for for for e for for for for e e for for e for for e all right good morning and go ahead and call the meeting to order thank you so much for all you that were able to come out today thank you for all you that are watching online that wanted to be here all right we're going to go ahead we are very honored today we've got Pastor Jason Carter he's from West Milton Church of Christ he's here with us so if if you'll rise and join us he's going to lead us in a word of prayer to start it off and then uh we'll let commissioner Caulkins lead us send the Pledge of Allegiance after that Pastor thank you for being here I do appreciate this opportunity we've been here for about 6 months we moved into Santa Rosa County and we've uh been greeted with kindness and friendliness with everyone we've met and we appreciate the attitude everybody has had here let us pray dear father we thank you for the many blessings which you bestow upon us we pray that you will be with the Commissioners during this meeting we pray that they will turn to you for wisdom as they make decisions H that they will seek your will in all things father we pray that you will be with the residents of Santa Rosa County and be with the state of Florida and the United States we pray that that you will continue to shower us with your blessings we thank you so much for everything that you do for us and we thank you for your son it's in Jesus name that we pray amen amen please face the flag I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all sorry all right thank you gu we going to go to agenda approval is there any additions that need to be made to the agenda yeah there was an an item that we had talked about uh with commissioner Edington at the last meeting when you weren't here that he wanted to put something on the agenda and I I think uh but we didn't have enough time uh so I think if if it's all right if we can you know have a discussion it's up to commissioner Edington would you want to no sir we don't put it on the next next one yes okay all right we going do do it right way and do it okay all right thank you commissioner Smith yeah I have something that's uh very important and pertinent to the meeting structures and to our uh office space I want to bring up I want to it's discussion item only but I want to bring it up here sometime in the meeting so okay put that uh is number four under commissioner items anything else all right discussion just a second to write this down okay we'll go ahead and move forward then the published agenda uh next this is a great way to start a meeting off I'm going to ask Sarah if she'll come forward and so she's going to talk to us about uh the tremendous work that fisel Baptist Church does and a lot of you that especially follow our newsletter will probably recall seeing the many nights that they open their doors graciously to bring folks in that needed to have a warm place to say so good morning good morning Pastor good morning Sarah good morning so thank you for letting us do this today and we wanted to recognize our cold weather shelter it's the only one in Santa Rosa County currently and so they do a tremendous work for our community each year uh this is the sixth year that we've done an employee cook off and every year we raise a lot of money because we have a lot of very generous employees and very talented Cooks so I just wanted to recognize our winners one more time in the chili category we had Andy Davis from the rod and Bridge Department take home the judge's Choice Shelley Alexander took home the People's Choice and Jared low took up judges Choice running up so congratulations and then this year we also added a new category for Soups cuz we heard from the employees some of them don't like to make chili but they can make a really great soup so we we listened and we opened it up uh Beverly hutching took home judge's Choice and then Tammy hussy out of our landfill uh scale house she took home People's Choice for her sup so that's really awesome [Applause] and this year we were able to raise $1,200 for the cold weather shelter and I'm going to turn it over to Tom Turman he runs it for our County and I'm going to let him give you an update on how the cold weather shelter has done this year good morning it's always a pleasure to be here to share with you the great news of what what God is allowing us to do in the community and number one I want to say thank you to the board the County Employees for the uh chili and soup Cookoff and um I actually bow out and have a friend from church that goes to do the judging because he can taste things better than I do I just tend to like chew it and swallow it so um but uh definitely thank you for the donation it's really a tremendous help for the services that we provide and we know that the need is greater than what we we provide but we're going to continue to serve with the help of employees like the County employees and churches and folks in the community and the volunteers that come it takes a lot of folks to make this happen it doesn't matter if we have a house full or if we have just one guest we're fully staffed and ready to go um and and we just really want to say thank you make sure everybody's aware of that and uh it won't be long before we'll be in the hot summer and at that point that's when I start thinking it's going to get cold and we get wrapped up again for uh for the next season this past season we had 39 nights that we were open that's a very very high number for us um we were able to open when needed and uh serve a lot of folks we actually had four days that we were open 24 hours a day that's when uh it was projected that it wasn't going to get into the 50s and maybe rain or wind and um that's that's very very important that we do that whenever um we normally would excuse at 7:00 a.m. in the morning uh 364 guest nights 728 meals in addition to that we had 60 plus lunches that were served during those 4 days where were open to give you an idea that's about a 100 blankets uh we also had uh three guests that we were able to provide bus tickets to go out of the area either they were stuck passing through or they were here and they had a job opportunity or family support system that they could go to and it would be um just a tremendous blessing for anyone that ever wants to hear some of the stories of these folks and and the um the blessings and whenever we are serving and when we get weary we actually find that we are blessed in the process and and that's so uplifting I also wanted to share with you that finally after all these years we were able to open our showers and to get showers and you just can't imagine the smile on a guest whenever they come and they're able to get a shower and it makes them feel so much better to get fresh clothes and we probably did over 200 showers so again thank you all so much for your support and we want to make sure the community is aware of it too thank you Sarah I'm going turn it back to you yeah so I guess now we need a picture but I do want to recognize one more person Britney Ellers she for the last few years has taken over running the uh employee Cookoff she creates the all all the cool graphics you see and gets everything set up and squared away so I just wanted to recognize her as well gentlemen if y'all will we'll go down here and then uh we're going to make a check presentation on behalf of our fine employees to uh to the F cold weather shelter for thank you before we move further I want to recognize too that you'll see only one of us up here today was in the spirit enough to have green on with the uh the Shamrocks but it's uh I would say with he is he's got more IR sent him than the rest of us so I got him I got him I want to give him a plug I'm not I don't look like a leprechaun for nothing now you just need to to die but no I I want to recognize that commissioner commissioner Wright is definitely in the spirit today um okay we're going to move forward with public forum I've got a list here I'm just going to call them in order so uh it's just it's just going to go down the order as you signed in and then don't worry if if you didn't sign in when you got here we'll make sure that if you would like to speak today that we'll give you an opportunity just remind uh all of our speakers that when you come up if you will uh go ahead and and let me real quick too housekeep and I had forgotten to do this at the beginning and I'll check myself if just everybody that has a um a cell phone or for the super cool people that are still carrying pages and beepers if you could turn it to a vibrate or silent just so we don't distract the people talking and cause them to lose their train of thought and uh when you come up just give us your name and where you live the town is fine or or general location and then uh you'll be able to speak you'll have three minutes you should probably see a timer that'll pop up just so you can help self-regulate just because we've got a robust amount of people that have signed up and that way we can be fair and judicious to everybody here today okay so first I've got Pauline Grimes good morning oh yeah and I sorry real quick and forgot to say when you walk up to the microphone if you'll look there's a and she got it I got for those of you that for those of you that haven't been here if you'll look there'll be a green light on the microphone if it gets turned off there's just a button in the center just hit it and wait for that green light to come on and that way it helps us hear you and it helps the folks watching at home be able to hear you go ahead sir good morning Grimes 5387 Santa Cruz Boulevard down there in avalan beach and the clearing is got to stop I'm here on behalf of the animals and neighbors I cannot believe how many houses are going up you're creating a housing flooding and traffic nightmare got to Avalon the other day on a Friday it was mile too long someone had to let me in it's not fair what you are doing in Avalon I called RN K the Builder I knew who building now someone didn't get the name but how they are building the houses up we need to be lowered to the ground or we'll get flooded he said move is what he said how cruel he was the builder I met the next day and I told him he was sorry but he's just doing what Commissioners are telling him to do all Glade will be gone and when someone buys the 3.8 Acres on Furlong it'll all be gone to I said leave some land for the animals said he could not do that because of what Commissioners are telling him to do on the rules couple years ago two houses on Glade were built they're on the ground where did that law change I like the countryside you're taking that away and don't even care and we have to say I have no I have lots in the back no one called me to sell haven't seen a deer in a long time then the other day I saw three of them I hear they're killing the deer in Avalon beach that's against the law they need to stop put some signs out say if you're caught you will go to jail and pay a fine they are very skittish now my neighbor said the deer run to the dense coverage of a swamp or woods and you are destroying that can't believe they are building off yucka drive that's off my gosh we need a retention Pond someone was telling me and it all boils down to money and that turns into greed someone asked Rockefeller how much money was enough $1 more dollar is what he said 1 Corinthians 6 those who are greedy will have no share in the kingdom of God Ephesians 5:5 you can be sure of this the kingdom of God will never belong to anyone who is greedy thank you Sher Chapman Sherry Chapman P Ridge um I'd like to say that I support exactly what Pauline says if it's not happening in your backyard you really don't know how it is when you see animals darting out in the middle of the day because there's tractors coming their way you know that's pretty sad that we have made no attempt to try to save nature in our area um another thing too um I think that somewhere we need to get a report every week or every month or every meeting that we have as to how much these Builders are paying for these large trees that they're tearing down I can assure you I doubt that they have paid for what's gone down on Sterling Road and there are plenty there that the county could be making money off of and for some reason this doesn't seem to be a priority you set the rule you put it in an ordinance but you don't stand by it another thing with the red clay you know we every time there is raining if you go to a job site you are going to see that red clay is running down the road it's running into the pond then they're going to ask us to come back and take care of that pond and for the future well we're going to have to go and dredge it out before that we can even take it over and it work properly so I would like to see code enforcement on these days that are raining go out to these job sites I will tell you the one on Sterling was just that way the other day I've got pictures another thing that um Miss Pauling brought up was housing um there was um some confusion I think that the military had lost squadrons because there was not housing that is not the case I have talked with the B base I have talked with the um the liaison there has been no squadrons relocated from this area area because of no place to live now we have places to live people can't afford them you're talking about the mechanics in the um military you need to look at their pay grade half of them are not able to find a place so it's not housing that's the problem is housing that people can afford and $300,000 is not an enlisted person's pay grade that's what we need to look at so to say that we lose people or squadrons because of lack of housing that is not the case there are plenty houses out there and there's plenty for sale plenty for rent we have a developer that only does renting now so I'd like to see this board take up that fight of getting homes that they can afford they don't all have to have coron countertops and marble all right I am sorry my I don't have my spectacles on and so I'm having a hard time deciphering the uh penmanship I'll blame it on myself uh c h e l l e first name okay all right you'll have to tell us your last name when you get here commissioner Parker may I ask real real quick before you start you'll have to give us your name and and where oh okay shell cona 2832 brassy Circle Navar but before I start my time may I ask a procedural question about I I'm not here very often speaking so I wanted to speak about the flag I I I was afraid to sign up on the agenda item cuz I I've heard that sometimes you'll vote before I get a chance to say anything so I I would prefer to speak then if I if we would allow it if you won't vote until I get a chance to speak about the flag that' be fine would that be okay that I could sit down and come up then thank you sir thank you yeah and it's a great question I probably should have clarified if you want to speak on a particular agenda item you can wait until we get to that item um public forum traditionally has been for somebody that wanted to talk with the board or get something publicly on record that generally doesn't pertain to a particular item but if you want to speak on a particular item that is that is fine as well we uh we always appreciate hearing healthy conversation it may or may not always be totally factual what you hear in the board meetings but we appreciate having the people have the opportunity to say uh Michael cona so I'm here for partially the same thing Michael kcha 2832 brassy Circle but I'm content to speak now good morning to everyone who's taken the time today to attend first and foremost while I'm not my mother who is also here for the same topic I like her support the proposal to utilize the funds for the flag project from the world's largest pistachio in New Mexico the world's largest ball of twine in Kansas we Americans have a fascination with the idea that bigger is better so why not our own flag I don't see any doubt that there would be people who would appreciate it and it feels appropriate to me that it would be here in Florida a famously unique state that encapsulates the interest of the rest of the country for our own Oddities that we capture here for me it's evident that it's a reasonable way to jump attention however I understand concerns around it and while I support the project I also wish to use my time to propose a future Endeavor that I believe would be massively beneficial to the tourists of Navara Beach and by extension those of us who earn a living supporting them a matter of consideration that I believe all parties and attendant can appreciate I speak as someone who is a former door Das delibery driver who has made my money off the tourist back gig economy and I know firsthand that we lack the cellular infrastructure needed at the beach to engage in Commerce effectively when the towers are overloaded from tourist volume it's nearly impossible to so much as access the internet on your phone in public areas when this happens deliveries get delayed and that's if they're completed at all drivers will move to other areas as I myself had to do and tourists will get frustrated and give up on trying to find out what's available in the area and getting it to them for people who are renting an Airbnb in Holly by the sea with little to no service at all for people who travel seasonally to the condos and for those of us who already live here and would be indirectly benefited by more sell Towers or the like we would all benefit greatly I started to think how much money has already been wasted due to the fact that we have this lack of infrastructure and how much we stand to lose in perpetuity until it's corrected this goes far beyond its impact on just delivery drivers and and I hope the gravity of the matter is not Le left lost on all of you who are here it's 2024 and we if we do not have the ability to meaningfully access our internet services on the go in our increasingly Wireless Society people will take their business elsewhere this I don't doubt would take take much more research than and Survey work than the flag and it's likely an expense for a future project I wanted to POS it now as I implore you all to look into the future on this matter so that nvar beach does not get lost in the past thank you for your time thank you Rick Stevens I'll wait for the agenda thank you John D Reserve comments uh Miss Brenda Stevens okay thank you Manisha Mo okay Carmen Reynolds good morning Carmen Reynolds naar I'm extremely disappointed this morning because I've been up here for years advocating for additional Protections in the wellfield protection area in East Milton this board has chosen to install a gas station within it given the pre-existing vulnerabilities for review seven leaking gas stations six along Highway 87 one on Highway 90 14 solid waste facilities eight of which are up gradient the interstate and Rail lines I'll address later 18 posos releases in Santa Rosa County in May of 2022 the WPA AOS release near air Point well at the decommissioned Olf Santa Rosa nitrate loading in the American Farms area soil permeability at 6.3 to 20 in per hour absorption in that area considered most vulnerable can I interrupt you just for a second stop our time please I'm going to ask the front row here y'all hold it down it's distracting when we're trying to listen to what's going on at the podium and you're real close to me so I'm getting a little distracted I'd appreciate it an Open Access borrow pit where customers can dig as deep as they want as much as they want whenever they want and the internal and external lack of feedback and coordination that I've repeatedly pointed out to you that uh in ends up in a breakdown you all should be in receipt of an email from retired geologist who used to be a health department environmental project manager for the local underground Storage Fuel tank systems in it he says that the Jacksonville presentation reeled you in when in fact the aquafers are totally different our fragile sand and gravel aquafer Vice a cars non Daran flow environment the geologist hours also stated that there were multiple points of failure he identified with these tanks including the double wall tanks especially during installation attached was a non-compliance form a fine for racetrack gas station whose Personnel weren't trained on the proper monitoring techniques but the scenario that you all will ensue is that setting up County oversight to require knowledgeable Personnel to babysit and monitor this installation into perpetuity and and add infinum the Jacksonville hydrologist made the point about the gas station being more than 4,000 ft from the nearest well when the reality is that that is not copesthetic at all the 2011 geospatial study identified and I brief this to you all in diagrams the fava the Florida aquafer vulnerability areas associated with each well could include up to 99 Acres yet here we are thank you [Applause] Riley P have to remind me how you pronounce your last name of course no problem sir it's parent Tony good morning board I thank you for having me I'm going to have to leave right after this I've got school though but the Civility and the duty I have as citizen to inform the board about my concerns outweighs it now first I want to talk about the flag project Mr ckins I applaud you for going through with this I think that it has a lot of great intentions everybody knows me I wear my American flag wherever I can along with my Florida flag the two most important government bodies to me and I try to tell my friends tell my classmates that we need to be more patriotic more engaged and respect the flag rather than burn it even though you can't so in this project I would say there's a lot of good but I would say that we need to reserve ourselves a little bit Mr ckins I am a subscriber to the hayekian theory of economics in where the government needs to be as little involved in funding things as possible so I would really really endorse looking for other ways to fund the flag other than the tourist development project one of the ways that I was suggested to was forming a 501c3 that could Crown fund the flag and I think that um it's admirable and we can get it done faster if we use the tdit uh funding but we need to have a way that we can have good funding go to the right places where it's needed and will produce the most and I don't know if the flag is going to do that from Mr Cook's analysis at the beginning of February this would have costed around 150,000 for the initial flag poll and around 20 to 30,000 per year for maintenance and replacing the flag how true that is I don't know but that was the initial analysis that I've been aware of now the next thing I want to talk to you guys about is fentanyl I've talked with Mr Wright Mr ckins and Mr Edington about a resolution coming to the board uh and I thank you guys for meeting with me about it but the next step is real action Mr Parker and Mr Smith I hope to meet with you guys soon about getting resolution to the board because when we're battling addiction the first thing to recognize is the problem itself so we can get more resources in from other stakeholders to combat the deadly rise of fentanyl in our County and the rest of the state so I'd like to work with you guys a little bit more on that and I thank you for the current work that you're doing but we've always got more to be done finally I want to talk a little bit about the traffic problems on us98 I travel us98 every day on my 40-minute commute to school and it's almost every day that I hear of a new crash a new person at threat a new traffic block that comes up this is a a threat to our construction workers who are going there our commuters who are going there and in the future our tourists I know that there's a current light project attempting to go up near the Community Life Church I think that might increase traffic problems and increase that threat thank you thank you okay I've got uh Sher sebastio and Carmen Reynold signed up under agenda items as well is there anyone that felt the need to speak you can come forward under public forum on an item that is not on the agenda if so I just ask you to kindly as this man concludes you could come up behind him good morning good morning Commissioners how yall doing uh my name is Dave Crumbley I'm from nvar uh I live in Nar have a business in nvar most of you guys know me um the I would like to say right off the bat I am currently president of the holar water system board of directors uh but today I'm speaking on my own on behalf as a citizen of Santa Rosa County um I travel 98 as well all the time and this is about the project the flag project I just want to state right off it my opposition to that project um couple reasons uh there's a business camping world that has a huge flag down there on 98 and I travel by there all the time and when I see that flag especially when the wind's blowing it does it sometimes sends chills up my spine beautiful but you know what I don't do is I don't stop pull over and look at it and I don't think in the history of vacations of fathers ever turned to his family and said hey kids pack your bags we're going to go down here and look at a big flag it just doesn't happen um I don't see the benefit of uh wasting our taxpayer money like this and and every dollar that the county has to spend is taxpayer money no matter where it came from uh tourist tax property tax um impact fees oh we don't do that here um but um every penny belongs to the citizens and we need to spend that money you guys were elected to be stewards of that money and we expect you guys to be good stewards of that money and uh I'm sure we can find some projects that we can use that money for that would be much more beneficial to the county than a big flag um putting up a bigger flag doesn't make you a bigger Patriot right it it reminds me of the guy that reminds me of the guy who feels inferior so he goes out and buys a big sports car fancy sports car to to show off and to prove that he's got some self-confidence well self-confidence comes from from within patriotism comes from within not from a big flag and uh I I just think that we can use these funds much more wisely than throwing it away on a huge flag that's going to have to cost money every single year down the road um so let's talk about some other projects that we can use that money for if it's burning a hole in somebody's pocket you know I I think we can work together and come up with a solution thank you so much thank you Mr crley I got your email this morning I'll give you a call today that's okay thank you so much okay all right yes sir again I'll just ask there's anybody that hadn't signed up that wants to speak about something on public for him just make your way as this gentleman concludes Bill Hayden Pace Florida um I don't have time to hang around for the consent agenda but I did want to take my uh few moments here in public forum to comment on item 24 specifically this is uh making available uh the Baghdad Community Center for the use of the Arc of the Emerald Coast for their special needs people while they're trying to find a new home uh gentlemen I recognize you have not voted on this yet but I have very good feeling of a positive outcome today but I guess I wanted to come down here on behalf of the uh the parents and caregivers to say thank you you saw the urgent need you picked this up and you you've acted rapidly on it so hopefully this program will be able to continue unimpeded while they try to find a new home so from the bottom of my heart thank you very much thank [Music] [Applause] you good morning gentlemen Howard steel 5379 Saratoga Avenue uh it's probably no uh mystery as to what my position is on this flag motion and I'm not going to be able to hear be able to stay from the meeting so I'll make this brief um I know you all have a lot of uh big decisions that come your way a lot of difficult decisions come your way but this is not one of them this is a no-brainer doesn't take a rocket scientist to uh to tell you that it sure surely shouldn't take a marine to tell you that either um for some people the flag is just something you stand in front of and put your heart uh hand over your heart and you you pledge at meetings and that's about all the flag means to you and for some people the flag is a lot more than that some people it's a symbol of uh sacrifice ultimate sacrifice and I think that the world should know that senator of the county stands beside that flag and holds it holds it up high it holds it up higher than any other flag in the State of Florida because that's the county we are and that's the county we're going to continue to be so when you make this motion or you you make your decision on this motion and you decide you can't support it I'd like to hear why and I'd like to hear it in very very strong terms as to why because if you can't support this motion then I don't see how anybody could support you and that's what I have to say today thank you Joan thank you [Music] all right thank you okay I don't see anybody else approaching the podium so last call anybody yes all right don't be bashful howdy I if I was going to get up this morning this early I figured I'd better say something to y'all we know okay I was just going to remind you so there might be one person that doesn't know who you give your name 3873 Luther Fowler Road um famous for my mulch pile um anyway I just mainly uh wanted to come couple things um just to remind you guys uh we have a market in Milton and pace so I wanted to formally invite you guys to come support it um it's uh been incredible it's been going on for two years years um you're always welcome to come but specifically tonight is the market of Milton's oneye anniversary I know it's technically on city property but it's still Santa Rosa County um I think it would be an amazing time um not just during elections but come down and let the public see your faces you know these guys are selling their eggs and their meat and their milk um these are the guys that are going to elect you but more than that you're showing them that you're supporting Santa Rosa County by spending your money at the Market um it's uh it's just been amazing um like I said tonight's the market of Milton's um oneye anniversary we're having a petting zoo and a bounce house and it's literally The Hub of our community if you haven't been down there you really missing out it's every Thursday 5 to8 Jernigan landing and then every Saturday 9 to1 at Woodbine Baptist we have over a thousand vendors on our approved list um we also have 177,000 followers on on Facebook so it's pretty pretty amazing amazing um so I guess everyone wants to talk about the flag um I have 11 children so my theories always go Bigg or go home so that's my input let's do it uh let's show the world what San Rosa County stands for which um hopefully uh is the is the United States of America and the flag so come see me at the market i' would love to say hi and I will personally be glad to promote you that is what I do have a love for this community I have a love for uh encouraging and and supporting other other people so thanks thank you all right commissioner any I just wanted that's on my date night tonight my wife said we've got to go to that tonight she's been bugging me about it but I'm just coming for the bounce house so I may have to carve out some time to go see Carrie in the bounce house I think I'm personally over the weight limit on it but but uh all right so I you know the the last dunking booth I did was uh with with Matt Gates dunking me over there so um thank you I'm sorry for the die okay I I think we gave plenty of time there during the commentary I don't see anybody else rushing up here uh but don't worry if if you don't speak today and some comes to you you'll be able to speak at the next public meeting so all right we are going to move now to uh our County Administrator is going to give us an update on the scop grant applications so this is definitely exciting because now we're talking about Paving some roads so I don't want to bust your bubble on the excitement but we were not we are still going to pay some roads and we're actually ahead of schedule this year on our Paving roads so we might complete it before the end of the budget you know we've had to carry over funds every year due to weather and other circumstances but we did want to notify you that um when we submitt our applications to the Scot um we submitted four applications and three of those were for the road projects other were for the bridge repairs um they notified us that we could only submit two Scot applications for the roadway so we have pulled the shimu highway which was a resubmittal of the one that they denied um the year before so the two that are in the Scott program be the 182 uh safety shoulders and wiing project and the second portion of the wng road they had asked us to phase that because of the condition of Walling Road so there are we we we meet the minimum uh the maximum requirements they allowed us is two but they would not allow us the third Grant so I just want to notify the board that we would not be submitting that we will try that again next year and that was for the northern portion of shamua Highway for widening and safety shoulders not for landing just widening with safety shoulders thank you Brad for that that is extremely important and I just want to take an opportunity because sometimes we we don't take the opportunity to give credit where credit is due uh we are very blessed that we uh you know and I get to sit in the the seat that was previously held by our state our former state representative Jr Williamson uh if it would not have been for his diligent efforts years ago to continue uh to get the legislature to include us to be able to apply for those small County outreach program grants when we broke that 150,000 population barrier we wouldn't even be able to have this discussion uh there is obviously a good chance that uh in the near future we won't be uh able to apply for those funds those are definitely geared towards helping our small counties and and we've got some of our small counties like Levi and Washington and Franklin and Liberty where uh those folks are just happy to have a paved Road and we forget how blessed we are in this County we've uh We've definitely got some of our financially constrained counties uh that could benefit that from that but um I just want to take an opportunity I I know um he's no longer in the seat but that goes to show when uh people do good work how it benefits the community and also even where you heard Brad talk about those widening of the shoulders I give you an example you may say how does that affect your life or other people's lives when these uh especially as we start getting into uh you know you'll see more tractors on the road here soon on the North End of the county when those tractors have those shoulders and they're able to commute down the road partially pulled off then that pass and traffic can come by without having to wait for that tractor to move over or whatever and so uh just yesterday I was reminded of the importance of having those additional shoulder spaces to help uh it's not just for the farmers but it's to help the commuter so uh Brad I appreciate you and staff stand on top of that and I just wanted to give a plug because uh Lord knows we were we were definitely served uh very well by representative State uh Jr Williamson on that all right next we'll go to commissioner items item number one uh is commissioner Callin discussion of the bids that were received on the flag project commissioner thank you Mr chairman as y all are well aware that we uh we submitted for bids and two bids came back uh what I'd like to do is first start off by telling how important this project is and uh when I'm done with that I'd like to go to the citizens for them to speak on it and then when they're all finished I'd like to close that and then go to board discussion on on uh where to move forward on this and uh that's okay with the chairman uh first I want to start off with uh when we submitted the bids we we basically said that that uh we want a flag that's the tallest in Florida the current flag that's that's in Florida that's the tallest is down in Orlando and it's 200 feet tall and we uh so we said well let's let's go higher than that so what's what number should it be so 207 is the number we chose seven is the Lord's number so that's why seven was chosen also the flag pole itself will be 227 feet but 20 feet going to the ground let me tell you the significance of 27 fet 27 or 27 the number 27 27 was the Grievances that our Founders sent to King George and there's also 27 amendments to the US Constitution now back in 1776 when some great men formed the US Constitution they put their name on a document worked together worked as a group they couldn't all agree but they knew the minute they put their name on that document they knew they were giving away their wealth they knew they were giving away at the time their their their freedom under what they had before with the with the with the King and they were wealthy men they were taken care of but they gave away everything to go against the largest most powerful Empire on planet Earth they did it through faith in the Lord they do it through courage they they put their lives on the line their families everything they had we talk about the cost that's a cost to tell your your children your family family we we're putting our lives at risk we could die tomorrow when they went when they passed the Declaration of Independence 1776 that's basically when the war was basically for the most part started at that time there was some stuff before that but they went into the wood George Washington went into the woods they were losing and losing every battle but they they thought out of the box they they they started they started God gave them the ability to win a fight for freedom and this Santa Rosa County Florida we want to show the you United States of America that we think big we want to show the State of Florida that we are true Patriots that we support Liberty and freedom we support our military we have the some of the most military bases we have a lot of military in our County they are the backbone of our economy and as you some speakers have said on Highway 98 when you see that flag when you're driving that was put up by Camping World it does give you Goosebumps gives you chills it makes you proud to be an American we are very lucky to live in the strongest most powerful Nation on planet Earth we are blessed we as a county can only do so much all we can do is what we what we the citizens can do but let's I we've had Fox News actually the N the the news channel send an email interested in this you want to talk about promoting tourism that right there will show the nation that Santa Rosa County is patriotic and that will bring tourists from the United States to our area and let me tell you the proposal we have before us today is not Santa Ros County taxpayers but tourist development funds the tourists that use our beaches that enjoy our place they'll help they'll help with this so uh I would uh like to uh go to uh the public and see what their thoughts on it and then uh we can move forward if that's okay with you thank you okay I'm going to go down the list here uh for folks I I did have a robust list of people that has signed up to speak on this agenda item John I'm D if I if I'm a I'm I'd rather call your initial then get your last name wrong I would but uh not to be disrespectful I just some of them I'm not sure on the pronunciation but good morning good morning thank you John de Georgio Holly by the Sea nvar and I grew up my whole life people struggling with that name so don't feel bad at all uh good morning thank you for your time both Commissioners and staff thank you for everything you do for us and everything you put up from us um if I may I'd like to read from the Congressional records comments from the honorable as hurong JR of Florida January the 10th 1963 in the House of Representative and it's titled current Communist goals there are 45 of these but I'm only going to read one so don't pay number 22 continue discrediting American culture by grading all forms of artistic expression an American Communist cell was towed to eliminate all good sculpture from Parks buildings substitute shapeless awkward and meaningless forms gentlemen if you've paid attention to the news over the past three years this has been happening it's not something that will happen it has happened it's time for us now to stand strong in defense of patriotism and they're that's what they're trying to smother don't be patriotic go you're more likely in a in a classroom around America today to see the pride flag displayed rather than the American flag that's why Vice chairman Caulkins flag project is brilliant it's a finger in the eye of the darkness moving through our country attempting to take it over so Gentlemen please vote Yes vote for patriotism thank you thank you if uh if if y'all if y'all don't mind I I uh I I never try to stifle uh clapping if you go back for all the meeting I was just ask if maybe uh just as we work through it y'all could save it to the end because I know we've got quite a few folks here uh that are likeminded just so we can keep it going um Miss Brenda Stevens well good morning staff Commissioners oh somebody's calling right now this good I just want to um express my gratitude for this project because it's going to not only generate tourism but also it's going to help our school district students to be proud to feel an American and to learn more and make the connection that what they'll learn in the classrooms but also they make the connections when they're going into sea a huge flag I can see the little kids and say huge look at how how huge it is it's going to reach the moon that make the connection it's a learning process when I become an American one of the Great Moments that I have is is when someone from the staff give me a flag I was feeling so proud to be an American so proud to be part of this wonderful country that that when we feels that way it is it is incredible because the the flag is the symbol of freedom justice and respect for our country so please considering the flag project a positive symbol for our district and for our nation thank you thank you um Manisha Mo did I say that right yeah okay sorry I'm not quite tall enough so if you don't mind just going to move this down just a little good morning and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak on the flag project as an army veteran I stand before you with pride in my heart for the country I have sworn to Serve and Protect it sens me to hear comments disparaging the use of the bet text suggesting it represents what's wrong with our nation however I beg to defer the funds allocated towards constructing the largest flag in s Roosa County are not just expenditures they are a symbol of honor and patriotism the flag stands as a beacon of Freedom a testament to the sacrifices made by countless individuals like myself in defense of our liberties the red on the Flag represents Valor and bravery the white Purity and innocence blue for vigilance perseverance and Justice all in all it means standing up and fighting for what is right I quote Give me liberty or give me death by Patrick Henry attributed to the Sons of Liberty embodies the essence of patriotism and the pursuit of Freedom it symbolizes that the large it it symbolizes that the largest flag in s Roosa county is a tangible manifestation of this sentiment it symbolizes the unwavering commitment to the principles of Liberty and Independence upon which this nation was founded just as the Sons of Liberty were willing to sacrifice everything for for the cause of Freedom so too does a display of this largest flag in s Rosa County serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served and continue to serve our country it stands as a Beacon of Hope and resilience inspiring all who behold it to cherish and stand as and defend the precious freedoms we hold there therefore I wholeheartedly support Vice chairman Jam Caulkins motion for the flag and support the allocating of the resources and the bad tax fund towards such a noble Endeavor let us embrace the spirit of unity and pride that this Flag represents and continue to work towards building a stronger more resilient Nation for generations to come thank you for your time thank you and thank you for your service Sheri sebastia sorry sebastio I am actually here today in support of this flag I am here as a member of the Milton city council to bring you all a resolution that we made on March 12th I placed one each in front of you today but I would like to read it put my glasses on so I can see resolution 20242 a resolution of the city council of the city of Milton stating a support of the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners for the procurement and installation of prominent American flag whereas on February 8th 2024 the board of County Commissioners s Rosa County voted to support the pursuant of a proposal made by Commissioner James ckins to produce American flag of prominent and significant size and I'm so proud to read this today to let you guys know as a veteran's wife of the United States Navy I am very proud and thankful that you are taking this up whereas the city council desires to affirm its support of The Proposal whereas the city council took up the question of its support of The Proposal at its meeting on February 13 2024 and whereas the city council desires to formally evidence its support of the project to the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners and whereas the city council believes that locating the flag in Santa Rosa County would prevent benefit tourism and there now therefore be it res dissolved by the city of Milton Section 1 the city council supports Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners in their efforts to procure and install an American flag of significant size and prominence in Santa Rosa County section two the city council affirms its belief that locating the flag in Santa Rosa County would benefit the tourism industry of the city passed and duly adopted with a quorum presented and voted by the city council the city of Milton Florida the 12th day of March 2024 thank you much thank you all okay I don't I don't have uh and thank you'all for working with me uh I don't have any other names signed up to speak on this item I just want to make sure you're right yes I am so sorry yes ma'am please come forward you 100% did ask me I had put a check mark in of a tick thank you so much for several other people did well I think we've got me something anyway well I'm going to make sure we get everybody I'm just trying to go through the list first good morning thank you chairman good morning give us your name real quick sh kcha I consider myself as part of the Santa Rosa County silent majority we are the Christian conservatives of Santa Rosa County without a doubt the majority of folks who live in and enjoy our County gentlemen let the record state that I shell Kev Nar fully support the idea of Commissioner James ckins I support a ginormous American flag the money will come from the TDC 92% of these dollars generally go back to Navar to help with tourism at the beach that's a fact you know that we spend $5 to $17,000 a year on fireworks at the beach we spent $200,000 for shower stations at the beach $600,000 is earmarked for a Navar Beach Amphitheater 194,000 spent on the Wildlife Refuge you get the idea please know I love and support each and every one of those projects however I think we can all agree that none of these are life and death to anyone in Nar or our County they are all Feelgood projects funded by the TDC through tourist tax dollars these dollars per state law cannot be used to feed the poor or strengthen infrastructure on the mainland it is simply fund money to bring in more tourists if you can't feel good about funding a huge American flag in Santa Rosa County I got to wonder why in Heaven's name are you even here in this Christian conservative County at all Gentlemen please do the right thing here today and vote Yes on the flad project thank you thank [Applause] you yes sir Commissioners my name's Jeff snow Milton Florida uh wearing several hats uh I'm on the Milton city council I did support this resolution that Char sebastio read I'm also a citizen I worked at Whiting Field with our Pilots for 36 years on those helicopters and uh as uh Howard steel spoke earlier uh what it means to our veterans uh I'm not sure if you've seen the video Gavin hawthor was very passionate in support of this uh being a former military and uh I understand the cost as TDC as it's been stated those funds can only be used for tourism I think this is just another it's not just one thing that brings everybody to visit Santa Rosa County but this is a statement that people will always want to come here because of the values for family and country that is represented here it's a symbol that that makes that statement we're always taking a step back as the one gentleman said earlier and it's time for us to take a step forward and that's on that part as a realtor I represent so many people that come here and end up moving here which not everybody's happy with but for what Santa Rosa County stands for our Sheriff Bob Johnson is on national news all the time for standing up for law enforcement and our First Responders this is a another representative this States what we stand for here and everybody goes well this is election time well you know Santa Rosa County is always a key spot during the election nationally whether Florida goes one way or the other we always stand for Conservative Christian values here and that's what that statement says and that does draw people to visit here I want to go a place where I where my values uh are represented so they want to come to our Beaches they want to go up North so I hope you guys choose to uh support this and the council does support that thank you good morning good morning dexon Spears from Pace Florida I'm a lifelong resident of sun roads County I'm a veteran Vietnam veteran era veteran I served the United States Air Force before I get started first I want to thank each of you for your support of the homeless shelter fairel home shelter I've volunteered there that's an outstanding program that's going on I'd like to ask you to continue your support I've volunteered there I've worked there and I'd encourage you to volunteer and work there or anybody else that could volunteer and work there they have an outstanding clothes Pantry there great so I just want to say that today I'm here in support of the flag project proposal made by commissioner Caulkins the United States flag is our nation's most widely recognized symbol in fact our flag is among among the most widely recognized symbols in the world our flag has become a powerful symbol of American patriotism it represents the land of the free I'm proud of the United States flag my wife and my flag our flag FL in front of our yard I think the flag will will be a great addition for our County the flag will show a patriotic support of the citizens from s Rose County I'm proud to be a part of this project and I'll be the first one at the line to make a contribution to to support it if if money is not available but the young lady here I think she presented a outstanding um um budgetary you know what goes on the money we spend for fireworks which I I love Fireworks too but we spend a lot of money in other areas too so thank you thank you sir thank you for your service yes ma'am hi my name is Pelle schneer I'm the secretary for the Escambia County Republican party I'm a business owner and I have numerous Partners Associates and clients in Milton and all over Santa Rosa and Escambia counties I'm here today to support the flag I think it's a great way to show our patriotism it's going to be Majestic and beautiful it'll put the Panhandle on the map for spearheading something so Grand and magnificent it falls under tourism and has already been accounted for in the budget and I just think it's a great way to show our support and to show the entire State of Florida and the nation our patriotism and respect for the flag I hope you'll support it thank you thank you yes sir Rick Stevens Nar Florida these are my thoughts and opinions I love God my family this country and most of the people in it the Flag represents this country and all the people in it even if we disagree with one another I am all for having a flag flying that would be one of the largest in the nation and possibly the world inspiring people as they pass through or live here my suggestions are to find ways to fund without burdening the taxpayers use taxpayer money use taxpayer money to help the people of Santa r County please please consider carefully how to honor this flag and what it means and what it stands for as a symbol of America I would love to have a location where people can gather to see it be near it and make it a place where people can read the Pledge of Allegiance as well as our founding documents maybe we can even have the Star Spangled Banner played morning noon and night with the flag I strongly request that you make sure that if you're going to do it do it right I believe that if you do it right it will bring honor to Santa Rosa County and patriotic inspiration to all that experience it thank you Commissioners and may God guide and bless you with wisdom in this decision and in your endeavors thank you thank you for your comments and next speaker good morning I'm Ken Garner I'd like to speak to you this morning as a citizen of Santa Rosa County uh resident of naar um and as a veteran of the United States Air Force it is hard for anyone to say we don't want to see a giant flag in Santa Rosa County obviously we are all Patriots and we all love the flag and everything it stands for I question the wisdom of spending taxpayers money whether it comes from our County or whether it comes from people who visit our County on the idea that we're promoting tourism I don't know of any hard evidence that shows people will travel to see a giant flag of course it makes you feel good to see a giant flag waving in the breeze as you drive past it on us98 or anywhere else you see such a thing but are you going to make a special trip to see that flag I don't think so I like the idea of so many patriotic people in Santa Rosa County coming together to raise money to make this sort of gesture I think it should be in a location that everyone sees it not necessarily in the front yard of the county administrative County administrative complex where people from outside this County are not likely to see it from Interstate 10 or from any other thoroughfare I think we have a Feelgood project it's interesting to me that um one of the speakers mentioned all the Feelgood projects that go out on H nvar Beach when those can show rtdc does research to show how many people come here for that beach or how many people how much money people spend who come here none of that evidence has been presented for this flag I think this is the feel-good project the commissioner who uh proposed this project talks about all the sacrifices made in the Revolutionary War for this flag all right thank you sir sorry I just think this would be a mistake in the format that it's presented thank you thank you again the the list has been exhausted so yes sir all right we I I'll I'll I'll be glad to close hey stop Hey listen let's all's I'm going to tell y'all I expect the same thing I expect my children at school let's let's just be respectful and thank you Larry um Sher Chapman the one thing that I want to say is that when you get married it doesn't necessarily matter the size of your ring you're still married the flag is the same way no matter how small the flag is in the room we still salute to our flag we still say the Pledge of Allegiance this is a good idea for a private um entity to hold um the largest flag in Florida right now stands at the Harley-Davidson place in Clearwater Florida that's a private company um I think any organization that wants to go to Via 501c and do this um on donations from the community that is an excellent idea um using 300 400 $500,000 for tax mayor money I think Navar District Four and District Five could better utilize that to make things more accessible to tourists that primarily come to that area there is some tourist in the north end but we all know that we get the largest majority of it in districts for four and five so I would like to um suggest that maybe this not this kind of take a different turn not be on the taxpayers and the tourist development dollars because where it can be put there's not really tourist so I would like to just suggest that the funding of it um be figured out some other way thank you if there's anyone else that wants to speak after this gentleman I'll ask if you could just get in the aisle and that way we know that we have other speakers yes sir I want to thank the previous speaker this is how I've been raised ladies first uh good morning gentlemen uh I'm Larry ATU from uh cres View Florida I took time time off work this morning to come here and Express gratitude for uh this project it's very inspiring um as uh Mr steel mentioned people die for this flag um I must say as a naturalized and that this is the most beautiful flag in the world no doubt and when you get naturalized people are get very emotional because you know that you will die as an American there's no flag that is big enough to express how proud we should be of ourselves it's a great nation it's the greatest nation that ever existed on this planet um on a more uh practical uh point of view I would like to say as a uh former uh tourist I traveled on Route 66 America is dotted with great monuments it could be a blue whale in Misouri it could be a giant Lumberjack in the Illinois or uh a giant cross in Texas people drive out to these places it's the beauty of America this project this Monument that uh you gentlemen are deciding on will make Santa Rosa Americana it will put it on the map it's something historical our children or grandchildren will will uh remember uh you guys for doing that it's a great heritage I think there's only positive things that can come out of an American flag it's for all Americans I'm very proud of you and I hope it inspires other counties to follow through and uh again from Okala County that makes me want to move back to Santa Rosa that you guys are deciding on this this morning I want to thank you all God bless you guys God bless America thank you thank you I wait wait for this gentlemen here we go okay I got you there you go thank you I appreciate the coaching um I took an oath to defend the Constitution 44 years years ago I never took an unop hey I am sorry G give us your name they got to have it for them John zoniac Nicholls Creek East Milton thanks um once again I took that oath I'm not sure if all of you are aware that every federal employee on the first day and on the job takes an oath to the Constitution to defend it we never take an un oath we're here the size of the flag has not a darn thing to do with your patriotism it really doesn't those guys at eima they didn't have a big flag they had what they had the idea that this is going to be a tourist attraction is a little tough to swallow so I would suggest that you get a little more decision support I know the staff is overwhelmed with work they got stuff falling off the table but you don't have enough information to make a decision all you have is RFP on what this flag will cost with a footnote at the bottom that it could cost more and I guarantee it will there are always cost overruns I don't know what it's going to take on an annual basis to maintain it if I was a flag salesman I'd give you the thing like a printer and I'm going to sell you flags for the next 10 years and it's going to be a lot of money tourists don't drive through that part of town they get off the interstate they're run 87 they come down from Alabama 87 if you want to direct and do something for tourists put it on 87 as a headed for the beach there obviously has to be better ways to show your patriotism but if you think a large flag is it then get Camping World to go ahead and buy another one or I understand there's a newspaper down in South Santa Rosa very patriotic I read the report if they're just flush with so much cash and they want to be patriotic put it on their property let them maintain it because I guarantee you County employees are going to have to maintain the winch the lighting the electrical the grounds I just number one don't think you have enough data to make a call today thank you thank you sir thank you for your service all right any other speakers okay I don't see any other speakers commiss commissioner Caulkins thank you Mr chairman on a real positive note uh there was a uh our Sheriff Bob Johnson he uh he was actually planning on coming here today to speak in favor of the flag and but he had to go to Alabama but he told me to uh let yall know he's a disabled veteran Patriot and one of our the greatest sheriffs in the country we're very blessed to have him he supports it he just wanted to to to let everybody know that the taxpayers doesn't want taxpayers to pay for this but the tourist development funds is not are Santa Rosa taxpayers it is tourists that that will put the bill and as you all know that's a a fund an area that we are not able to spend on law enforcement we're not able to spend that on certain items uh roads Bridges anything like that it's specifically designed for tourism and there's there's a lot of debate that I've heard from folks whether it would be a tourist attraction uh and I can can tell you as a tourist myself going to other areas if I was driving down 87 coming from Alabama to head to the beach and I saw a sign saying world's or Florida's the largest American flag in Florida go there you just drive straight down 87 most a lot of our tourists are coming from the north is this the only only way uh it's one of the ways and we will absolutely with one 100% certainty have people drive to here to see Florida's largest flag now if it was just a flag that wasn't the largest flag that would be different but the fact that it's the state's largest flag makes it a tourist attraction that's the key there and that's what will'll encourage folks to come over there now people may ask well why in the county parking lot well because it's the area where most people will be a be able to see it it's got a very high traffic count Highway 90 you got Dogwood you got Highway 90 it's the area where you you'll get the most locals and tourists and so you know we we didn't do a study to say like where we going to put it cuz that costs money we just kind of went over a potential you know I heard heard from y'all and we uh we thought let's let's go for this let's debate about it and uh another Advantage at being in the the parking lot here is that on the weekends it's empty and what can we do in that parking lot we can use it for car shows we can use it for events we can use it for lots of things we just saw uh few weeks ago they had an event over there at the for the kids house in a car show and over there by alies and there was some folks that came to me and said they were you know concerned that they might lose that spot because of Walmarts coming in I don't know if they will or not but I can tell you as a county commissioner in Santa Ros County and I'm sure yall would agree on this is uh we would absolutely love to have it here and what better place to have it when you you know have a the largest flag in the State of Florida and you know that's just the start we just we could really just you know add stuff to that as we go along and it's one of those things that there's a lot of debate until something happens but this is something that will unite our County unite our people nobody's going to remember who pushed this flag or anything they're just going to look at the flag and they're going to love it and be thankful to be an American and to support our country it's not about any one of us board members it's it's about United States of America it's about Santa Rosa County showing the State of Florida that we love our military that we love our country and that's what this about so we got discussion of two bids we got uh one one for 291 and one for 301 I would I was meeting with staff the one for 291 basically comes with everything we asked for it was a when I saw the the other one I kind of got a little nervous cuz it was didn't have everything that we asked for and I thought over 300 I was thinking this project would would cost between two and three that was my initial thought of what it would cost and so when I saw one over three I'm like ah below three great and as as y all know that there is a I mean we there's you know how much fireworks cost fireworks cost money and you know we just enjoy them for for uh you know a few minutes but it's something that gives families kids our military a celebration it's worth every dollar and so uh I would like to ask the board Bo to go with Keen enterprise LLC DBA and I if there's any if there's not any discussion if there's discussion I'm fine uh but I I'll be prepared to make a motion when you all are ready commissioner Smith I want to be clear where are we making this motion for for where is the where's this pot of money from is this TDC money this is TDC um I think I heard our com controller say that he would not be writing a check for a TDC funding in this parking lot am I correct with that let me let me speak here chairman most people in this in the county don't really understand the comp trollers duties my part is regarding the issuing of checks that the board on the funds the board wants to spend my name is on every one of those checks my responsibility is to make sure These funds are spent properly and that's not the board's responsibility there's a difference in separation in the duties that's the reason the laws are set up this way I'm personally liable for the improper issuance of checks not the board so it's my responsibility and I take it very seriously iously I'm the comp controller and legally responsible and can be held criminally for improper spending of County funds not the board I'm not here to be popular with the public I'm here to make sure our funds are spent properly that's reason there's a separation of Duties my duties are to follow the statute to make sure that the county funds are spent within the requirements of the statutes the Florida laws are very restrictive on what tdt funds can be spent on they're trying to address this in the legislature but it hasn't been solved yet I want the board to know that I'm not against this flag but I really can't justify spending tourist development tax for the funding of this flag if the board wants the flag they need to use another funding source as comproller I have to take a stand that I will not issue a check from tdt for the flag Mr chairman I have a question for Donnie go ahead commissioner call okay uh did you uh I I saw a a chain of emails uh which was pretty much a debate between our County attorney and your general counsel uh County attorney Tom danheiser and uh I just I just have a question uh was this coming from your general counsel on the on where you know whether TDC funds this is coming from my internal auditor my supervisor of the finance department and my general counsel and my understanding of the statutes there four Minds that's made this decision okay yeah yeah I understand so uh I just want to say that uh I think there might have been a part that was missed to your general counsel because your your general and I I tried to call you yesterday because I wanted to bring this up to you before the the board meeting uh but Mr uh Tim Weekley your general C counsel basically in in the debate he basically wrote on February 5th uh in my opinion if the flag is the larg US flag in the world/ Florida or or is a part of a larger destination EG war memorial it is more likely to pass the connection to the promotion of Tourism test okay uh what I think happened is I think the fact that it was not really known maybe at the time that it was the largest flag in the state of Florida that might have been why the general Council told you that this might not pass the test and by the way I understand that if it was just any flag at your industrial complex and it wasn't the largest flag tourists may not go to that because it could be just like any other flag but as your general counsel uh basically stated and I think there was some miscommunication there on the large largest flag and I think that will cover you the the final decision is mine my general council's not legally responsible or required or held liable for it uh and I understand your issue on it we've talked about it many times but and I've told you the same over and over and over I don't see tourist development tax dollars paying for it okay well our attorney's opinion which I've read in the email is that that's board discretion that the board basically and this is according to attorney general rulings this is according to other areas this there was a case about a Veterans Memorial at a courthouse and there was a Veterans Memorial that they used TDC funds for to do that and it was the opinion of the Attorney General at the time that TDC funds can be used for that Veterans Memorial at at that Courthouse because the board determined that that's tourism related and there are plenty of people who believe that this is T tourism related and I get my advice I would not have moved this forward without the without our Attorney judge Dan heiser's advice and opinion and that's who I Look to for uh for this and and so I'm I'm all agree with with our County attorney uh and his opinion and I think the board should move this forward and if if he has a disagreement that's on him I respect him I respect his opinion but we are elected to serve our constituents we believe and I'm I have this you know I'll have this in the motion we believe this is tourism related as a matter of fact the city of Milton sent us a Rel a resolution saying that they support it for tourism in Milton that's the city council we are on Solid Ground we had citizens come up here and say they would come here to take pictures and view the flag I would all it takes is one person that will come here and and take picture with flag a tourist I talked to our tourism director Julie and she B basically she she said it's tourism related and I I checked all the boxes here and also it's kind of like the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico the longest pier the tallest American flag can be put on a flyer to come to Santa Rosa County and I can tell you the Attorney General of the State of Florida the backing from our good attorney Judge Tom danheiser who who I respect and listen to I think we just we need to move forward and do the right thing and do it through TDC funds because uh that's our that's our right as a board to determine determine that and that's my thoughts thank you commissioner Edington James you know I you know I think the world flag you know that but today we started talking about this I I told you I could not support no tax dollars and no tourist development money I told you that I wanted to try to do a 501c3 I think that's the right way to go now you're talking about the city of Melton wanting to wanting this let them throw some money in donate some money towards the flag let try to get a 501c three to do that that way we ain't using no tax dollars we can use these tax dollars for what we really need for the people here in Santa Rosa and I I'll be I'll be right in line to donate some money towards the flag if we can do a 501c3 I'll be glad to donate I just can't see using our tax dollars right now that we need our tax dollar for other stuff here in this County real bad you know that yeah I I just wanted to say that uh you know we we had requests for a lot of things on the beach from the TDC that I was reading about uh that I I pretty much kind of leaning on supporting uh and a lot of our TDC funds go to the south end and but there's some there's some North End folks that need love too with the TDC funds this is a this is a this is a small ask I will I will support the uh you know the the the stuff that's coming up you know that Julie actually showed me down there at the office what they what they are planning on doing and and uh I think it's all I think it's great and uh but I'm I'm telling you that I I have a lot of folks in the North End that we have tourism here too we have beaches to Rivers we have a lot of great things in the North End and we need tourists too and I think we need a share we're a we're a county that and this this flag and this parking lot we we we could have car shows we could have events we can do a lot of things there you know the private Community will you will have on this agenda event it'll be I mean Mrs Hartman does her uh her Market you know she'll be coming up here going well hey that's a great spot right by the American flag she could put her her Market thing over here on the weekend as a potential location and lots of tourists will go there and love that and so uh we've been in debates before about TDC and a check to charity and Donnie is a good man respect Donnie and he he does have a role I get his point of view uh just respectfully I dis disagree because I you know I go with you know our town attorney's opinion on you know what we what we can and can't do and I say let's let's do what what the right thing and and then uh we we can get it all we can get the stuff down in Nar we get the flag and I think that'd be fair for everybody I think we can get everything we have today and we're a team the good news about the tourism funds the best thing about it it's not Santa Rosa County taxpayers it's the tourists that pay bed tax at the at the hotel it's not it's not us it's not that is the best so when people say taxpayer money and it's even the sheriff today said I'm okay with it but just not taxpayer money there's a lot of sentiment out there if you all only knew how many people have come up to me in the last week even people that are against me whispered don't they're not supporters of mine there was a gentleman at the Milton city council Whispering James just want you to know I support this flag I don't care what they say that is the sentiment around the community the sentiment right now is it is a massive majority that want this flag and we can all together give that to them as a as a team like this we can give this to Santa Rosa citizens they're not going to they're not going to know any of our names in few years about this but they're going to see that flag and they're going to love our County and our country just like the Veterans Memorial that cost $800,000 in general funds $800,000 and you know what I'm so glad they spent that money to honor our veterans it is it was it was a good decision by my PR predecessor commissioner Don Salter that man was a war hero a veteran a fighter a man that I love dearly and he he got it done he got that veterans thing done compared to that this is a small cost you want to know what they did in Okaloosa County they had TDC funds pay for a veterans a woman's veteran memorial for with with statues of of women's veterans you know how much that cost over a million dollar million doll of their TDC funds I'm okay with that actually and I'll tell you why because the tourists are paying for it not our citizens that's where we got that's where the public is pretty much mostly good and and I believe we can get that's what's great about the TDC is I think we can fully I fully believe we can get everything we want with the budget we got and the the the price for the flag is small very small compared to all the items that we have put forward with studies and certain things and uh which I agreed on some disagreed on some but it's that's the thing so I'm I'm prepared to I I'm prepared to make a motion but go on sorry commissioner Smith well I'm not going to speak for the sheriff but he did say taxpayers Money Bed taxes are called taxes for a reason it's the tax so that is taxpayer money he basically told you he's not for it out of that it's my turn it's still my turn so what I want to do is I want to allude to the next question to to or U Clerk of Court Mr Spencer um if we were to pass this what would be your natural next step I won't issue the check okay any other okay all right I'm uh I'm prepared to uh make a motion uh I just okay I just want to be clear that we got the funding to make the motion that's where I'm if you may give me a second um I'm not even going to say I'll try to be brief because every time I do that backfires right I'm try to be longwind let's see how short I can get it uh first let me say this 100% backup uh statements that I made at last meeting but I've got some add-ons I want to say James I'm glad you brought it forward I'm glad you brought the idea forward um man when I go talk with groups and and um especially children at schools you know I talked to them about uh pray that God gives you big audacious dreams you know and bold ideas you know this is uh I think I said the last meeting something I could have never imagined thinking of myself but um and I've probably had every bit of pause and hesitation and and uh different thoughts that everybody else has but I'm going to I'm going to go down a few things here because uh We've clearly heard heard from yes there's people in the community that don't support it really the only thing you hear people that don't support is hey I don't want my tax TOS to go to it we've heard a lot of people that do support it regardless of the funding um and here here's what I want to do I want to take and and if you'll let me kind of unpack this today I want to take something that I I feel like you brought to the board as as a huge to be a positive and and to be a beacon and um you know I I don't I don't want to be any part of trampling that so to speak and so let me I'm going to bounce here to a few ideas and then I think it'll all make sense when I get to the to the end I haven't Shi away from Big audacious ideas or controversial ideas I've sat on this board for eight years um and you know there's a lot of members of you uh that are here today and a lot of members that are watching that support things that I've done and there's a lot that don't and there's probably a whole lot more just made notes over the last you know 60 or 90 seconds of people speaking you know some big audacious ideas that I took a lot of criticism for building a new courthouse there's a lot of people that really enjoy that I mean especially the folks down there at Mr Spencer's office and I was joking with Donnie last time I was down there I said it's nice not to hear the echo underneath the you know as we all called it the trailer part with the Portable Buildings now those people have a safe and secure place that was a big audacious idea that was the largest infrastructure investment that we had ever done in Santa Rosa County and it was it was controversial a lot mainly because people didn't they couldn't decide on the location but I'm glad that I supported that the perid connector you'll still hear criticism to that day but right now we've got over 4,000 of our citizens every day that get to enjoy that that was a big audacious idea I'm glad I supported that I I thank God uh that we're able to do that and I'm even more excited that uh we are right now actively working to continue that forward so that we can allow even more citizens to enjoy that NAS Whiting Field which coincidentally I couldn't even have planned this was my wife had this on the counter is like stuff hey keep or throw away on the kitchen counter uh today you know this was Navar press's thing about y'all y'all seen the news release Nas whing Field named best small base in the Navy when you go to visit Nas whing field you'll see a sign that we put up in 2019 uh that was a big audacious idea commissioner Don Salter Champion that I'm I'm proud I mean I'm the only member that was here when we did that um you know we spent money on that and the community was proud to do it but I guarantee you because I've always said I can hand out $100 bills and somebody's going to criticize that it wouldn't in tens or 20s um you know we built the Whiting Aviation Park uh you know yeah boards prior to me being here had got the property but we had to take the step to move forward with with building that infrastructure and now we see the benefits with Leonardo coming we built the first ever splot FL pad uh you know when I talked about that we didn't even have one on the North part of San Rosa County the city of Milton stepped up with a big audacious idea they built one now we got one in Pace and I'm going to tell you when Rob Williamson come forward to this board commissioner Rob Williamson and talked about redoing the Navar Park that was definitely a controversial issue and uh commissioner Williamson steep forward I'm proud that I supported that project every every bit along the way commissioner Peach then took the torch and um you know we were able to finish that now commissioner Edington is is clearly advocating and fighting to to try to continue the cause down there so I'm just saying I understand with with everything there's going to be conflict because that beautiful nvar beach park and and I know you're down there more than any of us CU you go down there you'd say a lot of families enjoy that every day I can tell you we had this boardroom packed before with a whole lot of people that were against us spending money on that I mean I'm getting head nods because those were the trenches of the battles of big audacious ideas I've been there you know last night I I was sharing with Brad I was I probably should have been paying more attention I embarrassed to say this you know pastors up there preaching and and um I was sitting there thinking about this idea because I know it's highly controversial on polarizing and and I can promise you I didn't run for office to get involved in polarizing or controversial uh ideas I really mainly ran because I knew we needed more parks for the kids and better roads and and Pace but um you know the fact of the matter is I was sitting thinking about it and and I thought about the three mile bridge I guarantee you all those folks down there in commissioner rights district and commissioner edington's got a lot of them that get to drive to pensaco every day they thank God that that three milei bridge is there and it's better than the old one they thank God that you look at the 2-year conundrum when when it got knocked out well that three mile bridge you know it's it's got arches and not only does it have arches every night it's lit up with color changing lights those things cost a lot of money but it was important to Senator Don Gates when he decided to improve improve that bridge to not just they specifically in the task order and in the budgeting said hey we want to have something that's aesthetically pleasing that's the entrance to nvar beach I think about that because quite frankly and you've heard the the lady wearing the uh I'm going to say it cuz I got one the pro-life proog God proun and pro Trump shirt today brought up some other expenditures I've been involved in over the eight years and and again I'm I'm taking a little liberty because I have sat on the board for a while we have funded things like the Wildlife Refuge some that she didn't even mention we've provided all these things to tourist development funding we've provided funding to the Milton Railroad Museum the Creek Indian Tribe fireworks for multiple districts throughout the county and events and I and I can think of a few I won't even name them because I don't want them to think that it's in any way a cut but events all the way from Jay down in Navar uh and a lot of private Aid you know this year our tourist Development Fund is going to exceed $6 million from the the number that's in our budget for this this um his proposal would be equivalent to about 4% of that b of this annual year budget of course there would be ongoing costs and other things we spend over a million dollars a year to Paradise advertising for them to promote the county and again I'm kind of moving off of the big audacious idea to saying I stand behind what I said of people don't drive to Santa Rosa County I shouldn't say people okay I'm going to say a lot of people don't necessarily drive maybe just for uh Clear Creek Campgrounds or just for Adventures are unlimited probably most of them do mainly drive just for the beach but I think Julie White and other tourist folks I've talked to said a lot of them get down there and they get sunburn on the first day or they spend a day or two on the beach and then that's why we have the beaches to Woodlands tour and we promote all different facets I've heard people today talk about landmarks I've drove Route 66 too I can tell you when we went out west my wife made sure we're going to go to Route 66 and we didn't even know what was out there I can tell you when I went through um you know Roswell New Mexico I've got the selfies on the phone you pull over and see the spaceship uh fun fact they've got the Ten Commandments on the front L uh front line of their courthouse in Roswell New Mexico along with a tank and some other War memorials so I do genuinely believe in my heart I'm not and so I just want to say that like I'm not and that's fine I mean obviously me and the clerk have vastly different opinions on a lot of things and and that I do believe understand and agree with separation of powers and checks and balances I'm just saying I don't just because somebody doesn't feel that it's it's tourist related doesn't mean that I don't feel that it's tourist related um I think you know there could be arguments um made of okay is it the best location should it be on the 87 South Corridor leading into nvar should it be on the the uh the inter State should it be at the industrial park there at 8 you know which I'm hoping to help commissioner Smith make a pickle ball destination you know and I all these thoughts go through my mind and so I'm just sharing those with y'all because we're in the meeting you have people just like the young man today that brought up a great idea about public engagement I'm paying for it listen I am absolutely not opposed to private donations paying for it but I'm absolutely not opposed to the fact of tourist development paying for it uh simply because like I said I think it's part of the overall package I think that this board uh myself other board members on this board even within the last 12 months and uh the clerk Spencer have provided funding to events through tourist development funds that I think I could make the easy argument that people wouldn't necessarily come just to Santa rosza County for but it's an enhancement of the tourist experience as we continue to try to grow that and I haven't heard from tourist partners that they didn't see it that way I've definitely heard from some people that said I'm against spending money on the flag there's no doubt um and then I've heard from from some that think hey man that would be really nice to see it I say all that to say look again I think this is a big audacious idea it doesn't scare me because I use that arches on the bridge sometimes you spend money for things to make them nicer and do I think it would be an enhancement and ice in the the community I do however we've heard today I also don't believe in um I'm not going to punch a brick wall if I get mad because I may think well it might take some anger out but that's probably a stupid analogy but but what good does it do might break my hand or it might do nothing right we definitely know if I'm trying to knock a brick wall down I'll tie it back in I'm not using my fist I'm going to use a sledgehammer so for that um I don't want you to I don't want you to make a motion today that's going to that's going to fail because this is a big audacious idea and I don't want you to make a motion and then that fail because I do believe in it I like it I also don't want you to make a motion that I don't even know commissioner W hasn't spoke I'm not asking to see I don't know if it' pass it might pass right you might get a you might get a three you might get a four you might get a five vote but then we've heard from the clerk and I respect his position and and the separation of powers and the fact the matter is um you know I can respectfully disagree You can disagree judge Dan Heiser can respectfully disagree but um it's kind of like if you don't like the Supreme Court ruling is still a Supreme Court ruling okay and so I don't I don't want to take something positive and see it fail and so what I think uh and I'm going to go back to sort of history on the board would be the prudent thing to maybe keep that positive momentum and inertia because I like the project but again if we pass it today and the clerk says hey I'm not going to pay for it well then we really haven't accomplished anything so I want to see that I believe in it and that's why I say I want to see that positive momentum and so I would ask you to consider the two things that would kind of uh keep in line with what we've done traditionally and then it also might get to a point because here's the ultimate goal if you if if we think this is good for the community then I think the ultimate goal is is we just have to work with um the clerk to see if we can come to that positive resolution it's not about fighting it's not about you know who's right or wrong it's working towards that positive solution so I would recommend uh and and again I would love to hear your thoughts on this about us maybe taking everything we've heard today and taking the citizen input and taking now that we've got the bids and information and locations and I think a couple things we could do is is maybe and and man the city of Milton stepping up to support it maybe now we send this to the tourist Development Council to let them give a suggestion that keeps in line with protocol that we always done and I could absolutely understand you know Mr Spencer wanting to to keep that tradition I would if I was wri in the checks I would say hey I want to keep with that tradition and um and then also quite frankly it would not be fair to not only my board members but it were uh you know I let me say this I think you could get a a more robust um interaction and transparency that I know we would all want and we all sometimes get put in hey you've seen Colton when he he was chairman and we had some economic development issues that were times sensitive that we had to take action on right then but since people didn't have uh all the information prior to the agenda being published on Thursday it is it's a lot I mean yeah I've got strong feelings on this this issue but regardless of any issue I don't even if I support an issue I like to have the information I know y'all like to have the information more than a couple days and so I I'm just thinking might help this move forward if the action today was not not necessarily A hey this is a hard line but let's send it to the tourist Development Council and then whenever and then you can continue to work on that you can definitely continue to work with uh Mr Spencer and say hey where where would we need to be for you to be comfortable because again if we're going to support it and I think every member on this board loves the idea of a big flag but you know we may have different degrees on where it should be located we've heard or how to pay for it but work with him on what does it take to to get a win you know I don't want to just get to the 50 yard line and say we got it there and now it's on I'd rather see you get all the way to the end zone and make a touchdown so I think the proper thing for the board today and not pigeon hole us and you and you could just stick with the the fact that hey we didn't have all the information when the agenda was published is if this board felt comfortable we could send it to the tourist Development Council to ask them for a recommendation and then in the meantime you go work on it and that way when it comes back to the board I think you got a better chance of maybe getting that all the way to the end zone you know what I mean yeah and so uh anyway commissioner Smith I see you got your light on thank you for uh thank you for your patience with me commissioner I appreciate you holding his hand taking him through this process but I'm not in the mood to handle this more than we've already handled it today on another meeting so we're looking at it an hour plus that we've belabored this I don't know how much we paid employees and staff to sit here and do this and we're going to push this down the road I that that just doesn't sound like a great idea to me number two we already know that Mr Spencer is going to not write the check I want to ask uh our County attorney what would be our next step under Florida law each check issued by the county requires two signatures the chairman and the clerk if either one doesn't sign the check doesn't go so would this result in going into litigation possibly if we got into this unlike some other counties I would strongly recommend any litigation between well that's what I'm trying to say I'm I'm just I'm I'm looking at our neighbors and and seeing what we're having as far as checks written and not written by the clerk and that's where we've got important work gentlemen we've got really important work to get done on this board that flag is very important but there's a reason why we do not see government getting involved with these contests the minute we build a 27 foot flag and put it out in this parking lot is the minute that berts Harley-Davidson in Clearwater puts up a 209 foot flag now we're in now we're in competition with Private Industry that not what we're trying to do that's not and I know I'm going to get put out there as being anti-American that's fine everybody everybody knows where I stand you can you can try to paint the pictures you want to paint as a fiscal Conservative Republican this is insanity the young man that was here earlier that had to go to school I applaud him Bravo yes this is something that a 5013 needs to be started shoot I'll start it I mean it takes a little bit of work we have Chris doph over there I'm sure he would give some guidance on how to uh on how to direct these things you might even have TDC availability at that point but for us to sit here and blor this this is just the stuff that makes me pull out the rest of my hair and I'm I'm GNA tell you right now I'm not for kicking this can down the road if we're going to get this done I'll sit here all night we'll get it done but kicking this down the road to for I don't know how long you've had to get this done and we're still going to kick it down the road a little further I'm not for it Mr chair hold on if you will commissioner I'd like to before commissioner write the opportunity to speak okay thank you Mr chairman um the idea that anyone would try to paint anyone into a picture that anyone that doesn't fully support something at the outset as unamerican is a is a is a very unamerican thing for people to do um I heard a lot of different comments this morning and I've and and I'm I'm an extremely patriotic um God-fearing person but uh I heard I heard some comments one thing I heard tourist taxes are fun money and that that that scares me that that the perception is that just because tourists are paying tourist development tax when they rent a hotel room that that that's a slush fund or fund money it's not um you know there's there's a reason why the money is spent on fireworks and things like that and you know there are a number of um instances where money has been spent from that fund on is you know issues and and um projects and events in Central and North San Rosa County okay um I think about the the Creek Indians and and the Historical Center there you know that's what that money was used for so Mr Stevens it was here earlier and I see he's left now he made the comment he said if you're going to do it do it right and that's always been my my Mantra in in doing anything and and commissioner Parker talks about big audacious ideas you know I've got some things that I brought to the board that I think are big audacious ideas um but I think it's it's dangerous to bring big audacious ideas forward and not work them through the process and really be prepared to really make the valid argument and have someplace Solid Ground to stand on and right now if we were to go go to a vote today I'd have to oppose it only because I don't have Solid Ground to stand on um I have a lot of veterans and active duty members of the military that I'm friends with and I've had numerous active duty members talk to me and there was actually a retired gentleman that said an email this morning that was in opposition to it and in opposition only because the perception of why we're doing it and the perception of how we're going about doing it it it appears to be very very pushed very quickly and I think that's where the the push back is coming from we don't know all the answers look I'll tell you right now go on the record my business The Tool Shack I'll put the first thousand dollar down to help pay for it if it is a private public partnership I think that this is this doesn't have to be a complicated issue I think you but you have to take the steps one you have to identify the appropriate place and you really have to identify the appropriate place the admin Center may not be the appropriate place maybe it's somewhere on I 10 maybe it's somewhere else in this maybe it's in the city um near the Veterans Memorial Park there's a there's a lot of opportunities on but until we identify what the true best location is particularly if you're going to try to use tourist development tax how do you tie that how do you make that case that's what we have to do if we're going to look at using those dollars and I think you get private Enterprise involved I mean we're all referencing Camping World's flag on Highway 98 has anyone called Marcus lonus and said hey you throw a couple hundred grand our way he could certainly afford to do so has anyone had a conversation with Leonardo and say can you guys put 10 grand towards this has anyone talked to fpl I mean there is so much opportunity for this to be a win for everyone and it to be an opportunity for the community to really come together and instead we're putting it on five members of a board to make a decision very quickly when we just don't have all the facts so I can't make a decision today to support it just because we don't have the information I want to do it right I want to support it but give me the reasons too and commissioner Caulkins if you want to spearhead that that fundraising effort and and going down that route great if commissioner Smith wants to do it commissioner Edington somebody else wants to spearhead it whoever if there's someone out there in the public right now that wants to spearhead the project I ask you partner with commissioner ckins and let's get it done I'll put the first thousand down to help get it done I think the it wouldn't take that long to really do it right and I think it's a big audacious idea that's a great Point commissioner Parker I just think there's a better way to get there okay and and I fully respect yall and uh and I agree we just got the bid on Tuesday and I don't want anything to feel rushed uh I like what commissioner Parker said uh I about running it through TDC I believe that TDC is absolutely the best way to fund this now we do got a dispute with the clerk and the clerk had an issue with this particular location what I can do I can go and try to speak with the clerk and see if we can get them on board with a proper location where TDC funds can go to this I think that's the best route possible because TDC funds basically most of it does get spent in the South and and all all we're asking is that that some of it just 200 I mean about 291 that we get a Little Love in the north and that's the only so what I would I would like to ask and I need votes from yall so uh and I don't want to throw this up and it go down like commissioner Parker I respect every one of you we're all elected independently uh what I'd like to do is uh uh move it to TDC go meet with Donnie after this discuss an area that he feels that you know will work and if that's okay with if I got if three of you will be okay with that at all if I if I could and and thank you I I forgot a couple compliments and I mean this when I say this um thank you Mr Spencer for at least I mean thank you for making sure we got checks and balances thank you Carrie I'm going to call you first name not disrespectful that's just kind of thank you commissioner Smith for doing that I already said Thank You commissioner Caulkins for bringing it forward I'm going to skip you and come back to you watch this thank you commissioner right because you know always value input and commissioner Edington I forgot earlier to say this cuz it is a lot I'm I'm trying to actually listen and then recall thoughts commissioner Anton brought up an amazing thing last time we talked about it and this is where I I want to say something positive and then I will tell you my suggestion you bringing this idea forward is already led to great things it led to that healthy discussion commissioner Edington brought forward about having the flags out front for the veterans I can tell you that uh staff has worked very diligently on that I've had several meetings with them um just obviously because y'all said I'm going to be the guy that's having to sign all the checks and run meetings this year uh but I will tell you that prior to our meetings in April you will be extremely glad and this where I'm giving you a huge Kudos thank you for through you bringing this forward we've cultivated good things you will see uh where we will have there'll be some changes out here with the number of some of those polls that aren't actually flag PS will be gone you will see and we're going to we're working on planning that once we have everything and the dates we'll make sure we obviously give y'all plenty of heads up I personally think it'd be great to try to have a representative here from uh you know Whiting Field as well as Herbert and really invite our Roc members from say Milton Pace uh Navar if they want to come out because it's a great idea to see all I had been saying five branches but I forgot about the space force so all six branches of our military uh is something that folks can get behind and I think having them kind of come here is an inaugural you know and they could raise the flags celebration you'll be pleased that is actually a very small dollar amount to be able to get that in but I thought it was important to publicly recognize that's why when I say big audacious ideas even if today we haven't concluded the Final Destination there's already positive things that have happened out of it and I appreciate that here here's what I will say and and I think that I owe you this I think I owe the other Commissioners this and the community this to uh you know sometimes through sort of experience and and that's why I mean I appreciate every comment that was said the last meetings I appreciate every comment that was said today because really that's helped me uh solidify after listen and you gentlemen I think a a positive course forward I don't to respect not only commissioner Smith's wishes but I think genuinely everybody involved uh what I would recommend is I will fully support if the board supports you working on the project and what I see that being like is a facet of what you've heard cumulatively today you could go to the TD with more of a a branch out of hey what do y'all think about the idea where would you want it another thing I would I would tell you to work with staff on is this is sort of a parallel Road I think I would be open to it well I know I would be and I bet these other gentlemen when you hear would be open to if it if it becomes a public private Partnership if it becomes privately where I would see that when you brought that forward is the county could public we could have the land spot and through that input from tdt it might be the admin building it might be the I 10 or or the East M industrial park or it might be down at the courthouse or it might be Navar I don't know I don't know where it would want I personally think the courthouse on Avalon yes would be a fantastic idea right in front of the beautiful Courthouse that we know is going to be an expansion but again those are I think you could get those tourist experts on it and one other idea I had and I apologized I forgot this earlier I thought about this morning was we could use uh what you saw our our school district use when they were looking at naming the new High School in thear they they took a board and they they kind of honed it down and said okay is it the courthouse is it downtown is it here and then they put it out they put it out for a survey and now you have public engagement in buying and again it's taken this big audacious idea and it's continuing to have positive momentum and then when you honed in a location if we said hey it's going to be I'm I'm going to say the courthouse cuz I like the courthouse idea if it was the courthouse the public would provide the location but through private Partnerships through a nonprofit that could be set up and you absolutely no nobody better to chair that but you could work on that private fundraising and it and it you heard the young man you heard Mr Garner we've heard other people that said maybe that is the route because right now that's you know we have to look at again there's no reason to vote for something and I and I think you've heard today clearly there's not support to say well we're going to vote for this and then the clerk just say hey we're not doing it that doesn't no good so let's work towards that positive momentum I'll say that I'll be the number two guy right after you give your $ th000 check I will give $1,000 personally I bet you'd get the same pledge from my fellow commissioner you're five grand towards it right there and you can put two grand it was your idea now we're six grand towards it and so I think I think to address what commissioner Smith said there's really I mean I I would absolutely support board direction that says hey we support you continuing to work on the project and explore the ideas but there's really no it collectively from what we've heard there's no other board action today and I think really with the tdts is a more of a you go to them with an Outreach of hey guys this is what I'm trying to do and I want y'all's opinion and you take that and you bring that and once we have something solidly behind that um and and you'll be working with Mr Spencer behind the scenes y'all may get to a point to where maybe tdt could be part of it maybe not maybe it's purely all privately funded and you might find some philanthropic people in the community that'll write some really big checks so uh if you want that that's where I think I mean does the board kind of feel comfortable really we're we're tasking You by saying I think you've heard everybody say we love the idea we support it even our Sheriff I mean he loves the idea it's just that Niche about funding and I appreci apprciate the comments by everybody and so I'd like to acknowledge the positive that's come out of it and and I want you to continue to move that positively down the road and so that that would be my suggestion I mean if you're if you're looking for formal board action I would I would ask that you know maybe that motion be uh that we support you continuing to explore like uh you know work on the project you know what I mean because we don't know what it's going to look like when it morphs out but I think you've clearly heard I mean you got commitments for $22,000 right out the gate right there so yeah and and I hadn't even run it by Mrs Parker but I know she'll do it so all right well after hearing all the comments from everybody uh what I what I would like to ask is uh uh so so what I'm getting at is bring it get we we got a we got a price here they don't have to go with it they can't but we got a good deal on the the we got information about a company that can do it for for 290 I would recommend that we you know basically send that to the TDC let them hash it out and that let them all meet with Donnie and figure out you know and then you know you you you're on the TDC and there's some other folks and uh we'll hand it to y'all to so the the location ain't said and so the clerk told me he doesn't think this parking lot is the right spot but he did say he is open to other areas on the in the area correct okay uh you told me that you don't you don't believe that this parking lot qualifies as tourists but you said you are open to other areas and so that's what I I would be opening to The Tourist Development Council coming up with a location was that I would be open to the tourist Development Council coming up withc coming up with the location that they think it would really draw tourism okay well that's perfect okay I didn't see how the county parking lot would draw tourism to this parking lot that was my one of my big issues I mean people come here to pay taxes they come here to get documents filed we don't have people from out of the county coming here to do business so if you got it in a tourist Development Area which are several throughout the county I can see how that possibly benefit that but I'll leave that up to the tourist Development Council to come up with a recommendation on that okay and let them decide all right I'm prepared to make a motion if everybody's ready okay I'm going to make a motion to send the the current $291,000 now that's not decided bid but $291,000 project for cuz we had two companies and we don't want to go with the other one let me read it uh Keen enterprise LLC US flag and flag pole company send that to the TDC and for the TDC to make a decision on this and that that I work with the clerk of court and work with everybody involved and uh that we move this forward for our veterans our military and I do so without objection yeah not not going to object I was just going to say maybe okay the if the wording we could just ask them for their suggestion in regards to location Andor what they felt would be a comfortable funding level and um 100% support yes and to ask them for their suggestion 100% now we need to let them know what it going to cost us every year year yeah replace these flags and all that too we need to let them know this yeah we'll get we'll get that them all that information and uh and see we got a bid already that's better than the other so we'll send that I do so without objection he no objection the items move if you'll wait ma'am we we had public discussion earlier on the item I'm I'm sorry I yeah no ma'am all right we're going to go to community redevelopment agency [Applause] item number two continued discussion about C and overlay District I believe this commissioner right and then uh real quick um it is Lord I can't believe it's 10:45 if y'all will let's try to just so we can expedite try to make a a five minute uh restroom break is five good for it yeah and then let's all try to be back within five minutes to get rolling thank you e e for e e for for e e e for for for e e e for for for e okay yep you already took over five I am sorry thank you thank you to our audience watching online for sticking with us you had enough time for snap as well okay uh next we are going to go to commissioner Wright you've got two items so I'll just turn it over to you thank you thank you Mr chairman and uh thanks for giving us that break um real quick before we get into um just some brief discussion about two big ideas that I wanted to bring forward um just want to take a moment to remind everyone and I I meant to do this on Monday uh Sergeant James conl with the c County Sheriff's Office passed away recently and to all that knew him uh knew he was a very um vibrant energetic and uh um honest person and um just want to let his uh family and other friends know we're thinking about him so first item community redevelopment agencies uh just some discussion about CRA and overlay districts uh we had some brief conversation Monday and I really don't want to belabor the point too much today I just wanted it actually to be noticed on the agenda and to make a formal declaration that in the near future um I'll bring something as an actual agenda item uh I know we'll have to go through the public hearing process but I just wanted everyone to be thinking about it so you can you can you know you can ask you know Tom if there's any legal concerns and do some research on some of the I guess there's two cras in C Rosa County right now right city of Milton has one and city of G Breeze has one um I think when you look at the city of Gul Breeze you'll see that uh their CRA and uh the Land Development code uh ordinances they have in place to help support their CRA have made the city of Gul Breeze a um it's increased property values it's made the community uh hold true to a certain look and a certain standard uh and there's a reason why people are clamoring to live uh in the city of Gul Breeze and I think there's a a significant opportunity based on my conversations with both business business owners and residents of of District 5 for several years that there's an opportunity to to have those residents be a seat at the table and help determine what they want their Community to look like and feel like and uh just as a reminder a c basically allows for a tax increment financing right and just as a complete reminder to people it's not a tax increase there's not an increase on their property taxes or anything like that it is simply taking you once the Ser is put in place you take the base rate that year the increase in in revenue on adalum year over-year there's a portion of that that gets pulled back and stays within that CRA and within that Community right so it's just simply an opportunity for the people in the community to have more say on what their Community looks like feels like and what kind of projects they'd like to um to start and enhance their Community whether it be beautification U it can be additional Recreation there's a number of things that can be done with that so an overlay District would be part of that as far as a commercial overlay District on Highway 98 a way that you could have additional um requirements you could have different sign requirements or sign ordinances in that area it would have to be geographically defined um but I'm just asking one for your support that that this could be brought back once we have all of the information obviously don't need a vote today but um once we have that that finding of fact survey that's put out uh on what that would look like that which is statuto required before you can even move forward doing a CRA right but I just want to make sure you guys just full transparency let the public know that's something we're working on um and then I've been working on with people and and to let you guys know what was coming in the future so I'll certainly entertain any questions if anyone has any I I don't have any questions and and again thank you for being a champion for Gul reason trying to move that forward um in transparency down the road uh you may hear me say that uh you know if we're going to look to do that obviously I'd love to touch on the Highway 90 Corridor to do the same thing there's positives and minuses obviously with doing it because it it kind of goes away from everybody throwing in the kitty sort of concept but um you know if that's something we we could look at for p Ridge as well I mean we uh every district is unique and known for it you're known for tourism my district brings in more sales tax collection than any other District because we're the retail Hub and obviously you got gold breed you got the industrial parks and then you got the military and agriculture so uh if it's something we could just uh you know maybe would look at that like time but I appreciate you bringing it Forward I appreciate uh staff working with you on getting the information uh I would ask you know my fellow Commissioners um because we may not have really crossed the CRA Bridge before uh during some of y'all's times on the board look at that ask questions get to know and then um because the CRA is not something you hear about a lot but it is definitely a mechanism that's useful um Lord knows Brownsville Community has has probably been the the biggest example in in our area of how you can take those dollars and and improve a community so I appreciate you being a champion and bringing it forward and and uh look forward to seeing how that kind of develops down the road thank you Mr chairman it is certainly um it's something that's been on my mind something I've been working on for a couple years it just it's kind of taking a backseat based on a number of other uh issues that come to the board and um I I really do think it it it's somewhat revolutionary from a county standpoint Center as a county but I think it I think it provides a road map uh for a number of communities within the county I I look at the pace area I think P Ridge is a good example I think the heart of Navar I think there's a lot of places where it could be beneficial uh moving forward and I just think somebody has to be the the first to kind of step out kind of let's put it together see what it looks like and then see if that's a a good example and then if you know if District Commissioners throughout the county want to bring that forward to expand I think that's certainly um an opportunity yeah I just have one qu question uh commissioner right uh so I I see it a lot of the municipalities partake in this and that it's just a question on a county level we would be drawing up districts basically to handle this wouldn't we I'm so the way that works is once you have a find in fact um you know basically finding of necessity it's basically a survey a statement that's put together once that's done um we would come to the board and the CR would be separate from an overlay District while they while they work hand inand okay overlay District would be done through via Land Development code uh as far as any you know additional ordinances or changes in um in Land Development that would be tied to it that would be separate um the CRA itself State Statute allows it requires a board to be set up and that board can be five people or nine people so at that point it would come back to to this board for us to look at how we want to set that up and what it looks like um the city of G breze their CRA board is also their city council so if they have an item that's going to come up before their CRA uh they're oftentimes much like we do in a public hearing we'll suspend the regular meeting go to the the public hearing right they'll suspend it go to the CRA take on the agenda item and then you know adjourn that and go back into the the regular city council meeting um scami County their C are all also their Board of County Commissioners personally just to kind of telegraph a little bit right here I don't think that's the way to do it I think if we're going to do it if if every commissioner wants to have a say in what happens in the SI I'm comfortable with that um particularly if we're going to have additional sias in the future amongst the county but I think it's important to have people from those uh representatives from those areas there so I think if that was the direction we were going to go I would recommend that we have a board of nine although more people sometimes complicates issues I think at that point you could then have four people from District um that would be part of that CRA board in addition of the five Commissioners and then you they're they're put in staggered terms so let's say Pidge for instance was the next one if if a c was created there you'd have the opportunity to rotate somebody out and there'd be someone from that community that represents once again my my goal here is really just to allow the local community to have more say in what they look like and feel like right I mean Jay is Jay Milton is Milton pace is Pace Nar is Nar and Gul fre a Midway are and they're all unique parts of the community that all make up one County right but they all have a slightly different look and feel they have a a different mindset about what they want their Community to look and feel like and that's really just the goal here I I will and I only I I kind of mentioned this I'll just say this as I say I really do encourage uh and myself included to it's not something we deal with all the time to relook at that the one cautionary tell I have as I mentioned is it kind of takes away from the concept now where you know we're all one County and and in the kitty is um it definitely could have some some budgetary it will have budgetary implications and I just ask us all to be aware of that when that time comes because um quite frankly the the areas that would be disproportionately um affected if I will venture to say would be actually districts two and three the more expanse and in rural areas because what basically y'all are being to to kind of understand understand is it keeps that money down there and so right now you know when you deal with especially in the rural communities quite frankly um you know they don't have the tax base in a lot of those areas that that the condensed areas do so that's why I say um I look forward to conversation I just ask y'all to uh it's very important to to look at how this could affect and quite frankly it would affect y'all's districts more than any other District I'm not saying that's positive or negative I just think we need to weigh it out like we do every decision and and I'm glad you brought it Forward I have no doubt it'll be something positive come out of it and that's exactly why I wanted to bring it I I wanted to be completely transparent give everyone plenty of time to to look at it really do some research talk to staff talk to Shawn Ward about it look at uh some neighboring communities both communities within Sosa County that currently have them in in some municipalities as well as uh you know look at Okaloosa County examples theim County examples that kind of thing and just just so everyone has an informed uh just a basis before we really bring it to the board for a formal discussion thank you Comm cins any comments yeah I I just want to say that uh I appreciate your efforts of bringing this up I still got to do more research on it and learn uh I will be I'll have a meeting with staff and get as much information uh as I can related to this on Pros cons uh but I'm thankful to you for bringing up these ideas and being proactive that's what we all need to do is come up with ideas we may not agree on some of them but it's doesn't hurt to try so thank you commissioner right I'll work meet with staff and get all the information I can and and uh hopefully we'll move forward on this thank you before we go to your next item sir did you did you want to comment just give them your name and all again see if I learned anything John zoniac East Milton Nichols Creek thanks for bringing this so I've got a few questions for you in terms of trying to flush this idea out um number one is is when I read um the requirements of of what community constitutes uh being available or or or um qualifies for this kind of designation I'm not sure that that that um area does it seems to me it's for underserved communities areas of dilapidated Brown Fields failing infrastructure a lot of those sorts of things and so at least for me to develop the purpose and need what is the purpose of this and the purpose to me sounds like that local community can keep the cream off the top of one of the highest taxable districts in the county and at some point a hurricane is going to hit your community and you're going to need the rest of the county to come to your Aid it's a fact so what I would want to know is from a budgetary standpoint what is the impact on the rest of the county in the ensuing 10 years 15 years as these property values increase where is that money and then who's going to make up for it because the expenses are going to continue to increase for the overall County I don't necessarily see where it's a good thing to fragment the county by the halves and the Hales knots if you can dispel that myth if it is or Theory between the halves and the hav Nots South County North County um and then what would the money be used for that would benefit all of Santa Rosa or is it just for the folks that live down on the beach but to velop that decision support that's what I'd like to see or have the staff do to further identify the purpose for this and the need I could certainly say there are a lot more areas in Santa Rosa County that might qualify for this particularly on the underserved Community aspect thank you thank you sir right are you good through the next time okay we'll go move on to welf protection uh once again there's no action to really take today uh gentlemen other than just you know some head nods to say that I think we agree that we want you know clean water right and and I don't think anyone here is willingly going to uh be part of polluting our resources as I stated it you know both during the zoning meeting and also at um Monday's committee meeting that the uh situation with racetrack coming in and petitioning the board for variance I viewed that when I when I originally looked at it I said this this could be a really bad thing um but I started looking at you know what what's the opportunity that's that's put in front of us you know we have a we have a a welfare protection ordinance that specifically says uh you know underground storage of fuel is prohibited but the very last sentence in that portion of that ordinance also says but a variance may be Grant may be applied for and granted by the board of County Commissioners so with you know that door is already open and when I kind of work through that whole process of looking uh at what racetrack was wanting to do and I know commissioner Smith had had numerous meetings with them I think everyone here met with uh the applicant at some point and and had questions you know I was concerned about you know the quality of the station what it was going to look like that's one of the reasons I mentioned uh you know tourist development Corridor uh on 87 South of 10 there I was concerned about you know what what precautions they would put in place to to prevent you know damage to our to our welf area and when I realized that based on the conversations and and uh difficulty this board at least three of us are sitting here had in uh the previous two years uh with regard to welfare protection act and two applications came before us uh it was evident to me that there was not going to be the appetite for this board to talk about welli protection just as a general item just to bring it up and start you know open that can of worm so to speak but when I saw the the application come through for variant I thought that was a perfect opportunity for let's have a discussion let's look and see what we can do let's find that balance let's use logic and say how can we allow for um Economic Development frankly at a at a parcel where there was previously a gas station before anyway and how do we use that as an opportunity to take existing threats because there's no doubt there are existing threats in the welli protection area right now with underground fuel storage tanks and my initial thought was this is an opportunity to make things better I know it doesn't look like that I I realize it it's a very emotional topic you know the moment you start talking about making a change uh granting a variance people immediately the sky is falling you're going to pollute all the water we're all going to die on the south end of the county um it's certainly not the case and you know I just want to make sure we we look going forward this is you know Monday was the first meeting we could even discuss it after the uh the zoning meeting but I I've I've talked to Jeff krigler with Hol ofar water system I've reached out to the city of Gul Breeze um you know trying to make sure we work through those conversations but I think there's an opportunity for us to put some additional Protections in place now uh I think I've consulted with our attorney and the the the requirements that were put on Racetrack as part of their development can be the new standard that we require everyone to come up to now we can't just say hey you got to dig up all your stuff tomorrow and spend all this money today right that's unreasonable but we can say upon change of ownership of a facil an existing facility that's currently grandfathered in upon a remodel of of a facility those can be two triggers which could require them to come up to this current standard and then we could set a time frame that's a reasonable time frame that allows them to financially justify that expense that could be as short as 5 years that could be somewhere I would not go past 10 years personally on that but there's an opportunity there to take that just that one segment of underground fuel storage and take existing stations and bring them up to a new standard um commissioner Caulkins when we when we had these discussions before you know we talked about um you you suggested moving the Wellhead protection from 500t to 1,000 ft I think that's a great idea uh I think we look at you know integrating that into it I I think there's some opportunity for um some County monitoring or some County oversight that could be could be done both through the inspection during construction process as well as ongoing monitoring I'm not sure exactly what that looks like from an IT standpoint of having the ability for County to see what those monitoring uh systems are are looking at 24/7 but I just wanted to make sure we had the conversation and uh um we start looking at what protections what additional protections would you gentlemen like to see in the wful protection area that we can come back and and try to find a a specified time to do that to draft that with with with staff and put it on the on the agenda as a public hearing so we can update that make it better prove that we're doing the right thing and that simply granting a variance is not a bad thing it's frankly giv us an opportunity yeah um so I just at that point open up for discussion C thank you Mr chair I appreciate you bringing this up uh I just spoke with uh Mr Kyle Holly yesterday we had a good good meeting uh and uh he said that one thing he loves to do is go for Grants this is his baby and as far as that's something he loves and he said he told me he said this is what I want to do if there's money to be found I'll find it and I like that for the existing I don't want to force a business to do something but a business will be more willing if if a grant will pay and we can you know possibly work a deal with them like that's an an idea uh as far as a couple years ago when this came up uh y'all may know I had the prote protect our jobs protect our water initiative and I would like to pull that out uh get staff to give y'all a copy of that uh just so y'all can that's a foundation that got approved by you know the Northwest Florida Water Management District and it had some really good ideas that could be a a blueprint uh to look into uh now at the time the data the scientific data we had at the time was maybe a little outdated uh what I would request before moving forward in this and I'll ask staff I want scientific data I want you know so this is the kind of situation where you you you probably need a study which I'm not a fan of studies but I want to make sure that that we cannot approve something that's going to hurt our water that we are banned that three Commissioners can't come up here and change something that that there is there not only restrictions but there's there's real restrictions to protect the wells and that's what I'm for that we can't but based on scientific data based on the fact that it it's what it's the certain feet between the wells uh we have a lot of businesses out there and we have a lot of you know businesses like the gas stations and and things that we have upcoming things that will come before this board most likely that we'll have to decide on and and we're and I believe every one of you gentlemen care about the water want to respect the water but and 5 years from now there may be three Commissioners that don't care about the water and they could they can pass something that that could hurt it and that's we don't want that so we need to put real Protections in place that cannot that that really protect the wells not just some big line around the whole thing uh that says and then all of a sudden the board can say oh well we can pick and choose what to approve what to not that's not a a a uh orderly system so what we got got to change but what I want to do is I want to meet with and I advise all y'all to meet with our water companies meet with you know we got a Citizens water committee that's sitting out there Mrs Carmen Reynolds is a very big Advocate and uh meet with her let's let's work on this together and let's let's all now I know whatever we put forward not everybody's going to agree 100% it's just impossible to do that it's let's just try our best to uh do that and uh but I would just ask one thing is uh I think the first step is doing some kind of a study and getting real scientific data and then we can go from there and that'll give us ground to to basically move forward thank you um I've got two comments to make but I saw somebody coming up do we have anybody speak on this item anybody if you'd like to come forward I'm not going to make y'all wrestle for who comes first good morning well I I was trying to be nice to the lady Jerry Coy Milton Florida as I stated on on Monday um specifically and and and I'm going to tell you I still have concerns about you know granting uh specifically for space track or um racetrack uh welded pipe in my mind is an absolute must County inspections we need to be there when they're pressure tested we need to verify those systems uh the county needs to have access to the systems if their system is so great then surely they would be proud enough to let us have access to them employee training there is evidence that the employees at those stations were not completely trained as they should have and testing of the devices and I I want to take a moment to to say how important that is in my work we had a device that only maybe needed to work one time to save everybody's life but we tested it every month or we tested it every two weeks you have to know that when that level safety low or that level safety High trips that an actuation is going to occur to kill the the flow of fuel um I I really think you guys need to sponsor another geospatial study uh the first one was done was almost 11 years ago so we need to know the the the all encompassing of the sand and gravel aquifer um it's uh it it's a big place and we also need to try to help educate other counties that are also in that and the state of Alabama uh finally I look we we weren't successful in the grant but the Watershed protection uh uh we we did apply for grants in 21 you have eight derlet gas tanks in East Milton right now um I I'd like some help with that we we we in that area you talking about proactive the county needs to get out there and get those out of the ground thank you sir thank you yes ma'am Carmen Reynolds Navar commissioner Smith on Monday you mentioned the Rail lines in May of 2022 a retention Pond blew out behind Cambria subdivision coming dangerously close to the railroad tracks and in a heavy storm could be washed out contributing to a derailment or a a derailment of hazardous materials there needs to be an emergency contingency plan in place for this eventuality and Shoring up immediately of that area near those tracks in the interest of Public Safety uh if not our aquafers could suffer and if this isn't enough the city of Milton as we speak has applied for two permits to put Whiting Field which is a superf fund site Wastewater pumped underneath the Blackwater River onto 38 to 77 acres in the wellfield protection area after tying into the most problematic prison lift station all already in the WPA which overflows with rains all this via spray Fields where neither P Pharmaceuticals or personal care products are removed which Research indicates can contaminate groundwater ask the physically sick citizens in Delaware are relatives of the deceased suing for $24 million because of nitrification of their groundw this cannot be allowed by our County remember there is already a known posos releas relase in the WPA near a FairPoint well I will close with this quote from science direct Volume 8 August 2022 survey of per and poly floro alkal substances posos and surface water collected in Pensacola Florida aquous film forming foam is a primary source of posos and Santa Rosa County is among those with the highest detectable levels of peos in drinking water groundwater and surface water Let's Get Serious and fix the existing problem before this board contemplates adding even one more thing in the WPA and muck up our aquafer thank you thank you yes ma'am uh Sher Chapman P Ridge one of the things that I would like to caution to get done here is that these chemical plants that we have they have an alarm that goes off but it is triggered by someone at the plant it has not been that long ago that citizens called and said do you have a leak out there and we were told yes but and we asked why did the alarm not go off well we didn't deem it necessary okay when we have people that are fighting fines and have to go through rigorous um if de and the county is notified that they've had a leak then we're behind the eightball if a leak was so bad out at one of the plants out there that the ammonia overtook every employee in the area who would pull that alarm there would be no one and this is what concerns me about putting these tanks with alarms you have people that are probably high school graduates that will be in charge of our water Aqua fire being contaminated when the alarm goes off it needs to go off someplace besides that station our emergency management needs to have a way to know that that went off so that they can go out there and respond quickly this is something that we don't have right now with chemical plants I have ammonia that is um produced and stored within a mile of my home but yet it's going to take a human being to pull that alarm before citizens around know to shelter in place we've got to do better thank you gentlemen I'm going make a brief comment and then I'm going to get us moving forward just in the essence of I have made a commitment to staff I'm going to get us out of here in a time where they can all eat lunch before our Workshop the only thing I comment on this moving forward is uh ask Kyle Holly or I think you mentioned him to look at uh and I think the board would support it never crossed my mind before today and I appreciate the input from the citizens that helped me think of this uh any possible grants or even if one day this board could consider putting a small amount of money or even tourist Development Council could explore statutorily if it would qualify since we're talking about the drinking water at the South End some and opportunities for the existing things I mean Lord if I got a gas station it's going to cost a ton to swap it out I may not voluntarily do it even if I got a little leak you don't know about but if we could offer some money to those existing stations to get them up to that new thing and then my only second thing I'll bring up is I had uh I had one gentleman that had told me you know drinking water outside of the Wellhead protection area is important too so maybe we look at once we Shore up something if if it's important for those people in the my God I want you to have clean drinking water up towards Allentown and me to have clean drinking water so maybe we need to look at that holistically but thank you for bringing it forward and um we look one quick thing I'm proud to be a high school graduate and number two uh just end on a high note here Pensacola P Pensacola prio Bay Estuary program the US Senate thanks to uh Senator Mark Rubio and Senator Rick Scott uh push through the national uh estuary program designation for that organization which um if everything goes well that means that will open up a significant funding opportunity on a recurring basis for them of you somewhere between $750,000 to a million dollar a year and opens up a ton of opportunities for us to continue to clean up our water way so it while it was a separate topic I just want to make sure to let everybody know that's very significant news that just came out yeah now thank you for saying that and thank you to commissioner Bob Cole had had worked on that for years and uh commissioner Wright has represented us on a National level for that and so thank you all right we're going to go to the consent agenda I'm sorry you're right we did have Carri I got you down for item number four I apologize that's all right gentlemen this is not something that I take pleasure in doing I'm not comfortable doing these kind of things and I'm glad this I'm glad that a lot of the people are gone actually because this isn't about me making anything I the one thing I like to that I'd like to be known for is protecting this board and protecting the Integrity of this board but I tell you this because something came to my well it was right in my face and I'm not going to mention names but one of the County Commissioners and I and I'm going to preface this with one thing if there were anything in these conversations with me and a member of of the upper level staff that I deemed to be sunshine I would not be talking about this right here I would be talking about an investigation but there was nothing that was in sunshine in that conversation but one of these members on this board had a member of and I say press with air quotes because I don't deem her to be press in his office with closed door listening to a conversation with me in an upper level member of staff and admittedly so I got a problem with that I think everybody on this board has a problem with that we should be afforded a degree of privacy and not think that somebody's going to be listening through a wall to my conversation and if there's one thing y'all know about me if I see stupid I'm G I'm going to raise my hand and point it out and I'm just going to make a warning to this if we're going to continue to play stupid games be prepared to win really stupid prizes and that's all I got I'm going to make sure that that's known on this board thank you reminds me of a sign I saw the other day it says if you're going to be stupid you better be tough and so uh all right consent agenda uh does anybody have any issues anything on the consent agenda I do have one comment uh I would ask and and I the board collectively but I know this has really uh been spearheaded by commissioner Wright so I'm just going to kind of ask your appetite for uh do you have any appetite for possibly item number 35 which is the Aquatic Center feasibility study about possibly pushing that until the next set of meetings for Action just so I could have some conversations with engineering and then the firm um I won't delve off into any details I would have brought it up Monday obviously if I would have been here nothing negative if anything I think uh possibly in the spirit I guess to to be forthcoming the spirit of maybe some cost savings for the county um and I just wanted to have that conversation if if you feel like that would be okay yeah I've certainly got no problem with it I know that you know the they had met with staff on uh kind of laying out the scope of what that contract would look like but if you haven't had the opportunity to sit down and meet with them I think that's a great opportunity I would encourage everyone to do so I read over the entirety of the backup which included the scope and all I just wanted to see if there's any way we maybe could drill down for some cost savings for some things an Larry but um if you're okay with that I know it pushes it just slightly but uh just to hit a comfort level next uh next meeting in April absolutely yeah staff can just go ahead and plan on for sure having it on the next next meeting might be some changes maybe not but I'm sure obviously if I talk with them and there's anything substantial I could guarantee that staff would have robust conversations with you on that um if there's no other items I would just ask that we move the consent agenda in its entirety uh minus item number 35 is everybody okay with that I'll give y'all just a second that's the one about the Aquatic Center study and um so minus that is everybody else okay okay with moving the entirety of the consent agenda forward okay all right we'll do that then with no objection so that's moved and then for item number 35 I'll make a motion without objection that we just table that to the next set of meetings in April no objection to that okay the same the same one all right okay it'll come it'll come back to you at the next set of meetings I just want to have an opportunity to have some offline discussions um right regular agenda operations and safety report item number one I did uh I will tell y'all so you don't have to ask I did watch the entire meeting on Monday so I feel like you don't have to bring me up to speed uh side note it is much more enjoyable and sometimes to watch the meeting than it is to sit through it um I Heard y'all had some robust conversation on this please don't feel uh the need to add anything for my behalf is there any new conversation that needs to be had today by any members of the board on this item about the temporary speed limit reduction I'll be fast uh so I met with Brad and them and they said it is not uh according to our like the question was do we have to uh according to Brad it basically says we don't we can have it now they do say that you know we can you know hear uh you know some biologist but we don't have to listen to the biologist we don't have to in order to keep far so after reading that that's not going to be an issue in in this issue okay so that's Comm anything that's say my district I talked to Mr Baker this morning that's right we don't have to yeah I agree but the state does have a law about 25 and I'm okay moving at to 25 if we can you know be doing that way meet their standard also I'd be happy to it's basically a requirement for the projects that we have going on out there and the requirement is that we place reader boards and signs as needed along Causeway to warn motorists to drive with caution as chicks and fledglings maybe on the road information for boards will be determined in coordination with Panama City ecological services and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission so and we did reach out to Gul Isles National Seashore and uh for their their bird nesting time they do reduce it to 25 all right all go ahead I've got a comment I I may with all due go ahead with all due respect it probably I think my comment will let you know where we're at on the vote eight years I've been on the board we've been asked to do this uh it's it's been brought up you know some opposition in years past I want to say unequivocally I'm going to say the last thing I've said the last three years if you go back and watch the tape I guarantee you that's what I said I am going to absolutely support the speed limit reduction because I'm doing it for the safety of the pedestrians that will be visiting the beach our tourist it has no sidewalks right there during that Corridor I did verify that not just by memory but by Google street maps prior to the meeting and you're going to have young children that are here visiting with their families you're going to have adults that are unfortunately inebriated from alcohol they're going to be transversing that area right there and the way you got the car parking a lot of them from experience walk between the cars and the road and so I unequivocally will say I'm supporting it it has nothing to do with the birds if there's anything that'll uh save a pedestrian from being struck or a child from being run over I'm going to support it and so there's my stance I think Mr Smith was right in a statement of a 3-2 vote on Monday um and so just in the spirit of getting staff out to lunch if y'all are good with it I'll just go ahead and make a motion and then we can move forward let me say one thing commissioner Edington and then we'll go to you I've lived down there almost seven years you ain't going to go over 5 miles hour anyway so much traffic going to the beach it's bumper to bumper and I'm I'm pretty sure y'all know that I know you do Mr R leave it there and if that's what we got to do but we don't be at 5 mph anyway I think is that correct Michael that's about what it runs right when we during the summer it I think it's the amount of people that are there that's slowing people down but yes sir I agree with that okay commissioner C's last I I just want to say uh so it was at 20 I guess but we're allowed to go 25 which is still lower than what it is now uh is there consensus on 25 that's I'm looking for what y'all are are you all I'm sticking with 20 okay I mean and I'm doing it for the safety I mean that's it I've said the same thing every single year and I'm I'm just uh I respect everybody like I said earlier it's not a hill I'm going die on but I'm going to vote no on this item again like I do every year but I respect everybody and thank you second you Mr chairman all right I made the motion commissioner Wright made the second that we temporarily reduce the speed limit 20 miles per hour until September 30th 2024 along the Navar Beach Causeway all those in favor signify by raising your right hand go ahead all right all oppos like sign it passes 4 to1 commissioner Caulkins in opposition the meeting list uh thank you gentlemen the meeting list we have a budget planning workshop today I'm mainly reminding the five of us at 1:00 so get your food get your bathroom break be back I'm excited I think we've got great things happening a zoning board meeting tonight at 6:00 TDC budget Workshop March 20th at 8:30 a.m. and then our next commission committee meeting will be April the 8th at 8:30 a.m. I didn't announce Tiger Point cuz I've got to make sure that we have the ability to do that but I know we got plenty of time that y'all will be our our new equipment is supposed to be installed at the conclusion of v as long as long as staff tells me prior to the public notice that we're good to go then that's where we'll be at uh but that's why I didn't mention it and um so anyway thank you gentlemen thank you everybody for coming invite some friends to the next one the meetings adjourn e e for for