAVE THESE STATS AND SOME MORE IN THERE.
AND WE CAN SEND IT OUT TO YOU ELECTRONICALLY TO.
CAN YOU GO BACK A FEW SLIDES? THE ONE WHERE IT'S LIKE MONTH TO MONTH? THAT ONE, MAYBE THAT WAS JUST ONE SLIDE. OKAY.
SO DURING CERTAIN MONTHS, DO YOU NOTICE AN UPTICK? THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO MARCH, MAYBE AT SPRING BREAK.
AND I GUESS I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED SUMMERTIME WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.
WE LOOK FOR TRENDS AS A PART OF OUR DATA ORIENTED POLICING.
SOMETIMES WE SEE THAT UPTICK WHEN THE KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, SOME PETTY CRIMES, THOSE THINGS.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN A BIG UPTICK THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN PRETTY GOOD THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE'RE STAYING PRETTY FLAT ACROSS THE ENTIRE YEAR.
SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CRIME TRENDS THAT ARE CONCERNING TO US.
SO NO CHANGE REALLY IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO. SO YOU MIGHT GET THERE IN A MINUTE.
BUT NOW THAT YOU'RE FULL STAFFED WHAT ABOUT KEEPING YOUR OFFICERS? HOW HAVE WE BEEN WITH THAT? I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW.
AND I'VE SAID THIS PUBLICLY A LOT AND I'LL KEEP TROPHY IN THIS.
AND I'M NOT SAYING IT JUST BECAUSE IT'S MY TURN AT THE HELM.
THIS IS THE BEST GROUP OF OFFICERS I'VE WORKED WITH IN 35 YEARS, HANDS DOWN.
WITHOUT A DOUBT. WE HAVE AMAZING OFFICERS. THEY ARE POSITIVE MOTIVATED.
THEY'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE. THEY ENJOY WORKING HERE.
RIGHT. PROVIDING US THE EQUIPMENT. AND A LOT OF THAT IS OUR CITIZENS TO JUST SAYING THANK YOU, APPRECIATING THE FACT THAT THE OFFICERS ARE HERE. WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, I THINK IN THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS OF LETTING CITIZENS KNOW, JUST, HEY, JUST SAY THANK YOU TO THE OFFICERS. THEY, THEY CALL US. AND WHAT CAN I DO? CAN WE BRING DONUTS TO THE STATION? CAN WE BUY YOU LUNCH? AND I SAID, THAT'D BE GREAT, BUT IT'S JUST SAYING THANKS WHEN YOU SEE HIM AT PUBLICS.
WAVE TO HIM WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE ROAD. AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO US AND THAT RELATIONSHIP.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM A GREAT WORK ENVIRONMENT, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN THEM SOME CAREER ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY AND THEY REALIZE THEY CAN HAVE THAT GOOD CAREER HERE. THAT'S FANTASTIC.
I REMEMBER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WERE A TRAINING GROUND FOR JSO OFFICERS, AND JSO MAY HAVE A A LOT MORE AD VALOREM, BUT WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE IN THE SAME.
YES. BOAT SOON MAYBE. BUT IN ANY CASE, JSO JACKSONVILLE IS NOT ATLANTIC BEACH AND I CAN SAY WE ARE MUCH BETTER CITY FOR MANY REASONS. AND THE SAME REASON THAT THE CITIZENS LOVE TO BE HERE, THAT QUALITY OF LIFE.
I THINK IT'S A QUALITY OF WORK LIFE BALANCE WE CAN OFFER EMPLOYEES HERE.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS ATTRACT AND KEEP PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE COMPETITIVE PAY.
PARKING CITATIONS, TRAFFIC CRASHES. THIS IS ONLY NEGATIVE ONE.
BUT THE CITATIONS AND WARNINGS ARE ALL UP. TRAFFIC CITATIONS.
WE WROTE 7422 TRAFFIC CITATIONS IN 2025. THAT'S A LOT OF TICKETS.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK GOING ON OUT THERE.
THE OFFICERS ARE, ARE BEING PROACTIVE AND THEY'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO DO. SO THAT WAS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW, MAYBE NOT QUICK ENOUGH, BUT THAT'S OUR YEAR IN REVIEW FOR 25.
AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO DO, DO WELL AGAIN THIS YEAR.
ALL RIGHT. MAYOR, MAY I ASK ONE MORE? YOU MISSED THE ONE RABID COYOTE EVENT.
THAT'S NOT ON HERE. THERE WAS ONE. WELL, THERE.
YEAH, THERE IS. NOT ANYMORE. SO THANK GOODNESS WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS.
SHE WREAKED HAVOC. YES. THAT WAS A BAD. THAT WAS A BAD WEEK.
BAD WEEK. THANK YOU CHIEF. MAYBE I CAN ASK YOU.
SO WE'LL SEE THE THE COST LATER ON IN THE BUDGET AS FAR AS RAISES ESCALATION, INFLATION.
[00:40:02]
YES. BECAUSE I KNOW THE UNION USED TO BE INVOLVED.OKAY. YES. WE'LL GET THE AT THE AUGUST 19TH WORKSHOP, THE THIRD WORKSHOP, YOU WILL GET OUR YOUR STAFF'S PROPOSED 26-27 BUDGET. THANKS. WE'RE DONE.
THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANKS. I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO PUT A BOW ON THE CHIEF'S COMMENTS, AND YOU CAN SIT DOWN FOR A MOMENT. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM BACK UP. I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER KELLY HAD SOMETHING. OH. OH, I'M SO SORRY. JUST FOR GRINS. BECAUSE I TRAVEL THAT WAY MORE THAN I DO ANYWHERE ELSE IS WHEN YOU GUYS DO TRAFFIC ON THE BRIDGE.
THAT'S THAT'S JSO. DO YOU HAVE A DEAL WITH JSO OR.
SO ACTUALLY OUR PROPERTY LINE IS THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE. IF YOU LOOK ON THE PLAT MAPS, BUT IT'S ATLANTIC BOULEVARD WHICH IS JSO RIGHT? YEAH. BUT CITY LIMITS SO YOU CAN DO IT. YES, YES.
BUT THAT IS PART OF OUR CITY LIMITS. YEAH. IN THAT CASE, WE'RE NOT CROSSING THE LINE.
YEAH. SINCE YOU DON'T GET STOPPED TO YOUR. DEPENDS ON HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING.
OKAY. GOOD VELOCITY. ALL RIGHT. INTERN WAS STOPPED GOING 85 ON A SCOOTER.
OH, MY. HE'S STILL ALIVE. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, I, I WANT US TO BE THE BEST AT EVERYTHING WE DO.
FRANKLY, WE'RE ABOUT THERE WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ALREADY. I'LL SAY, IN FAIRNESS TO THE REST OF OUR DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP IN OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR IN OUR ORGANIZATION. EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, EVERY SINGLE ONE, IN MY ESTIMATION, IS LEAPS AND BOUNDS STRONGER THAN WHEN I WHEN I GOT HERE TEN YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE SOME IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT IT'S, WE ALL KNOW IT. AND OUR OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH SOME FISCAL RESTRAINTS AS WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT. ALONG THAT LINE AND IN TERMS OF POLICE COMPENSATION AND PAY STRUCTURE THE CITY DOES AS A MATTER OF PRACTICE UNTIL OR UNLESS THE CITY COMMISSION SAYS OTHERWISE.
WE, WE CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR AND ALIGN OUR STARTING PAY WITH OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS.
AND, AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I WILL PRESENT TO YOU WILL WILL HAVE US PROPOSING TO, TO DO THAT IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. IN TERMS OF PAY STAFF, HISTORY HISTORICALLY JUST GETTING INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT THE TOP FIVE NON-UNIONIZED POLICE POSITIONS HAVE HISTORICALLY RECEIVED.
WE'RE REVIEWING THIS PRACTICE THIS YEAR AS WE ARE ORGANIZATION WIDE, REVIEWING SOME BUDGETARY PRACTICES AND NOT NECESSARILY DOING THE THINGS WE'VE THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
AND WE'RE EVALUATING A POTENTIAL ONE YEAR ORGANIZATION WIDE SALARY PLAN ADJUSTMENT FOR ALL, AS YOU'LL HEAR LATER SPECIFICALLY ALL HIGHER LEVEL POSITIONS IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
IN TERMS OF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 26 BUDGET, IT WAS $8.7 MILLION.
MOST OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT IN LINE AND NOT EXCEED THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
BUT BETWEEN SALARY INCREASES AND PARTICULARLY THE INCREASE IN PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS, THOSE REQUIREMENTS INCREASE IN FUEL, INCREASE IN THE COST OF RADIOS AND POTENTIAL PURCHASES OF VEHICLES, SEEING INCREASE IN THE COST OF EVEN TASERS KEEPING LOWERING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET IN THIS IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE A CHALLENGE.
AND Y'ALL ARE GOING TO HELP GUIDE, GUIDE US THROUGH THAT.
AFTER I PRESENT THE PROPOSED BUDGET. ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF OR HIS STAFF OR MYSELF?
[00:45:02]
2ND QUESTION WAS, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, AND WE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE WE, WE HELPED PAY FOR THE POLICE ACADEMY, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE GRABBED PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THERE.DO WE STILL HAVE THAT PROGRAM AVAILABLE? CHIEF, WILL YOU PLEASE COME ADDRESS HOW WE HANDLE THAT? SORRY, CHIEF, I SHOULD ASK YOU. NO PROBLEM. SO WE PREVIOUSLY HAD A INTERN PROGRAM.
WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE. HOWEVER, WE HAVE MOVED TO OFFERING QUALIFIED, HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HIRED AND PAID AS THEY GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY. RIGHT. IT IS AT A REDUCED RATE. THEY'RE NOT AT A FULL SALARY.
IT TAKES THEM ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET THROUGH THE POLICE ACADEMY.
SO IF WE HAVE A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE WE THINK THEY'RE COMPETITIVE.
I REMEMBER. WE NEED TO KEEP UP. OKAY. I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT WAS.
THANKS. THANK YOU. THANKS SO MUCH. WE ARE GOING TO PUBLISH EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN TODAY, AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL MATERIAL THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS PREPARED IN OUR BUDGET PORTAL.
AND THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL THAT'LL ALL BE PUBLISHED.
EVERYTHING YOU SEE WILL BE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK IN OUR BUDGET PORTAL, WHICH IS AT AND THANKS, EVERYONE. POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY.
OF COURSE. WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO MOVE ON WITH OUR PRESENTATION? OKAY. THANK YOU. AT THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, I, HANDED OUT AND REVIEWED THE DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU AND EVERYONE HERE CALLED THE FY 26-27 BUDGET STRATEGY REPORT OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS.
AND OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT OUR OUR BASELINE BUDGET FOR 25-26 WAS $57.6 MILLION.
THE GENERAL FUND COMPONENT OF THAT WAS $21.6 MILLION OF WE'VE TURNED INTO PAGE TWO.
THE PAGES ARE NUMBERED THIS TIME. THANKS FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME COMMUNICATIONS MONEY THAT WILL HELP TO FUND THE THE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR.
OUR GUIDING STRUCTURAL DOCUMENTS AS WE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS ARE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, OUR CONNECTIVITY PLAN, OUR PARKS MASTER PLAN, AND OUR ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
THIS IS A REMINDER THAT THE GENERAL FUND MAKES UP ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP ABOUT 40% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND TURNING UP TO PAGE FOUR, REMINDING YOU OF YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING IN THIS BUDGET.
AND THEY INCLUDE ADDRESSING DRAINAGE NEEDS AND LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY, FOCUSING ON PROTECTING THE TREE CANOPY, OF COURSE. AND, AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE THIS MONUMENTAL OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE HAVE MORE THAN $600,000 IN OUR TREE PROTECTION FUND.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE FOR MUCH LONGER.
WE HAVE A ROBUST RECOMMENDATION THAT I AGREE THAT I'LL ADVANCE MUCH OF FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE ON, ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROTECTING OUR TREE CANOPY WITH THIS VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
DOES ANY OF THAT PLAN INCLUDE BUYING BIGGER TREES? BECAUSE SOME OF US THINK WE MIGHT BE DEAD BY THE TIME THESE TREES ARE BIG.
IF I HAVE, IF I WERE TO HAVE FINAL SAY SO, YES.
WE'LL SEE WHERE YOU ALL LAND ON, ON MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRUGGLED WITH IS, IS GETTING A TREE INVENTORY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT THAT COSTS. AND, AND SO MAYBE TAKING SOME OF THAT MONEY TO SPEND ON THE TREE INVENTORY OR MAYBE IF, IF A HOMEOWNER, YOU KNOW, INVITE ESC MEMBER OR WHOMEVER WHO'S TRAINED, THE ARBORIST TO GO IN AND LOOK AT THE HOME, TAKE THE INVENTORY AND FOR DOING SO, HERE'S SOME TREES THAT YOU COULD PLANT IN YOUR YARD,
[00:50:06]
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO WE KIND OF KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE KIND OF THING.SO JUST MAYBE INCORPORATE, TRY TO MAYBE INCORPORATE THAT AS AN IDEA INTO YOUR YOUR PLAN.
YEAH. JUST AS WHEN YOU MENTIONED TRACKING PROJECTS AND, AND WANTING TO UPDATE SOME PROJECTS, I, I FEEL LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE READ MY NOTES. I AND I KNOW, AND I KNOW YOU DIDN'T.
I'M KIDDING. I ALSO AM UNDER THE PHILOSOPHY THAT YES, WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR A TREE INVENTORY.
NOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, OF COURSE, THE INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR GRANT MONEY, NECESSARILY, THERE'S THE TREE INVENTORY OF THE TREES ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, WHICH IS EASY, EASIER TO ACCOMPLISH. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME SMART MINDS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO MEANWHILE WHO, WHO, WHO CAN LEAD US THROUGH POTENTIALLY GETTING A GOOD HANDLE ON OUR TREE INVENTORY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A TOUGH, A TOUGH THING TO SORT OUT.
SO YES, ON ALL, ALL THE AFOREMENTIONED, OKAY.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAD A GREAT TOWN HALL MEETING ON, ON THAT TOPIC.
AND PARKS MASTER PLANNING ON SATURDAY UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY AND MOBILITY, IMPROVING THE VISIBILITY, TRAFFIC FLOW AND MODERNIZATION. I'M SORRY. MODERN, MODERNIZING LOCAL LEGISLATION AND FINALLY MAINTAINING HIGH SERVICE STANDARDS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND REGIONAL ADVOCACY IN THE AREA OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND PARTNERSHIPS.
AND FINALLY, ON PAGE NINE, JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR STRATEGIC OUTLOOK.
WE'RE FOCUSING BOTH FROM YOUR PRIORITIES AND OTHERWISE AFFECTING OUR CORE INFRASTRUCTURE, REINVESTING AS, AS WE COVERED TONIGHT, OPTIMIZING OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS, EXHAUSTING OUR INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES THAT IS DEMONSTRATING TO YOU ALL AND TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE BELT TIGHTENING.
AND, AND INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO PARTICULARLY IF WE GET THE FISCAL CHALLENGES THAT MAY COME VIA THE REFERENDUM POTENTIALLY RESTRUCTURING OUR WORKFORCE AND MINIMIZING SALARY GROWTH.
YES. COMMISSIONER. CAN WE STOP THERE AT THE WORKFORCE RESTRUCTURING? WHAT ARE WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFICS OF THAT? I'LL COVER THAT IN MY, AND THE CORE OF MY REPORT, WHICH I'M GETTING INTO RIGHT NOW. AT LEAST I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GET STARTED ON IT AND ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CITY MANAGER IS A A WORKFLOW ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UNDER EACH DEPARTMENT AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY THEIR, THEIR NAMES, BUT THEIR TITLES AND HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS FALL UNDER THAT. THAT'S EASY.
WE'LL PRODUCE THAT AND PUBLISH THAT ON OUR, ON OUR BUDGET PAGE.
AND MY THOUGHT IS WE ARE STILL KIND OF A SMALLER CITY, 13,000 RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, DO WE NEED THESE LARGE POSITIONS? DO WE NEED MANY POSITIONS? CAN WE NOT CONDENSE THOSE? AND I IMAGINE THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN HERE BY WORKFORCE RESTRUCTURING.
BUT. AND I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOUR YEARS. NO, NOWHERE NEAR AS MANY YEARS AS YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
I'VE TAKEN SOME NOTES AND SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS MYSELF.
SO. YES. AND JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'LL BE WORKING IN, NOT ONLY IS OUR BUDGET 40%, BUT SO ARE THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEND US MONEY LIKE THE CITY AND THE STATE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE LESS MONEY TO SEND US TOO.
VERY TRUE. YEAH. ONE QUICK QUESTION. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, THE BETTER JACKSONVILLE FUND GOING AWAY. THAT'S THAT'S BEEN A CORE OF SOME OF OUR STUFF BEFORE.
WHEN DOES THAT OFFICIALLY WHEN WILL WE SEE THE LAST CHECK? 2030. FISCAL YEAR 2030. OKAY. THANKS. I YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT WAS SOON.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE YEAR. THANKS. YOU KNOW ALONG THAT ON THAT TOPIC, I INTEND TO ADVOCATE AND ENLIST THE CITY COMMISSION TO ADVOCATE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF TRYING TO TALK THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE INTO SHARING SOME OF THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT PENSION LOVE.
WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE PAYING IT. WE'LL BE PAYING IT ONCE THAT TRANSITION OCCURS.
AND, AND I'LL, I'LL BE PUSHING THAT OR, OR ADVANCING THAT HOPEFULLY WITH, WITH YOUR HELP.
AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HARD SELL TO Y'ALL. BUT I, I THINK WE'RE PAYING OUR FAIR SHARE.
[00:55:03]
THEIR PENSION. WE'VE ALREADY BOUGHT OUR PENSION.THAT'S MY ARGUMENT. YES. YOU'RE RIGHT. YES. YEP.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANKS. MOVING ON TO THE REPORT THAT'S TITLED BUDGET WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO. REVIEWING OUR CORE APPROACH FOR, FOR THE SUMMER FOR THE STRATEGY FOR OUR FY 26-27 BUDGET WITH OUR POTENTIAL ANNUAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE SHORTFALL THAT BEGINS IN FY 28, WE'LL JUST CALL IT. STAFF PROPOSES BALANCING THE BUDGET THIS YEAR BY REDUCING, CONTINUING TO REDUCE OUR PLANNED FY 26 EXPENDITURES. SO WE'RE ALREADY KEENLY AWARE, EXTRA AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE IT'S BUDGETED DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO SPEND IT.
WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT THE SMALLEST NET PAY INCREASE IN MORE THAN TEN YEARS.
THAT IS IF, IF THE PROPOSAL THAT STAFF PRESENTS TO THE COMMISSION IS APPROVED.
WE'RE GOING TO USE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR TARGETED PROJECTS.
THIS INCLUDES OUR PAID PARKING FUND, OUR TREE PROTECTION FUND AND, AND SOME OF OUR OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS RATHER THAN HAVING THEM THE NEXT YEAR BE LARGER THAN THE YEAR BEFORE.
THOSE, THOSE, THOSE MONEY, THAT MONEY HAS A PURPOSE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY RATHER THAN LET IT SIT.
WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN THE CITY'S VERY LOW PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST FEES MINIMALLY.
WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A HEAD START ON, ON THAT.
IN THE ARENA OF THE MILLAGE RATE, WE HAVE A REPORT TO, TO FILE ON APRIL THE 4TH TO TO REPORT WHAT WE EXPECT OUR MILLAGE RATE TO BE.
STAFF IS PLANNING. AUGUST. I'M SO SORRY. AND THANKS.
THE OTHER A WORD. WHAT DID I SAY? APRIL. THANKS.
THERE'LL BE MORE OF THAT. STAFF IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE THE IDEA UNLESS TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION BEGINS TO GUIDE US OTHERWISE, OF MAINTAINING THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE AFTER AUGUST THE 4TH OF WE WILL BE LIMITED ON, ON, ON WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF REDUCING IT.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT MISS PURCELL CAN ANSWER THEM.
I GUESS SPECIFICALLY DOES THE COMMISSION OF WANT STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONTINUING WITH THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE ? DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES. WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, OR AT LEAST LAST YEAR WITH BILL KILLINGSWORTH, WHO WAS HERE WHERE HE HAD IF WE KEEP THE SAME OR WE HAVE A ROLLBACK RATE. AND AS MISS BOURNE SHARED IN, IN PUBLIC COMMENT, IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO HAVE ALSO A BUDGET THERE, WHAT EVERYTHING WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE HAVE TO GET RID OF EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAXES ALTOGETHER.
SO AND PAST LAST YEAR PARTICULAR, WE, WE HAD AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET AND IT BROKE DOWN THAT WAY SO WE COULD SEE MORE TANGIBLY WHAT WE'RE SAYING GOODBYE TO AND WHAT WE'RE KEEPING BASED ON THAT KNOWLEDGE.
I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ME MAKE THAT DECISION.
THANKS. I AM PREPARED TONIGHT TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
I HAVE IT, I HAVE IT ON MY SCREEN HERE IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
YEAH. GO AHEAD. AND BRITTANY, IF AT ANY POINT YOU SEE THAT? I'VE I'VE GONE ASTRAY. LET US KNOW. LET ME, YOU KNOW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
YEAH. YES. IS IT ME, OR DOES IT SEEM EARLY THAT WE'RE TALKING MILLAGE? I MEAN, DO WE? I THOUGHT WE DECIDED THE MILLAGE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE A LOT LATER.
IT DOES. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THEY'VE GOT A GO AHEAD AND STATE OUR RANGE.
I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO STATE A RANGE OR. YEAH.
LET'S SEE. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN. LET HIM WALK THROUGH IT.
AND I THINK THIS REPORT WHICH I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TELLS US.
PLEASE BEAR WITH ME JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE. THANKS.
[01:00:03]
SO, SO ASSUMING THE FINAL CERTIFIED TAX ROLL SHOWS THAT OUR PROPERTY VALUATIONS CROSS ATLANTIC BEACH IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CASE, THE ROLL BACK RATE THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAXES AS THIS CURRENT YEAR WOULD BE 2.5815 MILLS.THAT'S 2.5815 MILLS. AND IF, IF IF THE CITY COMMISSION ULTIMATELY ADOPTS THAT RATE, IT IS IT IS SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AS WE DID AND AS WE WILL IN FY 26.
SO UNDER, UNDER, AND THIS IS THIS, THIS IS NEW BRAND NEW LEGISLATION.
UNDER THE NEW LAW, THAT ROLLBACK RATE BECOMES THE ABSOLUTE BASELINE FOR DETERMINING VOTING THRESHOLDS AND AND ADOPTING THE, THE BUDGET. SO THIS MEANS SIMPLY KEEPING THE FLAT RATE OF 2.7499 MILLS.
THAT'S OUR CURRENT AD VALOREM RATE. IS LEGALLY VIEWED, OF COURSE, AS A TAX INCREASE AND TRIGGERS A HIGHER VOTING REQUIREMENT AMONG THE CITY COMMISSION. SO THERE THERE ARE THREE SCENARIOS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE.
SCENARIO A IS DROPPING TO THE ROLLED BACK RATE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE CITY I JUST SAID WHAT THAT MEANS.
THE VOTE REQUIRED TO DO THAT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE.
SCENARIO B, MAINTAINING THE FLAT RATE. OF COURSE, THAT'S 2.7499 HOLDING THE LANE AT THE CURRENT, THE LINE AT THE CURRENT RATE. HERE'S THE MATH.
WE, I THINK I'VE REPORTED TO YOU ALL. I GUESS IT'S GOING TO BE MY NEXT REPORT.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT COLLECT ADDING $633,000 OF NEW TAX REVENUE FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND WHILE YOU'RE ON THAT, WHAT IS THE CURRENT PERCENTAGE OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT IS PROPERTY TAX OR DOLLAR AMOUNT? DOLLAR AMOUNT, PERCENTAGE IS ABOUT 40%.
OKAY. SO WE'RE 21 MIL, 21 MILLION, SOME ODD 21, 636 ON THE SO 40% OF THAT.
SO WE'RE AT EIGHT, 8 MILLION, CALL IT 8.5 MILLION IS GENERATED FROM WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS THE 600 000 INCREASE. ACTUALLY YOU SAID 630,000. HANG ON A SECOND.
630 DIVIDED BY WHAT WOULD I SAY? HOW MUCH SHOULD I SAY? EIGHT AND A HALF. 8.5. SO THAT'S SEVEN. THAT'S A 7.4% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR. I THINK THAT'S REALLY CLOSE. BRITTANY.
YES. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS. THIS, OF COURSE WOULD MEAN THAT. OR ONE WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS SALARIES, COST OF LIVING.
EVERYTHING WE BUY INCREASED. AND I'LL AND I'LL ADDRESS CPI LATER LATER IN MY REPORT.
SO TO, TO ADOPT THE CURRENT RATE THAT IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO TAKE YOU FOUR OUT OF FIVE VOTES.
SO FOUR OF YOU WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THAT. OKAY.
SCENARIO C WOULD WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN AND THAT IS INCREASING THE MILLAGE RATE.
AND YOU PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. YEAH.
AND THAT ALSO WOULD TAKE FOUR OUT OF FIVE VOTES.
I DON'T. UNANIMOUS. IT REQUIRES UNANIMOUS, UNANIMOUS VOTE.
AND I THINK BRITTANY MIGHT BE. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY.
KEVIN, THEY CAN GO UP TO 2.8397 FOR TWO THIRDS VOTE.
[01:05:03]
FOUR. FOUR. OKAY. I NEED BRITNEY'S ASSISTANCE IN HELPING ARTICULATE WHAT THE AUGUST 4TH DEADLINE THAT WE HAVE AND HOW THAT FACTORS INTO THIS. SO THE AUGUST 4TH DEADLINE, WE HAVE TO REPORT TO THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE, THE, THE CITY'S PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE. SO WHATEVER YOU SET THAT TO BE, WE CANNOT GO OVER IT.WE CANNOT GO BELOW IT. BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO ABOVE IT.
THAT'S FINE. THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL REMEMBER FROM THAT.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THAT'S THAT GIVES US THE RANGE BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE THIS YEAR. SO IF WE SET IT AT THE CURRENT, THEN WE COULD GO ANYWHERE BELOW THAT.
RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YES, COMMISSIONER. OUR NEXT BUDGET MEETING IS NOT UNTIL AUGUST 19TH.
SO HOW WILL WE HAVE THAT DEADLINE OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE.
HE'S TAKING OUR DECISION TODAY. TODAY? YEAH. YEAH.
AND OF COURSE IF IF THE COMMISSION WANTED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING AND FRANKLY, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS THAT THAT WE'RE NOT INCREASING THE RATE. YES. GO AHEAD. THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, IF WE JUST FOR 2.8397, WHAT IS THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY GENERATES? LET'S SEE IF I HAVE THAT AMOUNT. AND IF I DON'T TONIGHT, OF COURSE, WE ANTICIPATE THE THE, THE CHANCE, IF NOT LIKELIHOOD OF ADDRESSING THIS SPECIFICALLY IN UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS.
IF INDEED THE REFERENDUM PASSES, I THINK BRITTANY MAY HAVE AN ANSWER.
THE 633. 633,000. YES, YES. THERE'S REALLY THIS YEAR IS KIND OF UNIQUE IN THAT IT COULD BE STRATEGY YEAR IN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE STATE'S DOING, RIGHT.
AND YOU LOOK AT THE THE AMOUNT OF HOMESTEAD IN YOUR CITY, LOOK AT THE REVENUE.
I WOULD BET THERE'S OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT, HEY, DO WE BANK IT NOW ON THE COME THAT NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING? WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT 3 MILLION THAT WE THOUGHT BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, DO WE WANT TO PUT IT IN THE BANK, INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE? MAYBE. RIGHT. I KNOW THERE'S SOME CITIES THAT ARE DOING TWO DIFFERENT BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, WITH AND WITHOUT, AND THIS WOULD BE A KEY KNOB TO TURN IF WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FUND OUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE FUTURE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
YEAH. AND, YOU'LL YOU'LL BE MUCH MORE INFORMED BY AUGUST 19TH ON, ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT WOULD JUST BE A WAG AT REVENUE.
WE HAVE SO MANY REVENUE TOTALS THAT IN MY ESTIMATION, IT WOULD BE RECKLESS FOR US TO TO PRESENT A PROPOSED BUDGET BECAUSE IT'LL JUST BE A WILD, A MUCH MORE OF A WILD GUESS THAN IT WILL BE ON AUGUST 19TH.
AND I HAVE A PERSONAL OPINION, I THIS IS NOT THE YEAR I THINK WE NEED TO RAISE THE MILLAGE.
NOW WE HAVE THAT POWER TO DO THAT. IF WE GET WHACKED BY THE PASSAGE OF THE REFERENDUM AND THAT WOULD BE IN TIME FOR THE 27-28 BUDGET, NOT THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TODAY.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND WE ADOPT AS THE CEILING, THE CURRENT MILLAGE.
2.74. 2.7499 AND SEND THAT IN AND IT GIVES US ALL THE FLEXIBILITY WE NEED.
DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS ON THAT? OKAY. DO YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWER? THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M MOVING DOWN TO A NUMBER TWO.
UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY MORE, MORE QUESTIONS AS, AS I'M, I'M LARGELY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THIS HANDOUT IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE AND COMPENSATION STRATEGY. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT FIRST WHEN WE'RE ESTABLISHING WHAT OUR WORKFORCE IS GOING TO GET PAID OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
[01:10:03]
OVERALL, THE 12 MONTH CPI INCREASED 3.5% OVER THE YEAR THAT ENDED JUNE 2026.AND WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE CORE CPI, WHICH IS ALL ITEMS LESS FOOD AND ENERGY STANDS AT 2.6%.
AND THAT THAT'S GOING TO COME INTO PLAY. OR AT LEAST THERE'S SOME CONTEXT THAT I'M PROVIDING THERE THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP. THIS NEXT COMPONENT OF OUR DISCUSSION.
I AM PROPOSING INSTEAD OF A STANDARD COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR WORKFORCE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE AGAIN, IN AT LEAST TEN YEARS. AND THAT IS WHAT WAS KNOWN AS A GREATER OF FORMULA.
I'M PROPOSING RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR FROM $16.83 AN HOUR TO 18.
I'M SORRY. YES. $16.83 AN HOUR TO $18 AN HOUR.
THAT'S DOING IT VIA A FIXED $2,433 ANNUAL PAY INCREASE.
FROM THERE, EMPLOYEES WOULD RECEIVE THE GREATER OF $2,433 OR A PERCENTAGE RATE ADJUSTMENT.
THERE'S A PIVOT POINT BASELINE A BASE SALARY OF $121,680 FOR ALL OF US WHO RECEIVE WHO ARE PAID THAT AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, OR GREATER WOULD RECEIVE A 2.2% INCREASE.
SO UNDER $121,680 WOULD RECEIVE $2,433. AND THAT WOULD GIVE RAISES FROM, FROM FOLKS IN THAT CATEGORY AMOUNTING TO AS MUCH AS 6.95%.
AND AS LITTLE AS 2.43%. CAN I JUST ASK? YES. COMMISSIONER.
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT NUMBER? LIKE WHAT? WHY 2% VERSUS 2.43%? SO THAT PART OF THE QUESTION WHY 2 RATHER THAN 2.43? NO, I JUST THAT'S SUCH A SPECIFIC NUMBER. 2.43.
I MEAN, IN MY ORGANIZATION, YOU YOU'RE HIGHLY WELL, IT'S, IT'S LINKED TO YOUR PERFORMANCE.
YOU'RE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AT 3% OR YOU GET 4% IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE IS 3%.
SO IT'S A CLEAR CUT. SO MERIT PAY IS ANOTHER WAY TO GO.
AND AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION.
THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER, RIGHT? IT'S WHAT, WHAT ULTIMATELY, AFTER THOUGHTFUL REVIEW THE CITY COMMISSION DECIDES ACTUALLY THE 2% IS THE IS THE ROUND NUMBER BASE RATE, WHERE AT $121,000 EVERYONE WOULD GET NO LARGER THAN 2%. AND SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE 2.43.
PURPOSEFULLY, PURPOSEFULLY. THAT'S JUST WHERE THAT LANDS IN TERMS OF CURRENT SALARIES AND YES.
COMMISSIONER, WHY WOULD, WHY WOULDN'T WE TIE IT TO THE CPI? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. AND, AND, AND I'LL ADDRESS THAT AS A, AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
SO AND THE VERY SHORT ANSWER IS FOR BUDGETARY REASONS, IT'S SMALLER.
TWO, 2% IS SMALLER THAN 2.6%. SO IF I'M READING BETWEEN THE LINES HERE, THIS IS A BUDGETARY CONSTRAINT YEAR. AND YET YOU'RE TRYING TO, BRING FORWARD THE LEAST OF OUR PAID STAFF AND BRING THEM UP INTO A MORE REASONABLE PAY LEVEL FOR THEM, WHICH I, QUITE FRANKLY, I IF I GET IT RIGHT ON THIS, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WE, YOU STARTED THE CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT HOW WE HAVE REALLY GOOD STAFF AND, AND THE CITY IS OPERATING ON ALL CYLINDERS. AND I THINK IF I'VE HEARD ANYTHING OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS IS OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES.
REMEMBER A YEAR OR TWO AGO WHEN, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY COULDN'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR A HABITAT HOME BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE ENOUGH? AND SO I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, BUT I FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO PAY OVER THE NORM ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS FOR THAT LOWER END, WHICH IS A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, THEN YOU'RE MAYBE NOT PAYING AS MUCH ON THE HIGH END.
BUT IT'S JUSTIFIED BECAUSE IT'S A BUDGETARY CONSTRAINT YEAR.
POTENTIALLY, I DON'T KNOW. YOU KNOW, FRANKLY I WOULD HAVE PROPOSED SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVEN,
[01:15:05]
EVEN WITHOUT THE IMPENDING REFERENDUM. I, I WOULD SAY THOUGH THAT THE, THAT THE MINIMUM INCREASE OF 2.0 IF IT WEREN'T FOR, IF IT WEREN'T FOR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE HIGHER.YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK FAIR ENOUGH. YES. COMMISSIONER.
THERE'S AN INTERESTING DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT GOING ON HERE.
OKAY. SO I, I, I AGREE WITH THE LOWER STAFF GETTING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
THINK ABOUT THIS. FUEL COSTS. WHERE DO THEY LIVE? EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN LONG BEACH, RIGHT. SO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES I KNOW, I KNOW WE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM ORANGE PARK AND AND OTHER AREAS AROUND HERE.
I WOULD SUPPORT THAT IN THAT THEY'RE FACING NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, CORE CPI NUMBERS.
REMEMBER, FUEL IS NOT IN THERE AND FOOD I WOULD I WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT PART OF THE STAFF WHEN THEY'RE FACING, YOU KNOW, DRIVING OVER HERE. IT'S IT'S THE MAGNITUDE ON THEM IS, IS STRONGER THAN THE, THE LOCALS.
YOU SEE THE WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO WITH THAT? YEAH, YEAH. I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS THIS PLAN IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE POLICE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT. NO, I ALREADY UNDERSTOOD THAT. YEAH. OKAY.
THANKS. CONTINUING AND ADDRESSING INFLATION ADJUSTMENT, CAPPING THE STAFF.
THOSE OF US WHO MAKE MORE THAN $121,000 AT 2% DOES FALL 0.6% SHORT OF OF THE CORE CPI AND 1.5% SHORT OF THE 3.5% HEADLINE CPI. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO FACTOR. AND AGAIN THIS IS ULTIMATELY YOUR POLICY DECISION.
SO ADDRESSING THIS LOSS IN REAL PURCHASING POWER OF FOR THOSE MAKING 121 000 AND ABOVE WILL COMPOUND IN FUTURE FISCAL YEARS IF THAT'S NOT ACCOUNTED FOR ON TOP OF THE SUBSEQUENT CORE CPI FIGURES. NOW, AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS IS A ONE YEAR PLAN ONLY.
AND SO WE, OF COURSE, I'M NOT JUST WILLY NILLY ROLLING THIS OUT.
I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF RESEARCH TO IT AND A LOT OF CONSULTATION WITH MR. BLANCO AND I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT CONTINUING ON.
WE COULD DO THAT. AND WE COULD ALTER THAT SALARY PIVOT POINT THRESHOLD DOWNWARD SOME IF, IF IF, IF, IF WE'D LIKE. SO THIS ISN'T ANYTHING I'M ASKING FOR ANY CONSENSUS ON TONIGHT.
WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE ALL THOSE NUMBERS AVAILABLE.
AND ANOTHER NET COST NEUTRAL OPTION IS WELL, ACTUALLY NET COST SAVINGS IS SIMPLY INCREASING ALL EMPLOYEE SALARIES THE SAME AMOUNT.
$2,433. THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF, OF COURSE, ACCOMPLISHING GETTING THE, THE LOWEST PAID SALARIES INCREASED. PLEASE INTERRUPT AT ANY POINT. UNDER THE CATEGORY ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH PAGE TWO UNDER THE GENERAL FUND PERSONNEL ADJUSTMENTS THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I'M PLANNING AT THE MOMENT IS A NET DECREASE OF ONE POSITION.
IT'S, IT'S ELIMINATING THE HR DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND A BUILDING MAINTENANCE POSITION.
I AM ALONGSIDE OF THAT PLANNING AND EXECUTIVE RESTRUCTURING WHERE THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER POSITION IS REIMAGINED AS A CHIEF OF STAFF. WHICH IS, WHICH IS UNLIKE CURRENTLY NOT THE CLEAR NUMBER TWO PERSON IN THE ORGANIZATION AND ADDING A COMMUNICATIONS LEAD COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST TO THAT WOULD BE OFFSET BY THE EXECUTIVE REDUCTIONS THIS POSITION, CHIEF OF STAFF WOULD BE DOING ESSENTIALLY WHAT I DID AS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
CHIEF OF STAFF DUTIES. AND ADDITIONALLY, I DID COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST DUTIES.
[01:20:07]
SO OKAY, SO LET ME UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I'M NOT FOLLOWING THAT.IF THE CHIEF OF STAFF IS APPROXIMATELY 2000 IN SAVINGS, BUT THEN YOU HIRE A SECOND PERSON WITH $68,000 SALARY, THAT'S A NET NEGATIVE OR INCREASE IN COSTS OF 48,000.
YES. I'M I'M CONTEMPLATING IN MY IN MY POSITION THAT IT'S A NET WASH AT WORST IS WE'RE ELIMINATING TWO OTHER POSITIONS IN THE ORGANIZATION.
I SEE. OKAY. AND I'LL AGREE THAT THAT'S THE MATH.
ALTHOUGH THE HR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A PERMANENT POSITION ANYWAYS, THAT WAS A TRANSITIONARY POSITION WHILE THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MOVED TOWARDS RETIREMENT. YEAH, NOTED.
ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT I FIGURED AS MUCH.
YEAH. AND SO I, I WON'T DISAGREE WITH THE MATH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ACTUAL REAL REDUCTION IN COST TO ME, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE DOING BOTH OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOW GOING TO HIRE TWO PEOPLE FOR, AND YET WE WON'T GET A REDUCTION IN THE COST THERE, BUT WE.
SO I THINK I SAW EARLIER THE RANGE THAT WOULD BE OFFERED FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
AND SO IF YOU DIDN'T HIRE AT THE HIGH END OF THE RANGE, MAYBE YOU'RE CLOSING THAT DELTA.
YES. MAY I. YES. ALONG THE SAME LINES OF THE MAYOR'S QUESTION.
SO YOU SAID WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE BY GETTING RID OF TWO POSITIONS, THE HR DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE, WHICH I HAD ALREADY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO REDUCE THE DEPUTY HR DIRECTOR PER BILL LAST YEAR.
BUT ACTUALLY THAT'S NOT TRUE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO ADD THE DEPUTY MANAGER, CHANGE THE NAME TO CHIEF OF STAFF AND THEN ADD A SECOND POSITION AS A COMMUNICATIONS LEAD. YES.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE POSITION, THE REIMAGINING POSITION IS NOT A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
IT'S NOT THE NUMBER TWO PERSON IN THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT IT WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THAT POSITION.
SO THAT'S THAT'S FAIR. YEAH. SO WE'RE. YEAH. YEAH.
AND AT A. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT THE COMMUNICATIONS LEAD IS THE SAME PERSON AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
THAT'S A NEW POSITION. SO THAT'S I THINK I THINK ALL OF US WANT TO GO NEXT LEVEL IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS. WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT IT. SOME OF MY PEERS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE JUST DOING AMAZING THINGS.
AND THIS, THIS HELPS GET, GET, GET US THERE. AND, AND FRANKLY, IF WE LAND WITHOUT THAT POSITION BEING IN THE BUDGET IT'S OKAY. I'M PROPOSING IT AND AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DEBATE.
CAN YOU STATE AGAIN WHAT POSITION THE CHIEF OF STAFF WOULD BE LOOKING AT PAY WISE? SURE. AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE, I HAVEN'T TONIGHT.
I DID IN AN EMAIL FINALLY TO TO YOU ALL TODAY.
SALARY RANGE OF $135,000 TO $155,000 ANNUALLY.
SO I CAN ASK, BECAUSE YOU WERE THAT POSITION, WHAT WAS WHAT WERE WE PAYING? THE 59,000 PLUS 10% ON TOP OF THAT TOWARD MY RETIREMENT PLAN, THAT WOULD NOT BE AS I'M FACTORING IN THE SAVINGS. I'M CONTEMPLATING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I MADE 159,000 PLUS ANOTHER 16,000 OR SO THAT WENT INTO RETIREMENT. WHAT ABOUT THAT BUILDING MAINTENANCE POSITION WE'RE GETTING RID OF? WHO STARTS DOING THAT JOB? IT'S VACANT NOW. AND SO THAT'S SORT OF ATTRITION.
OKAY. AND IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR HOW LONG? A A FEW MONTHS, I THINK.
NOT A LONG TIME. WE'VE DONE SOME RESTRUCTURING IN THAT ORGANIZATION.
[01:25:08]
MONEY. CAN YOU JUST TELL ME, SORRY, WHY WE HAVE TO CHANGE IT TO CHIEF OF STAFF VERSUS A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.WE DON'T MY, FRANKLY, MY PRIMARY MOTIVATION IS, IS TRYING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
I'D BE DELIGHTED AND WOULD RATHER FRANKLY, YOU KNOW HAVE A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
AND I, I, I THINK THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THAT AT SOME POINT AFTER THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR THAT I COULD COME TO YOU AND ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL, BECAUSE THAT DOES TAKE RATIFICATION BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
AND AND UPON DOING SO, THAT WOULDN'T BE CREATING A NEW POSITION.
IT WOULD BE LIKE ABSORBING ONE WITH MORE. YEAH, IT WOULD BE A DEPARTMENT HEAD WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE CHIEF OF STAFF, WHO MAY RISE TO, TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF WOULD HAVE HIS OWN OR HER OWN DEPARTMENT.
NO, NO, NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS ONE AND PUTTING THEM INTO.
YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND INCREASE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESTABLISHING THAT CLEAR.
NUMBER TWO. I JUST WANT TO STATE THIS AS TO ALL THE COMMISSION.
ON MONDAY NIGHT WE HAD PURVIS, OUR AUDITOR PURVIS AND GRAY GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET AND THE EXPENSES FOR 25 COMPARED TO 2024. THE HIGHEST, THE SECOND HIGHEST WAS PERSONNEL EXPENSES, WHICH WAS THE CHANGE WAS 343,000. THAT WAS THE CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF JUST ONE YEAR.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE LOOKING CAREFULLY AT THAT.
THAT'S THE SECOND HIGHEST. THE FIRST HIGHEST WAS REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE.
THE SECOND HIGHEST WAS PERSONNEL 343,000. WE JUST ADDED AN ARBORIST, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THAT ARBORIST, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT ADDING MORE.
SO AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE KIND OF GOTTA DRAW THE LINE WANTS OR WANTS AND NEEDS OR NEEDS.
AND I, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS.
BUT GOOD QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER YOU HAD A QUESTION.
IS THAT THAT CHIEF OF STAFF IS AN OPERATIONAL GUY, RIGHT? HE LOOKS OVER THE DEPARTMENTS YOU KNOW, DOES RESOURCES, WHEREAS THE I WON'T CALL THEM FIGUREHEAD, BUT YOU AS THE CITY MANAGER DOES THE BIG POLICY DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, DOES A WHOLE MYRIAD OF THINGS. BUT BUT THE INTERESTING THING HERE IS ALSO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT SUCCESSION, HERE'S A GUY THAT, YOU KNOW, KEVIN'S OUT OF TOWN, KEVIN'S ON PTO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A NUMBER TWO OR CONTACT, RIGHT? OR AND YOU'VE GOT AN OPERATIONAL GUY AND BOY, THAT'S GREAT TRAINING TO GUESS WHAT? FLEET UP TO BE THE CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE BACKGROUND IN IT.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD MODEL. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, I GUESS ME TOO. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, JUST JUST MY COMMENTARY ON IT. I THINK THAT I, I AGREE WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, GROOM THE, THE, YOU KNOW NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS WITH OUR STAFF.
I'M NOT SURE I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY LOFTY, BIG, BIG TICKET ITEM.
YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS PERSON. YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMEONE THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT SALARY FOR A CITY OUR SIZE MAYBE. BUT CHIEF OF STAFF SEEMS KIND OF A BIG ASK.
I'D BE FINE WITH, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE NOT CHIEF OF STAFF.
BUT MAYBE A, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IS THE RIGHT WORD, BUT SOMEONE TO HELP TAKE SOME LOAD OFF FOR SURE ADMINISTRATIVELY.
SO THAT'S JUST MY INITIAL, MY INITIAL THOUGHTS AND THANKS FOR MENTIONING THAT.
SO I WANT TO ADD ON TO THAT SO ARIANNE, I'M SORRY, YOUR EXECUTIVES.
ARIANNE. [INAUDIBLE] ADRIANA. ADRIANA. THANK YOU.
I'M I'M MESSING UP. ADRIANA DOES, SHE'S AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
YEAH. OKAY. SO DOES SHE HAVE IS SHE ALREADY AT FULL CAPACITY OR DOES SHE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO MORE? THAT MIGHT BE IN THAT IN LINE WITH THAT NOT THE CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT LIKE, DOES SHE, CAN SHE HANDLE COMMUNICATIONS?
[01:30:03]
YEP. SO SHE, SHE IS. AND INDEED, SO OUR MEMBERS THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION WE, WE, WE'RE TEAMING UP ON IT.INDEED. COMMANDER LARSON HANDLES A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
OUR HR COORDINATOR HANDLES A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
ADRIANA'S SINCE SINCE SHE ARRIVED HAS BEEN COMPARED TO HER PREDECESSOR, IS TAKING ON A DECENT AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEWSLETTERS.
AND, AND TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, IS SHE'S FULLY EXTENDED.
ALL OF US CAN PROBABLY TAKE ON SOME MORE. A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS GONE INTO THIS INCLUDING THE TITLE.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I CONSIDERED A PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER TITLE ASIDE THESE DUTIES, AS I AS I COMMUNICATED TO THE CITY COMMISSION BY EMAIL TODAY, IF THEY LOOK FAMILIAR AND I COULD GO OVER THE, THIS THIS WILL BE PUBLISHED.
THE THE THE JOB DESCRIPTION. IF IF THOSE DUTIES LOOK FAMILIAR.
IT'S EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN DOING. YOU KNOW, AS DEPUTY YOU KNOW, NOTWITHSTANDING, THAT WAS WHILE WE HAD A CITY MANAGER IN PLACE AND OUR PLUS, OF COURSE I'VE BEEN DOING COMMUNICATIONS THINGS THAT REALLY WASN'T WISE OF ME, GOOD USE OF MY TIME TO, TO DO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO DELEGATE THAT AND, AND AND WORK ON RUNNING, YOU KNOW, RUNNING THE ORGANIZATION.
COMMISSIONER RING. WHAT WAS THE STARTING PAY OF THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER? BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT OUT OF THE GATE CHIEF OF STAFF, 135 TO START, ALL I CAN SEE IS THAT INCREASE EACH YEAR.
YEAH, I'M NOT KEEN ON THAT. BUT WHAT WAS THE STARTING OF I, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T RECALL, I'LL GET WHAT I STARTED AT AND, AND I GUESS IT, I MEAN, A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE PRE-COVID YEARS.
SO MAYBE THAT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO REITERATE THAT PURPOSE.
AND GRAY AUDITOR, JUST THAT IS A LOT OF 343,000, IF I MAY ADDRESS THAT, IF I UNDERSTAND THAT NUMBER YOU'RE SAYING IF WE AND I WANT THE CHIEF TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG POLICE DEPARTMENT ALONE WE ARE WHEN WE, WHEN I ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE, THE NEGOTIATED WHEN I ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE, THE BUDGET, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALONE. MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN POLICE PAY ALONE.
BUT THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, ALMOST JUST 70 BUCKS, 68 BUCKS SHY OF OF 300 000. SO THAT WAS THE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY WAS COMPLETELY ASIDE.
IT WAS ALMOST A MILLION IS WHAT THE THE CHANGE WAS.
IT WAS 925,490. THAT WAS PAGE TWO OF PURVIS AND GRACE AUDITING.
I'M JUST LOOKING BACK AT WHAT THEY SHARED WITH US. SO OUR GENERAL GOVERNMENT CHANGE WAS 298,932, WHICH WAS THE INCREASE. I WAS CURIOUS WHAT THE PERSONNEL INCREASE WAS.
OUR SALARY. BUT NOT BY 900,000. AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I'M NOT PROPOSING AT ANY POINT TO CREATE A NEW POSITION BEYOND THESE, A NEW DEPUTY CITY MANAGER POSITION. AND I'M ASKING BLUNTLY, DOES THIS MEAN THAT YOU WOULD NOT LIKE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER OR AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OR CHIEF OF STAFF IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET? I JUST, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT MY FEELINGS AREN'T GOING TO BE HURT.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT A TOWN OF 13,000 NEEDS A CHIEF OF STAFF ON TOP OF OUR CITY MANAGER, WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS. YOU ARE OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, AND WE JUST UPPED YOUR SALARY IMMENSELY.
AND I WAS HAPPY TO DO THAT BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
I WOULD NOT STAND BY A CHIEF OF STAFF. ON TOP OF THAT.
[01:35:02]
I'LL JUST BE VERY FRANK WITH THAT. I DO THINK A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR IS NEEDED, AND MAYBE THEY ARE DUBBED AN EXECUTIVE, NOT AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, BUT SOMETHING VERY CLOSE TO IT.BUT I WOULD NOT START A SALARY AT 135 AND JUST WITH THIS SAID, NEPTUNE BEACH DOESN'T HAVE ONE.
THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER, BUT JACK'S BEACH DOES NOT HAVE ONE EITHER.
I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK THAT QUESTION. DO WE NOTICE FERNANDINA BEACH HAVE? FRANKLY, DOES HAVE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND. A CHIEF OF STAFF, THOUGH? NO, A DEPUTY, A DEPUTY WHO PERFORMS THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING. SO LIKE I OKAY, I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE YOU KEPT SAYING THAT IT'S NOT THE CHIEF, IT'S THE CHIEF OF STAFF IS NOT A DEPUTY. IT'S NO DEPUTY PROPOSED IN THE NEAR TERM AT ALL.
BUT JACK'S BEACH DOES NOT HAVE A CHIEF OF STAFF.
THEY DO. AND A TWO PERSON COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
THEY ARE CLOSE JUST SHY OF 25,000. SO THEY'RE ALMOST 10,000 MORE RESIDENTS THAN US AGAIN.
SO YEAH, JUST KEEPING THAT THEY'RE ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT WE ARE.
YEAH. COMMISSIONER. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WE HIRED KEVIN TO BE THE CITY MANAGER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE WAS DUAL HATTED YOU KNOW, IT'S A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
AND KEVIN'S STRUCTURAL IDEAS ABOUT HOW HE WANTS TO RUN THE CITY HE SELLS, THAT COMES BACK, WE DISCUSS IT. AND BECAUSE TONIGHT, I DON'T THINK WE'RE WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST CONSTRAINTS.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO TURN TO KEVIN AND SAY, HEY, HOW HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VISION THAT WE'VE GIVEN HIM? AND MAYBE THAT'S KIND OF IN A BIGGER PICTURE THING.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST ADD A COUPLE OF POINTS HERE.
SO I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHETHER IT'S A CHIEF OF STAFF OR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
I THINK OUR NEW CITY MANAGER DOES DESERVE SUPPORT.
AND HE, WE ELIMINATED HIS POSITION, OR AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVEN'T BACKFILLED IT.
WHAT DOES CONCERN ME IS HIRING A CHIEF OF STAFF AND THEN LATER MAYBE HIRING A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. AND I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, COMMISSIONER RING.
BUT BUT I THINK HE NEED MR.. HOGENCAMP NEEDS TO POST FOR A POSITION TO GIVE SOME RELIEF.
THIS CITY MANAGER ON THIS DAIS HAS BEEN WORKING.
HANG ON, I GOT YOU. HE'S BEEN WORKING EXTREMELY HARD FOR SEVEN, SEVEN STRAIGHT MONTHS, AND SO HE NEEDS RELIEF AS TO THE, THE TITLE FIRST OF ALL, THE IF IT'S A CHIEF OF STAFF, THAT PERSON ULTIMATELY COULD BE IN LINE TO BECOME A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER IF WE SO CHOSE TO PROMOTE THEM TO THAT POSITION.
AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CITIZENS AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU ON THE DAIS THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE IN SUCCESSION AND CALL THAT PERSON A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. I DON'T I THINK BENCH STRENGTH ALWAYS MATTERS.
AND IF, IF I READ CORRECTLY WHAT YOU HAD ASKED TO POST AND WHAT YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR IS SOMEBODY THAT HAS A PEDIGREE OF A, A MASTER'S, A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A PREFERRED, RIGHT.
SO I THINK YOU COULD HIRE SOMEBODY THAT COULD BASICALLY BE THAT PERSON, WHETHER IT'S CALLED DEPUTY CITY MANAGER OR NOT AND COULD ULTIMATELY ASCEND TO BE A A REPLACEMENT IF THAT WAS NECESSARY.
IF I AND I AM A TAXPAYER, ALL OF US ARE. I'M WATCHING EVERYTHING THAT MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING VERY CLOSELY BEFORE I DECIDE NOVEMBER, HOW I WILL VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT THREE TAX REFORM.
AND I THINK THE LAST THING I KNOW I WANT TO DO IS ADD A CHIEF OF STAFF TO A TOWN OF 13,000, AND THAT TITLE ALONE IS JUST UNNECESSARY TO ME.
[01:40:07]
POSITIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS GOING TO BE A COMMUNICATIONS LEAD, AND ONE OF WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE CHIEF OF STAFF.I WOULD ACTUALLY CONSIDER YOU THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
NEARLY EVERY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR DOES REPORT TO YOU.
INDEED. AND YOU ARE THE OPERATIONS MANAGER. SO TO ME IT'S A REDUNDANT NAME.
AND AGAIN, I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR ONE OF THE 13,000 RESIDENTS HERE.
RESPECTFULLY, WE'RE NOT ADDING A LARGE POSITION.
WE'RE REPURPOSING THE DEPUTY AND A LESSER PAID POSITION.
I'M TELLING YOU, I'M NOT DOING THAT. RATHER, AT SOME POINT, FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND BEYOND MAY COME TO YOU AND SAY IT COULD BE MY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, IT COULD BE A PLANNING DIRECTOR OR THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NOTION OF HAVING SOMEONE SERVE ALSO AS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER? OKAY. YEAH. AND, BUT WE ARE ADDING A POSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS LEAD.
SO IS IT THE PREFERENCE OF THIS BODY TO DEFER ON THIS TILL THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING? AND CAN YOU LIVE WITH THAT? YEAH. THIS IS THIS IS REALLY GOOD DIALOG.
I'M NOT WALKING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT I'M NOT GOING TO POUT ON MY WAY OUT OF HERE.
THAT'S THAT SOUNDS GOOD. IT INFORMS ME TOO. WE'VE ALL DONE IT.
SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO. KEVIN, COULD YOU DUAL HAVE THAT POSITION? COULD BE THE COMMUNICATION SLASH. I MEAN, YOU WERE YOU DID DUAL HATTED THAT.
SO YES, AMONG THE THINGS THAT'S RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, AND I AM GOING TO POSTPONE POSTING THAT POSITION.
YES, COMMISSIONER. SO YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T BUILD AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S THAT'S CENTERED AROUND THE CURRENT PERSONALITY AND SKILLS, JUST LIKE THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S ALSO HANDS ON IN THE SAME WAY WITH YOU.
WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE GREAT AT COMMUNICATION, BUT THAT'S A SMALLER PART OF YOUR JOB NOW.
AND WE NEED TO DEFINE, WE NEED TO BUILD IN YOUR SECOND IN COMMAND, WHOEVER HOWEVER IT WORKS.
AND IT SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE CENTERED OUT OVER YOUR YOUR STRENGTH OF COMMUNICATION.
GOOD POINT. EVEN THOUGH YOU LIKE IT AND YOU'RE GOOD AT IT, WE'RE BUILDING CONTINUITY.
AND THAT'S. THE COMMISSION IS. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THIS FROM COMMISSIONER KELLY AND INDEED BEEN VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT NOT BUILDING THE ORGANIZATION BASED ON THE CURRENT PERSONNEL SO MUCH AS TO WHAT THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
THAT'S THIS WOULD BE A LOT EASIER, I GUESS, IF I DID IT THAT WAY, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE BETTER.
SURE. BOY, I WISH I WOULD HAVE COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT TITLE. OKAY, WELL THANK YOU AND GOOD DIALOG.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I I'LL TRY TO FAIRLY QUICKLY PUT A BOW ON MY REPORT, ALTHOUGH I HAVE A LITTLE WAYS TO GO YET.
I'M ON PAGE TWO MIDWAY THROUGH, STILL UNDER GENERAL FUND PERSONNEL ADJUSTMENTS.
WE, WE ARE INDEED LOOKING AT WHAT OUR BUDGET WILL LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR IF INDEED THE REFERENDUM PASSES AND I'VE IDENTIFIED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS THE OPPORTUNITY, IF WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT MUCH LESS MONEY OF A TARGET NET REDUCTION THROUGH ATTRITION OF AT LEAST FIVE ADDITIONAL FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, THAT WOULD BE SIX, INCLUDING THIS YEAR'S, IF INDEED WE HIRED A SOMEONE WHO ACTED IN A CHIEF OF STAFF ROLE.
[01:45:06]
SO THAT THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED TO BE ABOUT A $500,000 SAVINGS BASED ON WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE WHERE THE ATTRITION MIGHT HAPPEN. AND I'M JUST ONCE AGAIN, UNDER FISCAL HEADWINDS, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE, THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE THAT'S BEFORE US.HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE INCREASED. I'M GOING TO REPORT ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WHEN WE UNVEIL OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.
THERE'S FUEL, FUEL COST VOLATILITY. OF COURSE.
I AM ADDRESSING AS A REPORT REPORTED TO YOU, PAID TIME OFF LIABILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THE EXPIRING SALES TAX IN 2030. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR AFOREMENTIONED POTENTIAL SO-CALLED TAX REFORM CUTS. YES. SLOW YOU DOWN, BUT. NO, NO, NO, THIS.
IT'S IN THE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVE DRAWN THEM IS THE PTO CARRYOVER YOU KNOW, YEAR TO YEAR. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND YOU CAN SAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IN FACT, I WOULD GUESS YOU PROBABLY CAN HAVE ONE POSITION OUT OF IF YOU LOOK JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST A BALLPARK NUMBER. I THINK SO AND HOPE SO.
I JUST WANT TO MENTION IT BECAUSE THAT'S A SAVINGS IN THAT LONG TERM.
YES. BIG TIME. THE NEXT CATEGORY OF AGAIN ADDRESSES OR FURTHER ADDRESSES.
AND IN THE CASE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CONTINUATION OF OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, NEGOTIATIONS FOR US TO PROPOSE THAT BUDGET BEFORE YOUR, OUR AUGUST 19TH WORKSHOP ADDRESSING KEY COST DRIVERS AND OPERATIONAL NAVIGATION.
SO, SO IN ADDITION TO OUR CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED, THIS IS THE THE POLICE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT OUR OBLIGATED INCREASED PAY THAT'S HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE.
STAFF IS NAVIGATING, NAVIGATING OF COURSE, THE, THE ISSUE OF HOW MANY POLICE VEHICLES TO ADD NEXT YEAR, SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS MORE SO THAN THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE PENSIONERS.
AND I'VE MENTIONED HEALTH INSURANCE, FUEL COSTS.
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE AND TASER REPLACEMENTS.
THAT WAS ALL POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC. ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE MOVING? MOVING ON? OH, GOOD. I AM SKIPPING DOWN TO A LITTLE FURTHER DISCUSSION DOWN ON NUMBER FIVE. UNLESS YOU ALL SAY OTHERWISE ON NUMBER FIVE AT THE END OF PAGE THREE, OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE MORE THAN AT LEAST PROJECTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A, IT'LL BE A WHILE BEFORE WE HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT A LITTLE MORE THAN $1 MILLION LOSS OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE IF THE REFERENDUM PASSES, NOT THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THE NEXT AND 1.8 MILLION THE YEAR AFTER THAT.
SO SOME, SOME MITIGATION OPTIONS IF THAT OCCURS, IS WE COULD HAVE SOME ASSESSMENTS FOR FIRE SERVICE TO HELP PAY FOR THAT. AND I'LL ADDRESS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IN JUST A BIT.
WE COULD, WE COULD HAVE STREET LIGHT ASSESSMENTS.
WE COULD HAVE EXPANDED PAID PARKING TO GENERATE REVENUE, ALTHOUGH I CAN'T IMAGINE EVER AS A MATTER OF POLICY SUGGESTING AND IT DOES POTENTIALLY CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW US RAISING MONEY THROUGH, THROUGH PARKING REVENUE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF, OF SUBSIDIZING OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE ASSESSING FOR, FOR RESURFACING.
I AM MOVING ON TO OTHER POTENTIAL THAT I'M AT THE BEGINNING OF PAGE FOUR NOW.
WE COULD HAVE SOME ENTERPRISE UTILITY TRANSFERS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SOME, SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE CRA DISTRICTS AND OF COURSE WE DON'T, WE COULD DELAY OR SCALE BACK OUR CIP, FRANKLY, FRANKLY, THAT'S, THAT'S LIKELY. WELL, I THINK WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT INDEED, YOU MAY SEE US PROPOSE THAT TO BALANCE
[01:50:10]
THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. WE COULD THIS YEAR. YES. YOU MEAN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET? YEAH. I'M SORRY. YEAH. FISCAL YEAR. YEAH. 27 BUDGET.IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR OUR ESTABLISHED PRACTICE AND CARRYING OUT OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR JUST REALLY OUR KIND OF OUR, THE FUNDAMENTAL THING THAT WE DO IN OUR COMMUNITY AS FAR AS KEEPING OUR ROADS IN GOOD SHAPE THROUGH RESURFACING, EXPANDING OUR CONNECTIVITY WITH OUR MULTI USE PASS, THOSE WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY OR COULD BE IN JEOPARDY, DEPENDING, YOU KNOW, ON THE POLICIES YOU ALL ESTABLISH.
WE WILL LOOK CLOSER AT OUR SHARED IN OUR LOCAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS, AND I'VE ALREADY ADJUSTED THE ATTRITION, ATTRITION SCENARIO AND PROBABLY AS A AS A LAST RESORT, DEPENDING ON WHO'S SERVING UP HERE, WHO'S SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND THE ELECTED OFFICIAL ROLE, ULTIMATELY, RAISING MILLAGE RATES AS A WAY OF MAXIMIZING OOFFSETTING OF THE PROPERTY TAX REFORM. AND THEN FINALLY, OF COURSE THERE'S GRANTS.
WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT IT AND WE'RE NOT WE'RE WE JUST CAN'T LET OUR FOOT DOWN.
WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, FRANKLY, ON STAFF AND ON, ON CONSULTATION FOR GRANT WRITING FOR, FOR, FOR LOBBYING. AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, I, I SPEND SOME OF MY TIME ON, ON GRANT MANAGEMENT.
OF COURSE. STEVE SWANN DOES WE HAVE A GRANT ADMINISTRATOR.
WE SPEND A LOT AND WE MAY OR MAY NOT NEED TO SPEND MORE TO GET A HIGHER RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S PERHAPS WE GET WHAT WE PAY FOR.
IF INDEED WHAT WE THINK COULD BE IMMINENT HAPPENS.
AND THEN FINALLY ADDRESSING REAL QUICKLY THE, THE REALITY THAT WE ARE IN INTERLOCAL INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE AS AS YOU ALL THINK, KNOW OUR AGREEMENT FRAMEWORK DEDUCTS 3.2907 MILLAGE DIFFERENTIAL FROM BEACHES, TAXES FOR COUNTY SERVICES.
WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY STUDY UNDERWAY THAT WE EXPECT TO BE WRAPPED UP BY OCTOBER.
AND WRAPPED UP MEANS THAT THE CONSULTANT WILL PRESENT TO THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AND CITY OF JACKSONVILLE A PROPOSED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR DELIBERATION BY, BY THE, BY THE CITY OF AB AND THE CITY OF JACK'S.
WHO'S GOING TO BE AT THAT MEETING? THAT PRESENTATION? ALL OF YOU, I TRUST AND AND AND MAYBE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE AND AND THEN SOME.
THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS TOPIC, RIGHT? SO WILL WE BE WITH BE OVER ACROSS THE DITCH ON THAT DAY? AT, AT AT MARSH OAKS. NO, I WAS JUST, I THOUGHT YOU SAID COJ IS COMING TO PRESENT OR.
NO, NO, THE THIRD PARTY WILL PRESENT WITH COJ.
YEAH. I THINK THAT'LL BE OUT HERE UNLESS UNLESS WE NEED BIGGER, YOU KNOW, MORE SPACE.
SO THEY WILL PRESENT THE CONSULTANT WILL PRESENT TO US THEN GO AND PRESENT TO COJ.
WELL WE'LL GET A WRITTEN REPORT. OKAY. AND AND THEN OF COURSE, ADDRESS IT IN PUBLIC MEETINGS.
OKAY. MAYOR DOUGAN CAN JUST WALK OVER. BUT WOULD SHE? I DON'T THINK FOR THE INITIAL REPORT IT'S. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE ANYBODY FROM COJ LATER WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO NEGOTIATE BECAUSE YOU CAN ASSUME FROM THIS REPORT, NO MATTER WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, THEY MAY LIKELY NOT AGREE WITH THAT IF THEY'RE IN OUR FAVOR.
NOW, IF THEY WERE AGAINST US, WE MIGHT LIKELY NOT AGREE WITH THAT.
THAT, COJ COULD, RIGHT NOW THEY ONLY. EVERYONE.
I THINK EVERYONE LOOKING AT THIS KNOWS THAT STATION 55 SERVICES TWO CITIES.
BUT YOU'VE MADE THAT CLEAR. WE WE GOT YOU ON RECORD ON THAT.
BUT LET'S JUST HOLD ON THAT BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW UNTIL WE GET THE REPORT WHAT OBJECTIONS, IF ANY, AND I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME THAT WILL GET FROM THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
AND THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT WOULD BE AT 1.5 MILLION IF WE CONTINUED LEGALLY WITH THAT AGREEMENT.
[01:55:05]
SO THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT. WELCOME. ANY QUESTIONS? NOW BETWEEN MEETINGS AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP AND FROM, OF COURSE, FROM EVERYONE UP HERE AND FROM THE PUBLIC.SO THANKS FOR INDULGING ME. THAT'S THE MOST SPOKEN.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS? GREAT CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS,
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.