On the agenda

1. 1Call to Order – Roll Call▶ 0:00
2. 2

   Pledge of Allegiance

   The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a moment of silence honoring servicemen and women.

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   [00:00:17] Thank you. If I could ask you to all stand, join me in the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of our servicemen and women at home and abroad. [00:00:25] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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3. 3

   Moment of Silence

   Procedural moment of silence observed at the start of the meeting.

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   [00:00:41] Thank you. You may be seated. [00:00:48] Thank you.

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4. 4

   Approval of January 17, 2017 Regular Meeting Minutes

   approved

   Council approved the minutes from the January 17, 2017 regular meeting.

   • motion:Approve the January 17, 2017 regular meeting minutes. (passed)

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   [00:00:52] The first item on the agenda is the approval of the January 17th regular meeting minutes. [00:00:57] Second. [00:00:59] Any discussion? [00:01:01] All in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. [00:01:04] Opposed?

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5. 5

   Swearing-In of Police Officer Donald Jacobs

   Two new police officers, Donald Jacobs and William Burbridge, were sworn in and pinned. Jacobs is a Pasco County native and Gulf High graduate with prior service as a Pasco Sheriff's captain, NPR red light officer, code enforcement officer, and police auxiliary. Burbridge is also a Gulf High graduate, attended Pasco Hernando State College Police Academy, and previously served as the city's head lifeguard.

   🏢Gulf High School🏢New Port Richey Police Department🏢Pasco Hernando State College Police Academy🏢Pasco Sheriff's Office👤Amanda Burbridge👤Donald Jacobs👤Elaine👤Judy👤Keith Burbridge👤Michael Jacobs👤William Burbridge#Police auxiliary program#Swearing-in ceremony

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   [00:01:07] Police Officer Donald Jacobs? [00:01:10] Mr. Mayor, it is indeed a proud moment on the part of the staff when we get to pin a new police officer. [00:01:17] In this case this evening, we will be pinning two officers, and it is a particular source of pride to me to be able to do it to Donald Jacobs, [00:01:29] who has been a long-serving member of our staff. [00:01:31] He's worked hard for the honor, and I'm going to turn it over to the Chief. [00:01:41] Thank you, and thanks for the opportunity to address you. [00:01:46] This evening, it is my pleasure to just tell you a little bit about Officer Jacobs, or actually he's Police Officer Candidate Jacobs. [00:01:53] He's a native of Pasco County, and you'll be happy to know a couple of you, he's a Gulf High graduate. [00:02:02] And he began his law enforcement career in 1986 as a detention deputy with the Pasco Sheriff's Office, and he retired as a captain in 2011. [00:02:12] He joined our police department in 2013, you'll remember, as a red light infraction officer. [00:02:19] And in 2015, he became a code enforcement officer for us. [00:02:29] In 2015, he reactivated his law enforcement certification and joined the department's police auxiliary program. [00:02:35] So for the last almost year and a half, he's been volunteering many, many hours, riding as an auxiliary officer. [00:02:42] He's now joining our ranks as a full-time police officer for the city. [00:02:45] And tonight, his son Michael, again, will be pinning a badge on him. [00:02:50] But it's, Judy, it's time for him to take his fresh oath. [00:02:57] I, Donald Jacobs, a citizen of the state of Florida and of the United States of America, [00:03:15] and being employed by or an officer of the city of New Port Richey, [00:03:25] and a recipient of public funds as such employee or officer, [00:03:34] do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Florida, [00:03:41] and hereby solemnly swear to affirm I will support the Constitution and the government of the United States, [00:03:52] I'm sorry. [00:03:53] I'm sorry. [00:03:54] Of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:03:56] And that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and government of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:04:03] And that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and the government of the United States and the state of Florida. [00:04:10] Against all enemies, domestic or foreign. [00:04:12] Against all enemies, domestic or foreign. [00:04:15] That I may bear true faith, loyalty, and allegiance to the same. [00:04:20] I will bear true faith, loyalty, and allegiance to the same. [00:04:25] That I will uphold the ordinances of the city of New Port Richey, Florida. [00:04:29] I will uphold the ordinances of the city of New Port Richey, Florida. [00:04:32] And that I will faithfully perform all of the duties of police officer of said city. [00:04:37] I will faithfully perform all the duties of a police officer of said city. [00:04:41] So help me God. [00:04:42] So help me God. [00:04:45] Thank you. [00:05:08] I do have to say the last time his son did this, he did pin it upside down. [00:05:14] It's right this time. [00:05:16] Congratulations. [00:05:17] Thank you sir. [00:05:18] Thank you. [00:05:29] And now it is my distinct pleasure to introduce another police officer candidate. [00:05:34] This is William Burbridge. [00:05:36] Burbridge, excuse me. [00:05:38] He's also a native of Pasco County. [00:05:40] He is also a Gulf High graduate. [00:05:43] Absolutely. [00:05:48] He attended the Pasco Hernando State College Police Academy in 2016. [00:05:53] He worked, and some of you may know him, because he worked as a lifeguard for the city of New Port Richey [00:06:00] and was the head lifeguard from 2013 to May of 2016. [00:06:05] He's newly married and very excited to begin his career with our department. [00:06:09] And with that, I'd like to, I lost his badge. [00:06:13] Oops. [00:06:16] Okay. [00:06:17] Well, and with that, if you would, Judy. [00:06:19] As always. [00:06:27] I, William Burbridge. [00:06:28] I, William Burbridge. [00:06:29] A citizen of the state of Florida and of the United States of America. [00:06:33] A citizen of the state of Florida and of the United States of America. [00:06:36] And being employed by or an officer of the city of New Port Richey. [00:06:40] And being employed by or an officer of the city of New Port Richey. [00:06:44] And a recipient of public funds as such, employer or officer. [00:06:47] And a recipient of public funds as such, employer or, of officer. [00:06:51] Do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the constitution of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:06:58] Do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the constitution of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:07:04] And that I will support, protect, and defend the constitution and government of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:07:10] And that I will support, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States and of the state of Florida. [00:07:19] Against all enemies, domestic or foreign. [00:07:23] That I will bear true faith, loyalty, and allegiance to the same. [00:07:29] That I will uphold the ordinances of the city of New Port Richey, Florida. [00:07:33] That I will uphold the ordinances of the city of New Port Richey, Florida. [00:07:36] And I will faithfully perform all the duties of police officer of said city. [00:07:40] And that I will faithfully perform all the duties of police officer of said city. [00:07:45] So help me God. [00:07:46] So help me God. [00:07:47] Applause [00:08:05] Well and his wife Amanda and his father Keith are going to pin the badge on him. [00:08:10] I think it takes two. You're going to hold him. [00:08:12] Laughter [00:08:36] He just has to go straight up. [00:08:38] Yeah. [00:08:39] Congratulations. [00:08:41] Applause [00:08:50] Just a quick picture with all the officers there. [00:08:53] Elaine. [00:08:54] Come on down. [00:08:55] Applause [00:09:22] I guess, where do you want us? Back here? [00:09:24] Yeah, that's good.

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6. 6

   Swearing-In of Police Officer William Burbridge

   Police Officer William Burbridge was sworn in. The Mayor noted he had attended Gulf High School and recalled watching him play sports in 2008-2009. The item concluded with congratulations and applause.

   🏢Gulf High School👤William Burbridge

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   [00:09:35] He's way too tall. [00:09:36] Laughter [00:09:44] Congratulations. Thank you. [00:09:45] Applause [00:10:00] Chief, you did let them know that it isn't a prerequisite that you went to Gulf High, [00:10:05] but it doesn't look too bad on your application either, does it? [00:10:08] Laughter [00:10:10] But I will tell you, I'm feeling a lot older because Mr. Jacobs, but Mr. Burbridge there, [00:10:17] I saw him play back in 2008 and 2009. [00:10:20] So I'm getting older and grayer every day. [00:10:23] But we appreciate you joining us. [00:10:25] Thank you very much. [00:10:26] Thank you. [00:10:28] Next we have a presentation of healthy weight community champion by the Pasco County Health Department. [00:10:33] Mr. Mayor, we're going to adjourn this agenda item until your regularly scheduled meeting of February 21st. [00:10:38] We will push that to the 21st. Very good. [00:10:41] Next is a presentation by the River Ridge High School robotics team. [00:10:45] Which I'd be willing that that has something to do with that stuff in the back of the... [00:10:50] Yeah, they've got to get the people out of the way. [00:10:52] Waiting for Howard and Sheldon to show up. [00:10:55] That was a great episode. [00:10:59] The t-shirt launcher. [00:11:04] I did warn him ahead of time, I do have a weapon. [00:11:07] Laughter [00:11:09] I thought it was a t-shirt launcher, Chief. That's what I was looking for. [00:11:13] He does launch t-shirts. [00:11:17] That's a lawnmower in a cell. Look at that. Wow. [00:11:26] Good evening. We are from River Ridge High School. [00:11:29] We would like to make a presentation to you, the council, about what we have done in the last almost two years. [00:11:36] Begin by saying, I myself, my name is Dwight Howard. [00:11:43] I'm a senior at River Ridge High School. [00:11:46] Tommy, the one passing out the papers, is also a senior. [00:11:49] Thank you, Tommy. [00:11:51] What we do is, we're a high school club. [00:11:56] We have taken some of our robots and others to the world championship in St. Louis last year for our competition. [00:12:06] We have also started to grow a community in our high school. [00:12:14] To seek out STEM careers and promote our engineering academy. [00:12:26] The River Ridge Engineering Academy is largely overlooked, I feel. [00:12:31] My freshman year, I came into the school through school choice. [00:12:37] I got accepted to the engineering academy. [00:12:40] It changed my outlook on not only my life goals, but what I could do for others, so to speak. [00:12:52] Getting into that first year of this academy, I began to notice nobody knew about us. [00:13:02] Our own school, the kids in our own school, didn't know we had an academy for engineering. [00:13:09] I'm also a school choice student. [00:13:15] I'm zoned for Ridgewood High School. [00:13:18] I came specifically for the engineering academy. [00:13:21] I, too, noticed that same issue, where there was actually no awareness. [00:13:28] Our freshman year, we both were two of maybe five members of our robotics team. [00:13:34] This robotics team started off very small and with little to no proper leadership. [00:13:43] We were aware of the competitions. [00:13:46] We were aware of the rulings. [00:13:48] We just did not have the funding, supplies, or skills necessary to complete or even attempt to compete in any of these competitions. [00:13:59] Our mentor, our head teacher for the engineering academy, would have been here tonight. [00:14:07] Currently, he is still at the school with some of our other teammates. [00:14:11] He's currently working on the robot for this year's competition. [00:14:16] I would like to apologize for my own appearance because I came straight from school to the meeting here. [00:14:25] There are sometimes days where I've spent 12 hours of my entire day at school working on this. [00:14:34] He's only a little bit dedicated. [00:14:52] As we were saying, we are the River Ridge Robotics. [00:14:55] Our teacher, this really all kind of changed when we had a change of teacher. [00:15:00] from, I believe it was our sophomore year, our current teacher at the time [00:15:05] retired, and our new teacher was hired, Samuel McCamus, he is our mentor that we [00:15:10] are referencing in the, you know, in the past statement. So that year we went to [00:15:21] a VEX competition, which is, this is FIRST Robotics. VEX competitions are far [00:15:26] smaller robots. The parameters are, I believe, 18 by 18 inches, not feet. So it [00:15:33] was a very small competition, and our team grew pretty large in comparison to [00:15:39] the year before. Like I said, our freshman year there was only maybe five [00:15:42] members in total, and there was leadership issues. So these are images of [00:15:47] our teams and the competitions that we competed in. We ended up qualifying that [00:15:52] year, the first year that we competed in that competition for these states, and [00:15:56] better? Better. Okay, so this is... You've got to stay close to it though. So the [00:16:09] Greater Tampa League Championships, that was actually last year, this year, [00:16:15] or last year. And this was, a lot of the people involved with that competition, [00:16:23] our sophomore year, Dwight and I included, kind of became more mentors [00:16:28] than actual workers for that competition. We see three more, three students, one of [00:16:34] which is an eighth grader, and the other two are sophomores, competing and winning [00:16:38] first place in the Greater Tampa League the year after the leadership change, and [00:16:43] we started our improvement. Now FIRST Robotics competition is the, I like to [00:16:49] call it the NFL of robotics, just to kind of give a scale to it. It's a lot of, [00:16:57] it's all the high-end high school competition. It's, FIRST is actually an [00:17:03] acronym, it stands for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and [00:17:07] Technology. It's a lot of, a lot more about actually spreading the word and

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7. 7

   Presentation of Healthy Weight Community Champion Award by the Pasco County Health Department

   The Pasco County Health Department presented the Healthy Weight Community Champion Award. The transcript excerpt is fragmentary and references STEM education attention.

   🏢Pasco County Health Department#Healthy Weight Community Champion Award#STEM

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   [00:17:12] getting the attention to STEM, science, technology, engineering, and [00:17:17] mathematics, that we think is so sorely under, under, understated. So this is one

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8. 8

   ↳You arrived here from a search for “STEM” — transcript expanded below

   Presentation by the River Ridge High School Robotics Team

   The River Ridge High School Robotics Team presented on their rookie year accomplishments, including winning the Rookie All-Star Award at the South Florida regional, the Rookie Inspiration Award at the Orlando regional, and the Gracious Professionalism Award at Tampa Bay Roboticon. They advanced to the FIRST World Championships in St. Louis, placing in the top 3% of teams worldwide, and described community outreach including STEM demonstrations at local elementary and middle schools.

   🏢AT&T🏢Cypress Elementary School🏢FIRST🏢Marlow Elementary School🏢National Technical Honor Society🏢River Ridge High School🏢River Ridge High School Robotics Team🏢Universal Labeling👤Dwight👤Mr. Davis#Einstein Field#FIRST World Championships#GOPSI (t-shirt cannon)#Gracious Professionalism Award#Orlando Regional#Rookie All-Star Award#Rookie Inspiration Award#STEM#South Florida Regional#Tampa Bay Roboticon#VEX team state championship

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   [00:17:26] of our competitions, I believe this is video, it may or may not work, but looks [00:17:34] like may not is going to be the option. But this is one of our competitions, this [00:17:41] is the, this looks like our South Florida regional, where we competed and we [00:17:46] actually got to the, we got the Rookie All-Star Award. This was our first time [00:17:50] competing in this competition, and the Rookie All-Star Award kind of gives [00:17:56] recognition to a first-year team that tries to put in a lot of effort, not only [00:18:02] in the competition aspect with our robots, but also in our outreach and in [00:18:06] our, in our gaining recognition, and not only in outreach, but otherwise. So this [00:18:15] was our, this was our Orlando regional, where we won the Rookie Inspiration [00:18:19] Award, which is less of the All-Star Award and more of the, you guys are doing good [00:18:25] outreach, and you guys are doing good representation of what first is, and what [00:18:30] first means. So that's, we had a good time, we, we were doing pretty good in our [00:18:37] competition. You can see one of our robot doing one of the obstacles, and you can [00:18:43] see our award in the bottom left-hand corner. [00:18:47] South Florida is where we won the Rookie All-Star Award, and that's where [00:18:52] competitions got a little bit rougher, and yeah, the Rookie All-Star Award, like I [00:18:58] was saying, represents a rookie team that, that goes above and beyond to not only [00:19:07] compete in the competition, but also represent science, technology, engineering, [00:19:13] mathematics, and goes out of their way to make that known to the community at [00:19:18] large. We actually have our t-shirt cannon here. It's not loaded or anything, [00:19:22] but we use it for, we use it for promotional tool for football games, [00:19:28] basketball games. We go out and we show them that, you know, the robotics team is [00:19:32] just as cool, if not cooler than the football team. So we, we do a lot of that [00:19:39] kind of stuff. We also bring it to elementary and middle schools to, to help [00:19:42] promote, I believe that may or may not be later in the presentation. Anyway, that [00:19:47] brings us to, to our World Championship. Yes, our rookie year, first year [00:19:52] competing in this competition, and we've made it to the World Championships, which [00:19:56] is a very big deal. I believe it was 6,000 teams in the World Championship [00:20:01] long? Yes. Yeah, so that's 6,000 teams from around the world competing in just [00:20:06] this one competition, and those were narrowed down from, you know, I believe [00:20:11] it's 50 teams per regional, and there are hundreds of regionals. So the Delman [00:20:17] America Center, this took place in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the place where, [00:20:22] where it was, image of the first robotics competition. When we were first [00:20:31] introduced to the fact that we would be going to the World Championships, a [00:20:35] veteran team came up to us and stated, we did not know you were rookies. We were [00:20:41] very surprised to find that out, and we kept in contact with them, and they tried [00:20:49] to explain to us what World Championships would be like, and they [00:20:53] explained it as a college football game, and we were looking at them like they [00:20:58] were crazy, but the spirit and the dedication that goes into this sport, if [00:21:06] you want to call it that, is just phenomenal. And yeah, so we, the way that [00:21:15] the World Championship is divided is that we have, I believe it's eight [00:21:20] divisions. We have eight divisions, each named after a major scientist, [00:21:24] physicist, or something along those lines, and a mathematician, and they're [00:21:32] basically held as if they are smaller regionals, and they kind of narrow them [00:21:35] down until you get the three best teams of each division, and then those three [00:21:40] best teams then compete against each other at the biggest of, you know, the [00:21:44] craziest field. They call it Einstein Field because he's above and beyond [00:21:48] everything else, and these are the teams that have gone above and beyond. We ended [00:21:52] up placing in the semifinals of our division, placing us as a rookie team, top [00:21:57] three percent of all teams in the entire world. Now this is one year after the [00:22:02] leadership change from, you know, freshman year, you know, you got five [00:22:07] people on the team, sophomore year leadership change, and you know, ten, ten, [00:22:11] fifteen people on the team. You went to state competitions, and then junior year, [00:22:15] now we're going to the World Championships, one of the largest [00:22:17] robotics competitions available for us to be participating in. This is a, this is [00:22:26] one of the things that they had there because, you know, Worlds is a big deal. [00:22:30] They actually let you write, they have a large chalkboard. It was really big, [00:22:35] it was like the size of the entire room, and you could write down your team [00:22:39] number and, you know, all that other kind of stuff to show, kind of, as a [00:22:42] remembering of who was here and what happened. So this is our t-shirt cannon, [00:22:49] GOPSI. The image that you see in there is the first revision, and the one that we [00:22:54] have with us today is the second revision. We didn't like the first [00:22:58] one. We wanted to make it cooler, give it more LEDs. So like I said before, we bring [00:23:05] it on football team, football games, basketball games, and we take it to [00:23:10] elementary, middle schools, do demonstrations. We take it to trick-or-treat [00:23:15] around the track, and that kind of took on parades. We had a modification that [00:23:19] was like a stopper so that we could kind of load it with smaller objects instead [00:23:23] of just t-shirts. We could put candy in it, beads in it for the parades and stuff, [00:23:27] and we just kind of, you know, have a good time with it. That's what we use as a, we [00:23:31] call it a promotional robot. And so yeah, it was actually built as a prelude to [00:23:38] this robot. So we kind of, this robot was built in three weeks leading up to the [00:23:43] build season that we just wanted to get a familiar with the electronics [00:23:48] and the way that everything worked. And so we built the robot in that [00:23:52] picture in three weeks, and then come the competition, you have six weeks to build [00:23:58] something like this. This has been through a lot of modifications over that [00:24:03] time though, because during the competition you're allowed to make edits [00:24:06] and revisions, but that's only a weekend. So it's come a long way from there, just [00:24:13] like the team. So Tampa Bay Roboticon, in between seasons, there are [00:24:21] events that happen that are kind of like the competitions, but they're like [00:24:27] side competitions or off-season events. And Roboticon is a perfect [00:24:33] example of that, where a bunch of teams in the area do a competition. It's a [00:24:38] completely unofficial competition of the last year's competition, [00:24:44] whatever it was. And so we had a really good time there. This is our [00:24:50] first one. This is where we went with the t-shirt cannon. We didn't actually have [00:24:54] another robot to compete with, and there was a couple of mistakes. We accidentally [00:25:00] got put up for a competition with a t-shirt cannon, and that wasn't the [00:25:05] competition. So we had a slight misunderstanding there, but we had a [00:25:10] good time. We launched t-shirts in there, and they actually awarded us with the [00:25:14] Gracious Professionalism Award, which is the most important and prestigious, [00:25:23] awards that FIRST offers, which is showing that it's kind of putting [00:25:30] yourself in front of others. It's a very easy way of putting it, but it's a lot more than [00:25:35] that. It's demonstrating selflessness. It's demonstrating that you want to [00:25:41] help others achieve the best outcome possible, even if that comes at the [00:25:45] sacrifice of your own team. So it was a lesson in humility for us, and it [00:25:53] was a lot of fun. Marlow and Cypress Elementary Schools, like I said, [00:25:59] we go and we do demonstrations to elementary and middle schools, [00:26:02] bring the robot and have a good time. We teach the kids a [00:26:06] thing or two, answer any questions about the competition. And yeah, we push for [00:26:12] science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM, because like we said, we [00:26:18] believe that that is something that's very important and something that we [00:26:21] feel is lacking and underestimated or underwhelming. National Technical [00:26:30] Honor Society is one of our partners. A lot of the same students [00:26:36] are involved in the National Technical Honor Society, as are in our robotics [00:26:39] team. And over the summer, we actually hosted a summer camp at River Ridge High [00:26:45] School for elementary and middle school students to take part of. [00:26:50] And we taught them stuff along the lines of what we did for our [00:26:55] classes, for our high school classes. We would build small robots with them, and [00:26:59] we'd show them how to code them, and we'd show them a thing or two in [00:27:02] the CAD-ing software that we use. And we just kind of show them the cool things [00:27:06] that River Ridge's Engineering Academy and engineering and robotics in general [00:27:11] had to offer, just so that they could just kind of get their feet wet in [00:27:15] it, and know that that was an option that was available. Because I knew that if [00:27:20] I would have known that, if I would have had something like that, that would have [00:27:22] been awesome at their age. [00:27:28] These are a few of our newspaper headlines and news stories. We've been interviewed almost seven times [00:27:35] since the world championship about going, and about what we're doing for the [00:27:40] community, how we're changing it, how we're influencing some of the younger [00:27:47] minds in the community to help spread STEM. You were also on TV, also being [00:27:57] interviewed and talking about those same things that we're talking [00:28:01] about you guys today, and about representing science, technology, and [00:28:06] engineering, and mathematics. Universal Labeling, one of our sponsors. Actually [00:28:12] one of our students has a parent who works in this company, and we actually [00:28:17] got to take tours at a legitimate engineering and manufacturing plant. So [00:28:23] that was very cool. They were very informative, and they actually helped [00:28:28] make a lot of the parts that are seen on our robot as part of their [00:28:31] sponsorship. Instead of donating straight cash, they donate parts and machine time, [00:28:39] as well as giving us a little bit of an opportunity to, you know, look at that and [00:28:43] learn what it is that makes those machines tick, or how they might be [00:28:46] operated, and how the professionals do it. This is another one of our sponsors. [00:28:54] AT&T came over and actually delivered us one of the big checks, and that's one [00:29:00] of the variations of the robot before it, you know, got blacked out. So that was an [00:29:06] older version of it, and you had the whole team there, and none of us are [00:29:09] looking at the camera. Lovely. But yeah, all of us with the robot again. The team [00:29:19] has grown substantially since the last time you'd seen it, when we went [00:29:23] sophomore year to the VEX team state championship. And that is it. Thank you [00:29:31] very much. I would normally ask a young person, especially a woman, but you guys, [00:29:43] how old are you? I'm 18 years old. I have to tell you, I'm very impressed with your [00:29:50] speaking extemporaneously. It's usually very nerve-wracking or [00:29:55] intimidating to come and speak before us, but I'm really impressed with you. I know [00:29:59] the first time [00:30:00] And then I met Dwight, he is an Eagle Scout as a matter of fact. [00:30:03] As am I. [00:30:04] Excellent, you are the cream of the cream [00:30:06] and I'm so really impressed with you. [00:30:09] It was interesting to see the juxtaposition. [00:30:11] We have police officers starting their career [00:30:14] and you gentlemen wrapping up your high school years. [00:30:17] So, very impressed and we're looking [00:30:20] for great things with you. [00:30:21] Thank you for bringing this to our attention. [00:30:23] Thank you. [00:30:24] Thank you. [00:30:27] Mr. Davis. [00:30:27] Yes, sir, don't worry about how you come dressed here [00:30:30] but as long as you keep working on that mind. [00:30:32] There you go, that's right. [00:30:34] Thank you. [00:30:46] Chief, is there some SWAT modifications for that? [00:30:49] Yeah. [00:30:52] Pretty impressive. [00:30:53] SWAT mods. [00:30:54] SWAT modifications. [00:30:55] I was thinking those would be pretty good [00:30:56] for Chesco Street Parade. [00:30:58] Yeah, I was thinking that same thing. [00:30:59] Good thinking. [00:31:02] Next item on our agenda is the status report

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9. 9

   Status Report on Noise Ordinance Implementation

   discussed

   Police Chief Bogart updated Council on noise ordinance enforcement efforts. The decibel-meter-based standard adopted three months ago has proven insufficient for low-frequency/bass sounds that rattle homes downtown. Staff, working with the city attorney, plans to propose an amendment at the next meeting adding a 'plainly audible to the human ear at 100 feet from the property line' standard.

   • direction:Staff will bring a proposed noise ordinance amendment adding a human-ear audibility standard at 100 feet from the property line to the next council meeting. (none)

   📍Central Boulevard (east end to first intersection)👤Chief Bogart👤Corporal Case👤Tim Driscoll#100-foot human-ear audibility standard#Noise Ordinance#low-frequency/bass noise enforcement

   ▶ Jump to 31:04 in the video

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   [00:31:04] on the noise ordinance implementation. [00:31:06] Yes, Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council, [00:31:08] I've asked Chief Bogart to bring you up to date [00:31:11] on our efforts in respect to this agenda item. [00:31:15] Chief Bogart. [00:31:18] And I will make my report brief. [00:31:21] The, as you know, we, you enacted or changed [00:31:27] our noise ordinance to help us do enforcement [00:31:31] about three months ago. [00:31:33] And with that, we established some decibel levels [00:31:36] that the officers could use decimeters [00:31:39] in order to determine whether or not violations occurred. [00:31:42] Well, what we discovered is that that wasn't enough. [00:31:47] We have, the low-level sounds are not picked up [00:31:51] by the decimeter, and so we continue [00:31:53] to receive complaints from residents, [00:31:55] and I know you've received emails about that. [00:31:59] So we dug a little deeper, trying to figure out [00:32:01] what kind of a solution that we could come up with, [00:32:04] and I work closely with our attorney, Tim Driscoll. [00:32:07] And looking at other ordinances, doing sound checks ourself, [00:32:13] especially on the evening, the midnight shift. [00:32:16] Corporal Case was assigned the responsibility [00:32:19] of every time we had a noise complaint [00:32:21] that he was aware of, he would go there [00:32:22] and take readings and check the distances [00:32:25] and go in front of the business that was creating, [00:32:28] in the case of where it was a business creating the noise, [00:32:31] and try to determine what we could do as a fix. [00:32:36] And what he, and what we've come up with [00:32:38] that we would like to, we're gonna propose [00:32:40] at the next council meeting is to include [00:32:44] a piece in the ordinance that deals with the human ear. [00:32:48] Hearing the sound at a hundred foot distance [00:32:51] from the property line of the business, [00:32:53] or the, wherever it may be, especially when it deals [00:32:56] with low level sound. [00:32:59] We have complaints that come from downtown. [00:33:03] To give you an idea, is if you picture Central Boulevard, [00:33:07] and go to the east end of Central to the first intersection, [00:33:13] the noise can be heard from there, the low level sound, [00:33:16] and it literally rattles the homes [00:33:18] with some of the base sounds. [00:33:20] And so if you just took a circle and drew it around [00:33:24] the source of the sound, that's quite a few homes [00:33:25] that are affected by it. [00:33:27] So with that, we do believe we have a solution. [00:33:30] We're going to, and I'll be more than willing [00:33:32] to answer questions, but we're gonna be proposing it [00:33:36] at the next council meeting. [00:33:38] Very good, I'm glad to hear that, [00:33:39] because a lot of the complaints that I've personally [00:33:42] received have been specifically the low frequency noise [00:33:46] that just rattles windows and doors and everything else. [00:33:53] Thank you for the update. [00:33:54] Thank you.

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10. 10Vox Pop for Items Not Listed on the Agenda or Listed on Consent Agenda▶ 33:57
11. 11.b

    Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes - December 2016

    approvedon consent

    Council approved the consent agenda except for item A, which was pulled for separate discussion. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes from December 2016 were part of the approved consent items.

    • motion:Motion to approve the consent agenda except for item A. (passed)

    #Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes - December 2016

    ▶ Jump to 38:27 in the video

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    [00:38:27] And next item is the consent agenda. [00:38:30] Do we have any items to be pulled from the consent agenda? [00:38:33] I'd like to pull item A, Mayor. [00:38:35] Thank you. [00:38:36] We're going to pull item A. [00:38:37] Any others? [00:38:39] And I'd make a motion to approve [00:38:41] the rest of the consent agenda. [00:38:43] We have a motion and a second to, [00:38:46] well, that was a second. [00:38:47] Thank you. [00:38:48] Motion and a second to approve the consent agenda [00:38:51] other than item A. [00:38:52] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [00:38:54] Aye.

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12. 11.c

    Purchases/Payments for City Council Approval

    approvedon consent

    Council pulled item A from the consent agenda and approved the remainder by voice vote.

    • motion:Motion to approve the consent agenda except for item A. (passed)
    • direction:Item A pulled from the consent agenda for separate consideration. (none)

    #Consent Agenda Item A

    ▶ Jump to 38:27 in the video

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    [00:38:27] And next item is the consent agenda. [00:38:30] Do we have any items to be pulled from the consent agenda? [00:38:33] I'd like to pull item A, Mayor. [00:38:35] Thank you. [00:38:36] We're going to pull item A. [00:38:37] Any others? [00:38:39] And I'd make a motion to approve [00:38:41] the rest of the consent agenda. [00:38:43] We have a motion and a second to, [00:38:46] well, that was a second. [00:38:47] Thank you. [00:38:48] Motion and a second to approve the consent agenda [00:38:51] other than item A. [00:38:52] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [00:38:54] Aye.

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13. 11.a

    New Port Richey Main Street, Inc. Quarterly Report

    approvedon consent

    The Deputy Mayor presented the Main Street, Inc. quarterly report, expressing concern that the organization was $3,000 negative at the end of December and that he hasn't seen marginal improvement in years despite increased city involvement. He requested a work session before next fiscal year's budget to discuss the organization's operations, mission, and whether the city should continue its involvement. Council accepted the report and directed staff to schedule the work session within the next month.

    • motion:Motion to accept the New Port Richey Main Street, Inc. quarterly report (item A). (passed)
    • direction:Council directed the city manager to schedule a work session with Main Street organization within the next month to discuss operations, finances, and overall mission before next fiscal year's budget. (passed)

    🏢New Port Richey Main Street, Inc.👤Ms. Vance#Community Cooperative

    ▶ Jump to 38:55 in the video

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    [00:38:55] Opposed, life sign. [00:38:57] Deputy Mayor, item A. [00:38:59] Thanks, Mr. Mayor. [00:39:00] I read through the Main Street report [00:39:04] and looked at the financial statements [00:39:06] and just remember how our involvement [00:39:11] increased in this organization [00:39:13] through the middle of the last year. [00:39:15] And then of course, through the first part of this year. [00:39:17] When I look at the financial statements, [00:39:19] as usual, at least they're on a timely basis now. [00:39:24] It concerns me that at the end of December [00:39:26] they were negative $3,000 from that status. [00:39:34] And I'm just asking that sometime between now and March [00:39:40] that we include the Main Street organization [00:39:45] in a work session to discuss that operation, [00:39:48] discuss the overall programs. [00:39:53] Because obviously the city stepped up [00:39:55] and I'm still not seeing net benefits. [00:39:58] And at this point, as I've mentioned to people in the past, [00:40:04] on my first time through council, [00:40:06] we used to call it the Community Cooperative [00:40:08] and it's evolved out to where it is today. [00:40:11] And I haven't seen any marginal improvement [00:40:14] in a number of years. [00:40:15] And I'm ready to have a very hearty discussion [00:40:19] about the organization and the overall effect it's having, [00:40:23] not only in the downtown, but in our business community. [00:40:27] And obviously where the finances are, [00:40:32] kind of what their mission statement is, [00:40:34] since we're involved and at some point [00:40:36] we either need to get away from it or we need to stay there. [00:40:42] But I think we've got a little bit of track record [00:40:46] and it's time for us to make sure that those dollars, [00:40:50] city staff time, the city manager's time, [00:40:53] going to meetings, being asked to chair [00:40:56] certain segments of the meetings, [00:40:58] when it's more or less a community element. [00:41:02] So I just think it's time for us [00:41:06] to take a longer, harder look. [00:41:09] Well, before we get to next year's fiscal budget. [00:41:13] Excellent idea. [00:41:15] Ms. Vance, can we get that scheduled [00:41:17] sometime in the next month or so? [00:41:18] Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. [00:41:20] Thank you. [00:41:22] We have a motion to accept item A. [00:41:24] Yeah, we can accept item A at the moment. [00:41:26] Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. [00:41:27] We have a motion. [00:41:27] Second. Second. [00:41:29] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [00:41:31] Aye. [00:41:32] Opposed, life sign. [00:41:33] Next, the second reading of Ordinance 2016-2095. [00:41:38] Ordinance 2016-2095, an ordinance amending [00:41:42] the City of New Port Richey Comprehensive Plan,

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14. 12.a

    Second Reading, Ordinance #2016-2095: Comprehensive Plan Amendment - Downtown and Downtown Core Categories

    approved

    Council held the second reading of Ordinance #2016-2095, a comprehensive plan text amendment increasing maximum residential density in the Downtown future land use category from 15 to 20 du/acre and in the Downtown Core from 30 to 40 du/acre, encouraging (rather than requiring) ground-floor retail downtown, and clarifying prior designations. After public comment from Heather Fiorentino regarding protections under Ordinance 1 for the Chamber of Commerce parcel, council approved the ordinance and directed the city attorney to explore deed-restrictive language for that parcel.

    Ord. Ordinance #2016-2095

    • motion:Move to approve the second reading of Ordinance #2016-2095 (comprehensive plan amendment increasing downtown densities). (passed)
    • direction:Direction to the city attorney to craft deed-restrictive language referencing Ordinance 1 to attach to the Chamber of Commerce/boat ramp parcel. (none)

    📍5534 Wyoming Avenue🏢Chamber of Commerce👤Councilman Davis👤Debbie Vance👤Heather Fiorentino👤Lisa👤Mr. Driscoll👤Mrs. Spears#Department of Economic Opportunity review#Hacienda#Land Development Review Board (LDRB)#Main Street Landing project#Ordinance #2016-2095#Ordinance 1#Sims Park#Table FLU 1.1.3

    ▶ Jump to 41:43 in the video

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    [00:41:44] amending Table FLU 1.1.3 [00:41:47] to increase maximum residential density [00:41:49] in the downtown future land use category [00:41:52] from 15 dwelling units per acre [00:41:54] to 20 dwelling units per acre, [00:41:56] to increase maximum residential density [00:41:58] in the downtown core future land use category [00:42:00] from 30 dwelling units per acre [00:42:02] to 40 dwelling units per acre, [00:42:04] to encourage ground floor retail uses [00:42:06] in the downtown future land use category, [00:42:08] and to clarify that portions of the downtown core [00:42:11] future land use category had been designated [00:42:13] with the downtown future land use category, [00:42:16] providing for severability [00:42:17] and providing for an effective date. [00:42:19] Thank you. [00:42:20] Ms. Vance. [00:42:21] Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, [00:42:22] as you recall, this item was before you [00:42:25] on November 1st, 2016, for a first reading. [00:42:29] The purpose of the ordinance is to encourage [00:42:33] and incentivize redevelopment, [00:42:34] particularly the creation of housing [00:42:39] within the city's downtown and downtown core. [00:42:42] Lisa, did you have a PowerPoint for this agenda item [00:42:45] that you'd like to present to Council? [00:42:47] Ever so briefly. [00:42:49] Thank you. [00:42:49] Thanks. [00:42:54] So this does a couple things, [00:42:56] and I think they've mostly been read [00:42:58] by the title that Mr. Driscoll stated. [00:43:01] So we're increasing density in the downtown category, [00:43:03] in the downtown core category. [00:43:05] We're also amending some policy language [00:43:08] to encourage rather than require [00:43:10] ground floor retail in the downtown category, [00:43:13] and we have a clarification [00:43:15] that the downtown core designated properties [00:43:18] had previously been designated [00:43:19] as downtown category properties. [00:43:22] Through our research, we looked at some other [00:43:25] similar sized cities, and we found that [00:43:27] we're pretty consistent with what those other cities [00:43:29] are doing in terms of densities [00:43:31] in their central business district. [00:43:34] And so what you see on the screen [00:43:37] is a map that shows primarily the downtown, [00:43:40] and in the brown area, that's the downtown core, [00:43:43] and that's going to increase from 30 units [00:43:46] to 40 units an acre, and the pink is the downtown itself, [00:43:49] going from 15 to 20. [00:43:53] This is something that was reviewed [00:43:55] by your Land Development Review Board, [00:43:57] who recommended approval. [00:43:58] It also went to the state for the [00:44:01] Department of Economic Opportunities Review as well, [00:44:04] and we received no pertinent comments [00:44:07] to report back to you, and staff recommends approval. [00:44:10] Thank you, this is a public hearing. [00:44:12] Anybody in the audience wish to address council on this, [00:44:15] please come on down and give us your name [00:44:17] and address for the record. [00:44:23] Heather Fiorentino, 5534 Wyoming Avenue. [00:44:27] The only question I have is I want to go back [00:44:29] to the Chamber of Commerce, and I want to make sure [00:44:34] that we are not affecting Ordinance 1, [00:44:36] because I see the color difference there, [00:44:38] and I want to make sure that that does not affect it, [00:44:41] and we don't do anything else like [00:44:43] that's been done along the river. [00:44:45] But Ordinance 1, I want to make sure is in place. [00:44:48] Mrs. Spears. [00:44:49] Yeah, I believe we checked that out after the first reading, [00:44:51] because I believe you had the same testimony, [00:44:53] and we found it to have no effect on Ordinance 1. [00:44:56] So where is, which piece of property up there? [00:45:00] That's, purple is the, I assume, City Park, correct? [00:45:05] It seems, you're right. [00:45:08] All right, so where is the Chamber of Commerce? [00:45:11] Across the river on the left. [00:45:13] I'm gonna point to that one. [00:45:15] And so, I can get to it. [00:45:17] Brown piece. [00:45:19] Yeah, right there. [00:45:20] That brown piece, but will that, [00:45:21] anything you're doing tonight affect that? [00:45:23] Because that is not only supposed to be used [00:45:25] for city use, such as libraries, parks, [00:45:29] and the Chamber of Commerce. [00:45:33] This just changes the entitlements [00:45:34] that are allowed on the property. [00:45:36] Allows you to have more density. [00:45:37] It doesn't do anything specific to any property, [00:45:40] so the Chamber will remain there [00:45:42] as long as the lease is still effective. [00:45:44] I wanna make sure that's in the, [00:45:47] that that is in the minutes, [00:45:48] that your density change for downtown [00:45:52] cannot affect that piece of property, [00:45:55] because that's what Ordinance 1 is all about. [00:45:58] The land use of that property may not be used [00:46:02] for anything other than city use, and not density. [00:46:06] But with it being brown, it makes it look like it can be. [00:46:10] And I will be here every time you go [00:46:12] and change that piece of property. [00:46:15] That is my number one thing here. [00:46:18] We look forward to seeing you. [00:46:19] You've been here, we've been, [00:46:22] you and I served together back in the 90s, [00:46:25] and we've all been very, very conscious of Ordinance 1, [00:46:29] and not doing anything that would jeopardize, [00:46:32] that would let the Sims family come back [00:46:34] and capture all that stuff, [00:46:36] since we supersized the park. [00:46:38] So at this point, and of course, [00:46:41] the Chamber has a longstanding lease, [00:46:44] and before anything would happen on that property, [00:46:47] there would be severe due diligence [00:46:50] performed by many people. [00:46:52] But I recognize where you're at and your passion for, [00:46:56] we've all been conscious of Ordinance 1, [00:46:59] especially with the development of the Hacienda, [00:47:02] what was talked about that in the early 2000s. [00:47:05] Actually. [00:47:05] I know that there was some discussion [00:47:08] about that particular parcel [00:47:10] where the Chamber and the boat ramp is, [00:47:13] being rolled in with the Main Street Landing project, [00:47:19] that was 10, 15 years ago, [00:47:22] when that discussion is going on, [00:47:24] and I can't speak for my colleagues, [00:47:26] but so long as I'm up here, [00:47:29] hell will freeze over before that gets developed as. [00:47:32] Why does the density need to be changed on that parcel then? [00:47:36] It was just part of the outline [00:47:37] that we created for the downtown core, [00:47:39] because it does represent a core of the downtown, [00:47:42] and so just falling within that boundary [00:47:44] is why it impacts the Chamber. [00:47:46] Why wouldn't it just be pink? [00:47:47] I'm trying to figure out the purposes, [00:47:48] why not just omit it then? [00:47:50] Well, but it has to have some land use associated with it, [00:47:53] so whether it be downtown, downtown core, [00:47:55] or some other land use, [00:47:57] there has to be some actual land use category [00:47:59] attached to every property in the city. [00:48:02] And this one makes the most sense as part of the core. [00:48:04] Why has it become pink along with the rest of the Sims Park? [00:48:06] Well, it was pink and now it's brown. [00:48:09] I think what you, I think what Ms. [00:48:10] It still doesn't matter. [00:48:13] The point is, is that if it's ever developed [00:48:16] anyway, whether it's 15 an acre, 30 an acre, whatever, [00:48:20] it triggers the recapture clause in ordinance one. [00:48:24] So in essence, if we make the, [00:48:27] I believe in the motion we can make tonight, [00:48:32] we can also put an exclusion or we can put a highlight [00:48:35] so that anybody after we're well gone, [00:48:39] which I hope is not as many years down the road, [00:48:43] that it has a caveat in the minutes [00:48:46] that that property is being dealt with effectively [00:48:50] now and in the future, [00:48:52] but we can make that as part of our motion. [00:48:55] Thank you, I would appreciate that. [00:48:57] And I understand that it's, [00:48:58] what I look at is it, in my opinion, [00:49:01] it should be pink and stay pink just for future councils [00:49:06] to understand where that has always been. [00:49:08] And I know you can't change that tonight. [00:49:10] However, I just share that with you [00:49:13] because that way it will help the future [00:49:15] because we all will not be here in 50, 60, 70 years. [00:49:19] And we know that several people have tried to change it. [00:49:21] So I just- [00:49:22] Points well taken. [00:49:23] Thank you very much. [00:49:24] Anyone else? [00:49:27] Seeing no one else come forward, [00:49:28] I'm going to close the public hearing [00:49:30] and bring it back to council. [00:49:31] Move for approval with the, [00:49:34] let me finish my motion. [00:49:36] But I appreciate you jumping on board right away. [00:49:39] Man, maybe I could get a little, [00:49:40] a car wash and something else with that. [00:49:42] That would be good. [00:49:43] No, my motion is move for approval [00:49:47] with the exclusion, [00:49:52] or with the addition of [00:49:59] extra due diligence on the property owned [00:50:03] by the city of New Port Richey, [00:50:06] now presently leased to the Chamber of Commerce. [00:50:10] And somebody will have to insert [00:50:13] the street address for me. [00:50:14] And the boat ramp. [00:50:16] Well, it's the whole property, yes, that property. [00:50:19] Can I suggest to you that that would be [00:50:20] really confusing the record? [00:50:22] Because this is just a text amendment. [00:50:25] It has absolutely nothing to do [00:50:26] with that property in particular. [00:50:28] And if you want to do something [00:50:29] with that particular property, [00:50:31] that should be a separate item sent to the LDRB. [00:50:34] He wants to carve it out? [00:50:36] This is a text amendment for the entire category. [00:50:39] So you can change the land use [00:50:42] of this particular piece of property, [00:50:44] but you have to go through that process. [00:50:46] This is just adding density to this particular category [00:50:48] of which it is a member. [00:50:50] And I think you're going to really cloud the record [00:50:53] with that type of motion. [00:50:54] That's a good point. [00:50:55] I would suggest, Deputy Mayor, [00:50:57] we might ask the city manager to take that to LDRB [00:51:01] for a specific reference. [00:51:04] Carve out on that, rather than confusing the existence. [00:51:08] Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, would you want to consider [00:51:11] the city attorney crafting some deed restrictive language [00:51:14] that we could attach to the parcel [00:51:17] that someone could find if they were doing [00:51:18] some type of title search in the future, [00:51:21] or something to that effect, [00:51:22] some legal tool to attach to the property? [00:51:24] That's a better suggestion, thank you. [00:51:26] Thank you. [00:51:27] Or can it just reference that amendment one? [00:51:31] Ordinance one. [00:51:32] Ordinance one. [00:51:32] You're right. [00:51:33] Can we have a clean motion? [00:51:35] Yeah, just move to approve [00:51:37] the second reading of the ordinance. [00:51:40] Second. [00:51:41] Second. [00:51:42] To the maker. [00:51:42] No, we'll work on the second part of that later. [00:51:45] Thank you. [00:51:46] To the second. [00:51:47] Councilman. [00:51:50] I'm good, thank you. [00:51:51] Councilman Davis. [00:51:53] Likewise, I do look forward to seeing that legal [00:51:58] on that particular parcel to try to make sure [00:52:02] after we're all dead and gone [00:52:04] that somebody doesn't play games with it. [00:52:07] If there's no further discussion, [00:52:08] all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [00:52:10] Aye. [00:52:11] Opposed, like sign.

    This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

15. 12.b

    Second Reading, Ordinance 2017-2105 & Amendments to the Utility Asset Acquisition Agreements

    approved

    Council held a second reading and approved Ordinance 2017-2105, authorizing issuance of a water and sewer revenue bond (Series 2017-A) not to exceed $850,000 to finance acquisition of certain water/sewer system assets and related improvements. A separate vote on amendments to the utility asset acquisition agreement also passed. Both votes were 3-2, with the Deputy Mayor and Councilman Davis opposed, citing prior representations that the acquisition would not involve additional debt.

    Ord. Ordinance 2017-2105

    • motion:Approve second reading of Ordinance 2017-2105 authorizing issuance of a water and sewer revenue bond Series 2017-A not to exceed $850,000. (passed)3–2
    • motion:Approve the amendments to the utility asset acquisition agreement. (passed)3–2

    👤Bill👤Councilman Davis👤Deputy Mayor#Ordinance 1878#Ordinance 2017-2105#Utility Asset Acquisition Agreement#Water and Sewer Revenue Bond Series 2017-A

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    [00:52:12] Motion passes. [00:52:14] Next, second reading, ordinance 2017-2105, [00:52:18] an amendments to the utility asset acquisition agreement. [00:52:24] Ordinance number 2017-2105, [00:52:26] an ordinance supplementing ordinance number 1878 [00:52:29] as amended, authorizing the issuance [00:52:31] of a water and sewer revenue bond series 2017-A [00:52:34] of the city of New Port Richey, Florida [00:52:35] and the principal amount of not to exceed $850,000 [00:52:39] to finance the cost of acquisition [00:52:41] of certain water and sewer system assets [00:52:43] and construction and equipping of certain improvements [00:52:46] to the water and sewer system of the city, [00:52:48] providing that such bonds shall be a limited obligation [00:52:51] of the city payable as provided herein [00:52:52] and therein, designate the bond [00:52:54] as a qualified tax-exempt obligation [00:52:56] within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code, [00:52:58] providing for the right securities and remedies [00:53:01] for the holder of such bond, [00:53:02] making certain covenants and agreements [00:53:03] in connection therewith, [00:53:05] and providing for an effective date. [00:53:07] Open this up for public comment. [00:53:11] Seeing no one come forward, bring it back to council. [00:53:15] Move to approve the second reading. [00:53:18] Do we have a motion? [00:53:21] Second. [00:53:22] Second, to the maker. [00:53:23] No. [00:53:24] To the second. [00:53:25] Nothing, no. [00:53:26] Deputy Mayor. [00:53:27] I will not be supporting this. [00:53:28] I've stated on three different occasions [00:53:31] the way this asset acquisition was brought to us [00:53:34] through the process was with no additional debt. [00:53:39] I stated it at one meeting, I stated it at the other, [00:53:42] and I'm going to be voting [00:53:45] against this utility acquisition agreement. [00:53:49] Thank you. [00:53:50] Councilman Davis. [00:53:51] Yeah, I think if I can quote Bill, [00:53:54] I think he said this is a stair-stepping thing [00:53:57] that we're doing here and I don't appreciate that. [00:54:01] I'm not going to be supporting it. [00:54:05] There's no further discussion. [00:54:07] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [00:54:10] Aye. [00:54:10] Aye. [00:54:11] Opposed, light sign. [00:54:12] No. [00:54:13] Motion passes three to two. [00:54:14] We also need a separate vote on the amendments [00:54:17] to the utility acquisition asset. [00:54:21] Agreement, yes. [00:54:22] Sir, Mr. Mayor. [00:54:25] Entertain a motion. [00:54:27] Make a motion. [00:54:28] Second. [00:54:29] Second. [00:54:31] To the maker. [00:54:33] To the second. [00:54:35] Councilman. [00:54:36] Ditto. [00:54:37] Councilman. [00:54:39] Hearing no further discussion, all those in favor, [00:54:41] please signify by saying aye. [00:54:42] Aye. [00:54:43] Opposed, light sign. [00:54:44] No. [00:54:45] Motion passes three to two. [00:54:48] Next is first reading of an ordinance

    This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

16. 12.c

    First Reading, Ordinance #2017-2106: Residential Exterior Maintenance

    denied

    First reading of Ordinance #2017-2106 amending the city code to require residential exterior maintenance (roofs, gutters, driveways, walkways, and other exterior surfaces). Council expressed concerns about overreach and the lack of a 'bridge' funding program to help homeowners who don't qualify for federal HUD-funded housing rehabilitation grants. The motion to approve on first reading failed.

    Ord. Ordinance #2017-2106

    • motion:Motion to approve Ordinance #2017-2106 on first reading regarding residential exterior maintenance. (failed)

    📍5738 Montana Avenue📍6209 Indiana Avenue📍7038 Grand Boulevard🏢Chamber of Commerce👤Jim Luper👤Liz Nichols👤Mr. Bell-Thomas👤Mr. Davis👤Mrs. Spears👤Rob Owen#CRA funds#Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)#Housing Rehabilitation Program#Land Development Review Board#Ordinance #2017-2106#Penny for Pasco#Section 6-124 structural elements#Section 6-129 maintenance of residential occupancies

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    [00:54:49] on residential external maintenance. [00:54:53] Yes, sir. [00:54:54] Mr. Mayor, members of the city council, [00:54:57] the purpose of this agenda item [00:54:59] is to prevent slum and blight [00:55:01] and preserve and enhance our neighborhoods, [00:55:03] and Mrs. Spears has prepared a PowerPoint presentation [00:55:08] to accompany this agenda item this evening. [00:55:13] Mrs. Spears. [00:55:14] Oh, thank you. [00:55:15] So staff initiated this to further advance [00:55:18] our maintenance standards in the city. [00:55:20] This is specific to roofs and gutters and driveways, [00:55:25] walkways and other exterior surfaces specifically. [00:55:29] We are finding that roofs are not cleaned of debris, [00:55:34] that gutters are often found to have debris [00:55:37] and or have obstructions. [00:55:41] We see problems with driveways and with the walkways. [00:55:46] They have buildup of mold, mildew and dirt. [00:55:50] And then this is an example of what we consider [00:55:53] an other exterior surface that is unkempt. [00:55:57] And so staff work with code enforcement [00:56:00] to come up with this amendment, [00:56:02] and we think this will help address [00:56:05] the issues you see on the screen. [00:56:08] Staff's recommending approval. [00:56:09] It did go to the Land Development Review Board [00:56:12] who recommended approval, [00:56:13] and I would offer that Liz Nichols is here tonight, [00:56:17] your code enforcement officer, [00:56:19] and it is a little past her bedtime, [00:56:21] but she wanted to be here to help answer any questions [00:56:23] you may have about her enforcement activities. [00:56:28] She does get up early, doesn't she? [00:56:29] She does get up early. [00:56:31] This is a public reading, [00:56:33] and public comment would be welcome at this time. [00:56:42] Please give us your name and address for the record. [00:56:44] Rob Owen, 5738 Montana Avenue. [00:56:48] I am curious at how far along we are [00:56:53] in getting improvement on all the rentals in the community. [00:56:58] I know we implemented a new program for all of them. [00:57:00] I wonder what percentage of those [00:57:02] are actually in compliance with that ordinance, [00:57:04] and I think once we get them above 50, 60%, [00:57:08] then we can start harassing the residents of the community. [00:57:11] Thank you. [00:57:12] Thank you, Rob. [00:57:12] Could I also clarify, [00:57:15] this is for whether it's residential rental [00:57:17] or residential owned and occupied. [00:57:20] I would also tell you that the program, [00:57:24] it has been in operation for about a year. [00:57:26] We've been through the first district, [00:57:28] which is the northern third of the city, [00:57:30] and now we're into the middle third of the city, [00:57:33] and we've had pretty good compliance. [00:57:34] We just need this additional set of tools [00:57:37] to get through some of those issues you saw on the screen. [00:57:40] Thank you. [00:57:41] Yes, sir. [00:57:46] My name is Jim Luper. [00:57:47] I live at 6209 Indiana Avenue. [00:57:49] I'm a member of the Chamber of Commerce, [00:57:51] and I have a question. [00:57:52] There's a lot of overreach going on here, [00:57:54] but how are we gonna help the homeowners [00:57:57] pay for these improvements? [00:58:00] And that's my question to the committee. [00:58:02] Mr. Mayor, in response to the question, [00:58:04] the city offers a housing rehabilitation program, [00:58:07] which is available to property owners [00:58:10] in the city of single family homes [00:58:13] that are interested in implementing aesthetic improvements. [00:58:18] I'm aware of that program, [00:58:19] but it's not always available to funds. [00:58:21] And also, I have suggested to my neighbors [00:58:24] that they apply for it, [00:58:26] and they have not obviously been able to get the funds, so. [00:58:30] If you could have them connect with me directly, [00:58:32] I may be able to be helpful to them. [00:58:34] Okay, because I am concerned about the cost. [00:58:37] Thank you. [00:58:38] Thank you. [00:58:40] There is income thresholds. [00:58:45] And assessed value as well, [00:58:47] as far as qualifications, I believe, yeah? [00:58:49] Yes, ma'am. [00:58:50] I wasn't even here for this part, [00:58:52] but I feel like I need to speak up. [00:58:54] Name and address for the record, please. [00:58:55] I live at 7038 Grand Boulevard. [00:58:57] Thank you. [00:58:58] I recently put a new roof on my house, [00:59:00] painted it, done a lot of improvements. [00:59:03] As a single woman who doesn't make a lot of money, [00:59:06] I don't qualify for any of your funding. [00:59:08] I would have to make $29,000 a year [00:59:11] to get any of the grants. [00:59:13] You guys need to look at that [00:59:15] and make it more feasible for people to get those grants, [00:59:18] and they would make those improvements. [00:59:20] For my roofing, I did my roof myself with friends. [00:59:24] My permit was $69. [00:59:26] Went to get a permit to do my front door. [00:59:28] To change a front door was $129 permit. [00:59:32] Where is the logic in that? [00:59:34] Make it affordable for them or give them better assistance, [00:59:38] and people will make New Port Richey pretty. [00:59:41] Mr. Mayor, in response to the good points raised, [00:59:46] I'd like to state for you that the funding source [00:59:52] that the city relies on to implement [00:59:55] the Housing Rehabilitation Program is a federal source. [01:00:00] And as such, we're required to follow the Department of Housing and Urban Development [01:00:06] income criteria in the implementation of the program. [01:00:10] We are, though, currently considering a program that would be a bridge for people like this [01:00:17] fine lady that presented herself to you this evening. [01:00:20] I'm hopeful to have something to report to you in that respect in the near future. [01:00:25] Very good. [01:00:26] Anyone else? [01:00:29] Bring it back to council. [01:00:30] Yes, sir, Deputy Mayor. [01:00:31] Yeah, you've got federal funds, but that doesn't mean that under council [01:00:37] overview or discussion that we can't take CRA money. [01:00:42] We can't take penny for pasto money. [01:00:45] Put it in that fund and give it a secondary threshold to achieve that middle ground, [01:00:51] just like we have as a secondary source. [01:00:55] So I think there's other avenues that we can investigate instead of just the one source [01:01:02] from the federal funding, because I know that a number of us have talked about how we can [01:01:10] improve our neighborhoods by reinvesting those particular dollars. [01:01:14] And I think we get a lot of mileage, whether it's penny for pasto or CRA dollars, [01:01:19] because of the way we collect those. [01:01:21] So I believe there could be the standard federal funds, but we could implement some [01:01:25] kind of a secondary funding that would enhance those criterias. [01:01:31] Yes, sir, Mr. Deputy Mayor. [01:01:34] The funds that the city is looking at as a bridge opportunity is just as you're stating. [01:01:40] And again, I hope to have a formal recommendation to present to you within the next month. [01:01:45] Any other council comments? [01:01:47] Yeah, my comment is I just am uncomfortable with this. [01:01:51] I feel this is a real overreach as a city. [01:01:54] I think that as a homeowner, as a landlord, as a tenant, you have to have good sense to [01:02:01] clean your roof, clean your gutters. [01:02:03] It's just part of being a homeowner. [01:02:06] And I don't know that I'm comfortable with the government telling us that you have to [01:02:10] clean your roof. [01:02:11] If you don't know that, if you're a homeowner and you have insurance, your roof, you would [01:02:19] extend the life of your roof by keeping it clean. [01:02:24] I'm just not comfortable with this. [01:02:26] If we had a plan for what was just discussed, where there was money to assist, perhaps, [01:02:34] that was already in place, but I just don't know. [01:02:37] I'm just not comfortable with that. [01:02:39] I think that, yeah, people need to clean their roofs and clean their gutters, but I'm [01:02:42] just not comfortable with us putting that, codifying it to make it be a... [01:02:47] That's all this addresses is maintenance, correct? [01:02:49] We're not telling people they need to get new hurricane-proof windows on their home. [01:02:53] I mean... [01:02:54] Correct. [01:02:55] Sorry? [01:02:56] That will be next. [01:02:57] Okay. [01:02:58] Thanks for your input. [01:02:59] Do you want to come speak? [01:03:00] No, I'm sorry. [01:03:01] Okay. [01:03:02] Move for approval. [01:03:03] I need to read the ordinance. [01:03:04] Okay. [01:03:05] Read the ordinance please. [01:03:06] Item 17, 2106, an ordinance of the city of New Port Richey, Florida, amending chapter [01:03:09] six of the city code, buildings and building regulations by amending subsections three [01:03:14] and 21 of section 6-124, structural elements to address residential exterior maintenance, [01:03:20] amending subsection B of section 6-129, maintenance of residential occupancies to address residential [01:03:28] exterior maintenance, providing for inclusion into the code, severability, and an effective [01:03:32] date. [01:03:34] Entertain a motion. [01:03:35] Move for approval. [01:03:36] Move for a motion. [01:03:37] Second. [01:03:38] Yeah, second. [01:03:39] Second. [01:03:40] To the maker. [01:03:41] Nothing further. [01:03:42] Second. [01:03:43] Deputy Mayor. [01:03:44] Yeah, I believe that part of the sections in this are really overreaching. [01:03:51] I don't mind identifying gutters, and we already talked about driveways, but you come to my [01:04:01] property and tell me I got to pressure wash the side of my house and do all that kind [01:04:05] of stuff, and you'll find one unhappy person, especially with the size of the house and [01:04:10] all that. [01:04:11] So in my case, I believe, as Mr. Bell-Thomas has pointed out, we're rolling something out. [01:04:20] We don't give people a way to work themselves through it, and at this point in time, I can't [01:04:27] support the way that this is written or wants to be implemented. [01:04:30] Thank you. [01:04:31] Councilman? [01:04:32] I'm good. [01:04:33] Thank you. [01:04:34] I'd be a lot more comfortable with this if we had the bridge funding in place. [01:04:41] I'm very concerned about it. [01:04:45] You know, from a personal standpoint, I tend to work on my own house maintenance over a [01:04:53] period of time, and for whatever reason, it seems sometimes surprises jump up that [01:05:02] wind up blowing my entire home repair budget for the month or two months at once. [01:05:10] Most recently, in the first of December, when somebody with a very large truck took out [01:05:15] part of the wall on the edge of my property, and $1,500 later I had it fixed, and of course [01:05:22] nobody stopped to say, oops, I hit your wall. [01:05:26] Yeah, I'm just not comfortable with this. [01:05:32] Mr. Mayor, I'd be more than glad to defer this agenda item until a bridge program has [01:05:39] been adopted by you, but I at least have to tell you that these conditions are real. [01:05:46] The photographs are actual portrayals of properties in the city, and that this is [01:05:51] occurring with a degree of frequency enough that our code enforcement officers are asking [01:05:57] you for some tools to work with. [01:06:00] Again, if it is your desire, we can defer the agenda item until a bridge program is [01:06:08] in place. [01:06:09] We have a motion on the floor. [01:06:10] We have a motion on the floor. [01:06:11] I'll retract the motion. [01:06:12] We can vote on it, and if it goes down, then we can always move it. [01:06:16] That's just what I say. [01:06:18] What I would suggest, I have very strong reservations about this. [01:06:26] I'll vote for it on first reading, but I will not vote for it on second reading, as we've [01:06:33] currently got it laid out. [01:06:35] I'm just really uncomfortable with this thing. [01:06:38] Because there's not a bridge program? [01:06:42] I personally mean, I'm not trying to sway anyone's vote, but I was just raised to take [01:06:46] care of your property, whether it's a car, a house, a boat, whatever you own, you take [01:06:50] care of it. [01:06:51] Whether it's a rental home or your primary residence, we're not requiring people to put [01:06:54] a new roof on every 10 years or anything like that. [01:06:56] It's just, I don't want a home next to me with the gutters falling down. [01:06:59] You can't even get insurance on a home with gutters falling down. [01:07:02] I think, as a resident of the city, that it brings property values down if your house isn't [01:07:08] maintained. [01:07:09] It's not fair to the people that maintain their homes. [01:07:12] I just, as I'm sitting here listening to people talk, some of the mildew on the side of the [01:07:22] house might be discretionary, depending on which one of the five of us went up and took [01:07:26] a look at it, too. [01:07:28] It does have some weaknesses. [01:07:30] Yeah, I don't, to use the expression, I don't think this is completely, completely baked [01:07:37] at the moment. [01:07:38] If there's no further discussion, all those in favor on first reading, please signify [01:07:44] by saying aye. [01:07:45] Aye. [01:07:46] Opposed? [01:07:47] Like sign? [01:07:48] No. [01:07:49] No. [01:07:50] Motion? [01:07:51] Was that a no, Mr. Davis? [01:07:52] Okay. [01:07:53] Motion fails, then. [01:07:54] Okay. [01:07:55] Thank you. [01:07:56] Thank you.

    This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

17. 12.d

    First Reading, Ordinance #2017-2104: One-Year Cannabis Moratorium

    discussed

    First reading of Ordinance 2017-2104 establishing a one-year moratorium on the acceptance of applications and issuance of permits for the cultivation, processing, or dispensing of cannabis in New Port Richey, pending state Department of Health regulations under Amendment 2. Multiple members of the public spoke against the moratorium, citing voter support for medical marijuana, economic benefits, and patient access concerns. The item was first reading; staff explained the city needs its own moratorium because the county lacks jurisdiction within city limits and the moratorium can be lifted before 365 days.

    Ord. Ordinance #2017-2104

    • direction:Council heard first reading of Ordinance 2017-2104 establishing a one-year cannabis moratorium and took public comment. (none)

    📍5738 Montana📍6026 Tennessee Avenue📍6041 Florida Avenue📍6316 Bandura Avenue📍7408 Princeton Drive, Hudson📍Tropic Drive📍Virginia Avenue🏢Consciousness for Cannabis🏢First Step Counseling🏢League of Cities👤Anthony Livio👤Carrie Shattles DeLoff👤Casey Cook👤Denise Houston👤Greg Smithwick👤John Cain👤Michael Minardi👤Michelle Zoe Rhodes Flood👤Ms. Manson👤Rachel Hagenbaugh👤Rob Obin#Amendment 2#CBD#Compassionate Care#Florida Department of Health medical marijuana regulations#Ordinance 2017-2104

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    [01:08:01] Next item is first reading of Ordinance 2017-2104. [01:08:12] Would you like me to read it, Mr. Mayor? [01:08:14] Yes, please. [01:08:15] All right. [01:08:16] This is Ordinance 2017-2104, an ordinance of the City of New Port Richey, Florida, establishing [01:08:19] a one-year moratorium on the acceptance of applications for the cultivation, processing, [01:08:24] or dispensing of cannabis, and on the issuance of permits and approvals for any cultivation, [01:08:30] processing, or dispensing of cannabis, providing for severability and an effective date. [01:08:35] Thank you. [01:08:36] Based on comments I saw on Facebook, I suspect at least one or two people may be interested [01:08:41] in addressing counsel on this matter, so I will open this issue up for public comment. [01:08:48] Mr. Mayor? [01:08:49] Yes. [01:08:50] Would you like me to introduce the item? [01:08:52] Yes, go ahead. [01:08:53] In March of 2016, the City did advance a recommendation to you to establish a moratorium on the cultivation, [01:09:04] processing, and dispensing of cannabis, and we have some regulations in place. [01:09:10] Subsequent to our adoption of the regulations in November of 2016, as you know, the state [01:09:16] law was amended legalizing medical marijuana. [01:09:21] We are recommending this evening that you allow us to declare a moratorium for a one-year [01:09:27] period of time until such time as the state is able to advance specific standards and [01:09:37] regulations so that we can make sure that our ordinance conforms to those. [01:09:42] Very good. [01:09:43] Open it up for public comment. [01:09:44] If you'd like to come down and give us your name and address for the record. [01:09:54] Denise Houston, Virginia Avenue. [01:09:57] On November 8th, voters across the state overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment to allow [01:10:04] medical marijuana. [01:10:06] Given the public's overwhelming support for medical marijuana, a 360-day moratorium sounds [01:10:12] more like a moral disapproval when it's the City's first official response. [01:10:19] Under the current law, the state preempts local governments on the growing and the processing [01:10:25] locations for companies licensed to produce and distribute marijuana. [01:10:30] But local governments, cities, control the location and the hours of operation for dispensaries. [01:10:37] But there's a big difference between a lack of confidence in the legislator and the lack [01:10:42] of anti-business roadblock the city is creating. [01:10:48] According to Casey Cook with the League of Cities, some of the cities see the passage [01:10:54] of Amendment 2 as potentially an economic development for communities because these [01:11:00] dispensaries bring with them jobs that can benefit their communities. [01:11:04] Cook said, looking at this nationally, I think there have been some local governments that [01:11:09] have seen a rebirth of downtown because of the marijuana industry. [01:11:14] Out of the 28 states that have medical cannabis, Florida had the highest ballot amendment approval [01:11:21] with 71.3% of their voters wanting this. [01:11:26] Alaska was 58%, and these were all done on amendments. [01:11:32] Colorado was 54%, and Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is among that list. [01:11:39] Medical dispensaries should be left up to the voters. [01:11:45] Thank you. [01:11:47] Next. [01:11:53] Michelle Zoe Rhodes, Consciousness for Cannabis. [01:11:58] Don't actually live in Newport Ridge anymore, but I do live in Hudson. [01:12:03] And I'm going to just build on what she just said to you by letting you know that 170,000 [01:12:08] people in Pasco County voted for this. [01:12:11] It's almost like you guys don't listen. [01:12:14] And I do a show on Facebook Live. [01:12:17] I have 4,000 viewers that watch me a month. [01:12:20] And I can bet you I can bring people out to vote if you don't listen to what we say. [01:12:26] I'm just telling you, we'll get you out of the office if we have to. [01:12:29] Excuse me, ma'am, how do you spell your last name? [01:12:31] Flood, F-L-O-O-D, like lots of water. [01:12:34] Next. [01:12:40] First, I want to thank Council for hearing my voice. [01:12:44] My name is Rachel Hagenbaugh. [01:12:46] I live at 6026 Tennessee Avenue. [01:12:49] I'm a longtime resident. [01:12:51] I went to Gulfside Elementary, Seven Springs Middle, Gulf, and Mitchell High. [01:12:56] I am the President of the Cultural Affairs Committee, a business owner, a wife, a [01:13:00] mother, a volunteer, and now a patient. [01:13:03] In my opinion, especially after speaking to numerous neighbors, you are not only [01:13:08] excuse me, you are not only going to continue to deny compassionate use for [01:13:14] patients seeking a more natural, non-habit-forming alternative to a [01:13:19] dreadful, addicting, family-destroying, children-killing opiates by putting [01:13:25] forth this ordinance. [01:13:27] You are primarily further denying major funding to our city for schools, parks, [01:13:32] and streets, which are currently in dire need and should be getting this [01:13:35] attention. [01:13:37] Council, why, with this moratorium already over our county, is this [01:13:43] ordinance needed? [01:13:45] Do you enjoy keeping your residents sick and lacking of opportunities? [01:13:49] In this age of technology and information, our Council should have [01:13:53] received proper education on how these dispensaries actually function before [01:13:59] offering this ridiculous ordinance. [01:14:02] If you were keeping up with current science and, most of all, your [01:14:05] constituents, you would also know cannabis is just a plant that has great [01:14:11] medical benefits. [01:14:13] If you pass this ordinance, just know your days are numbered in your current [01:14:16] seat, and you will be responsible for all the man-made drugs that are [01:14:20] currently bringing crime and killing our community, because I don't recall [01:14:24] needing a moratorium for these pill mills that you let grow and destroy our [01:14:28] neighborhood. [01:14:30] Amendment 2 has passed. [01:14:32] Let's start holding back our city and start being a leader. [01:14:36] Thank you. [01:14:43] Hello, everyone. [01:14:44] My name is Anthony Livio. [01:14:45] I live at 6316 Bandura Avenue. [01:14:48] I don't have a nice speech and all that, so I'm just going to talk to you [01:14:51] like a normal person. [01:14:52] My first question, I don't know if anyone will answer questions back, is [01:14:55] pretty much why. [01:14:56] Why is when we already have one over the county, why would we need one over [01:14:59] the city? [01:15:00] Well, it seems a little overkill when New Port Richey is already decriminalizing it and saving [01:15:04] efforts there and saving money in certain ways. [01:15:08] I've lived in Colorado for seven years of my life. [01:15:10] I've seen the medical scene that they've had out there. [01:15:12] I've seen the effects that it's had, good and bad. [01:15:15] I was a medical marijuana patient out there and I moved back to Florida after I had a [01:15:19] death in the family and from prescription pills, from pills in this area. [01:15:24] So that's what it does. [01:15:25] And we allow pharmacies on what, every corner? [01:15:27] How many pills do those have in there? [01:15:29] Every single one has medications that can kill people. [01:15:31] My father was a firefighter for Tarpon Springs for 26 years and he was addicted to hardcore [01:15:34] of these pills for years and years and years. [01:15:38] Thank God we were able to wean him off of them. [01:15:39] But he didn't think he was an addict. [01:15:40] And if he would have had something like this, he never would think of touching something [01:15:44] like this. [01:15:45] But he's excited to think that it might be in this area for him to try because he's never [01:15:48] tried it before. [01:15:49] But what is he going to have to do? [01:15:51] Drive to Tampa? [01:15:52] Do you want that guy driving behind the car? [01:15:54] You should see him drive. [01:15:55] He's got a huge foot like this. [01:15:56] He can't go to Tampa. [01:15:58] He can barely take care of himself. [01:15:59] You make him go all the way out there for his medicine? [01:16:02] That's not right. [01:16:03] Like I said, we've got all sorts of these painkillers all around here. [01:16:05] What are you guys scared of? [01:16:06] That's what we want to know. [01:16:07] Can we build a workshop to discuss it, further educate? [01:16:11] We've been with the county before. [01:16:12] Most of us have been with the county. [01:16:13] We've talked to commissioners there. [01:16:15] And we show up every single time and we just want to know why. [01:16:18] What questions can we answer to make you feel more comfortable? [01:16:21] And I'll just leave it at that. [01:16:22] Thank you. [01:16:28] Good evening. [01:16:29] My name is Greg Smithwick. [01:16:30] I live at 7408 Princeton Drive in Hudson. [01:16:33] But I have worked in New Portia. [01:16:34] I do work in New Portia. [01:16:35] I have a 1099 from a First Step Counseling, which is on US-19 in the university building [01:16:39] there. [01:16:41] The last thing I expected to find myself doing at the beginning of 2016 was talking to government [01:16:46] bodies about cannabis legalization, medical cannabis issues. [01:16:50] And my experience doing that this year with some of the fine people that have spoken to [01:16:53] you already is city council members, county commissioners, and even state legislators [01:16:59] and federal legislators that are making decisions about the future of medical cannabis are generally [01:17:04] uneducated on the substance itself, and particularly on dispensaries. [01:17:09] I went .5 for five with county commissioners, inviting them, asking them, imploring them [01:17:13] to tour a cannabis dispensary that operates right now, today, in Pinellas County, and [01:17:18] see what the process looks like there, and see how it squares with the vision that it's [01:17:23] going to turn us into some sort of a socialist hellscape if we allow medical cannabis in [01:17:28] Pasco County. [01:17:30] I wasn't familiar with the format, and I understand that we're going to have two minutes here, [01:17:33] or three minutes, and then you're going to discuss this issue. [01:17:36] What I hope to hear from you in the discussion is that you have a sense of how many medical [01:17:41] cannabis patients you have living currently in the city of New Port Richey, and how this [01:17:45] ordinance that you're introducing is going to serve those patients, because they are [01:17:49] patients. [01:17:50] They're people with cancer. [01:17:51] They're people with seizures. [01:17:52] They're people with multiple sclerosis, anxiety, severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder. [01:17:57] This is not a joke. [01:17:59] These are not Rastafari kids getting over on the man. [01:18:02] These are not people in Che Guevara t-shirts. [01:18:03] They are medical patients, and they deserve your respect in that regard. [01:18:08] I would just simply ask that as you enter the discussion phase of this evening, you [01:18:11] think very clearly about who you're saying is best served by having to go to another [01:18:17] county. [01:18:18] How does that serve medical cannabis patients that you know, and you may be related to, [01:18:23] that are now having to seek the black market, or having to order their medications from [01:18:28] out of the market, and paying taxes in Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and other counties, [01:18:32] not here in Pasco County? [01:18:34] I agree that it might be overreach, because the county already has a ban in place, and [01:18:37] I understand there may be legitimate legal reasons for a moratorium, but I want to be [01:18:42] careful to ask you to consider whether or not you're just trying to put off making a [01:18:45] decision that you think may get you unelected next time. [01:18:48] Because I'm here to tell you, 71% of voters in this state approve of medical cannabis. [01:18:52] Not approving of it is now a politically minority position. [01:18:55] I need to be very clear that the last group of people that laughed at us voted 7-0 to [01:19:00] extend the moratorium, and we're looking at how to unelect some of those very same people [01:19:04] in the next county commissioner election. [01:19:06] So, thank you for your time. [01:19:08] I hope you'll consider that. [01:19:09] Thank you. [01:19:10] Before we proceed, Ms. Manson, can you address there's been three concerns as to why the [01:19:14] city needs an ordinance on top of what the county's decided? [01:19:18] Yeah, I can address that. [01:19:19] The county doesn't have jurisdiction in the city on this subject matter, so for the city [01:19:24] to put a moratorium in place, it has to be approved by the city council. [01:19:29] And I want to point out that the Department of Health has until July 1st, under Amendment [01:19:33] 2, to adopt regulations relating to that subject. [01:19:38] So that's one of the things that we need to wait on to get that information to determine [01:19:43] exactly how to legislate the subject matter. [01:19:46] And this is just putting a freeze on the development of these operations until you get that information. [01:19:53] And you don't have to have it extend out the entire 365 days. [01:19:57] We can regulate the subject matter at any time. [01:19:59] And Mr. Mayor, if I could also add, we've been respectful. [01:20:06] We appreciate your input. [01:20:07] Now we're taking guidance here. [01:20:10] And I know we have another speaker. [01:20:13] So let us be kind enough to do that, and then I'm sure we'll have a conversation about where [01:20:19] we're at. [01:20:20] I just wanted to finish. [01:20:21] I just wanted to say that there were some good points that were brought up, and all [01:20:22] those points speaking to the need for us to get educated on how these work really are [01:20:28] part of the reason we want the moratorium so we can get educated. [01:20:31] After we get the Department of Health's regulations, we can compare them to how it may impact us. [01:20:36] And we really want to go out and do some more research on how these really do work in other [01:20:40] jurisdictions. [01:20:41] Thank you. [01:20:42] Mr. Cain. [01:20:43] Yes. [01:20:44] John Cain, 6041 Florida Avenue. [01:20:48] Today I had heard on National Public Radio they were discussing what's going on in Tallahassee. [01:20:53] And right now, Tallahassee is divided. [01:21:00] They're knocking around whether or not to the language for this, whether or not it should [01:21:09] be just governed by your doctor. [01:21:12] Would your doctor have permission to write a script? [01:21:15] And another part of the legislature is saying, no, we want it strictly by certain diseases. [01:21:22] And then they're arguing back and saying, well, no, wait a minute, because now you're [01:21:26] a politician and you're determining what disease should be treated by marijuana. [01:21:31] My point being is, I think it's going to be a little bit longer than a year before this [01:21:38] gets ironed out in Tallahassee. [01:21:42] So having said that, I kind of feel the energy for this, and that's a good thing. [01:21:48] However, I think it's kind of a mood issue right now at this level. [01:21:52] Because until they get that ironed out, you're not going to know where to go with this. [01:21:56] However, I do have something I would like to add as far as something I see our nearby [01:22:04] city has done, and I thought it was a terrific thing, and I think we do have the ability [01:22:09] to do, which is to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in our town. [01:22:15] And I do think that would be a good thing. [01:22:18] One of my long-standing fears as a parent, and, you know, there's a lot of hypocrisy [01:22:27] surrounding the use of this substance. [01:22:29] I mean, I have to tell you, I was in Vietnam, I grew up in the 60s, I was, you know, I don't [01:22:36] know anybody that has not, you know, at one time or another, okay, and so I would always [01:22:42] tell my kids, please, you know, please be cautious. [01:22:45] And I was always deathly afraid, because something you do in your adolescence could [01:22:50] affect you for the rest of your life. [01:22:52] It could keep doors closed to you, have no reflection on the type of adult you now are. [01:22:58] So I really salute New Port Richey for taking that step forward and saying, look, this doesn't [01:23:05] deal with dealers, this doesn't deal with people out there that are, it just deals with [01:23:11] the low level, we're not going to treat you as a criminal. [01:23:15] You get fined, you get a misdemeanor charge, and, you know, you go from there, you continue [01:23:22] your life. [01:23:23] I personally, I mean, I'm no law enforcement expert, but it makes sense to me, a lot of [01:23:27] municipalities around the country are doing it, and I just think that would be a positive [01:23:33] thing. [01:23:34] Thank you. [01:23:35] Thank you for your time. [01:23:36] Thank you, Mr. King. [01:23:37] Anyone else? [01:23:38] Hi, I'm Carrie Shattles DeLoff, I am a resident of New Port Richey, but I just bought an investment [01:23:49] property here in the city limits of New Port Richey on Tropic Drive. [01:23:54] I wanted to bring a little bit of education to the matter tonight, because I know there's [01:23:58] a lot of passion, there's a lot of personal stories, but I wanted to, I took the time [01:24:02] today to download some information and print it out to bring with me, to put a little bit [01:24:06] of a, some facts behind this. [01:24:11] So we know that the population of Pasco County exceeds 464,000. [01:24:16] That was data I found from 2015, so obviously we have increased population by now. [01:24:22] Right now, I was on a conference call with Michael Minardi last night, he's an attorney [01:24:26] that represents, here in Florida, who represents a lot of cannabis patients and deals with [01:24:32] this industry on a daily basis. [01:24:34] He estimated that there's already over 500,000 patients in Florida that are awaiting the [01:24:40] implementation of Amendment 2. [01:24:42] Some of those are probably already getting it under Compassionate Care or CBD only, but [01:24:46] under Amendment 2, there's 500,000 patients waiting. [01:24:53] These patients are being affected by the proximity of where the dispensaries are, where they [01:24:59] can be, and are these patients homebound? [01:25:02] Can they get to their medication? [01:25:03] Do they have to pay delivery charges, do they have to pay out-of-pocket for those things? [01:25:07] These are all things which impact their health care long-term. [01:25:12] The U.S. projected sales of medical marijuana, not recreational, not adult use, in 2017 is [01:25:19] going to be anywhere from $2.7 to $3.1 billion. [01:25:24] I don't think this city can afford to snub their nose at that type of tax revenue that [01:25:29] comes in subsequently. [01:25:31] Also, the amount is projected to significantly and steadily increase to an estimated $5 billion [01:25:39] within three short years. [01:25:41] By 2020, the total U.S. cannabis industry's impact will be $24.4 billion to $44 billion [01:25:50] per year, increasing every year. [01:25:53] Now we need to consider the ripple effect of ancillary businesses. [01:25:57] Overall, for each dollar spent and earned by the cannabis companies, an additional $3 [01:26:02] is going to come back into that community. [01:26:06] We're talking the people who work there get paid, they're able to go back and buy more [01:26:11] groceries or buy a house in New Port Richey because they want to stay here, and so forth. [01:26:16] That's going to affect your tax bottom line, that's going to affect this community and [01:26:19] help this community. [01:26:25] I did download some data and I've got it here. [01:26:27] I'm happy to leave it for you. [01:26:29] There's more to come. [01:26:30] I'm happy to research for you and give you more information. [01:26:33] Give it to the city clerk. [01:26:34] She can share it with us. [01:26:35] Yeah. [01:26:36] It has graphs and charts. [01:26:37] It's really informative. [01:26:38] Through the city manager's report on Friday. [01:26:39] Is that okay, everyone? [01:26:40] That would be great. [01:26:41] If you would. [01:26:42] Sure. [01:26:43] Yeah, this is free information. [01:26:46] Anybody can access it. [01:26:47] I downloaded it today and printed it out. [01:26:49] This is just a sampling and it's got good facts, hardcore numbers. [01:26:55] And the industry total for ancillary business, for everything related to the industry. [01:27:01] The industry total is going to exceed, this is businesses, 33,000. [01:27:07] It did exceed in 2016. [01:27:09] 33,000 businesses already. [01:27:12] We can't afford to not be ready for this when it rolls out. [01:27:16] When Amendment 2 rolls out, and by the way, the hearings for that are being held this [01:27:21] week right now. [01:27:23] Today they were in Broward County. [01:27:25] Tomorrow they're in Tampa. [01:27:26] I'll be there. [01:27:27] They'll be in Orlando tomorrow. [01:27:29] Thursday they'll be in Tallahassee. [01:27:30] The Department of Health is taking comment, input, gathering their information just like [01:27:35] you guys are wanting to do as well. [01:27:37] That's happening right now. [01:27:38] That session's going to end and then they're going to go back to lawmaking. [01:27:43] Two senators have bills in house right now, or in the Senate, in the state Senate, outlining [01:27:51] how the Department of Health should implement those laws. [01:27:55] And there's going to be a lot of changes, a lot of new information brought forward based [01:28:01] on which one of those bills gets passed. [01:28:04] And neither of them are perfect, but I do implore you guys to please reach out to the [01:28:09] community. [01:28:10] There's a lot of people here that are knowledgeable, that are willing to invest the time. [01:28:14] A lot of advocates will back you up, will give you whatever you need as far as guidance [01:28:19] and information. [01:28:20] Thank you. [01:28:21] If you could share that information with our clerk. [01:28:22] Sure. [01:28:23] She'll get copies out to us. [01:28:24] Absolutely. [01:28:25] Great. [01:28:26] Thank you very much. [01:28:27] Anyone else? [01:28:28] Rob Obin, 5738 Montana. [01:28:37] I just, as many people have already said, 170,000 people, 838 other people along with [01:28:43] me voted yes for Amendment 2. [01:28:45] We really hope that a moratorium is not put in place. [01:28:50] As she just discussed, there's too much money being left on the table. [01:28:53] We have to be ready to kick the door down as soon as they roll out the regulations. [01:29:00] We just had a huge three-hour meeting, not even two, three months ago, about how we're [01:29:04] going to pay for the roads. [01:29:05] Well, here's how we can pay for a lot of our roads. [01:29:08] That plan only had five years worth of paying for roads. [01:29:11] We need 20 years worth of roads. [01:29:13] This is how we're going to pay for that. [01:29:16] I know there's some bad things that go along with Pasco County, and one of those things [01:29:20] is opiates. [01:29:21] It's really a thing that goes across the entire country right now. [01:29:26] I just did a Google search today, opiate use in states that legalize medical cannabis. [01:29:31] The very first one, opiate use decreases in state that legalize medical marijuana. [01:29:36] This is from U.S. News. [01:29:38] Very next one, opiate use decreases in U.S. states that legalize medical marijuana. [01:29:42] That's from RT.com. [01:29:43] In states that legalize medical marijuana, opiate use decreases. [01:29:46] This is from September 30th, a study published by Natural Society. [01:29:51] I mean, it just goes on and on and on. [01:29:54] Fewer opiate deaths found in states with legal medical marijuana. [01:29:58] States permitting the use of medical marijuana. [01:30:00] found decreases in opioid overdose deaths and use of opiates for chronic pain. [01:30:05] This is what our community wants. [01:30:06] We're begging for this. [01:30:07] Seventy percent. [01:30:08] A moratorium, I think, is just overboard. [01:30:11] Really what we need to do is figure out a moratorium on how we would come up with any [01:30:16] kind of regulations that would block any kind of cannabis business in this community. [01:30:22] Thank you. [01:30:23] Thank you. [01:30:24] Anyone else? [01:30:28] Seeing no one else, come forward to bring it back to council. [01:30:31] Mr. Mayor, I know we all want to jump on this first. [01:30:35] Can I get some context? [01:30:38] Sure. [01:30:39] First of all, I want to be clear that I appreciate everyone coming, but please don't threaten [01:30:46] me about me being elected, not being elected, or whatever. [01:30:50] To me, that's the wrong approach. [01:30:55] I appreciate it because I have a former colleague of mine sitting in the very back. [01:31:02] She and I went through an endeavor back in the early 90s where we filled a couple of [01:31:07] rooms when it dealt with the adult use issues and the constraints and those things that [01:31:13] came with that. [01:31:15] I believe that the one ... This is my point of view. [01:31:19] I believe the one-year moratorium is overreaching by us at the moment. [01:31:24] I think we need to allow the legislative session to go in and come out, which means that would [01:31:31] be by the end of April, I believe. [01:31:35] In that time, I think at the behest of the people that are coming and wanting to talk [01:31:41] to us about this, to educate us, because I'm not educated on it. [01:31:46] I worked my entire life with my kids to make sure that they weren't on the marijuana side [01:31:55] or other drugs, but the people have spoken, and I believe that we need to find a way, [01:32:04] just like we did with the adult use. [01:32:06] We ended up having to place them in the most obscure place in the city of New Port Richey, [01:32:12] but we had to allow it because I think what's going to come out of the legislation is a [01:32:17] position by where if you don't allow it within your confines, they can file lawsuits and [01:32:23] all the other things that come with it. [01:32:25] I can tell you that Ms. Farentino and I were told by our city attorney at that time, you [01:32:33] cannot deny the use in the city. [01:32:35] You can define where you want it with constraints, otherwise, if you deny it across the board [01:32:44] as a council person, making $3,600 a year, serving up here and doing what we can, we [01:32:52] could be sued to the level, I think it was a half a million dollars, Ms. Farentino. [01:32:57] I believe that's what we were told. [01:33:01] In my mind, I think we need to put a small moratorium so that we can be educated on this, [01:33:09] and I believe that ought to tie into the legislative session that's coming up and allow ourselves [01:33:16] the time. [01:33:17] Now that it's here, they're kicking it around, they're going to tell us some ways to deal [01:33:21] with it, but overall, I wanted to give that perspective on how we had to deal with that [01:33:25] back in the 90s and what I think is coming, and obviously, it's all about education. [01:33:31] It's all about providing that. [01:33:33] We all have compassion. [01:33:34] We all have people that we know that are suffering catastrophic diseases and those kind of things. [01:33:40] We just want to make sure that we implement it with sound reason and good judgment, and [01:33:47] I'm not chasing the money. [01:33:49] I'm not chasing the money, but what I am is I want New Port Richey, because we've identified [01:33:55] ourselves as a millennial town where we want to go. [01:33:59] I think we need to have this in part as part of our steps on how we define New Port Richey [01:34:06] moving forward. [01:34:07] So those are my ... [01:34:08] Mr. Mayor, if I may? [01:34:09] Thank you. [01:34:10] I believe Councilwoman DeBelle Thomas was next. [01:34:12] Yeah, well, first of all, I want to say to my colleagues that you'll be very pleased [01:34:16] to know that the Florida League of Cities has taken a very proactive approach to this. [01:34:22] They hosted a webinar on Friday that I participated in. [01:34:25] I took copious notes, and then about three-quarters of the way into the webinar, they said, there [01:34:31] will be online learning modules available to you. [01:34:33] So I had spoken to Ms. Mance earlier today and told her that I will send you all the [01:34:38] links. [01:34:39] There is so much to learn on our side of it. [01:34:44] The law passed. [01:34:45] We get it. [01:34:46] We understand that. [01:34:48] What I heard is, so Ryan Padgett, the Assistant General Counsel from the Florida League of [01:34:56] Cities, Deputy Fire Chief Daryl Donati from the town of Palm Beach, Brett Schneider, Board [01:35:04] Certified in Labor and Employment Law, Public Safety Prospective from Law Enforcement, Daniel [01:35:09] Oates, Police Chief from City of Miami Beach, Kathy Bangley, Director of Planning and Zoning, [01:35:16] City of Lake Wales, unbelievable zoning issues and land use issues that come into this, City [01:35:23] Manager from the City of Fort Walton Beach, and Kyle Shepard from the City of Orlando. [01:35:30] It was an excellent learning experience. [01:35:32] I think just about any question that came up tonight that we might come up with was [01:35:37] addressed in a very free-flowing share of information. [01:35:42] The modules are very easy to listen to. [01:35:46] People participated by sending in questions and they answered them real time. [01:35:50] I think that it really will educate us to the things that we need to know. [01:35:55] With that said, one of the things that they are suggesting is the moratorium is to enable [01:36:02] everyone to educate themselves, to see what's going to come out. [01:36:06] The way that it sits right now might not be the way it comes out. [01:36:12] The lessons learned exactly with opiates is a hard lesson learned and Florida does not [01:36:19] want to repeat those issues in this sense. [01:36:23] I think it's very positive. [01:36:28] If we can post it even on our website so you all can understand that these are very ... I [01:36:34] think you'll be pleased with the sense of which way we need to go so that we're not [01:36:40] making mistakes and just as Mr. Phillips just mentioned about the issues that we had to [01:36:47] deal with back in the early 90s. [01:36:51] By taking our time with what needed to happen, we as a city have a very workable ordinance [01:36:59] in place for the adult ordinance issues. [01:37:04] Perhaps if legislators had taken their time to deal with the opiate issue, we would not [01:37:10] have the issues that we have. [01:37:13] I think that it would just be wise on our part for us to do our due diligence and to [01:37:21] learn from the information that you all shared, but especially from the continuing webinars [01:37:27] that the Florida League of Cities will continue to host about this issue. [01:37:32] I for one say that we need to put a moratorium on it, perhaps not the 365 days. [01:37:40] I would encourage all of you to listen to the webinar and perhaps we can come up with [01:37:47] a more palatable, but I'm not even thinking that April is soon enough, I mean long enough [01:37:54] because we just don't know what's going to come out of that legislature and for all of [01:37:58] these different components to have to work through, I think it's going to be that we [01:38:05] would be better, the community would be better served that we take our time and do it right. [01:38:13] I mentioned during communications a couple of meetings ago that we're going to need [01:38:16] to address this sooner than later. [01:38:19] Mr. Smithwick, we've never met, but I love your podcasts, I think they do tremendous [01:38:22] things for West Pasco, I listen to them quite often. [01:38:26] I'm with Mr. Phillips, thank you for coming out, but to come up here and threaten us when [01:38:29] you don't even know how we're going to vote isn't really the way to start, but I appreciate [01:38:33] you coming out and I appreciate your passion for this subject. [01:38:36] When I ran for council four years ago, by no means did I think I'd be up here having [01:38:40] the power over controlling someone's access to medicine. [01:38:45] I don't think it's what we're supposed to be doing up here at council, I really don't. [01:38:49] The opiate, you know, we'll have work sessions, we do need to educate ourselves. [01:38:55] I for one, since Amendment 2 came about, have been educating myself. [01:38:59] I know a lot of people in the cannabis medical industry, a good friend of mine I've known [01:39:04] for years is Garen Angel, you all know Garen, he flies around the world with his enterprises [01:39:12] and his magical butter machine, and he's told me stories about young children that are epileptic [01:39:18] and undergoing seizures and the effects of CBD in certain aspects of the plant have had. [01:39:25] Opiates have had an absolutely devastating effect on our society nationwide. I don't [01:39:29] think you can compare marijuana to opiates. Opiates is a big drug business and they never [01:39:34] should have been legalized with the amount of addiction involved with those medicines. [01:39:40] So we're in an awkward position here and I hope you can understand that, that, you know, [01:39:44] we didn't sign up for this and I'm not a doctor, none of us are doctors. The way I [01:39:49] see it, and we'll have further discussions, the state of Florida voted unanimously, not [01:39:54] unanimously, but the majority of Florida residents voted in favor for medical marijuana. So who [01:39:58] am I as a city council member to say you can't get your medicine in our city? That's how [01:40:03] I personally feel right now, but I do think we need to have open discussions. I'm sure [01:40:08] the police chief would like to have, you know, his input during a work session and let you [01:40:12] know what his concerns are. You know, I just went on a raid with, undercover, you know, [01:40:17] a raid addressing this and it wasn't for someone that was using it for medicinal use that lived [01:40:21] in the city limits. You know, we have some serious issues with drug dealers that grow [01:40:26] marijuana and sell marijuana illegally and I don't think that if we, you know, allow [01:40:31] dispensaries in our city limits that they're going to be the first one to open up a business [01:40:35] on Main Street. They're shady characters that our police department's dealing with. So we [01:40:39] have to understand that aspect of it as well from the police standpoint. I know that Porichy [01:40:44] did decriminalize marijuana. I can understand that as well. I don't think that a kid getting [01:40:50] pulled over with a joint a senior in high school should not be able to go to the college [01:40:53] that he wanted to go to because of making one poor decision, you know, early in life. [01:40:57] So once again, we're in a very difficult position. I'm not going to vote. I think we do need [01:41:02] to get more information from the state level as to how this is going to roll out. I think [01:41:08] putting a moratorium on it for a year is just kicking the can down the road for 12 months. [01:41:12] I don't think we need to say no, we're not going to do anything for 12 months. I think [01:41:15] we need as a city to stay in tune with the changes on the state level and work around, [01:41:21] you know, when this rollout is going to take place. And, you know, I don't have the answers, [01:41:24] but you know, marijuana's never killed anybody. Opiates have killed millions of people. Well, [01:41:28] I don't know about millions, but quite a few people, quite a few people. So, you know, [01:41:33] there's concerns on both sides. I really am uncomfortable being in this position. I'm [01:41:37] not a doctor, and I don't think it should be up to us to, like I said, make people drive [01:41:41] to Pinellas to get medicine that the state has allowed them to get. You know, it's difficult. [01:41:48] So if you guys want to, I'd say we have a work session. Definitely, definitely, definitely. [01:41:53] Have some people from the health side come in, because, I mean, no offense, but we don't [01:41:57] know your credentials as far as I know. I know that you believe in it, but I'd like [01:42:01] to have some doctors or somebody with some credentials come in, educate us, speak to [01:42:05] us, and go that route. But right now, I think a year-long moratorium is just saying, no, [01:42:11] we're totally against it, and there's just too much left out there at this point. So [01:42:14] if you want to do six months, I would be in favor of that. Three months, I'm just, a year [01:42:19] is too long, and there's just, like I said, we're uneducated on the topic. We're not in [01:42:23] the right position to make that decision, at least I personally am not. I'm not comfortable [01:42:27] doing it. And putting it, like I said, putting it off for a year isn't going to change that. [01:42:31] We can have work sessions between now and then and come up with a positive plan that's [01:42:37] going to benefit the city and the city residents as well. [01:42:41] Councilman Davis. [01:42:44] We get a 59 percent approval rate when it was defeated, because we needed 60 percent. [01:42:50] So I've been paying attention to this act back since before that. So I knew it was going [01:42:55] to come about, and I continued to educate myself until this last vote. And once again, [01:43:01] I see where it's needed, and I see where it fits in the community and with the patients [01:43:06] that need it. So I'm totally for it. What I would like to propose here is not really [01:43:12] a moratorium, but once the state has, you know, and I think we should have our pulse [01:43:17] on the state. I think maybe, you know, somebody like Marty should be, you know, following [01:43:21] it, you know, in his spare time, you know, like you don't have enough for him to do now. [01:43:26] But you know, somebody to keep us abreast of what's going on with the state. Someone, [01:43:30] you know, somebody on staff to keep us abreast of what's going on in the state. And so we'll [01:43:34] know when the state's going to pass, and we'll have pretty much a good idea what the state's [01:43:37] going to pass. And then I think within 30 days of that, we should have, you know, a [01:43:42] work session, you know, and lay it out and see where we should go with it. And then just [01:43:46] so you people know, we're going to have to have two readings. So just that's going to [01:43:50] take us two months, just with a workshop the first month and then two readings. You know, [01:43:54] there's two months. So that's what I'd kind of like to see is not really a moratorium, [01:43:59] but an aggressive approach to what the state comes down and gives us. [01:44:04] Thank you. [01:44:05] Mr. Mayor, if I might suggest, while we were chatting, I forwarded all of the links to [01:44:11] you, Ms. Manns. Truly, if we just follow through with that program that Florida League of Cities [01:44:20] presented, they do discuss options for length of times for moratoriums. And I think that [01:44:27] would be very helpful. I would suggest that all of staff listen to it. I was really surprised [01:44:33] with the ins and outs of so much of what we are going to have to be discussing that's [01:44:39] going to have to take place. So I would say that perhaps we can postpone this decision [01:44:45] until we've at least listened to those modules, and then come back and see. But I would say [01:44:52] that at least it would need to be just conservatively at least six months. [01:44:56] Mr. Mayor, can I? Mr. Mayor, may I? [01:45:00] The Department of Health has until July 1st to adopt the regulations to implement Amendment 2. [01:45:09] After that time, as has been pointed out, this is a land use and zoning measure, [01:45:14] so it will take us two months at a normal clip to implement regulations in the city. [01:45:22] You can always cut the moratorium short. [01:45:26] You have the control over that. [01:45:28] So by giving yourself the additional time, you allow the study that you're talking about that's necessary. [01:45:35] It can be cut short. [01:45:37] And my experience with these types of measures is that if you don't give yourself a large enough moratorium, [01:45:42] you're going to be back in extending the moratorium because you don't have the information that you want. [01:45:48] If it's council's wish that this move rapidly, we can certainly do that, [01:45:52] and we would certainly come back to you as rapidly as we can. [01:45:55] But I think it would be a mistake not to extend the moratorium for a year when the Department of Health has until July 1st, [01:46:04] and we won't even – we'll have to have time to react to that. [01:46:08] The rest of the cities throughout the state are going to have to have time to react to that. [01:46:11] So I would strongly urge you to adopt this as it is, [01:46:16] and if it's your wish that we expedite the process within the framework of the rules that we have to follow, then we can do that. [01:46:24] But land use and zoning is a barn door kind of an operation. [01:46:28] If the horse gets out of the barn, you can't put it back in. [01:46:31] So I think it would be a mistake for you not to have this in place to keep control over the issue [01:46:37] until you have the information to make an informed decision to implement the proper regulations to make Amendment 2 work. [01:46:44] Thank you. [01:46:46] I will echo my colleagues if I voted against everything that I was told I was going to get thrown out of office [01:46:55] because of I would never vote on anything. [01:46:58] And so when somebody comes up to the podium and starts threatening me, it immediately gets discounted. [01:47:06] This is an issue that I think ultimately the feds are going to have to deal with. [01:47:15] To place marijuana in the same category as heroin is, quite frankly, patently absurd. [01:47:26] I've had some fairly close family experience with opiates in the last month. [01:47:41] My mother fell and broke her hip. [01:47:45] She's still in rehab. [01:47:46] But when she was at the hospital, they gave her a particular prescription drug that I will not name that, [01:47:58] for lack of a better term, made her completely loopy. [01:48:04] I'm sure that it took care of the pain problem, but it did a lot more than that. [01:48:08] And the poor people at the rehab center have ever since been trying to figure out, does she have all her marbles? [01:48:15] Because the way she came in from the hospital was still under the influence of some really, really bad opiate-type drugs. [01:48:32] I know that we've got some issues both on the medical marijuana side, [01:48:39] and I have read some of the studies about people that have been helped with it, [01:48:44] and I understand that there's a lot of that. [01:48:46] And I've talked to Garren Angels also. [01:48:53] But it's bigger than just that. [01:48:57] I think we also need to, at some point in the not-too-distant future, [01:49:03] talk about what New Port Richey did with the decriminalization. [01:49:07] Quite frankly, I'd rather see our police force going after the folks that are pushing illegal pills, prescription pills, [01:49:19] instead of busting teenagers for having a joint in their car, to use the example that was given earlier. [01:49:27] You know, it's a prioritization thing, and it's still a Class I narcotic, quote-unquote, according to the feds. [01:49:37] And the states that have stepped out and either decriminalized medical marijuana [01:49:43] or decriminalized it completely and opened it up like Colorado did, [01:49:48] you know, whoever winds up at the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration [01:49:54] could make life miserable for everybody in every one of those states, if they so choose. [01:50:01] My initial reaction to this ordinance is that we need, for lack of a better term, a timeout, [01:50:13] where people aren't slipping in with something before an ordinance gets placed. [01:50:24] And that means doing some sort of moratorium. [01:50:28] Does it need to be a year long? I really don't believe so. [01:50:32] Can we have this ready to roll the day after the legislature decamps Tallahassee? [01:50:39] I don't think that's quite realistic either. [01:50:45] And I definitely think we need some workshops. [01:50:47] A couple of people have suggested that, and I would personally love to hear more about this. [01:50:55] What I don't want to have happen is for us to just sit and do nothing [01:50:59] and have something that we're going to regret show up in one of the areas [01:51:03] where potentially these sort of operations could go in without us having a chance to think about it [01:51:09] and figure what is it we really want to do with a sober head and a clear mind. [01:51:17] What makes sense for our city? [01:51:19] We're at a point right now, heaven only knows what Tallahassee is going to do. [01:51:27] I made that comment to Mr. Smithwick earlier today. [01:51:34] They're without a clue. I really do believe it. [01:51:40] What's going to come out of there in the session as far as implementing Amendment 2? [01:51:45] I don't know. [01:51:46] But for us to run out and create a framework now without the benefit of knowing what they're going to do, [01:51:57] I think would be a mistake. [01:51:59] And to allow whoever might come in with wanting to open a dispensary [01:52:07] without knowing what is going to be there four, five, six months from now, [01:52:14] I think is a mistake also. [01:52:21] So I'm leaning towards thinking we need some sort of moratorium just to freeze things as they are today [01:52:31] until we can get our heads wrapped around what it is that we really need to be doing in New Port Richey. [01:52:37] I don't believe it needs to be a year long, though. [01:52:39] Mr. Mayor, would you be comfortable with six months [01:52:41] and then we call for at least one, maybe two work sessions between now and July? [01:52:45] I just personally think a year just sends the wrong message. [01:52:49] And I agree with you for exactly that reason. [01:52:53] Are you talking about six months from today? [01:52:55] Yes. [01:52:57] If you could carry it out to July 31st if you wanted to. [01:53:01] That would be February, right? [01:53:03] It's 30 days after what Mr. Attorney Driscoll has talked about from a federal perspective, I believe. [01:53:12] It will be almost 60 days after we get the education. [01:53:17] And I don't have a problem at that point with the education and those things if we have to extend the time. [01:53:24] But then we also have to define the zoning and the land use and the planning and the location. [01:53:29] Because I've been down this road. [01:53:32] My hair was dark back then. [01:53:33] It's not dark now. [01:53:36] And my mom told me it's because of the way I grew up. [01:53:39] And I said, I understand that. [01:53:41] But I really think that I think a six-month or taking it out to July 31st is a way that we can at least collectively approach the matter. [01:53:53] A six-month would put it into August 7th or whatever it is. [01:53:58] Well, I counted on my hands. [01:53:59] And I think I got the joke. [01:54:01] I'm sorry. [01:54:02] I'm doing the same thing. [01:54:03] Well, I mean, you know, I'm looking for my abacus. [01:54:05] That's actually August 7th. [01:54:07] I think that's August 7th. [01:54:08] Yeah, that would get us to the point where we could conceivably have two meetings after we know what it is that the Department of Health is going to do. [01:54:17] If I could just ask you, because honestly, until I listened in on that webinar, there are things that they point out that just never occurred to me in terms of especially the zoning issues. [01:54:31] I think that I would like to make a motion that we adopt the moratorium based on the year that our attorney has suggested with the caveat that we are able to shorten that time after we are better educated on the issue. [01:54:54] We have a motion to adopt the moratorium as proposed. [01:55:01] Do we have a second? [01:55:05] Hearing none, I entertain another motion. [01:55:08] Make a motion to extend the moratorium for six months. [01:55:13] Do we have a second? [01:55:15] Second, but I'd like at least two work sessions in that six-month period. [01:55:18] I'll accept that amendment to my motion. [01:55:23] I believe we've discussed all the key pertinent points, and as I said, extending the moratorium after that would be with knowledge, due diligence, and proper public input. [01:55:38] To the second? [01:55:41] I have nothing further, thank you. [01:55:43] Councilman Davis? [01:55:44] Nothing. [01:55:45] Councilwoman? [01:55:46] No, nothing. [01:55:47] I think I can live with that. [01:55:49] We can get educated and be in a position so that the minute the Department of Health comes up with rules based on whatever it is that the legislature comes up, we can move forward. [01:56:01] I'm good with that. [01:56:05] Any further discussion? [01:56:07] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [01:56:09] Aye. [01:56:10] Opposed, like sign. [01:56:12] Motion passes. [01:56:14] Next is the first reading of Ordinance 2017-2107. [01:56:22] Ordinance 2017-2107, an ordinance of the City of New Port Richey amending Chapter 17, Pensions and Retirement, [01:56:28] Article 3, Firefighter's Retirement System of the Code of Ordinances of the City of New Port Richey, [01:56:33] amending Section 17-36, Definitions, by amending the definitions of actuarial equivalent, credited service, firefighter, and spouse,

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18. 12.e

    First Reading, Ordinance No. 2017-2107: Firefighters Pensions & Retirement

    approved

    First reading of Ordinance No. 2017-2107 amending various sections of the Firefighters Pensions & Retirement code to bring the city's ordinance into compliance with Florida state law and Internal Revenue Code changes. The motion to approve passed on a voice vote.

    Ord. Ordinance No. 2017-2107

    • motion:Motion to approve first reading of Ordinance No. 2017-2107 amending firefighters pension and retirement provisions. (passed)

    👤Ms. Banz#Ordinance No. 2017-2107#Section 17-40 Contributions#Section 17-41 Benefit Amounts and Eligibility#Section 17-43 Disability#Section 17-50 Maximum Pension#Section 17-50.10 Prior Fire Service#Section 17-50.17 Deferred Retirement Option Plan

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    [01:56:41] amending Section 17-40, Contributions, amending Section 17-41, Benefit Amounts and Eligibility, [01:56:48] amending Section 17-43, Disability, amending Section 17-50, Maximum Pension, [01:56:54] amending Section 17-50.10, Prior Fire Service, amending Section 17-50.17, Deferred Retirement Option Plan, [01:57:04] providing for severability of provision, providing for clarification, repealing all ordinances in conflict herewith, and providing an effective date. [01:57:12] Ms. Banz, do we have an English translation of that? [01:57:14] With all that, Mr. Mayor, it's a bookkeeping matter in large part. [01:57:20] The changes that are before you this evening are to reflect laws of the State of Florida and changes to the Internal Revenue Code, [01:57:30] and we are trying to bring our ordinance into compliance with both. [01:57:36] Thank you. This is a public reading. I'll open it up for public comment. [01:57:40] Seeing no one come forward, I'll bring it back to Council. [01:57:44] Move to approve. [01:57:45] Second. [01:57:46] We have a motion and a second. Mr. Maker? [01:57:48] No, thank you for the translation, Ms. Banz. [01:57:50] To the second. [01:57:51] No, sir. [01:57:52] Councilman? [01:57:53] Nothing. [01:57:54] Councilman? [01:57:55] No. [01:57:56] If there's no further discussion, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [01:57:59] Aye.

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19. 13.a

    Recreation & Aquatic Center Improvement Project Bid Award - Hennessy Construction Services

    discussed

    Staff presented a recommendation to award a bid to Hennessy Construction Services for the Recreation & Aquatic Center Improvement Project at $1,857,965, funded by Penny for Pasco I and II. The project would relocate and expand the fitness center to the front of the building, add a child watch area, renovate the former fitness center into an activity room, and remodel office space. Multiple citizens spoke against the expenditure during public comment, urging the council to prioritize roads instead.

    • direction:Council received staff recommendation to award bid to Hennessy Construction for the Recreation & Aquatic Center Improvement Project at $1,857,965, funded by Penny for Pasco I ($1,131,842) and Penny for Pasco II ($726,123). (none)

    📍5611 Georgia Avenue📍5822 Indiana Avenue📍5844 Madison Street📍6041 Florida Avenue🏢Bank of America🏢Genesys🏢Hennessy Construction Services🏢Kimley Horn and Associates🏢Ritchie Elementary School🏢Sports Facility Advisory Group👤Debbie Manns👤Greg Smith👤John Cain👤Keith Grimminger👤Mark Stalker👤Mitch Jackson👤Paul Black👤Rivera#FF&E (Fixtures, Furniture, Equipment)#Local Option Gas Tax#Pavement Management Committee#Penny for Pasco I#Penny for Pasco II#Recreation & Aquatic Center Improvement Project#Roadway Needs Assessment 2014

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    [01:58:15] The business items. [01:58:17] The first item is the Recreation Aquatic Center Improvement Project. Ms. Banz? [01:58:23] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [01:58:26] To begin, I'd like to start by suggesting that the fabric of every community is defined by its infrastructure, its public safety, and its quality of life. [01:58:40] And I'm pleased to have had the benefit of working with this council, who has collectively and consistently made advancing the city a priority, and it's been through your collective vision. [01:58:58] What you've told me in my two-and-a-half tenure with the city is that you want to protect assets and provide a better product where one currently doesn't exist. [01:59:11] And I see a lot of familiar faces in the audience. [01:59:15] Some of you have been kind enough to connect with me directly to ask questions of me as to whether or not we should spend money on roads or whether or not we should make improvements at our Recreation and Aquatic Center Project. [01:59:33] And I'm just here to report to you tonight that I see my responsibilities as doing both and nothing less. [01:59:40] In the case of our roads, the condition of them was advanced as being deficient in November of 2014 when we hired Genesys, who is an engineering firm, to conduct a roadway needs assessment of our 69-point [02:00:00] 4 miles of roadway. At the conclusion of that study, they indicated that our restoration [02:00:09] costs would be $479,850 per linear mile, which translates into a budget of $1.7 million annually [02:00:25] and repairing 3.47 miles of road each year. That takes us up to a 20-year cycle in terms [02:00:37] of road maintenance, and that's a pretty average standard for a city. In respect to the fact [02:00:49] that we needed to come up with a system that has an ongoing source of revenue is something [02:01:00] that we've assigned a pavement management committee to work with the city on. Their [02:01:05] first meeting was conducted on January 31st. The reason that they're mobilizing as a voice [02:01:14] is because in the city there have only been 12 road projects over the last 30 years. That's [02:01:22] indicative of the fact that the current funding model is not working, and so they're going [02:01:27] to work along with the city staff to determine an alternate method to have an ongoing program [02:01:37] of resurfacing and improvements and a fair and equitable method of paying for them. In [02:01:42] large part now, the only source of funding that we have to implement road improvements [02:01:51] is local option gas tax money, and that's typically only about $700,000 a year. We consider [02:02:00] ourselves to be stewards of that money. We have used the money faithfully and responsibly. [02:02:06] I think from the city's perspective, I'd like to additionally add that we will be looking [02:02:12] for grant opportunities with which to implement future road improvements, and I'd like to [02:02:19] thank this council, because they are definitively moving in the right direction as it comes [02:02:25] to road and sidewalk improvements. The most recent example of which occurred in September [02:02:36] of 17, when they advanced a budget of $2,195,000 to be dedicated for road and sidewalk improvements. [02:02:49] In 2015, the amount was only $571,732, so we have almost multiplied that by a factor [02:03:02] of four. Of the things that I've learned from this city council is that they would [02:03:09] like to build on our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. In the case of the Recreation [02:03:15] and Aquatic Center building, it's both. We can boast as a community about the level of [02:03:22] amenities, the programs, and the staff that we have in place there, but we also have a [02:03:28] weakness, which we must acknowledge, and the weakness is that the current Rec and Aquatic [02:03:35] Center model is unsustainable in terms of its financing. We need to protect the asset, [02:03:42] which is 10 years old. We need to do that by expanding the ways that it serves the community, [02:03:48] increasing memberships, and improving the financial performance and making physical [02:03:53] improvements at the site. In that respect, a couple of things have happened since the [02:04:03] city started talking about the project in the end of 2014. To begin, we hired Kimley [02:04:10] Hornan Associates in February of 2015, and we have Mr. Keith Grimminger in attendance [02:04:16] this evening, and I'm going to allow him to present a bit of a timeline on the project, [02:04:20] because as I indicated to you in my written communication of 2-7-17, there's been a lot [02:04:26] of history behind this project. We also followed closely behind hiring Kimley Horn by hiring [02:04:35] Hennessy Construction to serve as our construction management firm, and we have Mr. Mark Stalker [02:04:41] in attendance on the first row this evening. More notably, though, I shouldn't say more [02:04:47] notably gentlemen, excuse me for that. Additionally notable is the fact that we hired the Sports [02:04:54] Facility Advisory Group, and they have considerable experience in forecasting and effective planning [02:05:03] for recreational facilities, and what we asked them to do for us, we asked them to perform [02:05:09] a marketing study, we asked them to conduct a facility and an operations audit, and we [02:05:14] asked them to conduct a performer. We paid them for those services and we paid them well, [02:05:23] and I think their recommendations need to be taken seriously. They made operational [02:05:29] suggestions as well as they made suggestions as to programming space, and the result of [02:05:39] what they told us is we could increase our revenues by $270,000 a year, and that's real [02:05:46] money my friends. We are currently subsidizing the Recreation and Aquatic Center building [02:05:53] to the tune of approximately $1 million a year. It's a formula we can't sustain. 30% [02:06:02] of the building and its operations are paid for from revenues of programs and services. [02:06:12] The other 70% is a subsidy directly from the general fund. We have to take that issue seriously, [02:06:20] and as such, I hope that we'll consider real firmly the recommendations of the Sports Facility [02:06:29] Advisory Group, who in short said you need to relocate the fitness center to the front [02:06:36] of the building. You need to expand the fitness center. You need to add a child care watch [02:06:42] area to be staffed on a limited basis. You need to add one activity room, and I think [02:06:53] that was it. That concluded their recommendation for physical changes. The operational improvements [02:07:00] I'm proud to be able to report to you today in large part have been implemented. There [02:07:06] are some that have not been implemented, but they're in the process of being implemented. [02:07:13] The most significant of which I think is that we've got some new operating software that [02:07:19] allows us some different opportunities for both managing the facility and accepting [02:07:26] different forms of payment for membership. We've reduced the cost associated with membership [02:07:34] of the facility. We are working on a dedicated website. We have appropriated a 20-hour per [02:07:44] week person to marketing efforts for the facility, and we are expanding our in-house programming. [02:07:53] The remainder of the improvements, as I indicated, were for the physical facility improvements, [02:08:04] and I'm sorry, there was one last. They did indicate that we needed to update the FF&E [02:08:09] on the pool deck. The impact, again, of the operational and the physical facility improvements [02:08:17] are estimated to be $270,000 annually. Our cost recovery will increase from 34% to 54%. [02:08:30] This project has been talked about publicly for a long time. This project has been bid [02:08:37] twice. The project was bid originally in October of 2015, and the full project came in at $2,434,337. [02:08:55] At that time, the project contained components which aren't in the final project. It included [02:09:04] a drop-off lane in front of the building, the creation of additional parking, a canopy. [02:09:13] It included a pool deck enhancement and amenity package, and the final project was re-bid, [02:09:26] and that bid came in in November of 2016. The bid came in $330,000 higher than it originally [02:09:36] was in October of 2015. As we worked over, our friends at Hennessy were told that the [02:09:45] result of the increase is the result of the price escalation that occurred in the construction [02:09:53] industry during the one-year period of time that we took to study the issue. I don't regret [02:10:01] that we took the time to study the issue. That unquestionably was the right thing to do. The [02:10:06] wrong thing to do would be not to accept the recommendation of the folks that advanced it [02:10:14] for our consideration. I'm going to give a little bit of time to Keith Grimminger. Mr. Grimminger, [02:10:23] if you'd be kind enough, I'd like to go through the flow of the project so that we can identify [02:10:28] specifically the project elements, and we have Mr. Stalker present as well to respond to any [02:10:34] specific questions that you may have of us. Thank you, Ms. Vance. Keith Grimminger with [02:10:55] Kimley Horn. We're going to pull up a... All right, thank you. I'll try to be very brief. [02:11:07] I'm going to walk you through a little walk in time over the past couple of years that we've [02:11:10] spent with you all. Again, update is dated for this evening. There we go. All right, this is [02:11:21] what we did, as Ms. Vance had mentioned, based upon our original study and supported by the [02:11:28] Sports Facility Management Group, the expansion. The green represented remodeling areas, and the [02:11:35] blue represented where we would expand. As you can see, this is where, again, we got to the full [02:11:43] design as of the end of last year. We also did a quick little study at the request of the city [02:11:52] to look at if we just expanded the existing fitness center to the east, and what that would [02:11:59] incorporate. And again, by expanding that by about a little under 1,200 square feet, at a cost of [02:12:06] about $338,000 as a study to find out how that would measure against. Again, this contradicts [02:12:14] what the Sports Facility Management Group mentioned, as it should go up towards the front. [02:12:19] So based upon that, we looked at a series of cost-cutting or cost-saving items, deleting the [02:12:29] drop-off, not doing the pool deck, and some other small areas that we could store to try to bring [02:12:38] the price down. And again, added some escalation in there as well. These were, and I don't expect [02:12:45] you to read this, but this was the list of the value engineering items that we had proposed. The [02:12:51] bright orange or the other brown hue were rejected, such as the painting of the building. Once we [02:12:58] decided we were going to save money by painting the, obviously we'd paint the addition and not paint [02:13:04] the remaining building, but it was recommended that no, we should leave that in to paint the [02:13:09] entire building. So again, that came back from a standpoint of the scope changes at $200,000, [02:13:18] our more optimistic cost savings at $300,000. So ultimately what those were, reducing through [02:13:29] some more studies of where we are at with the project, the $2.4 million, eliminating the drop-off [02:13:37] area, not doing the pool amenities, deleting one of the activity rooms, but allowing for some [02:13:44] conversion of some of the existing office space. We were carrying a contingency, but reduced the [02:13:51] contingency to about 5%. And again, some of the other insurance aspects that got us down to a [02:13:58] project bid of 1.857. We also put together an understanding of what the FF&E would be, which [02:14:08] the fixtures, the furnitures, the equipment to support the new facility, and a budget of there [02:14:14] on those dollars of equipment, indoor playground, furnishings, etc. And then lastly, we did a real [02:14:22] quick little concept, as you can see dated as early as last week, is if we put the fitness center off [02:14:28] of the office wing onto the front, it's about a 2,800 square foot addition, matching what the [02:14:35] other program was, but it would also require about 2,100 square feet of interior renovations. [02:14:41] Hennessey put together a real quick costing on that, and that in and of itself would be about [02:14:47] $978,000. Now, this is not inclusive of the other renovations of the existing fitness center or the [02:14:56] other areas. This is just this piece here that would... [02:15:00] be adding the new fitness center next to the existing office and remodeling of the office [02:15:05] space. [02:15:06] So based upon that, that's where we work very quickly over the past, you know, 18 months [02:15:13] or so. [02:15:14] And as Ms. Manns recommended, or mentioned earlier, that, again, following the recommendation [02:15:19] of the sports facilities group, I think, is a wise move. [02:15:23] Mark? [02:15:24] And just to be more specific, the recommendation before you this evening is to establish a [02:15:29] new fitness center and a children's area to renovate the existing fitness center and [02:15:34] to create an activity room within existing space in the building. [02:15:40] The total project cost, as indicated, is $1,857,965. [02:15:49] It would be financed through the use of Penny for Pasco I in the amount of $1,131,842 and [02:15:58] Penny for Pasco II in the amount of $726,123 if, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, you [02:16:07] determine it's appropriate to approve the expenditure of funds. [02:16:11] Thank you. [02:16:12] Mr. Stalker, did I interrupt you? [02:16:13] No, no. [02:16:14] Keith just asked if I wanted to add anything. [02:16:17] All I'd like to say is, you know, when we took the drawings out to bid in November, [02:16:22] they came back at $2,007,000. [02:16:24] And you've already expanded on some of the reasons why that happened. [02:16:28] And I think through a very good collaborative effort that Keith illustrated, we found some [02:16:33] areas to save some costs to reduce that to $2,004,000, but that wasn't enough. [02:16:40] So we looked at large pieces of the scope of work that could be reduced to get us to [02:16:46] the $1,800,000. [02:16:47] And what I'm trying to get to is, these deducts caused the least amount of redesign. [02:16:55] So in other words, this could be implemented fast. [02:16:58] The other image we showed you with moving the fitness center around to the pool deck [02:17:03] would cause another whole round of redesign and rebidding. [02:17:07] So kind of the concept to come to this number was, take the numbers we'd already taken out [02:17:11] to the market and got competitive subcontractor bids, identify scope of work that would be [02:17:17] easy for them to understand what we were taking out, so we could come to a number that not [02:17:23] only was reduced, but we could start work as soon as possible. [02:17:27] That's kind of the goal of our effort to come to this. [02:17:31] And I guess if there's any questions, we can answer them. [02:17:35] Any questions? [02:17:36] Not at this time. [02:17:38] We got public input and then questions from there. [02:17:42] What is the square footage expansion? [02:17:45] Of the base... [02:17:48] Which one? [02:17:49] Building. [02:17:51] I mean, I asked that at the work session, you guys didn't have the answer. [02:18:00] Yes. [02:18:01] The new additions is 2,250 square feet and the renovations of existing space is 8,550. [02:18:09] 2,000 what? [02:18:12] 550. [02:18:16] I'm not sure they have a question. [02:18:18] Well, I guess it is a question. [02:18:19] If you would just reiterate, the monies that we're looking at, the 1,857,965, is relocating [02:18:26] the fitness center from the rear to the front of the building, adding the area for child [02:18:33] care, and then doing what other two things? [02:18:36] The renovation of the former fitness center into an activity room. [02:18:41] And the creation of an activity room. [02:18:44] On the front side of the office area and remodeling of the office area. [02:18:49] Excellent. [02:18:50] Thank you. [02:18:51] Thank you. [02:18:52] At this point, I'll open it up for public comment. [02:18:55] Come on down, John. [02:19:14] John Cain, 6041 Florida Avenue. [02:19:20] Seems like the last time I was here over a rec center issue with gentlemen proposing [02:19:27] different things, my hair was also a lot darker a long time ago. [02:19:34] A lot more two years ago. [02:19:36] Just saying, we're all in that track. [02:19:40] Sorry. [02:19:41] You know, just to kind of relive history a little bit, I remember all that. [02:19:47] And I remember the haggling over monies at that time, and we started out at eight, and [02:19:53] then it went to 10, and then we reluctantly signed off on 12. [02:19:58] And then it sat for a while, and we had a loan with the Bank of America at the time, [02:20:03] and it ended up to be what I thought was 18, somebody told me 17, but I thought it was [02:20:09] 18, but okay, 17 is still 5 million more. [02:20:14] Okay, so we got a lot of money already in this place, for one thing, as a citizen, I [02:20:18] look at that. [02:20:21] And I know there's an operational thing going on with this. [02:20:25] We're not covering it. [02:20:27] And so we're being told that, you know, people that do these studies, that they look [02:20:32] at these revisions, and it's kind of like that movie, you know, if you build it, [02:20:36] they'll come. [02:20:38] Well, I used to have a lot of faith in studies. [02:20:40] These last two years, they've been conducting the biggest studies and polls that our [02:20:45] political system has ever seen, with all the experts and high-paying individuals, and [02:20:50] they assured me an outcome that did not come, and they're still scratching their heads. [02:20:54] So I don't know about studies. [02:21:00] What I would like to see is if, what makes sense to me is if we're having a problem [02:21:06] with the cost of running this, it's because it's big, it's because it sucks up a lot [02:21:11] of power, why would we not invest in professionals who would put a comprehensive energy [02:21:20] study to play, and where we could tap into some of the things that they do. [02:21:26] When areas aren't being used, there's these big electronic kind of partitions that [02:21:32] come in. [02:21:33] We can close off areas. [02:21:35] They go electronically, and they partition up breakers and make more breakers so that [02:21:41] now you can shut more lights off instead of having a whole area lit up that you don't need. [02:21:47] Even though our governor doesn't like it, but we are the sunshine state, maybe we want [02:21:53] to look into solar energy, too, to drive some of our electrical costs. [02:21:58] I think we have a lot of options here to try and cut costs. [02:22:03] However, I've never known anything to work when you're already in the red to throw more [02:22:09] money at it and hope that you're going to make money. [02:22:13] That's called gambling. [02:22:15] I'm not a gambling man. [02:22:17] I'm really not. [02:22:18] And I appreciate your time. [02:22:20] I don't mean to shoot down. [02:22:21] I know some of you up there are passionate about this, and I'm not, but this is, I can [02:22:26] only tell you the way I see it, you know, and that's what I'm here to do. [02:22:31] So thank you for your time. [02:22:33] Thank you for allowing me to speak. [02:22:35] Thank you, Mr. Kane. [02:22:36] Anyone else? [02:22:48] Paul Black, 5844 Madison Street. [02:22:58] I remember a year and a half ago when we were sitting over at the rec center discussing [02:23:01] different issues, including the driveway ordinance and how important it was for curb appeal, [02:23:07] all the residents to have, you know, good driveways. [02:23:09] And I was in favor of that, and I told our deputy mayor that day when he was, you know, [02:23:13] speaking, I said, you know, we need something back from you. [02:23:16] And what we need, you know, I was in favor of the driveway ordinance, the parking ordinance. [02:23:25] But I said, you know, we've got alleyways that are deteriorating. [02:23:29] Our roads need a lot of help, but some of the alleyways are pitiful. [02:23:34] I mean, the chug holes are bad, and there's people that have driveways off those alleyways, [02:23:38] and they're not getting any attention decades go by before they get any attention at all. [02:23:42] So my feeling is this. [02:23:45] Maybe I'm biased because I was a former professional driver, and I put quite a few years into driving [02:23:51] over the road, and so highways, roads, and streets are very important to keep them maintained [02:23:55] and keep them functioning properly so everybody can benefit from those roads. [02:24:00] So from my perspective, I'd like to see the money go in that direction toward the roads. [02:24:05] You know, that's just how I feel. [02:24:06] So I say public works department, we have a good leader here, Mr. Rivera. [02:24:10] Give him the check and let him put it to good work. [02:24:13] I'm sure he can manage it well. [02:24:15] Thank you. [02:24:17] Anyone else? [02:24:27] Greg Smith, 5822 Indiana Avenue. [02:24:30] How's everybody doing tonight? [02:24:31] So this has been something we've been talking about for a few years now, [02:24:35] and as you all know, I probably go up there more than anybody out of the whole gang here tonight, [02:24:40] but I spend a lot of time there. [02:24:42] I've been in the fitness business myself for quite a few years, [02:24:45] and I see that we do have to get the cost factor under control so we can grow that volume. [02:24:51] I mean, I go there every morning at 6, 630, and there's three of us there, and that's about it. [02:24:57] And it's a challenge. [02:24:59] You've got to get the place full. [02:25:01] When you get it so full that I have to wait in line, then we have a reason to expand, [02:25:05] but I don't see that expansion need. [02:25:08] I just don't see it. [02:25:10] And, yes, we do need money towards roads, [02:25:12] but I think this money is all allocated towards the rec center-type purpose only. [02:25:17] So that's the message that we've got to make sure that everybody understands that, [02:25:21] that this money has to be used towards the rec center, [02:25:24] and maybe we can spread it out a little bit at that rec center and some to the other parks. [02:25:29] I don't know if that fits in, but I think it probably would, [02:25:32] and look at that more than just putting more money into the rec center [02:25:35] and hoping that people show up. [02:25:37] Thank you. [02:25:38] Anyone else? [02:25:49] Mitch Jackson, 5611 Georgia Avenue. [02:25:53] I can't say much more than what the last few speakers have just said there. [02:25:58] We've got a big building out there, [02:26:00] and the only way we're going to pay for it is to get more participation. [02:26:04] If we throw more money at it, you know, it's just like that one guy said, [02:26:08] you know, build it and they'll come. [02:26:09] Well, that might not be the case. [02:26:11] I remember when that rec center was just a little tiny building, [02:26:15] and it always had people in it. [02:26:17] And the rec center before that was over there by the Ritchie Elementary School, [02:26:21] and there was always people in there rollerskating and stuff. [02:26:25] So instead of spending all this money on recreation center stuff, [02:26:31] why don't we have some kind of a grant for people fixing up their houses [02:26:35] or maybe fixing up the roads? [02:26:38] I have two pictures here of when Hurricane Tropical Storm Debbie came through. [02:26:45] This is basically one picture is Georgia Avenue in Franklin, [02:26:52] and this one here is Tennessee in Franklin. [02:26:55] Could I hand them up? [02:26:57] If you could give them to the clerk, she can get copies for us. [02:27:00] Please pass them. [02:27:07] I just think we can spend money elsewhere [02:27:09] and look into other alternatives to make the recreation center pay for itself. [02:27:15] Thank you. [02:27:16] Thank you. [02:27:17] Anyone else? [02:27:29] Karen King, 7144 Garden Grove Lane. [02:27:33] I'm against spending any more money on the recreation center. [02:27:37] I was a member twice. [02:27:39] It's a lovely facility. [02:27:41] I don't like to exercise, so I'm not going to go. [02:27:45] For people that want to go, they're probably going now. [02:27:49] But a suggestion that I would have to introduce people to the rec center [02:27:54] is maybe give each family in New Port Richey a one-week membership for free to try it. [02:28:01] I'm not saying we do it all at one time, [02:28:03] maybe block it out so that different areas get it different weeks of the year, [02:28:09] but at least you'll give them the opportunity to get in there and try it. [02:28:13] Some of these people, I want to understand, [02:28:16] that have families and that just can't afford to join. [02:28:19] I don't even know what the rates are anymore. [02:28:23] Just a thought, but I don't think we should put any more money into it. [02:28:27] Thank you. [02:28:28] Anyone else? [02:28:41] Dale Webb, 5647 Kentucky Avenue. [02:28:46] I'm against throwing any more money at this thing. [02:28:50] I believe when you hire somebody to do a study, they tell you what you want to hear. [02:28:57] For example, somebody buying a home and selling a home, the individuals hire home inspectors. [02:29:04] It goes whichever way, either the buyer or the seller. [02:29:08] So I'm just putting it on record that I don't believe in throwing any more money on this thing. [02:29:13] Thank you. [02:29:16] I think it should be put before the city residents to vote on this. [02:29:21] Thank you. [02:29:22] Anyone else? [02:29:24] Seeing no one else come forward. [02:29:29] Waiting until the last second. [02:29:31] Come on down. [02:29:33] Good evening. [02:29:35] Lois Robinson, 5920 River Road. [02:29:39] I'm sure glad with the length of this meeting I took an end seat tonight. [02:29:44] The city manager had mentioned strength. [02:29:47] I'm going to quote from some facts here. [02:29:49] The strength is already there. [02:29:51] Let's remember this place is not a dump in need of total repair. [02:29:55] It's a $14 million state-of-the-art recreation and aquatic center that opened in 1998. [02:30:00] in 2007 has four pools, two gymnasiums, a fitness center, [02:30:04] dance studio, and a skate park. [02:30:07] I'm assuming this is the consultation group here [02:30:10] that we hired, the marketing group? [02:30:11] No. [02:30:12] No? [02:30:13] Okay, well the marketing that we paid for, [02:30:15] if everything goes according to the Hoyle [02:30:17] in the three-year plan, projected that it would increase [02:30:20] its memberships from 1.4% of the people living [02:30:24] within a 10-minute drive of the rec center to 1.9%. [02:30:28] Other figures state, which means the annual subsidiary [02:30:31] from the general fund, which the general manager [02:30:34] talked about, could drop from $831,482 [02:30:38] to just under $600,000 by year three. [02:30:42] So, after all the consulting, this would mean a drop [02:30:45] of $233,000, which is improvement to the bottom line. [02:30:50] But we're willing to spend 1.8 million to get there. [02:30:54] I agree with what everybody has said here. [02:30:58] I think the money, we're using up the penny for Pasco. [02:31:01] I had several people out here that aren't even knowledgeable [02:31:03] about that, should go for the roads. [02:31:06] I also agree with what Mr. Dale Webb just said, [02:31:10] that there should be a committee of New Port Richey residents [02:31:13] to review the priorities and make recommendations [02:31:16] to the council, and we wouldn't have this continuous uproar. [02:31:22] I'd like to know when the budget and all this comes in. [02:31:24] What meeting is that that I have to make? [02:31:26] All summer long, Ms. Robinson. [02:31:27] Okay, see, that's the point, all summer long. [02:31:30] Everybody can't make them. [02:31:31] That's why I think a committee, which has been suggested [02:31:34] to the council via a letter by several business people, [02:31:39] would be a great idea. [02:31:40] That way we know what's going on, and we're not coming in [02:31:43] at the tail end, and we can be there at the budget meeting [02:31:45] when you're saying we're gonna allocate 1.8 million [02:31:48] for the rec center that makes no revenue. [02:31:52] I believe we have a great park system here. [02:31:54] I think you all have done a wonderful job. [02:31:56] I commend you on, you're taking the time for the city, [02:32:00] but to spend this now on the rec center [02:32:03] and not on the roads, to me, as was previously stated, [02:32:07] I can't wrap my arms around it, and I think it's clueless. [02:32:10] Thank you. [02:32:11] Thank you. [02:32:13] Anyone else who hasn't spoken? [02:32:17] No one else, come forward, I'll bring it back to, [02:32:22] thank you. [02:32:27] My name's Joya DeLong, 5648 LaSalle Court, [02:32:31] and I also agree with everybody about putting all that money [02:32:34] into the rec center when our roads needs it. [02:32:38] I talked to my next door neighbor. [02:32:39] He goes to the rec center, and he says, [02:32:41] there's nothing wrong with it now. [02:32:42] It's not crowded or anything, and I think it's just [02:32:45] putting good money to build a bigger one, [02:32:48] and I think you said it was 70% funded [02:32:52] with a bigger building and all that. [02:32:53] It's gonna be more than that, I think. [02:32:56] I think we should put it on the roads, [02:32:57] and I'm also a realtor here in Pasco County. [02:32:59] I've been doing it for 25 years here, [02:33:02] and I saw a lot of house. [02:33:03] I've never had anybody not buy a house or whatever [02:33:06] because of the rec center, [02:33:07] but they do care about the roads, you know? [02:33:11] So anyway, I think that money could be put on the roads [02:33:14] because I know I'm gonna get assessed for roads if it isn't. [02:33:18] My tax is already sky high, and that money, [02:33:22] maybe they could use it for subsidizing [02:33:25] some of the families that their kids [02:33:27] can't even afford to go there. [02:33:29] That's all I got. [02:33:30] Thank you for listening. [02:33:31] Thank you. [02:33:33] Anyone else? [02:33:42] Sharon Proviance, 7038 Grand Boulevard. [02:33:45] I have my rec center card from 1978. [02:33:48] I don't know why, but I spent my life [02:33:51] at the rec center when I was a kid. [02:33:53] If we had a rec center like we have now, [02:33:55] my family would never have seen me. [02:33:56] It's amazing. [02:33:58] That being said, I think we need to boost membership [02:34:02] and bring the kids of the city in somehow [02:34:06] instead of putting more money into it right now. [02:34:09] I lived two blocks away on Jackson Street [02:34:11] before I went back to the river. [02:34:15] There are kids all over the street. [02:34:16] They're playing in the street on Indiana and Jackson, [02:34:19] and there's apartments. [02:34:20] Somehow there's gotta be some kind of a program [02:34:22] that we could get those families there [02:34:25] and using the rec center. [02:34:27] And once that happens and more people hear about it, [02:34:30] then maybe put some more money into it. [02:34:33] There's a lot of other things. [02:34:34] You guys did great with Sims Park. [02:34:35] Look at Sims Park. [02:34:36] It's crowded all the time. [02:34:39] I drive past on my lunch hour. [02:34:41] I come through on the weekends. [02:34:43] There's always people in the park [02:34:45] because it's free, I guess. [02:34:47] But we gotta do something to make the rec center [02:34:50] more affordable or some kind of outreach [02:34:53] and put some other money toward the road. [02:34:56] I'm not gonna beat that dog, [02:34:57] and I don't want assessments, [02:34:59] but I think I echo what they're saying. [02:35:03] For the record, since a number of people [02:35:06] have mentioned roads, [02:35:07] the $1.1 million that's being recommended [02:35:10] out of Penny for Pasco One [02:35:13] specifically is not for roads. [02:35:15] It's not part of the allocation that was made [02:35:18] when Penny for Pasco was passed, [02:35:20] and the then city council promised the voters [02:35:23] who voted for Penny for Pasco [02:35:25] that the money was gonna be allocated a certain way. [02:35:27] We would be violating the trust [02:35:30] of the citizens of New Port Richey [02:35:31] that voted for that if we took that money [02:35:34] and put it into roads. [02:35:35] And let's give it to the rec center [02:35:37] to make better programs and get people in. [02:35:40] Thank you. [02:35:43] Seeing no one else come forward, [02:35:44] I'll bring it back to council. [02:35:46] Discussion? [02:35:49] Well, I'll start. [02:35:50] We own this building. [02:35:52] We put the money into it. [02:35:53] I believe that when we were first talking [02:35:57] about the improvements that we could possibly make [02:36:00] to this building to help enhance its return on return, [02:36:09] independent of any of the studies that came out, [02:36:11] I think that those items were things [02:36:13] that we had brought to the table, [02:36:15] just thinking how could we improve that building? [02:36:20] And how could we improve the opportunity [02:36:25] to get more people to know about that building? [02:36:29] And I believe that bringing the fitness center [02:36:32] from the rear to the back, [02:36:33] right now it's like in the bowels of the building. [02:36:36] You could come and spend the whole day at that center [02:36:38] and not even realize that there's a fitness center [02:36:40] because it's in the back of the building. [02:36:42] So I think that was kind of almost a common sense thing [02:36:45] that we thought about. [02:36:46] And then it was great to know that when we hired the folks [02:36:49] that we did to see what we could do to enhance it, [02:36:55] they came up with, that was one of their recommendations. [02:36:59] We had suggested that, [02:37:01] and I think we brought it back to the table. [02:37:04] My own children go to the gym [02:37:07] and there's a gym that they go to that has childcare [02:37:09] so that they can do that. [02:37:11] They can know that their children are safe [02:37:13] while they're spending an hour or whatever at the gym. [02:37:16] So that was the second thought that we broached [02:37:19] and it came back to us. [02:37:21] Renovating the fitness area [02:37:24] once we move it to the front of the building [02:37:26] and then the creation of activity [02:37:27] for the front of the office. [02:37:29] This is the only really facility that the city owns [02:37:33] that has the opportunity to make money. [02:37:35] And the fact that we own it [02:37:41] and we need to invest in that ownership [02:37:46] and preserve the investment. [02:37:48] I think that these things are sensible. [02:37:50] I think that they will impact the bottom line. [02:37:57] And I think that we just need to move forward on it. [02:38:00] I think that once those things are done, [02:38:04] I'm not sure that we'll see additional people, [02:38:07] maybe not at 6.30 in the morning. [02:38:09] I know that I won't be there at 6.30, [02:38:11] but I think that it will enhance those millennials [02:38:15] who as well as someone like me [02:38:18] who will come to the building, [02:38:21] see that we have this fitness center, as I said. [02:38:26] Right now, you wouldn't even know that we have it. [02:38:29] Marketing it. [02:38:30] I love the idea and Ms. King suggested [02:38:33] that we do some kind of a bonus to our residents [02:38:36] because I think it will market itself [02:38:41] if we allow people to market it for us. [02:38:43] I mean, it's the concept of Facebook. [02:38:44] You click on something, you share it. [02:38:46] And that's what we need to share. [02:38:47] We need to share that we have that. [02:38:49] It's an amenity that absolutely has to [02:38:53] affect our bottom line. [02:38:54] I'm a landlord and I can tell you that my tenants [02:38:57] are thrilled that we have that facility [02:38:59] within walking distance of their place. [02:39:02] So I just see that it's something that we own it. [02:39:06] We need to do the enhancements that we can. [02:39:09] I appreciate that we've whittled it down [02:39:11] to the amount that we have, [02:39:14] that we're able to use the penny for Pasco one and two. [02:39:17] And I think it's just in the long run, [02:39:19] it's going to be a benefit to us. [02:39:22] I'd like to put things into perspective. [02:39:24] We're talking about a $1.8 million investment, [02:39:27] which is the first significant investment [02:39:29] in that facility in 10 years. [02:39:31] That works out to $180,000 a year. [02:39:34] By contrast, the current capital expenditure plan [02:39:39] for roads over the next five years [02:39:42] is approximately $16 million. [02:39:46] Which if you put that out over the same 10 year period [02:39:49] we're talking about for a $1.8 million on the rec center, [02:39:53] that's $32 million. [02:39:56] And I ran some quick numbers on our overall budget. [02:40:04] And then I had to verify it with Ms. Feast [02:40:06] because I was not sure that the numbers made sense, [02:40:09] but they do. [02:40:10] Our annual budget between operations [02:40:13] and capital improvements, roads and sewer [02:40:16] and all of that other stuff [02:40:18] is close to $60 million a year. [02:40:22] And we're talking about a $1.8 million project [02:40:25] that has escalated and we've had to scale back [02:40:28] because we've been fooling around with this thing [02:40:30] and overanalyzing it for the last year. [02:40:33] I think that's a mistake. [02:40:34] And I think we should have probably approved the thing back [02:40:38] a year and a half ago when it first came up to us [02:40:41] instead of sitting here and doing like what happened [02:40:45] with the rec center originally [02:40:46] when the prices started escalating [02:40:48] because of the construction. [02:40:49] We have missed an opportunity a year and a half ago [02:40:54] and the longer we wait, if we put this off, [02:40:57] if we kick it down the road, [02:40:58] it's gonna be more expensive the next time out. [02:41:02] Mr. Starkey, comments? [02:41:04] Very well said. [02:41:05] I thank you all for coming out. [02:41:06] It's important, I mean, this is your money. [02:41:08] We understand that up here [02:41:09] that we're not just given a free checkbook [02:41:11] to spend money and hope it works. [02:41:14] That's not how we approach things. [02:41:15] This council, from my experience, worked with them. [02:41:18] I'm so glad we figured out that we're not taking money away [02:41:20] from roads for the rec center because that's been, [02:41:23] well, that made my Christmas break just not so Christmassy [02:41:27] because there was inaccurate information going around. [02:41:31] We've talked about that. [02:41:32] So, you know, the numbers the mayor just put out, [02:41:35] I think are very, very pertinent. [02:41:37] The two main things that I wanted for the rec center [02:41:40] are number one, we've already done it. [02:41:42] The management system was so outdated. [02:41:45] We couldn't even track the proper numbers [02:41:47] at first for the study that we had done. [02:41:50] I mean, that's just, technology changes, it changes. [02:41:53] You know, I just had to upgrade my management system [02:41:55] and my insurance agency, [02:41:57] and I spent a lot of money to do it, [02:41:58] but it's gonna help me stay in business. [02:41:59] So that was one of the key issues. [02:42:01] I'm glad we're already implementing it. [02:42:03] The two other key issues, and if you go back [02:42:05] and watch meetings where we've spoken about this, [02:42:07] for me, were the childcare. [02:42:09] I speak to young families. [02:42:11] You know, one of my main goals up here, [02:42:12] other than just cleaning up the city [02:42:14] and making it a nicer place to live, [02:42:16] is to attract families that want to live here [02:42:19] that take pride in their home ownership, [02:42:21] in the home that they rent, in their community, [02:42:24] that don't go and trash our city. [02:42:26] Those are the kind of people I want living here. [02:42:28] I drove home from work the other day, [02:42:30] and I promised myself I wasn't gonna say this, [02:42:32] but there was a vagrant urinating on the sidewalk [02:42:34] in front of Main Street Landings at 5.15 [02:42:37] in the afternoon on a Friday afternoon. [02:42:39] I don't want those people living here. [02:42:41] If they're homeless and they want help, [02:42:43] there are programs and we will help them. [02:42:45] However, the majority of the vagrants we have [02:42:47] living in our city and just coming back into our city [02:42:51] in numbers I haven't seen recently, don't want help. [02:42:54] They want to live in the woods. [02:42:55] They want to panhandle, [02:42:55] and they want to do drugs and drink. [02:42:57] And I see them. [02:42:58] I get out of my car. [02:42:59] I walk down on the boat ramp. [02:43:01] I see needles near the bathroom of the boat ramp. [02:43:04] You know, when I saw that the other day, [02:43:07] I saw a police officer over at the park, [02:43:12] at the boat ramp park, and it was Corey Ray, [02:43:14] who I've known for years. [02:43:15] And I went up and I said, [02:43:16] Corey, guess what that guy across the street just did? [02:43:18] He couldn't believe it. [02:43:19] And then the gentleman talking to Corey [02:43:21] had told him that, you know, [02:43:23] we were just talking about the vagrancy. [02:43:24] Corey and I and this gentleman was sitting there [02:43:26] and he's like, you don't have to tell me about it. [02:43:28] I used to bring my kids here to this park, [02:43:30] the boat ramp park, and fish. [02:43:31] Last time I did, we went to the bathroom. [02:43:33] There are syringes in the bathroom. [02:43:35] So I want to build nice things to attract nice families. [02:43:38] That's my goal up here. [02:43:40] I want people living in New Port Richey [02:43:42] that take pride in the community. [02:43:44] So I'd speak to a lot of young families [02:43:46] and childcare was one of the key issues [02:43:48] they had with the rec center. [02:43:50] My wife goes to boot camp, [02:43:51] which is, it started out on Pine Hill Road. [02:43:53] They're in Trinity now. [02:43:55] This place is just booming. [02:43:56] They have childcare. [02:43:57] And these girls that run the facility, [02:43:59] it's absolutely amazing. [02:44:00] It's like a cult and they're doing so, so well. [02:44:03] And they have childcare [02:44:04] because most of these moms and dads that work out there [02:44:06] need someone to watch their kid [02:44:08] while they work out, their child. [02:44:09] I have a five-year-old or six-year-old [02:44:11] and almost eight-year-old. [02:44:12] So I understand my wife's a stay-at-home mom [02:44:16] and I wouldn't trade my job for what she does. [02:44:18] I mean, she's just in a day. [02:44:19] She barely has enough minutes in the day [02:44:21] to get everything done for our family. [02:44:23] So that was one of the key issues I had. [02:44:25] The other issue that I had was that [02:44:27] there's no space for activities or parties [02:44:29] at the rec center. [02:44:30] If you look at the pavilions at Sims Park, [02:44:33] you got to put your name in weeks in advance [02:44:35] just to rent one of those. [02:44:36] The demand is there. [02:44:39] But currently, we don't have a room, [02:44:42] even near a pool area, [02:44:43] where if you want to reserve it [02:44:44] and have a pool party for your kid [02:44:47] and get out of the sun and come in and cut birthday cake, [02:44:50] out of that $14 million complex we're talking about, [02:44:52] we don't have that. [02:44:54] So to me, that's ineffective. [02:44:55] So those are the two main things I wanted. [02:44:57] Am I upset that we put this off? [02:45:00] 18 months, and I was upset that I was getting calls from people over Christmas break acting [02:45:04] like we're just trying to slide this by our Newport, Richmond residents, and we've been [02:45:07] talking about this for 18 months. [02:45:09] Their price went up $330,000 from the first contracts that went out. [02:45:15] $330,000 from waiting. [02:45:17] So I understand your concern. [02:45:18] It's a tremendous amount of money. [02:45:20] When the mayor talks about it's only a small part of $60 million, it's still $1.8 million. [02:45:24] That's a lot of money. [02:45:25] I get that. [02:45:26] I understand it. [02:45:27] However, I am going to vote for it. [02:45:28] I was going to vote for it a year ago. [02:45:29] I wish we would have voted for it a year ago. [02:45:31] I'm not trying to step on anybody's toes or say I don't value your opinion, because I [02:45:36] do. [02:45:37] I've had so many people that had my signs in the yard when I was campaigning both times, [02:45:40] call me up and said, can you tell me what's going on here? [02:45:43] Are we really taking money away from roads to build a child care facility and put more [02:45:47] weights in the rec center? [02:45:48] And there's so much more to it than that, but they were misinformed. [02:45:52] By the time, I mean, conversation after conversation after conversation. [02:45:55] By the time they hung up the phone, they said, I still don't agree with you. [02:46:00] Not all of them. [02:46:01] Some did. [02:46:02] But I totally understand where you're coming at now. [02:46:03] So that was very enlightening and rewarding for me that I got my say after someone, you [02:46:08] know, getting, because, you know, you line up eight people, you tell one person one thing. [02:46:12] By the time it gets to the eighth person, like you did in sixth grade, it's a totally [02:46:15] different story. [02:46:16] So it was nice to be able to do that with the people that are close to me that had reservations [02:46:22] and concerns. [02:46:23] I think Ms. Manchester did a tremendous job presenting this into why we as a council [02:46:28] feel it's important. [02:46:29] I'm one of five votes. [02:46:30] This may or may not pass. [02:46:31] I'm going to vote for it. [02:46:33] If you don't support it, I totally understand, and I don't knock your opinion. [02:46:36] I just think I want to leave this job when I'm done, thinking that I made every decision [02:46:41] that I made for what I, in my heart, felt was the best for New Port Richey, and that's [02:46:45] how I feel about this project. [02:46:47] I'll leave it at that. [02:46:48] Thank you. [02:46:49] Deputy Mayor? [02:46:51] Yeah, Mr. Mayor, if you could pass this down all the way to the clerk, and then each one [02:46:57] gets a copy. [02:46:58] Here you go, Mr. Davis. [02:46:59] I think Mr. Manns already has a copy of this. [02:47:05] Brian? [02:47:06] I've got one minute. [02:47:07] I'm sorry, Mayor. [02:47:14] Over the last couple of years, and I'm not going to go over old history, but by strapping [02:47:25] the rec center with all the debt that it incurred, we automatically put it in a no-win situation, [02:47:32] and we've had that conversation over and over. [02:47:36] Many of the things we looked at two years ago, many of the things we looked at last [02:47:40] year, and many of the conversations that's happened over the last 60 and 90 days, whether [02:47:45] there's good information, bad information, wherever it's at, I began to look at the project. [02:47:53] I went away for Christmas, just like anybody else, my inbox was full of different aspects [02:48:02] of the project. [02:48:04] This was what we had looked at last year, and this is not what's on the books tonight, [02:48:11] because of the blue area on the right is not part of this expansion. [02:48:18] I began back at the second week of January, I was asking for options. [02:48:24] If anybody knows my background, 21 years in real estate, 15 years in sales, I basically [02:48:31] came back and said, I've come away over the last six or eight months with a change, can [02:48:37] you go to the second slide? [02:48:42] I asked for an option, and the option was, after looking at the report, looking at what [02:48:49] we had talked about as what our goals and objectives were to make this facility better, [02:48:56] I asked Ms. Manns, the information came Friday or Monday, and that's okay, because it's information. [02:49:07] I wanted my goal, because I've worked out alongside Mr. Smith for a number of years, [02:49:14] in that back area of wanting to pull the gymnasium, or pull the fitness center to the front, so [02:49:21] that I can operate it independently from the rest of the facility, because we were having [02:49:25] to turn the entire facility on for people to access all the way in the back at six o'clock [02:49:30] in the morning, and we all have hour issues and all of that. [02:49:35] I was looking at the opportunity to expand the square footage, and we had so many conversations [02:49:42] on what the optimal square footage was, and how it could be functional, and how we could [02:49:47] do all that. [02:49:49] Looking at the plan you saw before, and this one, I looked at it from, we're at a place [02:49:55] where we're tearing up all this stuff on the interior. [02:49:59] We've already jacked around with this thing for well over almost 24 months. [02:50:04] We've given faults, starts, and stops, not only to contractors, architects, but to our [02:50:10] operational staff. [02:50:12] We killed one summer of summer camp, because we literally couldn't tell them what the heck [02:50:19] we were going to do. [02:50:21] There went revenue off the table, so when you grade it out, you've already got a demerit. [02:50:26] We're tearing up good space inside to recreate it, to create the rooms that we're looking [02:50:33] for. [02:50:34] I looked at it at the first or second week of January, and I said, what is it that we [02:50:40] can do? [02:50:42] I said, if we move the fitness center to the front, whether it's this large box, or whether [02:50:49] you did it rectangularly and ran it down, further down by the pools, that you'd open [02:50:54] up that outside area. [02:50:57] Then I asked the famous question, give me some numbers, because there's been a lot of [02:51:02] false information. [02:51:04] We're doing this against that. [02:51:06] It's pitting one thing against another, and that isn't the way you move things forward. [02:51:11] If you go to the next page, and of course it's not the right way, then that's fine. [02:51:18] You can cook me on it, because we know that to add that to the building was $946,000. [02:51:23] $800,000 was to move the center up, and the other $111,000 was to make some interior improvements. [02:51:32] Literally what I said is, why am I taking this course of action? [02:51:38] Why am I pushed so hard a year ago to bring the price down to $1.7 million? [02:51:44] Now it's at $1.8 million, and I can't wrap my arms around supporting it at that level. [02:51:52] These are the reasons why. [02:51:54] Number one, our city priorities and projects have changed since July 2016. [02:52:01] We have taken a course of looking at other capital improvement items that I believe have [02:52:07] gone up the priority list. [02:52:12] Also allocating the penny for PASCO dollars, I served on the penny for PASCO one committee [02:52:19] as a co-chairman, and it's still, to this day I've been preaching it for two years, [02:52:25] that $1 million should not still be out there. [02:52:28] It should have been spent at the end of 2014 when the first 10 years was over, but it's [02:52:33] there. [02:52:34] All the other funds were spent where they said they were going to go, by the way the [02:52:40] penny was approved. [02:52:42] Penny two was approved differently, but these dollars have criterias that we promised the [02:52:48] public that we were going to put them in place with, so you have $1,131,000 from penny one [02:52:57] for needed improvements. [02:52:59] That leaves the other $700,000 in penny two that was going to go for this project to get [02:53:04] you with $1,001,000 in the seven to get you to the $1,008,000 that's on the table tonight. [02:53:10] My priorities have changed with what I think the key capital improvements are for the entire [02:53:14] city, and they've been well documented. [02:53:19] I think that those, that $700,000 in penny two, which has a lot more flexibility, can [02:53:24] be used for the parking garage elements we've been talking about, roadways, neighborhoods, [02:53:30] which I've been talking about since 2012 when I got here, and streetscaping to tie [02:53:36] things in from Marine District all the way out past North Bay. [02:53:42] Then I looked at it and I said, and the option of just moving the fitness center up, leaving [02:53:48] those other places, we get all the spatial needs that we had in that original plan. [02:53:53] We get the back room next to the pool. [02:53:55] We don't augment the oak room. [02:53:57] Yes, we're going to have to look at changing that one room for the child care, which it [02:54:03] was going to be anyway. [02:54:05] I'm saying that the options meet the spirit and the goals from the consultant's report [02:54:10] and for the revenue enhancement and the programming, which we need to let them do so they can go [02:54:15] market the place and try to increase those dollars. [02:54:20] Then I took it two steps further. [02:54:22] One, I said by doing that, we met our goal, we met our approach, because I think it plays [02:54:31] into the economic development gains that the city gets. [02:54:35] It'll benefit the millennial housing projects that we are putting in place now that are [02:54:39] getting ready, hopefully, to have permits pulled and construction begins. [02:54:45] Also the improvements at North Bay, at some point, those two are going to meld together. [02:54:49] That neighborhood in between North Bay and the rec center is eventually going to be all [02:54:54] in one inclusive. [02:54:56] I think it better sets us up by having our changes made at the rec center to position [02:55:02] us properly as an overall community element, as it deals with our presentation for the [02:55:07] VA project and the Marine District. [02:55:11] I think we miss out as that part. [02:55:14] Then largely number five for me is, the issues at this facility is not going to go away. [02:55:21] We need to address it now. [02:55:24] That means to me, if I was going to be involved in this, I had those objectives in mind that [02:55:32] I wanted to free up the workout center, so you can make it self-sufficient from the rest [02:55:39] of the facility, that you would add the child care and those elements. [02:55:43] To me, I've met my test on what I believe is spending the dollars, and it gets me back [02:55:52] into that million-dollar range that I have funding I know of, and allows me to be more [02:55:59] proactive with the remaining funding. [02:56:03] I drove hard for the million seven. [02:56:05] I just can't dance, and I'm sorry, I just can't dance at a million eight. [02:56:13] It's like me doing a home improvement project, which is like I usually do. [02:56:17] I start it out, I get it done, and then I go back and redo it again. [02:56:20] At the end of the day, I've done the same thing over and over again. [02:56:24] I don't know about you, but I know what that definition is, because it's been pointed out [02:56:27] to me over and over. [02:56:29] That's the reason I asked for an option, an alternative, because I had to get comfortable [02:56:35] where I was going to be on this, as it deals with all of the remaining issues in the way [02:56:41] that I think the rec center needs to fit in with the remainder of the city. [02:56:46] Mr. Mayor, that's my presentation. [02:56:47] Thank you, Deputy Mayor. [02:56:48] Mr. Davis. [02:56:49] Yeah, let me just start by saying the numbers that you guys referred to are the misdirection [02:56:56] that you got. [02:56:57] Those numbers I got on October 20, 2016, from the finance director and the city manager. [02:57:05] I went with those numbers based on staff giving me those numbers. [02:57:09] I can still present those numbers. [02:57:11] I presented them about a month ago, and they corrected me at that point. [02:57:17] I'm sorry that you think that it was me, but it was not me personally. [02:57:21] I just was reporting what was given to me. [02:57:25] We have about $1.1 million in gas option taxes that are still available for us to spend on [02:57:31] roads. [02:57:33] This $1.1 million is supposed to be in environmental improvements. [02:57:38] That's where it's supposed to be. [02:57:39] It's correct. [02:57:40] It's supposed to boost up the transportation portion of Penny One. [02:57:44] We have projects on the books right now that we're going to be working with, seawall stabilization [02:57:50] in 17-18, a quarter million dollars. [02:57:54] Another stabilization, $600,000. [02:57:57] We have a project that needs matching funds for the Great Preserve. [02:58:04] When you put those three projects right there together, you've got your $1.1 million. [02:58:09] It's going to be under environmental improvements, and that's where that $1.1 million is supposed [02:58:13] to be spent. [02:58:15] Whether the exact numbers that were on my sheet of paper that I handed out, where the [02:58:20] exact came, I took offense to the attitude that my fellow council members took towards [02:58:27] me. [02:58:28] I didn't rebel or rebuttal or anything, because the numbers that I had got were from the city [02:58:34] manager and the finance director. [02:58:37] The numbers are still close enough that we can still take that $1.1 million that's in [02:58:42] environmental improvements. [02:58:44] There's places for it to go. [02:58:45] We can still take the Penny Two money and utilize that for the roads. [02:58:51] We're going to get, like she said, $600,000, $700,000, somewhere in that area for road [02:58:58] improvements. [02:58:59] She said in her ... I went to the pavement meeting, and her first thing was she's going [02:59:06] to look for all these different places of possibly getting money. [02:59:10] With $700,000 a year, possibly from Penny Two, the gas option tax of somewhere around [02:59:18] $600,000 or $700,000, we're getting close. [02:59:22] Plus, we're getting $100,000 from our waste haul people that are supposedly supposed to [02:59:27] go to our roads. [02:59:29] We're getting real close to that $1.7 million that we could do this without doing the rec [02:59:35] center. [02:59:36] I'm not opposed to the rec center of that $1.1 million. [02:59:39] I like the project that they said that was worth about $300,000. [02:59:44] That gives us the square footage in the rec center without putting $1.8 million. [02:59:49] $300,000 would give us that space that we need. [02:59:53] We are underutilizing the rec center more than you can even imagine. [02:59:58] I don't think that putting ... [03:00:00] this money in it, and you're saying it's at 30% to 34%, [03:00:03] I think 34% is what the city manager quoted me, [03:00:07] that it's a return on our money, [03:00:09] which still does not count the depreciation of the building, [03:00:12] still does not count the interest on the note. [03:00:16] If we added that in, it's probably down close to zero. [03:00:19] So I'm sorry that you guys took that information [03:00:24] and thought it was all me, but it was not all me. [03:00:27] These numbers are still close to being the same thing. [03:00:30] I still think that we don't need $1.8 million. [03:00:33] I'd be glad to give you $300,000. [03:00:36] But I think if you go back to that original picture [03:00:38] that they started out with, and you looked at that facility, [03:00:41] and you were in some other town in Florida, [03:00:43] you would say, wow, is that a beautiful facility [03:00:46] for 15,000 people. [03:00:51] It's the finest rec center in the state of Florida. [03:00:54] Four pools. [03:00:55] I believe Lois, what she read was right off [03:00:57] our own rec center website. [03:01:00] That's what we advertised. [03:01:01] That was our writing. [03:01:03] And so I started this. [03:01:07] I'm the one that took the rec center over here [03:01:09] and the rows over here, and I put them together. [03:01:11] And I'm not sorry that I did it. [03:01:14] I think that it still needs to be addressed. [03:01:16] I think two years down the road, we're [03:01:18] going to look at this rec center again, [03:01:19] and I don't think you're going to see any better numbers [03:01:22] than membership. [03:01:25] We just went through the membership drive in January. [03:01:29] There was no major growth. [03:01:33] If you triple the membership that we have now from 250 [03:01:38] to 750, add another 500 members, membership's at $300 a piece. [03:01:44] That's $15,000. [03:01:46] How long does that take to recover the $1.8 million? [03:01:50] It doesn't. [03:01:51] We still got the overhead, increased overhead probably. [03:01:54] So the numbers may not match rec center versus roads. [03:01:59] Yes, there is that to address. [03:02:03] The people that came here, we talked about the roads. [03:02:05] We're totally against any kind of change in the system. [03:02:09] I went to the meeting. [03:02:10] I didn't see that they're all aboard. [03:02:13] Actually, I thought that there was a lack of participation [03:02:17] and there was no non-profits there, especially the churches. [03:02:22] There was no large acreage type people there, [03:02:26] meaning representatives from like, say, Southgate [03:02:29] or where the Winn-Dixie is or people [03:02:32] that own a lot of acres in town. [03:02:33] They weren't represented there. [03:02:35] I think some of your, Mr. House was here tonight, [03:02:38] owns I think 18 properties in town. [03:02:41] He wasn't there. [03:02:42] That's not represented on this committee. [03:02:44] So I think in asking those people to come out to that is one thing. [03:02:50] But inviting certain people that you think will be important, [03:02:53] the board at the Queen of Peace, the hotels on 19, [03:02:59] the people on 19 right away, they should be highly represented. [03:03:02] They just went through a downturn economically for the last year [03:03:07] and a half because of the redoing of 19. [03:03:11] They're just getting back on their feet. [03:03:13] And now we're going to look at proposing a tax on them to fix the roads. [03:03:19] They just went through fixing the roads. [03:03:21] So I think we're not looking at the whole picture. [03:03:23] I think I started something. [03:03:25] And I'm glad I did, because I think it needs [03:03:27] to be represented, that whole picture. [03:03:29] A term we used tonight, a term that Bill started, is stepping. [03:03:32] The stepping project isn't the way to do it. [03:03:36] It's like the whole picture, the whole ball of wax. [03:03:40] So to say that the money cannot be used anything but on the rec center [03:03:44] is incorrect. [03:03:45] There are projects on the books that we can use that money for. [03:03:49] True, it cannot be roads, but there is definitely projects on the book. [03:03:53] So there's no way, and I think in two years, [03:03:56] you're going to address this project and this thing [03:03:58] and say, we can't afford it still. [03:04:02] Thank you, Councilman Davis. [03:04:03] Any other comments, questions? [03:04:06] So this proposal here from Mr. Phillips, [03:04:08] this is cutting about $800,000 off. [03:04:12] If it would be effective, why wouldn't we [03:04:14] look at this aspect or this option from the beginning, number one? [03:04:17] Number two, does it include child care in that expansion? [03:04:20] Does not. [03:04:21] That's the other point. [03:04:22] It doesn't have the rehab of the existing fitness center in that number. [03:04:26] But the space is there. [03:04:28] Well, it is, but I'm just saying that number was strictly the budget [03:04:31] to add that building on that diagram. [03:04:34] You'd still have to renovate the existing fitness center. [03:04:39] You would have to add the child care. [03:04:41] We can do changes. [03:04:42] I'm just saying, let's let the man finish his answer. [03:04:45] Child care is the incorrect term from SFA. [03:04:47] It's child watch. [03:04:49] Let's let the gentleman answer the question, please. [03:04:53] Again, I'm just trying to clarify the numbers for you. [03:04:55] I'll just ask you a question. [03:04:56] I appreciate you answering it. [03:04:58] That's only a partial project cost. [03:05:00] It wouldn't equate to the total project cost. [03:05:02] That was just what that addition would equate to. [03:05:05] So it would not incorporate child watch. [03:05:07] It would not incorporate renovation of the existing fitness center. [03:05:10] And not, there was some rework at the entry desk and all to make it more efficient. [03:05:14] It wouldn't include that either. [03:05:16] That was strictly what you saw in that picture, alone, stand alone. [03:05:19] I understand, and I appreciate that. [03:05:23] I was looking for some numbers, due to the fact that I was trying to find [03:05:29] some common ground with what our goals and objectives were. [03:05:33] But the other thing that comes back to me is, [03:05:36] as I analyzed your breakout numbers for the project, [03:05:40] and I brought this to Ms. Mann's attention again last week, [03:05:45] when I dove into the details and the subcontractors [03:05:50] and how stuff was positioned in the bid package that you shared with us, [03:05:55] there was nominal vendors or contractors in each category in that bid package. [03:06:06] Especially when it came to electrical and whatever. [03:06:08] And I was given information that because there wasn't three, [03:06:13] it's going to be taken out for bid again. [03:06:15] So the ballpark numbers that you gave me on 800,000 and then 100,000 [03:06:21] for that rework area, there still could be some play in those numbers [03:06:26] that could affect the child watch area or whatever. [03:06:29] But at the end of the day, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable

    This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

20. 13.b

    2015 Stormwater System Improvements Project - ITB No. 16-020 Bid Award

    approved

    Council awarded the 2015 Stormwater System Improvements Project bid to Augustine Construction Incorporated for an amount not to exceed $288,623.05. The project includes drainage inlets, stormwater manhole piping, tide flex valves, and a dry retention pond at sites on Florida Avenue, Missouri Avenue, Delaware Avenue, and Riverview Drive. Funding is from stormwater utility tax dollars plus a $20,000 Southwest Florida management grant.

    • motion:Move for approval of the bid award to Augustine Construction Incorporated, not to exceed $288,623.05, for the 2015 Stormwater System Improvements Project. (none)

    📍Delaware Avenue east of Van Buren📍Florida Avenue in the downtown area📍Missouri Avenue east of Madison📍Riverview Drive west of Grand Boulevard near the bridge🏢Augustine Construction Incorporated🏢Southwest Florida Water Management District👤Mams👤Rivera#2011 miscellaneous stormwater and ADA improvement project#2015 Stormwater System Improvements Project#ITB No. 16-020#Marine Parkway multi-use path

    ▶ Jump to 3:06:32 in the video

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    [03:06:34] with all aspects of this project from day one to this point. [03:06:39] And I needed an option to look at that I felt was meeting the objectives [03:06:45] of where we've had our conversations. [03:06:48] All the other stuff will work itself out. [03:06:51] But that's where I was at. [03:06:52] And I don't fault you for trying to save the city money. [03:06:55] I think it's phenomenal. [03:06:56] But you answered my question. [03:07:00] Thanks. [03:07:02] And I appreciate that as well, Bill. [03:07:04] But at this point, I just don't want to be doing piecemeal. [03:07:07] I think we're going to want to come back again. [03:07:09] And we're going to want to renovate that area for the old area that we're taking back. [03:07:16] I mean, that we're moving the facility. [03:07:18] I think that we've pared this down to the point that it's as minimal as we can get. [03:07:25] I'm sorry that we didn't do what we were looking at two years ago [03:07:29] that did include the swimming pool renovations. [03:07:33] And I feel like where we are right now, this will have the effect that we need. [03:07:45] We talked about, someone made a comment tonight that said we renewed our membership [03:07:50] and we still aren't quite there yet. [03:07:53] Well, I don't think we're going to. [03:07:54] I don't think that it's going to improve until we make the improvements [03:07:57] that have been suggested. [03:07:59] That were natural improvements that came out of having to address all of the things [03:08:05] that Mr. Starkey eloquently shared and our mayor as well as our city manager. [03:08:13] So with that said, I'd like to make a motion that we accept the recommendation [03:08:18] as provided in this agenda item and move forward with those recommendations [03:08:28] to establish a new fitness center, children's area, renovate the existing fitness center [03:08:31] and create an activity room, the guaranteed maximum price of $1,008,579.65. [03:08:37] And I will second the motion. [03:08:40] Any further from the maker? [03:08:43] No. [03:08:45] No. I mean, the one comment I'll make is this has been a tough one for our council. [03:08:51] I mean, we had a couple of votes earlier tonight, or one at least. [03:08:53] That was three to two. [03:08:55] We've always gotten along very well. [03:08:57] I don't want that to stop. [03:08:58] We've always respected each other's opinions. [03:09:00] We all, you know, are entitled to one vote up here. [03:09:03] So I trust that in the future we'll continue to work well together, [03:09:07] respect each other's opinions and points of view and put this, [03:09:11] the friction that this project has created behind us. [03:09:16] Councilman Davis? [03:09:17] There was no friction on my part. [03:09:21] I didn't say there was. [03:09:22] Deputy Mayor? [03:09:24] No, Mr. Mayor. [03:09:25] There's a motion on the floor. [03:09:27] Thank you. [03:09:28] Deputy Mayor, I do appreciate your attempting to figure an alternate way [03:09:32] of trying to whittle this down. [03:09:36] I'm just not comfortable with the way that lays out. [03:09:39] I think the proposal that we've been given, and particularly based [03:09:44] on the recommendations from the Sports Facilities Authority, [03:09:50] everybody else, that we need to go ahead and bite the bullet and do this. [03:09:55] We've run this thing into the ground over the course of almost two years. [03:10:01] And I think it's time we move on, get this thing done, [03:10:05] and go on to the next project that we need to deal with. [03:10:09] There's no further discussion. [03:10:11] I just appreciate the opportunity to offer additional information and stuff. [03:10:17] And that's always the spirit in which it's offered. [03:10:20] Absolutely. [03:10:21] I do appreciate that. [03:10:23] No further discussion. [03:10:24] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [03:10:26] Aye. [03:10:27] Opposed? [03:10:28] Like sign? [03:10:28] No. [03:10:30] Motion passes three to two. [03:10:32] Next item is Stormwater System Improvement Project. [03:10:35] Ms. Mams? [03:10:38] Mr. Rivera, can you please present the agenda item? [03:10:41] Thank you. [03:10:42] The purpose of this item for City Council to consider for approval [03:10:46] and award is the low bid submitted by Augustine Construction Incorporated [03:10:51] in the amount not to exceed $288,623.05 for the 2015 Stormwater System [03:11:01] Improvements Project. [03:11:03] The project consists of stormwater system improvements, [03:11:06] such as the installation of drainage inlets, structures, [03:11:11] a stormwater manhole piping, tide flex valves, [03:11:14] and the construction of a dry retention pond and overflow structure. [03:11:19] Project site locations are Florida Avenue in the downtown area, [03:11:24] Missouri Avenue east of Madison, and Delaware Avenue east of Van Buren, [03:11:30] and then finally Riverview Drive west of Grand Boulevard near the bridge. [03:11:35] There were four sealed competitive bids that [03:11:37] were opened by the city January 12, ranging [03:11:41] from the low bid of the $288,623.05 to a high bid of $411,128.50. [03:11:53] Augustine Construction has done similar projects with the city before. [03:12:00] One of them was the 2011 miscellaneous stormwater and ADA improvement project, [03:12:06] and the most recent one was the marine parkway multi-use path. [03:12:11] Funding is identified as stormwater utility tax dollars, [03:12:15] and there is a $20,000 Southwest Florida management grant that [03:12:22] can be applied to this project, and staff would recommend the bid award. [03:12:28] I'll open this up for public comment. [03:12:31] Seeing no one come forward, bring it back to council. [03:12:33] Move for approval.

    This text was generated automatically from the meeting video. It is not a verbatim or official record. For exact wording, consult the video or the city clerk.

21. 13.c

    FDOT FY17 Highway Landscape Reimbursement and Maintenance Memorandum of Agreement, Resolution No. 2017-10 - Consideration for Approval

    approved

    Council adopted Resolution No. 2017-10 authorizing staff to proceed with a $546,543 FDOT reimbursement grant and enter into a Highway Landscape Reimbursement and Maintenance Memorandum of Agreement for Phase 2 of the U.S. Highway 19 Center Median Landscape Project. Discussion included concerns from Councilman Bridges about dying perennial peanut plantings from Phase 1, with staff explaining Morelli Landscaping is maintaining watering and replacements will occur.

    Ord. Resolution No. 2017-10

    • motion:Move for approval of Resolution No. 2017-10 authorizing the FDOT FY17 Highway Landscape Reimbursement and Maintenance Memorandum of Agreement. (passed)

    📍U.S. Highway 19🏢Augustine Construction🏢FDOT🏢Morelli Landscaping👤Ms. Manns👤Robert👤Starkey#FDOT FY17 Highway Landscape Reimbursement Grant#Resolution No. 2017-10#U.S. Highway 19 Center Median Landscape Project Phase 2

    ▶ Jump to 3:12:35 in the video

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    [03:12:35] Second. [03:12:36] Second to the maker. [03:12:37] Anything we can do to enhance our stormwater, and some of the pictures [03:12:42] that Mr. Jackson shared with us, obviously, was two or three years ago [03:12:46] with Debbie and all that, and I think we've made some strides with that [03:12:51] in the stormwater dollars that we have. [03:12:53] And the more that we can do that, the better off [03:12:56] we do to protect property value and the overall aesthetics [03:12:59] in the city of New Port Richey. [03:13:01] Thank you, and I would have the same thoughts. [03:13:06] Question. [03:13:06] We did a pretty extensive stormwater project along Adams Street a few years ago. [03:13:12] That section of Florida wasn't included in that? [03:13:16] This section is the, no, we didn't go, we're going half a block up on Missouri [03:13:24] on the east side, and that is the area that we have a lot of flooding [03:13:29] that sheet flows across the area. [03:13:31] So actually, when we went out there to take a look at it, [03:13:36] there was no inlet structures over mid-block there. [03:13:39] So we're trying to capture some of that water. [03:13:42] I'm surprised we didn't have that with that last big downtown project. [03:13:48] Councilman Starkey? [03:13:48] I have no comments, thank you. [03:13:50] I just have a question. [03:13:53] I know that we are a city and we need to take a little bid, [03:13:55] but when it's a bid that's $288,000 and the high bid of $411,000, [03:14:00] I mean, what issues come into play with that? [03:14:05] Because that idea that you get what you pay for, [03:14:07] they realize that it's a substantial amount of money, [03:14:09] but what ways for the difference in the bidding? [03:14:13] Well, we're calling out the high bid. [03:14:16] And so that high bid, there could be a vast difference [03:14:20] simply because the company that throws that bid in there, [03:14:24] it's just a bunch of estimators that are throwing in bids, [03:14:27] hoping that maybe they'll get a job and make a lot of money off of it [03:14:31] because their schedule is already busy. [03:14:33] So they don't need that extra work. [03:14:35] They're not like some of the smaller companies [03:14:38] that are trying to bid against one another [03:14:42] and actually want to get that job. [03:14:44] And that's the difference most of the time. [03:14:45] They just kind of want to keep their name in the game, so to speak. [03:14:48] They really don't want the job. [03:14:50] Because you never know. [03:14:52] You never know who's going to submit the bids on these projects. [03:14:55] I mean, they could be, actually, they could be the only one [03:14:57] or maybe two. [03:15:00] that were submitted, they don't know, and the other company maybe that would bid on [03:15:03] it might be in the same situation, and they come out making a pretty good profit on the [03:15:09] project. [03:15:10] But its quality is still, as you stated about the Augustine construction, there's still [03:15:15] quality work and quality product that they're going to use, et cetera, et cetera. [03:15:19] Sure. [03:15:20] We've used Augustine construction probably for about maybe, I would say offhand, maybe [03:15:24] six or seven projects, and all of them have come under budget. [03:15:29] The quality of work has been excellent. [03:15:31] So we actually were kind of happy when we saw that they were the ones that were the [03:15:35] low bidders. [03:15:36] Thank you, Robert. [03:15:37] Appreciate it. [03:15:38] Any further discussion? [03:15:39] Yes, sir. [03:15:40] We have a motion and a second. [03:15:43] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [03:15:45] Aye. [03:15:46] Opposed? [03:15:47] The like sign. [03:15:48] Next is FDOT Fiscal 17, Highway Landscape Reimbursement and Maintenance. [03:15:52] Ms. Manns? [03:15:54] The floor is up again. [03:15:55] The purpose of this resolution is to grant staff permission to proceed with the state [03:16:02] grant awarded to the city for the U.S. Highway 19 Center Median Landscape Project Phase 2. [03:16:09] And then it would also be to approve staff to enter into a Highway Landscape Reimbursement [03:16:15] and Maintenance Memorandum of Agreement with DOT. [03:16:20] This project will complete the planting of landscaping and trees along the center islands [03:16:24] of U.S. Highway 19. [03:16:27] If you remember, Phase 1 was, oh, I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm sorry. [03:16:33] So DOT has awarded the reimbursement grant to the city in the amount of $546,543. [03:16:41] And this will go towards the Phase 2 portion of it and complete the islands that we didn't [03:16:48] get completed in Phase 1. [03:16:51] And so approving this resolution is one of those requirements that the council needs [03:16:57] to do for us to receive those funds. [03:17:00] Thank you. [03:17:01] Open it up for public comment. [03:17:03] Seeing no one come forward, bring it back to council. [03:17:05] Move for approval. [03:17:06] Second. [03:17:07] We have a motion and a second to the maker. [03:17:08] Just real quick on a side note, Robert, I brought this up last meeting, but I've had [03:17:12] more than one resident ask me about the meetings that we've planned already, and it looks like [03:17:16] those perennial peanuts, which is everything except for the plants and trees, are dying. [03:17:22] It's an exorbitant amount of money we're putting in. [03:17:23] I mean, I look at these figures, and I just can't believe that it's costing so much to [03:17:27] re-landscape these medians. [03:17:30] The last thing I want is for these to be dead a year from now, the last thing anybody wants. [03:17:33] Are we 100%? [03:17:34] Because I don't see anyone up there. [03:17:36] I'm sure they've been watering on a timely basis. [03:17:38] They don't look good. [03:17:39] I'll be honest with you. [03:17:40] I'm hoping spring's going to hit, and they're just going to bloom, and it's going to look [03:17:42] just like it did in the computer graphics we saw, but people are concerned right now. [03:17:47] And I understand that, and what we've got going on right now is perennial peanut, especially [03:17:52] when it's trying to get established, is similar to Bahia grass, and so it's not getting that [03:17:58] natural kick by Mother Nature that it wants. [03:18:01] Morelli Landscaping, who is the contractor on the job, if you all approve the change [03:18:07] order on our next item, then they're actually going to be completing those plannings as [03:18:12] well. [03:18:13] And so what the contractor is doing is he's doing his watering maintenance. [03:18:18] He's come up. [03:18:19] We've been in contact with him. [03:18:21] He's taken a look at the perennial peanut, and you're right. [03:18:24] There is some areas where it needs to be replaced, but there's also some areas that it's going [03:18:28] to come back. [03:18:30] We've got to wait for a couple months when the springtime hits here, and we start getting [03:18:34] a little bit warmer nights and things like that, for it to kick off and start going.

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22. 13.d

    2014/2015 US Hwy 19 Landscape Project Phase 1 Change Order - Consideration for Approval

    Council discussed a change order for the US Hwy 19 Landscape Project Phase 1, focusing on the contractor's plan to replant perennial peanut and other trees once the DOT agreement is executed. Staff confirmed a one-year warranty is in place and that delinquent areas will be replaced when the second phase is planted.

    📍US Hwy 19👤Morelli#2014/2015 US Hwy 19 Landscape Project Phase 1#FDOT agreement#one-year warranty#perennial peanut replanting

    ▶ Jump to 3:18:40 in the video

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    [03:18:41] Morelli has said that if he's going to start planting these other trees as soon as we get [03:18:46] the agreement from DOT executed, once that happens, he starts bringing those in, and [03:18:50] he brings the other perennial peanut in, he will have identified the areas with our staff, [03:18:57] take and replace whatever areas he needs to do, and then we'll continue on with it growing. [03:19:02] And there's a one-year warranty as well for all of it. [03:19:07] But we want to try to give the perennial peanut that's down there now an opportunity to turn [03:19:12] around, and then whatever hasn't turned around by the time he plants the second phase will [03:19:18] be replaced. [03:19:19] Perfect. [03:19:20] Thank you. [03:19:21] Deputy Mayor. [03:19:22] Plus, we'd like to plant it at the right season. [03:19:23] Is that what you're saying? [03:19:24] Well, you know what? [03:19:25] Because you plant it and it's dormant. [03:19:26] But that's not bad. [03:19:27] Because it's like my grass. [03:19:28] You know, I can do all I want to it, but until we get the right, but, you know, we had to [03:19:37] plant it because we were on deadlines and all this kind of thing. [03:19:39] I'm just saying that, you know, we're at a point where, you know, optimally, if we were [03:19:45] the best green thumbs and the arborists and everything else, that's when we would do it. [03:19:50] So as long as the warranty's in place, they recognize it, you're recognizing that there's [03:19:56] some delinquent areas that they're going to readdress and we're not going to have to [03:20:00] jump through a bunch of hoops or file on their surety bond or any of that, I'm a happy guy [03:20:06] because I'll wait for the spring, you know, until it shows up, which will probably be [03:20:10] a whole lot sooner than we know because the last two years, the weather's been just, you

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23. 13.e

    Re-Appointment of Dr. Donald Cadle, Jr., Land Development Review Board

    This agenda item was the re-appointment of Dr. Donald Cadle, Jr. to the Land Development Review Board. However, the provided transcript does not contain discussion of this appointment; it instead covers a Highway 19 landscape grant resolution and a related change order with Morelli Landscaping.

    #Land Development Review Board#Re-Appointment of Dr. Donald Cadle, Jr.

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    [03:20:16] can't predict it. [03:20:17] You can't predict it. [03:20:18] Just to add to your comment, Councilman Phillips, Morelli Landscaping has done several projects [03:20:23] with the city as well. [03:20:24] They're like Augustine Construction, so we have a relationship with them and so we feel [03:20:29] real confident that we're not going to have any issues on this project and the owner has [03:20:34] always been a man of his word and he always supplies the Florida fancy type of trees that [03:20:42] are specked out and top-notch landscaping. [03:20:45] So I feel confident that we're not going to have any problems. [03:20:50] Thank you. [03:20:51] Councilman Davis? [03:20:52] Thank you. [03:20:53] Mr. Mayor, can I read the title to it? [03:20:56] Please do. [03:20:57] Resolution number 2017-010, a resolution of the City Council of the City of New Port Richey, [03:21:02] Florida authorizing city staff to apply for and accept a highway landscape reimbursement [03:21:06] grant and enter into a highway landscape reimbursement and maintenance memorandum of agreement with [03:21:12] the Florida Department of Transportation. [03:21:14] Very good. [03:21:15] All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [03:21:18] Aye. [03:21:19] Opposed, the like sign. [03:21:20] The motion passes. [03:21:21] Next is the Highway 19 Phase 1 change order. [03:21:28] You're asking City Council to consider for approval a change order in the amount of $546,543 [03:21:37] from Morelli Landscaping. [03:21:39] This is on the 2014-15 Highway 19 Landscape Project Phase 1. [03:21:45] Like we had talked about previously, this ties into the previous item. [03:21:52] This will complete the planning of landscape and trees within those center islands. [03:21:56] The contractor has agreed to accept the same pricing and terms and conditions as Phase [03:22:03] 1, and we would ask that you approve the change order, and we would include it in the 2014-15 [03:22:10] project. [03:22:13] Open it up for public comment. [03:22:15] Seeing no one come forward, bring it back to Council. [03:22:18] Move to approve. [03:22:19] Second. [03:22:20] We have a motion and a second. [03:22:21] To the maker? [03:22:22] No. [03:22:23] To the second? [03:22:24] No, sir. [03:22:25] Councilman Davis? [03:22:26] No. [03:22:27] Councilman Starkey? [03:22:28] No. [03:22:29] Same here. [03:22:30] If there's no further discussion, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. [03:22:31] Aye. [03:22:32] Opposed, the like sign.

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24. 13.f

    Three Minute Report: Technology Solutions

    approved

    Council reappointed Dr. Donald Cato to the Land Development Review Board for a three-year term expiring February 7, 2020. Council members expressed appreciation for his service and the board's work.

    • motion:Reappoint Dr. Donald Cato to the Land Development Review Board for a term to expire February 7, 2020. (passed)

    👤Dr. Donald Cato👤Mr. Davis👤Ms. Manns#Land Development Review Board

    ▶ Jump to 3:22:33 in the video

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    [03:22:34] Next is the e-redeployment appointment of Dr. Don Cato to the Land Development Review. [03:22:41] Ms. Manns? [03:22:43] Yes, sir. [03:22:44] Mr. Mayor, Dr. Donald Cato has been a member of the Land Development Review Board since [03:22:50] 2013. [03:22:51] His current term is due to expire on February 19th of 2016. [03:22:57] He has submitted his application seeking reappointment to the board, and the term of which would [03:23:04] be for a three-year period of time. [03:23:06] Therefore, the staff is recommending that you reappoint Dr. Cato to the Land Development [03:23:12] Review Board for a term to expire February 7th, 2020. [03:23:17] Thank you. [03:23:18] I'll open it up for public comment. [03:23:20] Seeing no one come forward, bring it back to council. [03:23:22] Move to approve. [03:23:23] Second. [03:23:24] We have a motion and a second. [03:23:25] To the maker? [03:23:26] No. [03:23:27] Just thank you to Dr. Cato for his continuing service to the city. [03:23:31] To the second? [03:23:32] No. [03:23:33] I think he's been an asset to the Land Development Board. [03:23:36] Deputy Mayor? [03:23:37] I have to agree with Mr. Davis that I really appreciate what they do, and I appreciate [03:23:45] that they're such a diverse group. [03:23:49] If you read some of their insights on what they have come before them, it has been very [03:23:55] beneficial for me to have their insights as I review things, and I feel that that's the [03:24:01] right balance between citizen participation and elected participation through the issues.

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25. 14Communications▶ 3:24:06
26. 15Adjournment▶ 3:29:15