[Music] [Music] he you thank you good morning can you hear me in the back no is my mic not on pull it closer good morning it is 9:00 and we are going to start our meeting we are honored to have president of the University here and I know he has the busy type um schedule so I wanted us to start on time so let me just say good morning and welcome again to our 2024 annual Board of County Commission Retreat it's great to see all of you all of my fellow Commissioners a County Administrator our County attorney and all the staff from the county that are here uh I don't see commissioner P just yet but I wanted to just thank him from the onsite I think we all saw the letter that he wrote inviting the students from the history and political science department to be here and they might come later so I want to thank him welcome the students and of course we have our illustrous president of this great University uh president Larry Robinson who is here with us uh as well so we here on this um highest of Seven Hills in Tallahassee it's the home of the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference football champions and the 2023 celebration Bowl champions so let me I just want to take a minute to thank Dr Robinson and his team for hosting us here on campus today we're just so proud of Florida A&M University and all that it does to educate our students and to prepare them to be our Future Leaders Dr Robinson and so even though County Employees we are here to conduct business of Leon County I want to just take a few minutes to showcase Florida amm University and to just give a few facts of Distinction and just brag a little about Florida A&M University because this University Dr Robinson plays a very very significant role in our community and of course in our nation as well well this year 2024 as you all know we are celebrating the basing of Leon County and Tallahassee and I specifically Dr Robinson requested that we hold this Retreat this year on this campus Because FAMU is integral in the history of Leon County and Tallahasse and I believe uh Mr County Administrator this is the first time we have held a retreat here on the campus of Florida A&M uh University so bragging a little Florida A&M University is the only public historically black college and university in the entire State of Florida Florida ANM university has been ranked at as the top public HBCU in the nation of five consecutive years Florida ANM University is the number one a among HBCU and graduating African Americans who earn undergraduate degrees and among all the colleges and universities Florida M university has been ranked the number two Institution for producing the most African-Americans who were awarded professional doctoral degrees and we all know FAMU is the home of the eth president of this University the late Dr Dr Frederick [Music] humph the late Dr Silver marbley who founded the renowned School of Business and Industry the home of AA gimpson tennis great who broke the color barrier at Wimbleton and at the US Open in the 1950s we all know Billy Bob haes Olympic gold medalist he also earned a Super Bowl ring playing with the Dallas Cowboys but he hails from Florida A&M University Congressman Al Lawson our own Congressman Al Lawson For Whom the multipose Lawson gym complex is named after and The Marching 100 who is performed worldwide and with many celebrated artists and including performances at the Super Bowl games and of course the this goes on and on Dr Robinson knows it goes on and on but congratulations Dr Robinson for all of these great and incredible accomplishments that are associated with this great University and we know that with the bicentennial celebration coming up Florida A&M University will be right there from a historical perspective so thank you for allowing me to give some of those tidbits Dr Robinson I invite you if you like to have a few words uh to do so if you want to go to the podium feel free to do so so good morning everyone uh maybe I to just sit back down and say thank you commission the comings for for those remarks because you you told quite a bit and allows me to edit some of the things I was going to say this morning but I do want to begin by saying thank you well welcome first and thank you because a lot of the things that we've done at this institution recently and over our history has been due to Investments that this Community this county has made in this institution uh so thank you so much we have been here not 200 years or 136 of those years we've been here on the highest of Seven Hill and I'm really really proud of that I'm not surprised that uh the Mr par isn't here because you know he's still having a tough time getting over that whon that his Alama took in the celebration B he's probably going to show up a little later right limping a little bit but I wish y could have been in the box right uh he was in our box as I said before uh and that first quarter two you couldn't set him up right and uh you know in the second half I couldn't find it FR oh but anyway he'll probably let in here later on but thank you so much for picking FAMU to host this event and I'm proud that this is the first and hopefully it it won't be the the last I do want to really thank you too because a lot of the things you talked about in athletics in particular football would not have happened without your investment in this institution the uh blueprint in governmental agency that $10 million that you provided to really save uh brag Memorial Stadium contributed a lot to where we are today with regard to our football team not only winning the swag you know Championship here in Tallahasse in celebration Bowl but we now have the long longest home you know winning streak in college football of 20 consecutive games and so without your investment God knows that we've been playing football because that stadium was in a pretty bad shape so thank you so much for that uh first and foremost I also want to in addition to the Championships you mentioned you know we we we have to share the news with our other programs you know last year tennis team also women's ttim team won the swack Championship men's well the baseball team won the swack championship this fall out at the Leon County you know park or facility our women's cross country team won the swag Championship so we're full of Champions here at 4M University but the most important part of our existence as you alluded to some of those great Heroes like Dr Moy and Dr humph is the the wonderful array of world class academic programs and I thank you for allowing us you know to be that place where students from around the world really want to come and take advantage of that not only are we the top ranked public hpcu of the nation we are so proud that this past year that we uh as we call it we marched into the top 100 right and uh it's something we really really proud of but it's because of the great work and the emphasis that we we focus on Student Success right just another statistic you know a year ago we had a record number of students applied to florid University 140% greater than the year before this year we're about 3% ahead of that we had in that 16 well 20,000 plus uh applications students from every state and the nation who are coming uh who are interested in coming to your county to your city and and currently we have students enrolled from over 35 States and 70 countries so you know we we tell our students that you can see the world from right here on the campus of Flor University and if that's not enough uh you know you can see it more so through our study abroad program so I just want to thank you again uh for holding this meeting here uh this institution working closely with you has has been a very very part of this community on the southide of Tallahassee uh just a few years ago in partnership with you the state and the federal government and private sector you know we had one of the long longest standing most efficient covid-19 testing sites in the State of Florida if not in the nation with over with nearly 700,000 tests administered here on this campus something that we'll always be proud of at 4M University but our commitment to this community to go far beyond that as you all know we we have a $4.5 million Grant from ntia a Broadband initiative here on the south side to share some of the U the wealth if I can say that way it capacity here family with citizens over here uh we also um as you all probably read we have a Economic Development Grant where we're going to spread uh the cap capacity in terms of Entrepreneurship here in this County and other counties up here in the panand something we also very very proud of so we want to be a partner with you our doors are open our minds are open our hearts and souls are open to expanding upon uh the great relationship that we've had with Leon County so I just thank you all for coming uh and sharing with us this morning I do uh do want to point out one person I shouldn't call people out but I see Miss Monroe here in the audience I have to really give her a huge shout out because um you know she was very instrumental in the Liv and academic lives of my wife and my three daughters when they went to C the elementary she's gone on the greater things she actually came here one summer and and uh was a participant in our grammar Sciences summer high school program and I really want to thank her for what she done and so I give her credit for you know two master's degrees and one PhD you did a good job M thank you very much we certainly thank you Dr Robinson for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us this morning we appreciate your welcome and your overview of additional information that just demonstrates the greatness of this University I believe we all feel welcome we are among great administrator great leader uh great academian uh and so we just congratulate you and I think you already know that Leon County is a great partner with Florida A&M University and we will continue to support the efforts here at the University so thank you very much we recognize you got a busy schedule we know you have to tip out but let's give him a round of applause for being here with us thank you so much now as we know the County's 5year strategic plan is basically at the heart of everything that we have [Music] done yes yes okay and hold up one second I'll be right back you okay let me get one ch [Laughter] I'll take one here too please just hang tight yeah that's good thank you thank you thank you thank you okay let's get back to business and of course thank Dr Robinson and his staff again but back to the county business and as I was indicating we all know that our 5year strategic plan is at the heart of everything that we have done the last few years and it's it's at the the heart of what we plan to uh accomplish here today so at every commission meeting our agenda items show how all of the various actions that we take throughout the year advances our strategic priorities and our strategic initiatives so each year at this Retreat we allow it to serve as a time for each of us to review our progress and to maybe even update some of our strategic plans if we feel that you know it's warranted we feel that it's it's necessary so I look forward to today as a time where we're here with our colleagues all the Commissioners to build up on the hard work and developing and advancing our current 5year strategic plan uh that we have that we have really initiated in past Retreats and we want to make the most of this great agenda that staff and our County Administrator have put together for for us today so with that being said we certainly need everybody's participation uh and as we often do we need to just really work together as cooperatively as we as we can so that we can reach consistence if consensus if we can uh at this at this Retreat I also want us to be respective of each other um want us to recognize the ground rules and then most of all we we need to honor time limits as as well uh as far as the agenda is concern uh and I know this based on our commission meetings that each one of us will be curious expeditious and respectful uh to each other as we go throughout today what I'd like to do now just take a few minutes to um allow any of our fellow Commissioners the opportunity if you'd like to um to just give your thoughts uh on the out outset of of what you desire I hope that we will achieve at today's Retreat so I will start with my vice chair commissioner Welch thank you madam chair can you hear me all right yes excuse me well um thank you so much for the great introduction Madam chair and thank you to our staff for uh the excellent breakfast and and FAMU for the excellent uh venue and and I feel bad because all these good hardworking people are behind me and I can't see them but I always like to take the opportunity at this Retreat this is my fourth Retreat um we've been all over the county I was talking to Kyle my Aid on the way in about all the places we've been and I think it's totally fitting that we're here at FAMU now we've been at Fu we've been at Fan we've been at Park View we've been at uh the fairgrounds and so I think it's awesome we've been all over the county this is a great opportunity for us to get together spend a little time focus on each other's priorities but I always like to take this Retreat which is really like a kind of year in review retrospect as well as a look forward and thank all the people sitting behind me and around us who really make this organization shine excuse me so it's really to me uh this Retreat is an opportunity to again celebrate our staff who do such a great job I am continually just feel un like I don't fit in here with such high achieving people uh you know it's such a great organization it's well run from top to bottom and uh all of these things that we put on this paper as priorities for us are executed by them fulfilled by them and so uh just want to you know probably the first of a couple times I will thank our staff for all the great things they do we see all the boards around the room which is kind of like a a road map of all their successes and um and obviously I love listening to you guys and uh strategic priorities and things that are important to you and I really appreciate the collegiality that we have on this board and the professionalism and the really you know sort of focus on actually doing what's really good for our community and our constituents and the people we serve and so uh looking forward to robust and interesting discussions today uh Madam chair and and once again a privilege for me to to be your Vice chair and and you know I want to do everything I can to make you look great right but I mean you know good for you I don't have to do much you know you always look great all right thank you thank you thank you commissioner wi for those kind remarks commissioner cabain thank you madam chair um first I like to thank you for the the great introduction um thank you to Fu and Dr Robinson for the great Hospitality allowing us to post up and use their venue for the day um you know my thoughts going into this Retreat is I'm a checklist person and so you know for me when I'm when I'm getting stuff done whether it's something at the house something in the business or something County related I like to be able to check it off and KN that it's completed um so going through the first year of being commissioner it was really nice to see um staff prepare the retreat and seeing clearly these are the initiative that that we completed and close out these are the ones that are in progress these are the ones that we're in planning these are the ones that we're working on I think it's really important as an organization to see and to keep on on task the projects and initiatives that are important to our community so I'm really looking forward to this conversation um there a few things that I'm going to be pointing out later that are really important my district would love to have support I'm looking forward to seeing what's important to other people districts other parts of the community and offering my thank you uh thank you commissioner foran uh commissioner ma first things first want to say how proud I am to be a part of this board our staff is the heartbeat keeps us going makes it look good so I they deserve all the credit for all the things that we're going to hear about if been accomplished with within this this past year within our strategic plan Madam I want to thank you for being here today as I know you been through things so it means a lot that you and it's a it's a sign of your leadership that you show up today in spite of the sords that you may feel so uh it's tribute to just how hardworking you are how much uh you appreciate what you do for us and Leadership that you provide provide for us that you're here uh it this n of year in the books man none of year in the books um but this this this year I think special not only because the BX Centennial but I looked at the makeup this board and the personalities that are here and I think I see a bright future for on County I've been through a a good B of these and I've seen a lot of transition what I what I can say about the voters in county is that the people they seemen to put the seats uh Time After Time After Time have been folks who have have added value to this board so uh whether you've been here 12 years years 2 years 4 years or even if if if uh you are you're thinking about being here one day uh I have confidence that this board would do things that no other board has done in the county history so I look forward to conversation that thank you much thank you thank you um commissioner Maddox commissioner Kei thank you madam shair um first I want to thank Dr Robinson and FAMU for letting us take up space on this campus where they already do so much work staying busy winning championships and educating our future and shaping our future and I'm glad we picked this location is fitting because what we do here at our annual strategic Retreat is to think about our future and make decisions for our future and so I think it's very fitting and I think that the spirit of all the work done here on F's campus I hope will seep into some of the decisions we make um I want to thank our County Administrator and staff um I want to let everyone know the County Administrator gave us an a script that reminded us we must thank staff um he gives uh he gets he gets a lot of credit um that he deserves but um in all my meetings with him he is always giving credit to the people who make him look good and make us look good so I want to thank all of you for that all jokes aside um this year is my my second year um second Retreat and the uh you know not every or organization thinks through strategic goals and then follows through with them year after year and not only that when they meet their goals early they increase their goals um for the things that matter for people and so I just I really appreciate that it makes our job um much more straightforward to know that we have a team that does that for us um and that really deserves all the credit and allows us to stay out of the day-to-day or this week's news or that week news and really shape our future in a way that um sometimes goes unnoticed which is the way it should be we just do what's best for the community and people get to um enjoy that and just expect that from their local government I think we do a good job of that so thank you thank you commissioner ke commissioner M thank you madam chair I just want to thank FAMU and president Robin for hosting us as well um I can't tell you how proud am be part of Leon County uh and when I say that I'm talking about the board but especially I'm talking about our staff uh you know I've been elected since 2018 and every single year whether it's Public Works libraries CMR planning EMS D Some solid waste I know I'm missing a lot of departments but across the board what I hear from the public is how courteous how professional how responsive our County employees are and so I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for everything that you do um you were the face that that that the public seeks and um it's just it's amazing how consistent it is and how uniform it is in terms of the praise that the public gives each and every one of you all of our departments uh and that that it's a testament to every single one of you it's a testament to our County Administrator and his team uh and to the board here just want to really Ann emphasize that because it's true um and then lastly I I also wanted to kind of um really emphasize just how important the strategic planning process is and how not every local government does it uh but we do it and we've done it for years and I think 12 years and um we do a very good job of it and we we reassess I mean you've seen the cycle I mean we you know we take a look at where we are where we're going and figure out where we need to tweak to get there um and so I just wanted to recognize that as well because it's it's not a process that every government does and um I don't think anyone here is taking that for granted but I want to make sure that we don't thank you madam chair appreciate it thank you thank you uh commissioner Miner uh commissioner Proctor is your mic [Music] on thank you madam chair Madam chair what's to ask this morning with what your this is a greedy joural great thank you madam shair commissioner good morning um bump into uh president Robinson outside told him I didn't want to go that b we had to talk about and uh I really think he should put him as by uh their national championship and um you know some me have conference play standard football upstanding NCA style and um to win the national championship on a trick play and it was one of those uh uh like a um sweet right look like a sweet vence and then it was a toss back um and um and it was a throwback pass cross that's Sandlot football and to win the national championship on a trick play you know no one has run in history uh never seen in the be at conference uh ought to be pass um two um uh University which I love um went in first in 12th grade on this very campus parents uh both went here and um in a school of which I've been an instructor since 1986 uh was bu like home this is the room which uh my high school FR uh PR here is in this room so I have some familiarity with this and grateful too that the county has brought uh in real time presence of local government as so much of the U uh monetary um bases of our cers are theive in car from students or faculty and all that so to place in a time where last week the board of uh education um uh recommends to the board of Governors that we cease and assist funding the programs of State University that featured diversity uh equity and inclusion uh this is a timely placement for this meeting on a Monday morning I've invited both my constitutional walk classes to appear um around 10 and around 11 so if you see some f in there was my back is turn and fact that I can't see them um all the more reason why they want to say I was there this is the wonderful spot to be a thank you Commissioners and I certainly believe that um this is perhaps um the best board that I've served on Commissioners um you as peeters um since I have to say it I think this is just the best board ever and uh love serving you thank you very much uh thank you uh commissioner Proctor and I'd like to just thank all the Commissioners for your very timely comments I Echo most of your your sentiments we certainly appreciative to our County Administrator and his great staff uh for year after year just doing a great job for us and I certainly uh commend my County Commissioners for the way we conduct business uh the way we conial and respectful to each other and I hope this lays the the foundation for very great Retreat that we're going to have today now we're going to take two minutes because I want to reconfigure the room reconfigure the commissioner so the three with the back to the audience will move here and they will face the audience so as soon as we move those shares we will begin thank you e e for e e okay Commissioners we're going to to resume and at this point I'd like to just turn it over to our great great world renown here we go this County Administrator on planet Earth uh administrator uh Vincent long to take over thank thank you madam chair Commissioners welcome good morning uh to this annual Retreat I was going to um acknowledge the exec team that's here but gosh you've said so many nice things about him already even though Pamela Monroe got a special shout out which she she's special so she deserved that um but Commissioners as you all know this is the uh the time of year where we take just a quick break away from all of the uh the hurried and Urgent and competing issues that you you deal with that we so kind to place on your agenda uh so often and um and just kind of take a step back I think the Commissioners noted that uh in your opening remarks to take a step back on our larger uh strategic priorities uh and to evaluate how we're moving the needle and making progress and all that sort of thing let me just say too that um this opportunity is also one where it's a a little bit more of an informal setting which is always really nice as well in case you wondering um commissioner o'keef is is how you're supposed to addess to these things Commissioners let the the hoodie and that's that's just the way to do it now commissioner Miner not so much but but but what he does doesn't have the time so U but but if you noted um even in an informal setting our uh chairman uh she uh she kicked us off right at 9:00 so you know she doesn't fool around and that's and that's kind of on brand because when it comes to strategic planning we don't fool around around here either so uh with that although um I I should note that that our County attorney had one uh recommendation for me uh for next year's she she's looking at me it has something to do with mimosas I'll say that but we're working on it for for for next year I'm not lying but uh there you go um but with with that uh Commissioners again we appreciate it we're we're excited about the day we're excited to be here at FAMU um like I said again this this is an opportunity for us to take a step back evaluate our progress on executing uh the Strategic uh plan uh the process also ensures that we continue to be in the the very best position possible uh to adapt to New Opportunities and new challenges that we face and that simply is what today is all about and as you all know Commissioners our strategic planning process is just so key in our ability uh to continue to deliver results on a daily basis on all the day-to-day services that we provide again it helps us uh track and continue to move the the Needle and to push ourselves on the larger strategic priorities of the board and it helps us to continuously have an organization with the capacity of responding to things that we can't fully uh uh prepare for and that's what strategic planning is all about you could say a lot more about strategic planning and certainly I'm guilty of that but not today today is is the second year of our strategic plan so it's sort of an abbreviated version uh of things we don't take that real deep dive that we take every 5 years so so you'll note that uh as as we go through uh the initial uh overview uh in terms of the Strategic plan uh again ours Commissioners is not a strategic plan that sits on a shelf and collects dust as you all know it's a just the Strategic focus and alignment of all the resources that we bring to bear uh in executing our plan of course yields very tangible results you'll hear about that today when we check in on some of the projects a little later on um but I'd like to give you just a very quick overview of our leads process we call our leads process but it's it's how we Implement our strategic plan uh every day uh at Leon County um the the leads cycle on the screen will be very familiar uh to you Commissioners uh it reflects our continuous uh Focus uh and provides Clarity and continuity uh in all of our strategic processes and like I said it's an abbreviated version nothing sums things up like quite like a uh an infographic here um but again it guides it shows the alignment of all of our strategic processes everything from how we develop the county budget uh to how we evaluate each County employee every County employee uh to how we prepare every County Commission agenda item as you know we've we've got uh the statements in our agenda items and everyone on how this issue or project or initiative or activity aligns with our strategic plan I think commissioner O'Keefe uh said it not every organization does that but we do it because again it it continues to be such a key part of our success uh here at Lyon County uh in short Commissioners um you'll see how again how how our process is is implemented uh systematically and continuously and it starts at the top uh of that Circle there where where you see the word uh direct uh and again this is uh the time of year the board sets or resets that direction uh and again that that puts in place the alignment of and we've got a large organization who that does a lot of things and there's not a lot of organizations that that sort of uh are just like ours in that this year round alignment uh uh frankly uh sets the the process in place for countless efforts uh performed by hundreds of employees across dozens of Divisions literally engaging thousands of employee of of of citizens rather in in that process so that we can stay focused and again continue to deliver meaningful results in all the things that we do uh so of course again that's the sort of the the quickest and simplest way to to to uh illustrate that strategic alignment across all the things we do at the County uh Commissioners with that sort of brief overview uh let me turn now to to the agend agenda before you today uh and as you'll see um up on the screen uh we've divided the day into two parts uh we'll be starting off uh very exciting with with an update uh on the 2024 uh leyon count Tallahassee leyon County B Centennial as you'll recall uh last year just to again further illustrate how how so many things come back to our strategic plan and how we do things the board adopted a strategic initiative last year but the County lead the countywide or the CommunityWide efforts in in uh uh planning for uh and and implementing our our communities by Centennial events you may recall there was some discussion at that time who's going to do this What entity will do it and that sort of thing of course the board said uh that'll be us and and and we'll do that you're going to hear about all those efforts today really really exciting stuff um at this point the retreat Commissioners um uh you'll you'll be receiving a presentation on all of those um uh County Le planning efforts um that that have been ongoing for the past 13 months um and uh we'll talk about the latest programming all the events all the activities planned through 24 um we'll highlight some of the County events County Bicentennial themed programs and initiatives and of course all of the various engagement led by B Centennial committee to plan and promote the B Centennial across all segments of our community and so much more we'll wrap up going to the um second part of the day or or actually still in this section we'll we'll wrap up with a presentation of a uh the touchscreen kiosk showcasing 200 years of representation and progress by centenial uh kiosk again this commissioner you you will recall was another strategic initiative that was brought to this board um and brought to us and approved by this board last year in case you were wondering what that thing is in the belber commissioner caban shoulder that's that's shrouded behind you or you may be wondering what or who that is behind there but uh that is something we're really excited to unveil to you again you'll recall that strategic initiative approved by the board to have a kiosk uh in the courthouse a presentation in the courthouse which uh demonstrates all the achievements of the counties our historical overview our current and past uh County officials really excited about rolling that out to you today um then we'll move into our strategic Plan update Commissioners for 24 uh we'll start off with an overview of our seconde progress on our Five-Year Plan um uh it's that's an important uh section important segment of the day we'll provide an update on how we're continuing to advance again all of our strategic initiatives gold goals and five-year targets finally Commissioners will conclude with an opportunity for the board to amend uh or add strategic initiatives to the 24 for for uh update and of course Commissioners again we're looking forward to a great morning um with that Commissioners I'd like to welcome up Matt cell our director of community resil uh uh community relations and resilience along with Carrie post and Bell Johnson from the division of Tourism to get us started now you all may recall that Carrie post and I'll pick on Carrie and Katie Cole now when it came when it came time for Florida to celebrate our 500 anniversary a 500th year anniversary uh who did they tap to do that not coincidentally uh Carrie post uh in her previous life with the state her and Katie Cole were known as the the what you know because it was Viva Florida they were known as the Viva Divas now now commissioner par you're good at this can you give me something that rhymes with Bicentennial we we'll figure that out later but we'll have to we'll have to rename uh Carrie and and and Katie and Bill something Vice Centennial theme but with that uh Commissioners again and to get us started this morning I'll hand it off to Matt for per okay car post okay thank you so much thank that's right well thank you so much Mr County Administrator um it is my pleasure right now to introduce the wonderful Bicentennial coordinator B Johnson you're going to hear from her and then you're going to hear from Matt and you're going to hear from me but I want to turn it over to her right now to kick us off she's been doing a tremendous job um she's coming up in almost a year that she's been here next month um so we'll turn over to her and at that time staff too is going to be delivering some Bicentennial Swag Bags to everybody to enjoy so thank you so much and here's B Johnson good morning everyone how's everyone doing today [Music] okay well let's get started first of all I want to say thank you for thank you for taking the time out of your morning to join us during your strategic planning session I think it's so appropriate that this is is your strategic planning Retreat and we are on the heels of a strategic planning year with the bicentennial this last year has been filled with um opportunities to bring up ideas and recommendations for how we can have the best 2024 B Centennial year ever see if I can click this right we can get started so we stand on the edge of a new century and this year uh there we go perfect wonderful thank you so very much so we stand on the on the edge of a new century and I'd like to invite you to Journey with us uh for the next few minutes as we discuss what we've been doing for this last Almost year of planning where we are now and where we are planning to go for the next several months I guess the next 11 months there we go let me go back I want to go back okay our first slide here is from 1835 that was a long time ago Tallahassee was filled with a lot of beautiful Rolling Hills um but it looked a lot different than it does today um this is a more recent slide 2019 Tallahassee you can see that there is a lot more growth and development um the Rolling Hills are still there but we look a lot different today we're going to be going over a few items to help update you about the B sentennial uh the anniversary dates and celebrations will be discussed by Centennial steering committee I'll be talking to you a little bit about those individuals who have helped get us to where we are today and that will help us to get through this the rest of this year the six task forces and Bicentennial theme um the event highlights and ways to get involved Count's leading efforts by Centennial Phase 2 2024 is here update on Champions celebration and second round of Bicentennial Focus grants how many of you know that Tallahassee was established in 1824 March 4 raise by a show of hands okay those that didn't see it on the screen first how many of you knew that Tallahassee was established March 4th of 1824 okay not too many hands so this is really an exciting opportunity for us to be able to showcase our city as well as our County our County was was established December 29th of 1824 so we're going to be using this year to commemorate a lot of wonderful activities as well as celebrate the centennial celebration in 1924 had only a week of activities so this year is going to be a lot different we're planning to celebrate every day on the calendar we already have more than 100 events um and activities um the Centennial Celebration was in 1974 I don't know if there's anyone in the room that remembers that that particular anniversary um but um here we go first of all I'd like to uh make mention to our website our website is our foundational marketing tool which staff has spent countless hours and developing um this is where we're at a place where we can be able to show showcase what we're doing and what you can look forward to um if you go to Tallahassee leoncounty 2000.com on your phone or on your computer or desktop you'll be able to pull up informational pieces related to um the calendar we have a robust calendar and we're encouraging members of the community who have events to submit those count those events um through the calendar so that we can showcase them we we have a Tallahassee timeline we have historical content lots of Articles and blogs that talk about the founding uh how we got to where we are today our Bicentennial steering committee is made up of 15 amazing individuals who uh are in the community uh I I'll just run through the list quick quickly the Big Ben minority Chamber of Commerce uh president Antonio Jeff Jefferson Katrina tuggerson who's with the capitol city Chamber of Commerce Kathleen Spar Council of culture and arts Dr shant Friday stra the Florida ANM Florida ANM University uh Tiffany Baker Florida historic Capital Museum James Cole Florida State University Dana nolles greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Betsy couch night creative Community initiative Eric Clark Leon count schools Foundation Deontay Gavin and Courtney Thomas Office of the mayor Dr Aaron Myers Riley House Center and museum Candace gr Tallahassee Community College Elizabeth Emanuel Tallahassee downtown Improvement Authority and Bob holiday the Tallahassee Historical Society these individuals have been carrying the torch for us and they basically are the cream of the crop of talent as far as I'm concerned in this um area and so I'm really proud to have been able to work with them for this last year our Bicentennial committee strategic goals primarily are to provide leadership and structure um for this last for this two-year long initiative they've been working very hard uh to expand public private Partnerships for us uh they've been working to expand the Outreach and education uh and primarily to increase our communities visibility viability and [Music] visitation now our task forces we have six task forces in this community thank you six task forces and they're like the arms and legs that are uh basically charged to go out and get the word out that this is our 200th anniversary and they're also uh filled with expertise to be able to focus on different areas so that they can be able to be efficient in that manner now the history task force I'm really honored to say that our Bicentennial history task force is made up of some of the area's most emminent archaeologists uh historians research Scholars and community members they have an interest in having a conversation about what's very important which is our shared past their commitment to Civic engagement education and creative presentation of our heritage is commendable um through the exchange of insight ideas and storytelling their hard work will play a pivotal role I believe throughout this bicentennial year and help as we are working to foster a deeper understanding of our heritage and bring a greater sense of connection there are approximately 50 members on our history task force they hold monthly meetings at different locations uh different museums and historical locations throughout the community the history task force created a a bicentennial speakers Bureau to provide an invaluable resource for organizations seeking histo historical presenters so if you're a teacher or if you have an organization where you're an event manager and you're looking for someone to come in and speak to your group about Tallahassee Leon County's history or just the bicentennial in general this is the group you need to contact I actually had an opportunity um with Westminster Oaks they reached out to us they were looking for a bicentennial speaker so back in December we were able to speak to them about um this uh Monumental task that we have at hand volunteers from the task force donate their time and their expertise to serve as speakers for audiences ranging from fourth grade to college and also to adult also important to the mission of the his history task force is the speakers Symposium this is a platform developed by the Tallahassee historical society and it's been invited uh they have invited prominent historians to be a part of a conference of of on a territorial Tallahassee the simposium will serve as a hub for intellectual exchange allowing the community to engage into the discussions about important moments in history it will also act as a catalyst for deepening historical awareness and encouraging ongoing dialogue about our shared past recognizing the power of visual storytelling a series of public performance and reenactments have been put together to do just that they've been providing um a bicentennial backdrop through dramatic encounters through an organization known as the theater with a mission these events not only entertain but also educate offering residents the opportunity to witness historical events brought to life by transporting audiences back in time and also creating immersive experiences that resonate with individuals of all ages also of importance the Tallahasse geneological society and the rileigh and the John Riley Center and museum will present invisible Florida middle Florida's hidden Roots this is a documentary by the Emmy awardwinning producer and former Hollywood executive Valerie scoon uh this documentary sheds lights on plantations and the enslaved in North Florida as we celebrate the Tallahassee Leon County Bicentennial we acknowledge the great contributions of the history task force and preserving and promoting our shared history now let's talk about our next task force that's listed and that is the community outreach and inclusion task force they're made up of Representatives of our three ch Chambers of Commerce and they play a crucial role in enhancing the impact and inclusivity of the bicentennial and the business Community the this task force is working to actively engage all communities within Tallahassee Leon County with events and initiatives that resonate with veterans seniors the lgbtq community and different cultural backgrounds they work to ensure that the entire Community FS a sense of ownership and connection to the bicentennial the task force active receipts input from community members encouraging collaboration of events recently I was really um pleasantly surprised to be contacted by Governor Square Mall and I met with them I met with the general manager at Governor Square Mall and we were discussing ways of partnership so that we can be in a position where we can help to showcase the bicentennial uh in another in in in an expansive way a couple of events currently planned by by the community outreach and inclusion task force include the Trailblazer award which is a women's history uh event that's going to take place during the month of March this event with other local Chambers will recognize the success of women entrepreneurs also the capital city Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an event uh under the community outreach and inclusion task force and this will be the advantage conference this conference is being planned to involve a broad crosssection of the community and and an enriching experience for all our education task force uh education task force was designed to communicate and coordinate the local educational institutions one thing that they're doing that I think the schools really appreciate is that they're creating digital time capsules each school will have the opportunity to be able to Showcase their schools independently um through these opportunities for the sake of time uh I'm going to speed up a little bit but just U the Interfaith task force is the next one that we have uh we're really honored um that they have a few activities coming up this year that we're ready to Showcase yesterday was world religion day so I had an opportunity to serve on their program U with the Tallahasse bigh community and some other leaders in the community we do have the two-day Jubilee Music Festival coming up March 22nd and 23rd at the aderly amphitheater at Cascades Park um that's one that if you love gospel music you don't want to miss they're going to have uh internationally known entertainers like Yolanda Adams jaen Car Todd Delaney Pastor Mike and many others our state legislature and government task force recently had a huge undertaking they spearheaded the Tah Hy Leon County Bicentennial day at the capital event and it was hugely uh it was in in my opinion it was successfully it was very it was very well received it went very well we're very very pleased with um the opportunity to get Bicentennial resolutions passed by the Senate as well as the house um and we had a program on the capital steps that included locally elected as well as state elected public officials and in the afternoon we had uh festivities in the capital Courtyard our last task force is the marketing task force they've been working very hard I believe uh to help put issues put put things into place so that we can we can be able to make sure we have a great VI centennial celebration these are the best and the brightest Minds in town as far as I'm concerned um they're working to build awareness engagement um and and promotion of our events so um okay go ahead and jump in and we're going to go to our theme please yes yes yes yes ambitious from the beginning we are that's our theme if you see on the left side That's the Law cabin which is the first state capital building that little law cabin we've gone through a series of cabins over the years ambitious is who we are our ambition to innovate our ambition to commemorate our ambition to illuminate our ambition to activate our ambition to educate our ambition to elevate our ambition to create our ambition to celebrate our ambition to appreciate Bicentennial is more than an anniversary it's an opportunity to tell our stories and share and declare our ambitions okay okay okay thank you Bill as you can see here and as B spoke of earlier we have um right now and more events are added every day um about a 100 right now on the website there are more planned all the time the different examples you can see exhibits and speakers and and parades and interface Services legislative events performances concerts um and that doesn't include there's a both the tourism EV grants and Coca grants all of those projects include Bicentennial elements as well so you're going to be seeing a lot with the bicentennial over the course of the next year uh ways to get involved of course use the bicentennial logo and the hashtag uh for social engagement um we're encouraging businesses neighborhood churches Etc to find ways that they can adopt um the vi intenal into what they're doing um of course everything can be found on the website talahasse Leon County 200 and now I'm going to turn it over to Matt and talk a little bit about the county efforts all right Commissioners I I feel like feel like I'm been waiting 200 years to just share what the County's been doing from the leading efforts so here we're waiting for 13 months to roll out just some of the highlights that you see on the screen right now we're going to jump into a few of them but again just scratching the surface you're going to hear a lot more and there's 11 more months in the year by which we are going to be continuing to engage our partners continue to put the bicentennial in front of folks and continuing to give people the opportunity to get engaged but hey let's hit a few bullets right now we are going to be we'll take a dive on it some bold new welcome signs at State maintained roadway entrances to the county you're going to get a chance to see those in just a second they are great then Bicentennial banners not not one Banner not one big banner on the side of the courthouse two we put eight of these banners out in the community we're going to put them at all of our County Libraries we're going to put it on the side of the courthouse you're going to see special edition library cards which we'll get to in just one second and Pamela's got a Woll oh she's ready but she's not she's too ready right now so just hold on a second hold on a second for the for the BenTen library cards we're going to get to that um they you are going to be the first to re see those special edition Bicentennial library cards they are top-notch created equal car magnets I I kid you not that is an actual little car door over there Dr Robinson said we we couldn't take in the whole car so we just ripped the door off and Drug it in and put it on a tripod so we're going to be putting magnets on All County vehicles to begin to uh really cement throughout the year the importance of the bicentennial and opportunities to stay engaged Library series the bicentennial calendars which you guys have in your bags which youve received earlier in December we even have a cookbook for generational recipes to document for years to come and so much more look welcome signs uh here is the existing welcome sign which invites you down appalache Parkway into the community we are saying that this is an opportunity based on regularly scheduled maintenance of the signs to lean on in and do so much more we're going to be having bold signs that have the opportunity not only to feature the bicentennial on that bottom portion for the sign but in addition we can feature 2026 World cross country championships we can feature Awards we can feature any messaging that goes into the future that we want visitors for our destination and residents to be able to see these welcome signs are a big literal size deal and they are actually genuinely a big deal is this is the opportunity to invite many folks into our community using this system instruction the next one is The Bu Centennial banners now this looks familiar this is the front of the courthouse banners on it doesn't really do it justice for the size so I broke out a calculator and maybe like a t- square and figured out that's two school buses worth a square foot of banner that we're going to have facing Monroe a main thorough fair for folks driving through but like I said we're not done we're just getting started we're going to put banners similar not as big don't worry uh at all of the county libraries in all of the geographical areas throughout the community to reinforce the bis inen Pam this is it now now uh if panel is so nice to be able to pass out to you for the first time a special edition of Bicentennial library cards you can see them on the screen but soon you can see them right in front of you thank you pamel now these special edition Bicentennial cards because we take your uh you know checkout history seriously they're not active right now but you could drop by any County library and activate them use that as your library card going forward as you'd expect there's no charge for folks that have an existing County card and want to use a special edition B anonia library card we're going be telling folks in newsletters and in news releases that they can come on out and swap to these cards but they're genuinely a big deal uh so we are also Al working with County Schools to have an opportunity to make sure that kids have the opportunity to get the bicentennial card and get access to digital resources uh at the library through their schools um C next coming up later in the year in May we're going to be doing the 2024 created equal event that created equal event reflects upon 200 years of black and brown history in Leon County and this is the Ninth Annual opportunity to bring hundreds of folks together at the Moon to have challenging conversations on Racial equality and equity and these are important conversations and this bicentennial year gives us that opportunity to reflect on that history and to use it as a launching off point for these conversations also you there more we're going to have a mobile application that our wonderful folks internally have designed along with the history steering committee it is a mobile map of tour guide um on your phone that will take you from location to location of historical relevance over the bicentennial years this is a product called Bicentennial 200 uh history in your hands it's a great opportunity to get out there and get engaged with certain locations now lightning round I ain't done yet I'm close I ain't there uh so we're just wrapping up our adopt tree program to give out more than 200 trees for the sake of the matching of the 200 years we are wrapping that up at the end of the month in addition we're going to have to Bueno cookbook which you'll find over here it has again General ational recipes from our community we're going to be doing find your roots Workshop because genealogy and reflection for the bicentennial is critical and important the springtime Tallahassee parade which will be upcoming in April will be themed the blooming Legacy it'll have a whole bunch of extra features for the Leon County Bicentennial and then again not last but only just ending here because you guys have an agenda uh Bicentennial bookmarks at all the library locations as well so with all of these play-by-play opportunities it's just the way that the Cy is getting involved to again set that bar very very high for our partners to continue to meet and exceed over the next 13 11 months in the past 13 months worth of work so this really is a culmination of an incredible amount of work from the community and staff in the county taking the leading effort in the bisen yes sir and Matt yeah just to jump in real quick too just to because our name sometimes because it's Leon County can be a little confusing with the these events that Matt just highlighted and I think they're going to go into it I know they're in your materials uh are just the Leon County sponsored by Centennial themed events in addition to the 100 plus events that b talked about that are happening at the community level but I just wanted to note that um in case you are wondering we are in all the things that Matt talked about with the signage and the banners and everything else we were waiting for today to present to you and we're literally ready to flip the switch so after today is when you'll see the P happening in the community thank you sir yep correct I'm now going to pass it over to Carrie to continue on talk a little bit about that what vinca just mentioned community events and other efforts going forward so car thanks Matt ah but wait there's more on top of all that I mean truly I want to thank all all my County colleagues that have really just stepped up and created some really cool stuff and again this is all you know interconnected with the steering committee and everything but really want I give a big shout out to everybody um in the county for their support and the visibility because said we're just getting started so thank you Matt but where we are now is kind of Bicentennial Phase 2 the 2023 was really the planning year you know we've been talking about it meetings meetings every month all this and so now here we are we move into phase two the implementation and in addition to everything you just heard from Matt and B that we are now um to talk I'm talking a little bit about the marketing so here we we are it is finally the B Centennial year 2024 so our dedicated out ofm Market advertising has begun in key Peter Market such as Tampa and Lauderdale all of our digital ads across targeted media Outlets throughout the southeast are now just now starting we will have full page ads in Florida Trend Flamingo magazine Billboards along I 10 are going up now they're going up around town and there are radio ads promoting the events you heard Bel on some like the Jubilee Festival but a lot of them again we're we're highlighting on the radio so um again very very exciting now to start kicking in the marketing and hot off the presses you have your 2024 commemorative Vice Centennial Visitor Guide um so we're really excited about this with a fascinating gatefold timeline um but this is we're really excited I'm so proud of the marketing team um it's got the timeline fun facts many many stories we will distribute more than 70,000 of these visitor guides this year I'll be online orders and distributing right now this week to all area hotels the local visitor our two local visitor centers all five visit Florida Welcome centers so we're just getting started we've got public Rel relations efforts all year targeting basically spring summer and fall to bring in travel Riders and journalists focused on history and Heritage so we can generate some coverage for Tallahassee and leyon County there'll be two free free museums day um in May during National tourism week and September for national museum month so again we want residents and visitors to get out and explore our great assets I'm really excited about this one actually uh commissioner Proctor is the one that kind of planted this seed for us was uh which we always do in the summer heavy reunions and Weddings But we have developed an are about ready to launch a bicentennial family reunions campaign that is offering discounted hotel rates and special perks um such as a bicentennial t-shirt to encourage families to host their family reunion in Tallahassee this year so we'll be we've got paid advertising behind it and extensive PR and Outreach to local churches and community members and groups again for to invite everybody to have their family reunions here we're also doing a number of tours on our visit tell mobile app highlighting the bicentennial this will be throughout the year we're working with oev um to launch a local business Bicentennial window cling campaign so again you're going to start to see more businesses getting involved there's just so much happening and and we're really just getting started and you know it's funny i' I've been reflecting and Vince thank you for highight hearkening me back to my Viva Diva days um and uh but I want to share it's been an interesting journey in my career because I've been directly involved in four um truly um major Milestone anniversaries in the State of Florida so it wasn't just the Viva Florida 5 hour that was obviously from the state of Florida perspective but I've been involved in Pensacola's anniversary St Augustine's anniversary and now Tallahassee and Leon County so I don't know what it is about my life I was sharing this with commissioner Welsh last week at the the marketing event but it's like I'm destined to work on anniversary events I don't know what it is um but it's definitely a recurring theme in my career but I think it's really cool and I'm honored very honored to be leading Tallahassee and Leon counties with my incredible team Bell and all the staff at at you know Leon County tourism and it makes me especially proud as a a second generation native Florian but I just when I reflect on I was like how do I get four of them you know I guess that's you know God puts you where you're supposed to be right I guess and and uh but anyway I'm so thrilled to see the organic growth um throughout the community as they're really starting to embrace a bicentennial um and now that we're here and this is really what I've seen in these other areas when you know it's really starting to get Traction in the community because there's so many organizations and businesses and groups implementing their own Bicentennial programs and that's what we want we want organic engagement with all sectors of the community so let me share a few examples ology everybody knows ology right they great stuff they have created a bicentennial cocktail featuring their Royal lavender Jin which will be featured at all of their Aly locations this year and at other restaurants at Charlie Park rays and others I do know proof just announced the bicentennial beer and we know that other rues in town are also planning to make bicentennial ambs year and this is terrific um Koka just launched a bicentennial newsletter called artistic Ambitions um TSO had an incredible performance this week and I don't know if anybody caught it um they sent out actually discount to all the county place which I thought was great it was a visual kerto that featured over a thousand images submitted from the local community from us we partnered with them again and it was all put to powerful music and TSO has more Bicentennial program s planned this year um we're going to have a special edition Tallahassee Magazine on in the September issue will be all themed of Vice in tennial and we there will also be several lasting Legacy projects you're going to see come online as we go throughout the year um some of youall probably read about the bicentennial sculpture in Cascades Park that's coming online there's a Florida's first capital projects there's several Bicentennial murals plan and Gardens so these will leave a lasting Bicentennial Legacy in our community so and lastly just to ensure continuity um as we go throughout the bicentennial year the bicentennial steering committee and task forces will continue to meet throughout the year and more projects and more events will absolutely be developed so we're getting started just getting started thank you all for your leadership and support to get us to this point it's truly an exciting year ahead and the best is yet to come I can't believe it's here you have you know you work you know it's like Tada here we are um I do also um want to share an update on the champion celebration um as you know that was um discussed at the December 12th meeting as you know we all had an in crazy crazy amazing football season for both teams this year I can't recall when both teams won their respective conference championships and FSU Women's Soccer Team won their Championship again so the whole town was buzzing with excitement we all know that it was just so exciting and so you had directed staff to create a plan to have a a CommunityWide Champion celebration event to explore that and then as we know some circumstances changed and it's was a that the understatement of the year to say it's been a very rough time in December um but the desire of course to still honor and commemorate the huge successes um and accomplishments of both teams remained so we began reaching out to um both of the universities to see if the county could support any of the the celebrations that may they were planning but they were not planning any celebrations at that time and other organizations however such as the FAMU Alumni Association and the MLK parade hosted celebrations in the community so we continue to pitch the idea of you know having the universities you know to host a countywide championship downtown working with CMR and others we crafted a we thought was a cool idea and so we started pitching it to the university similar to Like a downtown getdown but the last there's been no expressed interest to date on that so in conversations with both universities we have certainly expressed in my team the County's interest to support any Champions celebration that may be incorporated in their spring games I know a couple of them are thinking of ways to to do that but again it's still too soon but I've expressed the County's interest um to support any champ celebration that may be incorporated in the spring games this year and lastly of course um I know everyone would be excited and proud to you know for the uh board to issue a proclamation at a future board meeting um as I know it be well received by you know both FAMU and FSU for the ABS or the coaches or the teams or Etc so that's where we are with the champion celebration it was talk about a Bittersweet season um um but that's where we are um and lastly I wanted to um share a little more on um the second round of grants in support of the bicentennial um the division of Tourism has been issuing grants for 14 years because events are great motivators for travel think about yourself when you travel events are great uh great motivators to get you there so this year um the board approved about $315,000 uh um to be allocated between the grant Cate ories at tourism offers such as Sports and special events and at the conclusion of the cycle in September we awarded um funding was awarded to more than 60 organizations in support of nearly 80 events however there was about $7,000 remaining in Grant funds that was unallocated $69,700 to be exact so we are proposing a second cycle of grant funding to allow us to extend our Outreach and it further penetration across the community to support new Bicentennial events that would appeal to visitors and residents alike the second cycle would follow the established process that we have of all the grant review and evaluation to ensure the event projects are permissible under statute to use tdt and it's a competitive grant program so again the more you know the robust or more room nights your program generates the more funding you receive and this is all evaluated by the TDC Grant review commit so with that we are hoping that um again youall will consider that this second cycle because when we launched the our grant cycle last year in June we also do it in June the awareness for the bicentennial was just getting started now there's a whole lot more and this second Grant cycle will allow added opportunities for new organizations to request event funding or existing organizations to add new events so again thank you for your consideration um on allowing that second round of of Grants specifically for the bicentennial events so that concludes my remarks and I will turn it um back over to County Administrator thank you gri and and uh V and the team uh Commissioners you you get the picture here I know I don't have to put too much more emphasis on this but to to it's really almost difficult to explain the sheer magnitude of of what these folks have done again Carrie and Bell and the team imagine you know what it takes to to coordinate one major event literally 100 events throughout uh the year really something to say but with that uh Madam chair I'm going to hand it off to you there there are a Rec there's recommendation up on the screen before you and I'll hand it off to the chair to facilitate any questions comments and uh aboard uh consideration of the staff recommendation before you madam chair okay thank you thank you Mr County RoR uh Commissioners uh we have the two staff recommendations uh on the board options one and options two can I commissioner Welch uh thank oh can you hear me thank you madam chair I just want to say real quickly thank you so much everybody who gave that presentation car on list is my 20th anniversary uh with my wife was in November if I have known you were so great at this i' called you up and help me plan that out uh I told her we're going to do 20 different events around town but we we couldn't quite get there um I I would make staff recation for options wanted to and thank you guys so much for the robust uh presentation and all the efforts are going into this I'm super excited about it and feel super lucky to get to participate in it and sit on this board at this very important time so thank you thank you commissioner was is there a second thank you commissioner Miner are there any do you want to comment commission M thank you madam chair I appreciate it yeah second the motion for sure uh looking forward to the additional $70,000 and grants were 69,000 quick question um I know I mean I know the purpose of this is is a Year's worth of celebrations and I would really want to thank Harry and bell and and all the Committees for working on this this is really incredible one thing that came to mind though if you look at the the day actual dates March 4th for the city and December 29th for the county I don't see anything on the calendar for those days and just um we've got enough I think we've got I mean an incredible amount of events that are planned I'm looking forward to this year year but question for for Carrie and Bell any um any events that are forthcoming on those particular dates because those are the official dates of the creation of the city and the county yes excuse me excuse me yes please um thank you commissioner um yes there are um they're not on there yet because there a lot of details are still being finalized so yes there are ones for March there are several um as well as we are in communication with CMR on the December event and as I shed earlier more events are going to roll out as you might expect um they're kind of front loaded to the spring and as we move throughout the year they will absolutely more there will be more events in the fall and specifically on the date you pointed out that that sounds great car thanks very much and I I think this grant this additional 69,000 maybe help with that perhaps so looking forward to that Madam chair thank you very much thank you commission M are there any other comments yes commission oi thank you madam chair um and thank you for all this great work uh real quick when will the new deadline be for these applications we are hoping uh tomorrow after right after the commission meeting uh to flip the switch to then open the grant cycle and then it will go be open until March I believe we want to get these on the street ASAP where the goal is to have them all do the evaluations and the review by March 15 so we're ready that this would be funding events March 15th through September 30th excellent thank you thank you commissioner the commissioner M chair um Commissioners as we're uh going through and reflecting back over the 200 years I am have a certain kind of ANS uh and I appreciate all the um staff car and Val Matt the team um have put forward um the backward glance of sorts that we will do throughout the year but um I'm asking our board for an apology for slavery from County government um as I looked and was reading moments ago um house resolution 194 uh which occurred in one 10th Congress 207 208 um all the words the right words that they coming from Congress uh apologizing for American slavery as well as segregation which was all as you know legal uh here in the State of Florida um the legislature did make a form apology uh for its role uh endorsement tolerance of slavery uh in the 200th year uh which from 1824 to [Music] 1865 um doing public math um think that's um our government U um um is the government people for the People by the people not all of the people have been free during this T I was impressed by uh the words that uh have been affixed to First Presbyterian Church um here in Tallahassee and I like just to share and I think this is the spirit of um U I think the uh us congress's apology is long blous uh the State of Florida is less so um have copies of it in my office um but the one the little plaque here by uh Presbyterian Church is titled the sin of racism acknowledging repenting and repairing and Commissioners I think that um because my own family uh end do in this County slavery um it's personal for me and for many this church First Presbyterian has its plaque we regret that our church embrac racism from its founding into the mid 20th century enslaved people owned by our earliest members help build the sanctuary in which we now worship and after the Civil War until the 1950s we turned away persons of color but our holy scriptures remind us of God's love for all humankind calling us to love one another we confess that we have fallen short we seek forgiveness for ourselves our church and its ancestors we commit ourselves to reparing racism reach that God's Beloved Community might take form in and around us may God guide us on our way and um those were First Presbyterian Church um capture uh I think have a lot of dignity in those kind of words but uh I'm just not feeling good about going forward uh with all of these wonderful activities and as a government we did not officially um apologize that that part when US government has then the Florida legislature has with here um between Pensacola and Jacksonville Le County was chosen as a site of meeting because it was a central point that had centrality uh Geographic but more important within its uh Geographic centrality was an ideological centrality and The Meeting of Minds that agreed on slavery uh that supersedes g geography portion uh they were combined in their thoughts feelings and commitments slaver so Commissioners are asking as we lift up our Bicentennial that we follow the Journey of First Presbyterian Church in the State of Florida theology thank you uh Commission proor yes if it helps to facilitate with commissioner Proctor um just said um as you know Commissioners we will ratify tomorrow night your actions taken here um but and there'll be lots of proclamations and that sort of thing done but I I heard the commissioner proor said and should the board again just in terms of facilitation wish to give us the direction to prepare a resolution uh to really again for the record in this year um to reflect the sentiments expressed by commissioner Pro that would probably be the the way to do that so I just want to throw that out in case you do that we we could make it official as soon as tomorrow thank you thank you Mr County uh administrator commissioner M thank you madam chair um commissioner Proctor thank you for for making that motion I will second that uh I think there's a lot to celebrate the 200 years in this community but there's also a need to recognize the failings um of our history too and I think uh I I I'm familiar with the First Presbyterian apology in the plaque I think the spirit of of the wording on that plaque are very much what I think we're all looking for right um so I would proudly second the motion and I think I think it's necessary thank you mam chair okay hold on one second thank you commissioner M okay in light of what the County Administrator indicated as far as that motion I think he the best the most proper place to do it would be at our meeting tomorrow night I don't think I know commissioner P raised it I'm certainly in favor of it but I don't think he made a motion we do have a motion on the floor but are we okay a commission proor with racing it tomorrow during commission time what I heard the county says that he will prepare the formal document for our adoption is that what he said a motion I believe go ahead just given that there there's a recommendation before you now if um the board wish to wish to provide us direction to prepare an agenda item because our policy related to resolutions require an agenda item to include that as part of this recommendation and then we bring that back to you uh at an upcoming meeting just as soon as we could I you thank you so much commissioner Welch and did I sorry um Madam chair Mr proor I agree with you 100% And I think that as sort of the dean here in the icon if you will of of the Leon County Commission and with your um the gravitas that you carry why don't we I made the motion on the table and commissioner Miner seconded it why don't I withdraw that motion let you make the motion on the staff recommendation and then amend it to ask for a resolution or Proclamation that can come back tomorrow night that we can vote on as a function of the ratification of these staff recommendations celebrating and I think commissioner Miner put it really well obviously as a history teacher I I I appreciate that we are celebrating 200 years we're also we need to reconcile and repair to the extent that we can acknowledge some of the some of the bad things that have happened in that 200 years too and and certainly representing uh District 4 you know and I think that um just on this topic while I've got the microphone Madam chair if you don't mind I think that that the document in the mentioned the middle Florida uh documentary I sent you guys all a link to that about a year ago I saw that it's profound and it's a documentary from you know created by staff here at fam and at FSU and and the the black archives and it really if you have not seen it highly recommend you see it it really captures uh the history of this region of essentially the Panhandle in Florida and the and the history of slavery and the the atrocities that were committed and things like that and uh and Leon County was kind of a hub of that unfortunately so commissioner Parker I'm going to withdraw my motion let you uh if that's okay with you commissioner Miner and let you make the motion and amend it to include a resolution in essence I actually um I appreciate the from this spans ship with that but um I'm this is not to stunt or and I I think that uh um for those if cares will break weight and gravitas that is your emotion uh it's almost an expectation that that district one commissioner might make this particular Motion in the 200th year but it um really has a lot more Swagger if it remain it's your motion and um it's not my own there's no need for a name to be just a need for our collectively um Embrace uh uh reconciliation uh Commissioners why don't we do this why don't we uh vote on the motion is on the floor that's to accept options one and two okay um and I know commissioner okay if you you want to speak but let's carry that motion first you a procedural questioned commissioner mad yes not not procedural question Mr administrator you said that if I speaking to your M please if the motion passes as is then what will happen is U the ratification of this item will come back but then we have an agenda item on the next on the next um on tomorrow's agenda that would that would approve the resolution that was that thank you for giving me the ability to clarify that yeah what given that uh your policy related to resolutions requires an agenda item all I was trying to to suggest was that if you includeed here at the Direction first have to bring back an agenda item then you wouldn't have to do it tomorrow night and we'll ratify that on tomorrow's agenda then we'll bring back an agenda right so procedural again Madam attorney if because I'm not interested I I think we're all we're all in in consensus here about what we want to do I'm not necessar interested in seeing this be a two-step thing I'm actually interested in seeing it be a one step thing so if we wave the policy specific to this have a resolution had to be an agenda item could we just go ahead and approve the resolution as a part of options one and two amended to approve resolution and then the resolution itself be done with and everything tomorrow so so we could just go ahead and move forward not have not have to have a separate agenda item tomorrow specifically on this yes can you hear me okay no it says it's on there we go thank you uh yes you can go ahead and wave the policy to require the agenda item uh and provide board Direction to bring back the resolution for the meeting tomorrow you can do that as part of this recommendation or you could do it as a separate so M Madam chair what I would like to do um I know we have a motion on the floor but again I'm not interested in this being twostep I rather be a one step thing um is that we would weigh the policy specific to to this item in the resolution and made make a motion that items one we approve item staff recommendations item one and two and ask staff to also include a resolution to the effect of what commissioner part has asked for so for that to be done I think we would have to first resend the motion wave the policy and then you can make the motion again commissioner if you like uh to include that resolution in one and two mam chair can we do that well thank you um commissioner Maddox going back what I would like to do is get approval for options one and two okay and then allow okay commissioner Proctor if he' like to make his recommendation in a formal motion to wave the policy and then specifically because I feel like he wanted to be the author of the motion uh and ask that we wave the rules as far as Proclamation is concerned I think we'll get a second I think it will be unanimous and that way we can get the proclamation without it being in brought back as an agenda item at our meeting oh I'm sorry I didn't understand so the mo floor is just options one and two is what's on the floor right now and i' like to get that particular motion passed I don't want to water it I think we all agree okay commiss thank you madam chair um and thank you commissioner Proctor um I think this is absolutely imperative I appreciate you bringing it up and I'm glad to hear that looks like we're going in the right direction um and I would just make a pitch um for for when the language is created in whatever procedural way it is is one thing for me personally I think that an apology and acknowledgement usually involves some specificity and one thing that I noticed in the First Presbyterian is um they took a some time to look into how they their organization specifically impacted this I don't want to take as many years as they did did I want to do this in one step as well but I would just um Pitch that for whoever is going to uh propose this that we do it in a way that perhaps we can still do it quickly but specify that we have some uh some detail of acknowledging what role the county did or didn't play um so that we have a true sincere apy thank you thank you commission commissioner K thank you madam chair I'm just pointing out um proced I think Mion Welch withdrew his motion so would he have to would he have to make the motion again in second it I'm not sure if he withdrew it he said he could withdraw his motion but the motion is still on the floor and we have a second okay thank you commissioner thank okay all those in favor the motion on the floor wish is approval of the options one and two U Let It Be know my saying on and I vote out is there any opposition hearing none uh I want to just go back and think uh B uh Carrie Matt and all of those who were involved in that great presentation and if you look in your material we it's just outlined date after date month after month of what we are doing uh to celebrate the Bion T I hope that most of us will participate be all of the activities that you guys are doing a great job thank you all so much for the presentation of what all the planning that has gone into our bending this year okay having said that I want to get back now to uh commissioner appro would you like to make a motion commission thank you m Madam chair um Commissioners I would make the motion that we waave the rules ordinarily far as forend item to come back while they consistent with the thought Mion madx um I would um confidently raise the rules to take up expression immediately for u a apology isal apology County's government uh in our BenTen year to extend apology uh for the RO uh acts ways in which we were tolerant of if not um actually participant to so many uh transactions courhouse steps invol CH motion second thank you Commission is there a second commissioner uh M are there any comments hearing none and I just yes go ahead I think that what this does empowers of carry their staff in year because us T come what she uh many communities have you can't ignore that big elephant in the room uh has been apology for what uh we all know to be Florida's most populous County of slaves there's no County in Florida that have more slaves County but has there been any reconation uh of those matters I think that those words whatever CRA they become historic they really do and they become a u uh I W say immunization attack but certainly B's Good Will um for our community to go forward Under the Umbrella of poliy I think thank you uh commissioner proa and I will just say I think about his comment I just want to thank commissioner proa uh for for raising that uh I think it's very fitting it's very very appropriate that here at our uh Centennial where we're celebrating 200 years of Leon County and CH passing that it be done at this particular time one of the things that the mayor and and I have done we we started jointly attending activities chronicl uh the history 200 history of Leon County and T hat and we both agree and we say it verbally that everybody's history every Frou ra pet col that has contributed or has lived in Leon County C is important it's import is significant good bad or ugly it's important we we need to face the reality and move on and then I'd also like to commend uh this commission this body because I think it shows how far we in fact have come um as a people as a group because uh I think everybody sitting on here has expressed the opinion that this needs to be done so that we we can move forward we're Forward Thinking I appreciate the continuity that this body establishes and I right now I think we have a consensus on this motion but I'd like to carry it so it will be on record so all those in favor of the motion be say any opposition I vote I as well thank you you thank you so much commission Mr count ministr than oh the way okay thank you I will entertain the motion Madam chair I like to offer that County adop previous discussion being way to consider uh adopt a formal uh resolution of poliy for a slavery to occur uh privately and um same uh recognized has accepted uh by public bodies that we off that apology in the right wording is there a second commission o any discussion hearing none all those in favor let it be known by saying I any opposition and I V thank you so much back to you Mr thank M Madam Sher count administrator um Commissioners I wanted to uh make you aware of students of here at Florida University join come in um to to this uh Retreat want to ask all fam students to please stand if you would just wave your hands in there wave your hands like you just don't care the these right here is just some of the smartest greatest students I mean f i me ripped and uh they so bright that they they forc me to have to put on my high waiter boots and uh just the wait in events you when you know when your students are smarter than the structor is it's a problem but um I thank God that I you know you have to fake it you have to fake it sometimes that you know what you're talking about we're great students and we appreciate you being here uh this morning we're going to see you on Wednesday class will be Wednesday thank you thank you commissioner Proctor and we did early on thank you for inviting the students out today uh so we certainly appreciate that and and we welcome all the students to to um to come in today doing this Retreat and see your local government at work in many respect so thank you all for being here we recognize that you all probably have other classes as well so if you chip out at some point later on we understand but thank you for taking time out of your school schedule to be here with us today and we'll make sure that commissioner P gives each one of you and a for being here for your effort your effort for being here we need you to take a rooll somebody's a roll mam secretary a rooll appreciate thank you m thank you madam chair and commissioner just on your previous motion just to be clear um we will no need obviously now for the agenda item and given the direction of the board to include specificity in in that resolution we would have otherwise uh turned it around for tomorrow night uh and just had very strong language that reflects everything you all spoke about but with respect that level specific name respect to the county we'll have it on for your first your next your first meeting in February if that works for you all um with that um Commissioners uh in keeping with our historical theme we've got one quick presentation but an important one uh for Matt and his team on the kiosk that I mentioned earlier and then we'll take a quick break uh but after this quick presentation but an important presentation Mattel all right but yeah I'm saking up behind you again um so we are going to show you a project that we hear these types of terms of unprecedented first of its kind all those other things uh and then people say they mean it well really do mean this one there is no single collection of L County government organization organizational history and community history in one package um we had a team of folks Community partner staff pull together what's essentially going to be a preview for you of the kiosk the Kos that the rollout plans for this interactive touch screen will be as the administrator had mentioned at the first floor in the county courthouse and then in addition it'll be traveling around another one just like at twins be traveling around the county libraries throughout the year with the same information on so this again serves as a preview that we're going to put into the field in just the next few weeks it is almost ready for full time but wanted prime time we wanted to make sure that you had it first so uh to reveal it we're actually going to turn it around it's going to walk us through drum roll please yeah please now in this one drum roll if you would be so kind uh and then hopefully don't R anything off and this touch screen um is well one large um and then two it leads the user through Leon County's history by decades so all you have to do and again we're going to be taking a well time break for you to do a little touch interact yourself touch it at any point for the screen in which to interact um and then then we pull up the landing screen uh and it gives you the Run of County History Broken Out by decade and this is categorized into key infrastructure projects significant achievements Community initiatives when we launch created equal when we widen Capital Circle when we built it out that Thomasville Road all of these elements are available for someone to look at so let's just take a a very very brief dive again I know you'll have an opportunity to dig around yourself we look at the 2020s it gives folks the opportunity to look at Major infrastructure projects of creation of chairs ball fields from Ada parks to the hosting of the 2021 NCAA cross country championships all big bright interesting colors and screens and people could be able to scroll scroll all the way through and then of course we wouldn't take any opportunity to talk about County History we didn't lean into the awards and recognition portion um so that's just the 2020s I'm a 1980s baby so let me let me take it to the let me take it to the 1980s uh the administrator had said I I have the opportunity if the Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl as a Detroit baby that we're going to put it on here now I'm the one who controls whether we edit the website or not so I'm just saying I'll sneak it on somewhere we've got nothing to worry about so bring it back front page let's go to the 80s real quick and uh in the 1980s we had the opportunity to explore major infrastructure projects such as when we built new libraries when we initiated the safe program to stabilize roadways like dirt roads um when we built any number of things from Detention Facility to even the idea of 1984 tourist taking photos at the uh Bradley Country Store uh it goes all the way again to the bottom Key Community initiatives and all that other good stuff so each decade has that Division and element and structure to it and then in addition we explore the officials as the County Administrator had said I'm just going to use one example and then again we'll get a chance to take a break going to go over to the county commissioner section here uh where we have current elected officials some of these look familiar and then beneath that we have a searchable database for all information we were able to acquire for 148 P County Commission in addition to other officials administrators and attorneys from the past let me just take one quick dive here if you would be so kind to dive into the chair you see the picture is almost life-size uh and then we uh scroll through this portion again the information here is compiled from the websites that you maintain for your own biography and other things like that again as a living document we have the opportunities to again make additions and changes we talk about past Services chairs Vice chair committees we have a school for some of our select favorite photos just saying um and then a little bit about the district serve for that much and then um and again so during the break I'll just scroll down real briefly what's on the front screen here I encourage you all to take a dive with us into some of the past historical information back to the 1950s and then in addition to that we have state maintained information here from indigenous peoples that did occupy the area uh and give that kind of a mission s Louis Deep dive here using some of that information on this button at this portion but you the other buttons are again available down at the bottom for County Commissioner and officials so I I want to say that you're seeing it here in this kiosk it's going to be in a couple physical places but we wouldn't do a product like this if it wasn't going to be accessible on all mobile devices that's that's the point it's not just a kiosk it is an online repository of this information which is a living document that will continue to build out not only with staff but with key Community Partners so again we're just getting started on this project but it is we've been working nine months just getting started um but it is very very full of information I encourage you all to explore it and break and I'll be here to answer any questions anyway Mr Min yeah no no just Commissioners again in keeping with our theme today and again it's just so relevant that we unveil this today not accidentally at your retreat because uh couple years ago um there's this newly elected commissioner named commissioner Welch who came to me with an idea for a strategic Initiative for the retreat and and I said boy that sounds really ambitious uh commissioner we didn't know how we would interpret this this could have been hallway a more of a static sort of tribute or something it could have been a lot of different things uh but it really and the board you know took that idea made it one of your strategic initiatives and then again embracing technology as we've done uh I think Matt his team really were able to knock it out of the park and as Matt said to just want to underscore that it is a uh a a living updatable um resource for us and just wanted to thank the board and commissioner wel for that bringing this idea pleas thank you um Mr Mr County Administrator thank you Matt for that inovation it was just absolutely awesome and the fact that you say it's also accessible online as well so thank you Mr count administrator such a great great staff and we appreciate we appreciate all of the hard work Innovation that they bring to us I know commission Welch has a comment thank you madam chair I'll be brief I know we want to get to a break but I just want to say wow all right um look I the the impetus for this idea was you know a couple years ago getting off the elevator at the courthouse and seeing the list of names of County Commissioners and you know guys it's it's not lost on me how how awesome that is that our names are on that plaque and it goes back for hundreds of years and and all the names of County Commissioners on there and and I thought man I'd like to know who Hunter Bannerman was right or uh all the names on there that reflect streets and places in our community and I came to Vince and I was like can we do like a hall of you know like like photographs because I really think like I wanted 200 years from now I want people to be able to know who Bill CR was right I mean yeah yeah one way or another they're going to know but um I thought I was like keep this on the high I was like can we do something and and Vince was like Oho boy that sounds like a a tough task that's a lot of information but as a history teacher you know I thought it was it would be a cool and interesting thing to have and so uh thank you to Vince and his staff obviously this has been a couple years in the making and we approved this last year at the uh at this Retreat and to see it come alive in the form of of a kiosk like that that's that's updatable and living and and I think that that is awesome and totally cool and I just can't thank you guys enough and Matt and your staff and whoever else has contributed to this I know that was a heavy lift um but I think it's an awesome tool to uh again in this in the context of history and and thinking about all that this County and this community has been through and all that it will go through in the future I just think this is an outstanding addition uh and really a testament to our staff and you'll notice that I also asked Vince when I brought this idea you know to we want information about County administrators and County attorneys and and and as much of our leadership staff as we can too historically because they have such a huge imprint on the fabric of the community so thank you guys so much this is great thank you uh commissioner wilch um was any commissioner Pro um the only thing bad about this over all is that uh it was commission Welch's idea not my own other than that this is just a great idea any other comments well no no no I had finished oh I'm sorry go ahead that was the low part um I'm hopeful that we could place a kiosk in the uh state's capital uh we have a couple of monuments out there on the front grass uh is there any way that we to place this history um and possibly be the first County uh to place such historic kiosk um I don't know if representative Gall Franklin uh would be one to lead that charge of uh Secretary of State or the U Senate secretary or the sergeant arms of who but I would love to see this place in in the capital of Florida uh as the Capital Community uh the history of the capitals state capitals community state capital uh County secondly I'd love to see this place in the uh in the uh airport uh for persons who uh uh enter uh into our community if they want to have a quick uh five minute you know overview uh not saying you can't come to tallah has and and and just be dumb about things because a lot of people come to tell don't know stuff but um that they might be ignited or even CH uh by the relevancies of what has occurred historically here U it gives them uh it arms them with uh some working information and I'd love to see us explore uh how to place this there in that public space um man this is a great idea we show out and um how do we place this U knowing that lot of books are being taken off the shelves and purged uh this ain't no book uh places in school that get some software uh that is distributable to his teacher County school um things is just thought thank you very much thank you commission Pro in County administrative areas locations that the county does not have any authority over as far as locating uh simil Kos that's you will check on we're happy to explore okay so with forward would we need to now this meeting or later on just consider places you like to see it located and then vote on it just have you come back we'll take a look if if it becomes an issue of budget or anything like that depending on how many we'll bring it back to you but right now i s a strong support for that we happy be expl that do that ground one of them of course would be traveling but I hear what you're saying about maybe some more permanent locations so we're Happ thank you Mr County administrat any other oh commissioner man mam chair will this be available on the website I'm sorry I didn't understand will this be available on the website will the information from kiosk be available on the website bring it it now I need to tell you madam shair it's only because commissioner mad madx asked for several Pages devoted to him on talk to him about he said he make sure you include all my football stats yes it is okay yeah he did say would be on the website okay if nothing further what we will do right now commissioners to take a break uh if we can be back at 20 minutes after 11 e e [Music] e [Music] it's [Music] you [Music] we don't have the mics go into [Music] the [Music] X [Music] [Music] 1 [Music] [Music] 3 [Music] [Music] I [Music] [Music] 2 [Music] n all [Music] the [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] what [Music] you [Music] the [Music] [Music] [Music] all [Music] e [Music] m [Music] [Music] [Music] all [Music] here [Music] I [Music] 3 [Music] want take your seat [Music] please I'm good thank you thank you we're going to resume our retreat at this point what I will do do is turn it back over to our County Administrator to get us started thank you madam chair kicking off the second section of the Day will'll begin uh with a progress update on our 5year strategic plan uh as for the Strategic plan itself I'll start I'll walk you through uh a couple of the the key elements very quickly Commissioners you know we'll start at the uh sort of the the widest uh part of the the cone and we'll we'll drift down get to the most narrow uh elements in the Strategic initiatives uh again this is an update years so it's the abbreviated version you're welcome uh but we'll start off with our our vision statement which BRS a community that is safe and healthy and vibrant for sort of the county and its ideal State our mission statement uh to provide uh Public Services which uh serve and strengthen our community uh these have been adopted into our 5-year strategic plan again they're not intended to change each year up on the screen um as well as on as well as on the boards around the room you'll see the Strategic priority areas in the economy environment quality of life and governance uh Commissioners these priority areas are high level categories that clearly articulate what the county wishes to achieve in these areas they are critical uh to the success of the community the additional directional statements which you see under each of the category uh again provide Focus and Clarity and most importantly our uh sort of span of authority to influence these these areas those are all reconciled uh again I won't go into those directional statements like me I know Commissioners you all have them tattooed on some part of your body uh and Commissioners next on the screen you'll see a summary of our progress to date on all of our initiatives before I get into our progress made I want to uh take a moment to explain how we measure our progress uh in the table that's before you here um as you may recall Commissioners at last year's Retreat the board requested additional clarification uh on initiatives that are categorized as complete um so we've done that uh many of the initials under the category of complete do not stop of course but rather are ongoing and require uh continued uh resources and support uh examples of this would be just from last year a strategic initiative was to partner with the Children's Services Council to enhance the delivery of of Family Services in our community of course it's complete and that it was established but it's ongoing in in in that uh uh that reflects the ongoing nature of that and many other initiatives that you'll see from affordable housing and to others that sort of span um all areas uh we've completed uh significant work uh on both of these areas that I just talked about of course there are initiatives that we'll continue to work on throughout the 5year life of the Strategic plan uh and so we've uh uh there we've uh included uh a segment called complete ongoing and compete and complete uh closed out again just to provide for those initiatives that are ongoing as well as those that have been substantially closed out an example of a substantially closed out strategic initiative would be what you just saw today in terms of our um uh kiosk again all the work was done it's done for all in of purpose yes we'll continue to do it but that's substantially complete so it falls in the complete closed out category and lots of others fall into that category um Commissioners um we also have a obviously uh strategic initiatives that are in progress so we've got those that are complete and those that are in progress as reflected on the screen before you the 5year Strategic plan currently has a total of 67 initiatives 53 of which um um of the 67 are complete in one of the two categories and 14 initiatives are in progress um your retreat materials beginning on page 46 contained a detailed analysis of the status of each initiative to date again in our second year uh the number of these initiatives uh I talk about a total of 67 of course will continue to grow uh you have 67 as of your uh seconde update uh but if you look back at our last closed out 5-year plan uh that grew to you know 100 and change strategic initiatives and at the end of the day today you'll of course add more so it just speaks to the ongoing sort of living document nature of of our strategic plan so to round this out Commissioners um and as the last part of the overview I'd like to discuss our bold goals and targets uh these targets and bold goals were established um again with the new plan here the plan that we're currently in in January 2022 uh uh which means that the data presented here represents our progress made of again during our first two years of the plan as you as you may recall Commissioners the County's goals and targets are aligned with each priority area our five-year targets are important Commissioners because they communicate to the public and to staff um the specific results that we expect to achieve collectively by uh executing on our initiatives and working on these our bold goals one each in each of the four uh strategic priority areas are just that they're both they're stretch goals uh they are hard to reach we don't necessarily expect to get all certainly but it's more of an aspirational Target and it keeps us again stretching our capacity throwing deep uh and and again important for us to include um uh in our strategic plan these B bals and targets are really important elements again they demonstrate the very ambitious efforts we take at the county to continue to move our community forward uh as senen of your retreat materials Commissioners on the boards around the room we're currently on track to achieve these targets and bold goals over the 5year plan and beginning on page 81 of your retreat materials there's detailed analysis of every Target and bull goal uh but I want to touch on um a couple of specific areas uh one one of the Commissioners noted this morning uh that um we continue to update these uh in sort of Midstream and at this time of the year each year so there are a couple of targets and bold goals we're recommending uh revisions to uh just to keep us uh striving to achieve again our maximum results because sometimes environmentally there are issues that happened over the course of a year or two which impact um our targets and the first one is in the quality of life bold goal which is to support uh the placement of 100 residents experienc chronic experiencing chronic homelessness in perative and Supportive Housing you may recall our bold goal currently uh is 153 uh placements um and so uh we are uh well the Bold goal was 100 so we're 153% of our 5-year goal uh we knew that reaching that goal uh was going to be stretch however uh in the Horizon we were working on this uh particular one uh you know we had a historic investment uh with $6.2 million in federal C relief funds uh that we were working on and so we were able to um achieve even better than we thought we would in this particular area uh and um while we won't have the same level of federal investment due to the pandemic we do think there's an opportunity to continue to stretch in this area a little further for the remaining 3 years of plan so we're recommending uh that we increase our original LEL from 100 uh to 225 placements that's reflected in your materials and and shank and Lamy tells me it'll just be easy to do um isn't that right also uh in the area of governance again commissioner it's just another quick revision here that we're we're recommending we have a 5-year Target which is to communicate more than uh 1.5 million disaster prepared me disaster preparedness messages to the community and since the start of our plan we've made nearly uh 1.4 million impressions uh in our disaster preparedness efforts 93% of the 5-year Target uh again um due to the co pandemic uh and in particular due to and importantly due to Hurricane Ian in 22 and hurricane at Dalia in 23 uh those numbers went way up in a way that we couldn't uh uh anticipate so uh we are recommending increasing that 5-year Target to communicate more than 2 million uh disaster prepared messages throughout the remainder of the 5-year plan of course we're not welcoming any additional storms but we think that that only makes sense again to continue uh to to challenge ourselves uh to meet the highest um uh objectives that we can again Commissioners your retreat materials contain a detailed analysis the progress we've made on each of the targets and bold goals and happy to answering questions you might have uh Commissioners uh moving on to our final section of the day uh which uh will provide the board the opportunity to discuss amending or adding any strategic initiatives to the current 22 through 26 strategic plan um uh this is where we are uh uh at this point in the agenda uh as such uh the Strategic plan and and the number of strategic uh initiatives again as I mentioned earlier will continue continue to grow uh with that in mind of course uh the board always has the ability this time each year to add new strategic initiatives to address New Opportunities new challenges that we may face um uh we've got a list of proposed strategic initiatives Commissioners for your consideration to amend this year even before we get to the Commissioners adding new ones what this list represents Commissioners uh in the plan again it's more of just simply updating uh our plan each year so it never gets scale uh so many of the ones you see before you just represent the next step or the next phase of a project so last year it might have been designed the project this year it may be constructive project so sort of along that nature just the ones uh that required in our overview uh a revision just to to to reflect uh again sort of the updated nature of the plan um with that uh Madam chair I'd like to hand it off to you to facilitate this part uh of the uh of the agenda for the board adding uh new strategic initiatives uh to the plan with that M chair thank you thank you Mr count administrator let me ask you this before we move forward the two uh recommended increases one in quality of life and under governance do we need to take action on those at this particular [Music] time at the end Madam chair your approval of what we do today will be reflected in your ratification tomorrow which is where we'll actually take official action on all okay we'll we'll reflect that in the ratification okay awesome awesome Al so thank you Mr County Administrator um Commissioners I think we're at the point now where if we want to make any proposals to any initiatives or add any new initiatives we can do so but it it requires a super majority uh at this stage uh to do so so so what I'd like to do is just go down the list we can we can start with our governor if anybody has any proposal uh recommendations on initiatives under the governance well M that you could if could maybe easier for you you don't even have to worry about the category you f Commissioners and we'll make sure we get cat categorize it correctly okay all right let's do it that way does any Commissioners have any um recommendation for adding or amending any initiatives on our strategic plan that we already have commissioner yes thank you madam chair um I want to again commend you know our staff on the Strategic nature in which they you know employ our our mission here and and execute that it's very structured and beautiful and and um you know this is a cool opportunity for us to sort of add a few things here and there uh in the same breath of all these anniversaries and stuff uh Vince brought to my attention and I know commissioner Miner this one is is close to your heart too which is this is the 10th year uh of that Honor Flight will operate they will operate their 10th Honor Flight this year as I have mentioned before the things we do for our veterans in Leon County is one of the proudest uh elements of of for me whether it's um you know our our chief Abrams and at km and our EMS folks and the work they do on Honor Flight or it's our Veterans Day uh operation thank you breakfast and our contributions to the Veterans Day Parade uh so in that breath uh I would like to suggest that uh we expand our opport any opportunity we can to assist Mac and Honor Flight with promoting the event this year to sort of really really dig in and celebrate this 10th anniversary of this 10th Honor Flight when the uh when the the group comes back uh after the flight and there's a huge reception for them out at flight line uh if we can engage volunteers get some folks out to that really really have a a really uh robust um presence in assisting them with marketing event you know whatever funding opportunities we can have to help underwrite it Andor um you know just just use our mediums and mats staff and their skills to help uh get out that's going to be a quality of life uh suggestion uh for a strategic inititive and that's the only one I have so I appreciate your support thank you to explore what we can do to enhance what we already do is exactly essentially just leverage uh further our our current uh activities and and support that we' have been a huge supporters uh oh Bingo it's get typed up right is there is there a second is there a second second thank you any discussion hearing none all those in favor let it be known by saying out uh any opposition thank you commissioner W do you have anything else no ma'am thank you so much thank you so much commissioner Pro um Madam shair Commissioners uh I'm glad commissioner madx is U here because he probably going to thing uh what I say um I would like to see us uh um I'm in the grocery store fre and um it used to be a uh a u energizing uh moment to me community in the grocery store but uh you've been in there lately where people are Fredy they're planted and [Music] affability has become almost a crisis nature and I think that is people of pinching pennies uh go to grocery store that hold on don't don't don't think um we really need to possibly think of and consider uh a millage reduction uh I know no one has ever heard me put those two words together before millage reduction but that we're not casting any burden upon uh conance of citizens who driving gas uh fluctuation uh food uh housing unit and I just feel that we would show uh and empathy to real life uh challenges in the community uh I feel good that over the last couple years we we we've U secured 5% paid increases uh we been General our staff I'd like to uh ask our staff or um um when do we retire and how soon will our I mean we really don't to look at uh the retirement of our debt uh what project uh does current debt uh programs um undergo and fund and when will uh we get some of this money back into flow last year we saw a 133% increase in property value of which we receive the windfall I would like to see the windfall this year if values are um Ascend to the levels of last year and that we take the windfall in and cause and put it into um a millage U reduction and to Parlay it to uh a savings uh not saying that it's going to add additional um um food on the table like Thanksgiving dinner maybe but every little bit helped and I think uh we all set a more austere course uh for fiscal uh and we've been blessed with that Rising value property has brought us across some type moment secondly uh I believe that something be wrong and St May to tell us we're paying U 133% right now of our employees um health benefits I'll we 873 split it just mam CH it just depends on whether the employee is participating in um uh some of our Healthcare programs uh or all of our Healthcare initiatives but I think we're we're up to 87% it's either 85% or 87% depending on the individual employee and their participation in our in sort of our our wellness program that sort of thing but yes that's the sclp currently I love to see what's go to a migrate uh to um changing that number and maybe uh looking at what would afford um what would we need to make that 10% and I know that's radical I know that's radical don't throw eggs at me yet but every little bit that we help our own stay in the game and though we may not have a 5% raise uh for across the board this year if we bring the uh contribution for healthcare when been paying 13% to 10% that right there is is an improve okay you walking with okay sorry commiss commissioner Al Proctor you were moving for an agenda item to come back to address the issues that you raised and the impact of reducing the millage rate on those spe specific areas that you rais actually I'm cover three areas you asked us to voice initiatives that we look at one of those initiatives would be um bringing uh Healthcare contributions from 13 to 10% our employees that's one uh the second ask is for um when is uh our current debt when will it retire that we might place it into uh a look at reducing millage rate and the third ask is to look at um property valuation last year it went up 13% if it goes up that high this year I want to put that um Surplus into reducing the millage of property uh owners is that understood you get me okay three components yeah I I understand the three components that you raised but are you you're saying you want these to be uh added as goals so additional initiatives goal our goal if we can adopt it but I'm throwing it out I believe that these Rising prices that we need to make sure that we we slam down on the Merion breaking whole cost and spending um U and if we can take it down that huge to okay and we're going to have to tighten our belt and but I think that we're we whereas I have been very generous and you have to we have enagement and reaching to give raises for our employees but I believe that raise this year out come in the form of reduced expenditures by them for healthcare benefits and let's take this 10 and that would be the raise issue that I'm looking at for coming year I understand the three areas but I'm just trying to understand how we would get there without some analysis from sta Mr count administr can you address it let ask first did I get a second on his motion before we get you okay commission thank you this count Mistry sure uh Madam chair and yes I understand precisely where uh commissioner C was coming from on this and and whether the board um decides to include it as a strategic initiative or not usually when it's at this phase of your consideration a strategic initiative like this would be because mostly it's go do that thing this point Pro it would be to consider the following and um whether or not you you um give direction to do it here of course uh the board always has the opportunity today and Beyond to give us the direction to um again in case something didn't fit quite right here to bring it back as an agenda item I I should say that those issues that commissioner proa brings up millage debt and and healthare contribution would all be included in your first uh budget Workshop this year all the analysis relative to that should also put in just a quick plug that the F FRS bill has been filed again which would I hate to say almost make these issues mute but we wouldn't be talking about this we would be talking about maintaining our existing Workforce and and and and and other austerity uh Provisions which which uh would uh would would again uh make make the budget balancing significantly challenging however millage rate always on the table um debt good news uh in the future relative debt and certainly um if the board wishes to entertain or consider uh different Healthcare uh contributions scenarios uh that would could could all be included in your first budget Workshop when we have the benefit of of revenues uh and and a little clearer picture of the budget uh at that point in time okay Madam Sher yes thank you commission administrator putting out there that he will capture and know exactly where and I think that um in terms of our budget I I would withraw that as a strategic initiative um and wait with patience to say that those areas uh I would like to focus on our budget um um budget I you think is in order and Fa thank you commissioner Proctor and I certainly agree I certainly agree that these are important significant areas that you have you know raised uh the spotlight for us to address absolutely commission oh he's say I was right there where the County Administrator is and that um commissioner with we do just like we ask for things to come up as talking uh as we ask for things to come up during the retreat we also have opportunity to ask for things to come up during the discussion and we set those things out earli so if you would I think I do they require a motion Mr administrator well I you know I think they would be included but I think if the board would like to do that to Ure that we have on all those ISS I think only thing the only thing that I'm kind of cautious about the 10 13 okay I think that's something for aspirational for to look at to have staff come back in valuate the the the the I think you said looking at if we can drop the military I love the idea I think that kind of thing we probably need to take up in the moment depending on what the f FRS Bill does and also depending on what what values do because values are starting to go down in themselves too so I think I mean and we're always looking at whether not more looking the roll back rate and stuff like that so that that part and then the debt reduction of course I mean every time every time we have those discussions staff always comes back to talk to us about where we are as far as our debt is concerned so if anything commissioner pner I I really like the idea of cuz we're we're always going to have the the conversation about um about the military what we want to do there um I think you placed out there exactly what you're thinking I like where you're going and the debt reduction thing yes I think the the thing that we could set we could go ahead put staff on notice about specifically is the [Music] um the employee contribution from 10 to 13 13 to 10 13 to 10 13 to 10 I think asking for that to be a bu discussion item would be something that that would that that would tell kind of give St indication of when you building out this budget this is what we want to see other thing the other two things I almost would kind of wait to see what the FRS bu does you know reference to now I'm Sher I might yes please respond um it's just that last year we U we were U wickedly in a good way blessed of surplus that nobody was looking for and if we receive that kind of U blessing again we were better plan I think we took the money we ran we just SM SM and did some good things but um if this occurs again we have a plan anticipating and then what to do with such Surplus and that would uh in these times and I think um I I don't know how how how you guys effectuate um the seriousness of Purpose with which this board is taking this fence but I think that um uh each department doing a uh debt reduction exercise of 7 to 8% uh what can occur what can they call out what kind of triming the green part and get a f if there is f but I think that when we call for a debt reduction of 7 8% across the board it sends the trimmer that we're looking for uh we got to tighten up and um uh I know our economy nationally is I the charts are showing wonderful numbers but I think that this is a and a lot of what we do is intuitive actually uh G check St I think that this is the time that we come a little conservative and and and make sure our organization is not bloated any kind of way and I would just love and I'm not a uh that kind of person that's what I see going think but I think that this is a moment in time uh wisdom compels our uh holistic review and that is with Point thank you um commission Pro yes yes I'm sorry would you also be asking the other constitutionals to look at cutting their looking at reducing their budget by the same it would be a good call if this board asked them to but I don't know just how much how much um Moxy or credit card that that County Administrator wants to off for our staff or Rond wants to um get in there b head like that uh I've always had concerns with the sheriff um their their budget goes up exceeding uh exceedingly it just and I think commissioner ke is has U make comments on the sheriff that's an independent review because they're not under any um as I see it U constraints of how much margin incrementally there's no incremental with them um so if this body believes that if if it's wise I mean we shouldn't tighten our own belts uh everybody else's abary pants that that's just not the way to go so I would love to see uh starting with us um by example um by um example leading the charge so I'm open to but I know that it would engage for them to you know what you're going to get back you know supervisor election this election I can't do it not this sh you know know the shf I can never do Prime is going up all kinds of stuff so it depends on the uh energies that that our staff has to fight with all U jungle creatures bears and go ly and tiget thank you commissioner BR Mr count administr very quickly and I know there's ample time for the board to engage in a much broader conversation about uh the budget as has been referenced in your upcoming budget workshops and that sort of thing and certainly uh the issues that were raised will absolutely be included in in in those materials that come to you and I just wanted to note that there'll be ample opportunity for the board to provide additional direction to us throughout the process as you know we start really early and we take sort of bites out of the budget as we go so given our schedule our budget schedule the board will have ample opportunity to give us additional directions prior to final budget submissions like from the constitutionals and you guys will be very well informed to say at different points in the process to say okay now it's time to give you the direction to do this or do that but just know that all of that will be included and we'll be starting really early uh in the process I should note however for the record the way that the board has and this is really to great credit to this board the way that the board has dealt with the budget over previous years um has been one where uh going back to when values decreased precipitously I think Great Recession the board held the millage rate constant we did have plans and you all implemented those plans again to your credit where we didn't increase the millit rate over the that was again considered the worst time to increase millit rate instead what we did was we drew down all of our reserves over a number of years basically what you've done you've continued a a very conservative approach but basically where you are now is just at square one we basically just built our reserves back in about in about the last year or so um and maintain um Services we've had really AER Capital budgets for example throughout again all of these issues will be um articulated for you and you'll have ample opportunity to give us good direction and for example with respect to retiring debt this board too credit where it's deserved as as debt has been retired in recent years you've taken that retired debt and not used it as operating but you've used it to not Implement increases for like fire services for example we use that retiring debt and we move to over to fund uh our fire Services contract with the city so that and you may recall when the city implemented an increase to that fire Services a couple years ago we didn't why because we used freed up retirement debt retirement and so you'll have you've always taken a great uh approach toward that and there'll be lots of opportunity for you to do so um again during this upcoming budget process thanks mam chair thank you Mr County Administrator so what we have Commissioners is typed on the screen is it says agenda items and other administrative items so commissioner proor consider millage reduction to reduce the the cost of living in light of economic conditions explore a 9010 split in the employer contribution for the County's Health Care health care plan now Madam County do we need to vote on those since these are are not adding to um any of our B goals or initiatives these are items I assume that the County Administrator his staff will bring back yes that that is the um what the county man said would would happen Okay okay awesome um we don't need a motion for for those M yes commissioner can you specified as as budget discussion items up there can you just put something by let let everyone noce watching that these are these will be brought up during the budget is given staff will include that yeah so whoever typing that just it somewhere just put it makes me nervous it makes me nervous to see it up there without it actually collecting that thank you thank you any other comments there's a little lag but we'll do that uh followup commissioner Pro this is a different U okay you're fine you're good okay um well this is nonmonetary um item U initiative and board members you've heard me uh first of all M sh there there a number of students uh in the audience today who are um members of U I believe P 3603 and I like if p p 3603 but please stand my students please another class okay good good good okay okay yeah so uh we thank you for coming look for you Wednesday uh uh your predecessor class was here this morning and this is the 11:00 class that um has attended and um we hopeful that there's something you might see this morning U the leadership you met some U our County Commissioners who serving you you we're so so delighted that you you've come um commission P let me just see on of the County Commission we we certainly welcome you all uh students here to our Retreat there was another group of this morning that we we certainly welcome and we also told that group and we'll tell you all the same thing that we're going to encourage commissioner par to give every last one of you all an a for your effort for coming here taking part in our Retreat today we can make that emotion but thank you all commissioner part M I was actually thinking myself how smooth it was commissioner partner actually put off both jobs at the same time he's actually working teaching class and just that's pretty smooth not to spend your sick time you know I um wanted to indicate and I know that it's gotten you know tired and old but I believe um I believe I likely won't be around to um to um harass this board U for as long as I have done but um I think that there class there are two two constitutional standards which U direct um and underg my continuing task of our board and the 14th Amendment uh is a federal recognition citizenship and um many people recognize their citizenship with the 10th Amendment of states rights I'm claiming both citizenships for us as members observe to be Federal Citizen and as members of State of Florida and I still believe it ought be a strategy initiative that we secure Federal lands uh to open up here in the capital of uh of Southern State uh we're growing um there's a me for um facilities all sorts mental health uh mental health among them uh affordable housing uh among them um other stuff that we speak of PR um the government is own and it's of the People by the people and it's for the people and I don't have a hard demarcation between my citizenship as a citizen of Leon County and my citizenship of the United States of America and as such I feel that we have standing uh as both because both of our governments they're our government both of them and for one of our governments our big government to um understand uh the requirements of the state that's receiving 1,200 people every day moving to state Florida and that growth uh is affecting our community as well I think that we have dual citizenship and enough standing to speak to our other government about the needs of this government to receive uh assistance and help and there are any number of um of agreements uh in which uh the state such uh federal government comes to rescue when there are hurricanes uh there are natural disasters when there's war when there's Invasion National Guards there and all of that and there are times in which local government is available uh and all of that and we're grateful for Air Force edin Fort wton uh those are jobs Pensacola uh deal uh all these bases around here and they're occupied those military bases are occupied by the government but in Tallahassee and in Leon County FAL government does not do anything with this dirt at all is not the same occupation and it's been there uh squirrels and rabbits and whatnot out there playing around all this time and it goes from our community back over to new wall color back over to Franklin uh back over to aalach National Forest huge down there in oel um it takes us a big spot l there's no reason and there's nothing that prohibits this board this community asking for uh relinquishment from one government deed or seed it to another government that we can utilize um so much miles there between bville and uville Highway we're not coming over there in this two uh open this thing up we need help and we need housing and we need grocery stores and we need our federal government to see that that is not a secession of force meaning we cannot burn uh in that Force because it's too close to civilization it's too close to urban area there is nothing it's too small for military base ain't nothing y'all that they going to do so I I um read uh know if it was Matthew Mark Luke John but somewhere there read writing ask seek and knock if we would take those three words to ask our federal government to seek and to knock on their doors for opportunities like this and and and and and made um realistic with ideas that we have to develop this L what we need it for um with the growth rate that we're experiencing in Florida um that is an initiative that I'm hopeful that maybe beyond my years here uh we will keep pounding away um just keep pounding so I would like to offer look at it background the motion which may well swim as well as a rock you know in water but that we would uh uh continue to pursue uh the acquisition of federal lands that can extend um the buildout of L County to areas which uh um occupying uh 20% of L County and of which we see no distant purpose other than it's just there and I would like to see us focus on um engaging projects to secure uh our ownership and the seeding of that L to our government thank you m thank you uh commissioner proor so if I understand you moved to pursue the possibility of securing federal land and I think you said to address housing shortages affordable housing and to overall just improve the quality of life of citizens as an initiative is there second okay thank you what specifity that is eligible Federal lands well it has to be not had conversations in the past about some lands that just like like we had conversations about the national part right I'm I'm not sure I'm ready blanket who looking at those land I don't think that would probably be good fast forward but I do think it's a decent initiative or a good idea for us to Target some federal lands that that are you know eligible for us look I think it's great I so I would I would I would say and I might say that um County ad minist is well aware of um just how many people already occupi and live out there homeless um there's no water buun know you know a lot of things missing entities but they're already in the woods uh we can do better and we can U develop up for who are less fortunate way I mean I still believe that this is America and I still believe from a faith perspective that as we done into theeast of these and for releas uh so it is that we done unto God and I feel that um in our great nation uh our capacities and our Sprite to lift the bottom we to and effort to do so um we have it within our capacity we got to ask that government and whereas it may not have much of a precedent and I realize that wulla and Franklin and those counties are but our county is expanding and half half need of uh that J and our government federal government has no plan and we can have PL and I I don't see what what big deal with and I appreciate the second of the motion and ask that we adopt it as a strategic initiative okay thank you uh commissioner P I'm certainly understand your sentiment and of course I'm going to ask County Administrator he has comment just one quick thing just the board mayor call we brought back a a very comprehensive agenda item just relatively recently on this specific issue and I think it may go to some of commission mdx's language here on the eligibility stuff there's a there's several processes by which you can request and and several processes by which the federal government makes available land I think and we brought it back at the time we basically said there there was nothing currently to pursue and the board took no action at that time relative to doing anything further uh than that but I think um again as the board considers this is a strategic initiative I think that you know um that that Avenue of of of actively considering and being on the lookout for uh lands that become available through that Federal process would be one that um that we would recommend performing the Strategic initiative around if that's the bu is up thank you thank you Mr County Administrator uh commissioner cabain thank you madam chair um Mr Proctor I respect where you're going with there but I not support this initiative I'm going to ask other Commissioners to not support it as well um I have a lot of uh federal land National Forest State Forest in my district um that land is is precious to my not only my constituents but also a lot of folks in Leon County um I think that if we're looking for affordable H more affordable housing I truly believe there are a lot of areas you know inside City Limits inside the county that we could look at and um offer a lot of creative ideas um and we've had work shs about this but I'm going to ask that we do not support this initiative thank you commission commissioner Miner thank you madam chair you know I think commissioner caban has echoed a lot of what I'm about to say I I respect commissioner poor on this and his tenacity uh but I I can't support us um attempting or or considering trying to ask the federal government for some of our national forest um there's a reason why that's there it's not just there sitting there it's um it's a very big part of our conservation um priority as as a nation um you know Leon County the Big Bend area is one of the most biodiverse areas in the country and the national forest plays a strong role in that so I I would not support that I respect where commissioner Parker is trying to go um I I understand you know we we we talk at length about the needs for for of Housing and uh and other issues of that that uh along those lines I think as commission Gan alluded to there are many other options within the county uh that are not National Forest that we should explore before going in that direction and so um I I would not support this initiative as well with all due respect to Mr Proctor I I understand what you're trying to go and I I respect that but I can't support this item thank you madam chair okay thank you um commissioner Miner okay in the interest of time I know we got full five of the Commissioners that that want to raise issues uh so what I'd like to do is carried a motion uh that's on the floor I believe it was was second uh I've heard your comments all those in favor let it be known by saying I I I and perhaps we might need well all those well it doesn't matter it has to be unanimous I believe have to be a s majority okay so do we need a roll call Madam um you couldn't tell okay do you call the rooll or do I call the okay uh commissioner Welch uh commissioner proor yes commissioner C no commissioner Min commissioner OK no commissioner mad yes commissioner cumings yes okay so it does not pass okay let's move on commissioner caban do you have any initiatives you'd like to yes ma'am thank you um my first uh strategic initiative I would like to bring up for um consideration uh will be in collaboration with law enforcement agencies identify and Implement solutions to immediately combat crime and Nuance activity in Pensacola Street Corridor and State Road [Music] 20 okay you said that pretty fast I'm sorry we kind of slow down I'm ready I'm trying to help you out get this thing mov iing I don't see it yet oh it's on it way I understand okay did I get it no he said they've got it so awesome perfect go right to the next one Madam sherff we need to yeah it's all okay it at the very time okay in collaboration law enforcement agencies identifi and Implement oh good solutions to immediately combat crime induc activity in collaboration with law enforcement okay is there a second yeah okay any discussion all those in favor let it you know I saying I I any opposition great hearing the continue commission thank you thank you actually the next two I have are um update existing ones I believe we disc discussed in last year's Retreat um one is just a u a corridor change so last year I had work with the city of Tallahassee Big Ben Continuum of Care and Street Outreach teams to develop Corridor plans for North Monroe downtown Pensacola Street and the new addition I'm going to put in there State Road 20 for outreach to unsheltered homeless individuals and to engage residents and businesses to address Community Aesthetics and neighborhood safety along the corridors okay I know we already have initiatives in that area you know Outreach what have we so we do and just here yes we do and the Strategic initiative that that commissioner caban is proposing as you mentioned it'll pop up here in just a minute would just be to as he articulated to just to add that additional um and Highway 20 obviously Pensacola Street is 20 turns into 20s what would be to extend that corridor plan in the additional language relative to the Outreach uh that's sort of migrating in that area and um I think we'll see it up on the screen here very soon yeah you see there it is is there okay so you you'll see just the addition is underlined okay awesome awesome okay is there a second thank you any discussion commissioner M thank you madam chair um this is uh obviously a key initiative that we've been working on a lot and important initiative my concern with this update is uh not that Highway 20 us need this but that with this addition and the other three corridors I feel like we're we're identifying 48% of the county and ignoring that there are other areas that also need this I don't know why this wouldn't be an Initiative for our entire County for example we have similar issues on appalachi Parkway and uh Mayhem and false Chase and so and my my other concern is that as we do these um cleanups and address these things we're likely I believe we're likely to have these uh these locations changeed we you know we clean up one people likely move to another area and so um uh since it comes up to add another um area it uh it just doesn't make sense to me to list you know five out of 12 areas of the county um where it's it's County isue thank you thank you uh commissioner kab commissioner caban do you want to look at that initiative and maybe globally include maybe problem cors know out May hand drive is a is a a problem area as well um just make it Global thank you madam chair no I I will refer to the County Administrator if he wants to to to respond my initial thoughts on this is I I share the same sentiment as you um commissioner o'keef I do know that with u many of the shelters and um our local Partners being on the Pensacola Street area I personally believe that that is kind of like you know a Hotpot where it could be perceived as the worst um but I'm open to um uh see if the County Administrator would like to respond even you know commissioner madx I know you you work in this industry as well commissioner thank you mam chair U so I think we need change the approach I mean the shotgun approach you talking about we talk about all over the county I I do understand you're going with it but I think we can be very focused because there are parts of the county that are that are probably more uh affected by it than others I think we stting those areas and didn't work our way out to the old you talked about but we we we talked about the Outreach portion of it I think as a community as a whole I think we have to we have to come to we have to come to terms with the fact that homelessness is in Leon County and we are a hug probably for homelessness within the region uh when it comes to the gas and what color Jefferson even as far as as Pensacola folks are coming here you have shelters here uh any kind of shelter you want you want individually go to you go to the curent Cent family me you come to uh Family Promise if you are a child you go to CCS I think Outreach is great maybe we need to start more so looking at looking towards infrastructure uh and we don't we think about infrastructure when we talk about homelessness but in in other places like let's say Miami what they've done is that they start to put things in place that that create more of a a cleaner environment for those who may be experiencing homelessness um one one example is they have showers um for folks to use that they say it's for tourists but what ends up happening is a lot a lot of the the homeless folks use those showers clean up dur day and other things that that that we can look at Across the Nation that they're doing this infrastructure that that really specifically affects the the aesthetic look and the life the the quality of life for those homeless folks that we're talking about I mean when we say quality of life are we are we only talking about those who are housed and I know ultimately what we would like is for everybody to be housed but everybody's not in a situation where they can be everybody's not mentally ra be there yet everybody's not financially ready to be there yet so how do we create a a a quality of life for those who aren't ready or war in situation where they're trying to get ready to where uh instead of it being you know a burden that we see it it becomes more of an opportunity so you we talked about the Outreach portion I think we term it more of you said Street Outreach but Street Outreach isn't necessarily talking about that infrastructural pie that I'm thinking about that makes it a little more a little better for those folks who are h so so as far as the the concentrated approach I totally agree I get where you're going with that let's take it sector by sector focusing first on those who are most affected but let's go a step further than our Outreach but started to look across the nation at what people are doing infrastructure to deal with homelessness too and see if we can't bring some of those ideas to Leon County and and I don't think it's something that we probably be able to do by ourselves it's something that we likely have to have the city commission do you want to maybe let that be another initiative I like you're saying not necessarily if if commission doesn't want to add that piece maybe but I I think it fits right in where he going so that's that's all I got okay let me ask the count administrator address that real fast sure just in case it's helpful so I think the operative term in this in this strategic initia is um the corridor plans itself because obviously all the operting efforts and all everything we're doing that applies everywhere countywide those Corridor plans are a specific thing they're technical thing that include all of our initiatives all of our coordination with stakeholders but also the built environment part commissioner madx you're talking about our planning staff is engaged in that they're they're again they're they're they're a technical product and they'll be coming back to the board here in the coming months um based on your previous Direction the issue was whether that corridor plan part uh is something you wanted to extend really with Pensacola Street be an expansion or extension to um to to Highway 20 and of course when those items come back to the board this year and and they're in the works and will be coming back if you accept those plans and again that's it'll be a first time for us is a first time for us engaging these Corridor plans they'll be coming back to you and if you want to expand to other parts in the community you'll certainly have the ability you m County Administrator thank you commissioner commissioner commission mic you comfortable with that language I think he's saying what what what I'm saying okay yeah so we'll we'll look at the initiative that's on the screen as articulated by commissioner aaban at this point any other discussion hearing none all those in favor Let It Be n by saying I I any opposition okay anything further commission yes Madam chair one more um this last point you know we have a um a private road uh assistance program so folks that live out in in Woodville or out in for br in or perhaps um some folks in in your District commissioner Welch um you know they have private roads that are not County maintain um and we currently have policy that is built around helping folks with those um with those private roads to to grade them or maintain them and there's a process for them to comeing um private roads to County maintained roads the problem with that is a lot of folks in my district um they are low income some in poverty level and they don't have HOAs some of them don't have the accessibility or they don't have um the means to know pay a fee to get the road um graded or that they don't have an organization such as an HOA to get organized to have their Road go from a private road to a County Road um you know all those folks they're paying the same mil R in taxes that folks in in in town out of town Northeast West South East they're paying the same milit rate um and so this this what I would like to do is look at a strategic initiative that makes it easier for folks if to get the road either graded or move from being a private road to a county maintained without it being so burdensome on our um constituents and taxpayers especially in lower income areas um so I have it worded here um that I I think will be pable for everyone in this room but and enhance citizen safety and accessibility by reviewing and amending County policy around the use of County's Private Road repair and maintenance programs thank you I think that's pretty sucin commissioner thees is it any discussion we okay commission I think that um commissioner command has said so much with u such such and um there's no doubt we have people uh who are on roads and I get it to withv area with Highway and we really really ought to uh just go in there and uh tear down and reconstruct uh that that that Ro policy that can get because right now people can't get on the first um the escalator like the escalator is way up here and they can't reach the first long escalator we get on that program and we have to rethink how to lower the escalator down to the circumstances and reality of people and then um the fire trucks can't get uh there or EMS cannot rescue because R are intolerable for um we have a duty um to provide and to level uh services that provide for the health safety and Welfare of all citizens and I think m is U proposing is that we need to really gut gut out the whole policy and reconstruct um a realistic um come down with more to Earth get more these communities now keeping I we we may be chaning the same thought what happens when we we can be a little Frank just a little Frank this morning what happens when we go in and put in a $400 $500,000 roadway and we have a lot of U mobile hones um that all 40 of them put together um nobody's going to pay us $500,000 and do we put $500,000 infrastructure in some of these areas that have about 7 $800,000 collecting value on the existing uh homes of construction um you when you do a cost and benefit analysis um and the people who are there not want to be tax or road that cost more than the value of their home I think those are the sticky Logistics that we have to give consideration to that when we make the road thre of a greater thing than um what the actual house would work and we've got that situation you know and um but I'm willing to walk with you to our board because that's why we're hired we're hired to take on these tough and complex matters when we don't want to take them on um then we should Remish these shairs but because we occupy these shairs now we're compelled to look at this and then secondly on that uh when we do U and I remind this that when there is a hurricane watch the only people tell to leave your houses immediately or those who occupy um um mobile homes we tell them leave get up and go there's no other category of of homeowners uh that WEA men are to say lead and if um we're telling them to lean the big question is should we even sanction or give permit to occupy Wellings that you have to leave when it's some 2 in of rain 40 mph P so I we hypocritical are we hypocritical to Grant um uh permits that allow people to occupy homes that the first dust wi we tell them to leave and then possibly we per many properties that structure uh people into a permanent existence of um of inquality because we are buying homes that depreciate and value and we know that so those are some of the underlying things that as we take this issue up that I think about and um whether or not we Foster a new generation of U home ownership for those whose properties decline on day one um I don't know those are the questions that we here to St thank you thank you commissioner uh are there any other comments and I understand commissioner caban concerned because the last couple years we did have several groups come before the commission about the conditions of the road and about the expenditures that they would have to personally make pursuant to our current policy to even get the roads up to part it wasn't just individuals that live in Mobile homes e these were homeowners uh on a lot of you know dirt roads that are not uh maintain uh by the city of the county it's their own personal responsibility to maintain those and I think it's a good initiative I'm not sure Mr County Administrator how this would play in in the overall um portion of our our B goals and objectives but clearly reviewing the policy I think is is doable okay thank you all those in favor Let It Be know by saying I I I uh commissioner Pro is out of seat but all those in favor Let It Be know by saying guy any opposition thank you thank you so much anything else commission no that's thank you for your support I appreciate you mam sherff wow okay I'm sorry go ahead is it on point cuz I need to go to commissioner me um no ma'am but it's a matter of recognition of U of how issu is in my presence okay awesome Mr Elijah hooks is the executive director of the forign Student Association Elijah um this young man ourr he's called chief of staff and executive record FL Student Association and among the uh 28 um universities uh 28 12 universties and college uh he is our person and he's the first person in history of Florida University who's been uh recognized as U the uh Chief of Staff or the executive director for Student Association I'm very very proud of him and with that he has calling cards to everybody uh he just has access to slav all that and you can CH he chip FL CH you question any good thing come but thank you commissioner proxy for uh inviting this young this young man to uh to our meeting today we are proud of you your your Ascension uh and we know that you're doing a great job you represent this University well and and let's give him a round of applause for being here would you would you like to say something briefly would you would you what can you get the the M first I want to um say thank you it's an honor to be able to stand report Le on County Commission I want to thank the County Commissioners um in particular my professor and county commissioner Proctor who has done a lot of great work and as I see um Le County continu with his vision um just a reminder that there's no vision without the youth there's no vision without student students who produced the two colleges here this University so again I I see i l d to your plan but I do um know that you guys have a plan for the college students to um was I I look forward to be able to see the future prosperous developments that you guys willos to affect students FSU thank you thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to come and we do recognize that you are our future the youth are our future uh thank you commissioner proa and we wish you all all the best in your Collegiate years okay thank you uh commissioner Pro we appreciate that commissioner Miner thank you madam chair um a couple things to talk about uh let me start off with with the first one here uh in speaking with Robin Hassler Thompson who as you may know is the executive director of the survive and thrive ADV Advocacy Center uh which uh works a lot with us in the county and other organizations against human trafficking uh she has she has told us that it would be helpful to have signage at our County campgrounds uh related to human trafficking so what I'd like to do is offer the following uh strategic initiative uh to increase awareness and education on human trafficking by posting signage at County campgrounds that's your motion second by commissioner Oki thank you Commission was there any discussion all those in favor let it be known by saying I I I any opposition thank you so much thank you very much um you know every year during the retreat we we we pick a theme uh this year it's by sentennial last year was libraries and and we we take on an initiative one thing I I wanted to have us think about for next year is strengthening our neighborhoods you know I think most people here have probably heard about uh Robert putnam's bowling alone which talks about the decay of our social Fabric and our social capital um he he notes that um you know bowling is way up you know the bowling alleys are full but the number of bowling leagues is down drastically now I don't I don't bowl maybe once a year but the metaphor is very helpful what it shows is that people are very active in the community or people but they're not active with each other in the community and what that does is that really undermines our quality of life if you think about our neighborhoods you know I think of my District uh you know bton Woodgate Fairbanks Sperry the neighborhoods there the neighbors are very cohesive they look out for each other there's a lot of social capital in those neighborhoods when the power goes out because of a hurricane neighbors are thinking about well you know the elderly person that lives down this street uh that lives alone uh that's without power there are neighbors that go and check up on her and make sure she's okay that she has enough food and you know that type of thing um strong neighborhoods uh lead to a higher quality life for all of us there's a great disparity in the social capital within our neighborhoods some have a lot some don't have much at all uh one thing I wanted to do and I mentioned this with Vince when we were talking last week is is I'd like to have us think about what we can do as a County government to strengthen neighborhoods you know work collaborative with Kona I know we have in years past but try to try to think of ways perhaps is the next annual Retreat about ways we can help strengthen our neighborhoods because if we can facil itate our neighbors working together and helping each other that elevates the entire neighborhood elevates the entire County uh and I think it helps address a lot of the problems that we're dealing with um Nationwide as well as here in leyon County so that's what I I just want to put that in your in the back of your mind and think about for next year um perhaps we'll talk about it more in the coming months to see if it's something that you might want to pursue but my next strategic initiative is related to that and it would be a good kind of a pilot for us to try to take a look at the status of our neighborhoods this one would take some training that we're all familiar with to build your bucket uh Emergency Management training for hurricanes you know I think You' all been there it's it's the annual build your bucket training rollout you meet at the public safety complex have the sheriff there EMS uh rolling out this training um one thing that we probably should be doing though is is bringing that training to our neighborhoods and so my strategic initiative uh here is expanding the County's existing uh build your bucket training to to includ to include year round neighborhood level emerc prepar workshop training to increase awareness and resilience and not only is that important just in and of itself but it's also a good trial run for us going to these neighborhoods coming up with a very important topic really important training to build your bucket and then also trying to figure out what we might be able to do for the next anual Retreat or next initiative to strengthen neighborhoods overall so that's my initiative here I recommend uh it is out there on the board so my my motion is to ask your consideration of this strategic initiative and then as an aside I'm not going to have the motion for it but I'd like to just try to have us think about perhaps for next year's anual Retreat ways we can work with Kona to strengthen our neighborhoods because what if we're able to do that we're able to help these neighborhoods be more resilient with each other um that I think will have a tremendous impact on the county overall thank you commissioner miners there second thank you all those in favor let be known by saying I I I vot out any opposition thank you very much thank you ma'am I've got one more uh these two items aren't ready for prime time but uh I think at tomorrow's meeting I might bring this up as motions for an agenda item um you know as you know the Leon County has been very good I mean we've been a leader in sustainability initiatives uh we've got uh in our strategic plan we've already got um goals that were that we're meeting on progress the meeting with regard to sustainability uh two things I want us to think about and I might bring this up for an agenda item tomorrow is um you know the the electrical vehicle Fleet Market is changing and I'd like to have us think about what we can do to to expand upon what we currently have I think it's replacing 30% of our light duty Fleet um with EVS by 2030 I think it was uh I'd like to see what what we can do on that given that the market is becoming more um more mature regarding Electric electrical vehicles and then the other thing you know we've got um the world athletic CrossCountry championships coming up in 2026 it might be a good opportune time for us to take a look at what our green event policy might be you know in 2026 we'll have 550 Runners 10,000 Spectators huge massive event at the global stage it would be helpful I think if we were to kind of review our our green event policy right now it's a green event checklist which encourages people that that um use County property to to to follow to make their events more sustainable it would be helpful I think perhaps us to take take a look at what we could do uh with our own County policy uh and then work with perhaps the Championships coming in 2026 to make that sustainable event uh so I those these two items the electrical vehicle Fleet and the green event policy I don't think I'm quite ready for the board yet on strategic initiatives but I I think we need some more work on that and I'll probably be proposing that tomorrow um so with that Madam chair I am complet I'm done thank thank you uh thank you commission M commission o thank you madam chair um I just have two uh and um these are these happen to be uniquely well suited for the you know for the some things we're taking on this couple current couple years one is about our comprehensive Plan update um and I've been Harden by the outre we've done so far but we still have more time make changes and so I would like to I move to have a strategic initiative added where we make sure to host Outreach events on the vision 2025 comp plan update so that we make sure we share information and get input from citizens advy groups and neighborhood Representatives is there a second second thank you any discussion all those in favor Let It Be know my saying I I I and I vote I any opposition hearing none thank you anything further yeah one more I'm going easy Hest this year um last year we got a little bag of biochar um which was a result of uh a pilot program we were doing out at the um Solid Waste Management Facility of turning yard waste into something that can be used to in a carbon negative process so that pilot program um I would like to add a uh strategic initi of that we implement the bioch program at our Leon County Solid Waste Management Facility and continue to explore new opportunities for utilizing yard deis in a sustainable way thank you um we got a motion in a second let me ask uh the County Administrator uh the motion was that we Implement our CH project is that yeah do we need to word it that way can it is something we can just vote to implement or do we need to to look into the implementation well we we' Adam sh we we've implemented and the language we've got there is is expanded and and I think that that's appropriate given all all of our efforts and you've got an item coming uh as soon as tomorrow night to continue to expand that program so yes entirely consistent and makes perfect sense for a strategic ini awesome thank you thank you for that clarification so it's already implemented so we're voting to expand it all those in favor Let It Be know by saying I I any opposition and I vote out hearing none thank you so much commissioner anything further uh none for me thank thank you commissioner mad thank you madam chair so I think we're missing out an opportunity commissioner partner made a motion earlier to add a strategic initiative that we evaluate Federal lands uh to be purchased for the sake of us trying to deal with some of our housing prices um we focused a lot on those the the forest piece of they talked about but I think I don't want to throw the baby out B water I think if we just made a blanket because as I said uh and we talked about with County ad minist that we looked at eligible lands and right now as as I as I think about it Mr administrator the the national for is not eligible cor they currently do not have any hands that would be eligible at this time exactly so if it's not eligible that then that also means that it it's not even something that we consider but what we could do is we could make a blanketed statement that if there are eligible lands out there Federal lands that are out there that we could go after those lands who says you know 10 years down the road 5 years down the road that say that some of those lands do come available we've already got this strategic in initi to give staff authorization to start going after those lands so I don't want us to be shortsighted because we're focusing on what's going on right now and not think about the possibilties of what could come in the future so my my initiative is is is a lot like commission progress is that um we created a strategic initiative I guess it be part of like yes ma'am that we would that we would uh evaluate the possibility of of the purchase of federal of of eligible Federal lands for the purposes of increasing our our our housing stock as well as other acquisition not purchase acquisition acquition acquisition acquisition even use yes yes yes yes yes um I will make that motion to be my first strategic commission thank you is there a second thank you commission there comment Commission thank you uh commissioner madx and I agree with you guys you know on the national uh Forest Land part of it I think the reason that I supported commissioner carer's motion earlier was because of the way commissioner Maddox stated it and I think maybe just in the in the context of like Federal property federal land they may have you know the federal government may may own a parcel somewhere in the county somewhere it's not in the National Forest that could come eligible for sale and we could pursue that right or you know maybe in 50 years or 20 years the federal government goes hey we want to we want to sell you know 100 acres in the national forest or something like that to be pursued so that's why I supported that I get what you were saying so when we say eligible you mean like is listed for sale right like if it's not for sale I don't Envision that the federal government is going to sell the national forest but there may be other Parcels within the county that may be Parcels in Northeast tazi that are owned by the federal government or whatever that's why I supported that and I I I just want to clarify that why I'll support your motion again commiss yes commissioner um to Welch's Point um in Ms is U um very exle uh president Trump when President did asked the department us Department's interior to um list all federal property uh national parks and so forth and to uh make vment to make a determination which of those could be uh turned and made valuable for private consideration so it's not um without precedent that a United States president has asked the Interior Department to letting um public lands for private inversion so um and that person based on all the information I have may likely have a strong possibility of occupying that seat am and um that was the goal that uh it didn't come through is but um possibly uh next time around those lands will be for sale and we'll be in a position to take advantage of those feral properties thank you thank you commissioner uh Proctor now we have the initiative on the screen to evaluate future opportunity so I don't have a problem commissioner K you have a comment may I address commissioner um commissioner madx so this has been floating out there the last year through you know dialogue that commissioner P has put out there um me reading that I'm thinking if if there's someone in our community that reads that is there a way where we could like specify to find tunit so they know that we're not talking about the national forest if that makes sense I think the the word eligible El okay that land isn't eligible so if it ever becomes eligible you know but right now it's not eligible I understand so my fear is that someone's seeing that and they think hey federal land they're going to they're trying to you know develop a housing on the national forest so that's kind of where I'm um if some people aren't as educated on as we are in this room you sitting here having conversation about it so I just don't want to to be misinformation kind of floating around so is there a way that we could specify it further um unless you're you know you get kind of get where I'm getting at I get I get what you I get what you're saying but I think it's let's say you asked a question I'm ask a question anybody here has asked a question I think you mean back on that word and and you explain go hey the national part is not eligible for such if it comes so in the maybe evaluated then right now it's not eligible so I think I think that I'm comfortable with that being enough to let people know that we're not trying to deal with national fors right now if it comes El we have not not El if it's ever El let me ask you this commissioner K do you have any suggestions that you think would be address that exclusion that you want yeah if would you be open to putting excluding the national forest it's not eligible now but if it becomes elig we've exclude it if it becomes eligible I'm not willing to exclude it if it if it becomes eligible then it's no longer National for they made it eligible for sale so not yeah I I think the eligible piece because if it's National Forest then it's not eligible you I'm right so I guess I could as long as the understanding there is if ever a piece of the national forest becomes eligible we are going to go after so so okay hold on hold hold on hold on one one second Mr count administrator do you have any I can try to help um and again it all depends on on again where the board feels most comfortable um as I was mentioning earlier we brought a pretty comp comprehensive item to you all recently basically it brought it down to like about three ways that you can pursue federal land and the feds have a surplus and process in place we and there's also ways you can be even more proactive than that there are ways that you can actually ask Congress to acquire lands different the board at that time said we don't want to engage in any of that right now and hey when properties are added to the the Surplus list then you can bring them back to that go into your um issue commissioner command and and I don't know if this something the board wants to consider or not I thr it out there for fer test but you you it may be more intuitive people reading it is if you said you know actively evaluate the the the National Registry or whatever for Surplus properties that are coming a lot of times they're Surplus in building a lot of times they're Surplus in something like that which is and I think that's what most people think of when you think of the Surplus process through the federal government um which is one area to be maybe a little bit more specific but I understand too there's there's a difference and there's a range maybe of opinion in terms of what the board the bottom line is if this is added we would actively evaluate but wouldn't do anything except bring it to the board for your further consideration at that time so again just food for thought if it's eligible then you're going to EV if it's eligible then you would evaluate bring it to us no matter what land it is I'm going stay where I am thank you commissioner thank you m chair um as it's written right now I will not be supporting strategic initiative you would not be supporting that the present language is that what you're saying no ma' and what I'm trying to do is see if we can just bring it together with the consistent consensus that will satisfy both Commissioners and the other Commissioners uh uh here as well and I thought the County Administrator made a good point about Surplus property um and it's another additive that you had M scist no again I'm not trying to influence your debate or anything but but when you get to situations like this if it doesn't appear um that that you have the the requisite level of support that you want for these things you can always give us the direction again to bring back the G or anything else like that for the board's forther consideration just if it else thank you commissioner P sureair I'm I'm not understanding commissioner B um seemly U the distance of your thought that I'm not a federal Citizen M I am a federal citizen uh that Federal property is mine that you B and um there's a theoretic that seems to be some art demarcation there's something Sanctified and holy without fedal can't be asked for you ask and ask God if you can ask God for what you want why can't you ask the federal government I don't get it I mean you can go all the way to God you can't ask federal government just can't do that the fedal government U actually relinquishes its property and um I think the last big cache of weapons that we received Sheriff Campbell was um in office and there were those who tested why is the federal government Army and giving away all kinds of guns and U heavy artillery and these big machines that move into whole people's neighborhood with down in Quil riots um we seen the federal government give what they want away when they want to and they give away guns to um be communities why can't they give Dirt away they doing a also there's a precedent um and I'm asking um k um in Mar walk with me on this um and Vince walk with me on this but uh across stre from the Le Market when uh he talk with the fairground possibly located there uh Congressman Alan boy actually that is no Hest land that's we like it and if I'm not mistaken um Congressman Bo passed an act that would relinquish uh the county uh gaining about 100 million Acres or something like that uh would you just just that the board would not feel um we're out of place that there's great president and if you have the right Congress person uh standing for you anything can happen really Mr Quick quick summary but but at that time there was a piece of property that the federal government wanted to acquire to make part of the national forest which was not in the National Forest ownership and at that time and uh in exchange for us facilitating that land exchange uh and and letting that land become a part of the federal Force they were willing to relinquish a part um of the federal Force at that time which is located CR no it didn't happen but is right there was an interest there and it got pr4 down was so exensive that it swapped out the land over Franklin County but the Federal Government is out of 50,000 with altitude popping land parage all around North Florida um we just got to get in the mix and um understand that conversation okay thank you commissioner one w comment thank you um for me I I think that before we look at federal land to developing federal land or you know potentially looking at the forest I I think there's plenty of opportunities to look at city land I mean even in-house County Land I think we should exhaust all options in town before we're looking at exerting this option um commissioner proor how about the fair grounds um uh commissioner not oh he that's thank you mam okay thank you thank you uh commission uh we have a motion the initiative is on the screen oh oh commissioner minor thank you ma'am um is it reference to the initiative on the screen yes okay go I don't know why we're just focused on the federal lands I mean if we're going to put Federal lands on there why don't we put state if we're going to put State lands why don't we put private lands right I mean why shouldn't we take a look at Future opportunities for any lands that come available for whether or not they might be suitable for affordable housing and public services um now when we consider any land whether it's federal state private City when you think about spraw we need to think about is it in the urban Services area is it next to schools is it next to Transportation I mean these are considerations that we will need to think about we can't just pick a place on the southwestern part of the county and think that's what we're going to have affable housing and then that we're done and then we develop apartment complex I mean there's a whole host of things that come into play in addition to just simply allocating a pot of land for apartments um and so that I think is is missing from this strategic initiative which I know we all know right I mean I'm I'm just getting into some of the details here but you know the other thing that commissioner gavan mentioned I also have some issues with it too I mean um when someone reads this they're you know and they know about the the previous discussions we've had about the national forest they're going to think oh here they are talking about the national forest again I might be willing to support this strategic initiative if it has within it um evaluate future opportunities to acquire eligible non-conservation Federal lands uh that's something I might consider but um since the idea I mean you we should always be looking at State we should always be looking at Federal and private lands I mean just that's what we should be doing anyway we're going to be taking the next year talking about comp plan changes and where we want to grow and how and what the demand on types of Housing and Commercial properties are going to be I mean that's the kind of thing that we do as County Commissioners um I just I don't know that this strategic initiative as it's currently written without any qualification for non-conservation lands is something I can support because we kind of do a lot of this anyway we're not just just looking at Federal lands and our in our jobs we're looking at State private City anything try to figure out what we can do about AFF housing and other services so commiss madx if you're willing to to put in the the the non-conservation uh qualifier in there I mean I think it might be helpful to put State lands in there and private lands that that probably is more close Proclamation approximation for the kind of work that we do and the kind of things we always need to be uh aware of but as it's currently written I can't support it well thank you commissioner madx do you want to address it or do we want to just take M chair I think um these are moments M chair where I just I U have to think through a little bit longer because I think for me it comes down to what's being asked for is no different than what suffering and that's frustrating to me because on one side just makes me want to stick to my gun because I don't understand why we're having extra conversation with literally what's being asked for is already up there but you said M chair that you would like for unanimous a unanimous decision to be made and because of such and because I know I'm being extra emotional about it just I'm going to go ahead and go with the language of uh evaluate future opportunities to acquire eligible Federal lands for the provision of for housing and public service to exclude those lands that are conserved by the national by the national government about fed govern okay thank you let's wait a minute for it to come up so everybody can information M Sher yes commission this County Administrator um am I incorrect I misconceive something uh how much of our property is off the tax road due to state and federal ownership in Leon County is it 52% it's it's considerable um when you especially when you when you um consider the federal lands plus the state lands due to the state government tax exemptions that puts this at the top of the L what I'm what I'm what I'm lifting up is make something we don't recognize is that the majority of our county is not in private sector it already is owned by the majority of people with the land us trying to get more of it than the federal and state Cal government occupi is uh and we're in a rare position among counties when the state FL um I like to see this reverse um and Washington DC is a great federally occupied area as well but as a state Council to Madam chair uh we yeld a lot sitting on state property right now uh actually and um um I think the commissioner mad is motion desire to see a step in this direction is incremental we won't get there this year um we probably won't make it under the Biden years uh we could get that Trump becomes president I think we can um but we'll see thank you commissioner par I'm looking for his language said to exclude Miss not up there yet it is oh I'm sorry to exclude those lands that are conserved by the federal government to exclude those lands that are preserved yes and and and give us a little wiggle room when it comes back to you tomorrow night the ratification if it's something that you all approve we would just work on like okay I understand okay with that addition all those in favor let it be known by saying I I I any opposition thank you so much mam chair anything else commissioner te support Sheriff offering competitive compensation benefits to ensure the Recruitment and Retention of sworn officers that will be under governance that will be what under governance under governance and you said something about retention of sworn offers uh competitive uh compensation and benefits to ensure the Recruitment and Retention of SP officers you no I'm waiting for it to come up I'm sorry repeat it again we we got to ensure the Recruitment and Retention I want you to repeat it U offic commissioner mad repeat the entire initiative that you're proposing yes ma' continue to support the sheriff and is offering competitive compensation and benefits to ensure the Recruitment and the retention of SW officers awesome compeed compensation okay mam chairman I asked U make a motion question yes please what motivates and generates this thought when I look across the state and even if I look across the street at the city of Tass um and I've actually had some conversation with some of the deputies um we want to make sure that we're not losing deputies to other organizations we got so many when it comes to law enforcement here locally and even the surrounding counties we want to make sure that we're competitive enough not to lose those folks to those those more that we have to our organizations whe whether it be through longevity or of being here or even St Sal for those who are coming when we get people here that are put in time of me I want to be able to keep well thank you madam Cher we in a position to also take the exact same motion and apply to uh teachers um in our County that we're able to retain and keep teachers uh as competitive rat out point the school board is actually having a conversation today and their negotiation with the uh Teachers Association about increasing their compensation over the past um five six out of seven years they have given increases to teachers and they're planning to give another increase this year so they're they're right along that line but I don't think we have jurisdiction to tell the school board they have to do anything but they are they are right around where we try to get to so your your comment while I was talking about a 7 8% reduction if if if if if if that's the undertoe to me saying that the sheriff U does not operate within the Norms of our um our efforts to be AER um it it just they're just a great big um uh Enigma uh unique from the rest of administrative what we do across the county their numbers just so huge and we P additional love and policy uh encouragement behind U them spending more money was just to point out um what I said previously about the sh thank you commissioner Pro commission yeah not at all I think again the key word there is competitive so if we're already competitive then I think we evaluate those just like everybody Wai those numbers and we make our decisions based off of that but if we are behind just like like last year we we've given 5% a couple of years to make sure we're competitive as a County government I want to make sure the same is happen at the sheriff's office now I'm not asking for them to be far above everybody else just competitive so it's it's it's not saying that they get any extra purpose on money or anything but but we want to be competitive I want to be competitive too thank you uh commissioner Maddox we have the initiative on the screen support the shareff in offering competitive compensation and benefits to ensure the Recruitment and Retention of sworn officers I certainly support that initiative all those in Let It Be nor my saying I I any opposition thank you thank you any last yes please Implement implement the Statewide planning coordination and fundraising efforts to successfully host the 2026 world's cross country championships at appalachion part and that be econom economy I'm sorry second thank you any discussion and I think that's a great inititive m i yes go ahead I think that that just uh not just state but national uh I don't know if Nike is a a um a corporate sponsor but I think we should should definitely look for those companies which uh sponsor running and shoes doog and shorts ad divas and rebok them kind of folk so commission M your comments if is inclusive of those kinds of f dis spons right thank you thank you commission br and I'm sure our County Administrator and his staff they they're already on it commission o commissioner madx if any of that sponsorship requires actually running the cross country we nominate you do I'm training right now thank you all those in favor of the motion let it be known by saying I I any opposition and I vote I thank you so much thank you anything thaning option okay any other commission I just have one item here uh to and as many of you know we have a lot of blighted neighborhoods and to go along with that we have citizens living in substandard housing many of whom uh qualify for the ship assistance program but there has been a a problem with getting clear titles to those properties a lot of citizens are living in homes they paid the property taxes but homes that were titled in and great grandfathers or great grandmothers and so and before they can get assistance from ship they have to have a clear tiple and it's expensive uh and so this initiative says in Hy County's State Housing Initiative partnership the ship program to provide legal assistance and consultation to Residents with a property issues and a state planning needs that will preserve affordable housing for low income a low income families thank you any discussion what is low income low income is those individuals that are utilizing more than 50% of their net income for housing housing and like utilities sh very little very uh chinking those and very little to support you know Medical food they utilizing over 50% of their income for housing okay and of course you know the low income I think the median family income in our area is what 80 to 84,000 I believe shton uh and those that earn less commission Proctor those that earn less than 50% of that family of four they're considered low income and part of that Alice population asset limited income constrained individuals okay but the problem is many of those uh families that I'm talking about they're living in houses where they're not paying a mortgage because it was owned by the grandparents parents what have you but they can't get ship assistance because they don't have a clear title to the property and you're talking about probating Generations uh of airs it's air property and you actually have to sit down you do the chart and you got all the brothers sisters all I think you know it's an enormous amount of work the federal government does have a program right now but it's a long program where uh families who need to probate their property air property can borrow money they have a long assists program and they can borrow money for legal assistance to get those clear titles but most of these people not eligible to Bor yeah not eligible and they can't take out a mortgage because they don't have clear title so it it's a circular issue but anyway any other discussion on this you your partable point Madam Shar and thank you for inviting us to uh to respond I'm interested in the 2.19 and health of it the equities of it and Ling not we can at some point bring it back for many of the Nuance issues that you just said on that 2.1 that I love your to review it Mr again administrator NES yes commissioner Pro is referring to our 2.1.9 uh policy which deals with air um property and development rights and that sort of a little broader happy to bring that back to the status report um to the board maybe we can just kind of give it a separate Direction on that but it's been very active and you may have seen with been actually a policing workshops over the past couple of months specifically on on on air properties anding that policy and with the board support we'd be happy to bring you back to status report is that acept motion after chairwoman's motion yeah let me hear the motion on the floor all those in favor Let It Be know by staying at as to accept this initiative all all any opposition thank you all right commission move that um ask staff to please bring back 2.19 valuation for um it's U I need for any correction modification or what have you that we can look at and see in terms of air property consistently with what you just said that we're um keeping everything the same page is there a second thank you any discussion all those in favor let it be known by saying I any opposition hearing none and I vote out as well thank you so much is there anything else um from from the board chair you've doing a great job staff has done a great job the bread could meet children that's go eat thank you commissioner proor um you have a comment Commission oh I'm you know I wasn't looking at these I apologize commissioner okay thank you so much commissioner thank you madam chair just a just as a formality did we actually have a motion we were actually moving and approving the initiatives as we uh brought them forth did we have an motion to approve the ones suggested by the county on page 101 at the very beginning I don't think we did we did not we were just going to bring that back right great and then the last thing is I just I want to thank everybody for another successful Retreat um I I I know we were on some of these items I knew we were kind of being uh bogged down in the details on stuff and I think you know if people were frustrated don't take a person it's just part of the process you know we come to this table with different perspectives and um that's what makes us a good commission if we voted on everything all together agreeing on everything I don't think we'd be a very good County Commission so I just I want to just acknowledge that and thank everybody for being here it's I really enjoy working with the six of you and um we have differences but that there in lies our strengths so thank you madam chair thank you commissioner Min any other comments and I want to I want to also just thank you all for your genealogy today and the respect of of each other and for the work that we have done I think we've accomplished a lot today I want to thank uh staff and our County Administrator for the work that has already been done on the initiative that we adopted uh last year and then to to see where we are in in the second year of the fiveyear uh strategic plan I think is aw Mr Mr County administrat I would also like to thank uh president Larry Robinson for allowing us to be here today this is a great venue uh and I appreciate hting us here and I appreciate thank the County Administrator and his staff for just making this a beautiful place today all the exhibits all the information it's just been a very informative day so thank you again and I will turn it over to our County Administrator for closing remarks Madame chair just a big thank you on behalf of the staff we are excited to um execute another year in the Strategic plan and um just I would just take exception to one thing commissioner Miner said if there was no conflict and you agreed on everything in my humble opinion be you'd be even better if you are cently no you couldn't be any better thank you very much we appreciate it thank you Retreat is a j