##VIDEO ID:0EbKwa0MIRw## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e afternoon today is December the 10th good afternoon today is December the 10th 2024 and you're at the city of opaka CR meeting um M uh CL will you call the meeting to order I mean roll call please board member Irvin board member Kelly pres board member Taylor here Vice chair William present board chair Russell present we're GNA stand and um we're gonna ask what m m Kelly if you would give us a word of prayer and plge eternal God our Father we thank you for this day we thank you for all of many blessings we thank you God as we come together give us wisdom knowledge and understanding do those things which are pleasing in your sight in Jesus name we do pray amen amen I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the for one nation God indivisible withy andice Madam clerk do we have any add-ons no okay well we're going to move to the approval of the minutes for the last meeting of November the 12th move by board member Taylor second second by board member Kelly any corrections if not roll call please board member Kelly yes board member Taylor yes Vice chair Williams yes board chair Russell yes motion pass 4 Z okay we're going to move to the next item which is public comments I I don't have a gavel so I'm going to knock right on the door here public comments are open this commission me I State my address and everything yes sir belon Brown 1151 Jan Avenue opck um I just wanted to say thank you all for um uh the butterfly garden man um I recently was over there over the weekend and I did some I had some alone time man I needed some mind space I need to get out of my home and I didn't have to leave my neighborhood right I went to the um the butterfly garden and and I sat there for like two hours and I meditated and I prayed and I just reflected on life and our community and uh the direction we're going and and I enjoyed myself there alone so thank you for um that butterfly card appreciate it thank you for sharing uh Mr Brown and Madam chair yes sir Mr Brown just so you know the butterfly garden Mr walar we're probably what only 50% complete we're only 50% complete with it so it's not done yet there's more improvements slated to come in the next week um week to two weeks and we plan on having everything done um by January to have a January grand opening um of the butterfly Rose Titus prayer Garden well job well done and I I just love the lights when I passed by the lights are really nice uh no other public comments public comments are closed we're at the right on time we're at the resolution evening evening good evening um Madam while we're waiting on uh for Earth yes sir in the same vein that Mr Brown mentioned about the butterfly I know it's still in progress um is there any way I know we normally have these ribbon cuttings 12:00 in the day is there any way to have it a little later um as you're planning out guess you work with the chair but um you know a lot of times and I'm saying that because I hear with the city we do a lot of our ribbon cuttings and reopenings and whatever um you know in the middle of the day and that's that's okay I guess for businesses sometime but since this one is unique for the community is it possible to schedule it a little later um when you get to that point or if that's something um my colleagues I don't know how y'all feel about it but I'd like to try to have it a little later than you know that 1112 12:00 where really folks can't come to and enjoy it so we can schedule it maybe 4: I mean I know time you know time gets dark pretty soon but just something to consider as you're working towards um getting to that end for a reopening grand opening um I'll defer to the chair I just wanted to put that out there something to think about when we get to that point in January whenever that occurs Madam chair yes for will I'd like to second that idea I work outside of the city and so when we hold uh different types of events like that in the middle of the day it sometimes can be difficult for me I do have a flexible schedule so I as much as possible try to attend as many events as possible but um sometimes it is just uh not feasible for me to do so so uh the later we can uh push them with uh sure that I can attend more than not uh thank you for those comments and I've heard those comments from a lot of the citizens in Community as well because uh when we have things in the daytime they're not able to attend as well and um I know uh the butterfly garden um is something that a lot of people would like to attend so if we can work around uh a little bit later in in the afternoon even as much as uh 5 o' yeah I only say that because it gets dark so I don't know what I don't know how big the program will be how long I know like it say it's lighting over there so um if you go 4:35 um and the program not long we still would be out there in the dark that's what I I just don't want to see that 12 o'clock where nobody get the 11 o'clock where especially for that because that's really Community um geared so guess you can work with the um director and y'all can come up with that for later better and and that's something that the entire Community can enjoy um you know a lot of the uh things that happen in the CRA is just confined to the CRA area but that's something that the whole Community can enjoy so uh uh Mr director we can work along with uh former commissioner Titus to try to work that out yes okay okay we can move I forgot I forgot to put one thing on the bracket if um when you asked any addition I just remembered um I need to talk about the Chinese uh restaurant Madam chair yes can I make the recommendation that we move resolutions to the end of the agenda that way I can stick around for the discussion items and I'll just recuse myself uh from voting on The Resolution since I have a conflict there you're not gonna stay for the food I'll just step outside I'll be back for the food well I I think uh board mcky has to leave uh so if we can do the resolution now because he may have to leave so Mr attorney if we can move into the resolutions first certainly Madam chair and we only have one resolution on the agenda today it's a resolution of the board of the opck of chair I think that's what um if I can I think that's what Vice chair was saying she has recused so oh yes she didn't want to be here when you started so that's why she said thank you I'll officially recuse myself yeah don't go far won't be no chicken when you come back and the clerk you would usually say this at this point that the record reflect that the vice chairwoman has exited the build that's well okay at this point let the record reflect that the vice chair Williams had recruited herself thank you so much yes um a resolution by the board authorizing the executive director to enter into a license agreement under the commercial rehab program for the property located at 490 Alibaba Avenue and to effect execute any and all documents necessary to effectuate the program for your consideration move it move by board member Taylor second second by board member Kelly discussion Mr director you want to give us uh I know we talked about it at the last meeting yeah this is just a part of our um commercial rehab program this is the grant for the train station um that is owned by 10 North there's a budget in the back of all the things that they're going to be doing at the train station um some of it is a match one of it is the match 10 North is is matching the $80,000 cost for a pavilion um the hookup we're going to do um so that they can start to have a there more events there and make it be a permanent thing um and an ongoing thing um but on page 14 of 17 you'll see the breakdown of of the uh improvements that will take place and I don't know if there anybody from tin North is here no they all came a couple weeks ago but they're not here today oh yeah that's right they were here that night I forgot about it okay any comments from the board members hearing none roll call Madam Kirk please board member Kelly yes board member Taylor yes board member Irvin yes board chair Russell yes motion pass 4 Z and I don't know whether we said it when board member Irving came in but uh let the record reflect that she had um come to the DI okay all right M director yes ma'am you can tell her she can come back in now she's getting her oh she's okay it was defeated by one [Laughter] vote okay Mr that right there so on the Chinese restaurant that most of you some of you called me about that the fence is down um we we decided that it's time to move forward with something there um at least at the very least fixing up the outside since we haven't made the decision of what's going to happen on the inside and that process may take a a little long a little longer um but we think we should do something on the outside to make the block look straight so we started by taking down the fence U the parking lot was complete I think the painting is going to be done probably this week if the permits get uh approved P painting will get done this week and you'll have a new shiny we're going to change the sign on top and on the outside you'll have a new bright shiny building um and a new parking lot and we're going to do some Landscaping as well U until we decide what will go on the inside of the building so so so that you know what what's going on on the inside of the building when we took possession of the building it was a mess I mean it was it cost $7,000 to clean the place out and so it's cleaned out and it's completely stripped it's Bare Bones there's nothing nothing in there is completely stripped so it's like a blank space waiting for somebody to come in just so you know that that's what's on the inside because I don't think any of you uh besides the chairwoman has has um has taken a tour um so we have the idea and I would I'd like to run this by you I had a great meeting with the interim uh city manager this afternoon and I ran it by her and I think you know we should run it by you as well uh we would like to activate that spot as you see across the street the windows finally went in at the liquor store uh the signs are here the signs are actually inside the liquor store um the parking lot's going to be done the paint's going to be done in the next two weeks that'll be done so you're going to have a new block over there and then we're going to get the tire shop too so what I'm thinking and again this is my thought until we get something done on the inside which is going to take a while that we activate the outside on the weekend at least and have rotating vendors do some type of maybe one day you'll have a barbecue uh guy on the outside people Park they pull up they Park there's a little space in the back area on the side where you can have seating um maybe one week in it's ice cream you know stand maybe one weekend it's a pop st pop different pop-up station so that we activating the site instead of the site just sitting there until we make a decision about who who's going to take it because you know that's going to be a long process so that's our thought so before I move ahead because I was about to move ahead without without telling you I think I should tell you that that's our that's our that's our goal to do within the next if we could do it this week we would do it this week but we can't do it this week because we need to get the permits and all those things settled with um with the city for the vendor license but that's the idea that the city that the Sher make paint the outside it's going to look nice Jackson Soul food's going to get their parking lot done M Ray nette's here they're doing their project on their own but they're they're they're getting theirs done paint so that whole strip on 27th Avenue is going to look nice in the next month or two um and I just think that instead of having our thing sit there with the fence and a baned that's fading that we just strip it off stripe the parking lot which we did paint the place and activate the outside and I want your thoughts on that Madam Madam chair you H uh I'll take next go ahead Madam chair yes um um to the chair to the manager I absolutely love the idea and it's not a far-fetched idea but I is it most and it's not farfetched for C that have food halls so is that something that we can just adopt an outside food Hall temporarily and not just have rotating vendors but those vendors stationary because that place can hold huh I like rotating but for the weekend hold multiple I'm saying it's the place can hold multiple vendors outside vendors you got a parking issue you got it's a crunch so I think it should be only one at a time um time but for the weekend Mr ball calls us Mr ball signs we could take his property and and create parking but we haven't done that deal yet um but right now I think my recommendation would be just one at a time and I also don't want I also want to make sure that we're not because you also have this with cities also getting complaints for their existing business owners like M rett's tenant um chicken Miami chicken and fish we don't want and Jackson soul food for for example so we don't want want anything that's going to go and compete with the people that are paying our business license and all that stuff that's why I'm thinking barbecue you know she I don't know if she serves barbecue or not but it's not a barbecue restaurant so if somebody wants barbecue they want to come if somebody wants ice cream they could come and get ice cream somebody wants it has to be unique pizza pizza man put a pizza place there for for a weekend or something and it's not every day because what we don't want to do is have competition with our existing restaurant tours no I agree I wasn't saying every day I'm with you on the weekend I saying multiple so yeah and we're gonna so I guess my point is we will be selective I'm not gonna have a soul food uh popup truck come and compete with Jackson with Jackson so we got to be selected with who we uh invited oh thank you madam chair okay uh board member Irving thank you so I I love the idea I was just thinking instead of for just a Friday or Saturday night what whoever is that popup vendor that they will have that weekend Friday Saturday Sunday um and some of them may not come until like after the evening when those businesses aren't are closed so if they are soul food but they're not coming till four o'clock it shouldn't be a big deal um but I do like the idea I love the idea actually um I excuse me board member Kelly I think I saw are you thank you madam chair I like the idea but I do like but right now just one vendor because that parking and the still 27th Avenue would be kind of tight if you do get the ball Appliance where you can expand the parking then I like uh the mayor suggestion one or two I guess the question I I really have is how you going to or I guess you're working to how you would develop who you select in terms of which which vendor you going you know some people like the beginning of a month cuz you know checks come in everybody get paid some people like say I'm just keeping it real yeah yeah I don't know or some people I don't be on the first because the checks don't roll to the third so you know I'm just saying that be because some and then some businesses because of what they do like uh boy m is saying you're not starting to four so I know you mentioned Jackson and some others but even was a soul food I'm trying to think right now even in that oror I don't think you have a quote unquote soul food um place that's there after for so that even would be a problem as long as they know Friday Saturday Sunday but I like the idea for the weekend where people would know and like I said was a donut lemonade whatever it is I'm quite sure people reach out based on what they feel they can say I know Jackson one time had a dut place that was in their parking lot that you know for a while it seemed to be doing pretty good I don't know what happened um so I like that idea just want to make sure that it's rotated and it's rotated fairly or as best way we can do it and um yeah that's only thing I want to make sure of but I think you whether Soul whatever like I say you don't want to compete we're talking 4 o'clock in the evening till whatever 9 or whatever most of our businesses that do restaurants outside of your McDonald's whatever they're not open most of the time after fall which is really a challenge I think people would welcome it um and I I like the idea and I know take space is tight you know sometime you have a little chair and tables out there with a little tent for people that might want to just for a minute and and that might be something if you do get the ball uh property we can look at but I definitely like the idea you said I know you waiting on permits so it's your idea or the um challenge if the commission you know board here agrees with it to move forward and you will come back with a list of or you just going to how would that work that's maybe to you and the attorney so you have these agreements you got liability you got you know nobody getting choked on a chicken bone and want to sue us so how does that how would that work that would be under some kind of agreement that you'd have with that vendor yes so they have to get a vendor um permit with the city and then we would need to have a legal agreement with them at to be a tenant and we'll work with the attorneys to come up with that they would have they would need the proper licenses of course insurance um and we will work with the attorney to get some type of temporary lease agreement done with with the vendor okay and I would I would probably believe because that's some kind of contract agreement right so that would need to come back to the board for it to to be official so although we're trying to rush it I think you're still looking probably at least at the beginning um of the year to make that happen so um but I the idea but make sure it comes back to the board and um Madam sherff with with the agreement signed from the attorney and S so that would work Madam chair we did the eye contact thing so she know I wanted to be next at in the oh I'm sorry it's fine really quick mine is really quick I know sometimes uh when we go to places um as Caterers we have to not only have insurance but we have to have have that City or that business um list listed on the contract as we're in we're insured but they are like the beneficiary of it for that event yes so we need as an additional Insurance yes you have to get a policy for that time and I've never been asked for less than a million dollars yes in Insurance that's that's normal that that's normal is a million dollars um um Miss we would like the record to reflect that our new board member uh commissioner board member Santiago is in the building thank you sir you so much for coming uh you thought it was a Christmas party but you could have come to the party too the party a even started yet so he ear I'm ready for the body yes but we're glad to have you we're in the uh middle of uh discussing the Chinese restaurant and um what the director is thinking about doing that on the weekends on a temporary on a temporary basis until we figure out what we're going to do on a permanent basis yeah because you know I heard I think it was board member um I'm gonna come to you board member Williams I think it was board member Irving say about uh maybe tell her about having several businesses like a like a little food court uh like a little food court because um in in some places where you have such such a diverse Community sometime that works out good as a a food court because you know I might like Jamaican food somebody else might like Spanish food you know everybody wants uh coffee conche and some toast so um when we look at the Chinese restaurant uh Mr director uh can we please not just look at it from one ey lens let's look at it from maybe a type of food court um uh uh a scheme as well also I'm glad to hear that everyone that's going to be participating in this is going to get a vendor's license from the city they have to be approved with the vendor's license they have to come with their insurance um whatever the attorney uh think is feasible to come up with that insurance as well and then they have to make sure that they clean the area once they leave those are my concerns the insurance the cleaning and that they are a vendor with the city the city is is getting uh compensated for them being there so I make sorry yeah I'm sorry madam Roso and uh Mr director uh can you give me a little bit an information what's going on with that shinese again what are we what are we planning to do there okay I'll let the director he uh he's going to explain to what he's doing in on in the inum yeah and this is only and as I told um the board the the restaurant we purchased it I think we took control of it in February of this year we we put a fence around it we put a wrap around it and then nothing has happened because we've been waiting on something to happen either to do an RFP which we decided not to do in the beginning and try to do a direct negotiation with restaurant tour to come in um that didn't work out because even the people that we interviewed that I talked to um I wasn't comfortable with bringing anything to this level because those deals we were footing the bill on most of most of uh the thing that whatever would happen there and so then we reversed and said well let's go through the RFP process which we haven't formally voted on to do but that's what that's what um that's what we've decided to do um is to go through the RFP process but we haven't voted on it that's what I've been told during during our discussions here but I do want to point out and again I'm glad we're talking about this because I do need some guidance because I have met with a group um that can come in and and and take over they have the resources I believe to come in and take over the whole restaurant without you know without us putting anything in it like they would come in they would they would they would do it all um so I just need to know and so to ask your question commissioner Santiago before any of that happens our goal here is to make the place look better and create activity so before we get to that long-term solution we're trying to think of a short-term solution just to have weekend events on the land until we figure out what goes there permanently and that's the discussion that we're having now but since we're having that discussion I will tell you that I have met with a new vendor this week last week um that is willing to pay for all the renovations and pay a market rate rent unlike the people that we were talking to before that wanted us to foot the bill for the build out and all that stuff so I don't know how you want me to handle uh those requests I told them what the process was if they want to submit a a proposal an unsolicited proposal they're more than welcome to submit an unsolicited proposal it's well within their right that means that nobody asks them to submit it but they're going to submit it and then we're going to review it or you all direct me but you need to direct me correct attorney you need to direct me to send out an RFP for the restaurant one of those two things need to happen we need to be open for an individual or or or or an existing restaurant tour or somebody to come in and spend their money to fix it up and pay us a marketweight rent or we get somebody you know Mr Brian Dennis was here a couple months ago um talking about people in opaka that that need an opportunity to have a space as well or if we're going to subsidize someone to go in because they're from the neighborhood and we want to help somebody out in the neighborhood so then we subsidize someone going in there or we send out an RP and we figure out who the best who the best one to choose M gonna come back to you so I'm gonna answer I've got a few but I want to make sure I answer that last question so first I just want to express my support for the short-term uh recommendation and would share for this team for consideration so one thinking about having a rotating schedule so that there is some level of consistency so folks in community know when to expect so this person this vendor will be here every second Friday Saturday Sunday so I would just recommend that we consider having some type of consistency so folks know what to expect yes I'm G to interrupt you on that because I'm glad that we talk about this stuff because you realize where your faults may be I'm actually thinking that we don't do it week by week because you don't allow the vendor to get enough traction to create a a group so we may even think about and I just had to start month by month uh so that you give them the opportunity to get traction with customers I think that's great because part of it is that they're not always going to have the natural traffic and so you need to give them an opportunity to build the traffic whether it's because you're giving them an extended period of time or there's a regular schedule so I love that idea as well and then I believe uh board member Kelly made this recommen uh recommendation but I want to double click on on it that because this is in a visible and hight trffic area I would highly recommend if we can making sure that there's some picnic tables or something out there so it's not just the the vendors in their food trucks but there's actually tables and people can sit down um and I think uh you know folks will see it and hopefully come and and want to sit down and and support those businesses there my my one thing is just making sure that we can obviously secure those tables and and chairs and we don't have an issue there um so thank you for bringing up what happens in the long term um is my recommendation that we put an RFP out and that we have the opportunity to see bids um we are as a CRA on some level Mission driven and so I want to make sure that we are not just seeing you know entertaining the proposal where they have the money I would love to see us entertain proposals perhaps you know that that don't have have the money but I I want to make sure that we are weighing a lot of different options before we just consider the first one on the table so I would like to make a recommendation that we go out and put the space out for RFP so that we can get proposals and weigh them as a board yeah thank you because I'm I'm G have to leave so you have a quorum that's good I want to Echo the same things I I want to suggest that we do rotate it um in terms of a whole month or whatever because it does take some time for traction on not but I I want to really say more than that because we own it and if we going to have a shortterm solution which I think this is rotating it uh with the diversity that the chairish mentioning um having the insurance and all that that commission IR mentioned works for me I'm not in a hurry to put a permanent company out there unless I real feel comfortable with it and I'm saying that because you probably will give folks got money can put out but is that necessarily what we want to do at this point I don't know I mean may turn out with the rotating food truck and then you get ball Appliance property that may work better for us for what we're trying to accomplish at this moment um I'm definitely in favor of the RFP um because that gives more transparency it also allows us to look at all of the options so even though folks may be coming at this point with even unsolicited proposals I would prefer um to my colleagues as well to do the RFP take the Time Craft it get all of our suggestions what we like to see in it put it out there's no rush because we've got the who uh truck the space is happening and we can also see how that's going to work May turn out once you get one truck out there you can get two I'm not saying you can but you may to get two but you definitely will get one um have it out there for a month get some traction is uh Vice chair said people know I'm going to be out there the first month somebody's going to be at there the second month cuz they're going to be advertising too as a vendor they'll be advertising hey I'm going be an OPAC on 27 da D because a lot of them do that I I recommend that that's my um recommendation I don't like to just unsolicited or whatever it may turn out be the best thing because they got upfront money but I don't think we're in a rush to have that happen at this point this a mind perspective so that's my um recommendation Madam Shar of course I got a leave but you got a course so sir all right uh board member Santiago you wanted to uh yes I'd like to add something okay um it sound like a very good idea or we are discussing here but I have a question for for Mr worker did the director of c um this is planed for the beauy of the city and to bring Economic Development yes yes it is yes okay yeah good um and when the plan that we have with this trucks vendors this is going to be temporary yes temporary okay yes another question that we have enough enough space there for trucks we were only thinking one at a time only one at a time yeah and that's creating a well a good revenue for the CRA only one drop at the time well I think the space is limited so yeah I know yeah it's very limited yeah especially with the Trafford in 27 in Alibaba yeah yeah um that's one one of the point that we have to look at you know for avoid any situation there yes in the in the future uh yes I'm also uh feel good with the RP okay in the future to see if we can get and a better proportion okay for any company that's that's good but one of the main uh reason that we are here when the with with the c is because C helping to make the city look better okay to try to bring uh future of businesses and and developments and that's uh that's one of the goals that we have all the Commissioners um yeah I think this is a good idea but let's let's check everything everything uh step by step like the license that they need yes uh there going to be a temporary license uh Insurance like uh commissioner say that everybody have because we don't want any responsibility yes the city for anything happen there yes please okay thank you uh uh board member Santiago and uh one recommendation that I would like for us as a board to really consider Mr the director and board members is that we have uh we have vendors in the community that have been here for long periods of time and uh maybe that you know they may be struggling in business you know and uh this might be an opportunity for us to help build those pre those existing businesses that we have in the city as well because some people they have the money that don't mean that have the best interest of the city so and of the CRA so we're trying to not only just beautify but we're trying to bring Economic Development as well with our uh with our residents and with our businesses to build those businesses that we have so I like the idea I love the rotating I don't know whether I quite uh uh uh get the whole month I don't I don't know whether I I'm quite with that one vendor for a whole month um I I I don't know I don't know how that would work I I'll I'll think about it some more but I think it's a great idea I think it will bring some traction and I think once you uh uh uh bord Irving said people have been calling her somebody called me and say hey your picture down I said what picture they at the Chinese restaurant so I rode by there and I saw that the uh um I thought someone had just took the um the the sign down but I saw that the uh parking lot had been paved and that did wonders I saw the the uh windows for the liquor store um I know we're talking about the Chinese restaurant but at the liquor store are you going to have barriers because you know it's so close to the road right there are you they they exist they exist there right now um and so I think the idea is to straighten them up and paint them and try to keep them because they actually very C they cost a lot of money to replace so the idea I think is to straighten them and then paint them okay and and you know since we're talking about this and I don't want to uh I probably shouldn't say this but I'm gonna say this um we probably could be doing most of the stuff that we weren't doing if we didn't have people cooperating with us okay and and that man sitting right there Mr bertr walar I don't I I didn't know him before I came here to opaka I saw him on the on on the TV there when I was watching YouTube and that that's the first time I'd ever laid my eyes on him but we we've been having trouble with uh getting contractors to come here to opaka to work because people don't think they're going to get paid it takes checks too long it takes whatever and so it's it's hard to find contractors to work with and that's why I have you approve every time we do a project I have you approve a contractor or a consultant but I want you to know that no a lot I want to put on the record this man helps us out a lot oper because he fronts his own money that parking lot that was done he fronted that money the paint that's going to be done he's fronting the money to make this thing happen quickly so I just I just want to put up and most contractors won't do that they want you to pay them first or give them a deposit first so the only reason why this is being able to be happen quickly is because these are his projects that you've all approved and he's running the money quickly to get it done and then we're reimbursing him plus his his his Cost Plus his labor so I just want to put that on the record I don't want to take credit for it because if they're waiting on us to give them a check y'all will still be looking at that fence I know and and in that parking lot um so I just want to put that on the record Madam chair yes go ahead thank you yes he's an opal and that's and that's that's what I mean when I say uh uh businesses that are in the community people that have Traction in the community and and and and I'm I'm sorry to interr and I'm not talking about chump change I we we know it's costly so we thank you we thank you and from the time that he came to this board this CRA board um he has shown us that he definitely is an opal lock in and um uh he works I I see him up and down all day you know I pass by the Chinese restaurant I see him out there um uh the liquor store he's out there so we really appreciate uh what you do for the community and it's because you love this community where uh you grew up you grew up in this community so thank you so much and not only uh Mr Bertram you're talking about him right now but we have a lot of businesses like that that's why I'm saying when we look at the Chinese restaurant we could probably look at some type of food court that we could help some of these businesses that are not so large that are small businesses that are struggling that they can do a food court type uh establishment and you could get three or four vendors in there uh and you know and it might work like that but the RFP going out you know they can come together three three four two three vendors can come together and uh uh put together something so we appreciate that uh Mr director and um we understand the problems that you've been having with getting people paid and you know I asked like what's going on you said well the people won't do it because we won't pay them you know they want to be paid up front so we know that it's a hard task sometimes so we appreciate the efforts uh um and the work that you put into getting this done and all of them and go ahead and I would also like to put on the record that um we had our first meeting with the interim manager uh today and speaking of check writing and we had a list of I think 12 12 13 agenda items on our agenda with the interro manager uh it was a very pleasant and I was more than pleased with the meeting very good um and I think that the um check situation is going to get worked out soon um she she she was sensitive to that um because they're having the same problems we're having obviously um so I just want to put that on the record as well that we had a great conversation and I think moving forward our relationship with the management team here will be good wonderful we we look forward to that commissioner I mean uh board member Santiago uh thank you mam Russ um question why we take so long to pay the vendors that's not a question for that's not a question that's that's the city that's on the city Side you got the city okay that's what I want to it's nothing it's tomorrow night okay okay no and and that's a it's not a real question but it's something that I want to learn because what I what I what I I know from now is the CRA department is totally separated for the city yes we are separated but the city but the city handles our finan our finances finances by the city okay okay tomorrow night you can get that answer no good good that's something that I have to know tonight okay okay um Mr director um uh are we clear with the Chinese restaurant everybody's clear with the Chinese restaurant if I may really quickly say I received so many phone calls about the the Chinese restaurant who did you all lease it to it never came before the board you all can't be doing that to the PE I I don't know I I'll go to see our me a meeting and find out I don't know that anybody is leasing it I don't know well the fence is down and everything is I'll find out at meeting so when you said I need to talk to you all about the the Chinese restaurant I was like thank God cuz if one more person called me about the Chinese restaurant um I don't know what I'm going to do and I and I should also be straight up and honest with you also you know we and it's an embarrassment because we're supposed to be the the agency that's supposed to clear some and blight and we've owned this building since February and all we did was put a Band-Aid on the on the on the problem by putting a fence around there covering it up that's not fixing it and so what brought me in was you know we hired our code enforcement officer the first thing that the code enforcement team said was what about that building that you guys own which is true and I said you know what you're absolutely right and we should be setting the example and that's why immediately after they said that we went out and paved the we took the fence down we paved the parking lot the paint's going to we had the water turned on the city helped us turn on the water um now we're going to pressure wash now we're going to paint and we're going to make it look good because code enforcement was right if we're if our building it shouldn't look that way so at the very least no matter what's happening on the inside we need to make the outside look decent very good agre thank you so much okay we want to move on to the next discussion I would actually like to move those items discussion items because we have a crowd here and it's getting late we spend a lot of time on this I would like to move those items to the January meeting yes and I would like to ask any of the any we we invited our grant recipients uh here today tonight at your request um so if any of them that would like to come up and talk to you about their project uh for their building I think we should offer them that opportunity but I'm going to force one of them to do that uh because it's the one one the last remaining hope the last one that's like on the on the we're trying to bring them in and I know it's on me to do that but I want to bring aee up uh because I'm excited about his project probably the most aim come up yes awesome I don't know if you know right so you have the Jackson so food and then north of Jackson so food there's a e e e e for