* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. GOOD MORNING [00:00:01] EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE JULY 1ST MEETING OF THE CRA ADVISORY. PLEASE. UM, OH, WAIT, CALL TO ORDER. I'M SORRY. I'M A LITTLE OUT OF WHACK HERE TODAY. DON'T WE USUALLY STAND FOR THE PLEDGE BEFORE WE DO CALL TO ORDER? I THINK WE DO. I'M REALLY MESSED UP RIGHT NOW. OKAY. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. WE'RE JUST GONNA SKIP TO NUMBER TWO. THIS IS NOT MONDAY PLEDGE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC, NOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, JUSTICE. OKAY, THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL HAVE A CALL TO ORDER. WANT ME A ROLL CALL? YOU GUYS? I JUST LOST MY DOG, SO I'M A MESS. SO IF I START CRYING OR I'M NOT WITH IT, YOU KNOW WHY ? AW. WE'RE HERE. WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. BACK ON TRACK. ITEM NUMBER THREE. ROLL CALL. GOOD MORNING. UH, MARVA MURRAY. HERE. JERRY SMITH. HERE. JOHN LUCAS. HERE. CHRIS ADAMS. PRESENT. JOANNE DAVIS. HERE. STEFAN HARTMAN. HERE. BRETT MILLER. AND BERT LUER. OR EXCUSE. AND LISA INE HERE. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 1ST MEETING. HOW DID IT GO THIS MONTH WITH EVERYONE GETTING EVERYTHING ELECTRONICALLY? DID YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL? OKAY, GREAT. WE JUST NEED A, UH, MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER FIVE, MELBOURNE MAIN STREET REPORT. EMIL, WELCOME. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. YES. OKAY. SO AS WE NORMALLY DO ON OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, I HAVE A QUICK UPDATE, UH, FOR YOU ABOUT, UM, OUR MELBOURNE MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION AND OF COURSE, AS THE, UM, STATUS OF THE DOWNTOWN AIRBORNE. UM, AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UH, MAIN STREET AMERICA PERFORMS, UM, A PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT MAIN STREET DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION. UM, HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED, AGAIN, AN ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION FOR MAIN STREET DISTRICT. THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE MET ALL THE, UM, UH, ALL THE POINTS THAT THEY REVIEW, UH, TO BECOME AN ACCREDITED ORGANIZATIONS AS OPPOSED TO AN AFFILIATED, WHICH IS WHAT YOU DON'T MEET, ALL THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT IT IS REQUIRED. SO, UM, SO MAIN STREET, UH, MELBOURNE, MAIN STREET DISTRICT. IT IS, AGAIN, AN ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION, UH, BY MAIN STREET AMERICA STANDARDS, UM, AS REQUIRED BY THE CRA AGREEMENT. UM, OUR OFFICE CONTINUES TO MEET WITH THE CITY STAFF ON A MONTHLY BASIS. SOMETIMES WE DO A LITTLE MORE OFTEN, UH, TO DISCUSS, UM, UH, IMPORTANT ITEMS SUCH AS, UM, UH, DIFFERENT INITIATIVES, UM, UPCOMING EVENTS, UM, UM, CITY PROJECTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO, WE, UH, MEETING CONSTANTLY ON A MONTHLY BASIS. UM, BESIDES PARTICIPATING IN, UH, THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING BACK IN APRIL 23RD, UM, BACK IN JUNE 23RD, WE ACTUALLY HAD A, A PROPERTY OWNERS MEETING THAT WAS ACTUALLY COORDINATED BY COUNCILMAN NEWMAN. UM, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 14, 15, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS ATTENDED THAT, UH, PARTICULAR MEETING. UM, I FEEL THAT IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. CITY STAFF WAS, UH, UH, UM, ATTENDED THE, THE MEETING AS WELL AS, UM, ONE OR TWO BUSINESS OWNERS. AND AGAIN, I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS, UM, VACANT SPACES, UH, UPCOMING PROJECTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO, UH, I THINK WE GOT GREAT FEEDBACK. UM, I THINK EVERYONE IN THE ROOM WAS PRETTY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME AND, UM, APPRECIATED COUNCIL YUMA TAKING, UH, THE INITIATIVE TO DO THAT. HOPEFULLY IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO MORE OFTEN AND, UM, KEEP EVERYONE, UM, UP TO DATE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, IN MY CASE I WAS HAPPY TO DO WAS ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO UPDATE AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SOME OF THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WE DID NOT, UM, HAVE UPDATE IT. SO NOW, UH, WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE THEM SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION THAT GOES OUT ON A MONTHLY BASIS. UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH AT OUR, UH, MINISTRY, UM, BOARD MEETING, I PRESENTED, UM, OUR BOARD MEMBERS WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT COVERS FROM 2026 THROUGH 2030. THAT PARTICULAR PLAN TALKS ABOUT, UM, OUR VISION, IF YOU WILL, FOR DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE. UM, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT [00:05:01] THIS IS FOCUSING ON DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE, NOT THE MELBOURNE MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION. THAT PLAN, ALONG WITH ITS BUDGET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD, UM, NEXT MONTH. AND THEN ONCE BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS HAVE BEEN, UH, REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD, WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE, UM, WITH, UM, WITH THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, BOTH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE BUDGET, AND THE WORK PLAN. UM, FOR MAIN ME, MAIN STREET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, ON JULY 21 THROUGH JULY 24, UH, FLOODED AND MAIN STREET WILL BE HAVING THE PRESERVATION ON MAIN STREET, UM, ANNUAL CONFERENCE THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE OVER A COCOA VILLAGE. OUR OFFICE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE, UH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD AND ALSO SOME, UM, OF OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN, UM, NOMINATED FOR SOME, UM, SOME OF THE AWARDS THAT ARE PRESENTED ON THAT, UM, ON THAT CONFERENCE. SO ONCE WE KNOW THE RESULT, WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. HOPEFULLY, WE, WE, WE HAVE SOME WINNERS THERE, UM, THIS YEAR. SO WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT. AS RELATED TO, UM, OUR DOWNTOWN AIRBORNE, UM, DISTRICT, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE. UM, HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR VISITORS GUIDE SUMMER, FALL, UM, EDITION, UH, WILL BE, UH, GOING TO PRINT THIS WEEK. UM, OUR COVER, THAT WILL BE A COVER IN AN ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTING THE 159 YEARS OF MELBOURNE'S HISTORY. SO SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, A GOOD ARTICLE, UM, THAT, UM, PARTICULAR EDITION WILL HAVE 32 PAGES AND 20 ADS, AND THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE, UH, FIRST OR SECOND WEEK OF JULY, SO MOST LIKELY SECOND WEEK OF JULY. AS FAR AS MARKETING EFFORTS, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, SEND OUT OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS. AND AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE CAN NOW INCLUDE OUR PROPERTY OWNERS. NOW THAT WE HAVE MOST OF OUR, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED. UM, THAT MON MONTHLY NEWSLETTER INCLUDES UPDATES FROM CITY PROJECTS, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE BEING TAKING PLACE OR UPCOMING. UM, ALSO STATUS, UM, ABOUT DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES FROM FROM FROM OUR OFFICE. UM, WEEKLYS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ARE BEING ALSO, UM, ARE ALSO TAKING PLACE. THOSE POSTS ACTUALLY GO OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT INFORMS THEM OF, UM, UH, THE DISTRICT'S EVENTS, WHETHER THEY ARE OUR EVENTS OR BUSINESSES EVENTS. UH, SO ACTUALLY ON THURSDAY, UH, THAT ONE POST GOES OUT. UM, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT ALL THE, UH, EVENTS COMING UP FOR THE WEEKEND. UM, THERE'S ALSO A WEEKLY POST EITHER HIGHLIGHTING ONE OF OUR BUSINESSES OR ACTUALLY DOING THE STORYTELLING OF ONE OF OUR BUSINESSES. UM, SOME OF THESE, UM, SOMETIMES THEY ARE VIDEOS, SOMETIMES THEY'RE IMAGES, BUT THEY SHARE WITH VERY GOOD CONTENT, UM, OR SACRED EVENTS. AND MARKETING DIRECTOR, ACTUALLY, MIRANDA STEVENS IS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THAT. SHE THINKS SHE'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. SOME OF OUR, UM, UH, VIDEOS, IF YOU WILL, HAVE BEEN VIEWED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES, UM, SOME OF THE POST THAT SHE'S DONE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED OVER 75,000 BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. UM, OUR FOLLOWERS CONTINUE TO GROW, WHICH IS A GREAT THING. AND THIS IS ALL IMPORTANT BECAUSE EVERY TIME THAT WE SEND OUT ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION, WE KNOW THAT IT'S REACHING PEOPLE AND PEOPLE ARE REACTING AND ENGAGING. AND WE CAN ALSO SEE THAT IN THE FORM OF ATTENDANCE ARE SOME OF OUR EVENTS. YOU, UM, OUR BOOM STRIKER APPLICATION, UM, AND BOOM, JUST TO REMIND YOU, STANDS FOR, UM, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ON MAIN STREET. UM, SO ON A, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, USUALLY WE UPDATE THAT APPLICATION AND SOME OF THE UPDATES THAT TAKE PLACE. UM, AND ACTUALLY THE LAST ONE WAS JUST DONE ON JUNE 12TH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. UM, AND BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES, IT UPDATES INFORMATION ABOUT ANY, ANY, ANY CLOSINGS ON, ON DOWNTOWN, ANY NEW BUSINESSES, UM, UH, VACANT SPACES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. UM, SOME OF OUR RECENT CLOSINGS, UH, INCLUDE ST. DALLAS, UH, VILLAGE'S COFFEE AND ESCAPE ROOM. UM, HOWEVER, WE DID GET SOME NEW BUSINESSES AT NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, MAIN STREET PRIMARY CARE, AND THE CUBAN GRILL. AND WE DO HAVE SOME EXCITING UPCOMING BUSINESSES BAKED BY SHELL, UH, SEROTONIN SALON, LENORA RESTAURANT, GRAM BROKERS, REAL ESTATE, VITAL MARKETPLACE. AND I WORK ORANGE AND ANOTHER COFFEE SHOP. THOSE LAST THREE, UH, BUSINESSES, ACTUALLY LAST TWO BUSINESSES ARE, UM, NEW [00:10:01] BUSINESSES. BUYS TWO OF OUR EXISTING BUSINESS OWNERS IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE, SO THAT IT IS ACTUALLY VERY GOOD NEWS. SO WE HAVE BUSINESS OWNER REINVESTING INTO DOWNTOWN. SO I'M HOPING THAT, UH, THAT IS GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US. I THINK IT PROVIDES A POSITIVE OUTLOOK IF SOME OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS ARE STILL INVESTING AGAIN, IN DOWNTOWN URBAN WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, UM, UH, BUSINESS. AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE, UH, BLOOMS TRACTOR APPLICATION, UM, WITHIN OUR ME MAIN STREET BOUNDARY, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED 158 BUSINESSES. AGAIN, THIS IS WITHIN OUR MAIN STREET BOUNDARIES, NOT NECESSARILY THE CRA. UM, WE HAVE 14 GRAM FLOOR VACANCIES AND NINE OPEN FLOOR VACANCIES. UH, WE ALSO REPORTING SOME, UM, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENT BY MASON'S, UH, A NEW ROOF AND PAINTING, UH, RENEW, UH, A NEW MURAL FRONT WALL AND STOREFRONT INCLUDED. UM, OUR BUILDING OVER 7 21 THROUGH 7 28 ON EAST NEW HAVEN. COMPLETE CORNER PROPERTY REPAINTING AND ALL VARIOUS ANTIQUES, UH, IS ACTUALLY IN, UM, RESTORATION. UH, PROGRESS ARE WE FINDING SIGNS WERE UPDATED. UM, AS OF JUNE 25, THAT IS ACTUALLY BEING DONE ON A CONSTANT BASIS. UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEW BUSINESSES COMING UP, UH, SO MOST OF THE TIME, UH, A NEW BUSINESS, UH, THAT OPENS THEIR DOOR, USUALLY ONCE, UH, A WAVE FINDING SITE UP IN NEW HAVEN. UH, SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THAT FOR THEM AND REPLACING SOME OF THE OLD ONES, UM, RECENT EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE AT POT PALOOZA. UM, BACK IN MAY, WE HAD OVER 20 PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES AND 200 PLUS REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS, OUR SIP AND SHOP THAT RECENTLY TOOK PLACE. UM, OVER 20 PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES AGAIN. AND, UH, A HUNDRED PLUS REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS. BOTH EVENTS, UM, AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED, VERY SUCCESSFUL. THAT COMES FROM FEEDBACK FROM NOT ONLY OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT ALSO THE ATTENDEES. UM, SO, UM, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE OUR BUSINESSES PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT. UPCOMING, WE HAVE THE SIDEWALK SALE THAT WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, JULY 11TH. WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 29 BUSINESSES ALREADY PARTICIPATING. AND, UH, JULY 17TH AND AUGUST 14TH, UH, WE WILL BE, UM, COLLABORATING, UM, WITH ERICA EVERETT AND SOME OF THE OTHER DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES ON THE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS. THAT EVENT TAKES PLACE EVERY SECOND TUESDAY OF THE EV, EV SECOND FRIDAY, I'M SORRY, OF THE MONTH. AND, UM, UH, AUGUST 14TH, UH, WE WILL BE CLOSING, UH, VERNON PLACE, UH, FROM THE ALLEYWAY UP TO NEW HAVEN. AND, UH, WE WILL BE PROVIDING SOME FAMILY ORIENTED ACTIVITIES, UH, AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. UM, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, JUST A COUPLE MORE CLARIFICATIONS 'CAUSE I MAY HAVE MISSED IT. THE STRATEGIC PLAN TIMELINE. WHAT, WHEN DID YOU SAY WE WOULD SEE THAT? WHAT MONTH ARE YOU READY? UM, SO IT WAS, IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD, UM, ON OUR PAST MEETINGS. UH, IT'S ON THE REVIEW BY THEM. ONCE THEY APPROVED IT, THEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO, TO, TO YOU AND ANYONE THAT WOULD REQUEST IT. DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE, THOUGH, FOR WHEN IT'S GOING TO THEM FOR APPROVAL? UM, I'M HOPING BY NEXT WEEK, I'M, I'M GUESSING THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBERS WILL PROBABLY ON VACATION, UH, THIS WEEK. SO, UM, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK WE'LL HAVE A COPY OF THAT. OKAY. APPROVED BY THE BOARD, OR IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT ARE REQUESTED, THEN PROBABLY WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT I DON'T FORESEE THAT. UM, IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED OVER AND OVER WITH, UM, OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBERS. AND THEN, UM, OUR WORK PLAN FOCUSING MORE ON, UH, THE ORGANIZATION AND STRATEGIC PLAN AND BUDGET, UH, WILL BE PRESENTED THEN NEXT MONTH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. AND AGAIN, AS SOON AS THAT IS, UM, APPROVED BY THE BOARD, THEN I CAN GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON. OKAY. AND THEN I MISSED THE, UM, YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD, UH, SPECIFIC NUMBERS FOR VACANCIES. CAN YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS? YES. AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON, UM, UM, ON, ON OUR PERSONAL VISUALS. THERE'S NO CONFIRMATION SINCE SOMETIMES WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THEM. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, AS PER RESEARCH, WE HAVE 14 GROUND FLOOR VACANCIES AND NINE UPPER FLOOR VACANCIES. AND WHICH AREA ARE, IS THAT JUST THE CORE OR IS THAT ALL OF NEW HAVEN THAT IS PRE WELL, IT IS BASICALLY, NEW HAVEN INCLUDES, AGAIN, IT'S WITHIN THE MAIN STREET BOUNDARY, SO WE DON'T [00:15:01] GO TOO FAR OUT, WE DON'T GO OVER TO, UM, PAST, UH, THE DRIVE. SO, SORRY, WE DON'T, UM, GO BACK PAST LIVINGTON. WE FOCUS ON OUR, UM, BOUNDARIES, WHICH ALSO INCLUDE PART OF MELBOURNE COURT, MELBOURNE AVENUE. SO AGAIN, IT'S OUT OF 158 IDENTIFIED BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN, UH, 14 GRAM FLOOR VACANCIES AND NINE OPEN FLOOR VACANCIES. OKAY. THANK YOU, JOANNE? YES. AND, UM, FOLLOWING ON TO LISA'S QUESTION ABOUT VACANCIES, WHEN YOU'RE CHECKING THE BOOMS, IS THAT NUMBER GOING UP, GOING DOWN, STAYING RELATIVELY? GOOD QUESTION. AND ACTUALLY, I DO HAVE A COPY OF THAT REPORT THAT I CAN, I CAN PASS THAT ON TO YOU. UM, THERE'S REALLY NOT A BIG CHANGE ON THE NUMBERS, UNFORTUNATELY. UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT ALSO THE APPLICATION GETS, IT PROBABLY GETS BETTER UPDATED AS WE MOVE ALONG. THERE HAS BEEN SOME CHANGES TO THE APPLICATION ITSELF BY MAIN STREET AMERICA, BUT ACTUALLY OUR, OUR WAY OF REVIEWING IT HAS IMPROVED. UH, ACTUALLY, I THINK COMMUNICATION HAS IMPROVED ALSO, WHICH ALLOWS US TO, TO HAVE MORE EXACT NUMBERS. THE REASON I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBERS HAVING CHANGED FROM UPDATE TO UPDATE IS BECAUSE WE ARE, WHICH IS I THINK IS A GOOD THING. AS WE DO LOSE MAYBE ONE OR TWO BUSINESSES, WE ARE REPLACING THOSE BY NEW BUSINESSES ALSO. UH, IT SEEMS ALSO THAT THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE IS GONNA BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THEY, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, OCCUPIED, UH, RECENTLY. SO WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE VACANCY NUMBERS CONTINUE TO ROLL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE OURS KIND THE SAME. RIGHT. THEY'RE JUST SITTING SPOTS THAT HAVE BEEN EMPTY UP FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO THAT, THAT'S GOOD DATA PERHAPS THAT YOU'RE, WHEN YOU UPDATE IT QUARTERLY, THE BOOM WE, WE DO QUARTERLY? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. JUST WHEN YOU'RE REPORTING QUARTERLY OR WHATEVER, JUST GIVE US AN IDEA OF UP, DOWN. 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER THE NUMBER. NO, ABSOLUTELY. AND THE REASON I DON'T HAVE THAT IS THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THAT REPORT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY RELEVANT. SO I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PASS THAT ON. THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE VACANCIES. UM, A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. THE MURAL, JUST CURIOUS WHAT BUSINESS AND WHERE YOU MENTIONED IT. RIGHT. SO RENEW IS A NEW BUSINESS ON, ON NEW HAVEN, UH, NEAR THE CORNER OF VERNON AND, AND NEW HAVEN. AND, UH, SO THAT MURAL IS ACTUALLY, I THINK, CAME OUT A GREAT PROJECT IS ACTUALLY COVERS THE WHOLE FACIAL OF THAT BUILDING AND ALSO NOW IS MOVING TOWARDS THE, UH, THE STOREFRONT, WHICH MEANS IT'S THAT GLASS FRONT THAT THE BUSINESS HAD. AND HAVE YOU SEEN THE MURAL DESIGN YET? OH, YEAH. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH DONE. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS NOT BEEN FINISHED IS THAT THE GLASS PART OF THE STOREFRONT. OKAY. AND THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD? RIGHT, THE MURAL. OKAY. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THEM. YES. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY LAST QUESTION. OKAY, SO THE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS, IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE FRIDAY FEST IS COMING BACK A BIT, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME IF YOU KNOW WHAT FRIDAY FEST USED TO BE LIKE IN DOWNTOWN AND WHAT THE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE HERE? CAN YOU TELL ME SOME DIFFERENCES? SOME, UH, WHAT'S IT GONNA BE LIKE? RIGHT, RIGHT. SO OF COURSE, NOT BEING HERE FOR, UH, THE, UH, FRIDAY FESTIVALS, VERY LITTLE, WHAT I CAN PROVIDE AS FAR AS FEEDBACK, HOWEVER, THROUGH CONVERSATION WITH BUSINESS OWNERS, CITY STAFF, AND OTHERS, UM, TURN OUT TO BE VERY GOOD EVENT THE FIRST FEW YEARS, AND THEN PROBABLY NOT SO MUCH LATER ON. UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PERHAPS CREATE, AND WITH SMALL TOWN FRIDAY, SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE FAMILY ORIENTED. I THINK THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO, TO GROW AS A CITY AND OUR DEMOGRAPHICS START SHIFTING TO A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER, UH, OF YOUNGER AUDIENCE, UM, WE FEEL THAT WE NEED TO, UM, PERHAPS CREATE A LITTLE MORE, UM, OF THESE FAMILY ORIENTED, UM, EVENTS. UM, WHERE CAN WE TAKE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS? I'M NOT SURE, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT I CAN GROW INTO SOMETHING LARGE AND BENEFICIAL. UM, AGAIN, IT'S A COLLABORATION WITH SOME OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS. IT IS AN INITIATIVE FROM ERICA EVERETT FROM, UM, EXECUTIVE CIGAR. AND, UM, SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOW STRONGLY SUPPORTING. AND, UM, IION ON AUGUST 14 WOULD BE CLOSING VERNON PLACE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A PLACE, UM, FOR, FOR FAMILIES TO HAVE SOME ACTIVITIES. WE'LL HAVE SOME CORN HOLES. WE HAVE, UM, AN ICE CREAM TRUCK, A POPCORN MACHINE. WE WILL HAVE, UM, BOUNCE HOUSES, UM, LIVE MUSIC, LIVE MUSIC AT A SMALL SCALE. MM-HMM . WE ALREADY STARTED HAVING WITH SOME OF OUR EVENTS, SIPPING CHOPS, SIDEWALK SALE AND SO ON. UM, UH, MUSIC PERFORMANCE, UH, PERFORMERS ALONG NEW [00:20:01] HAVEN, WHICH HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINING, UM, OUR, OUR OUR PUBLIC. SO WE'LL HAVE MORE OF THAT ON SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS, UH, GOING FORWARD AND, UM, AND SEE HOW IT GOES. GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. WHY? OKAY. TRY TO COME SEE US. I HAD SOMETHING. YEAH, SURE. THE BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T, OR THE OWNERS THAT AREN'T DOING, DOING ANYTHING, HAVE THEY BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH YOU? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO THEM AND LEARN WHY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOING ANYTHING WITH THE PROPERTY? WE TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ABOUT 14 OF THEM THAT YOU MENTIONED, WHO HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH THE PROPERTY. RIGHT. WELL, THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND, UH, PERHAPS CINDY AND HER TEAM MAY BE ABLE TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT, UH, PART OF THE CONVERSATION WAS, UH, TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN EMPTY FOR SOME TIME NOW. UM, AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN EMPTY OR VACANT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SPRUCE 'EM UP A LITTLE BIT WHILE THEY'RE STILL, UH, VACANT. UM, WE HAVE SOME INITIATIVES THAT PERHAPS CINDY AND HER TEAM WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO THOSE, UM, SPACES. UH, THERE'S ALSO, UM, OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED THE USE OF WINDOW CLINKS FOR SOME OF THESE VACANT SPACES AND ALSO FOR SOME OF THE, UH, SPACES THAT ARE BEING FILLED BY NEW BUSINESSES. UH, AND AGAIN, I WOULD'VE LET, UM, UH, THE CITY STAFF TALK ABOUT THAT. UM, SO AGAIN, IT WAS, IT WAS MORE ABOUT LEARNING THE WHYS OF SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES BEING EMPTY AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP FULFILL, UH, FULFILL THOSE SPACES. SO I THINK IT IS MORE OF AN ONGOING CONVERSATION. I DON'T THINK WE REALLY GOT AT THE GIST OF IT, UH, FROM THAT MEETING, BUT I THINK IT WAS A GOOD, A GOOD PLACE TO START ANYWHERE ELSE. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, ITEM NUMBER SIX, BOARD MEMBERS TERM LENGTHS REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL. YEAH. THERE'S BEEN, UH, CONVERSATIONS GOING ON, UH, CITY COUNCIL KIND OF FEELING OUT THE, THE BOARDS AND SETTING A, UM, TERM LENGTH. UM, SO IT'S CONSISTENT AMONG ALL THE BOARDS. UM, SO I BELIEVE IT'S THREE YEARS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT IN THE CRA IS ALSO THREE YEARS. SO JUST ONE, THEY JUST, THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR THE BOARD'S INPUT ON A THREE YEAR TERM LENGTH. SO NOW IT IT'S THREE YEARS, BUT HOW MANY, UH, I GUESS REAPPOINTMENTS CAN, CAN A BOARD MEMBER HAVE, CAN, IS IT JUST OH, THREE YEARS OR CAN YOU HAVE SIX YEARS OR TWO, THREE YEAR TERMS? I THINK IT'S FOREVER. YEAH. CONTINUOUS OINTMENT, TERM LIMITS. AS LONG AS THEY KEEP REAPPOINTING YOU YES. THERE'S NO TERM LIMITS. YEAH. IT'S JUST REALLY, BUT IT'S A THREE YEAR CYCLE THOUGH THAT, THAT YOUR NAME HAS TO COME BACK UP. RIGHT. OKAY. RIGHT. CURRENTLY TOO, THE, THE BOARDS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CITYWIDE, I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE 14, 15 TOTAL BOARDS. I THINK. UM, THEY ALL HAVE VARYING TERM LIMITS OR, AND I SHOULDN'T SAY TERM LIMITS TERMS, AND IF WE PUT YES, YES. YEAH, TERM LENGTHS. SO, UM, JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE BOARDS ON THE SAME THREE YEAR TERM LENGTH INSTEAD OF, SOME ARE TWO, SOME ARE THREE, SOME ARE FIVE. SO THAT, SO THEY WOULD, WE'D STILL BE UP FOR RENEWAL. JUST EVERY, IT, IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THIS BOARD AT, AT ALL. COUNCIL. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY THREE YEARS, CORRECT? MM-HMM. OKAY. SO THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THREE YEARS THE UNIFORMS NUMBER? YES. ACROSS, ACROSS ALL BOARDS. THE 14 OR 15 BOARDS. MM-HMM . OKAY. I MEAN, I DON'T, I'M FINE WITH THAT. YEAH. THREE YEARS SEEMS LIKE A ADEQUATE TIME. YEAH, IT'S FINE. YEAH. OKAY. . AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO BE REAPPOINTED. THEY DECIDE, OH, I, THAT WASN'T REALLY WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE, SO, UM, THEY CAN STEP OUT AT THAT POINT IF THEY WANT. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH, I WASN'T SURE WHAT THAT WAS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT CHANGES ANYTHING. YEAH. THEY JUST ASKED FOR US ALL TO ASK EACH OF OUR BOARDS FOR ANY INPUT. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? YEAH. DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US ON THAT? NOT FORMALLY. AS LONG AS SOMEBODY GOES, NO, I WANT 'EM TO BE EIGHT YEARS OR SIR. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, OFFICER RYAN ALLENS HERE FOR COMMUNITY POLICING REPORT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, SO I, UH, JUST PROVIDED SOME YEAR TO DATE UPDATES WITH SOME NUMBERS AND, UH, AND THEN SOME OTHER SMALL THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED. UM, I REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, FROM JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR TO, UH, YESTERDAY, UH, MY CALLS FOR SERVICE, UH, DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE SAME [00:25:01] TIME LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR I RESPONDED TO 371 CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THAT SIX MONTH PERIOD. AND THAT'S, THOSE ARE JUST CALLS THAT I'M INVOLVED IN. I'M NOT ALWAYS THE PRIMARY, BUT I'M INVOLVED IN IT WITH, PROBABLY WITHIN THE CRA AREA. UM, THIS YEAR TO DATE, ONLY 131 CALLS, SO 50% OVER 50% DECREASE IN CALLS. THAT'S AWESOME. UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE, THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS DONE. AND, UH, UM, IT'S A REALLY A, A DIFFERENCE. IT, IT ALLOWS ME TO ACTUALLY GET OUT AND, AND TALK TO MORE BUSINESS OWNERS AND GO TO MORE AREAS OF MY CRA THAN, UH, THAN WHAT I WAS USED TO. UM, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I USE TO REALLY TRACK IT. UM, WE HAVE, UH, UH, UH, AN ITEM CALLED TRESPASS WARNING. IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN, YOU'VE SEEN ME COME AND TRESPASS PEOPLE FROM YOUR BUSINESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS, UM, MY MAIN CALL THAT I DEAL WITH IS WHAT WE, IS A SUSPICIOUS PERSON CALL OR SOMEBODY THAT'S ON YOUR PROPERTY THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE. UH, LAST YEAR AT THROUGH THAT FIRST SIX MONTHS, I HAD WRITTEN OVER A HUNDRED OF THOSE THINGS. IN FACT, FOR SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR, UH, TO LAST YEAR, I LED THE AGENCY IN WRITING THOSE TRESPASSES. UH, WE WOULD WRITE SO MUCH THIS YEAR. I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT 30 OF THEM. UM, SO WE'RE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. UM, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS I, UM, FOR MY FIRST SEVERAL YEARS IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN, MY CRA, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING THROUGH THE WOODS IN HOMELESS CAMPS ALONG THE RIVER FRONT AND STUFF. I CAN TELL YOU AS OF YESTERDAY, I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE ANY HOMELESS CAMPS IN MY CRA. WOW. UM, NOW THERE IS SOME SPOTS THAT PEOPLE HANG OUT, OBVIOUSLY, UM, BUT, OR THE, YOU KNOW, THEY LOAD HER FOR A LITTLE BIT. AND, AND SURE, THERE'S STILL SOME PEOPLE THAT WE FIND THAT HAVE SLEPT OVERNIGHT IN, IN SOME PLACES, BUT IT IS NOT, UH, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN SOME OF THAT ACTIVITY. UM, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE POCKETS, SOME OF THOSE NOOKS AND CRANNIES IN DOWNTOWN WHERE, WHERE WE FIND PEOPLE. BUT I STILL DO, UH, EARLY MORNING, UH, DETAILS WHERE, UH, I'M IN HERE BY ABOUT FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING, DRIVING AROUND DOWNTOWN, LOOKING FOR THOSE SPOTS, RIVERVIEW PARK. UM, YOU KNOW, WE GO OUT TO THE MELBOURNE CAUSEWAY FRONT STREET AREA WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES. UM, AND, UH, WE'RE JUST NOT FINDING 'EM LIKE WE USED TO. AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING. THAT'S, THAT'S THE WORK OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY AND, UH, COUNCIL AND STUFF LIKE THAT TO, TO REALLY IMPROVE THE AREA. UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO BE FOR. MY UPDATE HERE IS LIKE, DOWNTOWN IS SAFE. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SAFE. IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE'RE NOT HAVING REALLY ANY MAJOR ISSUES. UM, ANOTHER THING I WANT REALLY HIGHLIGHT IS THE, UH, CAMERAS. THOSE CAMERAS WHEN I DO HAVE TO RESPOND TO STUFF, WE USE THOSE CAMERAS EVERY DAY. UM, I COULD USE TRIPLE THE AMOUNT OF THEM. UM, I COULD USE THEM ON EVERY STREET, ON EVERY CORNER, IT'D BE HELPFUL. UM, WE HAD AN INCIDENT WITH A, UH, ACTUALLY A, UH, BUSINESS MEMBER'S DAUGHTER WHO WAS ACTUALLY STRUCK IN THE CROSSWALK, UM, FROM BETWEEN CITY HALL AND MUNICIPAL AVENUE. AND OUR NEAREST CAMERA IS JUST ON THE SIDE OF THE, UH, PARKING GARAGE. AND WE COULD SEE THE CAR, BUT WE CAN ONLY MAKE OUT THAT IT WAS A SMALL WHITE CAR. YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T REALLY GET ANY MORE. UM, SO THOSE ARE EXTREMELY USEFUL TOOL, UM, YOU KNOW, INVALUABLE TO, TO WHAT WE DO. AND, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF THAT HAPPENS OVERNIGHT. SO WHEN THEY COME AND REPORT IT BACK TO ME, UH, I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND FIND OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND, AND TARGET OFFICERS IN THAT AREA OVERNIGHT. UM, SO JUST WANNA SOMETHING TO HIGHLIGHT RIGHT THERE. UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I CONTINUE TO, UH, BE INVOLVED. UH, WAWA IS WHERE I SPEND A LOT OF MY DAY. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THESE CALLS COME FROM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. UH, IT'S A CONVENIENT STORE, YOU KNOW, IN MY CRA YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, PEOPLE TRY TO WALK OUT WITH STUFF THERE ALL THE TIME. SO I THINK THAT'S EVEN A BIGGER DECREASE IN THE CORE DOWNTOWN AREA THAT YOU SEE AS I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE. AND WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH WAWA. IN FACT, I'M GOING TO GO PICK UP SUBS FROM THERE TODAY THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE DO SO MUCH TOGETHER. UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY ALL THE UPDATES I HAVE. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S ON YOUR GUYS' MIND THAT I CAN GO FURTHER INTO DETAIL WITH. I THINK THAT'S GREAT NEWS. VERY, YEAH. VERY VALID. VALIDATING FOR SURE. OH YEAH. IT'S BEEN A GREAT, IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR. I'M CURIOUS HOW MANY MORE CAMERAS YOU THINK YOU COULD USE. OH, I, I WOULD, I, I'M NOT THE PERSON TO ASK, UH, BECAUSE I WOULD SAY A HUNDRED MORE CAMERAS. RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT STRATEGICALLY, I'M SURE IN YOUR HEAD YOU'RE THINKING WE COULD USE YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME, SOME AREAS LIKE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE CROSSWALK REALLY IS A, A GREAT PLACE. UM, BUT ON SOME OF THE CORNERS, WE ONLY HAVE ONE CAMERA THAT'S LOOKING ONE WAY. YOU KNOW, WAVERLY IN NEW HAVEN IS A CORNER. WE COULD USE SOME, [00:30:01] WE CAN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WEST TOWARDS THE POST OFFICE WOULD BE A GOOD AREA. UM, WE HAVE, UH, A DEPOT DRIVE WOULD BE, NOW I KNOW THERE'S SOME TREES IN THERE, DEPOT, BUT WE'VE HAD SOME INCIDENTS IN DEPOT DRIVE AREA THAT WHERE I HAD TO USE BUSINESSES AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CAMERAS. GOOD, GREAT CRAMERS ON THERE THAT, THAT REALLY HELP US OUT. UM, BUT IT'S A DELAY IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO GO TO THAT BUSINESS, GET PERMISSION, ASK THEM WHERE ON OUR CAMERAS. I'M JUST BRINGING IT UP INSTANTLY. UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY SOME STRATEGIC AREAS. YOU KNOW, 10 WOULD PROBABLY BE A GET A NUMBER DONE. I DON'T WANNA GO TOO HIGH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THEM. UH, I USE 'EM ALL THE TIME. UM, THEY WORK FOR US REALLY WELL. OKAY. SO I THINK STAFF, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO GO TO COUNCIL TO GET MORE CAMERAS SINCE OUR TEST PROGRAM'S WORKING OUT? SO GREAT. IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND THAT IT'S, IT JUST A MATTER OF, OF MONEY AND FINDING WHERE THAT CAN FIT IN THE BUDGET. AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO MAYBE FIRST LOOK TOO AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE IN AS FAR AS FIBER IN GOING PARTICULARLY FURTHER THAT WEST DIRECTION. I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE'S EVEN SOME SPOTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE LIKE ONE CAMERA AT THAT WE COULD USE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ONE TO LOOK THERE. SO SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A, A GOOD PLACE TO START WITH JUST A COUPLE MORE CAMERAS, BUT MM-HMM . THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, I CAN JUST SAY, OH, HERE IT IS RIGHT HERE. LIKE MM-HMM . IT WORKS OUT SO WELL FOR US. DOES THE COMMITTEE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT ON THAT AT ALL? NO. THAT I HAVE A QUESTION. OKAY. GO AHEAD. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT. AND CLEARLY I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON THE GROUND, UH, EFFORTS ARE, ARE, ARE HAVING, YEAH. MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. ONLY QUESTION I HAD, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY DO HAVE TO ISSUE A, A TRESPASSING MM-HMM . UM, CITATION OR, OR OR ORDER OF TRESPASSING, IS, IS THAT PERMANENT OR IS THERE LIKE A, A YEAR, IS IT A YEAR? IT'S A ONE YEAR TO BE RENEWED. SO THE, THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE ISSUED ONE, IT'S A, IT'S A ONE YEAR PERIOD. UM, THE SECOND ONE IS TWO YEARS. OKAY. AND SO IT WOULD B BE APPLICABLE TO WHEREVER THAT THAT BUSINESS IS, THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY CITED RESPA THAT, THAT EXACT ADDRESS. YEP. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. NOW THE, THE, IF THEY GO BACK ON THE PROPERTY AND ARE ARE ARRESTED FOR IT, THE JUDGE CAN IMPOSE SOME DIFFERENT THINGS. I, I'VE SEEN WHERE THE JUDGE HAS IMPOSE THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO DOWNTOWN AT ALL. CAN'T REALLY ENFORCE THAT. IT, THAT'S A TOUGH THING TO ENFORCE. BUT I'VE SEEN IT DONE. UM, I'VE SEEN HIM TRY TO DO THAT. UM, BUT THE JUDGE CAN IMPOSE DIFFERENT THINGS TO, YOU KNOW, HE CAN, UH, EXTEND IT FOR THE PERIOD OF THE CASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT GENERALLY ONE YEAR WHEN WE WRITE A WARNING, IT'S ONE YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. TWO YEARS FOR THE SECOND TIME. YEAH. A A BUSINESS OWNER GAVE ME THAT FEEDBACK IS THAT THEY'LL, THEY'LL GO TO JAIL AND THEN THEY GET OUT AND THEY COME BACK AGAIN AND HE FELT A LITTLE BIT BAD FOR THESE PEOPLE 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLACES TO STAY. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SOLUTION, YOUR PERMANENT SOLUTION? WE REFER EVERYBODY TO, UH, PROVIDENCE PLACE, UM, TO TRY AND GET THEM. UM, AND WE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE GUYS ARE DOWN HERE. WE, WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM. UM, ANYBODY WHO'S, I KNOW MS. HERING, I SEE HER AND JOANNE EVEN KNOW THROUGH THE YEARS I'VE COME TO THEIR BUSINESS AND KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT WAS BOTHERING THEM. SAME THING WITH JERRY, THAT WE, I'VE KNOWN THEM BY NAME, UH, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AND, AND WE TALK, WE'VE TRIED TO RECONNECT 'EM WITH FAMILY OUTTA STATE. UH, WE, WE WORK THROUGH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE MRT THAT WORKS WITH US NOW, WHICH IS MOBILE RESPONSE TEAM OF, UH, COUNSELORS AND A THERAPIST. AND, UM, JUST TO TRY AND GET THAT RECONNECTION TO, TO GET 'EM SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND EVEN IF IT'S JUST GETTING 'EM ON THEIR MEDICINE SO THEY CAN, UH, MAYBE COPE WITH THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT BETTER, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT. BUT, UH, BUT WE, OUR EFFORTS ARE NOT JUST ARREST AND PUSH 'EM OUTTA THERE. IN FACT, A LOT OF TIMES THE ARREST IS OUR LAST OPTION. WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM SOMEWHERE TO, TO GET HELP. WHETHER WE'RE TAKING 'EM TO MA WE'VE DRIVEN EM WITH THE MATTHEWS PLACE WHEN THEY'VE HAD AN OPENING THAT'S IN, UH, COCOA AREA. UM, SO, AND I THINK WE'LL SEE AN EVEN BIGGER DIFFERENCE WHEN PROVIDENCE PLACE OPENS. AND WE HAVE, 'CAUSE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT NOW, THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR THAT TO BE BUILT. AND THEY HAVE ROOMS THERE. MM-HMM . I'M CURIOUS, WHERE, WHERE DO YOU THINK, UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE HOMELESS NUMBERS HAVEN'T DECREASED, SO WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE I GRAVITATING TOWARDS NOW? WELL, I, I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE, THE COUNT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, SO I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE COUNT WAS THIS LAST YEAR. IT WAS UP, BUT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, BUT THAT'S COUNTYWIDE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR AREA. OKAY. UM, OUR AREA, UM, IF YOU ASK ME, WE'VE HAD A, A DECREASE. I CAN'T VERIFY THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE. BUT, BUT I'M NOT SEEING THEM. LIKE I WAS, UH, I KNOW WE, WHEN I TALKED TO THEM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SOUTH, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH. I KNOW PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT GOING TO DAYTONA, GOING TO ORLANDO. UM, [00:35:01] YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN FOR YEARS COME DOWN. 'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE DAILY BREAD WAS OPEN FOR THE SUMMER AND THEY IMMEDIATELY LEAVE AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. MM-HMM . UM, SO IT JUST SPREADS 'EM OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE. MM-HMM . WELL, AND I KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE SEEING THEM ON TUESDAYS IN THE SOUTH MELBOURNE AREA, AND IT, IT GOES BACK TO JUST REINFORCING THAT CONCEPT AND WHATEVER THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP THAT, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY LIVE THERE. THEY'RE COMING IN. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS, JUST LIKE ON FEE AVENUE, IF THEY FIND THAT THERE, THERE'S A PLACE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING A MEAL, THEY START SETTING UP CAMP. MM-HMM . BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE SETTING UP CAMP ON WH JACKSON. YEAH. WE ALREADY HAVE THE LETTER OF AUTHORITY AND, AND HAVE TRESPASSED THE, THE, THE WOODS THAT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THEY WERE SERVING AT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE FIND. WE, WE, AS SOON AS THEY HAVE A CAMP, WE'RE, WE'RE CONTACTING THE PROPERTY OWNER AND, AND KICKING 'EM OUT OF THERE. AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THEN SOMETIMES IT'S, WE HAVE THE SAME DAY AND THEY'RE OUT OF THERE. AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES A COUPLE WEEKS. UM, BUT AS SOON AS WE NOTICE THAT SPOT, AND THAT'S WHY I CAN SAY LIKE WITHIN OUR CRA, WE HAVE REALLY, UH, GOTTEN THOSE LOAS AND, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO CAMPS. WE THOUGHT WE HAD BIG CAMPS IN RIVERVIEW PARK. AND I, I WALKED THROUGH THE WOODS PARKS DEPARTMENT, WALKED THROUGH THE WOODS. WE GOT THE BOAT TO GO OUT THERE. WE USED OUR DRONE WITH THE FLARE THE EARLY MORNING TO, TO GO ACROSS IT. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING AND, UH, TRYING TO CLEAR OUT THOSE SPOTS. SO WE'RE ACTIVE ON IT. AND I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT THEY WON'T BUILD A CAMP, BUT IF THEY ARE, YOU LET US KNOW WHERE IT'S AT AND WE'RE ALREADY ON IT. . THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, SMALL BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM. SO, UH, JUST AS A RECAP, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM, UH, CITY COUNCIL GAVE STAFF DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE INTERIOR IMPROVEMENT, UM, TYPE OF PROGRAM. UM, SO WE HAVE DRAFTED THE GUIDELINES, UM, HAD SENT DOWN THE AGENDA BACK. SO HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT. AND I'LL JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH EXACTLY, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE PROGRAM IS, UM, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN IT. UM, AND THEN AT THE END, UM, OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMITTEE FOR, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UM, AND FOR YOUR GUYS' INPUT. SO THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW. IT'S A MATCHING REIMBURSEMENT GRANT UP TO $30,000 FOR ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO BRING COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AND FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE. UM, WE'RE USING THE SENSE FOR BUSINESS ATTRACTION, BUSINESS RETENTION, BUSINESS EXPANSION. A LOT OF, UM, WHEN A NEW BUSINESS COME INTO THE AREA, UM, SAY THEY DO A CHANGE OF USE, IT TRIGGERS SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS. AND SO THESE ARE UNEXPECTED COSTS TYPICALLY FOR A BUSINESS COMING INTO DOWNTOWN. UM, SO THIS IS TO HELP, UH, ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT FINANCIAL BURDEN, UH, FOR A BUSINESS TRYING TO COME IN. SO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM MATCH $5,000, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE MINIMUM TOTAL ELIGIBLE PROJECT COST WOULD'VE TO BE AT LEAST $10,000 OR MORE. IT'S FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CRA. UM, AND FOR THE BUSINESS, IT MUST BE A QUALIFIED FOR PROFIT COMMERCIAL BUSINESS. AND WE'LL GET MORE INTO THAT. UM, PROPERTY OWNERS CAN ALSO APPLY, BUT MUST SHOW THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NECESSARY FOR TENANT PLACEMENT. UM, SO WE WANT TO INVEST IN PROPERTIES WHERE, UM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO BRING A BUSINESS IN. UH, PERHAPS THEY HAD DIFFERENT, UM, TYPE OF BUSINESSES COME IN. UM, THOSE LEASES FELL THROUGH. IT WAS TOO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE SPACE. SHOULD THEY HAVE THESE IMPROVEMENTS, WOULD BETTER HELP THEM, UH, SECURE A BUSINESS. SO GOING INTO THE ELIGIBLE BUSINESS TYPES. UM, SO WE, UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, UH, REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, IS NOW FOR US TO BE SELECTIVE, UM, IN TRYING TO BRING THESE, THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT WILL BETTER ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN. UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR COM, UH, CUSTOMER FACING COMMERCIAL USES SUCH AS RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS. NOT THAT IT'S ONLY FOR RESTAURANT RETAIL, UH, BUT THAT THESE BUSINESSES ACTIVATE STOREFRONT SPACES AND BRING FOOT TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN. UM, BELOW IS JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF INELIGIBLE BUSINESS TYPES. UM, OFFICES, WAREHOUSING BODY SHOPS, HOME BASE GAS STATIONS, SMOKE VAPE SHOPS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, LIQUOR STORES, TATTOO SHOPS, UH, AND TEMPORARY OR SEASONAL OPERATIONS. SO THE ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THIS GRANT PROGRAM, UM, AGAIN, MUST ADDRESS FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AND OR FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE, UH, RELATED TO A NEW BUSINESS. BUSINESS EXPANSION OR RETENTION. UH, AND TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS MAY INCLUDE ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, HVAC, FIRE SUPPRESSION, SEPARATION, A DA ACCESSIBILITY, UH, INTERIOR CONFIGURATIONS, LIFE SAFETY, EGRESS IMPROVEMENTS, CREASE TRAPS RELATED PLUMBING, COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, EXHAUSTED VENTILATION SYSTEMS, INTERIOR SYSTEMS REQUIRED FOR COMPLIANCE WITH FLORIDA BUILDING CODE. UH, SO THESE COSTS CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH LABOR MATERIALS, UM, AND ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING SERVICES THAT ARE RELATED. [00:40:03] SO, INELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENT EXAMPLES IS ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS FLORIDA BUILDING CODE. FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE. UM, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS UNLESS TO MEET A DA ACCESSIBILITY, UH, FURNITURE FIXTURES, EQUIPMENT INVENTORY, NON-FIXED ITEMS, REMOVABLE EQUIPMENT PERMIT FEES, IMPACT FEES, CODE ENFORCEMENT FINES, ANY WORK THAT STARTED BEFORE THE EXECUTION OF THE REBATE AGREEMENT, SELF-PERFORMED WORK AND NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, UH, WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT. SO TO KIND OF, UH, WALK THROUGH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR AN APPLICANT, UH, WITH THE PROCESS TO FIRST MEET WITH STAFF, SET A PRE-APPLICATION MEETING, UM, AND PRE-APPLICATION MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TODAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PRESENCE FROM BUILDING ENGINEERING. UM, AND A LOT OF THE TIMES THIS IS WHERE THEY LEARN ABOUT THOSE, UH, UNFORESEEN COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH FLORIDA BUILDING CODE FLORIDA TO FIRE PREVENTION CODE. UM, SO THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE, MAY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM, BE APPLYING FOR IT IN THAT SENSE. UM, IF NOT, WE'LL CERTAINLY BE BRINGING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM AVAILABLE. UM, SECOND PART, PART OF THE APPLICATION SUBMITTAL WOULD BE A BUSINESS PLAN. UM, IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT'D BE VETTED BY A SMALL BUSINESS SERVICE PROVIDER SUCH AS WE VENTURE SBDC OR SCORE. UM, IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S PART OF THE APPLICATION WOULD BE REVIEWING, YOU KNOW, THAT BUSINESS PLAN, UM, UM, HOW IT, HOW IT WOULD IMPROVE DOWNTOWN HAVING THEIR PRESENCE HERE. UM, FOR A NEW BUSINESS COMING IN FOR AN EXISTING BUSINESS, UH, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT FOR EXISTING BUSINESS OWNERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. UM, HAVE SOME CONSULTING, UM, PERHAPS CONTINUE WITH THE CONSULTING FREE SERVICES THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS OFFER. UM, SO ONCE THEY SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION, UM, GO TO THE MAIN STREET ECONOMIC VITALITY COMMITTEE, UH, FOR REVIEW, UM, WHEN THEIR RECOMMENDATION, THEY'LL MOVE ON TO THE CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR FINAL APPROVAL AT CITY COUNCIL. UH, WE THEN EXECUTE THE REBATE AGREEMENT. UM, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THEY HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT, THE PULL PERMITS, COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION. UM, AND THEN REIMBURSEMENT WILL OCCUR ONCE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY OR CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION IS ISSUED. UM, AND THEN FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, WHO ARE DOING THESE IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT A BUSINESS IN PLACE, BUT IT'S TO ATTRACT A NEW BUSINESS, UH, 50% OF THE REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE ISSUED AT CO, THE OTHER 50% WOULD BE ISSUED, UH, ONCE BCR IS OBTAINED AND THE LEASE AGREEMENT IS IN PLACE. UM, AND SO WE WANNA ENSURE IF WE'RE BRINGING A NEW BUSINESS TO THE DISTRICT, THAT THERE'S SECURITY, UH, FOR HOW LONG THEY COULD BE DOWNTOWN. UM, SO FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WANTED TO USE THIS GRANT, UM, THERE WILL BE A REQUIREMENT OF A MINIMUM THREE YEAR LEASE TERM WITH THE NEW BUSINESS COMING IN. UM, AND THEN THE APPLICANT IS TO MAINTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. SO LASTLY, JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON INELIGIBLE APPLICANT'S. UM, SO ANYONE THAT HAS RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CRA OR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS WOULD BE INELIGIBLE. UM, SO ANYONE WHO'S PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A FACADE GRANT, UH, WOULD'VE TO WAIT FIVE YEARS TO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM. UM, AND YOU CANNOT APPLY FOR THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, YOU WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE FACADE AT THE SAME TIME. UM, APPLICANTS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED FUNDING, UM, THROUGH THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM MAY APPLY AGAIN, ONLY IF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE COMPLETION OF THE PREVIOUS PROJECT. AND THEY FULLY COMPLIED WITH THE TERMS OF THEIR PREVIOUS REBATE AGREEMENT AND DID NOT DEFAULT. UM, AND SO, UH, SO IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MADE THROUGH THE BUILDING PROGRAM. SO SAY THEY ALREADY GOT THE GRANT, UM, FOR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED AND THEY COME BACK AND THEY WANNA REAPPLY FOR THE SAME IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY DID FIVE YEARS AGO. UM, THAT WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE. THEY WOULD'VE TO WAIT 10 YEARS. 'CAUSE THESE ARE, UM, STRUCTURAL PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT SHOULD LAST, UH, LONGER THAT TIME. SO, UH, IF THEY WANT TO, IF THEY WANT TO COME FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY PREVIOUSLY ALREADY MADE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS TO REAPPLY FOR THOSE SAME IMPROVEMENTS. UM, AND THEN APPLICANTS WHO DEFAULTED ON A PREVIOUS REBATE AGREEMENT ARE PERMANENTLY INELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM. UM, AND SO WE WERE THINKING ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS WITH MULTI-TENANT PROPERTIES. UM, THEY WOULD ONLY BE AWARDED ONE GRANT, UH, PER TAX PARCEL. SO IF THEY HAVE FIVE UNITS, THEY CAN IMPROVE ONE UNIT, WAIT TILL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND APPLY FOR ANOTHER UNIT. UH, WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WE'RE NOT INVESTING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE WHOLE YEAR'S FUND INTO ONE PROPERTY. AND WITH THAT, YEAH, OPEN UP TO THE COMMITTEE FOR YOUR GUYS' INPUT, UM, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY, CHRIS, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, ONE QUICK QUESTION. SO LET'S ASSUME EVERYBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, DOES EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO, AND WHATEVER REASON LIFE HAPPENS AND THE BUSINESS FOLDS OR GETS SOLD, WHAT ARE THE PROVISIONS TO EITHER RECOUP THE MONEY OR IS THAT RESPONSIBILITY PASSED ON TO WHOEVER PURCHASED THE PROPERTY? YEAH, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY, UM, CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING WITH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHEN IT COMES TO CLAWBACK PROVISIONS. UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE AND MAINTAINED, UM, IN A SENSE. AND SO WITH, FOR, I GUESS FOR THE WAY STAFF WOULD VIEW IT, IS THAT [00:45:01] THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE STAYING WITHIN THE DISTRICT WITH THE PROPERTY. UM, SHOULD THAT HAPPEN, UM, AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MINIMUM LEASE TERM THAT WE'RE SETTING, UM, IS THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER, YOU KNOW, IS NOT TERMINATING THAT ON THAT SENSE. UM, AND THEN ALSO SAME THING WITH THE BUSINESS COMING IN AS A CO-APPLICANT AS WELL, IF THEY'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, FOLDING, TURNING OVER. UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, IN THE REBATE AGREEMENT. YEAH, WE'RE, THIS IS STILL, YOU KNOW, IN DRAFT FORM AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON HOW THAT'S POSSIBLE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN PLAY IN THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THIS IS VERY MUCH MOST IDENTICAL, THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. UM, THERE'S NOT AN EASY WAY TO GO BACK IN AND GET THAT RECOUPED. UM, IN THAT SENSE. UM, WE DID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE THE OPTION HERE FOR A PROPERTY OWNER TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, I'VE HAD INQUIRIES AND I KNOW IF I PUT IN THIS EXTRA BATHROOM, I'LL BE ABLE TO GET THIS KIND OF A TENANT. AND THEY GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM. UM, WE'RE ONLY GONNA GIVE THEM HALF OF THE REIMBURSEMENT ON CO AND THEN HOLD THE OTHER HALF UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THAT TENANT SIGNED, YOU KNOW, IN A LEASE IN THE SPOT. SO IN THAT CASE, WE CAN HOLD BACK A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS ROBERT SAID, I MEAN, ULTIMATELY THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE WILL STAY WITH THE BUILDINGS. SO EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL WITH THIS IS TO FILL VACANCIES AND BRING BUSINESSES IN OR HELP BUSINESSES STAY DOWNTOWN OR EXPAND, UM, THERE'S ALMOST ONLY SO MANY INTRICACIES WE CAN SORT OF BUILD INTO THAT. SO, BUT I LIKE THE FACT OPEN TO SUGGESTION THAT IT'S REALLY ADDRESSING THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT BE ATTRACTIVE TO INDIVIDUALS. THEY'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY SEE A, A A, YOU KNOW, A RATE ON THE RETURN IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE THINGS THAT IF THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSED OR NOT DONE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA IMPACT THE BUSINESS. SO I'M GLAD IT ADDRESSES THAT. AND AGAIN, IT'S REALLY THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO SORT OF DRIVE SOME OF THE USES, YOU KNOW, TENANTS COMING IN THAT, UM, THAT WE REALLY NEED DOWNTOWN THAT ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THAT THAT'S REALLY WHY WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE PROPOSED. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NICE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A DENTAL OFFICE, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART PEOPLE DON'T GO TO THE DENTIST AND THEN GO WANDER AROUND AND SHOP AND EAT DOWNTOWN. UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE GONNA GENERATE THAT FOOT TRAFFIC. AND THAT'S A, A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT STAFF AND MAIN STREET AND, UM, HOW CAN WE FOCUS THIS PROGRAM TO HELP WITH THAT YEAH, COOL, COOL PROGRAM HAVE, BUT, UM, THIS INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF INTERACTIONS THAT POTENTIAL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE TO HAVE WITH CITY AND GOVERNMENT. HAVE, THERE'S BEEN THOUGHT TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE INTERACTIONS. SO PERHAPS, UM, WAIVE SOME OF THESE PERMITTING, WAIVE SOME OF THESE FEES. JUST REMOVE THE AMOUNT OF GOVERNMENT INTERACTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE. BECAUSE THE FEEDBACK THAT I GET IS PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW MUCH OVERSIGHT, HOW MUCH RESTRICTION, HOW MANY FEES, HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET PERMITS. AND THAT'S THE FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN AND WHY PEOPLE AREN'T, UM, DOING THINGS IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE. AND THIS SEEMS TO BE INCREASING ACTUALLY GOVERNMENT REGULATION ON PEOPLE. I THINK IT'S TWO SEPARATE THINGS. NUMBER ONE, WE CAN'T WAIVE PERMIT FEES, BUILDING PERMIT FEES, IMPROVEMENTS ON PROPERTIES, HAVE TO MEET FLOOR BUILDING CODE, PERIOD, NOT OUR DECISION HERE IN THE CITY HALL. THEY HAVE TO MEET FLOOR BUILDING CODE, FLOOR FIRE PREVENTION CODE, AND, UM, WE CAN'T WAIVE BUILDING PERMIT FEES. SO THAT, THAT IS JUST A FACT OF DOING BUSINESS. UM, THAT, THAT'S, THAT IS THERE. UM, WE, WE WORK VERY HARD WITH BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY IN DOWNTOWN. UM, THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CONTACT MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, THEY CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE. IN FACT, AT THE PROPERTY OWNER MEETING, WE DID HAVE SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, WITH PROPERTY OWNERS WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN A WHILE THAT, UM, CALL US IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE, YOU KNOW, GETTING, YOU KNOW, TENANTS IN AND PULLING PERMITS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, BE THE LIAISON AND WALK YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS. UM, ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, IF, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, A, A GOVERNMENT GRANT, THEN IT DOES COME WITH SOME EXTRA STEPS BECAUSE WE, WE CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, UPFRONT GIVE OUT MONEY AND NOT HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THROUGH THAT THINGS HAPPEN AND THAT, THAT IT'S COMPLETED. SO, UM, IT, IT IS A CONCERN. WE, WE DO TALK TO BUSINESSES, PROPERTY OWNERS, TRYING TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH THE PROCESS. I CAN TELL YOU IT, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT IN DOWNTOWN WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH EXISTING OLDER BUILDINGS. UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA RUN INTO A DA ISSUES [00:50:01] OFTEN, YOU KNOW, BATHROOM PLUMBING ISSUES, THAT THAT IS, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GO BUILD A NEW BRAND NEW, YOU KNOW, BUILDING OUT ON WICKHAM ROAD. UM, IT'S HARDER, IT'S HARDER WHEN YOU DO WORK IN A DOWNTOWN. IT IS, IT IS WHAT IT IS. BUT THAT'S WHAT OUR STAFF'S HERE FOR TO HELP GET THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES. JOANNE. UM, SO I LIKE THE PROGRAM. UM, IT'S, IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU'RE ASKING THESE, UM, BUSINESSES TO DO. IT'S A DESIREMENT. IF THEY WOULD LIKE THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY AND THIS BENEFIT, THEN THERE'S SOME STEPS YOU HAVE TO GO TO. SO I'M ALL, I'M ALL GOOD WITH THAT. UM, MY QUESTIONS ARE THE, THE, ONE OF THE RESTRICTIONS WAS THEY COULDN'T APPLY FOR THIS AND FACADE AT THE SAME TIME. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY THAT RESTRICTION? SO WE, WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS BOARD AND OTHER GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE GO FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. YES, LET'S HELP BUSINESSES. NO. WHY ARE WE GIVING ALL OF OUR MONEY AWAY TO LANDLORDS THAT DON'T DO ANYTHING? SO WE'RE TRYING TO, TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE THERE SAYING, OKAY, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM, YOU DON'T GET TO ALSO TAP INTO THIS PROGRAM AT THE SAME TIME. I MEAN, IT'S DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT. I MEAN, WE'RE THE, THESE KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS ARE ACTUALLY WHAT ARE GONNA GET THE BUSINESS IN. YES, IT'S NICE IF THEY DO, YOU KNOW, NEW PAINT AND FACADE WORK, BUT THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HELP GET THE TENANT IN THE BUSINESS IN, IN THE TENANT SPACE AND OPEN. OKAY. I'M JUST, I'M JUST QUESTIONING THAT. AND I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT AS A BOARD. I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE REALLY TARGETING ON WHAT YOU WANT. THAT'S WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT YOU'RE SAY IT CAN'T BE THIS, THIS YOU'RE TARGETING AND WHAT'S GONNA BRING FOOT TRAFFIC. I THINK THAT'S GREAT. UM, THE, THE 30,000 LIMIT. SO LET'S ASSUME SOMEBODY, UH, A BUSINESS DECIDES THEY NEED SOMETHING FOR 10 K AND THEY GET THAT 10 K. DID THEY HAVE TO WHAT, WAIT ANOTHER FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO GET A REAPPLY FOR THE REMAINING 20 K. IT'S ON A ONE-TIME BASIS. SO IF THEY HAVE A IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT COSTS A TOTAL OF $10,000, RIGHT? THEY'D BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THEY COULD BE REIMBURSED 5,000. CORRECT. BUT THEY HAVE TO WAIT FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO GO FOR THE NEXT 20 K. THEY, THEY COULD RE REAPPLY FOR THE FULL 30 SHOULD THEY HAVE IN FIVE YEARS. IN FIVE YEARS. SO I, THOSE TWO ITEMS ARE QUESTIONABLE IN MY MIND BECAUSE AS A BUSINESS OWNER, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN ONLY, I, IT'S GREAT YOU'RE GIVING ME 50% BACK, BUT IF I CAN ONLY AFFORD THE 10,000, NOW DO I REALLY NEED TO WAIT FIVE YEARS? SO THAT'S NOT THE WAY FACADE WORKS. SO I'M JUST, I'M, I'M, I'M VERY FAMILIAR. SO THOSE TWO ITEMS ABOUT YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR FACADE AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO GET THE OTHER PART OF YOUR MAXIMUM WOULD BE TWO THAT I QUESTION. JUST REMEMBER THAT WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THIS AS A LANDLORD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO IMPROVEMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, FIX THINGS THAT SHOULD BE MAINTENANCE AND STUFF ALONG THE WAY. THE, THESE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO GET THAT NEW TENANT IN OR TO RETAIN A TENANT THAT YOU HAVE THERE THAT WANTS TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS SCOPE. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN THAT BIGGER SENSE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, OH, I, I GOT THIS THIS YEAR 'CAUSE I NEEDED AN, YOU KNOW, MY HVAC HAD GONE OUT. I COULDN'T GET A TENANT, YOU KNOW, SO I'M GONNA COME BACK IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO AND AND ASK FOR SOMETHING ELSE. IT'S ABOUT BRINGING THAT BUSINESS IN. BRINGING IT IN. OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD POINT. IF YOU JUST, IF WE, YOU KEEP THINKING ABOUT IT IN THAT, IN THAT TERMS THAT IT, WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS A ONESIE TWOSIE IS SOMEBODY TRYING TO COME IN EVERY YEAR ON THE SAME PROPERTY WHEN REALLY AS A PROPERTY OWNER, SOME OF THAT'S PROBABLY FALLING ON YOU TO HAVE DONE ANYWAY. OKAY. THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT. SO I RETRACT THAT ONE THAT THE, THAT'S VERY GOOD. UM, I STILL AM THINKING ABOUT THE SIMULTANEOUS FACADE 'CAUSE THAT'S A BENEFIT TO DOWNTOWN. UH, SO BUILD MY LAST QUESTION. BUILDING A BUSINESS PLAN A PART OF THIS, UM, THEY CAN GO TO SCORE, IT'S FREE CAN PART, BUT IF THEY GO TO, UM, WE VENTURE, I BELIEVE THERE'S A FEE. DID I UNDERSTAND KATH? THEY, THEY, THEY OFFER FREE SERVICES. THEY OFFER. OKAY, SO YOU'RE JUST SAYING A BUSINESS PLAN, WHETHER YOU CHAT GBT IT OR YOU GO , YOU GO TO SCORE, RIGHT? YEAH. PART OF IT IS, YEAH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANNA SEE, WE WOULD WANNA SEE PROOF, YOU KNOW, AN EMAIL OR YOU KNOW, A SIGNED LETTER OR SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, [00:55:01] SOME, THE CONSULTANT WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN IT AND VETTED IT. OH, YOU NEED IT SIGNED, YEAH, THAT A SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN IT AND VETTED IT. GOT IT. OKAY. OKAY. THAT'S OKAY. SO I DO, I THINK WHEN YOU SEE IT IN WRITING, IT CERTAINLY PRESENTS MUCH BETTER. BUT I'M STILL BACK TO YOU FROM THE BEGINNING THAT I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I PERSONALLY WOULD SUPPORT THIS. IT'LL ULTIMATELY BE COUNCIL'S DECISION. I I THINK THAT THIS DOES INCENTIVIZE LANDLORDS STILL. AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIGGER COMMERCIAL PICTURE, YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE COMING IN AND QUITE A FEW PROPERTIES HAVE TURNED HANDS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPENDING NOTHING SHORT OF A MILLION DOLLARS ON A PROPERTY. SO THEY, THEY ARE THEIR PRINCIPLES. THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO INVEST IN A DOWNTOWN. THEY SHOULD HAVE THE FUNDING TO PUT THE MONEY INTO THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO LEASE THESE PROPERTIES OUT. SO IT COMES BACK TO, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE REWARDING THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN DERELICT FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. AND I THINK IT INCENTIVIZES THAT BLIGHT MORE THAN IT REALLY HELPS, UM, IF WE WERE GONNA DO IT, I, I AM WITH JOANNE THAT I THINK THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE WANNA DO BOTH, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY BENEFIT WAY MORE FROM THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT FOR THE OVERALL BEAUTIFICATION OF DOWNTOWN. BUT THE SECOND THING IS, I, I THINK IT NEED, IT NEEDS TO BE BASED MORE IF WE WERE GONNA DO THIS ON SOMETHING WHERE IT'S A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, AND AGAIN, AND THE SAME THING WITH TENANTS. IF THEY'RE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, I MEAN JUST THE UM, THE OLD EL MOJITO THAT'S $7,000 A MONTH IN RENT. YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN AT THESE RENT RATES RIGHT NOW ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THE COSTS. UM, THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T AWARE OF THE COSTS ARE THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE PROBABLY DUE TO FAIL IN FIVE YEARS ANYWAYS. AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB, ESPECIALLY REACHING OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND REACHING OUT AND WORKING ON A, A HEALTHY TENANT MIX AND GOING ACTUALLY AFTER AND ATTRACTING BUSINESSES THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR DOWNTOWN. I JUST PERSONALLY THINK THAT THAT'S A BETTER USE OF THE TIME. I'M SUPER CURIOUS, JOHN, 'CAUSE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE. WHAT YOU THINK 'CAUSE YOU'RE IN COMMERCIAL AS WELL. I'M DYING TO KNOW YOUR POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES, BUT I JUST STILL GO BACK TO, I JUST DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS. I, YES, WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES. I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA PULL THEM IN. WE'RE IN A DOWN MARKET. LANDLORDS NEED TO BE MAKING CONCESSIONS. IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT IT IS RIGHT NOW. AND WE NEED TO BE DOING THINGS TO ATTRACT THE BUSINESSES IN. AND YEAH, THAT'S, AND AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY WITH CODE, YOU KNOW, YES, YOU HAVE TO BRING A DA BUT NOT NECESSARILY EVERYTHING. YOU CAN GET AN EXCEPTION IF THE COST IS TOO MUCH TO BEAR FOR THE BUSINESS. ISN'T THAT ACCURATE? 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER IS THEY'LL SAY, OKAY, WELL YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT WE'LL LET YOU NOT DO THIS. A DA IMPROVEMENTS ARE, UM, A PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION VALUE OF YOUR IMPROVEMENTS. RIGHT. SO IT, IT DOES COME ABOUT IF YOU'RE DOING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IMPROVEMENTS, AND I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, LET'S JUST SAY YOU HAVE TO DO 5%, THEN, YOU KNOW, $5,000 IN AN A DA RELATED IMPROVEMENT. RIGHT? SO, I DON'T KNOW, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE. WELL, COME, COMING FROM THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF IT. I, I THINK TENANTS, THEY DON'T SEE ANY OF THIS COST WHEN THEY'RE GOING INTO IT. IT'S ALL HIDDEN. LIKE, YOU DON'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU'RE RUNNING, IF YOU'RE GONNA OPEN A RESTAURANT, HOW MUCH HVAC YOU'LL NEED. HVAC CAN BE A $20,000 COST. LIKE, LIKE, JUST LIKE THAT. THE FIRE SUPPRESSION, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE. IT'S LIKE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING INTO AND THEN THEY GO, HOLY CRAP, I HAVE $30,000 IN JUST MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES THAT I GOTTA NOW COME UP WITH AND I DIDN'T PLAN ON IT. SO LANDLORDS AREN'T GONNA EAT IT. YOU KNOW, THAT IN THIS BUSINESS. IT'S LIKE, WHY WOULD THEY, THEY CAN JUST WAIT. THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING . AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LANDLORDS TRYING TO GET SPACES LEASE, AND THERE'S ALWAYS THIS HICCUP, OH, THAT USED NEEDS ANOTHER BATHROOM THAT USE NEEDS THIS OR THAT. AND THE LANDLORDS AND TRYING TO PREDICT RIGHT OR WRONG, THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. IT'S ON YOU BUSINESS. TRYING TO PREDICT WHICH USE THEY WILL NEED TOO IS LIKE FAR HOW MANY, HOW MANY BATHROOMS WILL YOU NEED FOR A RESTAURANT VERSUS RETAIL? LIKE, HOW MANY SHOULD I BUILD AS A LANDLORD? THEY DON'T WANNA WASTE MONEY. I MEAN, I THINK YOU BRING UP A VERY GOOD POINT AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME INDIVIDUALS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM. BUT, BUT ONE THING THAT I KEEP HEARING THAT, THAT, THAT IL SAID IS THAT THERE'S NINE STOREFRONTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY VACANT AND EIGHT OR NINE, UH, ON THE SECOND LEVEL, YOU KNOW, ONE SOLUTION IS NOT GONNA SOLVE THAT ISSUE. IT'S GONNA BE A COMBINATION OF THINGS. UM, I, I AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THAT SOMEBODY LEGITIMATELY, IF THEY QUALIFY, SHOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF BOTH PROGRAMS. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE AT ONE [01:00:01] OR THE OTHER. UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE IMPROVING THE FACADE, YOU KNOW, AND GETTING RID OF, OF THE EYESORE, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IT BENEFITS THE BUSINESS. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY PREDICT THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE BUSINESS. BUT THERE ARE VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE. SO YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME, SOME, SOME BAD ACTORS. BUT I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DECENT PROGRAM TO HOPEFULLY BE PART OF AN OVERALL SOLUTION TO ATTRACT PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. BECAUSE I MEAN, NINE, WAS IT, WAS IT NINE THAT YOU SAID THAT ARE STOREFRONTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY VACANT? 14 ON THE, ON THE, UH, DOWN FLOORS AND THEN NOT, NOT IN THE BUILDING. I GOT YOU. SO THAT'S, THAT IS A CONCERN TO, TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BRING ABOUT A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN WHEN YOU'VE GOT THAT MUCH, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, SPACE THAT, THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE. BUT YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, THERE'S SOME THAT DEFINITELY, UM, THEY, THEY DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. ANDEL, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE ON IMPROVED SPACES? NO, UNFORTUNATELY NOT. BUT I CAN GET THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY, ANY, YEAH. I THINK THE EASIEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO, UH, LOOK AT WHAT YOU GUYS CAN ELIMINATE, RIGHT? RATHER THAN ADDING IT TO BUSINESSES AND THEN ALLOWING BUSINESSES TO DO THE RIGHT THING TO MAKE THOSE REPAIRS. AS THEY GET IN THERE, THEY GET ON THEIR FEET, THEY'RE STARTING TO GENERATE REVENUE, MAYBE THEN THEY CAN MAKE SOMETHING, BUILD THE RAMP FOR AN A DA OR SOMETHING. BUT WHEN YOU PUT ALL THESE BARRIERS FOR A BUSINESS AND THEY LOOK AT ALL THIS, THEY'RE LIKE, I'M NOT GONNA GO, I'M GONNA GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. MAYBE I WON'T EVEN START A BUSINESS. SO WHEN GOVERNMENT OVER REGULATES, IT SCARES AWAY BUSINESSES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON IS, IS DEREGULATION. MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON THEIR FEET AND START THINGS, AND THEN TRUST THAT PEOPLE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. MAKE THE PLUMBING RIGHT, MAKE THE HVAC RIGHT. BUT DON'T PUT ALL THESE REGULATIONS ON PEOPLE. MAKE 'EM PAY ALL THESE PERMITS AND FEES. LET PEOPLE DO THE RIGHT THING. IS, IS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS HERE IS, BUT WE'RE NOT UNABLE TO DEREGULATE A FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AT THIS LEVEL. WHAT CAN YOU DO THOUGH? THERE IS, AND I, AND I HATE, I CAN'T EITHER TO SAY THIS, BUT THERE'S UNFORTUNATELY NOTHING THE CITY CAN DO. I MEAN, OUR, WE HAVE TO ENFORCE FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AND FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE. IT, IT'S A REQUIREMENT. IF WE, WE CAN'T LET SOMEBODY MOVE IN AND SAY, OH, WE'LL GIVE YOU SIX MONTHS TO DO THIS. WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT. AND THE AADA IS THE ADA'S FEDERAL REQUIREMENT. I MEAN, IT, OUR HESS ARE TIED. SO IF WE CAN'T WAIVE PERMIT FEES, WHICH WE KNOW WE CAN'T, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, BESIDES DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN PAY FOR? WELL, THIS WOULD OFFSET THE COST. I MEAN, AT LEAST YOU MAY PAY YOUR PERMIT FEES, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, MINIMAL WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING 20 OR 30,000, YOU KNOW, IN, SO THE PERMIT FEES WOULDN'T BE A PART OF THIS. UM, BUT YOU'D BE GETTING THE GRANT THAT WOULD OFFSET, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION. THAT, THAT'S THE THOUGHT OF IT, IS THAT YOU'RE HELPING THEM OUT ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, BRICK AND MORTAR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING IN DOWNTOWN. DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE WAITING TO COME IN, THAT ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? UH, NOT RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT. I, THERE'S NOT ANYBODY SPECIFIC THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, FORESEEING. THIS IS JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN HEARING FROM, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S PROPERTY OWNERS OR BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THEY COME INTO US SOMETIMES WITH, I WANNA DO THIS, BUT MY LANDLORD WON'T HELP ME PUT A BATHROOM IN. I CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT A BATHROOM IN, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO MOVE ELSEWHERE. YOU KNOW, SO, UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST REALLY IN LISTENING TO PEOPLE THE LAST FEW YEAR, WHAT, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM, WHAT THEY'VE STRUGGLED WITH. CAN WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW AT THE SURE. ON THE, THE PROGRAM? SURE. YEAH. OKAY. MARK, YOU'RE BACK THERE WAIVING . CAN YOU REDUCE THE PERMIT FEE AND STILL CHARGE IT? NO. CAN YOU CHARGE THE PERMIT FEE, COLLECT THE PERMIT FEE AND CREDIT THE PERMIT FEE PERMIT FEE BACK WITHIN SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR? NO. YOU, YOU COULD PUT IN THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU'D PAY PERMIT FEES, BUT WE, THEY'D HAVE TO BE, THEY HAVE TO BE PAID. DIDN'T SAY THEY DIDN'T BE PAID. I SAID, CAN THEY BE PAID? BUT THEN CREDIT CREDITED BACK WITHIN A YEAR. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CREDITED BACK? I MEAN, EXACTLY WHAT I SAID. CAN YOU CHARGE THE PERMIT FEE, COLLECT THE PERMIT FEE, AND THEN CREDIT THE PERMIT FEE BACK WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO YEARS? NO. IS THERE A STATE STATUTE THAT YOU CAN POINT TO THAT SAYS THAT I'M NOT THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, SO NO, I CAN'T POINT TO ANYTHING SPECIFIC. PROBABLY SHOULD FIND THAT OUT. BUT AGAIN, IF, IF IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL, YOU COULD OPEN THE PROGRAM UP TO PAY FOR PERMIT FEES IF YOU WANTED TO. IT'S NOT, IT'S [01:05:01] THE POCKET CHANGE, BUT MM-HMM . UM, WE'D HAVE TO VERIFY THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM TO INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF, YOU'RE THEN JUST LOOKING AT THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, AND YOU'RE INCLUDING IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAY YOU CAN INCLUDE YOUR DESIGN FEES, SO YOU CAN INCLUDE YOUR PERMIT FEES. I MEAN, IF YOU GUYS THINK THAT'S A SOMETHING YOU WANNA DO, WE, WE CAN ADD THAT IN THERE. PERMIT FEES AND IMPACT FEES. IMPACT FEES. WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THERE. THERE COULD BE, IF YOU'RE PUTTING A NEW BATHROOM IN, YOU'RE GONNA INCUR WATER AND SEWER IMPACT FEES. UM, AGAIN, WE CAN'T WAIVE PER IMPACT FEES, BUT YOU COULD USE THIS GRANT TO PAY FOR SOME OF THAT. REMEMBER, YOU'RE JUST DILUTING THEN THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO PAY FOR. YEAH, BECAUSE THERE, A LOT OF THESE ARE NOT, LIKE, YOU'RE NOT JUST GONNA GET HVAC, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET HVAC, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING A NEW FLOOR, YOU'RE GONNA BE PAINTING THE WALLS. LIKE IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT ISOLATED. IT WOULD BE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT, I WOULD THINK AT ONCE. WELL, AND THIS ISN'T RIGHT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PORTION OUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY QUALIFIED EXPENSE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST PAYING FOR THE NEW, YOU KNOW, TILE FLOORS THAT WANNA GET PUT IN OR WHATEVER. IT HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED FLORIDA BUILDING CODE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS. SO, UM, IS THE 90 DAY RULE A CITY CODE? OR IS THAT STATE, I'M SORRY, THE 90 DAY RULE? IF, IF A PROPERTY IS VACANT. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY HARDSHIP. LIKE, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO SIT FOR 90 DAYS RIGHT NOW. SO THAT THEN IS WHEN IT TRIGGERS THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO CODE, IS THAT A CITY POLICY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COMES DOWN FROM THE STATE? I THINK IT'S CITY, THE CITY 90 DAY VACANCY. BUT IT DOESN'T, THAT'S MORE ON OUR ZONING SIDE. AND IT REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT DOWNTOWN BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A PARKING REQUIREMENT. YOU DON'T HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT COME INTO PLAY. WHAT CATCHES EVERYBODY DOWNTOWN IS A CHANGE OF USE. THAT THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT IS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. SO WHO COLLECTS THESE PERMIT FEES? IT SAYS HERE ONLINE THAT THE CITY COLLECTS THEM. I'M SORRY, THE CITY COLLECTS THESE PERMIT FEES. IT'S NOT A STATE THING, IT'S THE CITY BENEFITS FROM THESE FEES. SO THE CITY COULD WAIVE THE FEES. NO, WE, WE CAN'T. WHY NOT? I DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL REASON FOR WHY WE CAN'T, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WAIVE PERMIT FEES. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S DO A MOTION TO PUSH YOUR STUFF TO COUNSEL TO DO IT THEN. . DID ANYONE SECOND THAT? I WOULD SECOND THAT WAIVE PERMIT. WE, SO CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE MOTION? THE MOTION IS TO WAIVE ALL FEES THAT THE CITY WOULD COLLECT FROM BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN THE DOWNTOWN CCRA. IN THE DOWNTOWN CCRA. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON HERE. I'LL SECOND IT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. NO, NO. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NAY. OKAY. SO WE HAD THREE YAYS AND TWO NAYS. MOTION PASSES. YEAH. CHRIS ISN'T HERE, SO HE DIDN'T GET A VOTE. SO WE'LL REVOTE ON THAT THEN. NEITHER'S JOANNE. YEAH. RIGHT. I MEAN, SHE'S GONE, BUT CHRIS WILL BE RIGHT. OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE HE, I, OKAY. YEAH. OH, HOLD ON. SORRY. I THOUGHT HE LEFT. I APOLOGIZE. EXPLAIN THIS ONE TOO. DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I KNOW. YEAH. COME ON OUT. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR SOMEBODY WHO WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT, AND IT'S KIND OF IN REFERENCE TO WHAT THE POLICE OFFICER SAID. OH, OKAY. UM, UM, DUE TO THE FACT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND THE JULY 1ST, UH, CITY MEETING OF FOR COUNTY DEVELOPMENT, I REQUEST THIS LETTER TO BE READ ALOUD ON MY BEHALF, DOCUMENTED IN THE RECORD, UM, OF THE MINUTES FOR THE MEETING. I AM A DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE BUSINESS OWNER, AND ON MOST IMPORTANTLY, APPARENT ON FATHER'S DAY, MY ADULT DAUGHTER, KAITLYN, PARKED IN THE CITY HU PARKING GARAGE TO CROSS THE STRAWBRIDGE AVENUE FOR BREAKFAST. WHILE IN THE CROSSWORK, I MEAN IN THE CROSSWALK, KAITLYN'S FOOT WAS RUN OVER AND HER ARM WAS HIT BY A WESTBOUND VEHICLE AND HIT AND RUN WITH INJURY ACCIDENT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, KAITLYN WAS INJURED AND THE DRIVER FLED THE SCENE. FLEEING THE SCENE IS A FELON THAT CRASH RESULTS IN INJURIES, SERIOUS BODILY HARM OR DEATH. EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL TOLL THIS HAS TAKEN ON OUR FAMILY IS VERY DIFFICULT. WHEN WE TURN TO THE CITY FOR HELP, WE DISCOVERED A GAP BETWEEN THE PROMISE AND REALITY. THE CITY OF MELBOURNE WEBSITE PROUDLY [01:10:01] CLAIMS WE HAVE A SURVEILLANCE NETWORK ENSURING DOWNTOWN SAFETY. YET THE CAMERAS AT THIS MAJOR HIGH VOLUME PEDESTRIAN FUNNEL CANNOT CAPTURE OR READ LICENSE PLATES. DRIVER WHO HURT MY CHILD IS FREE TODAY BECAUSE OUR SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE LACKS, LACKS BASIC FUNCTIONALITY. AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I KNOW THAT PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVES OUR LOCAL COMMERCE. IF FAMILIES, EMPLOYEES, AND TOURISTS CANNOT SAFELY CROSS STRAWBRIDGE AVENUE, OUR DOWNTOWN ECONOMY ECONOMY WILL SUFFER. I AM WRITING TO DEMAND FOR ACTIONABLE CHANGES. NUMBER ONE, INSTALL UPGRADED INFRARED CAMERAS FACING EAST AND WEST ON STRAWBRIDGE, NEAR THE CROSSWALK WITH AN AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER CAPABILITIES TO CATCH DANGEROUS, HIT AND RUN SUSPECTS. SECONDLY, INCREASE THE VIS VISIBILITY AT THE STRAWBRIDGE CROSSWALK. DURING EVENTS, THERE IS ACT ACTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, BUT THAT ISSUE IS ON A DAILY BASIS. NOT ONLY HIGH TRAFFIC DAYS, PATROLLING IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE STATEMENTS ON THE CITY OF MELBOURNE'S WEBSITE. THIRDLY, A PERMANENT REDUCTION IN SPEED LIMITS BETWEEN WAVERLY AND US. ONE ON STRAWBRIDGE FORCES VEHICLES TO YIELD FOURTH, ADD SPEED BUMPS TO ENCOURAGE REDUCED SPEED LIMITS. I AM AWARE OUR DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE BUSINESS DISTRICT HAS VOICED REPEATEDLY UNITED CONCERNS OVER THE STRAWBRIDGE MUNICIPAL CROSSWALK, PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIABILITY. WHEN FAMILY AND CLIENTS OF MINE DON'T FEEL SAFE CROSSING THE STREET FROM THE CITY PARKING GARAGE, IT IS A REFLECTION OF OUR ENTIRE DOWNTOWN. WE CANNOT MARKET OURSELVES AS A WELCOMING DISTRICT WHILE LEAVING KNOWN TRAFFIC SAFETY, BLIND SPOTS UNADDRESSED. I AM CALLING ON THE CITY OF MELBOURNE TO PROTECT BOTH OUR CITIZENS AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMY BY UPGRADING OUR SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE IMMEDIATELY THE DRIVER WHO HIT MY DAUGHTER ESCAPED BECAUSE AN OFFICER WASN'T THERE AND THE CAMERAS FAILED. WE NEED OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TO BACK UP OUR OFFICERS. PLEASE NOTE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE PUBLIC CROSSWALK CONNECTING THE CITY PARKED OWNED GARAGE TO A PUBLIC STREET. MANAGING TRAFFIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE ON CITY ROADS IS ENTIRELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. SINCERELY, STACY SULLIVAN? YEAH. AT FIRST, MY CONDOLENCES TO HER FOR WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. THAT'S, THAT'S HORRIB TRAGIC. AND I, WE DID BRING UP THE CAMERAS, SO I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S SOME REALLY GOOD POINTS IF WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO CROSS RIGHT THERE. IT'S, AND IT'S REALLY A, A SEPARATE ISSUE THAN, YOU KNOW, OFFICER ALLEN TALKING MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEW HAVEN CORRIDOR AND SEEING PEOPLE. IT'S, UM, SOMETHING, IF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO PASS THAT ON TO OUR CITY ENGINEER AND OUR POLICE CHIEF. I I, I'M SURE WE CAN GET ONE. YEAH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST HELPFUL THING TO CINDY. I GOT A COPY OF THAT. OKAY, GREAT. YEAH. AND, AND WE WILL, UM, WE'LL GIVE THAT TO THOSE TWO ENTITIES BECAUSE IT'S DOT'S ROADWAY OUT THERE. SO THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER HOW WE HANDLE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AND THINGS OUT THERE. WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN. UM, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF LPR CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I OFFHAND DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE AND DON'T HAVE IN THAT AREA. UM, BUT SO OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, WE WILL PASS THAT ON TO 'EM. YEAH, BECAUSE THE, THE CAMERAS ARE GREATLY NEEDED AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ONLY THE ADVISORY BOARD, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO COUNCIL AND SHARE THAT LETTER AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MUCH MORE, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN MAKE THE POLICY CHANGES THAT WE CANNOT, ALL WE CAN DO IS RECOMMEND. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU'D LIKE. YES. UM, WELL, SO WHERE DID WE, AND I'M SORRY THAT I'M SO SCATTERED TODAY, BUT WHERE DID WE LEAVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR MORE CAMERAS? UM, EARLIER DID, DO I NEED TO, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER I NEED TO HAVE A, A MOTION FOR THAT OR IF THE BOARD'S GENERAL CONSENSUSES, YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT ADDITIONAL CAMERAS AND AREAS AND COSTS, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO THE BOARD BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN JUST OUR DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND HOW THAT CAN BE DONE. OKAY. YES. I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION [01:15:01] TO LOOK INTO MORE CAMERAS AND THE COST ASSOCIATED POSSIBLE POSITIONS. COORDINATE THAT WITH RYAN ALLEN. NEED A SECOND? UH, INCLUDING SPEED BUMPS TOO. SPEED BUMPS. OH YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, LET, LET'S JUST, IF WE COULD DIFFERENTIATE WITH WHAT THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT UP, DOT, ROADWAY, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, POLICE, WHOLE LOT MORE ISSUES TIED TO THAT COMPONENT OF IT. UM, WHAT I THINK OFFICER ALLEN WAS SPEAKING OF WAS MORE GENERALLY THE NEW HAVEN CORRIDOR AND SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS AND EXPANDING THE EXISTING CAMERA SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. HE TALKED SPECIFICALLY THOUGH ABOUT THAT CROSSWALK AS WELL. YEAH. OKAY. AND, AND EVEN IF WE DON'T PUT IT ON DOT, I'M SURE WE CAN POSITION IT YEAH. ON CITY PROPERTY SOMEPLACE. YEAH. YEAH. AS YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION, UH, DID YOU WANT THAT JUST TO INCLUDE CAMERAS OR WOULD YOU ALSO, I LIKE WHAT THE PHRASE YOU USED, UH, CALMING MEASURES, UH, WITH REGARDS TO SPEED BUMPS. UH, WOULD WE ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR MOTION? WELL, THERE ARES TWO, SEPARATE. TWO. ALRIGHT. OKAY. ONE'S STATE, ONE'S LOCAL. YEAH. IT, BUT ARE THERE ANY AREAS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHERE WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING, UM, UH, CALMING MEASURES, STATE BUMPS OR, OR THINGS THAT WOULD CAUSE INDIVIDUALS TO SLOW DOWN? SO ON NEW HAVEN AVENUE, A LOT OF THAT WILL COME WITH THE STREETSCAPE PROJECT BECAUSE THAT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT OF IN THE PULMONARY DESIGN, UM, TRAFFIC CALMING ON 1 92, THAT'S THE OTS RIGHT OF WAY. AND SO THAT OPENS UP, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEIR APPROVAL. UM, WHICH IS NOT EASY. UM, IT, IT TOOK US SIX, SEVEN YEARS TO GET THE CURRENT CROSSWALK APPROVED AND DONE. UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CALMING OUT THERE THAT YOU WANNA HAVE A MOTION THAT'S TRAFFIC CALMING SPECIFIC, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE 1 92 CROSSWALK, YES. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD HOLD THAT AS A SEPARATE MOTION OR YOU GUYS COULD PUT IT ALL IN A, IN THE SAME MOTION AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT ALL GONNA HAVE THE SAME PATHS. OKAY. LET ME ASK ANOTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER TO REVISE THIS MOTION BECAUSE I'M NOT SUPER CLEAR RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK SOMEONE WILL DO A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN I JUST DID. WELL, I THINK YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION WAS YOU WANTED TO, UM, FOR THE BOARD TO, UH, GET, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO IMPLEMENT ADDITIONAL CAMERAS. AND THEN I BELIEVE, UH, STEFAN WANTED TO ALSO INCORPORATE SPEED BUMPS. AND I AGREE THAT IT'S SEPARATE. SO IF WE WANTED TO STICK WITH THE CAMERAS FOR RIGHT NOW, I I WOULD, I WOULD TAKE YOUR MOTION AND, AND RE-IMPLEMENT THAT, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. OKAY. SO DO I NEED TO RESTATE THAT? WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO VISIT THE IDEA OF EXPANDING THE CAMERA PROGRAM IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE, INCLUDING THE 1 92 CROSSWALK. YES, CORRECT. OKAY. AND I WOULD SECOND A ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. A AYE AYE. OKAY, EVERYONE. OKAY. AND THEN SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A SECOND MOTION. YOU WANNA MAKE A SECOND MOTION TO IT? YES. AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK INTO TALKING TO DOT TO IMPLEMENT SPEED BUMPS AT THE CROSSWALKS, UH, ACROSS FROM, UH, THE GARAGE IN, IN, UH, THE CITY OF MELBOURNE. AND I WOULD SECOND THAT. AND SINCE THERE'S FIVE OF US LEFT, THAT IS A VALID MOTION. CORRECT? 'CAUSE HE IS STILL AN ALTERNATE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE SIX? YES. OKAY. STEFAN IS VOTING SIX AS A REGULAR MEMBER TODAY? YES. OKAY, GREAT. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VALID AND WE'RE GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? YEAH. OKAY. A DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND. OH, OKAY. YOU SECOND THIS. SO, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. ONE QUICK QUESTION WITH REGARDS TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT, UH, PLAN. I KNOW THAT'S A DRAFT. SO WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS? ASSUME SO. WE MADE A MOTION, WE MADE A MOTION WHILE YOU WERE GONE. SO I CALLED HIM UP TO SPEAK AND WE'RE CIRCLING BACK BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE TO VOTE . SO WE'RE, YOU COULD REPEAT THAT STUFF. CIRCLING BACK. WE HAD A GREAT COMMENT THERE. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO, UM, REMOVE SOME OF THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS. I THOUGHT IT'S A GREAT IDEA. AND IN THE SPIRIT OF 1776 AND REMOVING OVERREGULATION AND TAXES ON PEOPLE, I FOUND OUT THAT THE CITY OF MELBOURNE AND COLLECTS THESE TAXES. THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT, OR THESE FEES, IT'S NOT A STATE THING. SO WE HAVE POTENTIAL, WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO OUR COMMISSIONERS TO ACTUALLY REMOVE THESE FEES. SO MY MOTION IS TO REMOVE ALL FEES ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING PERMITS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ADJUST WHATEVER THE, WHATEVER A FEE THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO APPLY. WE WANT TO REMOVE THEM AND THAT WOULD BE THE MOTION. AND SO THAT ALREADY, UM, SECONDED THE PASSED? NO, WE DIDN'T GET TO VOTE. WE WE'RE WAITING FOR YOU. YEAH. OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH. SO THE MOTION IS TO REMOVE FEES. I, I SECONDED IT AND THEN WE WERE GONNA VOTE. FAIR ENOUGH. REMOVE REMOVE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING APPLICATIONS. OKAY. IN THE CITY OF MELBOURNE'S DOWNTOWN CRA AREA. WELL, [01:20:01] MY VOTE IN THE BATHROOM AND THAT HERE WILL STILL BE, AYE. OKAY. . ALRIGHT, SO WE GOT A SECOND. AND THEN ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. IN FAVOR? NAY. CHRIS? NAY. NAY. CHRIS SECONDED, RIGHT? YEAH. I SECOND OR YOU SECONDED? OKAY. SHE SECONDED THAT ONE. OKAY. MM-HMM . SO WE HAVE FOR THAT ONE, FOUR IN FAVOR AND TWO OPPOSED? FOUR TO TWO. FOUR TO TWO. OKAY. WHO'S THAT? JOHN? ALRIGHT. SO JUST I GUESS FOR MY CLARIFICATION, SO THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING HERE, WILL THIS NOW GO TO COUNSEL FOR THEIR APPROVAL SINCE WE'VE, UH, TAKEN ACTION OR DOES IT NEED TO BE RE REIMPLEMENTED OR, OR REVIVED REFRESHED FROM, FROM THE CONVERSATION I HEARD FROM THE COMMITTEE, UM, IT SEEMED THAT THERE WAS CONSENSUS AROUND, UH, REMOVING THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UM, WITH SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATIONS BEING INELIGIBLE. UM, AND OTHER THAN THAT, I BELIEVE WE'LL BE TAKING THIS, THE CITY COUNCIL FOR OKAY. YEAH. DID YOU SAY, UM, BEING INELIGIBLE? YEAH. REMOVING IT FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE, ALLOWING THEM TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR BOTH PROGRAMS. SO REMOVING IT FROM THIS LIST HERE ON INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS. WELL, I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO, TO MAKE A MOTION ON ANY CHANGES YOU WANT. UM, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD, THAT IF SOMEBODY GETS TO DIP INTO BOTH GRANTS, IT JUST HEIGHTENS THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HELPING, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON OR, OR, OR TWO PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE BUDGET. THESE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT THREE OF EACH OF THESE TYPES OF GRANTS A YEAR. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE PROGRAMMED IN THE FACADE IS THREE GRANTS A YEAR. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT SOMETHING IN THAT RANGE ALSO FOR THIS BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. IT'S NOT AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY AND AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF GRANTS. SO I'LL JUST HISTORICALLY THOUGH, HAS THERE BEEN A WAITING LIST? IN OTHER WORDS, HAVE THERE BEEN MORE BUSINESSES LOOKING FOR, UH, ASSISTANCE WITH THE FACADE PROGRAM THAT THAN WAS MONEY AVAILABLE? THERE HAS BEEN AT TIMES. MOST RECENTLY, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME YEARS WHERE WE DIDN'T SPEND THE, YOU KNOW, ENTIRE 60,000 THAT'S IN THE FACADE PROGRAM. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO WE HAD TO WHERE WE HAD TO GO AND RE-BUDGET MONEY, YOU KNOW, LATE IN THE YEAR IF IT WAS AVAILABLE TO DO MORE GRANTS. OKAY. SO IT GIVES AND TAKES, BUT WE HAVE THREE APPLICANTS, I DUNNO IF THEY'VE APPLIED YET, BUT INTERESTED IN, UM, FACADE GRANTS RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S, IT'S LIMITED IT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE WERE LOOKING AT NOT LETTING THE SAME BUILDING BE DIPPING INTO BOTH PROGRAMS AT THE SAME TIME. OKAY. SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE I I, THE FEEDBACK WE HAD WHEN JOANNE WAS HERE, I KNOW WAS ALSO TO, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BRING THIS BACK TO STAFF TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, BUT YOU NEED A MOTION FROM US TO DO THAT. LIKE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS, I CAN'T REALLY MAKE A MOTION. SO PROBABLY NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE A MOTION. YEAH. ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A FEW CHANGES THAT THE BOARD AG AGREES ON THAT YOU WANT US TO MAKE, BUT GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT STEP WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE THIS FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET IT INTO PLAY. YOU KNOW, THE HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE CAN START THIS OCTOBER ONE, UM, IN OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. SO WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO TRY TO MAKE A STAB AT, IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WANTS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR CHANGES TO BRING TO COUNSEL? OKAY. UM, MAYBE I SHOULD ASK. WELL, TO MY RECOLLECTION WAS THAT THE ONLY I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WAS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WE WERE SPECIFICALLY, UH, WANTING TO CHANGE? THERE WERE SOME OTHER ONES. UM, I DON'T, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE NOT IN SUPPORT. ONE THAT REALLY STOOD OUT FOR ME. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY, ANYTHING ELSE. IT STOOD OUT TO JOANNE TOO, AND SHE BROUGHT UP SOMETHING ELSE. AND AGAIN, MY BRAIN IS JUST NOT IN FULL FUNCTION. SHE BROUGHT UP, UM, WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD PRECLUDE YOU FROM BEING ABLE TO GET THE REST OF THE 30,000 AFTER YOU APPLIED ONCE WITHIN THAT FIVE YEAR. YEAH. AND THAT'S JUST WHEN I SORT OF REMINDED YOU GUYS THAT AGAIN, IT'S NOT, IT'S ABOUT BRINGING THAT BUSINESS IN AND MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND THEM HAVING A THREE YEAR LEASE AND BEING THERE. SO THE, THE LANDLORDS SHOULDN'T REALLY LOOK AT IT LIKE, OH, I'M GONNA GET 10,000 THIS YEAR AND DO THIS, AND THEN, OH, I WANT THE ABILITY TO COME BACK IN TWO, THREE YEARS AND DO ANOTHER MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENT THAT THEY CAN TRY TO, YOU KNOW, SLIP UNDER BEING A BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENT. OKAY. SO NOT A VOTE YET, BUT LET ME JUST PUT IT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE. IT ARE, IS, ARE PEOPLE IN FAVOR OF THIS? IF THERE WERE CHANGES? UM, WHAT'S GENERALLY SPEAKING? I ACTUALLY, UM, I I DO SUPPORT, UM, THE MAJORITY OF, OF THIS AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO NOT SUPPORT IT, UM, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THE FACADE. SO I THINK THIS IS A VERY GOOD, UM, GOOD PIECE OF, UH, PIECE [01:25:01] OF WORK. AND I THINK IT, IT COVERS A LOT OF BASES. I DO ESPECIALLY LIKE, UM, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WOULD NOT BE INELIGIBLE. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT GIVES US A CLEAR, UH, VISION AS FAR AS WHAT WE WANT DOWNTOWN TO LOOK LIKE AND, AND, AND HOW WE CAN ASSIST THROUGH THIS, UH, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. SO BY AND LARGE, I, I DO LIKE THIS JOHN. I, I, I LIKE IT HOW IT IS. YOU DO? YEAH. OKAY. JERRY, YOU DO BARBARA? LIKE THE WAY, IT IS FUN. I MEAN, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS IN ADDITION TO THIS. I DON'T THINK ONE SHOULD EXCLUDE THE OTHER NECESSARILY. SO I, I THINK RATHER THAN US TAKING A VOTE, YOU'VE KIND OF GOT A CONSENSUS, BUT THEN I WOULD SAY MAYBE HALF OF US ARE THINKING THAT THEY WOULD BE GROUPED TOGETHER, UM, VERSUS ELIMINATING WINE BECAUSE JOANNE'S NOT HERE TO SPEAK ANYMORE. UM, UNLESS YOU NEED US TO TAKE A VOTE. BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO LET CITY COUNCIL KNOW WHERE THE BOARD STOOD, YOU KNOW, ON A VOTE. WHEN WE DO TAKE IT BACK TO THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A FEW STEPS. WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE IT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, AS PROPOSED, UM, WE ALSO HAVE TO AMEND THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN TO ADD THE PROGRAM. SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A COUPLE OF STEPS, YOU KNOW, THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AND, UM, BUT IF YOU'RE TAKING IT BACK AS PROPOSED, WILL YOU BE SHARING THAT? UM, A PRETTY GOOD CONSENSUS LAW COMMITTEE ALSO TALKED ABOUT NOT ELIMINATING ONE FROM THE OTHER. YEP. YEP. WE CAN INCLUDE THOSE COMMENTS. OKAY. OKAY. WE GOOD? OKAY. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER NINE CRA CAPITAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. SO, JUST WANTED TO UPDATE THE COMMITTEE ON SOME OF THE, THE MOVING CRA PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE. SO THE DOWNTOWN CORE STREETS SCAPE. UM, JUST AN UPDATE SINCE OUR, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING. SO THE RFQ WAS ISSUED MAY 4TH. UH, THE RFQ COMMITTEE MET ON THE JUNE 16TH SHORTLISTED THREE FIRMS. UH, JUST YESTERDAY. UH, THOSE THREE FIRMS, UH, PRESENTED, UM, IN THE COMMITTEES AND SELECTION MODE FOR FINALISTS, UH, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE JULY 14TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UM, THAT MO UH, UM, THAT ITEM IS TO, UM, FOR COUNCIL'S APPROVAL TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SELECTED FIRM. UM, SHOULD NEGOTIATIONS GO WELL, UM, WE BRINGING IT BACK FOR A CONTRACT AWARD AT THE AUGUST 25TH, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UM, HOMES PARK, UM, IS, UH, UNDERWAY MOVING INTO DESIGN. UM, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE 30% PLANS HERE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. UM, JUST THROUGH THIS UP THE PUBLIC WORK, WE'D BE LOOKING TO DO HOST A PUBLIC WORKSHOP, UH, ONCE WE HAVE THOSE 30% PLANS SUBMITTED. UH, IT'S BEEN REVIEWED BY REVIEWED AND FREE BY STAFF. UM, AND SO WE BELIEVE A PUBLIC WORKSHOP, UM, BE, UH, UM, GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, UM, TO HAVE THE DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS COME, COME SEE WHAT, UM, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE HOMES PARK DESIGN. IT ALLOWS THE ENGINEERING FIRM THEN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ADEQUATE CHANGES, UH, SHOULD, UM, UM, SHOULD THE INPUT OF WHAT'S RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC. UM, SOUTH EXPANSION STREET SCAPE, UM, CONSTRUCTION COMPLETIONS EXPECTED BY, UH, MID-JULY, UH, THIS MONTH, UH, FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION OF THE MEDIAN'S, UM, DOT'S LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR BEGIN INSTALLATION OF THE LANDSCAPING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. UM, AND IT, AS PART OF THE CONTRACT, UM, IT INCLUDES A ONE YEAR, UH, DOT WARRANTY, UM, AND DOT WILL BE PROVIDING THE MAINTENANCE OF BOTH THE LANDSCAPING AND THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. UM, AND THEN RIVERVIEW PARK, WE'RE AT 90% PLANS, UM, BEEN GOING, UM, OUR ENGINEERING, UH, DEPARTMENT HAD SOME COMMENTS BACK TO THE CONSULTANT. UM, SO I WANTED TO SHOW THE COMMITTEES KIND OF THE, THIS IS A 60% SUBMITTAL, UM, OF, OF WHAT'S PROPOSED HERE IN THIS AREA. UM, WITH THE, UH, ROUNDABOUT, UH, PROPOSED SIDEWALK, UM, IN THE PROPOSED ASPHALT PARKING LOTS. AND THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, OVER AT RIVERVIEW PARK, UM, FOR MORE OF THAT SAFETY FEATURE THERE WITH THAT, THAT ROUNDABOUT THE INTERSECTION TURNING THAT IS, UM, KIND OF AWKWARD. OKAY. THOSE UPDATES WE HAVE FOR THE CATHOLIC PROJECT PROGRAMS. OKAY. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, THE, UH, ONE YEAR LANDSCAPING AGREEMENT, DOES IT THEN DEFER BACK TO THE CITY TO MAINTAIN? CORRECT. YEP. CITY WILL BE, UH, MAINTAINING THE MEETINGS AFTER. OKAY. AND SO HOW WILL THAT WORK IF THE CRA IS NOT ALLOWED TO DO, UM, MAINTENANCE, IS THAT GONNA DEFER TO PARKS? SAME WAY IT WORKS IN DOWNTOWN NOW, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT AS THE CRA HAS MADE IMPROVEMENTS, THE CRA CAN PAY TO MAINTAIN THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE DOWNTOWN FOR 30 YEARS. SO WE PAY FOR, UM, PARK STAFF IN DOWNTOWN ALREADY. UM, WE, THIS [01:30:01] WAS DESIGNED TO BE AS LOW MAINTENANCE AS POSSIBLE MM-HMM . UM, WHETHER THAT'S OUR PARK STAFF FROM DOWNTOWN, AN OUTSIDE PARTY, THAT THAT'LL ALL BE DETERMINED INTERNALLY WHEN THAT TIME COMES. OKAY. AND THEN I GUESS THE, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM QUESTION IS WE'RE HEARING ALL OF THIS TALK ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAXES AND THAT IT'S GONNA REALLY IMPACT PARKS. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS FOR HOMES PARK AND FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS, IF WE HAVE ANY INTEL ON THE EFFECT OF THAT. I MEAN, WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HOLMES PARK, CORRECT? IF, WELL, I, I'LL SAY, I MEAN, YOU DEPENDING ON, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE LISTENED TO OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, SPECIFICALLY OR YOU'RE JUST MEANING MORE IN GENERAL WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, BUT YES, YOU KNOW, PARKS, UM, IF A, IF A PROPERTY TAX, UM, UH, REFERENDUM, YOU KNOW, IS APPROVED, UM, PARKS IS ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT IS THE HARDEST TO, TO MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S NECESSARY. SO YES, LIKELY THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL HURT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS STAFF. UM, I THINK THE, THE BIGGER QUESTION, IF YOU LISTEN TO OUR CITY'S DISCUSSION ON IT, ON IS THAT JUNE, JUNE 8TH, I FORGET JUNE 8TH, I THINK THAT WAS OUR JUNE. UM, WE HAD A QUITE EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THAT MATTER, YOU KNOW, THE 15, 16 MILLION THAT THE CITY WILL BE LOSING, UM, THE CRAS ARE ON, WE, WE COULD NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO DO ANY OF THIS IN SIX MONTHS ANYWAY, IF THEY SUNSET THE CRAS. SO IS THAT PART OF THE LEGISLATION TO ADDITIONALLY SUNSET, OR IS THAT SOMETHING NEW THAT'LL POP UP? NO, THAT WOULD BE OUR CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION ON HOW TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. SO, SO THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS AT THE MOMENT. UM, SO WE ARE MOVING ALONG, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE WOULD NORMALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ROBERT REPORTED HOMES, PARKS, WELL UNDER DESIGN. UM, OUR INTENTION WAS TO, TO FUND THAT WITH THE EXISTING FUNDS AND THEN, UM, FUNDING NEXT YEAR, UM, OUT OF THE CRA BUDGET, UM, AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS. UM, SO OKAY. BUT YEAH, MAINTENANCE WILL ALWAYS BE A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING PARKS AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. OKAY. THANKS. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROJECTS? OKAY, GREAT. UM, OKAY, ITEM 10, ADDITIONAL BUSINESS. JUST HAD ONE. I GUESS TO, TO ADD TO THAT DISCUSSION. UM, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HAVING THEIR BUDGET WORKSHOP, SO OF COURSE WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE CRA BUDGETS. UM, SO I INVITE YOU ALL TO COME. THAT'S THE, UH, JULY 29TH, UH, MEETING. AND JUST FOLLOWING ON THAT, UM, I THINK, UM, EMIL SORT OF MENTIONED IT AND I THINK A FEW OF YOU HAVE ASKED ABOUT IT. UM, BUT JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS. UM, COUNCILMAN NEWMAN HAD A MEETING, IS THAT LAST WEEK? YEAH, LAST WEEK. THE 23RD, UM, THAT HE HOSTED THAT, UM, INVITES WERE SENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A FAIRLY SMALL CORE AREA OF THE DOWNTOWN. UM, THAT WASN'T A PUBLIC MEETING. UM, CITY STAFF WAS ASKED TO ASSIST. MELBOURNE MAIN STREET WAS ASKED TO, TO BE THERE TO ASSIST. UM, BUT THAT WAS A MEETING ORGANIZED, YOU KNOW, BY THE COUNCILMAN. AND SO, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY AND WHO GOT INVITED AND, AND ALL OF THAT. IT WAS, IT WAS LED BY, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCILMAN AS TO WHO WAS GETTING INVITED WITHIN AN AREA. NOT PARTICULAR PEOPLE PER SE, BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO, AND, YOU KNOW, DO THE WHOLE CRA WHEN THE CONVERSATIONS WERE REALLY MORE ABOUT WHAT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH IN THE CORE AREA. UM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THEM, UM, GENERALLY JUST WHAT ALL IS GOING ON IN THE CRA. UM, THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MEET A MEAL, FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, AND, UM, IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING. I THINK THERE WERE ABOUT 20 PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, SOME OF WHICH THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN IN YEARS. UM, SO IT WAS GOOD TO, UM, TO RECONNECT WITH SOME OF THEM AND HOPEFULLY THAT REINVIGORATES SOME OF THEM TO BE MORE INVOLVED AND IN TOUCH WITH, UM, WITH CITY STAFF. SO IT WAS GOOD. IT WAS A, A WORTHWHILE MEETING THAT HE HELD. HOW MANY WERE ON THE INVITE LIST? A HUNDRED MAYBE. I, I GUESS ABOUT A HUNDRED. I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU, YOU TOOK NEW HAVEN AVENUE FROM MAYBE LIVINGSTON TO US ONE OR RAILROAD TRACKS, UM, AND THEN MAYBE UP TO 1 92? I THINK SO. I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY 84. 84, OKAY. YEAH. SO, AND THEN HOW [01:35:01] MANY ACTUALLY ATTENDED? ABOUT 20. 20. MM-HMM . YEAH. AND WE, SO I WOULD ASK IS A COURTESY THEN, ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS LIKE THAT, IF YOU COULD JUST LET THE COMMITTEE KNOW, BECAUSE WE DO SOMETIMES GET CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC AND IT REALLY LOOKS BAD WHEN WE KIND OF DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT IN THE, IN THE CRA AS A COMMITTEE, AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOUCHY ON STAFF SIDE BECAUSE IT'S, IT WASN'T OUR MEETING AND IT WASN'T OUR PLACE TO GO OUT TELLING OTHER PEOPLE THAT THIS WAS OCCURRING. SO A LITTLE BIT OF AN ODD SITUATION. UM, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BRING IT UP AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD THE CIRCUMSTANCES. UM, SO, AND HE AND COUNCILMAN NEWMAN, YOU KNOW, INDICATED HE MAY TRY TO CONTINUE TO GET, YOU KNOW, THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, WHICH IS GREAT. I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I HEARD ABOUT IT WAS COUNCILMAN NEUMAN. SO I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE MAY ASK HIM, I DON'T THINK HE WOULD HAVE AN ISSUE WITH US JUST BEING AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. IT'S ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN THE C RCRA, IT'S GOOD FOR US TO BE AWARE OF BECAUSE WE DO, YOU KNOW, WE INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC AND THEY ASK US QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, WHAT? I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. UH, NUMBER 11, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK WE'VE HAD EVERYONE COME UP. OKAY. SO MOTION TO ADJOURN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE. HAPPY FOURTH EVERYONE. YEAH. HAPPY. THANKS FOR COMING EARLY. THAT'S, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAD A. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.