[00:00:01] SO, BEFORE WE GAVEL THIS TO ORDER, COMMISSIONER GRANT HAS A BACK ISSUE AND WILL NOT BE ATTENDING, [CALL TO ORDER] BUT WILL BE WATCHING. OH. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO CALL THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING DATED WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19TH, 2026 FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH TO ORDER. AND LADAYIJA, COULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? COMMISSIONER BOLE. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER GRANT. HE'S ABSENT. COMMISSIONER KELLY. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER RING. PRESENT. MAYOR FORD. RIGHT HERE. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED IN? WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO COMMENT? OKAY, WE'RE CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT. MOVING STRAIGHT INTO STAFF PRESENTATION. [2. STAFF PRESENTATION ] ITEM 2 ON THE AGENDA. MR. HOGENCAMP. GREETINGS, EVERYONE. I'M GOING TO GET A PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF ME. BEAR WITH ME JUST A MOMENT. ALRIGHTY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR ROBUST TURNOUT FROM STAFF. THANKS FOR. WE HAVE THEM ON HAND NOT TO PRESENT BUT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS THEY ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON ANY EXPENDITURE, ANY INDIVIDUAL EXPENDITURE. AND I'M HOPING YOU'LL CALL THEM UP AS YOU SEE FIT. YOU KNOW, PLEASE DON'T GO THROUGH ME. THEY'RE AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO COME ANSWER BUDGET RELATED QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THEM. THIS IS THE THIRD OF THREE WORKSHOPS. THIS COVER SLIDE. I GUESS I'M GOING TO START BY SAYING THAT EACH OF YOU HAS A HANDOUT THAT I HOPE YOU'LL FOLLOW. REALLY THE SLIDE SHOWS MORE GRAPHIC IN NATURE, BUT THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, WHICH IS IN THE HANDOUT. AND SO I'M STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THE 2.7499 MILLAGE RATE AND THE TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET IS PROPOSED AT 56,950,000. LOOKING AT THE HANDOUTS HERE, IN TERMS OF THE SUMMARY, THIS MILLAGE RATE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO KEEP IS AMONG FLORIDA'S LOWEST MUNICIPAL RATES FOR, FOR FULL SERVICE CITIES. WE ARE PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING IN THIS BUDGET AND LOOKING AHEAD, THE IMPENDING IMPENDING STRUCTURAL REVENUE SHIFTS THAT COULD BE, I SAID, IMPENDING THE POTENTIAL IMPENDING. HOWEVER, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THIS YEAR AND YEARS AHEAD TO BE WISE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH AMENDMENT THREE. SO ALTHOUGH THAT'S GUIDING US AND THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO OPERATE AS IF WE ARE CHARGED WITH SPENDING THE PUBLIC'S MONEY AS FRUGALLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE WHILE CARRYING OUT THE SERVICES THAT FULFILL THE PRIORITIES THAT THE CITY COMMISSION SET. SPEAKING OF PRIORITIES, IF YOU LOOK MIDWAY THROUGH PAGE ONE, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OPERATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, THE WHAT I CALL THE FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 WINS WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD STORIES TO TELL IN THE CATEGORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE. WE, OF COURSE, ENACTED A LANDMARK TREE PROTECTION CODE. WE'VE COMPLETED YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT PHASE OF OUR AQUATIC HOPKINS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'VE CONVERTED A BEGINNING. WE BEGIN TO CONVERT. WE'RE GOING TO FINISH NEXT YEAR OUR DISINFECTION FROM GAS CHLORINATION TO SAFER ALTERNATIVES. WE'VE LAUNCHED PHASE TWO OF THE NORTH CHERRY DRIVE WATER MAIN EXTENSION UNDER TECHNOLOGY AND ANALYTICS. WE'VE DEPLOYED OUR ENTERPRISE ERP SOFTWARE. WE ARE ROLLING OUT OUR OPEN AB AND AB TREES PORTALS. AND WE HAVE FULFILLED A CITY COMMISSION PRIORITY IN TERMS OF BRINGING ON BOARD A MODERN ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. UNDER COMMUNITY AND CULTURE, WE ARE WRAPPING UP THE CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF MARSH OAKS COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE GARDEN WILL BE BUILT STARTING IN SEPTEMBER AND COMPLETED BY OCTOBER. [00:05:02] WE, OF COURSE, HOSTED OUR CENTENNIAL EVENTS AND UNVEILED THE TURTLE CRAWL, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS GOING TO BE FEATURED ON THE LOCAL NPR STATION TOMORROW. OUR TURTLE CRAWL IS. AND WE'VE ESTABLISHED OUR FARMER'S MARKET AND ATLANTIC BEACH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIPS. WE'VE CODIFIED THEM. WE'RE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN WE'VE BEEN IN THE TEN YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE WITH BASEBALL AND WE NOW ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH A NONPROFIT WHO'S COORDINATING OUR FARMER'S MARKET. AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE MADE THAT ADVANCEMENT. AND ALTHOUGH THIS HAS REVITALIZED VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK, WE HAVE ACTIVATED BEACHES, VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE OTHER THAN OUR MEMORIAL DAY AND VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES WITH OUR CENTENNIAL EVENT. YOU, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CITY COMMISSION ESTABLISHED THE FY 26-27 KEY PRIORITIES THAT ARE LISTED ON PAGE ONE. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THEM, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES ARE ADDRESSED IN THE 526-27 BUDGET. THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED. FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU ALL ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES AFTER GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT AND WORKING WITH STAFF AND DEVELOPING A CONSENSUS. AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EACH OF THOSE PRIORITIES IS IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. IN TERMS OF OUR TIMELINE. LET'S SEE IF I HAVE THAT IN HERE. OKAY. WE STARTED IN MAY, OF COURSE IN JUNE AND JULY, WE HAD OUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS. WE HAVE SUBMITTED THE TRIM NOTICE WHICH REPORTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO ADOPT A MILLAGE RATE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN OUR CURRENT MILLAGE RATE ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. I WILL REVISE WHAT I PRESENT TONIGHT AND ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, OF COURSE, WE'LL HAVE OUR FINAL BUDGET PROPOSAL IN ADVANCE OF THE SEPTEMBER 14TH FIRST FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, TWO WEEKS LATER IS THE FINAL BUDGET HEARING AND OFFICIAL TAX RATE ADOPTION. I'M ON PAGE TWO NOW. SOME KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET. YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THIS ALREADY. SO I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS. WE HAVE A NET REDUCTION OF TWO FULL TIME POSITIONS. OUR PAY PROPOSAL FOR NON UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES WILL INCREASE THE BASE MINIMUM PAY FROM $16.83 AN HOUR TO $18 AN HOUR. THIS IS A ONE TIME ROLLOUT OF A STRATEGY TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF AND FRANKLY, TO HELP WITH RECRUITMENT OF AND RETENTION OF OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES. AND AT A CERTAIN AMOUNT, WE MAX OUT THE HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEES AT 2% INCREASES. AND THAT THRESHOLD IS AT $121,000. AND I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 13 OF US WHO ARE IN THAT CATEGORY. AND BOB'S NODDING HIS HEAD THAT MAKE AT LEAST THAT AMOUNT. AND SO IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, THOSE OF US WHO MAKE THAT AMOUNT OR HIGHER WOULD GET 2% PAY RAISES. I DIDN'T MAKE THIS CLEAR EARLIER IN THAT THE NET OUTCOME OF THIS IS, IN TERMS OF SALARIES FOR NON-UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES IS LESS THAN 3%. SO IF WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN EVERYONE 3% INCREASE AND WE HAD DONE SOMETHING LIKE WHAT WE'VE DONE HISTORICALLY, THAT WOULD HAVE COST MORE THAN THIS PLAN THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT. OTHERWISE, WE WILL FULLY DEPLOY OUR BSNA SOFTWARE AND OUR EPLAN SITE PLAN REVIEW SOFTWARE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AT CITY HALL AND BE MORE CUSTOMER CENTRIC. WE WILL HAVE IN THIS BUDGET TARGETED SPECIAL FUND ALIGNMENT. WE HAVE TWO FUNDS THAT HAVE INCREASED IN FUND BALANCES. AND FRANKLY, IT'S MONEY THAT WE SHOULD BE REINVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IN ONE CASE, THE ENVIRONMENT. AND THAT'S A TREE PROTECTION FUND. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN SPENDING THAT DOWN AGGRESSIVELY. AND I'LL BE COMING TO THE COMMISSION WITH A TREE PROTECTION FUND SPENDING PLAN WHERE WE. YES. I'M SORRY. CAN I? YES, PLEASE. REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. THE PAID PARKING FUND? YES. I THINK I READ SOMEWHERE THAT FUND HAS TO BE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. IN OTHER WORDS, ITS USE IS SUCH, YOU KNOW. TREES, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WE ALONG THAT. IS THERE SOMETHING IN STATE LAW THAT SAYS THAT? [00:10:02] YEAH, I THINK SO. AT LEAST IT GUIDES US IN THAT DIRECTION IF IT DOESN'T SPELL US OUT. SPELL IT OUT. AND FRANKLY FROM ME, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR ANY PROPOSALS TO SPEND THAT MONEY ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT WE'VE ALL AGREED TO DO NOW THAT OUR CODE DOES ACTUALLY ALLOW FOR COMPLETE STREETS IMPROVEMENTS CITYWIDE. YEAH, IF THERE WERE COMPLETE STREETS IMPROVEMENTS OUT THAT I RECOMMEND FROM THOSE FUNDS, IT WOULD BE IN THE BEACHES TOWN CENTER AREA. THE BEACHES TOWN CENTER AGENCY USED TO BE INTIMATELY ASSOCIATED WITH. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEPTUNE BROUGHT UP WAS THAT MONEY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ON THAT SIDE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT CLEANING SIDEWALKS, ETC. SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT MONEY GOES TO THINGS LIKE THAT. YES. I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S THEIR APPROACH. OKAY. IF WE HAVE IN THE PAST, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE NOT ANY LONGER. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO ASK THAT QUESTION. THANKS. AND PLEASE, EVERYONE UP HERE. PLEASE INTERRUPT ME ALONG THE WAY. WE'VE BEEN CAREFUL ABOUT USING SPECIALIZED FUNDS FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE. WE HAVE SPECIFICALLY BEEN CAREFUL ABOUT IT. YES, MA'AM. MOVING ON. I'M AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 2 NOW IN TERMS OF THE MILLAGE RATE AND WHERE OUR STANDS. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IN ATLANTIC BEACH, A MEDIAN HOMESTEADED ASSESSED VALUE OR THE MEDIAN HOMESTEADED ASSESSED VALUE IS $582,000. THAT REPRESENTS $1,100 THAT WITH THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE, THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS PAY FOR CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH SERVICES. THE REST OF OUR TAX BILLS IS DELINEATED HERE, AS YOU CAN SEE. AND THAT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND 16% OF THE OVERALL PROPERTY TAX BILL. NOW MOVING TO PAGE 3 NOW. THIS NEXT SECTION SHOWS THAT ABOUT 54% OF OUR REAL ESTATE IN ATLANTIC BEACH IS HOMESTEADED. THAT QUESTIONS COME UP SOME. AND I'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTION, HOW MUCH DOES MAINTAINING THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE NET IN NEW TAX REVENUE. AND THAT NUMBER IS $633,506. SO THAT'S HOW MUCH WE'RE INCREASING TAXES, FRANKLY, THAT'S HOW MUCH WE'RE COLLECTING, HOW MUCH MORE IN PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO COLLECT IN FISCAL YEAR 27 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 26. AND THAT'S OF COURSE ESTIMATE FROM THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE. MOVING DOWN TO REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. AND THAT IS TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET AND WHAT AMOUNT IS BUDGETED. AND I'M IN THE SECTION THAT'S CALLED COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET SUMMARY BY FUND. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT I'M PROPOSING TO DECREASE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BY $135,000. WHERE'S THAT? IN THE. OKAY. CORRESPONDINGLY. BY THE WAY, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME POTENTIAL THAT YOU SEE SOME NUMBERS THAT DON'T ADD UP OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS EITHER DURING THIS MEETING OR AFTERWARDS. AND THIS IS TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL. PLEASE ASK ME, THIS IS A FLUID DOCUMENT. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, WE CAN'T SAY FOR SURE HOW MUCH WE MIGHT BUDGET AND GENERAL FUND BALANCE SURPLUS ABOVE THE 50% THRESHOLD BECAUSE WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM CLOSING OUR BOOKS. AND I'LL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. CONTINUING WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET SUMMARY BY FUND, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE WATER ENTERPRISE FUND, WE PROPOSE THAT WE DECREASE THE SPENDING. SIMILARLY WITH THE SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND STORMWATER. YES. I GOTTA INTERRUPT YOU. SO I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT PAGE 5 OF THIS AGENDA DOCUMENT SHOWS THE GENERAL FUND PROPOSED AT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. THANKS. WE'VE WORKED ON THE BUDGET SINCE THAT WAS PRODUCED. WE IDENTIFY AND. I HOPE ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME REALITIES AS FAR AS UNKNOWNS, [00:15:09] INCLUDING WHERE WE LAND IN OUR POLICE NEGOTIATIONS OR IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT. SO THERE'S STILL SOME DECISIONS TO BE MADE AND THERE'S SOME REVENUE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE STILL MAKING PROJECTIONS THAT WILL UPDATE THE PROJECTIONS ALONG THE WAY. HEY, KEVIN, MAYBE IT'S AN OFF THE WALL QUESTION, BUT WE'VE BEEN SO LUCKY IN THE HURRICANE REALM. YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR 6 OR 7 YEARS. AND I LOOK AT SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS AND WHAT WE'RE SPENDING, ETC. MAYBE MAYBE THE STAFF CAN HELP IS, WHAT WOULD. SAY WE DID HAVE, IN FACT, A HURRICANE THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE OR A WHOLE MYRIAD OF THINGS. WHAT FUNDS WOULD COME INTO PLAY THERE? I MEAN, WE GO GENERAL FUND. HOW WOULD WE ASSESS THAT? IS THAT I'LL SAY THAT OUR DIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREPARING FOR AND DEALING WITH DURING THE EMERGENCY AND RECOVERING OUR REIMBURSABLE A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS, WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PREPARING FOR THE WORST, WHERE WE ARE BETTER POSITIONED NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN EVER IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH FEMA AND FOLLOWING THEIR PREPARATION GUIDELINES, THERE'S SOME NEW GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS IN PLACE. AND INDEED, WE POSITIONED OURSELVES. I THINK YOU ALL MIGHT KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT'S TAKEN TWO, FOUR, SIX YEARS TO GET REIMBURSED. WE'RE POSITIONING OURSELVES TO GET A BIG CHUNK OF THE FUNDS ALMOST IN REAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE STEPS THAT CHIEF VICK AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE TAKEN IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THIS PROCESS THAT Y'ALL HEARD CALLED THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. COMMISSIONER. IT WAS MY IMPRESSION THAT THE FEDS WERE REDUCING THE FUNDING FOR FEMA. SO. YEAH, THAT'S. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE. I READ THAT TO WHERE THAT COMES INTO PLAY AND WHETHER IT IMPACTS REAL EMERGENCIES LIKE OURS, I'D BE SURPRISED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A. I THINK A FUNDAMENTAL FUNCTION OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TO HELP COMMUNITIES RECOVER OF ITS FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. I KNOW, OF COURSE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. FRANKLY, WE DON'T HAVE A GAUGE ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT. WE'RE GOING TO OPERATE AND DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS AND CROSS OUR FINGERS. AND OF COURSE, THAT'S WHERE RAINY DAY MONEY COMES IN INTO ACCOUNT AND WHY WE HAVE A POLICY TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 25%. MONEY. I MEAN, THAT'S A FACT. I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT, THE METRICS IN BECAUSE I JUST THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A PLAN B BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN, I THINK, WHAT? I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE HEALTHY WATER AND SEWER UTILITY FUNDS. RIGHT. I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING. YEAH. AND SO WE REINVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHETHER WE USE SOME OF THOSE RESERVES TO RECOVER. SO IN THE VEIN OF WHAT COMMISSIONER BOLE IS SAYING, WHAT'S OUR AVAILABLE LINE OF CREDIT CURRENTLY? I DON'T KNOW THAT. AND RIGHT NOW I'M ASSUMING WE'RE OPERATING WITH NO DRAW DOWN ON THAT CURRENT LINE OF CREDIT. FORGIVE ME. I NEED TO GO TO WORK ON THAT QUESTION. THAT'S NOT ONE THAT'S BEEN POSED TO ME NOR. THAT'S OUT OF MY BAILIWICK, BUT TOMORROW IT'LL BE WITHIN. THANKS. COMMISSIONER. YEAH, SO WE'RE ON PAGE 3, AND I JUST WANT TO GO BACK AND REITERATE SOMETHING. SO THE AD VALOREM REVENUE, MY EYES ARE ON THAT GENERAL ELECTION AMENDMENT THREE IS GOING TO AFFECT US FOREVER. SO HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT $4.9 MILLION, WHICH IS 54% OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE OR OVERALL REVENUE? WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING? PAGE 3. PAGE 3 OF THE PAMPHLET. YEP. HANDED TO US TODAY. RIGHT. SO THAT ONE. OH, THAT ONE. SO THAT CURRENT HOMESTEAD REVENUE BASELINE, THAT $4.9 MILLION, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT? SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD. [00:20:03] HOMESTEADED. IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LOOK AT? WHICH IS FISCAL YEAR 2028, BEGINNING SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 1ST OF 2027, IS PROJECTED TO IMPACT ALMOST 5% OF OUR GENERAL FUND. THAT'S ABOUT $1 MILLION. OKAY. AND BY YEAR, TWO $1.8 MILLION. AND SO WHAT YEAR WOULD THAT START? THAT WOULD BE FISCAL YEAR 29, WHICH IS OCTOBER 1ST OF 28. OKAY. AND THAT'S THE 250 EXEMPTION. RIGHT. OKAY. THEN THEN 28 WOULD BE THE 150. YES. STARTING IN 28. OKAY. SO THE FULL EXEMPTION. THAT'S JUST A SCENARIO THAT'S OUT THERE IN, YOU KNOW, IN DISCUSSION BY THE LEGISLATURE. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS IN TALLAHASSEE HAVE THEIR EYES ON THAT AND WHETHER WE'LL EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SPECULATIVE. OKAY, THAT'S SPECULATIVE, BUT WE'RE AT LEAST LOOKING AT A $1,060,000, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES EFFECTIVE. NOT WITH THIS BUDGET, BUT THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO CUT BECAUSE I SAW THAT YOU WENT DOWN $666,000. I DON'T LIKE THAT NUMBER. BUT THAT'S NOT A MILLION. WE WENT DOWN WHERE? SO ON PAGE 3, OVERALL TOTAL MUNICIPAL BUDGET, KEVIN JUST MENTIONED HE DID CUT TO 666,000 WHICH ISN'T. IT DOESN'T HELP US WITH THAT. I'D LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 6, THE SECOND HALF OF PAGE 6. WHERE IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE ALREADY CONTEMPLATING THE POTENTIAL. WE'RE ALREADY CONTEMPLATING IT WITH A LEANER BUDGET ANYWAY, WITH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LEAN THINKING BUDGET. HOWEVER, IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES AND I'M LOOKING AT THE CATEGORY CALLED AMENDMENT THREE, MULTI TIERED ADAPTATION ROADMAP AND PRIORITIES, THERE'S THREE TIERS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. MINOR, MODERATE AND SEVERE IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL IMPACT. THE MINOR CONTRACTION IS IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES IN YEAR ONE, WE WOULD LOOK AT THE PROSPECT OF SELECTIVE HIRING HOLDS. SO DOES THAT INCLUDE CREATING POSITIONS? THAT MEANS THAT WE MAY HAVE A HIRING FREEZE. SO WITH POSITIONS WE ALREADY HAVE THAT ARE VACANT, BUT NOT ADDING POSITIONS? RIGHT. THAT WOULD NOT. AT LEAST A NET OUTCOME, IF THE COMMISSION AGREED WITH THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE NEED TO CREATE ONE POSITION WE WOULD PROBABLY ELIMINATE SOMETHING IN THIS PLACE, KIND OF LIKE WE DID IN THIS FISCAL YEAR OR CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS. YES, THERE'S EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE, INCLUDING SOME FULL TIME POSITIONS MIGHT BE PART TIME OR 32 HOURS. AND THAT'S YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD RELY ON AND GUIDE THE CITY MANAGER IN TERMS OF THE POLICIES THAT FOLLOW WILL. IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, THIS WILL. I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN IT WILL PASS. THEN IT'LL BE ON OUR AGENDA BY IN JANUARY TO BEGIN ADDRESSING THAT AND PLANNING FOR. WILL THAT BE TOO LATE FOR US? BECAUSE WE'RE. OUR FISCAL YEAR WE'RE PLANNING FOR. YEAH. SO IT WOULD NOT IMPACT THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE'RE PLANNING. SO DOES THAT? OKAY. SO WOULD WE END UP LETTING GO OR FIRING SOME POSITIONS IF THIS ENDS UP TAKING? FRANKLY, IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, I DON'T SEE THAT LIKELIHOOD EVEN IN YEAR TWO BECAUSE OUR UNLIKE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES. INSTEAD IT MIGHT OCCUR IN ATTRITION. I DON'T SEE A SCENARIO WHERE IF WE CUT 10% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, THAT WOULD NECESSARILY. THAT ANY LAYOFFS WOULD BE A RESULT OF THAT. IT'S ONCE WE GET BEYOND THAT AND THE PROSPECTIVE TOTAL ELIMINATION OF HOMESTEADED PROPERTY TAXES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, DIRE, YOU KNOW. IT WOULD ALTER THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. [00:25:02] WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN. THIS GUY'S NOT GOING TO FALL IF IN ATLANTIC BEACH IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES. RIGHT. AND I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING, AT LEAST TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE UNKNOWN IS THE BEYOND THE $250,000 INCREASE ON THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THE CHARGE TO THE LEGISLATURE OF ULTIMATELY FINDING A WAY TO ELIMINATE AD VALOREM TAXES ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM SEVERAL SMART PEOPLE, INCLUDING FORMER SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OR I'M SORRY. JERRY HOLLAND PROPERTY APPRAISER. YEAH. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THE LEGISLATURE DOES IN FACT COME BACK WITH A PLAN, CALL IT TWO OR 3 OR 5 YEARS FROM NOW, THAT ALSO WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK ON A REFERENDUM TO THE ELECTORATE TO VOTE AND APPROVE IT. SO IT'S NOT LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE GOING TO GET BLINDSIDED WITH A THIRD HIT WHERE WE ELIMINATE ALL OF THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES. YES. CAN I ASK A FOLLOW? SORRY, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION WITH THAT SECTION. THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION EXPANSION. YOU HAVE A NOTE. REPLACING A TOTAL LOSS OF HOMESTEAD REVENUE WOULD REQUIRE A 1.4904 MILL INCREASE, RAISING THE MUNICIPAL TAX RATE FROM 2.7 ON UP TO 4.2. WOULD THAT BE ON ALL? IS THAT IS THAT ONE WAY WE WOULD MAKE UP FOR THAT? THAT'S AMONG THE OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. OKAY. YOU KNOW THAT WOULD BE YOUR DECISION. AND THE THOUGHT THERE IS, IS TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE, RIGHT. IT MAY TAKE THAT OR SOME, SOME, SOME VARIATION OF THAT COMBINED WITH THE, SOME COST CUTTING AND MAYBE, MAYBE REDUCTION. SO DOES THAT HIT OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND OUR RENTAL PROPERTIES? THAT'S THE ONES WHO FEEL IT THE MOST. WELL, THE IRONY IS IT ALSO HITS YOUR HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES? YES. YES. SO WHILE WE'RE GIVING ON WITH ONE HAND, WE'RE TAKING AWAY WITH THE OTHER ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL. WELL, FROM THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WERE DOING THIS GOOD THING, TOO. OKAY. YES. COMMISSIONER ONE ONE. MAYBE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS DEALING WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE. THAT'S GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT TO THEM. AND SO WHEN WE NEGOTIATE FIRE, ETC., WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THAT THEY MAY DIG IN. I MEAN, BECAUSE THEY ARE FACING A BIG NUMBER AND WE'RE NEGOTIATING. I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT IS THAT I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A PLAN, BUT I CAN SEE THEM BEING AFFECTED A LOT. YEAH. THAT'S ALL. WELL, YEAH. I MEAN, ON PAGE TWO AT THE BOTTOM WE SEE ALL THE TAXING AUTHORITIES. SO AND THEY ARE THEY THEY COULD ALL END UP INCREASING EXCEPT FOR I GUESS THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT STAYS THE SAME. I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT. RIGHT. THE SAME THING. IT DEPENDS ON EACH EACH YEAR WHO'S IN THE LEGISLATURE AND WHAT THEY'RE THINKING. SO WE WHAT'S AHEAD OF US MIGHT BE A LOT BETTER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE OR, OR A LOT WORSE OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN. IT'S TOTAL SPECULATION AS TO EVEN WHETHER SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES ARE ARE SAFE. WELL, AND I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THE FINAL PUNCTUATION ON. WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT TRYING TO HEDGE THE BET. WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE. I, AND I'M, I'M FOCUSED ON THE GENERAL FUND. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BODY APPROVE A REDUCTION OF 500 000 THIS BUDGET YEAR FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO IT'S NICE IF WE HAVE REDUCTIONS IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. BUT I WANT TO EXPLORE THAT. THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO. BUT IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN QUITE 50% OF THE FIRST YEAR HIT IF THEY RAISE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO 150 000. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT. BUT IF WE HOLD THE MILLAGE RATE THEN WE STILL HAVE THE MONEY COMING IN. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO IS PAY DOWN DEBT. AND I ASKED YOU IF YOU COULD BRING US THE DEBT RULE FOR EACH OF THE OUTSTANDING PIECES STARTING WITH WITH YEAH, THE PRESERVE. BUT, BUT I GUESS THE WHOLE POINT IS IF WE PAY DOWN DEBT, NOT ONLY DO WE PUT THE CITY IN A SAFER POSITION, WE HAVEN'T LOWERED THE MILLAGE RATE. SO WE'RE STILL HOLDING THAT FOR NOW. AND WE REDUCE THE CASH FLOW NECESSARY TO PAY THAT DEBT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. SO WE PUT OURSELVES IN A BETTER POSITION EACH YEAR GOING FORWARD. KEVIN, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO LOWER BY 1.16%. HOW DID YOU WHAT DID YOU CUT IN PARTICULAR? IN PARTICULAR? [00:30:04] YEAH. SUSPENDING, LARGELY SUSPENDING OUR COMPLETE STREETS INITIATIVE. OKAY. YEAH. BECAUSE THERE'S 2 MILLION THAT WAS CUT IN WATER. 2 MILLION IN SEWER. YES. AND THAT'S I'M SPEAKING OF THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS CUT ABOUT $150,000. THAT'S WHERE WHEN THAT'S WHERE I WAS ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF OF LARGELY SUSPENDING OUR COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM, IF THAT WAS THE SAILFISH DRIVE ONE. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT FUNDED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. OKAY. AND, BUT WHAT ABOUT WATER AND SEWER? YEAH. SO THOSE ARE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THE MONEY THAT'S COLLECTED IN AND WHEN WE PAY OUR UTILITY BILLS PAYS NOT ONLY FOR THE OPERATION, BUT ALSO THE REINVESTMENT AND INTO OUR UTILITIES AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THAT'S THOSE FUNDS OPERATE THEY'RE SELF-SUSTAINING. WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL ANY MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO HOW DID YOU CUT 2 MILLION IN THE WATER BY YOU KNOW, BY NOT TAKING ON AS MANY CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND FRANKLY, WE'RE CARRYING OUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND THOSE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN THIS FISCAL YEAR DID NOT CALL FOR US SPENDING AS MUCH IN FISCAL YEAR 2026. OKAY. SO WE JUST SPENT MORE LAST YEAR IN GENERAL, SO ON WATER AND SEWER. YEAH, I AM, I AM LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OUR STORMWATER PRIORITY. THAT'S A HUGE ONE. SO I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE 2 MILLION CUT THERE. SO STORMWATER IS GOING TO BE A SEPARATE ENTERPRISE FUND. SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SEWER. THAT'S RIGHT. AND ACTUALLY, WE'RE INCREASING IN STORM WATER. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE THREE. AT THE MOMENT I WOULD THINK THAT AS AFTER WE GET OUR STORM WATER MASTER PLAN, THAT WE WON'T WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON STORM WATER, I WOULD SUSPECT SO TOO, AND WOULD EXPECT US TO BE UPDATING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN ACCORDINGLY. SO HERE'S MY OTHER THOUGHT. I MEAN, YES, WE'RE WE'RE CUTTING IT 66, 666,000 THIS YEAR. BUT I MEAN, WE'RE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT FOREVER CUTTING IT, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN I ASK WHAT DID YOU CUT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN FOREVER GO AWAY? RIGHT. THE QUESTION IS, IS IS IT RECURRING COSTS OR IS IT ONE TIME CUTS? YES. SO SO OF COURSE, THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL RECURRING COSTS IS PERSONNEL. YES. RIGHT. AND THAT IS. AND WE, WE, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO BRING THAT. WE'RE BRINGING THE SALARY FOR OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES UP TO SOMETHING MORE RESPECTABLE THAN $16.83 AN HOUR. THAT'S THOSE ARE THE RECURRING COSTS THAT THROUGH ATTRITION WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND LESS IF THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. OTHERWISE IT'S CHOOSING, IT'S CHOOSING THINGS LIKE WHETHER TO PUT AS MUCH MONEY INTO STREET RESURFACING, WHETHER TO PUT AS MUCH MONEY INTO SIDEWALKS. I WOULD RATHER IF I COULD SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT EVERYONE IS MAKING. I'M NOT, I WOULD GUESS THAT THE LOWER END, THE ONES WHO ARE ACTUALLY IN THE DITCH WITH THE SHOVEL, AREN'T THE ONES MAKING A HUGE WAKE OR DENT IN THAT. I WOULD HOPE NOT. I'LL CLARIFY. WE'LL LOOK. I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU WE DO THIS ALREADY. TOMORROW WE'LL PUBLISH ON THE WEB OUR EMPLOYEE SALARIES. WE TOP HEAVY IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. ARE WE TOP HEAVY? AND IS THE FOCUS TO TAKE LESS FROM THE ONES WHO ARE ALREADY MAKING LESS? YES. YEAH. WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. WE'RE NOT GIVING ACROSS THE BOARD WRITE RAISES WHICH CITY MANAGER, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ASKED, BUT WE'LL PUBLISH THAT FOR YOU IN THE WORLD TO SEE TOMORROW. OKAY. OKAY. BUT YES, I MEAN, WE SORT OF INTERRUPTED OUR FLOW THROUGH THE HANDOUT, BUT IT OCCURRED TO ME TO CHIME IN TO WHAT COMMISSIONER BOLE SAID. AND WE HAVE INSURANCE, RIGHT? SO IF WE BLOW THE ROOF OFF AFTER WE GET THROUGH THE BLUE TARP PERIOD, WE DON'T PAY FOR THE ROOF. SO WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE INSURANCE THAT WOULD PAY FOR AN POST-HURRICANE ENVIRONMENT? SO THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU ASKING WHAT'S COVERED IN THE IN THE CASE OF A STORM? YEAH, I THINK SO. YES. AND BOB DOES THAT RIGHT. [00:35:03] HE DOES DO THAT. BOB BLANCO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE I DON'T KNOW IF I INTRODUCE NONI PEDREGON AT THE LAST MEETING. SHE'S OUR DEPUTY FINANCE DIRECTOR. SHE IS NOT GOING TO BE CALLED UP IF SHE HAS HER WAY AND PROBABLY HASN'T. BUT OTHERWISE, I THINK Y'ALL KNOW ALL OF OUR OTHER STAFF MEMBERS HERE, PROBABLY BOB BLANCO ON THE HR DIRECTOR AND HANDLE RISK MANAGEMENT. SO THROUGH OUR VARIOUS POLICIES WITH PREFERRED GOVERNMENT INSURANCE, WE CALL IT WE HAVE $64.8 MILLION OF COVERAGE. THAT'S FOR ALL OUR BUILDINGS INFRASTRUCTURE, EVERYTHING LIFT STATIONS. THERE'S ALMOST 30 LIFT STATIONS THAT ARE ALL INSURED. MANY OF THOSE ARE 300 000, YOU KNOW, A PIECE FOR THE MOTORS AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT, DANCING, LIGHTING. IT'S EVERYTHING. THE POLICE BUILDINGS, $11 MILLION OF COVERAGE. SO, I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY EXTENSIVE. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING AN AUDIT WITH ALL PHOTOGRAPHS OF EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF ITEM THAT'S OVER $1,000. SO IT'S CLOSE TO, I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE AT OVER 900 PHOTOS IN OUR DATABASE THAT ARE ON BUILDINGS. SO ASSUMING WE COULD FIND THE WORKERS TO DO WITH THE WORK, WE CAN'T, WE WE CAN BE MADE WHOLE. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. SO AND WE HAVE A DON'T WE HAVE A STANDBY CONTRACT FOR COLLEGE OR FOR TREES? YES WE DO FOR DEBRIS, DEBRIS, DEBRIS. THAT'S THE WORD I'M THINKING OF. YES. SO WOULD THAT COME IS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND OR THE RESERVES. IT'S IT'S REIMBURSABLE. YOU KNOW, WE CHECKED THE BOXES TO WHERE IT WOULD BE LARGELY REIMBURSABLE. AND YES, FROM THERE WE DEPEND ON INSURANCE FIRST AND THEN RESERVES THAT THE INSURANCE DIDN'T PAY THE DIFFERENCE. SO I'M THINKING INSURANCE IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO SAVE MONEY. WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT CUTTING OUR INSURANCE AS BEST WE CAN BOTH WITH OUR GENERAL LIABILITY AND ALSO OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH IS A MASSIVE GENERAL LIABILITY. WE SPEND ROUGHLY $1 MILLION A YEAR WITH THROUGH VARIOUS POLICIES. AND THEN WITH OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER, SADLY, I CAN TELL YOU WE SPEND JUST OVER $2 MILLION AND THAT'S FOR GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE WITH CIGNA. YEAH. ARE YOU IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE. IT IS. BUT ARE YOU WORKING ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR, OR ARE YOU WORKING ON IT FOR THE FUTURE? YES. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME SORT OF REPORT BACK ON THAT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. WE ARE, WE, WE BUDGETED A 10% INCREASE NOT KNOWING WHETHER WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO CAPTURE IT OR NOT. AND YES, BOB, WHEN WHEN WOULD WE COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION? WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR BROKER, GALLAGHER, SINCE EARLY APRIL, MAY, AND SOLICITING BIDS THROUGH UNITEDHEALTHCARE AND VARIOUS TRUSTS. FMIT IS ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING STRONGLY AT, FLORIDA MUNICIPAL INSURANCE TRUST. AND, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO COME IN WITH SOMETHING THAT'S UNDER $2 MILLION. THAT'S OUR BROKERS MARCHING ORDERS. AND I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. A COUPLE THINGS, IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME. NONI, YOU YOU GOT ME OUR DEBT SERVICE NUMBERS RECENTLY, AND I'M NOT SEEING THEM IN MY NOTES. WOULD YOU LIKE RE EMAIL THAT TO ME? IF YOU CAN PUT YOUR HANDS ON. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT REQUIRES YOU TO GO BACK TO YOUR DESK AND I'LL, I'LL REPORT THOSE SPECIFIC NUMBERS. YEAH. THANKS TO YOU, KEVIN AND THE OTHER FUNDS, IT NEARLY DOUBLES THE OTHER FUNDS AND RESERVES. WHAT'S IN THERE? WILL YOU TELL ME WHAT PAGE YOU'RE ON? I'M STILL ON THREE. IT'S PLUS 4 MILLION. OH. WHAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE EVERYTHING FROM OUR FROM THE BITTER JACK'S FUND FROM CONVENTION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND. IT INCLUDES SOME TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE AND ALSO GRANT, GRANT PROCEEDS, GRANT AND APPROPRIATIONS PROCEEDS, WHICH IS ADDRESSED IN ANOTHER CATEGORY. AND THEY JUST PASS THROUGH. RIGHT. THE, THE GRANTS. WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH GRANTS THERE ARE, BUT YES THEY'RE JUST PARKED THERE UNTIL THEY'RE. YES. I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION TO CONTINUE TRYING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF AMENDMENT THREE AT THE VERY, VERY, THE VERY LAST CATEGORY. A LITTLE SUBSECTION THAT SAYS PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING HIERARCHY. [00:40:02] THE MANDATES THAT ARE, THAT ARE LEGISLATED BY THE STATE OR FEDS THAT WE, THAT WE AREN'T GOING TO HAVE THE OPTION TO DO AWAY WITH IN TERMS OF SERVICE, POLICE, FIRE, OCEAN RESCUE, DRINKING WATER COMPLIANCE, WASTEWATER OPERATIONS, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. TIER TWO IS WHAT WE CLASSIFY AS ESSENTIAL REPORT THAT COULD BE IN JEOPARDY IF IF HOMESTEAD IS ELIMINATED. STORMWATER MAINTENANCE, OUR CORE FACILITIES, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS AND OUR LEGAL COMPLIANCE COULD BE IN JEOPARDY. OTHERWISE, WE WOULD START WITH THINGS LIKE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMING. THIS IS TIER THREE QUALITY OF LIFE, COMMUNITY EVENTS, LANDSCAPING, AND JUST DISCRETIONARY UPGRADES. SOMETHING LIKE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE MARSH OAKS COMMUNITY CENTER YOU KNOW, POST AMENDMENT THREE, IF THAT, IF THAT OPPORTUNITY HAD COME UP WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT BUT I WOULD IMAGINE WE WOULDN'T HAVE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE JUMPED ON THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I WASN'T JUST A PURCHASED IN REHAB COSTS THE ONE TIME THAT'S ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMING THAT THAT'S BUILT INTO THIS BUDGET. AND SO, SO AS, AS WE'RE CONTEMPLATING WHAT TO DO ABOUT MILLAGE RATE AND OTHERWISE WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE MADE THE DECISION IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BRING THIS, THIS COMMUNITY CENTER ON AND TO STEP UP OUR PROGRAMING FOR CITIZENS OF ALL AGES. COULD YOU FORESEE US ELIMINATING THE CHILD CARE AFTER SCHOOL? YEAH. SO AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW CITY OF JACKSONVILLE THROUGH, THROUGH PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE CHILDREN'S HOPE ALLIANCE KIDS HOPE ALLIANCE FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB PROGRAMING HERE TO THE TUNE OF $350,000 A YEAR. IF IF AMENDMENT THREE JEOPARDIZES THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE'S CONTINUED FUNDING. AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEGUN ASKING THAT QUESTION. WE AT THE MOMENT. THAT PROGRAMING AND THE FUNDING FOR IT SEEMS SAFE. AT LEAST THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. BUT YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS? ULTIMATELY, IT'S A POLICY DECISION OF THE 19 ELECTED FOLKS ON THE JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL WHEN THEY APPROVED THE BUDGET. BUT SO FAR, I'M FEELING A LOT BETTER THAN WHEN I GOT TO THINKING A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ABOUT WHETHER ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE DO, WHICH IS SORT OF PARTNERSHIP, COULD BE IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE OF AMENDMENT THREE. BUT I'M FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB PROGRAM. WE MIGHT DO AWAY WITH OUR GRANT PROGRAMS. WELL, WE ACTUALLY MY THOUGHT AS, AS AS I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY COMMUNITY OUR SIZE IS AS GOOD AS OUR TEAM, OUR TEAM OF OUR CITY ENGINEER, OUR GRANT ADMINISTRATOR, AND OUR CONSULTANTS. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER'S BEEN IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. WE WE LEVERAGE GRANT MONEY SO SUCCESSFULLY AND I'M HOPING TO BE ABLE TO, BEFORE WE'RE DONE WITH THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO REALLY TELL THAT STORY. WE HAVEN'T TOLD THAT STORY ABOUT HOW GOOD WE ARE. SO AS GOOD AS WE ARE, WE'VE GOT TO GET GET BETTER. AND SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT PROPOSING TO SPEND ANY LESS MONEY IN OUR PURSUIT OF GRANTS. WE'VE GOT TO BE AS AGGRESSIVE AND AS TALENTED AND PERSISTENT AS AS WE'VE EVER BEEN. THE COMMUNITY GRANTS. YEAH. OH, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY. I JUST WENT ON AND ON, I KNEW THAT, YEAH. SORRY. SO I'M PROPOSING THAT PROGRAM BE REDUCED THIS YEAR TO $40,000 AND THAT WE BECAUSE CORRESPONDINGLY, WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING ON PROGRAMING AT MARSHALL'S COMMUNITY CENTER. AND YES AT THE MOMENT MY THOUGHT IS POTENTIALLY TO ELIMINATE THAT PROGRAM REGARDLESS OF AMENDMENT THREE. IF WE CAN, IF, IF WE CAN MANAGE IT BETWEEN STAFF AND DIRECT CONTRACTS WITH WITH VENDORS WHO PERFORM THE VARIOUS SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS FROM, FROM YOGA TO PAINTING. WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANTS, HOW MUCH DO, DO WE A LOT OR DO THEY A LOT? 75. I THINK THIS PAST YEAR WAS $65,000 FOR, FOR, FOR OUR GRANT PROGRAM THAT IS ADMINISTERED BY THE ARTS, [00:45:06] RECREATION AND CULTURE COMMITTEE. AND I'M PROPOSING REDUCING THAT TO 40,000. AND THEN WE HAD THE ADD ON THAT WAS SEPARATELY APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION FOR FLETCHER BAND AND MAYPORT MIDDLE. AND HOW MUCH WAS THAT? $20,000. IS THAT MUCH EACH? I DON'T THINK NO TOTAL. AND WE WE CAN DO SOME FACT CHECKING ON WHAT I JUST DECLARED. NO, NO, NO IT WAS NOT. HOLD ON A SECOND. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE FLETCHER BAND. WE AGREED TO PONY UP, I BELIEVE, 5000 IF WE GOT A MATCH FROM THE OTHER TWO CITIES, WHICH WE DID. SO THEY GOT THEIR 10,000. BUT THEY DIDN'T GET 10,000 FROM US. I DO REMEMBER SOMETHING. THE 5000 TO GET TO THE 15,000, THEY HAD TO ASK NEPTUNE AND JACKS BEACH WITH WHAT WAS THE NUMBER. AND ARE WE TALKING ABOUT LAST YEAR'S OR THIS CURRENT YEAR. IT WERE THE CURRENT YEAR. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. LET'S SEE IF AMANDA EITHER OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD OR WHEN SHE DOES HER DUE DILIGENCE RIGHT NOW, KNOWS KNOWS THE ANSWER. WE'LL GET YOU THAT. I'M SURE THAT WE HAVE HAD THAT PRESENTATION FROM FABE TREASURER. AND SHE SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT SHE UTILIZED THE MONEY FOR OR THEY, THEY'VE USED THE MONEY FOR LAST YEAR AND WAS HOPING FOR MORE THIS YEAR WE HAD THE STEM PRESENTATION. YEAH. SO SHE'S ASKED FOR TEN THIS YEAR. AND LAST YEAR WE GAVE 7500, I THINK. BUT ANYWAYS, LET'S HOLD OFF AND GET SOME REAL NUMBERS. YOU MIGHT BE CLOSER. AND WHAT WE BUDGETED MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WHAT WE SPENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN SEPTEMBER, YOU PASSED A BUDGET AND MAYBE THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE AFTER. THEY WERE MADE AFTER SEPTEMBER. OKAY. OKAY. AND SO TO BE CLEAR ON THAT, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SCHOOL GRANT FUNDING. SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, IF A MAJORITY OF YOU ALL. I WOULD LIKE TO, AT LEAST WITH FABE, PROPOSE A MOVE THAT WE ADD 10,000. NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND A LOT OF TAKERS ON THAT. WHY WOULD YOU GO UP? I JUST SAW TWO. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY PROPOSED. NO, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE GET TO DELIBERATE ON AND SAY NO. OKAY. BECAUSE THIS IS THE WRONG YEAR TO RAISE IT. IF YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE TO HOLD IT AT WHAT IT WAS, I KIND OF UNDERSTAND, BUT. NOW WE'VE ONLY GIVEN TO 50% OF ATLANTIC BEACH KIDS. WELL, WE'VE ALWAYS SAID. I'M JUST SAYING THE KIDS ON YOUR SIDE OF THE MAYPORT ROAD ARE NOT IN ON THIS MONEY. YES, THEY ARE, INCLUDING MY OWN CHILDREN BECAUSE I SCHOOL CHOICE INTO IT. SO UNTIL YOU HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, COMMISSIONER KELLY, YOU CAN'T SAY IT'S 50%. NO, I KNOW, BUT THAT WAS A SWAG. SO IT COULD BE 12 CHILDREN. AND NEPTUNE BEACH CAN ALSO ADVOCATE FOR FUNDS. AND I THINK YOU DO TOO. GET INVITED TO THEIR PTA, NEPTUNE BEACH ELEMENTARY'S PTA. SO THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO THAT. NOPE. I'M NOT IN FAVOR. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK THAT. AND I'LL LEAVE IT ALONE AT THIS. I THINK THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING IN 28. IF THERE WAS EVER A YEAR, IT WOULD BE THIS YEAR. AFTER THIS, WE WON'T HAVE THOSE FUNDS. NOT FOR TEN, MAYBE NOT EVEN FOR THE 7.5. OKAY. WELL, I CAN'T MOVE IT WITHOUT A SECOND ANYWAYS. WELL, THERE THERE'S NO NEED TO MOVE ON ANYTHING YET. WE WE'RE JUST DISCUSSING WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND WE'LL REMAIN NIMBLE ESPECIALLY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14TH ON WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO ADD TO ADD TO OR SUBTRACT FROM. SO THAT'LL BE SEPTEMBER 14TH. YEAH. IDEALLY IT WOULD FRANKLY, IT WOULD HAPPEN. I GET A CONSENSUS TODAY OR EVEN AT MONDAY'S MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET DISCUSSION. ON THE 14TH, IF, IF THREE OF YOU SAY, HEY, LET'S, LET'S ADD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ANYTHING. I'LL TURN AROUND AND BE PREPARED TO SAY, ALRIGHTY, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ACCORDINGLY. AND EITHER YOU CAN RELY ON ME ON WHERE TO CUT OR WE CAN, WE CAN LAND ON IT RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT. OKAY. COMMISSIONER. YEAH, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, KEVIN. I THINK WHERE WE WERE DELINQUENT A LITTLE OVER AT LEAST THE LAST FEW YEARS IS REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE PUT A, WE HAD A BUDGET AND WE CAME DOWN TO ONE NIGHT WHERE WE SAID, WE LIKE THIS, WE WANT BASEBALL LIGHTS. [00:50:02] WE DON'T WANT BASEBALL LIGHTS. WE WANT. I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS WE GO THROUGH HERE IS PRIORITIZE THEM, RIGHT? THIS IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. AND WE CAN LOOK AT RESILIENCY, ETCETERA, ETCETERA, AND GO DOWN THERE AND ASSIGN A NUMBER. AND IT MAKES GONNA MAKE IT A LOT EASIER THAN SITTING DOWN HERE AND TALKING. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET DOWN IN THE WEEDS, JUST A PROPOSAL BECAUSE I BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET TO THAT AND YOU DON'T HAVE A PRIORITY TO IT, IT'S A, IT'S A DISCUSSION. BUT IF YOU HAVE A PRIORITY, THEN YOU PUT THAT AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST. I WOULD THINK I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BOLE AND I ALWAYS NEED TO HIGHLIGHT WHEN I THERE'S ALWAYS A FIRST. IT'S A TANGIBLE THEY'RE TANGIBLE. WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING. ARE WE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON A HIGHER PAY FOR A TOP DIRECTOR ALREADY, YOU KNOW, OR ARE WE SPENDING MONEY ON BASEBALL FIELD LIGHTS OR, YOU KNOW, A NEW ROOF ON JORDAN PARK? I APPRECIATED THAT ITEMIZED LIST FROM PAST CITY MANAGERS, AND I WAS HOPING TO GET ONE FOR THIS BUDGET TO THE COMMISSIONERS ON THAT TOPIC. FRANKLY AND I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU BROUGHT THIS UP AT, A RECENT MEETING. AND FRANKLY YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED YOUR PRIORITIES AND CODIFY THEM. ALL OF THEM ARE FULLY FUNDED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. I DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT NUMBERS TO THEM BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE FULLY FUNDED. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, IT WOULD BE NICE, KEVIN, AS, AS WE GO THROUGH HERE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE DOING MACRO DISCUSSIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WE GET DOWN TO THE STORMWATER AND IT SAYS, OH THAT'S NUMBER ONE UNDER RESILIENCY INFRASTRUCTURE. OH ENVIRONMENT STEWARDSHIP. OH THAT'S NUMBER THREE. YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU TIE THEM DIRECTLY TO THE BUDGET LINE ITEM. YOU YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? I DO AND I ASPIRE TO DO THAT. AND I THOUGHT YOU'D SEE THESE GUYS TONIGHT. AND PERHAPS YOU WILL ON SEPTEMBER 14TH. BUT I'D LIKE THIS OVERVIEW THAT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN A LONG TIME. AND I, YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU. I'M JUST, I WAS JUST THINKING OUT LOUD AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT SPECIFIC LINE ITEM BUDGET. SO I'M I'M DONE. OKAY. IF I MAY, I'LL PROCEED WITH WITH KIND OF DETOUR TO OUR CURRENT DEBT SITUATION. YEAH. OKAY. WE OWE A LITTLE MORE THAN $3 MILLION. THAT'S $3,083,000 IN OUTSTANDING, OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST FOR FOR WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE. WE OWE ANOTHER, BY THE WAY, THAT MATURES IN THE YEAR 2032. EXCEPT I THINK WE ASPIRE TO FOR IT TO TAKE CARE OF IT SOONER. ON OUR TRUEST NOTE FOR OUR SELVA PRESERVE LOAN, THAT OF A SNAPSHOT, RECENT SNAPSHOT. WE STILL OWE $959,693. I'VE HEARD A MAJORITY OF THIS COMMISSION IN THE LAST MONTH ADDRESSED THE DEBT SERVICE ISSUE. YOU KNOW, OUR FRIENDS DOWN IN JAX BEACH JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WENT DEBT FREE. I HEAR YOU, AND YOU CAN EXPECT US TO ROLL OUT A, A A PROGRAM TO HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT. OKAY. THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS ON OUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR SLATE. WHAT DID YOU SAY THE 3 MILLION WAS? SEWER. WATER AND SEWER. WATER AND SEWER UPGRADES. YEAH. COULD YOU GIVE ME A SPECIFIC ON THAT? WELL, A SPECIFIC AMOUNT IS $3,000,083 AND $547. UPGRADES LIKE TRUCKS, UPGRADE EQUIPMENT. NO, NO, IT WOULD BE INFRASTRUCTURE. OKAY. AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO AND FIND A DESCRIPTION OF IT WAS ACTUALLY, I THINK TWO, TWO LOANS AND PAYMENT COMES OUT OF CHOICE BUDGET. RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. AND WHAT A BALLPARK INTEREST RATE THAT WE PAY ON THAT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF ANYONE IN THE ROOM KNOWS THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT DOWN. YEAH. I MEAN, AS A BUSINESS PERSON, THE FIRST THING YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AS WE PAY DOWN, WHAT CAN WE DO ON THE OTHER END? RIGHT. THAT'S A GREAT WAY. WELL, EXACTLY. WELL, IF WE CAN, WE CAN ANYWAY. THAT'S RIGHT. AND INDEED THAT INTEREST RATE WOULD FACTOR INTO WHATEVER. RIGHT. DEBT RETIREMENT PLAN THAT WE LAND ON IF IT'S A GOOD DEAL LIKE. RIGHT. I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT. I DO, I DO YOU ALL FRANKLY KNOW MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT, DEPENDING ON THE INTEREST RATE, YOU JUST BE GLAD THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A LOW RATE. [00:55:02] AND WE'RE GOING TO CARRY RIGHT NOW MORTGAGE 6 OR 7. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A SPREAD THERE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT. WELL, Y'ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT AS AN OFFICIAL PRIORITY, ALTHOUGH I THINK WE MIGHT SEE THAT NEXT NEXT SPRING WHEN YOU ADOPT YOUR PRIORITIES. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND COME BACK WITH WHAT A DEBT RETIREMENT PROGRAM MIGHT LOOK LIKE. BUT WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT? I WOULD SAY WITHIN SIX MONTHS. OKAY. SO WE WON'T BE DOING THAT FOR THIS BUDGETING CAN FOR THE NEXT MEETING, CAN YOU GET THE PAYMENTS AND THE INTEREST RATE ON THE SILVER PRESERVE DEBT? BUT IF IT'S PAID OFF IN WHAT, FIVE YEARS? YEAH. YEAH, THAT'S RETIRED IN 2033. 033 THAT WAS 32. 2032. IT IS 32 IS THE OTHER WHAT'S SILVER RESERVE IS 2033. YEAH. TEN ONE 2033 IS THE MATURITY DATE. OKAY. GOT IT. AND THAT'S IT FOR DEBT. THAT'S IT FOR DEBT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE A LOT. I WILL, SO CONTINUE. I GUESS EVERYBODY'S HERE, BUT I DON'T. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE FOR US TO OBJECT TO. ARE THEY ALL HAPPY WITH THEIR SHARE? I, I, I'M NOT GOING TO INVITE THEM TO COME UP AND PROPOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY THAN, BUT I'D RATHER HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS PRIVATELY. SO, YOU KNOW, AS, AS IS THE PRACTICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVERYWHERE THE LEADERS OF THE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP PRESENTS OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, A SPENDING PLAN OR PROPOSED SPENDING PLAN WITH SOME DEFINED PARAMETERS, LIKE DON'T ASK FOR ANY OR MANY VEHICLES. FOR EXAMPLE, DON'T ASK FOR PAY RAISES BEYOND WHAT THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE. WHAT ABOUT THE TWO VEHICLES THAT WERE HIT BY THE DRUNK DRIVER? INSURANCE. USAA. YEAH. SO THAT DUI, THAT MATTER IS ACTUALLY ON YOUR AGENDA WILL BE ON YOUR AMENDED AGENDA FOR MONDAY. OKAY, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYONE IN HERE THAT WAS IN THAT WRECK? NO. NO NO. OKAY. ALRIGHTY. I'LL I'LL PICK BACK UP WHERE I THINK I LEFT OFF. AND THAT IS ON PAGE I'M GOING TO GO TO PAGE FOUR ON DEPARTMENTAL LINE ITEM BREAKDOWN. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL, NOT IN THE WEEDS DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT ADOPTED AND PROPOSED. AND I'LL EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT IF THERE WERE A CATEGORY CALLED DEPARTMENT REQUESTED AND MOST OF THOSE COLUMNS, IF NOT ALL OF THEM, THAT NUMBER WOULD BE HIGHER. AND THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD TAKE AN TAKEN A RED PEN OUT AND SLASH THOSE THOSE INITIAL REQUESTS. MAY I ASK ALREADY WITH THE CITY MANAGER, IT'S NEARLY OH, IT'S 4000 LESS. BUT DIDN'T YOU JUST ADD TWO POSITIONS? YEAH. SO WITH WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED LAST YEAR WHAT WE PAID THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. WE ARE, WE ARE PAYING CITY MANAGER ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST. WITH THAT, WITHIN THAT SALARY STRUCTURE. AND OKAY, SO THE, AND THEN IT ENDS UP BEING FOR LESS. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT INCLUDES OTHER OTHER INCLUDES THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND NON-SALARY COSTS. THIS ISN'T JUST SALARIES LIKE TRAVEL. YEP. IN SOME CASES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SOME, YOU KNOW, CONSULTANT COSTS. OKAY. AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. YES. YEAH. AND INDEED YOU KNOW, SO MANY THINGS GO BACK TO AMENDMENT THREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL THOSE COSTS WOULD WOULD BE AMONG THE FIRST THINGS CUT PERHAPS AFTER YEAR TWO OF OF OF THE CHANGES. IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IS THAT? HOW MUCH IS IT CITYWIDE? YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW, I'D BE. WELL, I IMAGINE CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS ARE REQUIRED. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LIKE, WE WOULDN'T TOUCH THE CITY CLERK OR PUBLIC WORKS. [01:00:04] YOU HAVE TO KEEP THOSE CERTS TREATMENT PLAN. RIGHT. INDEED. YEAH. YEAH. SO SOME YOU CAN, BUT THEN OTHERS MAYBE YOU CAN'T. I DON'T. AND THAT WOULD FALL IN THAT CATEGORY THAT I CALLED DRINKING WATER COMPLIANCE, WASTEWATER OPERATIONS. THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TOUCH EVER. SO WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON ANIMAL CONTROL. WE ARE, AND I KNOW, COMMISSIONER, YOU, YOU BRING THIS UP FROM TIME TO TIME IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WE WE, OUR COMMUNITY, WE THINK AND SPEAK UP TO YOU ALL AS A MATTER OF POLICY REQUIRES NEEDS TWO ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS. AT LEAST THAT'S WHERE WE ARE POLICY WISE. AND WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. I'M NOT CERTAINLY NOT A REDUCED LEVEL OF SERVICE. UNLESS, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS AND EVERY OTHER TOPIC, IF THREE OF YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S ADDRESS THIS, WE'LL DO IT. BUT WE IT'S WITH, WITH I THINK IT'S A LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE CERTAIN TOPICS ISSUES THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE EYE TO EYE ON. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THEM. KEVIN. WHAT'S UNDER FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT LARGELY SALARIES. SO FINANCE DEPARTMENT LIKE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DOESN'T EMPLOYEES. AND THAT OF COURSE INCLUDES UTILITY BILLING AND METER READER, IN ADDITION TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, LIKE PURCHASING PROCUREMENT. OKAY. AND THEN GENERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. WHAT'S UNDER THAT ONE? I THINK THAT'S A TRANSFER FROM ENTERPRISE FUNDS. I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO YOU. WE'LL SEE IF I'M RIGHT ON THIS. FOR OPERATIONS. SO THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE ENTERPRISE FUNDS HELP PAY THE SALARIES OF, OF, OF EVEN THE CITY MANAGER. YOU KNOW, MY SALARY IS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE. SO EVEN THE CITY MANAGER NUMBER IS NOT, IT'S NOT ACTUAL, IT'S NOT ACCURATE. THAT'S, THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. AS I WAS ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, I WAS ASKING MYSELF THAT. SO LET ME LET ME REPORT BACK TO YOU ON THAT. AND THIS IS, OF COURSE, A DISADVANTAGE OF OF ME NOT HAVING THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO ADD ON TO THAT, AND I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. IT IS A CONCERN OF MINE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A REPORT ON ALL SPLIT SALARIES THAT GET PICKED UP BY ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THEN SHOW IT CONSOLIDATED JUST SO WE GET A SENSE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY PAYING FOR A POSITION. YOURS BEING ONE OF THEM. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT TOO. AND THANKS FOR THAT. AND WE'LL, WE'LL PRODUCE THAT REPORT. WE'VE SEEN THAT IN THE PAST WHEN WE GOT IN THE WEEDS, YOU KNOW, THE PHONE THE PHONE CHARGES ARE ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGH EVERY DEPARTMENT. AND THE YEAH, I THINK HE'S ASKING I THINK SALARY SPECIFIC, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN THAT REPORT. RIGHT. IN TERMS OF, OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING THE LINE ITEM ALLOCATIONS LINE ITEM BUDGET. THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND TWEAKING AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE PUBLISHED. ON I'LL PUT IT ON THIS TIMELINE, RIGHT? SO IF A CERTAIN POSITION SPENDS, LIKE, LET'S JUST TAKE, I KNOW STEVE'S HERE, BUT IT'S NOT STEVE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITY ENGINEER SPENDS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME IN ONE AREA PRECISELY VERSUS AND THE CITY MANAGER'S. THEN YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE MONEY FROM ONE ENTERPRISE. AND IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WE'RE REFERRING TO. MAYOR. YEAH, I'LL JUST USE MY SALARY AS AN EXAMPLE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, MY SALARY, ONCE YOU PUT BENEFITS ON TOP OF IT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ALMOST HALF OF THAT $650,000 NUMBER IF OR, AND THAT'S WHERE MONEY FROM OTHER FUNDS, INCLUDING MAY PERHAPS NEIGHBORHOODS AND CERTAINLY OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS HELP PAY THE CITY MANAGER'S SALARY. WHERE IS THE NEIGHBORHOODS DEPARTMENT ON THIS ONE? IS IT DISPERSED? THEY'VE GOT WE HAVE PLANNING AND ZONING. [01:05:02] SO MAYBE IS THAT PART OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT? SO IN THAT SAME SECTION WE HAVE YOU BEAR WITH ME. LET ME GET MY BEARINGS ABOUT ME. UNDER GENERAL GOVERNMENT, YES, WE HAVE PLANNING AND ZONING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE PARKS, MAINTENANCE AND RECREATION. AND WE ALSO HAVE BUILDING WHICH IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT'S UNDER NEIGHBORHOODS. SO REALLY NEIGHBORHOODS IS KIND OF SPLIT, RIGHT? IT'S SPLIT UP. OKAY. AND DO WE STILL HAVE THAT DEPARTMENT? I THOUGHT I READ IN ONE OF YOUR CITY MANAGER REPORTS THAT WE WERE GOING TO SOMETHING WITH IT. WE DO, WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE RECONFIGURING. IT'S, IT'S CHANGES THAT JUST LIKE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS DEPARTMENT, WE'RE REALLY TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC IN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME PEOPLE REPORTED TO THE SAME PEOPLE LARGELY. WE'RE GOING TO RECONFIGURE COME OCTOBER 1ST ON OR AROUND OCTOBER 1ST, WHERE WE WON'T HAVE A DEPARTMENT CALLED NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO STILL BE PERFORMING THE SAME GREAT SERVICES WITH JUST A LITTLE REALIGNMENT THAT'S TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC. I WILL SAY THAT YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR ONE OF OUR BIG WINS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 WAS OUR RECREATION AND PARKS DIVISION THAT EXCELLED IN PROGRAMING AND PARKS MAINTENANCE MORE THAN IN MY ALMOST TEN YEARS HERE. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS UNDER, UNDER WHAT WE CALL NEIGHBORHOODS FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. SO, SO PARKS AND REC WILL WILL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS BETTER THAN EVER. I'M SO PROUD OF THE ADVANCEMENTS OF OF, OF THOSE TWO DIVISIONS. WE OPERATED WITHOUT A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THIS YEAR. YES. HAS THAT, IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT WHEN WE DO HIRE ONE. AND THEN WHERE WE LOOKING AT HAVING ONE THAT HAD A PUBLIC ENGINEER CERTIFICATION TOO, IS THAT GOING TO COST MORE? YEAH. SO GOOD QUESTION. SO THE MONEY THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING ON A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR IS, IS, IS GOING TO ROLL INTO OUR FUND BALANCE AND WE ARE GOING TO LIVE WITHIN THIS BUDGET AND WHO WE HIRE AND HOW WE CONFIGURE THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND WHETHER THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AS AN ENGINEER, WHETHER THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ULTIMATELY IS ALSO IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC UTILITIES LIKE IT WAS ONCE UPON A TIME. THOSE DECISIONS HAVEN'T BEEN MADE QUITE YET. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. OKAY, GOOD. SO SINCE WE'RE ON ENGINEERING ARE WE ALREADY ROLLING OUT SOME OF WHAT MR. SWANN WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING PREVIOUSLY? OR IS MR. SWANN STILL DOING EVERYTHING HE WAS DOING? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK FOR THE COMING YEAR, WILL WE START TO OFFLOAD ANY OF HIS CURRENT DUTIES? I APOLOGIZE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS MORE RETIREMENT. I'M JUST. YEAH. OKAY. GOOD ANSWER. PLEASE. YOU CAN VOLUNTEER. YOU JUST LIVE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. SO? SO WHAT? WELL, NO. NO, HE. I GUESS ONE IS, DO WE HAVE A FIRM THAT WE ARE ALREADY GIVING WORK TO THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE A YEAR OR TWO AGO BY MR. SWANN. AND DOES THAT POSITION US TO, IN FACT, HIRE THAT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WITHOUT AN ENGINEERING CERTIFICATION? BECAUSE WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON IT. AND IS THAT A BUDGETARY CONCERN? I KNOW THAT MR. SWANN HAS BEEN FAIRLY EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT FINANCIALLY FOR THE CITY. SO WHAT'S THE IMPACT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL SHORTFALL ON AD VALOREM TAX REVENUE? SO IN THIS BUDGET, WE HAVE A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR POSITION AND AN ENGINEER. AND A CITY ENGINEER POSITION FUNDED. SO THOSE ARE FUNDED. WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF. EMPLOYING FOR EXAMPLE, ENGINEER VERSUS VERSUS CONTRACTING IT OUT, WHETHER OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WOULD HAVE ENGINEER CREDENTIALS BE A PE. JUST I DON'T KNOW. BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT I HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS OF WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO APPROVE, [01:10:07] WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE SPENT THIS PAST YEAR YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE SAME POSITIONS. OKAY. NOT PRECISELY. BUT ESSENTIALLY, HOW WERE WE ABLE TO GO DOWN SO SUBSTANTIALLY IN HUMAN RESOURCES? THAT'S BECAUSE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 26, WE HAD A DEPUTY HR DIRECTOR DEPUTY HR DIRECTOR, POSITION FUNDED, AND WE'RE NOT FUNDING THAT POSITION NEXT YEAR. AT LEAST I'M PROPOSING THAT WE'RE NOT, THAT WE'RE NOT. SO BOB MAKES 385,000 BOB ADMINISTERS OR YOU'RE WORTH THAT. HE ADMINISTERS THE $385,000 BUDGET. YEAH. YOU SEE? YEAH, I GET THAT. OKAY. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. I WOULD HAVE LIKED THAT ITEM AN ITEMIZED LIST FOR THAT. AND WE WILL WE'LL THAT'S JUST HIT THE BUTTON. SO WE'LL GET YOU THAT AND THAT FINANCE DEPARTMENT TOO. AND INDEED THEY BEG ALL OF THE LINE ITEMS OF WHAT WE CALL FOOTNOTES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON BY SEPTEMBER 3RD. WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, THE PATROL DIVISION THAT WAS A FAIRLY BIG INCREASE. DID WE ADD TO THAT? WHERE IS THAT PART OF THE PAY INCREASES THAT WE DID LAST YEAR? YES. AND THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS HAVE A STEP PLAN. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO PAY THEM ACCORDINGLY SEPARATE THAN OUR PAY STRUCTURE WITH THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION. AND FRANKLY, THAT'S A FLUID NUMBER BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS. I THOUGHT, AND THEN WITH THE FIRE CONTROL, I THOUGHT IT WAS LAST YEAR. I THOUGHT WE'VE DONE IT TWO YEARS IN A ROW WHERE WE ONLY PAID THEM 750. YEAH. THERE WAS, THERE WAS LIKE A A PARTIAL YEAR. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE SEE THAT MILLION DOLLARS FROM. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE AN F Y AND WE KNOW THAT WE, THAT IS A BIG QUESTION MARK. AND THAT'S NOT THAT'S WHAT WAS ADOPTED. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE SPENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NUMBER WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT YEAH, WE WE SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED, FRANKLY, WITH MAYOR FORD'S INVOLVEMENT AND THE, THE SPLITTING THAT COST IN HALF FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, WHICH IS A HUGE WIN AS WE, AS WE CONTEMPLATE THE FUTURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE. YEAH. AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION, THAT'S DOWN BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTOR JOB. DO YOU THINK. NO, NO, WE WOULDN'T HAVE WE WOULDN'T HAVE LOWERED THE BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTOR JOB BEING VACANT AND THEY WERE GOING TO SPEND LESS. BUT THE ADOPTED BUDGET WAS IS WHAT IT WAS. WILL YOU TELL ME WHAT PAGE YOU'RE ON? ARE YOU ON BOTTOM? YEAH. SO THAT THAT'S AN OUTCOME OF, OF MOVING POSITIONS AROUND. AND NOT, AND NOT ANY, ANY REDUCTIONS OF FORCE. COMMISSIONER. BOLE. CAN YOU MAINTAIN ORDER IF I STEP OUT FOR A MINUTE PLEASE. I GOT IT, THANK YOU. OKAY, LET'S PRESS ON. AND HOW WERE WE ABLE TO DROP SO LOW IN STREETS AND STORMWATER AGAIN THAT I THINK THE ANSWERS TO THAT IS SOME AS COMPLETE STREETS. WE MAY HAVE HAD THE FRANKLY, WE MAY HAVE HAD THE 16TH STREET WALK OVER BUDGET, BUT I'M NOT SURE I'LL FIND OUT THE ANSWER WHERE THERE'S THAT 700 ZERO ZERO $0 REDUCTION. AND SO I THINK IT'S A BIG CAPITAL PROJECT ONE YEAR AND IT'S EXACTLY YEAH. OKAY. MEETING ADJOURNED. VERY GOOD. WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, KEVIN? I DON'T THINK YOU'RE THE MAYOR PRO TEM AT THIS TIME. AND WE ALL LEAVE AND HE COMES BACK FROM THE BATHROOM. I THINK I'VE MADE IT CLEAR. I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS MR. KRUG. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE MORNING. I'M. I KNOW YOU'RE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT REDUCTION. I HAVE AN EXPLANATION THAT I'LL DISCUSS WITH YOU IN THE MORNING. IT DOESN'T INVOLVE LOSING ANY PERSONNEL. I ASSURE YOU. [01:15:06] SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE FUNDS ON PAGE FIVE, WILL WE LOSE ANY OF THEM? WELL, I'M LOOKING AT THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT. RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S KIND OF SCARY. YEAH. I THINK DULY NOTED. THAT'S YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WE WE DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME OF THAT. YEAH. I THINK THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A, A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE AT THE MILITARY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PROBABILITIES, RIGHT? YOU CAN ASSIGN, HEY, 0.4 PROBABILITY THAT THE C0J INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. I THINK WE HAVE TO WEIGH THAT AS WE GO INTO THE MILLAGE RATE AND SEE WHAT OUR, YOU KNOW, THE BACK MONEY'S DOING. I MEAN, I WOULD GUESS, RIGHT. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT SURE ON ANY OF THOSE. I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE FIRE, THE OUTCOME OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. NOPE. BUT IT'S A YOU CAN DO THE MATH ON IT. YOU CAN SAY THE PROBABILITY OF THAT HAPPENING TIMES, THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY AN OPERATIONS ANALYSIS THEORY THAT YOU COULD PUT AGAINST SOME OF THESE. WHEN DOES THE BETTER JACKSONVILLE FUND SON SET RUNS OUT 2030. OH 2030 UNLESS THEY CANCEL IT SOONER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. CORRECT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN. YEAH. THAT'S IT WAS IT WAS A SALES LEVY, YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT'S SAFE. YES. CAN I JUMP FORWARD? I THINK I KNOW THIS ANSWER, BUT UNDER UNFUNDED OPERATION REQUESTS. WHICH KIND OF THE MEAT FOR ME. WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON? ON PAGE SIX. UNFUNDED OPERATIONAL REQUESTS. YES. RIGHT. I HEARD ABOUT THE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT. SO WHAT EXACTLY? NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT DETAILED, BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE ROADS, ETC., ETC.. WHAT DOES THAT HOW DOES THAT AFFECT US DIRECTLY FUNDING THAT? SO THOSE, THOSE THREE THAT I'VE MENTIONED, THERE ARE ALL MULTI USE USE PATHS. OKAY. YEAH. A LITTLE RAY OF RAY OF HOPE. THE THIRD ONE, DUTTON ISLAND ROAD WE HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT IN SPITE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT THE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF JACKSONVILLE HAVE THAT THE DUTTON ISLAND ROAD MULTI MULTI-USE PATH. THAT'S, THAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM MIGHT BE FUNDED BY, BY THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. DON. THERE'S A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS. WELL, THIS, THIS ACTUALLY AS DESIGNED WOULD, WOULD BE ON BOTH SIDES. YEAH. WE SWITCH BACK. I THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT CURRENTLY ON THE DESIGN. YES. OH, ON THE DESIGN. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE SUNSET PIER. THOSE ISSUES. I KNOW IT'S CLOSED. IS IT. YEAH. WE'LL WE'LL HAVE THAT ON YOUR AGENDA MONDAY AS A, AN EMERGENCY. SOME REPAIR. OKAY. DID YOU SAY YOU MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND? YEAH. KEVIN. MAYBE ANOTHER ONE UNDER, YOU KNOW, THE UNFUNDED 16TH STREET BEACH WALKOVER CONSTRUCTIONS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THESE BEACH WALKOVERS AND THE EXPERTS ARE IN THE ROOM. SOME OF THEM BORDER ON SAFETY ISSUES. RIGHT. THAT'S WHEN WHEN IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. WE'LL CLOSE IT THAT AND THAT COULD HAPPEN. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IMMINENT OR NOT. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET FUNDING FOR, FOR, FOR THAT PROJECT AS WELL. AND, OR YOU ALL COULD SEE WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU AND REPORT OUR FISCAL HEALTH AND THAT'S, THAT WAS KIND OF BEEN A THORN AROUND HERE FOR A LONG TIME. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S WHY I BRING IT UP. IT'S A BIG MONEY. IT'S A, YOU KNOW, YOU WALK BY IT RIGHT AS THAT AS AN AMATEUR. I GO, OH, THAT DOESN'T LOOK, THAT ONE'S BEEN FUNDED BEFORE. YEAH. AND I GUESS THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S LOOMING OUT THERE. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, UNLIKE SOME OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TOPICS, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE. YEAH. OKAY. ISSUE. AND, YOU KNOW, AMONG THE CONSIDERATIONS OF 16TH STREET BEACH WALK OVER AS, AS WHETHER YOU, WHETHER YOU MAY OPT TO CLOSE IT. I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO BE A POLICY DECISION. I'M TALKING ABOUT EVEN PERMANENTLY. RIGHT? I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. HE HAD JOINED US. YEAH, WELL. OH. YOU DID. WE GOT FOUR PAGES DONE WHILE YOU WERE GONE. WELL DONE. I NEED TO GET EXIT MORE OFTEN. SO? SO DRIVING FORCES ARE, ARE YOUR PRIORITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING I LOOKED AT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESSED THOSE IN THE BUDGET, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE OUR NEW TEN YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH YOU AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. WE WE, WE'VE ADDRESSED COST CONTAINMENT WITH OUR EYES ON AMENDMENT THREE. [01:20:04] WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DEBT REDUCTION AS, AS A POTENTIAL PRIORITY. AND I'M GOING TO ADVANCE THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL. I'VE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. I'M SEEING IF THAT'S DETERMINING WHETHER THAT IS A ROUTE TO TAKE. THERE ARE LOTS OF FACTORS INVOLVED THERE. ONE THING I HAVEN'T MENTIONED EXCEPT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST POSITION. WE ARE IT'S BEEN A PRIORITY IN THE PAST. IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY THIS YEAR, BUT IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH RESIDENTS WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM BEING PRETTY GOOD AT IT TO BEING REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT IT DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR AND DEVOTING A POSITION TO COMMUNICATIONS AS IS GOING TO HELP US GET THERE. OKAY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR TONIGHT AND AFTER TONIGHT FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM YOU ALL WANT TO CONTINUE HEARING, YOU KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT'S WHAT'S MISSING WHAT WE DON'T NEED TO BE SPENDING MONEY ON. AND THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FLUID DOCUMENT ALL THE WAY UP TO SEPTEMBER 14TH. AND THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL CONSIDER THE FIRST READING AND TENTATIVE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET. I HONESTLY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST POSITION. I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING ROLLED INTO EVERY DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES TO COMMUNICATE. AND I THINK IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT FELL UNDER THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. I'M STILL CONFUSED ABOUT. I KNOW YOU CHANGED THE TITLE NO LONGER IS CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT IS EVERYTHING ELSE BUT THE TITLE DIFFERENT? AND THEN WHAT IS WHAT WAS THE REASONING BEHIND THAT? JUST KEEPING IT. DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. OH, FRANKLY, I'D BE DELIGHTED TO KEEP IT. DEPUTY CITY MANAGER I WANT TO I LANDED AT READING THE ROOM BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY COMMISSION AND CONTEMPLATING EFFICIENCIES AND THINK THAT THE CURRENT CITY MANAGER AND THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE PRODUCTIVE, AND DO ALL THINGS IN TERMS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING TO THE COMMUNITY THAN WE WERE WITH A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER. SO WHAT I'M TELLING, I'M, I'M, I'M ARGUING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING MORE WITHIN THE SAME PRICE POINT. OH, WE OUGHT TO, BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO NEW PEOPLE INSTEAD OF ONE. I AGREE THAT'S THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY THIS IS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. AND I'M, INCLINED TO I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP AND AS AS YOU AND OTHERS IN THE ROOM KNOW, I'M A MUCH BETTER WRITER THAN THAN SPEAKER. AND I'M GOING TO ARTICULATE IT. I'M GOING TO BRING YOU AROUND ON THIS. SO I THINK ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF DEPARTMENT EXPENSES OR SALARIES THIS WEEK. WHEN IS THAT GOING TO COME THIS WEEK OR NEXT? WE, YEAH, WE CAN RUN SOME NUMBERS AND PUBLISH STAT THIS WEEK. THIS IS, THIS IS TWO THINGS WE'LL TOMORROW WE CAN PUBLISH WHAT, WHAT THE SALARIES ARE OF OUR WORKFORCE. I MAY HAVE THE NAMES AND JUST HAVE THE POSITIONS OF EVEN THOUGH IT'LL BE PUBLIC RECORD IF ANYBODY WANTS TO FOLLOW UP. SO THAT'S ONE ELEMENT THAT'S THE EASY PART. AND BY NEXT WEEK AS I UNDERSTAND, YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW FOR, FOR EACH POSITION, THOSE THAT ARE FUNDED BY MORE THAN ONE FUNDING SOURCE. YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? YEAH. I WANT TO I WANT AN UNDERSTANDING OF IT. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A CONSOLIDATED COST FOR A SPECIFIC POSITION. OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN DO THE MATH OURSELVES, BUT WHEN WE GET UP HERE ON THE DAIS TRYING TO PULL THIS PIECE OVER AND ADD IT TO THAT PIECE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE. SO IF YOU COULD JUST DO A SPREADSHEET SHOWING THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT. JUST A FEW POSITIONS, YOU SAY JUST A FEW POSITIONS. IS THIS MAYBE LIKE LIKE THE DEPARTMENT HEAD LEVEL? YEAH. PRETTY MUCH. YEAH. YEAH. I DON'T SEE A REASON TO GO BELOW THAT. AND THEN JUST TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE DID WE GET AN ANSWER ON THE MONIES THAT WERE ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET? THIS, IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR FOR FLETCHER AND A B E AND MAYPORT MIDDLE. [01:25:02] DID YOU GET THAT? AMANDA? NO. NO, BUT WE CAN BRING, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT. OKAY. IF YOU JUST BRING IT BACK FOR THE NEXT MEETING, GET IT TO US BEFOREHAND. BUT ALSO, IT OCCURS TO ME THIS, SINCE I. I HAVE SOMEBODY ON MY RIGHT AND SOMEBODY ON MY LEFT THAT ARE AT OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS. I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS JUST DECIDE HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET, AND THEN WE CAN DECIDE HOW WE SPLIT THAT UP, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON IF EVERYBODY GETTING WHAT THEY THINK THEY NEED. SO WE JUST NEED TO HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE DECIDE ON, AND THEN WE CAN DIVIDE IT UP FROM THERE. OKAY. YES, SIR. I'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK, BUT IT'S KILLING ME. OKAY. AND I'LL BE THE LAST THING I SAY, I PROMISE. I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH BUDGET AND WE TALK TO DEPARTMENTS, ETC., ETC., ETC., I HAVE ZERO YEARS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT. HAVE I BEEN IN COMMISSIONER? YEAH. OKAY. I'VE HAD EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND I SEE THROUGH. SO IN SOME WAYS, WE HAVE TO TRUST THE CITY MANAGER THAT HE LOOKS AT SPAN OF CONTROL. HE LOOKS AT ASSETS, RESOURCES. YOU KNOW, WE SET UP PROBABLY THE BUDGET, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO. OKAY. I'M GOING TO STOP IN A SECOND, BUT I HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT. YEAH, I PROBABLY HAVE IT. BUT KEVIN AND KEVIN KNOWS THIS. AND WE'VE HEARD THIS. KEVIN'S THREE VOTES FROM NOT BEING KEVIN IN. OKAY. IT'S TRUE. LOOK AT OTHER GOVERNMENTS. LOOK AT OTHER CITIES. SO I PUT MY TRUST IN KEVIN IN A LARGE RESPECT THAT HE CAN RUN THE SPAN OF CONTROL OVER THE DEPARTMENTS, GET QUALITY STUFF. IF HE SAYS YOU KNOW, JUST I'M JUST ME TALKING. IF HE SAYS I NEED A RESOURCE TO DO OUTREACH, TO DO MEDIA, TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT HE WAS DOING HIMSELF, I KNOW OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THEN I HAVE TO THINK LET'S TRY THIS, OR I HAVE TO PUT MY FAITH IN HIM. OR IF I HAVE A DIFFERENT VARIANT OPINION, I THROW IT OUT HERE, BUT TO A LARGE EXTENT, I'VE NEVER RUN A CITY. I'M LOOKING AT PEOPLE THAT DO RUN A CITY AND THAT'S OUR LEAD. SO I HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF FAITH IN KEVIN THAT HE'S GOING TO REACH OUT, GET THE RESOURCES, DO THE THINGS THAT A CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO DO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. THAT'S THEIR JOB DONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT IS OUR COMMISSION'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS A BUDGET. YEAH. NOT TO PASS IT ON TO THE CITY MANAGER, BUT TO LOOK THROUGH IT AND ITEMIZE IT LINE BY LINE. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AMENDMENT THREE. EVEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH STATE OF FLORIDA. I AGREE. AND SO THAT THAT'S JUST MY POINT. AND I AM GOING TO COUNT THE PENNIES. AND WE ALL SHOULD. YEAH. THE BUDGET, LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO IS TO GIVE A SOLID BUDGET AND FOLLOW UP ON IT. YEAH. RIGHT. BUT WE THE GUY THAT EXECUTES IT. IT'S NOT ME. IT'S NOT THE MAYOR. IT'S NOT ANY OF US. THAT'S THE GUY THAT WE PAY TO EXECUTE THAT BUDGET. I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION. IS THERE FURTHER BUSINESS? YES. JUST BARELY. OKAY. JUST BARELY. ONE IS ON OUR DEBT SERVICE. I THE NUMBERS I GAVE WERE FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND DURING THIS MEETING, NOBODY HAS UPDATED ME WITH BETTER NUMBERS. OH, GOOD. WHAT ARE THEY? OUR OUR KEY GOVERNMENT LOAN IS AT 2.7 MILLION, ROUNDED UP TO 2.7 MILLION. AND OUR OTHER LOAN IS 864,000. OKAY. THANK YOU GUYS. THANKS FOR THAT. AND OTHERWISE TO THE COMMISSION. IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME, I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR STAFF IF THERE'S JUST SOMETHING BURNING THAT IF IT'S NOT SAID ABOUT YOUR OPERATIONS, YOUR, YOUR PROJECTS THAT YOU'LL REGRET THAT I DIDN'T ADDRESS THEM. SO IF ANY, IF THROUGH THE MAYOR. SURE IS OKAY. IS THERE ANY, ANY, ANYTHING CRUCIAL THAT IN THIS PRESENTATION OR OTHERWISE THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR OR CORRECT. IF THERE'S ANYTHING NOTABLE TO CORRECT AS WELL. OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, WE GOT YOU. OKAY. WELL, COMMISSIONERS GREAT CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.