[Music] Mar special commission meeting good afternoon meeting date Wednesday March 13th 2024 at 1 p.m. commission Chambers 500 Southwest 109 Avenue roll call Madam clerk know the absence of commissioner I think he's downstairs all right let's stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for the [Applause] invocation to the flag of the United States of America to the republ for it stands one nation godis andice Jesus we thank you for this new day that you have made um L this this uh legislative body give us the wisdom and the Revelation to make the right decisions for this city and continue to bless this beautiful town and our and all of the first spers and all of our beautiful residents Jesus I pray am thank you all right do we have any public comments no comment item five an ordinance of the city of Sweetwater Florida amending ordinance 5055 by providing date certain for adopting Florida retirement system for General employees providing for exceptions providing for Authority providing for cability providing for codification providing for an effective date first reading mayor Diaz well uh you want to go up Scott first and foremost uh welcome to all thank you thank you for uh being here at this time I know it's not easy but it was important to to get this done and after this we got two uh clast meetings one is uh also some discussion that I need to get into uh regarding Miss Universe um so with that good afternoon Scott melberg Finance Director City of Sweetwater I have the good news to tell you that uh we passed two ordinances at the last meeting both get an FRS and um for the elected officials as of April 1 you are ANF FRS the general employees had a little problem because we made it uh dependent upon the passage of the comp uh Collective bargain agreement and according to the floor retirement system we have to have a date certain so we've redone the bill or done the ordinance to have a date certain um and it's on its effective date and they said it doesn't matter when you actually finish the process because you're not joining until you finish the agreement everybody's signed off on it your ordinance can have whatever date you want you're in when you've finished all the paperwork and completed all the documents and we've signed off on it we've done that for the elected officials but we needed to have this one change for the general employees it will not really affect the timeline and I do have uh one quick Point uh based upon what Scott just said um there are two blanks in the uh the ordinance now there for dates I suggest that we just amend the order that you just amend the ordinance uh to reflect um the um either today's date or possibly April 1 just pick a date at random at this point is April 1 fine yeah April 1 is fine so maybe April one all right so we'll we'll go ahead and uh through through the chair go ahead uh just to understand this is for the um employees only right General employees only right and my understanding last meeting we had they had a uh they they didn't want this program or this is something well they didn't pass the collective baring agreement and we're regoing to negotiations with them next week and we're going to have another vote but this doesn't really affect them if they don't want the Florida retirement system nothing will change for them right we're making a a much larger contribution into their pension in the future and so I anticipate many of them are going to stay with the iupat program but it needs to be explained to them that they have a choice they can change something they can stay with what they have what they have is going to get better you answer you answer my question because I was going to ask you if they keep to where they have right now so this is basically whoever comes new they can go ahead and take advantage of this right all new employees will be for retirement system the exis employees can keep what they have okay and we're making what they have better yes sir and they keep what they have based on their decision okay so the problem was and I I know some of you probably know um there was uh basically some tactics used which happens a lot when these negotiations and things take place um basically they got some misinformation and unfortunately due to the fact that they didn't have a steward or a person that they could come to and ask questions because the bad thing is govern as the administration we can't really talk to them because this is a bargaining session gotcha okay so the information did not get to them correctly um my understanding is from what I'm hearing when they heard oh but this was involving no but we want that no but you know unfortunately there was a set of confusion got and this is it doesn't mean that we're still not going to go and hopefully have a session that we discuss and have Clarity finally to them and they could ask questions am I correct Mr attorney sure so there is transparency as everything that we have discussed and continue to do moving forward thank you Mr Mayor thank you Mr Mayor but I I never I mean I've been coming to this meeting for the longest time and I think this is the first time there is a clearance or transparency with the employee um Finance or the uh you know whatever they're going to get now this and it's something new for me I never heard it before and then when I when last meeting we had that we had like 20 something per or 80% that didn't want it that that got me my my attention a little bit so thank you for cl clarify that and thank you thank you very much we're going to go ahead and amend just quickly uh this is you know this has not been moved yet so it's still a mirror's item so is the mayor willing to amend the blanks to read April 1 absolutely 2023 so they are amended now because it's not yet been submitted to to the commission so it's still a friendly Amendment so the two blanks are going to be april2 go ahead V thank you Mr President um do we have anybody representing the employees union here today so that's the first problem my opinion um I don't know what's going on with the civilian employees but to those watching on TV to those employees and those residents watching on TV the floorida retirement system is a is a lot better retirement system it's a benefit a lot better benefit that uh the mayor is offering our employees for whatever reason and I'm not here to say what came first the chicken of the egg whomever it is that's trying to go against this I don't know what their ulterior motives is but first things first um I'm a union man I'm a police Union men and I don't see anybody representing the civilian employees so that's that's the first alarm that I see uh specifically when you have somebody like the mayor in this commission trying to make the benefit better for the employees uh the employees have no idea not no concept of what it is that's being offered they don't even know this is being offered as an option anything that's an added benefit to what they have is obviously better um I don't know what the leadership is or who the leadership is in the CI in the civilian employees uh Union uh that's definitely caused for concern so I hope they're watching on TV and the next time they need to participate in these meetings um the fact that you guys are offering an option is great it sucks when you have employees that have been here 20 30 years they're not really going to benefit from this but this is also a recruitment tool um as the city continues to grow you need to continue to acquire talent and sometimes those those individuals that have talent like you Scott you were at Forest for how long 34 years only 34 years that's all not a big deal so this is a this is not a Houdini trick this is not somebody trying to screw somebody over I think the employees lack the information I think they should educate themselves I think employees have any questions they should do so through their Union through your leadership but this is a this is an added benefit to them so I will hardly approve this thing I you so be before we I'll second it as well but would you're amending to April 1st 2024 the the date is stated yes has been stated so I I commission moved it I'll second it roll call Madam clerk as amended commissioner yes commissioner re yes as amended commissioner Diaz yes as amended commissioner V yes as amended commissioner Mar yes as amended commissioner yes amended president rain yes as amended he passes on first all right item six you have a motion forour anyone second we got two more MERS yeah we got's been adjourned wait for 115 as to our next meeting yes sign all right I know he told me super yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I already gave him a I'm not anymore yeah me too I had that uh that bronchitis uh chest thing yeah was nasty pretty much what we all had terrible I saw your your video for now pretty good stuff yeah man um Everybody's scared to uh to endorse I'm being a policeman why would be afid I think he's the best candidate yeah I gotta I gotta ask somebody first me know you want top in is okay you never supervised that's like you're going to make me the fire chief that's normal weather yeah at least fire certified right they paramedic I don't nothing you have a but I know ABC Airway breathing circulation more fire want to get involved in this bro we got to get them in there I just hate that it's a partisan race I just hate that but it's always been right it's always been a partisan race I'll give you an example is and he's not even a DA guy he's AO guy right and he just came over here I'm good up Robert can you go find whatever the second guy grab that c p 115 114 calling commissioner Ray what's up Robert what's up and when you do that and you get the bill come on let's get going I got one three p it's already uh bro or also have to start ready down good afternoon again all right mergency commission meeting meeting date Wednesday March 13 2024 at 1:15 p.m. commission Chambers 500 Southwest 109 Avenue roll call Madam clerk all members pres all right so we're going to skip over the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation if we already done that item four emergency discussion of special event for in honor of Miss Universe 2023 to be held on such date March 17th 20124 and providing commission authorization for funding special event maintenance and Police Service is Mayor Diaz thank you Mr President and as we all know we have an incredibly huge n community in the city of Sweetwater since the 80s when the sanest took over narwa a lot of nanes fled and they made their home in uh Sweet Water uh since then there's been a a fluctuation in population but still we have a lot of uh n wies so it's a huge part of our community and one that uh a new um beauty queen has has been appointed SP and we need to uh make sure that uh she will be coming to Sweetwater and that was ratified today uh I I've been working on this for two weeks and it's something that we've been working hard to to try to do because Sweet Water is the most represented city of the Nan is outside of narwa and it will be offensive I think to our population if she goes to other cities and does not come to the city of Sweetwater so actually today I met with a group of representation that represents the the entities that brought her to Miami and also I guess in in uh they do the promotional stuff but also have a call now with Miss Universe uh pageant directly um basically they decided to make sure that she comes to Sweet Water uh it's going to it was told to be at 8:00 in in um in the morning on a Friday from 8: to 10: I uh immediately said that is not happening people Sweetwater are blue collar hardworking people and they work at 8:00 in the morning if they're not at work they're in the way to work um so it we went back and forth quite a bit we ended up basically um agreeing that the only day that I will accept this will be uh Sunday uh and it will be proper and we need a big area so um I got together with Robert and we contacted the the state and I asked for really a a big favor that we need a big area so I am closing down 107th Avenue uh and 107th Avenue uh to two Street hard Clos and four Street soft Clos uh it gives us the ability to have a huge group of people assemble there because I was thinking in the park and stuff but then we have a a problem that presents ourselves with the traffic and cars and situations of people so we've analyzed this with the police department we've analyzed this uh internally uh we've done this before and we try to get the best situation the bottom line the news is good news uh Mr new universe will be coming uh Sunday and she the event will start at 2 and maybe finish by um 3:30 four probably at the latest um but she will she is uh very happy from what I understand that she's coming here to sweat to her people and it it's an honor for all of us as laddin or as uh people that come from someplace else to this great country that uh this young lady that comes from very humble beginnings is is actually uh has the title Miss Universe uh and she is uh again ncar and she is not allowed in nicara because she's a very anti Sandinista so uh to us it's an honor having her here because she she values and principles that we all have so I think is uh great I thought it was important news the only negative news is there's always a price tag when this sitting happens so I calculate uh more or less that between overtime closing um then you know things that we need to do water uh stage uh sound system everything we're probably going to be in about 30 is why I calculate uh but I think there's no way around it this is something that's important to a very huge percentile of our community and we want to put our best foot forward because I think um this is going to be the biggest event she's ever going to go to while she's here in this trip uh to the day County so this is why I wanted to bring forth to you and uh make sure that uh you guys first knew about it and um were're able to uh now we're going to try to uh secure some time um to meet her uh but uh that's all in the workings and I'll I'll bring you in and and let you know exactly all the details it's not been easy I'm not going to lie to you uh this has been I I got wind of this yesterday through an email from uh uh city of the raal which very nicely invited uh all of us and I appreciate that for the mayor to the city of theal obviously uh I got to call her back and said we're having our own event we appreciate it thank you so much but uh this is really the city uh where she really should be coming to and even though she could go to anywhere she wants and that's fine but the people really want to see her here in in um the city of Sweetwater and it was very well taken and um it's it's all good so this is where we're at and you have any questions the chair goad uh Mr President and to my colleagues in the commission the mayor and I spoke about this and and I I want to elaborate on on the mayor's uh comments um the city of Sweetwater is per capita the most concentrated um municipal government in the United States when it comes to nicar Ragin there are no more nicaraguans anywhere in the United States other than the city of Sweet Water as far as the concentration is concerned secondly this is an international organization and ultimately it could become a soft target the reason for the amount of allocation and is is for Safety and Security I would I would caution with the $330,000 allocation I think it may may not be enough I would much rather give the mayor a bigger number and then you have him use his discretion based on the intelligence that we are receiving because you're talking about potentially having over 5,000 individuals in that area now how many police officers would that take um I would feel much more comfortable allocating fish $50,000 leaving it to the discretion of the mayor I know he's not going to spend all of it but this is a scenario we want to put up our drones we want to work with other agencies we want to work with FBI we want to work with the county uh there's a lot of allocation uh not to mention in such a short amount of time it's going to cost more money so I would respectfully request um that we change the allocation from 30,000 off ,000 well first of all Mr Mayor would you agree that changing the allocation from 30 to 50 and then giving you that discretion would be better um and with your approval I think we should we should go ahead and do that listen I really really appreciate it because it doesn't tie my arms uh unfortunately again this has been thrown upon us and I appreciate that uh we we speec the the negotiations that we were doing was sometime in June where would have given us a lot more ample time and preparing and stuff like that this has been over and by the way to your point yes it's important because there is a lot of issues that could take place I don't want to go on them obviously uh here uh but I would rather have a little more leeway and if we don't use it we don't use it because that's you guys know how how tight I carry the ship uh so that will be uh very well accepted so Mr commissioner through the chair Mr President um just so we understand the mot alone normally takes a week he's FASTT tracking theot uh getting Bob's barricades the police fire department the intelligence Homeland Security Fusion Center The Pageant security the coordination um so I would respectfully request that we amend the Lang the allocation from 30,000 to 50,000 respectfully that is my and also and also to back picky back on that it's the it's not only we need to make sure that you know it's something we could get all those entities to work with on a special date because it's St Patrick's Day so I was already hearing that you know to get porta potties to get stuff like that and other it's hard for that day so I mean I'm willing to open it a little more as well to the 50 and uh hopefully everyone is in agreement with that go ahead I Miss Universe I got four minutes mayor I just one question I don't have a problem to to give that money to the mayor um my question is where are we going to get this money from we'll get it from special events and then later on when we do the uh revision we could always adjust the budget at and move monies around how much money do we have in special events I don't remember I don't even know that right now either did you know you have to look it up 100,000 okay yeah but it's left I don't know how much it's left from special events okay by the way we're also getting donations that I should be getting sometime between this week and next week uh for the Christmas event I went asked for donations to cover that so we're actually trying to do some of these with donations and events with our sponsors but I don't have the time as commissioner I said to try to try to get sponsors now to try to do this and by the way and then there's another issue this is a sweet waterer event I don't want to make it political I don't want to make it for any particular group I want to make it for Shan got Miss Universe okay and her people the people from the city are I I understand mayor do we are we going to have any vendors or anything like that no vendors there's not going to be no beers or anything like that this is nothing like the veterans program that the veterans event that we're going to do in November that's a whole different event where we're going to have everything but this is kind of like an I guess the best way to say an emergency event uh that we're putting together M they might understand it the wrong way I'll go ahead and move it for the 50,000 second we'll call M clerk Mr before we do Mr attorney do we need oh no I just since you mentioned the word emergency I just wanted to remind the commission that an emergency does not necessarily mean the house is on fire okay an emergency is an unexpected circumstance that requires immediate attention which is what this is and that's why I called it it does not need to be the house of and reasonable we we're required to Pro to provide reasonable notice but in an emerg circumstance given that it was already meeting scheduled today that is completely reasonable notice in my op call commissioner Yan yes commissioner re uh yes as amended right is been amended yes commissioner yes as amended commissioner V yes as amended commission Martin yes as amended commission president R yes as amended okay pass thank you much oh we got a motion forour all all in favor I have not I saw the original