##VIDEO ID:YZbNiw7EtHo## there you're never e we go [Music] our sure well I I do I you come we I to doer UPS they all these pictures on the wall and stuff so at the chamber have on scam count redevelop agency regular meeting September 5th 2024 9:00 a.m. please turn your  cell phone to vibrate silence or the off setting the board of County Commissioners  allows any person to speak regarding an item on the agenda the speaker is limited to 2 minutes  less otherwise determined by the chairman is there proof of publication the c meeting was  published and the SC beign press on August 29th 2024 thank you are there any speakers  for public for uh not to my knowledge thank you so much Technical and Public Service uh we  have one um recommendation concerning community redevelopment agency meeting minutes August 1st  2024 we have a we'll entertain a motion minutes second motion please vote raise your hand P four  in favor thank you budget and finance uh three for your approval uh first one is  recommendation concerning residential rehab Grant um program funding and lean agreements  second one is recommendation concerning the cancellation of residential rehab grant program  leans and the third one is recommendation concerning residential roof program funding  and lean agreement any speakers Mr chairman we have none I move all three items in the  affirmative we have a motion second second please vote passes for in favor thank you so much did we take three with that that I think we did are there any items for discussion no  discussion item good I don't I don't see CLA but I certainly want to make sure we have clarification  about c a doll in housing there's been something what I believe is misinformation um do you have  any information on on the housing program where we at with ship funding and HUD funding um that  would uh actually would be talk to uh Garrett on that and uh I'll see Okay g kind of give  us the 30 seconds of what we've done what we're doing and and where we are sure sure um let's  see here yeah we've U we've expended all of our uh funds for the purchase assistance strategy um  we we've spent I think originally we had budgeted around a half a million um but we went up to uh  around 1.3 million in that so we've we've spent all of those so 1.3 million did it exceed the  budget it did by how much um by 8 $900,000 that's a significant amount to go over the budget and  and what we did so is to keep the to keep it running as long as possible is we our newest  allocation that we're going to be receiving we went ahead and kind of backfilled that um with  some rehab dollars and then in October once the money actually uh you know gets into the budget  we will move that money back over to rehab um so we we've exhausted the funding for that strategy  but all of our rehabs our demo rebuilds our wheelchair ramps our emergency strategies  all of that is still fully funded and moving full steam ahead so so gar and I guess I only had about  two or three rehabs in my district in in the past couple years and but there's a a long waiting list  how do we expedite this I mean what's the issue with the waiting list what do we as a board what  do we need to do to help you because I've had people on waiting list for three five years I  mean right how do we move that forward it it is it is a long wait list um right now we have uh  around 350 folks on that weight list um I'm I'm very proud of the work that our division  has done in the last couple of years um getting more contractors involved in the community we've  got another meeting coming up uh with purchasing um in October we're we're going to be reaching out  to more contractors trying to get them involved um we've increased our rehabs by around 400% in  the last year um so we're we're trying to move full steam ahead with with that okay um so I mean  it's just important to me I mean I don't care what the writing but I mean it's important to me that  constituents get those Services right so I know that there are people that I represent that have  been on a waiting list you know in perpetuity I mean some probably since I was elected and  so you know that's I mean that's why they living I mean unfortunately that's why we find dollars  in cras and bladed and safe neighborhoods is to improve the quality of life so I just want to  make sure that we're getting that money on the ground as quick as possible to help those most  vulnerable citizens commission Co I'm sorry no I'm sorry I'm sorry I was just going to say there is  for for any of those folks on the wait list if they have been on there a while which they they  may have um if they have any emergency situations such as uh roof leaking dangerous wiring anything  like that we have created the emergency rehab program to address those safety concerns and  we we don't keep a weit list for that program once someone calls us they get an application  that same week and we can at least address those safety concerns um while they're on the  weit list and then once we get to their name we can more holistically help them  so if we have the money the weight list is because we don't have what contractors I mean what why is  the weight list it's it's it's a lack of funding um we can only with uh with our ship allocation  for example we get between uh let's say 1.5 and 3.5 million a year um so if with each  rehab project costing um you know roughly $50,000 let's say there's only so much we can do and then  we have our demo and rebuild program that we started back up um and then purchase assistance  naturally so we're how many roofs have you done roofs um dozens and dozens and that's just ship  I can't speak for CR but I know they do a whole bunch of roofs as well so I think that would be  helpful I mean obviously we'll have a lot of new members on the board but it would be great  ATC meaning that we have some type of analysis or uh of what we've done the projects that have  happened how many roofs how many rehabs to kind of put that you know in in a spreadsheet to kind  of demonstrate what we've done with the dollars we'll have that on the next board meeting with  uh I have that um um information for you thank you commissioner col yeah thanks commissioner man just  I want to make I think it's support for clarity the $800,000 that was overspent when I sit down  with you guys I just want this on the record it was the applications that came in from the city  correct not from our department that is correct so it it wasn't on the the the county even though we  managed it we got applications from the city and we did what was right but they over spent their  annual budget it wasn't on the county right right I mean and but that's probably not the way that  it was portrayed or written Mike I mean and so I think in good faith our staff uh gave a and g I  want to just make sure for clarifications since a public meeting we allotted $800,000 over what  was budgeted uh for their first time home buyers is that what correct yeah anyone that had already  submitted an application uh we didn't feel it was fair to them to turn them down at that point they  had already you know found a house got got their uh First Mortgage lined up so we didn't want to  harm any of those folks so we every application that was active um that the the city had received  we did help all of those folks it was just new applications coming coming in that we had to to  Halt until we got more funding because our rehab need is so great in this community it's really  important that we you know don't forget about those folks on the list well I mean since the  Inception of cras you know you know the goal is to eliminate blight and we've over spent  $800,000 with the program that commissioner Co said just not necessarily A County program  uh but I represent blighted neighborhoods through Brownsville through Shannon toown  through Montclair and we can ride through this morning and houses are falling down and so if I'm  going to reallocate money you know outside of this municipality uh in my district is not being served  then that's fundamentally you know a problem for me I mean and so that's something that I hope that  you guys will address absolutely I just want one more thing on the record can you explain how we're  going to make up the shortfall of the 800,000 sure so so what we did um we took we took that overage  from some of our rehab dollars and then also some of our we we set aside roughly  a half a million a year um in hopes that we can partner with a potential uh rental developer um  through um through an RFA that we put out um in conjunction with Florida housing um no none of  the developers had made it the last year um so we did have around a half million there that we uh  brought over for that and then the rest came from rehab um and then again once we get our  new allocation that money will be sent back over to rehab to kind of make it whole so  we'll recoup that money is what you're saying that is correct that's correct thanks G you're you're  doing a great job I appreciate it than thank you any more questions thanks any other discussion  items no I if not we stand a journ commissioner Barry thank you Commission all right we'll go  ahead and move into uh agenda review today so uh I'm sorry so uh uh board if you don't mind  uh we do have a new EMS director Wes was going to take a minute to introduce him this morning if uh  nobody objects Wes yeah Eric if you come up you and Chris Chris Watts our new EMS Chief hail's  out of Michigan brings a lot of experience we're looking forward to it don't hold that against him  so now we're we're excited uh I've got Chris Watts with me today Chief Watts uh he joined us uh two  and a half weeks ago and I got to tell you the guy hit the ground running uh he met with Wes and  myself last week and had some ideas already that we run by Wes and Wes gave us the green light to  do uh one was getting more field training officers out there because we're getting the staff in we  just don't have enough training officers to get them out so we're work he's working on that got  a good plan he's been out with the cruise for two and a half weeks he's been running calls  he's been meeting with Community Partners been going to hospitals doing what he's supposed to  be doing so I appreciate the uh the the excitement and the uh the amount of energy he's brought to  the position and the crews out in the field have seen it uh they're pretty happy and excited to  see him out there as well so I'll turn it over to Chris and let him uh tell a little about himself  Chris thank Eric uh thank you for having me here this morning um just a quick background of me I  did uh born and raised Southeast Michigan moved to uh South Alabama in the Daphne area uh about  July of sorry June of 22 so I've been down here for almost 3 years now um did flight when I came  down here uh in Michigan I was uh operations manager for the largest Ambulance Service in  the state of Michigan uh so I got a lot of experience there started here at Escambia  County uh just working the road as a paramedic as a additional source of income originally back in  January because my wife just had twins and I was hoping she didn't have to go back to work uh and  then the chief opening popped up and here we are so uh happy to be here there's a lot of potential  in this County I'm looking forward to it we got some work to do uh but I'm in it for the long haul  so appreciate the [Applause] opportunity thank you Wes okay excuse me move into gender review  I have the invocation this evening Pastor William Strickland from Harvest Christian Center be coming  Mike do the pledge all right anything to be added to the agenda mam Council no sir commission may No  Sir Mr chairman nothing for me all all right I I have a couple of uh discretionary items that'll be  distributed uh this afternoon Wes I all right thank you all right and the proclamations uh  Employee of the Month Chief Powell's doing that correct I see him nodding okay Mike you're going  to do the next two proclamations I can't okay I mean I'm I'm happy to do one of them if you'd  like if your name your names on both of them on the printed list I have but okay um Todd humble  you're doing the two related to the library is he in the room yeah okay and then ratifying two  proclamations all right and Stacy the email excuse me that came related to the public hearings um was  that the 531 32 and 33s that all have to be or just the 531 okay yes sir Mr chairman just the  531 will need to be resed scheduled to October 3rd at 5:31 what was the issue a legal description it  was the era was in the legal description and it was the description or the advertisement both  oh okay all right um okay all right but the other the other hearings are fine yes sir okay all right  Madame clerk nothing okay thank you Wes horse I'm sorry not Wes horse Drew you sending just  to us up this morning Drew I understand yes yes sir okay we have the we have the resoning cases  um several resoning cases and then we have our September 24th consent agenda and our October the  3D consent agenda okay and no no changes for this evening you don't need no changes are needed okay  thank you I'm sorry oh I hear you buddy um okay Wes move on to your part thank you Mr chairman  we have 19 items on the technical Public Service consent agenda I'm happy to hold anything that  board would like to talk about this morning board anything out of the out of the consent agenda that  needs to be needs to be discussed this morning or need to be held tonight all right Wes I don't hear  anything 61 items on the Budget Finance consent agenda with the same can hold anything we need  to hold all right board anything specifically that we know of needs to be held right now or  want would like to be discussed this morning no okay all right and we have one item on discussion  the assess United States I know if you want Robert to come to speak this morning or you want to wait  to do it tonight what's a majority of the board or would you presume we would have people speak  this evening I would I would presume all right well board would youall like just wait till this  evening let let Robert come okay all right thank you Wes Madam councel there's seven items on the  agenda we can deal with them tonight board any any objection to that all anything else any uh any I don't I don't know that there is anything we that we can take off the plate um I recognize  our friends from PR key chamber uh leadership class is there anyone yes please anyone would  like to speak I see a hand well I saw I saw your hand raised that means you get to speak well I mean you know we we have we have uh we have students when they come  there's always a designated speaker so who drew the Short Straw I'm Tammy thuro I'm president  and CEO of the prido key Area Chamber of Commerce and I want to thank Jeff and Wes  and everybody for hosting us today for this is our first day of leadership and this is  our first leadership class ever so we're really excited that this is happening we  have 16 in our class so thank you so much for having us and we appreciate it we're learning  absolutely I recognize some leaders in your class already so you know we'll see thank  you so much yeah thank you well thank you'all for being here all right board anything else  this morning if not uh we will rejourn for public form at 4:30 no objection thank you