On the agenda

1. 1Call to Order - Roll Call▶ 0:00
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   CRA Master Plan Update

   discussed

   Stantec consultant Jared Beck and City Manager Debbie Manns presented an update process for the CRA Master Plan, last updated in 2019, reviewing past planning themes (design, mobility, parking, public art, housing, economic development) and project areas (downtown, Railroad Square, Sims Park, East Main, Palm/Rivergate, South Grand, Main Street gateway, North/South Gateways, former community hospital site, Leisure Lane/Van Doren). Council discussed priorities including expanding residential housing rehabilitation grants, the pros/cons of removing areas from the CRA boundary, and potential focus on Grand Boulevard, US Highway 19 gateways, and the Schwetman School corridor.

   • direction:Council gave direction that upgrading residential housing stock through an amplified grant program should be a top priority in the CRA plan update. (none)
   • consensus:Council expressed consensus to retain the current CRA boundary largely intact rather than remove sections at this time. (none)

   📍East Main📍Former community hospital site📍Grand Boulevard📍Gulf Drive📍Highway 19 bridge in Port Richey📍Leisure Lane and Van Doren Avenue📍Orange Lake📍Palm and Rivergate districts📍Railroad Square📍River Road📍Sims Park📍South Grand📍US Highway 19🏢Central on Orange Lake🏢Hacienda Hotel🏢Kaiser University🏢Schwetman School🏢Stantec🏢Stonehaven Main Street👤Debbie Manns👤Jared Beck👤Oakley#2019 CRA Plan Update#2020/2021 Downtown and Highway Master Plan#CRA Master Plan Update#Five-year capital plan#Pedestrian overpass at South Gateway#Public art master plan#Residential rehabilitation grant program#Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

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   [00:00:11] First item on the agenda is the CRA master plan update, take it away. [00:00:20] Yes. [00:00:21] I sure will. [00:00:22] The purpose of the work session today is to gain your input into the update of the [00:00:29] CRA master plan. [00:00:31] The master plan was last updated in 2019, and it was at that time that we extended the [00:00:39] life of the plan until 2048. [00:00:44] We are now at a point in the implementation of the plan that we're able to ask you to [00:00:51] consider not only the successes of the plan, but also to develop additional objectives [00:01:04] and project initiatives that will carry us through additional years. [00:01:12] We have been working with Stantec, and I have Jared Beck immediately to my right, who has [00:01:17] been the principal that we have been working with from Stantec on the update of the plan. [00:01:25] And I'm going to turn it over to him so that we can get this session started officially. [00:01:31] Thank you. [00:01:32] Good afternoon. [00:01:33] It's good to be here with you today. [00:01:40] What we're going to do is go through a fairly brief presentation that will just give you [00:01:43] an overview of the CRA update process. [00:01:47] We want to also just identify a couple of the past planning efforts that have been done. [00:01:51] Debbie mentioned the last CRA plan update, as well as another planning study in the last [00:01:57] couple of years that had some fairly common themes in terms of initiatives for the CRA [00:02:01] and the city to proceed with, as well as various projects or project areas that it identified. [00:02:07] Those items were relatively consistent throughout both of those past planning studies, and so [00:02:12] that is one of the things that not only are we working on using as a base as we look at [00:02:18] the CRA plan update, but also in recognizing what the city has accomplished and the goals [00:02:22] they have. [00:02:23] So with that, unless there's anything else to add, why don't we just move right into [00:02:27] the presentation. [00:02:36] What we'll update today, just an overview, some of the past planning efforts. [00:02:40] We'll go into each one of the key themes and projects. [00:02:43] We'll do that fairly high level. [00:02:45] Certainly I'm very informal in our discussions, and this is a work session, so if you want [00:02:49] to jump in, please feel free to. [00:02:51] I do want to recognize that the city has been really doing some good work in implementing [00:02:56] the past planning efforts, so we'll highlight those. [00:02:59] And then we'll turn the discussion over into you, and specifically, as Debbie had mentioned, [00:03:04] to affirm what's already been done and the direction that we've been going, and the city [00:03:09] and the CRA have been going, as well as identifying any changes or new projects or areas. [00:03:13] So we started with the CRA process this fall. [00:03:17] We have a fairly quick timeline that we're striving to achieve this to be completed on. [00:03:24] We should be done within about the next two months or so, and among the many things within [00:03:28] the plan will be an evaluation of your CRA boundary. [00:03:33] We will develop your five-year capital plan. [00:03:36] Incidentally, New Port Richey is somewhat atypical. [00:03:39] Your CRA covers almost your entire city, which you all know. [00:03:42] That's not something that most cities have, so that's kind of an interesting dynamic in [00:03:46] working with the city and the CRA's funding, as well as then we'll be looking at your grant [00:03:51] programs, your various incentives, and then incorporating your spending plan for the next [00:03:56] couple of years, your potential revenue, and then the other items that are required by [00:04:00] statute to satisfy your plan components. [00:04:06] The two primary plans that we have been using as our baseline for the work that's been done [00:04:11] is, as Debbie had mentioned, the 2019 CRA plan update and then the 2020 or 2021 downtown [00:04:18] and highway master plan. [00:04:20] They're both really good plans, and one of the things that we noticed in going through [00:04:23] these in our evaluation is that they identified many of the same themes, things that would [00:04:29] be beneficial for the city and the CRA to proceed with, as well as the different projects. [00:04:35] That's what we're going to highlight real quick in the next couple of minutes on what [00:04:39] these are, and then as we finish this, we'll go into showing some of what has been done. [00:04:47] As we look at the first part of the direction of the city, one of the primary themes has [00:04:53] been focusing on design, and that's establishing your design guidelines, things such as having [00:04:58] a public art master plan, working on your streetscapes, the overall aesthetics, as well [00:05:03] as things such as code enforcement, your beautification, continuing your wayfinding program, and whatnot. [00:05:10] Creating an image, so really enhancing the marketing and branding of the city and the [00:05:14] CRA, encouraging and supporting events and activity within the city, as well as potentially [00:05:19] considering unique districts or smaller districts within the city. [00:05:24] Improving mobility and access throughout the city, and this is not just along your key corridors, [00:05:29] but integrating within your parks and recreation plan, as well as throughout downtown, and [00:05:34] addressing some of the challenges like our large highway barriers, US Highway 19. [00:05:40] Enhancing parking, both in terms of identifying where that parking is, the amount of it, as [00:05:45] well as accessibility of it. [00:05:49] Expanding public art through various programs, and that can be murals, your arts as function, [00:05:54] and I love the benches right outside of the library, that's a really great example, as [00:05:59] well as then expanding and embracing a public art master plan. [00:06:04] Along with the themes included housing, really understanding the market and the opportunity [00:06:08] within the city of New Port Richey, as well as improving and expanding the existing housing [00:06:13] stock, and particularly adjacent to downtown to help activate and support that reinvestment. [00:06:20] Community character and design, and this will really speak to the regulatory aspect, what [00:06:25] you want your buildings to look like, your experience moving down the street, so your [00:06:28] codes and design guidelines. [00:06:32] After the overall themes, one of the focuses that came out of both of these plans was really [00:06:38] under the umbrella of economic development, and we're calling this an initiative, so it [00:06:43] was identifying the specific incentives that could be offered from the city or the CRA [00:06:48] to help achieve some of the theme elements, but also the specific projects which we'll [00:06:54] go into next. [00:06:56] Identifying various rehabilitation programs, things for supporting recruitment and partnering [00:07:01] of new business and investment, infill opportunities, as well as specific focus areas like your [00:07:08] gateways and US Highway 19. [00:07:12] Then we move into locations and specific projects, and like not surprisingly, historic downtown [00:07:19] was identified as one of the key investment areas, and things such as your streetscape [00:07:23] improvements, working on infill opportunities. [00:07:27] There were also a number of sites or projects specifically that were identified that would [00:07:32] be opportune for the city to focus or the CRA to focus its efforts on, as well as the [00:07:39] incentives that may support some of this investment. [00:07:44] Railroad Square was identified, and I know you've been working on that in those future [00:07:48] phases, but one of the key areas to continue investing for activating the community. [00:07:55] Sims Park in Orange Lake, this includes really focusing on or ensuring we're looking at park [00:08:01] edges, your boat docking, potentially acquiring additional property for that improvement, [00:08:06] which we know the city's currently under contract with. [00:08:09] This is the chamber site. [00:08:12] It's chamber site. [00:08:14] Yes. [00:08:15] Sorry. [00:08:16] East Main, and we've got a few in this area, but identifying longer-term uses, streetscape [00:08:23] enhancements, facade and site improvement opportunities. [00:08:29] Very similar with Palm and Rivergate districts, looking at a potential brand expansion or [00:08:34] reinforcing a brand, streetscape, facade and site enhancements, and really identifying [00:08:41] longer-term redevelopment that could occur within the area. [00:08:45] South Grand is fairly similar in terms of its goals. [00:08:53] Main Street and your gateway area. [00:08:55] This is one that perhaps has had some of the most noticeable change, really creating that [00:09:00] gateway entrance off US Highway 19 into Main Street. [00:09:07] And then the South Gateway area, identifying additional redevelopment opportunities, working [00:09:11] within your incentives to help support and encourage that, facade and site enhancements [00:09:16] for existing properties, and potentially a pedestrian overpass. [00:09:22] North Gateway area includes signage and other gateway features, identifying neighborhood [00:09:27] node opportunities, as well as potential bridge replacement longer-term. [00:09:35] And then the community hospital site, there's been substantial movement since these plans [00:09:40] were created, but it's really identifying or stressed to identify future opportunities [00:09:45] for reuse of this site, which we know the city has been working with the current property [00:09:51] owners on what a potential mixed-use redevelopment plan may look like for that area. [00:09:57] And recently, just to bring you up to date, the redevelopment plan does include some retail [00:10:04] space as well as the housing component. [00:10:07] You're talking about the community hospital site? [00:10:12] The former community hospital site. [00:10:15] And then down to the last couple of location areas that the plans had focused on, Leisure [00:10:19] Lane and Van Doren Avenue, includes the formalization of the annexation agreement, some potential [00:10:25] screening of the adjacent commercial properties, future housing and annexing, or including [00:10:31] rather an expansion of the CRA to include this. [00:10:35] And then I want to take just a minute and identify a couple of the successes, because [00:10:40] I think that there's a lot that the city and the CRA have accomplished in the last few [00:10:44] years. [00:10:45] Kaiser University is a part of your gateway, the Hacienda Hotel, which is just terrific [00:10:51] and I love seeing that, the parking garage. [00:10:55] So again, this is one of those things when you look at the various elements of it, it [00:10:59] ties into multiple of the themes that were identified. [00:11:02] It's your parking, it's your wayfinding, it's really improving your access. [00:11:05] So great projects that are being done. [00:11:08] Stonehaven Main Street is increasing your housing stock, the opportunities, as well [00:11:14] as Central on Orange Lake. [00:11:17] There are also quite a number of new businesses that have opened that we see within the downtown [00:11:22] area in the city, which is terrific. [00:11:25] These will have, I'm sure as you already are seeing, great economic impact on the community. [00:11:31] And so those are the last of the successes we're going to highlight. [00:11:34] We are giving the same presentation tonight to the community in a public workshop, and [00:11:40] one of the things that as we move forward with this, we want to make sure folks know [00:11:44] is that we have created a site specifically for this project, which can be accessed through [00:11:49] the city's CRA site. [00:11:51] This is a landing page, and one of the things that we've included, and we'll encourage you [00:11:54] to explore this, is an actual interactive map of the city. [00:11:59] And so folks can go in and they can identify specific comments or thoughts or ideas they [00:12:04] have on detailed locations anywhere within the city. [00:12:08] And so we'll really encourage folks to go in and use this, which we've already had some [00:12:14] input on already. [00:12:17] So with that, what I'd like to do is really open this up into a discussion for you all, [00:12:22] or however Debbie would like to proceed with that. [00:12:25] But what we want to have come out of this is really an affirmation on the work that's [00:12:29] been, or the project themes, the initiatives, the areas that have been identified and where [00:12:36] those are at in terms of your priority. [00:12:39] Identify any new items or concern or areas you want to focus on. [00:12:43] And then also know that for your CRA plan, when we talk about the things that we're looking [00:12:47] to do or we want to do, while we have that long 10-, 20-, 30-year view, we also want [00:12:52] to be mindful in this plan, we look towards that 5-year goal or so, 5- to 10-year goal. [00:12:58] So in the shorter term, what we really want to see. [00:13:00] So with that, I'll pause and turn it back to the city manager if there's anything she [00:13:04] would like to add. [00:13:06] I think we need to have a discussion about future projects, and we need to brainstorm [00:13:12] a little bit, because we're at a point in the program where we can emanate outside of [00:13:18] the downtown area. [00:13:20] And it's a perfect time to talk about the type of improvements that we want on 19, and [00:13:25] particularly in the neighborhood areas. [00:13:30] Let me kick it off with a caveat, as you mentioned, we have a CRA boundary that covers most of [00:13:39] the city for the time being. [00:13:42] I think that's probably just fine. [00:13:46] And the reason for that is one of the things that we have not spent a lot of effort on, [00:13:51] but I think as the downtown is coming back to life, we probably need to spend a lot more [00:13:59] time and resources on, is upgrading our residential housing stock. [00:14:06] We, in theory, have a grant program, but I'd like to see it very much amplified. [00:14:15] We've got a lot of homeowners that could use some help getting their houses up to the sort [00:14:22] of level where they would be a real asset. [00:14:26] And we've got some tired houses around town. [00:14:30] And they're not in any one particular location, and that's why I would say we probably don't [00:14:35] want to arbitrarily start lopping off sections of the CRA until we see what sort of interest [00:14:41] we've got around town. [00:14:44] So I would toss that out as probably the thing that I'd like to see as number one priority, [00:14:51] but I'll defer to my colleagues if any of you guys have some thoughts on it. [00:14:56] When you said lopping off sections... [00:15:00] Removing sections from the CRA. We have done that one time, and it was two, three years ago now, in an area that just, I'm not sure if it makes sense for it to be in the CRA. [00:15:21] One of the problems is trying to identify an area that is contiguous, that is all good, that doesn't need any TLC. [00:15:35] And the best example of that I can give you is right along your street, where we've got some very expensive waterfront houses, and literally across the street we've got houses that need a lot of attention. [00:15:57] And so you can't just arbitrarily say, we're going to take this lot, this lot, and this lot out. It needs to be the whole area. [00:16:06] So to follow up on that, so maybe, well, if we're not considering that, maybe we don't need to, but my question is, the ramifications of removing sections of the city out of the CRA, what is the end result of doing that? [00:16:28] What's the pros and cons of doing that? But if we're not going to consider it, I don't think we need to get into that discussion at this time, unless there's some need to be. [00:16:38] I think that we should evaluate from time to time whether or not an area should be in the CRA district. [00:16:47] The advantages to doing so is that you, disadvantage is that you would be losing money in your TIF budget, right? [00:17:08] And that would certainly impact the city. The advantage is that the city's general fund would not be as impacted as it is, because the city's general fund is the fund that pays the most into the city's TIF fund, and it is our most challenged source of funds. [00:17:33] Ideally, when an area becomes not distressed or blighted, whatever term you want to use, it would come out of the CRA, which reduces your TIF funding going forward. [00:17:46] But at the other hand, it puts those properties on the rolls where they're feeding the general revenue budget for the city. Because right now, and since 2000, 2001 or something, it's basically the GR budget's been fixed. [00:18:07] So the reason I ask that, I know that there's been other municipalities within the county where the county came in pretty heavy-handed and asked those folks to remove properties out of the CRA. [00:18:21] And so I'm, you know, I'm, you know, just a little pause for thoughts. Why is the county interested in doing that, and why would the city be a little less, you know, motivated to do that if they weren't pushed? [00:18:38] If I may respond, the county's interested in doing so because they're the second highest contributor to the city's TIF fund, and they're interested in preserving more of their tax revenue instead of sharing it with the city of Newport. [00:18:58] And the city's apprehension is that we like to use some of their money to support our economic development or the elimination of blight activities. [00:19:12] Do you think we don't really have sections, we don't have a ton of sections that we could pull out like that because everything's so mixed in. Like you say, on River Road, you have, you know, expensive houses on the water, and then right across the street, and in some cases right next door, you know, you have houses that could use some assistance. [00:19:30] And so I don't see a ton of areas where you could actually cut a full area out because of that. [00:19:36] And we did remove some, what, two years ago, was it? [00:19:38] Yeah. [00:19:39] Yeah. [00:19:40] Those are easier, they're like little developments inside themselves. [00:19:43] Not much of that left though. [00:19:44] No, that's right. [00:19:45] No. [00:19:46] Going off of tourist tax on a regular basis puts our plan less at risk of challenge, I believe. [00:19:53] And certainly take a look at it. [00:19:55] And if some of those problematic properties in the river neighborhood ultimately get fixed up in this next few years because we're doing residential grants, at that point a future CRA can say, you know, maybe we ought to take this whole section out of the CRA. [00:20:14] Well, thank you. [00:20:15] I didn't mean to take us off on a tangent there. [00:20:17] Yeah. [00:20:18] But I thought that might provide some baseline context of that thought as we go, as we talk about the CRA going forward. [00:20:25] Okay. [00:20:26] So if I may jump in on the financial side, and I see we've got our finance director here as well. [00:20:33] The difficulty to me when we have these discussions is that you have a CRA with a tax increment financing plan and you kind of take the strategic plan of the city for growth and you load it in there. [00:20:50] And so the use of the tax increment funds can only be used to what's in your plan that you're updating. [00:20:59] So as an example, to get to the meat of what you're asking us for in terms of projects and discussing them, last night we had a discussion that was held about Grand Boulevard and the joyous experience of driving down that in our future vision of what that might be, which transects the project of the bike path. [00:21:25] But it also brings us to an area that I talked about when I ran back for office again this time, and I think so did our other candidates most recently, to say we'd like to kind of look at that brand-new high school on Gulf Drive and that corridor. [00:21:44] And the way it was described last night, I think it kind of inspired that that boulevard is a potential focus, which would include looking at land use and zoning and issues that are not related to the CRA. [00:21:59] And so having us as a group of five without an advisory committee, you from time to time through your work with us updating the plan, I've been waiting for a long time and I'm hopeful that we talk about what inspires us to think how our future of our city is going to be. [00:22:22] And we have an opportunity, I think, with that school, the Schwetman School on that corner, which is also historic, to kind of create that historic link of Grand Boulevard, the old Dixie Highway. [00:22:36] And so I think from your initial slides, you showed Highway 19, and we should do everything we can. [00:22:46] We had a study that you didn't reference that said make that back door of River Road into an entrance and try to create some more local interest in the highway corridor as the traffic becomes almost toxic to having it have use out there. [00:23:06] But I think Grand Boulevard, just to say, is one area. [00:23:10] And just to get the names of these projects out, so my colleagues might want to talk about them, we've talked about the gateway of Highway 19 at the bridge in New Port Richey. [00:23:20] You've listed it as an underpass, but I'm looking at the city side and I'm understanding the county is preparing to have a strategy for a boat ramp there. [00:23:32] The city is. [00:23:33] But the county purchased some land, though, right? [00:23:36] They purchased the first piece, yes. [00:23:38] They purchased a piece and they have reached a handout to the city, as I understand it, to say, you know, what could you do with it if we maybe assembled some more land? [00:23:52] So I think that is a very exciting, very prominent opportunity for us. [00:23:59] And I know, Debbie, that you're pursuing some of that stuff quietly. [00:24:02] But I want to point out that when you say the county would like us to contract maybe, we're talking in a generic term of generically counties have a little heartburn, [00:24:15] but all we have to do is excite them about a project that they like, that they can be part of. [00:24:21] And I think that some of that argument dissipates. [00:24:25] I mean, when Chairman Oakley came in when he was chairman and rode the golf cart around town and saw the old houses and the housing stock, he became interested. [00:24:35] So part of our marketing strategy really needs to get the county to realize the seriousness, how we take this plan, [00:24:44] because we've got 20-some years and some $80 or $90 million just if things go normally. [00:24:51] And if things go any quicker, we're talking $120 million just in TIF that we could be getting over that term. [00:24:59] So I'm afraid that we do look too often on this year's budget, and now we have this 10- and 15-year plan out, [00:25:07] things that we might feel we couldn't afford if we look at the capital improvements that they draw in, which we've done. [00:25:16] We did that with Kaiser. [00:25:18] Now we bought the bank. [00:25:20] And I think we're on this very good track, and we have to find a way to make sure we explain it so that the things that the residents want for themselves, [00:25:30] the streetscape, the lights, the park enhancements, those things that are sort of variables in terms of you get your direct impact [00:25:42] when somebody comes in and builds something for $60 million or $10 million, puts it on the tax roll, and then the money starts coming into TIF. [00:25:51] When you take the TIF money to spend on areas that don't create a direct economic benefit, but they're a great enhancement. [00:26:01] So I think we have a really good mix. [00:26:03] We have a good plan, but we have more exciting projects that come up. [00:26:07] That one is one. [00:26:09] The little dock and riverside activity right here on Main Street is critical to help people getting across. [00:26:17] We've all talked about that. [00:26:19] And I think that Grand Boulevard, I don't know about those of you that were there last night, [00:26:25] but I was kind of inspired to say, you know, there's another really good promenade, walking space. [00:26:34] And then with the Schwetman School that's closed, I've been working for a number of years, [00:26:42] and I hope to bring back to you guys a solid plan to bring some tourism, something that they can, to the county, to get their involvement again in our city. [00:26:59] I think you've raised some great points, and that was an excellent program last night, [00:27:05] which pretty much, I think, put an exclamation point on some of the comments that I have made previously, [00:27:16] as well as the video that I posted on Facebook earlier in the week when somebody blew past me on Main Street like I was standing still using a center turn lane. [00:27:27] That, yeah, if we do the redevelopment of the Grand Area, Grand Boulevard, that could, it will improve the entire city, [00:27:38] because more than anything else, it's the appearance. [00:27:41] And I don't want to get away from the residential stuff too much, because I'm not pleading poverty, okay? [00:27:50] But we've had roof work done this year, and I've got some more coming, and it is obscenely expensive. [00:27:58] And we've got folks that just cannot afford those type of major repairs, [00:28:05] and with citizens and the other insurance companies taking a tougher and tougher view of just, for example, roofs, [00:28:15] we're going to have some people that are not going to be able to keep their homes if we can't come up with a way of using some of our funding, [00:28:25] CRA I would think would be appropriate, to help get them through it. [00:28:28] $1 million, whether $800 or $700. [00:28:30] $750,000. [00:28:31] $750,000. [00:28:32] So that's why I mentioned there's more than one pot, and the penny for PASCO money, which is a whole other discussion. [00:28:38] These are things that I think, if we improve those homes, get them up to current code, help beautify them, make them more attractive, [00:28:51] that's going to pay dividends. [00:28:53] Anytime anybody is looking to consider moving their business to New Port Richey, [00:28:58] and they start driving around, if they see the places like you're talking about that Commissioner Oakley saw, is that, oh, my, that's not good. [00:29:07] But if they can come in and see that we've got a housing stock that is being actively improved, that is going to make an impression on them, I believe. [00:29:20] Well, that was actually what Oakley saw. [00:29:22] He saw some of those little houses that are getting remodeled through the local real estate, local entrepreneurs, [00:29:31] people you all went to school with, probably, and friends that have gotten into it. [00:29:36] But I think that a full understanding of the programs that we have from the different pots of money, [00:29:44] and then looking at the CRA as an engine, because it's the revenue we want to generate from the CRA that ultimately does get turned back over to the city's general fund, [00:29:54] which could help to lower taxes when the time comes. [00:29:57] But what... [00:30:00] are we going to do that are going to generate that economy and the business [00:30:03] community that pays a substantial amount of our taxes and how do we make sure [00:30:07] that that business community survives as we're enticing them with incentives so I [00:30:15] think we a good balance as to your point mayor but some have said we've spent too [00:30:19] much time on the downtown let's go somewhere else and it's like we got to [00:30:23] keep doing what we're doing and that will allow us to provide these other [00:30:27] things it's like it's like getting a little too anxious before the fruit is [00:30:32] ripe but yeah I would agree we we started off I think correctly by [00:30:37] concentrating almost exclusively on the downtown but I think we're at the point [00:30:41] now that we can we can broaden that focus and we've talked about attacking [00:30:47] some of the the issues along us-19 if we do that in concert with the the [00:30:54] residential stuff I think we've got a good good approach moving forward the I [00:31:01] don't know that you're going to see any really large-scale projects come up in [00:31:07] the downtown at this point maybe in the Palm District but you know the downtown [00:31:13] is pretty well where it needs to be at this point Matt what do you think well [00:31:19] just talking about what you just said projects downtown you know there are [00:31:24] areas that we could you know add to also you know like in between bomb and [00:31:32] and the can't think of the name of the restaurant sushi place like there so [00:31:38] there's a couple spots there then also we have the lot across from the Hacienda [00:31:42] that could be a major project you know parking you know probably parking garage [00:31:47] and things like that so that's a that's a pretty big you know piece there inside [00:31:50] the city but yeah I mean we you know we've got a lot inside there I think [00:31:56] that inside the city downtown we got some stuff coming up on the outside like [00:32:01] the you know bank property in 19 which talked a little bit about redevelopment [00:32:05] on 19 but yeah I think we can I agree with boosting you know the residential [00:32:13] programs maybe or however you want to do it and maybe even focus on what's most [00:32:17] beneficial to everyone in that that respect and maybe focus on those certain [00:32:22] items but like Grand Boulevard you know we doing Grand Boulevard and multi-use [00:32:26] path and and all that going through that's that's gonna be a boost every [00:32:30] house on that street you know that's gonna you know really make them pop and [00:32:35] give them incentive to try to you know fix it up and look better I mean that's [00:32:38] that's gonna be huge just for that whole area I mean there's so many there's so [00:32:44] many you know different things we have going on but I think we got to kind of [00:32:47] stay the course and focus on these projects we got going now and see them [00:32:52] through and then you know give a little love to the residential part of it I [00:32:58] think we're I think we're on track I mean things are gonna change as we go [00:33:01] nothing stays you know constant things move around so we got to be flexible but [00:33:06] I think we got a good good look at it and a good good plan that on grand you [00:33:12] brought it up and this is a question maybe for Santek and Debbie as well but [00:33:17] you know when the comment was made if this would have been a different economy [00:33:22] when that was built that we would have seen different development and we have [00:33:26] had during my early days back in the 90s a lot of discussion about well well this [00:33:32] is medical and professional because we want all of our commercial here and now [00:33:38] you're talking about some retail and some stuff that when we're it's not a [00:33:41] hospital anymore and Grand Boulevard for the CRA to say let's invest all this [00:33:50] money to make it a nice walkable thing then one has to imagine that those [00:33:56] houses could also be houses for for artists or or or whatever to create some [00:34:03] interest along that way and I don't think it's zoned that way now it's not [00:34:08] and so does the CRA plan this is a question to the CRA plan does it [00:34:13] incorporate having us petition ourselves with the other hat on to say we need and [00:34:20] at the same time we've got our comprehensive plan a review going on so [00:34:25] I think Debbie maybe you could answer that question do you see us looking at [00:34:31] this strategic plan of what we will allow to be done and where in our town [00:34:37] as part of this discussion first and foremost we can't advocate for anything [00:34:44] in the CRA plan that doesn't conform to our comprehensive plan so yes is the [00:34:50] answer and that's what makes this effort so timely because we're really running [00:34:57] concurrent update of the comprehensive plan and you're speaking I think of the [00:35:04] Marine District where so many of those offices could be converted into nice [00:35:10] residential space and they need to be because they're not going to be there's [00:35:17] too many of them to really be reoccupied for office space without the benefit of [00:35:22] a large institutional use on the former community hospital site and based on the [00:35:29] current ownership of that property it's not going to occur something different [00:35:35] is going to occur I think by renovate she means bulldoze but there's that you're [00:35:43] absolutely right that whole area basically from Grand almost to Marine [00:35:48] Parkway and several blocks east of Grand Boulevard of Gulf Drive that that [00:35:57] is that is all area that is just ripe for redevelopment if we set the the long [00:36:04] range land use plan to to say we'd love to see some nicer stuff in there then [00:36:14] medical offices and industrial which is what you've got right now perhaps mixed [00:36:21] use perhaps resident you know the neighborhood commercial perhaps some [00:36:30] office space some some boutique stuff it could become a second locus for for [00:36:37] business in New Port Richey and the time is perfect to do it and if the CRA [00:36:44] recognizes that that is one of the areas that potentially if somebody wanted to [00:36:51] do something in there and take out some of those medical offices and put [00:36:57] something in nice man I you know I I can't vote on something sight unseen but [00:37:03] that comes real high up on my list of hey we have maybe we have to take a look [00:37:08] at this because like you say it's it's perfect timing a term called working [00:37:15] waterfront which is like when you have a marina and all of that versus our city [00:37:20] which is waterfront residential pretty much I don't know that I could mention [00:37:25] very many places and the one place happens to be the law office of my [00:37:32] brothers that my father who moved from there have on a canal and that's his own [00:37:38] professional medical and you got kitty corner quite a hobby and and an [00:37:44] investment banker so we have these nodes that are zoned in a way that's saying we [00:37:55] don't want you to have a kayak rental place there I think someone came to [00:37:58] them and asked to rent the place that Dale Webb has their first roofing [00:38:03] contracting to do kayaks but was sent home saying it doesn't match the zoning [00:38:10] so so it really is critical I think that we get that kind of vision out and and [00:38:16] nothing helps more than to see a picture of it like what we got with with the [00:38:21] downtown boat ramp where they had the little idea you could build this here [00:38:24] and do that there and if it encourages private investment along with it then [00:38:30] it becomes working and and one thing I'll be advocating on that map is [00:38:34] educational component because working waterfront don't have to be industrial [00:38:39] and I think we have a great opportunity to partner with the school board on [00:38:45] their on their management center and their research and developing scientific [00:38:54] interest in and and following our waterfront the quality of it the number [00:39:00] of manatees whatever all of these kids that need a place to park a boat and and [00:39:06] I'm pushing to try to see if I can get mr. Shipley back in to talk about a [00:39:13] tourism attraction but not a tourist attraction like you pay to go in but [00:39:18] just a ride I think chopper when we first suggested that you'd been to the [00:39:23] one and I'm speaking to someone in the audience I'm sorry but but that in [00:39:29] Charlotte they have a course and people come and they get a little exercise in [00:39:33] our city they could get something a little exciting more of an X game thing [00:39:37] but then they could ride a paddleboard and go into the 80 acres or our river [00:39:43] has always been the thing that has defined us and for us to take in every [00:39:48] advantage highway 19 Main Street we've got Francis Park we've got the Great [00:39:56] Preserve every chance we can get to make us recreationally sort of a blue way [00:40:03] bikeway intersection I'm sure it would be [00:40:11] okay what do you think so the yeah everybody's got some great ideas but the [00:40:19] you know my thought is as far as the neighborhoods improvements I think that [00:40:25] we still make available some of the grants we have I'm not sure that they've [00:40:28] always been utilized each year but I think we need to keep some of those in [00:40:34] place to see how they how they you know people respond to those and and and I [00:40:41] but I do see that the city we need to continue to send out our fingers so to [00:40:46] speak out into our neighborhoods and we've done that in the past we've done [00:40:50] some of the streetscape improvements there on you know on Madison we're [00:40:56] getting ready to do one in River Road you know to to kind of spoke out from [00:41:01] the downtown you know I believe that that neighborhood that's off you know [00:41:06] grand south of Maine is you know one of the top three areas of desirability not [00:41:15] only now but even if intensify going in the future those those streets that that [00:41:23] feed into Maine and they can our assuming feed into grand we'll use that [00:41:26] walkway but those those homes have nice sized lots they have alley access which [00:41:31] we which I think is a thing that we need to continue to to find ways to kind [00:41:37] of master plan how are we going to do with that right I think that will help [00:41:40] with density in the area and options and keep driving you know values of those [00:41:47] properties and maybe allowing higher density right and so you know I don't [00:41:52] see you know I think there's a transaction on the old master mechanics [00:41:59] building I think it's closing somebody's buying that I don't know if [00:42:03] they're gonna do with that but but for example I don't see going down grand too [00:42:08] much commercial till we get down there close to the bridge we always have some [00:42:12] existing I think those are still gonna be great you know homestead properties [00:42:18] the CRA when I think of it I think about what do we do to generate money and so [00:42:29] that that perhaps can relieve the tax burden of our residents right and you [00:42:36] know a lot of that has to do with with commercial development and particularly [00:42:40] redevelopment whether that's on 19 whether that's on the entrance way I [00:42:45] think we you know that the entrance way of the 19 and what we call East Maine [00:42:52] Jimmy West Maine the Palm District and so forth a lot of old buildings there are [00:42:58] right for you know redevelopment I think that's an area that that that we can [00:43:05] focus on I think coming out on the east side of Maine kind of what's already [00:43:09] kind of developing that's where you see some maybe some professional offices so [00:43:13] forth that blend well into the neighborhood still in that area and but [00:43:17] but I think we really have to be very strategic and in what small areas we [00:43:26] have left undeveloped let's let's talk about closer to the downtown areas [00:43:31] crossing Hacienda you know where the where our current boat launch area is [00:43:38] we've got to be really key on those because we don't have a lot of them do [00:43:42] they go all those have to be home runs and so how we go about doing that I [00:43:48] think some of the infills like between the sushi place and bourbon on Maine the [00:43:55] bank building that we'll soon be able to do something with after there after [00:43:59] our we lose our tenant I think we're we're seeing you know it may be not [00:44:06] explosion but we continue to see pressure on business wanting to come to [00:44:10] downtown we you know we're gonna have the brewery open there on the corner of [00:44:13] Maine and in Grand we have the new backdraft pizza the ice cream that that's [00:44:20] being a highly successful area right there on Orange Orange Lake and you know [00:44:27] we continue to see little bits and interest of available you know space we [00:44:33] don't have a ton of vacant storefronts or underutilized we've got some that can [00:44:40] be improved and and I think the general pressure will go that way if we can [00:44:45] focus on some of the spots that we know we can have some impact upon and without [00:44:50] and then we can we can save back if we have the right business coming in the [00:44:55] right tenant to come in that we use those funds to make sure that they're [00:44:58] successful [00:45:00] And so that's, that's kind of, you know, my general thoughts. [00:45:04] I agree with you. I agree completely too. [00:45:05] And there are several spots in the Palm District where the buildings are [00:45:14] hired. Are you saying you want to get code enforcement out there? [00:45:18] No. But you've got the old Atomac buildings that could probably... [00:45:28] I think that whole area needs some help. From River Road to 19. [00:45:32] People coming into our city, we have this gateway coming in on Main Street. [00:45:37] And the first thing they see is those old buildings until you get to River Road, [00:45:40] and then it gets nice. [00:45:41] Yeah, the ones... [00:45:42] That's what they're seeing first when people are coming to visit our city, [00:45:45] we're inviting people to our city and we have this, you know, [00:45:48] this big gateway for them to come into, [00:45:49] but they've got to get to River Road before it looks decent. [00:45:52] The Strip Center on the north side's a perfect example. [00:45:55] And when I've been into some of those suites and went over and saw Jim over at [00:46:00] Pasco Camera, and I think they've got 60 amp service. [00:46:05] They do not have central air conditioning. [00:46:08] The thing was built back in the fifties. It was car centric. [00:46:12] It was designed for people driving cars and they didn't need any power to speak [00:46:17] of. And maybe it was cooler back in the fifties. I don't know. [00:46:21] But they didn't have air conditioning. [00:46:25] My first apartment out of high school was across the street on the other side, [00:46:28] those upstairs apartments, and they haven't changed one bit since I lived there in [00:46:31] 1982. [00:46:32] Okay. [00:46:32] Well, Mr. Mayor, I think I'm curious too to share with Stantec that when we talk [00:46:43] about what Mike, what you suggested in finding those businesses we want and then [00:46:48] getting them in, we've used some sort of a formula of sorts in terms of how much [00:46:52] we would be willing to give up of the increment that they're creating, I think, [00:46:58] is the best way to say it. [00:46:59] So there's the self-help that incentivizes someone to come in and build something [00:47:06] that goes on the tax roll, Kaiser University being one example. [00:47:11] Money was given out, tax abatements, some of the other strategies that we use. [00:47:17] So it's really more that we need a tool than we need to try to say this is how [00:47:22] much money we're going to invest and this is where we're going to get it. [00:47:25] It's like, as you said, this is how much revenue we're going to try to generate [00:47:31] into this thing. [00:47:32] The sooner we generate the revenue, the quicker we can do some of the other things [00:47:38] that are getting on the back burner, and I think that the sooner we can make sure [00:47:44] that the community, the city, understands that this is a mission we're on, [00:47:50] which is not our general mission. [00:47:52] This is our rebuilding of our city mission, and that vibe is out there. [00:47:57] In the last ten years or whatever, people say, the changes from when they came, [00:48:03] the folks that are coming here now that weren't here before. [00:48:07] So I think the argument that you're using my money to do something in the downtown [00:48:12] and I want it in my neighborhood is we have to do this to generate the kind [00:48:17] of dollars to make an impact. [00:48:20] You look at the governor's report for economics and all the projects he listed [00:48:24] out in small cities, some of them were millions of dollars and they were going [00:48:28] in to build 11, a lot of them, I was looking at how many units, 11 low income [00:48:33] units, 15 low income units, sort of like the job career central. [00:48:41] All the money going in and the amount of product coming out, if we work a formula [00:48:49] of sorts where we don't have to say we can only do this one thing, but if you do this [00:48:56] and it meets our priority list, so what are we looking to bring into town, [00:49:02] then this is something we can do with you. [00:49:05] While we still allocate a certain dollar amount every year, as you said, Mike, [00:49:09] I think it's important that we get those grants moving and they're available when [00:49:12] they go out. [00:49:14] And I know we've been in kind of a hiatus of sorts to try to sort that out. [00:49:18] So I think we need to solve that problem. [00:49:21] But is there a formula that you've used that you want to share or one that makes [00:49:26] sense that's sustainable that doesn't block the next good project that happens [00:49:31] after someone sees one good project come in? [00:49:33] Well, we've continued to administer grants through the CRA. [00:49:38] And we always reflect on the standards that are set forth in the grant programs [00:49:46] that you've approved. [00:49:48] But sometimes there are projects such as Kaiser that exceed the grant authority [00:49:55] that you've given us to administer. [00:49:58] And so we bring those projects to you on an individualized basis and they are [00:50:06] typically constructed in a way that reflect not only the amount of investment [00:50:15] that the project reflects and in turn the amount of taxable value that will be [00:50:22] recognized as a part of their construction, and also the amount of jobs [00:50:28] that they create. [00:50:30] Those are factors that we consider. [00:50:32] And how much do we want it is the other one. [00:50:35] What is the value for us having Kaiser, if we're using that as the example, [00:50:42] with 1,000 students and 100 staff people with decent incomes and as close of [00:50:51] proximity as they're situated to our downtown area was an additional benefit. [00:50:56] So we incentivize them more than we might have something with fewer students or [00:51:05] fewer staff members. [00:51:07] I don't want to get totally into the weeds, but I don't have a real good feel [00:51:14] for what we've been spending on any of the smaller grants. [00:51:18] I'd be glad to provide a report. [00:51:20] And I think that report would help all of us. [00:51:23] If we've got X number of dollars that are going into these residential [00:51:29] pay-it-up-fix-up grants or the smaller scale ones being used in the business [00:51:37] community, it would be helpful to know that that money is going out. [00:51:43] All of those that are over $25,000 come before you for approval, [00:51:48] but under $25,000, you don't get a report on them. [00:51:52] Hopefully, a ton of smaller ones that we just don't have a feel for, [00:51:56] because as you mentioned, we don't see them unless it's the big ticket item [00:52:02] that needs to come up. [00:52:04] You know, recently we had an issue with some rental properties that we weren't [00:52:11] happy with the occurrences there and how it was maintained. [00:52:15] And we stepped that up. [00:52:18] And those were like duplexes and so forth. [00:52:22] And I think, for the most part, those are probably business owners. [00:52:28] And they choose, and they have the ability maybe to make those a little [00:52:32] bit different. [00:52:32] But even if we find particularly code enforcement issues and so forth, [00:52:41] that where it's appropriate that we could have some grant money available, [00:52:47] money to help improve that. [00:52:49] And it might be sometimes we'd like to improve our residence and not [00:52:57] necessarily our rental property owners, per se. [00:53:01] But we have so many of those that are intermixed within our neighborhoods [00:53:05] that those sometimes might be the one drab spot on the street. [00:53:12] So we've got to have some, both using our zoning codes and so forth, [00:53:20] to encourage those property owners to bring it up to stuff. [00:53:25] And if not, if there's some extended circumstances and qualifications that [00:53:30] we have a fund available to help them get started or motivated to do that, [00:53:36] I think it would be important. [00:53:37] Certainly. [00:53:38] And that's getting, again, out in the neighborhoods. [00:53:42] It's kind of like this project is like, as Pete was saying, [00:53:45] is we set a plan and do things now. [00:53:48] It's like we've got to pull out our microscope and our telescope here [00:53:52] at the same time. [00:53:54] And we've got to see, all right, what can we do right now, this year, [00:53:58] next year, to make something to get to where that telescope is [00:54:03] focused, where we're going to be. [00:54:05] Yeah, I can add just one couple of comments on the grants in general. [00:54:09] And what the city manager had said in terms of how much are you willing to go [00:54:14] for something or how much do you want it, that really guides the amount of [00:54:18] incentive that you're going to offer. [00:54:20] I heard you, Councilman Altman, talk about, is there that formula, that [00:54:24] structure that communities can use? [00:54:26] And I think almost every community tries to come up with a formula. [00:54:30] So it's very methodical. [00:54:32] And it's very difficult to do when you are looking at such a broad area with [00:54:37] such a wide range of potential and investment in need. [00:54:40] It perhaps becomes a little bit simpler if you get into your downtown where you [00:54:44] say, for our business grants where we're largely built out and there's not going [00:54:49] to be a 500-person employer coming in, right? [00:54:52] It's fairly limited. [00:54:53] You can try to put in some sort of methodology with that, but you do need [00:54:59] to really keep that variable in terms of where are those broader areas. [00:55:03] And it is looking at that impact. [00:55:05] It's the Kaiser. [00:55:06] It's the 500 residential units with 100,000 square foot of commercial that's [00:55:11] really going to impact your tax base versus a warehouse that's not going to [00:55:15] generate a whole lot. [00:55:16] One thing I do want to just make a comment of, and I'm speaking solely from [00:55:20] the view of always being mindful of the CRA and its protection, is we do always [00:55:27] want to be careful in these incentives that we're not simply enabling, let's [00:55:32] use for an example, a business to exist because of the incentives. [00:55:36] The CRA is intended to one day go away. [00:55:39] So these incentives are, whether it's a private investment in a business, it's [00:55:43] the development opportunity to get them up, to help them if they need to get [00:55:48] stabilized, to be successful, and then leave, right? [00:55:52] And that also then carries over when we move into the residential programs. [00:55:56] You know, we need to be mindful that we want to invest in residential programs [00:56:03] that will maintain or improve the quality of a neighborhood, but it's also [00:56:08] not the CRA's job to fund projects that people just necessarily can't afford, right? [00:56:13] There has to be that real balance in terms of what you're doing. [00:56:16] Now, the add-on to that, and really what I want to stress, particularly with the [00:56:20] residential program, because the city manager has brought this up too, you know, [00:56:24] one of the challenges we find in communities is that people just don't know [00:56:27] about it, right? [00:56:28] So it's also that making people aware within your community that these programs [00:56:33] are here, and here's who they apply to, or here's who could qualify for them. [00:56:37] And then setting those standards so that the absentee landlord is not going to get [00:56:42] that grant, right? [00:56:43] But it is going to be, you know, Grandma Jane who, but for some intervention to [00:56:48] get her roof fixed, it's only going to get worse. [00:56:50] Code enforcement cases are going to stack up, and then she's going to eventually [00:56:53] potentially lose her home, so. [00:56:55] There's a lot of things out there with the grants. [00:56:58] You have a much more challenging situation because, again, you have basically your [00:57:01] entire city, and you're spanning commercial corridors to downtown to residential [00:57:05] neighborhoods. [00:57:06] There's a lot of nuts there. [00:57:08] I do want to just say one last comment, and then I'll stop on this, but we have [00:57:12] looked over the city's grant programs. [00:57:14] And I do think that the general portfolio, or I say portfolio, the range of programs [00:57:19] that you have are really a great base. [00:57:24] You know, you're really trying to hit all of the angles. [00:57:26] Other thoughts? [00:57:31] Just to go back to your timeline of when you complete, and then the timeline of the [00:57:38] comment Debbie made about it can't be in the plan if it's not in the comp plan. [00:57:45] So, the timing of the comp plan coming out after you complete your plan, and the [00:57:50] deadline that's being imposed on you versus when we make it official as a CRA [00:57:56] board, I think is going to be an important consideration. [00:58:00] And there are some projects in the CRA world which are sort of proprietary, so we [00:58:07] don't want to talk about them because then they don't happen, because some real [00:58:10] estate person goes nuts thinking that they're worth more than they are or whatever. [00:58:16] But, you know, when it comes to property acquisitions and those sorts of things, it's [00:58:21] a lot, it's somewhat easier, like the West Pasco Press building there on Missouri, [00:58:27] which I've talked about before that the county owns, where we could say we've [00:58:32] identified a piece of property. [00:58:33] And I think, I hope that that piece of property does get identified because it's so [00:58:39] close to all of that investment we're getting ready to make, and it kind of makes a [00:58:43] square there between Nebraska, Adams, back to Missouri, and back over. [00:58:49] So, I think if the county owns it, it's being completely unused. [00:58:54] And frankly, that area in the back, all that green space, after last night's [00:58:59] discussion about bicyclists and such, I mean, I can really see local community riding [00:59:05] it on their bikes or their golf courts and doing something, whether it's a maker [00:59:09] space or learning how to whittle or cannery or whatever, we come up with that helps [00:59:16] to include our food sort of vibe that we have going, that I think there's a project [00:59:25] to be identified for that site on Missouri that can help to spread that part of the [00:59:31] town. [00:59:31] So, we're going out to 19, and I don't think we would pay much for it. [00:59:39] Acquisition is always so hard, you know, you can envision things. [00:59:42] But when you have a willing person that's either going to give or sell you something [00:59:48] that we can then say, what is it that we want there? [00:59:51] Even the Verizon building, which I'm told, I haven't been inside, but I'm told probably [00:59:57] in today's industrial. [01:00:00] our microchip world, that that huge building, [01:00:05] it's got some guy on a chair in the middle on a laptop. [01:00:11] I know that's not true, but it's close. [01:00:15] And Mike, I think you recognize, was it Winter Garden or Winter [01:00:19] Park or somewhere that repurposed that? [01:00:21] So just some generic conversation [01:00:25] in the plan that indicates the city looks [01:00:28] for those kind of opportunities that doesn't have to say, [01:00:31] it's in the plan because that's the building [01:00:33] and that's the site. [01:00:34] And I think one comment to that is, [01:00:36] while the CRA plan needs to generally conform [01:00:39] with the comprehensive plan, there [01:00:41] is opportunity in your CRA plan to identify projects [01:00:45] and simply be included in there that in order for this [01:00:47] to have achieved, this is what would [01:00:49] need to be adopted in your comp plan, which [01:00:50] is what the city manager said we would do. [01:00:53] We're going to identify if there's a zoning change or any [01:00:55] of those things. [01:00:57] Know that there is some flexibility [01:00:58] as long as the plan is generally compliant with the comp plan. [01:01:02] Be curious, as you've looked at the city [01:01:07] and you've identified some of the locations and so forth, [01:01:12] if you'd care to share your thoughts about areas [01:01:18] or certain things that you see that might be low hanging [01:01:22] fruit, so to speak, or on the other hand, [01:01:24] identify some that you say, hey, you're [01:01:26] going to really have some challenges here. [01:01:29] I'm just kind of curious of using, [01:01:32] you've seen a lot of cities, seen a lot of things. [01:01:34] I'd like to have a little bit of your perspective. [01:01:41] I don't know that there's necessarily low hanging fruit. [01:01:43] I do think this. [01:01:45] And so if there is low hanging fruit, [01:01:47] I think some of the projects that [01:01:48] have been identified in the past and that I [01:01:50] know the city's working on that really [01:01:53] create a great sense of space that also create activity. [01:01:56] By activity, that's also economic activity. [01:01:59] So investing in programs like the expansion of Railroad [01:02:02] Square, continuing to invest in your branding, [01:02:07] your streetscape, some of the activities and the events [01:02:10] that draw people in, not just from the community, [01:02:12] but in terms of also then out of the area, [01:02:15] pulling on, as you had mentioned, tourism, [01:02:17] getting those dollars spent in here. [01:02:19] One of the beautiful things about having a hotel [01:02:22] in the downtown is that those people have [01:02:24] to spend money all day long. [01:02:25] They've got to get breakfast somewhere. [01:02:27] They're going to get lunch somewhere. [01:02:28] They're going to get dinner. [01:02:29] They're going to go out to eat. [01:02:30] They're going to do things. [01:02:31] So really supporting those type of activities. [01:02:35] In terms of your other low hanging fruit, [01:02:37] I think the direction that the city is trying to go, [01:02:40] and low hanging is all relative to the funding [01:02:42] and where you want to spend, but taking these big sites. [01:02:46] And it's going to be particularly important on US [01:02:48] 19, taking these big sites that are either vacant [01:02:52] or underutilized and turning those [01:02:54] into much more meaningful properties. [01:02:57] If it's the multifamily market rate residential development [01:03:03] to the mixed use development, turning those properties [01:03:05] are going to have the greatest impact. [01:03:07] The add-on to that then, and it's [01:03:09] what does every community sort of get judged by, [01:03:12] it's the look, right? [01:03:13] So it's going to continue to be your landscaping, [01:03:15] your seascaping, your space, and things like that. [01:03:20] So I don't know if that's a lot of low hanging fruit, [01:03:22] but the quality of the spaces, those activity areas [01:03:24] that you have continuing downtown. [01:03:33] Some of the key areas. [01:03:34] We know your residential is one consideration, right? [01:03:37] You have to have the right housing [01:03:39] stock to continue to attract people. [01:03:41] Probably one add-on to this that we'll look more at in the plan [01:03:44] is also to what level do you increase your potential density [01:03:48] within walking distance to downtown in US 19, right? [01:03:51] The more that we have that concentration, [01:03:53] then the more there is the ability [01:03:55] not only to increase your revenue, [01:03:56] but increase the support of the businesses and the things that [01:04:00] are occurring. [01:04:03] I think we're all on that same page here. [01:04:06] We don't have a split council here in terms of the objectives. [01:04:11] What goes where and how we get there, [01:04:12] we may differ from time to time. [01:04:15] I think the city is excited. [01:04:17] The people are excited. [01:04:18] The visitors are excited. [01:04:20] We just need to capitalize on that opportunity [01:04:25] while we have it. [01:04:26] The biggest opportunity you have is that your CRA is up. [01:04:28] From the CRA perspective, the biggest opportunity you have [01:04:31] is that your CRA is basically the entire city. [01:04:34] The biggest challenge the city has [01:04:35] is that the CRA is almost the entire city. [01:04:37] Where do you put that? [01:04:38] Where do you prioritize? [01:04:45] Does that answer your question, sir? [01:04:48] Yeah, I think so. [01:04:50] One other element I'd like to be in the plan, Debbie and I [01:04:54] harp on this as being involved in resiliency. [01:04:57] And it goes back to incentivizing [01:04:59] and how we spend our money. [01:05:01] And whether it's an investment in a long-term growth stock, [01:05:07] or whether it's a dividend stock. [01:05:10] But the resiliency and the proximity of our city, [01:05:14] there's a third leg to this stool, which [01:05:16] is our vulnerability study. [01:05:19] And so as we look at the vulnerable areas, [01:05:24] it has both opportunity in getting funding and grants, [01:05:27] as we're doing with that $1.6 million [01:05:31] dollar floodable pond as part of that development [01:05:34] that we've got the bank for now. [01:05:38] To hopefully make that into an asset, [01:05:40] instead of a drainage pond. [01:05:42] But some of the infrastructure needs of the city, [01:05:46] when it was talked about taking that vacant lot next [01:05:51] to Bourbon-on-Maine. [01:05:52] And the plan we got that said, put some infill in it. [01:05:57] Now, if somebody builds in our town, [01:06:00] they have to put a retention pond in. [01:06:04] I really think that part of our CRA plan [01:06:08] may be to accelerate the master stormwater functioning, [01:06:18] so that we have control of the entire stormwater system. [01:06:21] Because we're already flushing it out [01:06:22] into the river at low tide in advance of storms. [01:06:26] We're doing a lot of stuff that's [01:06:27] seen as being very forward thinking [01:06:30] by the other cities around. [01:06:33] Partly because of that, and the things we've done, [01:06:36] has gotten me into a position on the Regional Planning [01:06:40] Council on the resiliency. [01:06:42] But we're about, probably, I think [01:06:44] it's coming to us, if Sean has not contacted you yet [01:06:47] from the Planning Council, Debbie. [01:06:49] But he's going to all the cities to suggest changes [01:06:54] in the building codes for high hazard areas, in particular. [01:06:59] So as we're investing in our city, [01:07:01] we need to do it mindful that we want it to be high and dry. [01:07:06] And maybe some of the infrastructure [01:07:09] costs that are related to that are [01:07:11] costs that ought to be not just giving money to a developer, [01:07:15] but saying, here's this crappy piece of property that's [01:07:21] got all this impervious surface on it, as we're doing out [01:07:25] there. [01:07:26] And not that the bank was crappy, [01:07:28] but I mean it's outdated, and old, [01:07:30] and the front was falling apart, I think, a little while ago. [01:07:34] But I would like to see that resiliency becomes [01:07:38] a part of it, because the CRA world has been challenged. [01:07:42] The legislator has limited its lifetime. [01:07:46] As I said on the FRA board at the state level, [01:07:49] and they talk about it, it's been suggested, [01:07:53] well, we all have to make a plan for what [01:07:55] we're going to do after 20 years, [01:07:57] because there won't be any more CRAs. [01:07:59] And I'm convinced that if these older cities that [01:08:03] need infrastructure improvements can use this model that [01:08:06] gives us that extra money to do resiliency projects as well, [01:08:12] that it goes a long way to get the support of all [01:08:18] these initiatives. [01:08:18] How are we going to survive without having [01:08:20] to evacuate from all of our beach communities [01:08:23] and our waterfront areas? [01:08:26] So I think that something, and I [01:08:29] can provide some potential language, [01:08:31] but I'm going to be hoping that our redo will recognize [01:08:35] the investments we make need to be investments like Main Street [01:08:39] Landing, where you had to have the residential at a level [01:08:44] that's predicted to be needed in the future, [01:08:46] not just what today's land use code is. [01:08:49] Or those double insulated glass hurricane windows [01:08:52] that are incredibly helpful when motorcycles are going [01:08:56] up and down the road as well as insulation and environment. [01:09:02] Because it's the heat, and that came out of our plan [01:09:05] as well with shade and all of the other things [01:09:08] that came out of our plans. [01:09:09] So I think it's a huge topic and one [01:09:12] that the CRA world ought to be getting piggybacked into, [01:09:20] because I think that's the future opportunity for us [01:09:24] to see communities continue to be [01:09:27] able to compete with the new ones that [01:09:30] are being built in lands. [01:09:33] And I think it's not even necessarily [01:09:36] going to be piggybacking. [01:09:37] It's going to be taking the lead, right? [01:09:38] So when we look at where we're investing our CRA dollars [01:09:41] and recognizing that the CRA is not just [01:09:43] another fund for the city. [01:09:44] There are limitations in where you can spend those, right? [01:09:47] But it is doing the master stormwater systems that, number [01:09:51] one, reduce the cost from an individual developer [01:09:54] from having to do their own stormwater, [01:09:55] but also doing it in such a way that it does adapt [01:09:58] or it can support those flood instances. [01:10:00] And then it becomes a more attractive site [01:10:02] for that investment, and it's less cost [01:10:04] and all of those things. [01:10:05] And that's supporting your economic development. [01:10:07] Abby was involved in a meeting at our good, not our good, [01:10:11] our remaining hospital, where they have the huge retention [01:10:15] pond that never floods because of the need. [01:10:19] They're high, and I think go behind it to the rec center [01:10:23] and you see like walls for the drop in elevation [01:10:26] before you get there. [01:10:28] But they're also pretty close proximity to Orange Lake. [01:10:33] And so I'm going to be really anxious to see [01:10:35] this vulnerability study, that it may identify [01:10:38] some really innovative and forward thinking [01:10:45] sort of strategies. [01:10:47] And that really does attract the youth [01:10:50] to want to live in a place that's [01:10:52] sensitive to its carbon footprint [01:10:54] and all of those other things. [01:10:56] So I know it has always been sort of like a red herring [01:11:01] because of its political problems, [01:11:05] but I think those are gone. [01:11:07] I think now a lot of wealthy people that live along [01:11:11] the coast are saying, yeah, it's getting hotter. [01:11:15] And yes, we have sunny day flooding, [01:11:19] and let's pay attention to it. [01:11:22] I think it's interesting that you brought that up. [01:11:24] I've got a friend over on the other side of the county. [01:11:28] We're tentatively planning on making a rundown [01:11:32] to Babcock Ranch on Saturday. [01:11:34] That's survived. [01:11:35] And for those of you who may not be aware, [01:11:39] Babcock Ranch is where all of the people in the Punta Gorda [01:11:42] area evacuated to. [01:11:47] They didn't lose power underground. [01:11:50] They had no problem with wind damage or any other damage. [01:11:57] And that includes on the however many hundred acres [01:12:01] of solar farm they've got immediately adjacent [01:12:04] to the place. [01:12:05] Plus they've got solar panels on people's roofs, [01:12:08] and they've got solar trees in the parking lots, [01:12:12] and it's all just amazing. [01:12:16] But that was the one part of that whole county [01:12:20] that wasn't just absolutely decimated when Ian came ashore. [01:12:24] And it was because they did it right. [01:12:28] We're classic current Florida. [01:12:31] Is that the third word? [01:12:32] Classic current. [01:12:35] We have three words that define us [01:12:36] that we paid some pretty good money for, right? [01:12:38] That was on the bottom. [01:12:40] Wasn't it classic current? [01:12:42] You got that right. [01:12:43] Was it Florida? [01:12:44] Yes. [01:12:45] I think it is. [01:12:47] But I think what's cool is the current part reflects [01:12:52] a city that's awake and paying attention to things [01:12:55] and trying to do its part, not to solve a national problem, [01:12:59] but to be part of a participation of doing [01:13:03] our part. [01:13:04] But we're also classic with our down-home atmosphere [01:13:08] and knowing everybody. [01:13:10] And then Florida, I think they threw that in just [01:13:13] because that's going to get some hits on the computer, right? [01:13:17] Somebody said, we're going to go to Florida. [01:13:19] Well, I'm guessing. [01:13:28] I thought it was well thought out. [01:13:30] It's like our old sort of heritages, [01:13:34] and yet don't call us an old city that's got rocking chairs [01:13:39] because we're recurrent. [01:13:43] Any final comments on the CRA master plan update? [01:13:48] Just a question again. [01:13:50] Could you give us a little preview [01:13:53] about our resident study group this afternoon [01:14:01] or the feedback we're going to do? [01:14:03] You're going to present this same slideshow to those folks [01:14:06] this evening, right? [01:14:07] We are. [01:14:09] And then are you going to just shut up and listen, [01:14:15] see what they have to say? [01:14:17] We'll have a more press-managed conversation or discussion [01:14:20] with folks today. [01:14:21] One of the things we want to be sensitive [01:14:23] as we do these programs is that there [01:14:25] was a fairly robust community outreach program in the 2019 [01:14:28] CRA update. [01:14:30] There was a fairly robust program in the 2021 update. [01:14:33] So we don't want people to come in and think, hey, [01:14:35] we haven't done anything. [01:14:36] Tell us all the things you like, you don't like. [01:14:39] There were very clear directions that [01:14:40] came through in those plans. [01:14:41] And the CRA update, the downtown highway master plan, [01:14:44] they were adopted. [01:14:45] The city's implementing them. [01:14:46] So part of this is also to show that everything [01:14:50] that they said at that time, it was heard. [01:14:52] And the city and you as the council [01:14:54] are moving forward on that. [01:14:55] I think what we want to have come out of tonight [01:14:57] is really a similar discussion to today. [01:15:00] affirm that, yes, the direction in which everything is going is where we want to go and see support. [01:15:05] If there are particular projects that are the high priority, perhaps, for folks as they [01:15:10] come out today. And then also, just as you brought up the neighborhoods, if there are [01:15:15] any new areas, new projects, new topics or issues, we want to hear that tonight as well. [01:15:20] We've got some unfinished business, right? Because we've set this course and all these [01:15:26] projects can't be done in two or three years. It takes some time. But as long as we've got [01:15:35] them in and got them focused and we're making progress, it's important. [01:15:38] And I think, perhaps, maybe what we need to focus a little bit more, you know, you're [01:15:41] looking at the long-term horizon. This is also, at least from my side, in part, a five-year [01:15:47] work plan, right? So what are the priorities, what are the issues? [01:15:53] Would you call short-term three to nine years? Because that's the limit that we're allowed [01:15:56] to be in office here. So, you know, if it's short-term, it's longer than you could be in, [01:16:03] then your project will never get built because you're going to be retired out before you can push it. [01:16:13] Any communications today? Other than those of you who missed the people places thing [01:16:20] last night, I missed a really good program. [01:16:23] If he's got it on his website, it's worth watching. [01:16:26] I had a professional meeting last night. I had a ten. Sorry, I missed it. And I also, I don't get the feedback from this. [01:16:33] I thought there was another group that was meeting last night or attempting to put together a program. [01:16:39] I haven't heard the results of it. It was a 100-year celebration. [01:16:44] Main Street has put together a group that's interested in coming up with some concept of an art project [01:16:54] that might commemorate the city's 100-year. [01:17:00] Could you pass something along to them then? Because when I saw all these alleys with all of the names of, like, [01:17:06] Florida Bird or the Florida Plant or Sea Life, whatever, it dawned on me what a great art project to be doing, [01:17:15] something that recognizes each one of those alley things. [01:17:20] And then people could run around town and find all of the Florida Birds. [01:17:23] Oh, that's a good idea.

   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.

3. 3Communications▶ 1:17:24
4. 4Adjournment▶ 1:18:29