CITY OF PALMETTO
CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING
December 17, 2018
4:30 PM
Elected Officials Present:
Shirley Groover Bryant, Mayor
Jonathan Davis, Vice Mayor, Commissioner-at-Large 1
Tamara Cornwell, Commissioner-at-Large 2—(Entered the meeting at 4:38 p.m.)
Harold Smith, Commissioner, Ward 1
Tambra Varnadore, Commissioner, Ward 2
Brian Williams, Commissioner Ward 3
Staff Present:
Mark Barnebey, City Attorney
Jeff Burton, CRA Director
Jim Freeman, City Clerk
Scott Tyler, Chief of Police
Allen Tusing, Public Works Director
Amber LaRowe, Assistant City Clerk
The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. by Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant.
Mayor Bryant: And, uh, the first item on our Agenda is the Master Agreement for Demand Side Management and Energy Efficiency Services. Um, Jeff, are you going to make, before we start that, are you gonna make just a brief report and, uh….I know this is not a CRA Board Meeting, but a brief report on kinda where we are with the-with the um, Multicultural Festival? You’re going to do that at 7…or?
Mr. Burton: I can do that now…. (Inaudible)
Mayor Bryant: Okay.
Mr.Burton: Whatever you want.
Mayor Bryant: Okay. Well I-I know, um, Antoinette were you going to stay for the whole meeting? (Inaudible)
Mayor Bryant: Okay, as long as she is going to stay for the whole meeting.
Commissioner Smith: Excuse me Mayor, um, I think we should, um, do that right now. And, um, so Antoinette can, uh, ‘cuz she-she, actually she’s worked all day, I think she wanna go home.
Mayor Bryant: Well, that’s why I asked her was she planning to stay the whole meeting. She’s gonna stay the whole meeting.
Commissioner Smith: Well, I still, uh, request for us to do that right now ‘cuz I think it’s gonna take a little while.
Mayor Bryant: Well, if….
Commissioner Varnadore: I don’t have a problem with that
Mayor Bryant: I don’t have a problem, but we are going to have to limit the time on it to some degree. And I-I think that we’ve reached an understanding. Um, okay, Mr. Burton, did you wanna lay the ground work for that?
Mr. Burton: Um, sure. As you know, in the next thirty days, we’re gonna have the Multicultural Festival. This will be the, 6th, 7th,
Commissioner Smith: <Inaudible comment.>
Mr. Burton: The 19th of January, <inaudible comment>. The 6th or 7th, yea, been doing it a while. We’re <papers shuffling over microphone, cannot hear comments made> Um, so, uh, we currently are just normal, working with uh, the school to get parking and with the County with, uh, with the field. And, um, same time. Uh, we currently have, uh, the bands scheduled and, this year they’re coming out of, um, all over the place. But um, there’s um, a little bit more in the air, uh airfare, and a little bit more on the hotels. Um, and the transportation. Um, everything else is moving forward. Um, we are running just a little over budget on this one just because of the airfares and the hotel and the transportation. We are going to try to cut that down a little bit by actually going and getting them ourselves. Uh, they’re just flying into Tampa because it’s cheaper. So, um, so, we-we actually cut down a little bit on that, just by um, on Friday and Sunday, um, going to the airport ourselves. But we are gonna have to move just a little bit of money around to, um, make, uh, to make the budget on that one. Um, this isn’t the first time we have had <inaudible comment> little bit of money around to make, make the budget on. Um, we’re talking and, um and also, we are planning and this morning Antoinette was able to lineup the Mangoes which is a Latino band. Very good. Out of Tampa.
Mayor Bryant: And they’ve been there before.
Mr. Burton: Yes.
Mayor Bryant: I remember them before.
Mr. Burton: Second or third year. And they were very good. Um, and that’s why we went after them specifically. Because we knew what we were gonna be getting. Um, and then, uh, and then, as always, we wanna do our kids rides. So, I’ve got some, usually have some extra money in insurance that I’ll move over, and then we’ve had some savings on some other projects we’ve done. Our 4th of July, I think comes in, where we think comes in, under budget this year. It will probably be one of the most affordable ones we have done yet. But we’re looking, probably, is, we usually run around $30,000 in budget. This one is gonna run close to $40, 000. I’ve been running about $35,000. But we’ve always had that insurance money that, we-we had there just in case. And we always just use that, so. Um, I can take a little money out of advertising that we have, we’re not going to be advertising as much because of the new Credit Card Policy, I’m just not gonna do it the way we have done it in the past. Um, so, just wanna let you know that with the Mangoes added and the kid’s rides, that we are gonna be, on the books we are ten over, but we are actually about five over. Because we always have this other five that we have set aside for our, um, insurance, that we always move over, so. And that’s from when we used to get insurance for everybody, but then we just have them provide their insurance to us like they do at the 4th of July. So, um, and they must as an additionally insured. So that’s where we are with the Multicultural, and, um, it doesn’t require a budget adjustment. Just wanted to let you know that heading into it, that, uh, just so you’re aware. So, and it will side-coincide with the-the Parade. And it’ll pretty much be the same as it was last year, except we went with a little bit more larger band and that they had a little bit more transportation cost.
Mayor Bryant: And-and I will tell you kinda what, because I have been checking in. Because, to be multicultural it needs to be multicultural. And, um, at the time I inquired, we did not have a Latina group. And, so that was one of my questions was. And, so, um, I met with Antoinette and Commissioner Smith as well. Um, he wanted to sit in on the meeting. And, so, we did, and that’s when we determined it may run over a little this time. So, um, but at any rate, wanted to let everybody know where we were and ensuring what we are having so. You had a comment, Commissioner?
Commissioner Smith: Yes. I do.
Mayor Bryant: Okay, go ahead.
Commissioner Smith: Okay, um, first of all, I set a meeting up, with uh, the Mayor.
Mayor Bryant: Mmhmm.
Commissioner Smith: Not her letting me come in the meeting. I’m the one that set the meeting up for the Multicultural Fair.
Mayor Bryant: That’s correct. I-I, yea, I-I, yea and then I invited, uh, Ms. Kilgore
Commissioner Smith: Now uh,
Mayor Bryant: Because she’s the one in charge of it.
Commissioner Smith: Now, uh, I don’t know why she invited her because, uh, technically, uh, I had speak with her during budget, said we’re gonna need an extra $5,000 dollars. And she agreed to that. I spoke with Jeff and I told him the Mayor agree with the $5,000, he said okay, he’ll put it in the budget. Never showed up in the budget. Okay. So that’s when I told him <inaudible comment> we’re going to need more money. So, we had a problem. She called Antoinette down there intimidating her, I don’t like that. Period.
Mayor Bryant: I-I-I would. I. No.
Commissioner Smith: Let me finish.
Mayor Bryant: No. I stand here.
Commissioner Smith: Let me finish.
Mayor Bryant: No. When something is a falsehood, I’m not accepting it.
Commissioner Smith: I got the floor. ‘Cuz you didn’t have to call her down there.
Mayor Bryant: She is the person
Commissioner Smith: Hold on, hold on
Mayor Bryant: Coordinating it
Commissioner Smith: No-no-no, hold on-hold on let me finish. You had me to get the bands when I first came here four years ago. You had me to get the bands ‘cuz you couldn’t half get none. Hold on, I ain’t finished. Yea I was there when the Mangoes was there before. And I was standing up out there to <inaudible comment> there was twelve people there and you say you wanted to get it <inaudible comment> so I went and got some more bands for you and I got them under budget. We did great and everything was good. We had a lot of people. No fights, no nothing. That’s one reason why it was created, the Multicultural. So there would be no incidents going on down the road after the bands, after the, uh, parade. Multicultural. I stay in a multicultural area. I stay right beside Hispanics, I stay down the road from whites, I stay down the road from blacks and all of ‘em will be to the event. And they love the music that we have there. And, um, the reason I got the bands that I did get ‘cuz I was hoping that the rest of my colleagues would come too. That’s the reason I got the Blue Notes last year. ‘Cuz I’m pretty sure they can know what the Blue Notes sang and everything else. And a couple other bands I got was coordinating with, now <inaudible comment> you know, I’m appalled for her saying you don’t have, we don’t have multicultural event. Because that’s really wasn’t technically what it was set up for. It was set up for <inaudible comment> incidents was happening and that but they was happening down the road. And, um, <inaudible comment> has been no incidents. Period. Since that. Was I right? Um
Chief Tyler: Yes, that is correct. Certainly not in the City. I can’t speak for outside the City
Commissioner Smith: Right. In the City. Now, um, I don’t. See everybody came. Mingle together. Now, far as multicultural, like I said, I stay-I stay in the multicultural area. I don’t want to bring in too many people at the outside where it effects the Chief. You know I don’t-we don’t want you-you-you come in and say let’s get the Mangoes again. We had twelve people down there when they was there. Okay, great. I don’t care if you get the Mangoes, you get ‘em if you want ‘em. But, you put me in charge of that. ‘Cuz you wanted more people to come to the event.
Mayor Bryant: I-I would tell you. I cannot put anybody in charge
Commissioner Smith: Nope, I’m just telling you told me to get you a band.
Mayor Bryant: No, because
Commissioner Smith: Hold on, hold on
Mayor Bryant: I have four other commissioners
Commissioner Smith: Let me finish-let me finish, I’ve got the floor. Okay, and I asked ya I said now you want me to start getting the bands and you said no. That was in the meeting. And I don’t know why you brought <inaudible comment> because you intimidating her, now I don’t like the way you done that. You know, young lady like that you bring her down there you didn’t have a reason to bring her down there to that meeting. You could have called Jeff to come down there and talk with you ‘cuz that’s <inaudible comment> I talked to you. No, I tell you what I’m going to do from now on. From now on, you know ‘cuz see anybody can talk on this you know. Anybody, that’s on this Board. And, uh, I want them to put in ideas. And I asked. Hold on, hold on, hold on. I ain’t finished yet. <Laughter> and I also told you, I said I’m going to talk to Mr. Williams, hopefully he can get us a Caucasian band. You know, if that’s the way you wanna do it. But, I still don’t want no fights, I don’t want no shootings. Now if they do some fights and shootings go on, Mayor you creating it. I’m gonna say that right now. Because you getting a Latino band that you don’t know who they-who they been playing, what crowd they’ve been playing to. Lately. It’s been four years since they’ve been here, right?
Mayor Bryant: I, well I-I don’t have the floor, so you finish
Commissioner Smith: No, I’m just letting you know, you know
Mayor Bryant: No, you finish up
Commissioner Smith: So I don’t want-I don’t want no problems and I think it been going great and I think we’ve been having the supervision been good. Chief and having his, uh, his officers down there. Been doing good. Everybody been having a lot of fun. No incidents. I think we need to keep it that way. No I’m gonna go again, I did ask you for $5,000, so you know coming from the <inaudible comment> acting like I never asked you that. Bring Antoinette in. You shouldn’t have did that, you know, ‘cuz you intimidate her when you do that. You act like she ain’t doing her job. You come up and say multicultural. Okay. Antoinette, you telling her like this right here-we ain’t been having these bands. The bands. We should have a Latino band. No, you shoulda been talking to me, not her, ‘cuz I’m the one that been getting the bands because you told me to get ‘em. But you intimidating her. She shouldn’t have been there like that. And I don’t like it. Period.
Mayor Bryant: Are you through?
Commissioner Smith: Yes, I’m through.
Mayor Bryant: Thank you very much. Now, for a little bit of the reality check. The reality check is that indeed, I do not run the Multicultural, nor should any Commissioner up here run the Multicultural. There is designated staff to do that. Now, Commissioner Smith, you were-you were involved in it
Commissioner Smith: I asked a question.
Mayor Bryant: And you were asked
Commissioner Smith: <inaudible comment>
Mayor Bryant: I-I have the floor. Um, and you were asked, I believe, to help locate some of the, some of the African American bands.
Commissioner Smith: Nope. Nope not African American. Bands. Bands.
Mayor Bryant: Well, okay. Bands. But, the reality was I wanna make sure always, that it is multicultural. I believe we are in excess of 25% of our population is Hispanic. So my question is always to make sure that it is multicultural, and to-to imply that we can’t have Latina bands or Latino’s attending, uh, you know, kinda flies in the face. But, that being said, the intent to bring it up tonight and have a report on it, was to advise the Commissioners. Also, as the CRA Board and that’s not our meeting tonight. Was to make them aware that we were actually going to need more funding
Commissioner Smith: <inaudible comment>
Mayor Bryant: And so that’s where we are. So, uh with that, Mr. Williams you <inaudible, coughing>
Commissioner Williams: Yea, I just wanna say, that uh, I think that, ‘cuz the way the Multicultural event has been unfolding and developing that, uh, this year we need to review the budget and perhaps increase the budget line. I wasn’t aware of the $5,000 that was brought up, so I’m-I’m prepared in my opinion that we just need to review and look at the budget, and-and if it’s costing more for the entertainment and so forth, um, that we do that. The one thing that-that, um, I am a little, um, let’s say, shocked about is, that, uh, we as Commissioners should not, uh, if we have recommendations to make, we need to make those to Jeff or Antoinette, or whoever is going to be in charge at that point. But, um, one year I made a recommendation on a Cajun band, um, so I have made recommendations. Um, and, I certainly see nothing wrong with that. But for us to be out, if-if the case was that Harold was put in charge of locating a band, you know, I-I don’t agree with that scenario. But, that’s just-that’s again, I don’t think we need to debate that up here. I think it’s something that you guys need to take care of internally, so. Um
Mayor Bryant: And I
Commissioner Williams: That’s fine
Mayor Bryant: And I will tell you that Ms. Kilgore has done an excellent job. It wasn’t questioning her in the least, it was just inquiring who it was. So, because I knew we had excessive, you know, we had airfare this year, and so that being the case, that was, I knew it was driving the cost up. Now, I did, um, Mr. Burton and I did share the concern about having more money in the budget. And, you know, I don’t always follow those through after we have that discussion. So maybe that’s a gap on our part, you know, I’ll take that, but, that being said, I don’t think any one of you should be in charge because the whole point of multicultural is not to ignore any-any-any group.
Commissioner Williams: And we all do
Mayor Bryant: So
Commissioner Williams: We all do live in multicultural community
Mayor Bryant: Yeah
Commissioner Williams: This is a multicultural community
Mayor Bryant and Commissioner Smith simultaneously: Exactly.
Mayor Bryant: And that’s my point.
Commissioner Williams: So, going forward, I think we just ought to let our folks that are in charge of those things, let them run it. The one thing I don’t want to see, though, is that do it now and ask for forgiveness later. I don’t want to see a $5,000 or $10,000 increase and say oh well we went ahead we had to do that because they were from Washington, the State of Washington, I don’t want to fly them across country to come here and play, so. Um, but, let’s try and keep it local.
Mayor Bryant: Well, and that was, that was, the point. I didn’t want anything to blindside y’all. And that’s the reason that I suggested
Commissioner Williams: Antoinette has done a great job, with this, so I have no problems.
Mayor Bryant: Yeah. Anyone else wanna make any comments prior to, uh, Commissioner Smith? Commissioner Smith…
Commissioner Smith: Yeah. I would like to say Antoinette has been doing a great job and then, you know, we coordinate together with she getting the bands, I’m getting the bands for her and I ask is we on schedule? What we got? How much money we got in the budget? How much we got left? Now, I’m not mistaken, last year, if I’m not mistaken, I think we put it in the uh, uh, um, we ask for a $5,000 increase in all this <inaudible comment> uh, last year. So I been doing this every year. You know and I don’t know why I gotta keep doing it every year, but I, you know, I know the next time I’m just gonna come to the Commission and ask for an increase, you know, ‘cuz any Commissioner can do that, just like, um, Commissioner Brian just said. Uh, you know, you look at it, you look at it, and make sure, you know, you gotta do an increase do an increase. Now, technically, you know, you say a black band. Actually, you take all the bands I’ve been getting ain’t been black, really, you know. Some of ‘em mixed. You know, and all of them ain’t black. You know, some of ‘em are mixed. But, I don’t want to have to have no problems. I think we been doing great, and I think we’ve been having a lot of people out there, and, um, no fights, no fuss, um, so why change? You know. And uh, we have blacks there, Hispanics there, all of ‘em there ‘cuz they live in our community, and they right there. They right-right behind the park right there. You got plenty blacks, Hispanics, and they be there. The children, everything, be there playing. That’s why I ask you about increase for the children.
Mayor Bryant: And that’s when we really followed through on. Because the children
Commissioner Smith: No it wasn’t there
Mayor Bryant: No I mean that was the, that was the, thing. We knew we only had $2,000 left and we need 5 for the children’s part. So
Commissioner Smith: No I asked you we need $5,000 for, that’s what we had needed, and I think that’s when Ms. Antoinette told you, um, Friday. She needed 5. If I’m not mistaken. That’s-that’s for the rides
Mayor Bryant: She has $2,000 from the insurance and she needs 3 more to make it
Commissioner Smith: No, she needs 5 more for the rides. I’m-I’m just telling you exactly what she needed. And that’s what she said
Mr. Burton: For the
Commissioner Varnadore: What do we need?
Mr. Burton: We have, we have 5 in the insurance, but there, we put 2 in <inaudible comment> we’re just trying to keep our money tight. Um, as far as the budget was concerned, the CRA budget m-moved forward, I think Commissioner Williams, you’ll remember this, moved forward without having a final amendment done on it, be-just because this year we were working without Karen and, uh staff, said we catch up to it later, and, um, but we-we’ve worked with it the way it is. There are some small things in it that-that are a more costly working with Misco to make sure these are kept where they are supposed to be. <Inaudible as two people were talking at the same time>
Commissioner Smith: I wasn’t-I wasn’t finished yet. Uh, now, like I was telling, uh, the Mayor, when I was meeting with her, I was saying, you know, I understand that, uh, how much that, uh, they get for the 4th of July, I don’t want that kind of money. We don’t need that kind of money for that event. And I-and I expressed, and I told her all that. And you know, I said well, you know, I think they get $80,000 and she say nope 4th of July ain’t get but 40.
Mayor Bryant: What did you just say earlier? For the 4th of July?
Commissioner Smith: I’m just saying what you told me
Mr. Burton: We budget $80,000 for the 4th of July
Commissioner Smith: Yea, but you told me they don’t get but 40. You told Ms. Antoinette that
Mr. Burton: The-the, ye-yeah
Commissioner Smith: I’m not <inaudible comment> how much they get
Mr. Burton: For the actual act
Mayor Bryant: Yea, he was, he was bringing <inaudible comment>
Commissioner Smith: I know how much they get but I’m just saying that’s what you said <inaudible comment> Ms. Antoinette they get and she told you what they get
Mr. Burton: The sound
Commissioner Smith: Because she work for the CRA
Mr. Burton: With the music that can run up to $15,000 for the Fourth of July. It’s more affordable for the Multicultural because some of the acts we get for the Fourth of July they have certain requirements, like lighting, and we all know that’s ‘bout like the last fifteen minutes of the show because
Commissioner Smith: Right.
Mr. Burton: Sunshine out for most of it and we always try to talk ‘em out of it, but they always want their lighting. The light we do because the bands at the Multicultural, they don’t ask for that-that level of lighting.
Commissioner Smith: No, they don’t.
Mr. Burton: They don’t. So we, it’s, we can-we can keep the numbers down for the-for the Multicultural. So to answer your question, no more than 10, but that includes the 2 that we have in the insurance now, and we have, uh, a number of projects that came in way under budget with the <inaudible comment> applied sciences. We have-we have that kind of money just floating around, so. We’ll be okay.
Commissioner Varnadore: Do you need action for it or
Mayor Bryant: No
Mr. Burton, Mayor Bryant, Commissioner Smith, and Commissioner Varnadore all talking simultaneously so inaudible on specific verbiage being stated by each independently.
Mr. Burton: Said he didn’t want to be like told after the fact
Commissioner Varnadore: Okay.
Mr. Burton: Just coming in, I’m letting you know
Commissioner Varnadore: I’m just confirming and making sure you didn’t need a formal action
Mayor Bryant: No.
Commissioner Varnadore: Within certain lines.
Commissioner Smith: Actually, let one band go, um, the Ohio Players, I let them go. And they actually bringing Mike Tyson down with ‘em, ‘cuz he kinda open. And he was gonna talk to the kids, but, I had to let them go. I told ‘em ‘cuz we’re not budgeted for to do them. You know, so I told ‘em, I told ‘em Friday I was speaking with the Mayor, you know I didn’t see that we were gonna be able to use them, and he was going to help them with it and it really wasn’t gonna cost but $5,000 for me to get them. You know. When you know people, you know, they’ll help ya, you know. As long as, you know, this is for the children and for the community. So, you know, that’s what I be-I be trying to do, keep everything up under budget and we been having some great acts. And I hope some of the colleagues come, and, uh, I hope ya’ll come to the one on the 19th, uh, and then you’ll see some great singing and all the singers I’ve been trying to get. Give you love songs, you know, that’s the kind of music we have out there. Love songs.
Mr. Burton: The, just-just so you know, the-the, you know, we have had Rose Royce, um, Freddie Jackson, and, uh, Melvin and the Blue Notes
Commissioner Smith: Melvin and the Blue Notes, mmhmm
Mr. Burton: Melvin and the Blue Notes, and then last year we had
Commissioner Smith: That’s who, um, I can’t even think of all them. She probably know all them. Laughter. But we done had some-some named people. The people we done had there, some of them done won Grammy Awards. You know, we done got ‘em for good prices.
Mr. Burton: Uh, the, and-and the agents that-that we use for the Fourth of July, the list that they give us, these-these acts aren’t on that list. They have like the Commodores and Kool and the Gang and things like that. Th-you know, that’s $80,000 right there for one of them.
Commissioner Smith: Right.
Mr. Burton: So, the-the, uh, and Commissioner Smith has been helping us because his family has been in this business before and he knows a lot of the contacts. So we’ve been able to get some, I don’t know, we’ve picked up some folks
Commissioner Smith: Yeah.
Mr. Burton: Dirt cheap. And we’re-we’re happy to-to get ‘em. So, um, um, that being said, um, we have lifted that whole program up to a national type level. Just to give you an idea too, on the, on the other side, the side you don’t see, this year we were looking at bringing in Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and we wanted to mix it up a little bit, so we looked at The Platters to give it just kind of a more, like an urban feel with Blood, Sweat, and Tears. And then Blood, Sweat, and Tears comes back and says we’ll do the gig for you, but they’re too old for us to play with. You know, y-y-you know, th-th, as much as we decide on this side, there’s also this thing going on with, and-and, some of those musicians can be quite temperamental. And they have certain things that they want. I know that Freddie Jackson wanted four long stem white roses
Commissioner Smith: Yes
Mr. Burton: On a white. You know, I mean, we-we-we go find ways to make it work. But sometimes they’re just really, you know, temperamental, and, but sometimes not, like Charlie Daniels, that was a nice one, so.
Mayor Bryant: It was easy enough to do.
Mr. Burton: So-so
Commissioner Smith: Freddie Jackson that cheap
Mr. Burton: So, we’re doing good. Um, we try and listen to what you want, uh, each and every one of you. And we try and make that happen. And we’ve been very successful with it, so. But, just like Commissioner Williams said, we would rather come before you and let you know something ahead of time, but I agree with ya, I wouldn’t want to sit up there and then come to find out later, because I also know you guys, and I know you, you, you’ll get it, that’s cool, just make sure it gets done. So, it’ll get done and we’ll take care of it.
Mayor Bryant: Are you through?
Commissioner Smith: Well, one more thing. I just want to make sure, could ya’ll please come out just for a little while, uh, just listen to the first act, you know, three or four songs, uh, go on the stage with us, and you’ll see that, uh, it’s a nice environment and everything else, and, uh, you, you’ll be very pleased with what goes on. Uh, could ya’ll please be there on the 19th. That’s all I got Mayor.
Mr. Burton: No as hot as the Fourth of July
Commissioner Smith: I know the Mayor’s gonna be there
Mr. Burton: This one’s cold.
Mr. Tusing: It usually is
Mr. Burton: It’s during Fair week
Commissioner Smith: It was cold last year
Mayor Bryant: Um, just for the record, I did inquire how much the Fourth of July was and you did give me $40,000 for entertainment. That was more what I was referring to because the whole-the whole event I knew was more. So just for the record. Um, Mr. Williams, and then we need to move on.
Commissioner Williams: Yea, um, I just want to reiterate one thing. Although I understand contacting Commissioner Smith and working with him and his ability to help, but I do think that in the future, that we need to be told that it’s gonna happen because if I’m out here and I hear well Charles arr-, or Harold, arranged to get this band, well no he didn’t, then, you know, it doesn’t look good. So
Commissioner Smith: Right.
Commissioner Williams: Beforehand
Mayor Bryant: And that’s a concern
Commissioner Williams: Right
Commissioner Smith: Right
Mayor Bryant: I shared with
Commissioner Williams: Beforehand, let us know
Commissioner Smith: <Inaudible comments>
Commissioner Williams: That this is going to happen, on anything, not just this situation. Um, as far as
Mr. Burton: And we-and we are still waiting on you to get us Reba for 20
Commissioner Williams: As far as, um, the 19th, my only, the only problem is that it, with the Fair, uh
Commissioner Smith: Yea
Commissioner Williams: Being involved in that as deeply as I am, it’s-it’s hard at times, so. I have to wait and see where-where I am on-on the 19th, so.
Mayor Bryant: And just for the record, Antoinette is the point person, and if I have a meeting with anybody that is inquiring about it, she’s gonna be in the room or you are.
Mr. Burton: Uh, and-and we had a meeting right beforehand, and I actually had to come back and have a meeting at, Antoinette and I switched so
Mayor Bryant: Uh-huh
Commissioner Smith: Yea but actually I think, um, I with Mr. Williams, I think it should be done right here, in front of all the Commissioners so that they’ll know what’s going on. That’s what I’m gonna do from now on.
Mayor Bryant: That’s fine.
Commissioner Smith: From now on anything that I’m doing I’m gonna make sure the Commission
Mayor Bryant: Okay-okay I’d rather do that because then we have a witness
Commissioner Smith: I think that’s the best way then everybody’ll know what’s going on.
Mayor Bryant: Yea, that’s fine. Um, okay, moving on we
Commissioner Varnadore: Just a final thing, everyone’s happy with the bands now?
Mayor Bryant: Yea
Commissioner Varnadore: Antoinette?
Mayor Bryant: But she was not intimidated
Commissioner Varnadore: And Harold you’re happy with the bands?
Commissioner Smith: Uh, I’m happy, I’m just hoping nothing gonna happen like I said, ‘cuz you know, sometimes when you get a crowd, a mixture, a crowd together, I don’t know who, I don’t know who they bringing with them when they come, you know ‘cuz we got our own multiculture area where we be at right now, you know, like you say, like Mr. Williams say multiculture in his area too, you know, right now, so. And I stay down-where I stay at it be a multiculture part for about 30 years uh-uh, longer than that. You know I grow up with the Campos they stay right behind me and they been there at least 50 years, so, you know. We’ve been multicultural for a long time and then the people will be there to the event, you know. You-you see the people that come in the parade the multicultural parade. So them the people that come down there and come there and Palmetto Youth Center mulitculture, we know that. Some of the, some of the people they have, so that’s what I call multicultural, now, you know. As far as the bands, we be, you know, you’re still gonna have to have some bands there that people want to see and people want to hear, so, you know. That way you get more-more kids out there ‘cuz the parents will bring their kids out there, you’ll get more kids out there that way. If you don’t have any bands nobody wanna hear, nobody gonna be there.
Commissioner Varnadore: Okay, thanks.
Mayor Bryant: Moving on, Master Agreement for Demand Side Management and Energy Efficiency, Mr. Tusing.
<End of verbatim minutes>
1. MASTER AGREEMENT FOR DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES
Mr. Tusing recapped the previous discussion on the Florida Power and Light (FPL) master agreement for demand side management and energy efficiency from October 2018. Mr. Tusing indicated that staff has been having discussions with the FPL representatives since then, reviewing City facilities to determine what improvements could be made and where. The attached Agreement was then drafted and approved by the City Attorney to secure the services necessary to complete the project.
Madonna Rykken, representing FPL, informed the Commission that the next phase includes detailed audits. This means there will be designs made and then bidding out the entire project so the costs will no longer be estimates. Ms. Rykken explained that the City will be provided with the exact cost and the exact savings. FPL will guarantee the savings because that is what is used to pay for the project. If FPL prepares the entire report and the City does nothing with it, there is a cost for the engineering of the plans for this project. If the City has the report and implements the report, then that same engineering fee is paid for as part of the project as a whole and paid for with the guaranteed savings.
In regards to where the lighting will go, Ms. Rykken indicated that the first step is to place all the interior lighting and exterior lighting as it relates to the outside of City buildings and the City building parking lots. The next step will then be to upgrade the existing FPL street lights in the City.
Commissioner Williams questioned how long the project would take once it is ready to go. Ms. Rykken indicated that FPL can install approximately 100 lights per week with an estimate of completion for the City within four weeks [this means to change out the old FPL light heads and install new, LED light heads].
This item is on the 7:00 p.m. Agenda for potential approval.
2. PINZON PROPERTY AGREEMENT CIVIC CENTER HOTEL
Attorney Barnebey discussed the changes made to the Agreement since the November 2018 workshop. The Agreement continues to provide a payment of 80 percent of the tax increment received by the CRA related to development of the hotel property up to a maximum of $6M. These increment payments will go to the bond holder who are relying on the payment of the increment.
The Agreement has been modified since the last meeting:
· Section 11.2.2. and 13.2 eliminate the CRA’s ability to withhold a percentage of the tax increments to the bond holders in the event of a default. The reason this was eliminated is because it would likely be a severe impediment to the ability to have bond financing, thus endangering the redevelopment project.
· A proposed liquidated damages fee of $100.00 per day for violation of Article IV items related to hotel specifications.
· Section 4.2 was added, requiring the hotel name to be “Palmetto (Franchise Name) Hotel at the Convention Center”.
· Section 5.2 had a sentence added to the end of the paragraph indicating that the parties agree that payments shall be made pursuant to this Agreement even if no bond financing.
Commissioner Varnadore discussed the date of September 30, 2019 in Section F of the Recitals. This date is in regards to the City and County entering into an agreement to convey the County Right of Way (ROW) parcel to the City as it relates to the 7th Street Extension. Commissioner Varnadore disagrees with having a date in there because of the concern that the County will not convey that ROW in the timeframe to the City and then there will be an issue with the development of the extension for 7th Street. Bob Gause, representing InDevelopment, LLC, spoke regarding the date issue. He opined a date should be in there, maybe not this specific date as listed, but a date should be in there so that the City and the County work together to get an agreement.
Discussion ensued regarding the naming of the hotel. Commissioners Williams and Varnadore are not in favor of having “Bradenton Area” in the name. Mr. Gause spoke regarding the naming issues. He explained the reason that Palmetto should be at the forefront at the name; however, the franchise will dictate what will be in the rest of the name. The franchise may want to put into the name the location of where the hotel will be located. Currently, the name of the convention center is Bradenton Area.
Commissioner Williams discussed Section 11.2.2 with the $100.00 per day for each day the Agreement is in breach. He opined that this amount is not high enough; he would prefer it increase some or there be a sliding scale depending on the nature of the breach.
Mayor Bryant adjourned the meeting at 6:04 p.m.
Minutes approved: February 4, 2019
James R. Freeman
James R. Freeman
City Clerk