Regular Meeting @ 11:30 a.m. - Oct 13, 2026

Good morning, everybody. It is October 13th. It's 1130, and we're going to go ahead and get this meeting started. Before we get started, I'm going to ask Abdullah John Koch, are you here? Yeah, if you'll come forward and give the invocation. If everybody could please stand. And then after the invocation, if you'll join me in the pledge, and you'll just go right to the front there. Yeah. Yes, sir. Dear God, O merciful, O gracious, great of the heavens and the earth, We praise you, and we give thanks to you for making us, and for making us members of this community. We ask for your blessing on this meeting, on everyone who speaks, on everyone who listens, and on the commissioners who make decisions, that they may make decisions and lead this community with wisdom, with humility, with prudence, faithful to their oaths, and seeking your blessing and your pleasure. Amen. Thank you. Okay. I pledge allegiance to keep the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. Okay, Commissioner. So Commissioner Alford is at the canvassing board. She might be joining us later. Checked out today. And are there any changes, Mr. Manager, on the agenda? All right. I'll take a motion. Yes, sir. Move for the agenda. Second. We've got a motion and a second to approve the agenda. Is there any discussion? Anyone from the public wish to speak to the motion? Seeing none, back to the board. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion is unanimous. All right. We've got an agenda. First item is the announcements. Mr. Sexton, welcome. Good morning, Mr. Chair. Welcome, Tal. Mr. Chair, a couple of things. We've, as you know, we did a pothole portal announcement, and Public Works has been working diligently with hundreds and hundreds of requests that have come in and notifications that have come in. But I thought I would share with you the first month of the pothole portal's effectiveness and Public Works' effectiveness in dealing with this issue. In the last four weeks, there have been over 600 reports on the portal. We have repaired, Public Works has repaired over 4,600 potholes. 4,600? 4,662 potholes using 178 tons of materials. They have strip milled, and as you know, that's that process where they cut out a section and do a mill and resurface on a section. They have strip milled over 5,500 linear feet of roadway, or 776 tons of material have been used. Also, we have an outside contractor who is also doing the strip mill and resurfacing, and they've done another 7,539 linear feet of roadway using 685 tons of material. So that is an amazing effort. Then also, Mr. Chair, we had a couple of events recently that we sent the video out on. Actually, one event and then one video that we produced on veteran services that we want to share with the commission. Welcome to the Trail Dedication and Observation Platform Grand Opening here at Turkey Creek Preserve. It's really an exciting day for our conservation program and an especially special day because we get to honor Bob Simons. We're celebrating the legacy of him. He's one of our greatest land conservation heroes here in the county. The view here is really beautiful. It's a short half-mile walk from the parking area, and you have this beautiful vista into a nice ephemeral wetland where you can enjoy birds, butterflies, or just a nice peaceful moment. Bob was our local conservation hero, and it's so fitting to have this trail dedicated in his honor. Bob served on the board of the Alachua Audubon Society for 52 years. He dedicated himself to conservation, and he identified the best natural areas in the county, and he advocated for the protection. Probably the most important thing, it's really important for us to identify conservation issues, where we can have a positive impact. So, that's been my role. All of these projects that I've worked on and for lots of people cooperating together for the capitalists of them. It's really hard for one person to do themselves all by their styles. You know, what really has struck me about Bob over the years is how he was so thoughtful and how he approached our natural world. Bob was an amazing, knowledgeable man who was always fair and always well-informed and always ready to do the right thing. He was really responsible, along with Helen Hood, for getting San Felasco to be a state park, and this sort of backs up on San Felasco here at Turkey Creek. He convinced 13 landowners to sell their land to the state, and so we have these wonderful parks because of Bob. So, Alachua Audubon, we really wanted to honor Bob, and we were so pleased that the county was willing to name a trail after him. The Alachua Audubon Society very graciously donated several signs that you can find along the new trail, just explaining what Bob's legacy was, including a sign on this boardwalk that just emphasizes some of the birds you might see on Turkey Creek. Turkey Creek is about 376 acres in size. It's one of our most popular preserves in the county. It has about five miles of trail. We have this new observation platform that we just finished construction that lets visitors get out onto this marsh and see the wetland habitat and any of the plants and animals that call it home. We also want to recognize the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, which is a state grant that paid for 75% of the construction of this observation platform, as well as some local private donations and Wild Spaces Public Places funds. He was a very gentle sort of person who didn't make a lot to do about anything. He's never made a big deal out of anything. He would be embarrassed because so much fuss was made over him, but not because he didn't appreciate what was being done. No, he would have very much appreciated it. And I do, too. Josh Massry, who's running the meeting today, was responsible for that video. Thank you, Josh. Well done, Josh. Yeah. Also, you may know that we got a $500,000 grant to assist with our veteran services recently, so we thought this would be a good time to showcase veteran services to the community, and this was pushed out on social media and on Channel 12. Hi, everybody. I'm Olajuwon White. I'm the director of the Alachua County Veterans Service Office, and as you have served, we are here to serve you. The Alachua County Veterans Service Office reaffirms our commitment to supporting our veterans, surviving spouses, caregivers, and our military families by providing free accredited assistance with veterans' benefits and claims. Our office offers a wide range of services to include VA compensation assistance, pension assistance, VA healthcare enrollment assistance, and many other initiatives to support our veterans within our county, over 17,000 of them. We serve through outreach, resource coordination, and many initiatives to ensure that our veterans and their families receive the benefits that they're entitled to. Whether you're filing an initial claim, pursuing additional benefits, or just need assistance with benefit eligibility, the Alachua County Veterans Service Office is here to walk you through every step of the way. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8.30 a.m. until 5 p.m., with dedicated walk-in hours, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to claims assistance, our office hosts many veterans-centric events throughout the county throughout the year, including our annual Veterans Resource Fair in Stand Down and also our annual Veterans Day Celebration right here at Veterans Memorial Park. For more information, visit alachocounty.us forward slash veterans services or call 352-264-6740. In public, just be for potholes in the future. It's going to be to report all public works, roadway, bridge issues. It's going to be rebranded with a new name, and it will eventually take the place of the RB maintenance e-mail that people use to report these things now. This software has a great deal of functionality that we're going to be taking advantage of, and more to come on that soon. And those are the announcements. Okay, Mr. Sexton, we've got Commissioner Wheeler. Just very quickly, Mark, is there a place on that portal for people to report that their roads have been taken care of and give a thumbs-up or something to acknowledge that their concerns have been addressed? Mr. Chair, it's my understanding that that functionality is not there right now. Right now, it's strictly a reporting functionality. There may be more functionalities coming, though, as we learn more about all of the capabilities of this software. Well, maybe just an e-mail to the board occasionally saying, you know, good job. We've got a couple of those. Yeah, I just didn't know that there would be a way, too, for people going on the portal to see that other folks are, you know, having their address addressed. And that's, thank you for that suggestion. I will tell you that we are doing weekly e-mails of updates to the pothole situation and the incredible work that these crews are doing and the astronomical number of potholes that are being addressed, as you heard earlier. So we are doing that. We're doing press releases. We're putting it out on the My Alachua notification all over social media. So we will be shouting this from the rooftops. Yeah, as long as our crews know, you know, that they are leading the charge and being our heroes, for sure. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Filling potholes, dedicated land, and serving veterans. Good announcement, Mark. Yes, sir. Appreciate you. Okay. Next up, Commissioners, we've got approval of the recognitions. I'll take a motion for those three. Move approval. Got a motion and a second to approve. Oh, yeah, approve the recognitions, and then we'll do the employee third quarter presentation. Any public comment to the motion? Back to the board. All those in favor, say aye. Any opposed? All right. That motion is unanimous. All right. Next up, Mr. Clerk, is the... Mr. Chair, first up is the length of service employee recognitions for the third quarter presentation. Okay. Welcome. Good morning. Are any of those folks here? Yes. We have several folks here today. Oh, good. Good morning, Commissioner Suzanne Swain, Human Resources Director. And we are here to celebrate our employees and their length of service. Please come. We have several employees here today that we are going to recognize. This is one of the best parts of my job is to recognize our employees. And I know our commissioners feel the same way. So as you come up, Aletha has your certificate, your pin. If you are to get a plaque, please let me know if you would like to speak today. And we'd ask you to stand on this side or over here so that we can recognize all of our employees as we call their names. Cynthia Sorrell Nazaro Leary, five years. Congratulations, if you are here. Michael George Larderer, five years, Animal Resources and Care. Congratulations. Nicole Lee Bartlett, Community Support Services, five years. Congratulations. And if I say anything wrong, please forgive me. Bethann Louise O'Connor, Community Support Services, five years. Brea Aitlin Mayberry, Community Support Services, five years. James Frank McDonald, Community Support Services, five years. I'm behind you guys. You're good. Perfect. Rebecca Stephen Passels, also known as our very loving Becky, five years. I'm going to have you scoot down just a little bit so I can see they've got all the guys or if you want to swim. Perfect. Thank you. Oh, I can hardly speak. Brittany Marie Posey, fire rescue, five years. Congratulations. Kenyea Teone Graham, fire rescue, five years. Congratulations. Fred Charles Hillman III, fire rescue, five years. They are, yes. Joelle Arco Lemus, fire rescue, five years. Nathaniel Quinn Malden, fire rescue, five years. Tyler Justin Rogers, fire rescue, five years. Shelby Lynn Bates, fire rescue, five years. A lot of them. They come and they stay, which is amazing. Kevin Vincent Welsh, fire rescue, five years. Justin Charles Bryce, fire rescue, five years. Silver Bland Ware III, fire rescue, five years. Diana Claire Tilton, fiscal services, five years. Travis Rochea Curtis, public works, road and bridge, five years. Sarai E. Cabrera, community support services, 10 years. Sandra, or I'm sorry, Calandra F. Calhoun, court services, 10 years. Keith Malden, court services, 10 years. 10 years. Christopher L. Wiley, public works, road and bridge, 10 years. Regina Rents, solid waste, 10 years. Debbie Baines, ERP systems, 15 years. Joelle LaGuerre, information services, 15 years. Jane Claire Hendricks, ag extension, 15 years. Ebony Glenn, court services, 20 years. Jordan Bacon, fire rescue services, 20 years. Ryan Lowry, fire rescue services, 20 years. Robert Sullivan, fire rescue, 20 years. Nadia D. Pendleton Scott, court services, 25 years. Christopher Gilbert, environmental protection, 25 years. Eric King, fire rescue, 25 years. Randy Look, fleet management, 25 years. Donald Page Jr., solid waste, 25 years. Cheryl Ellis, fire rescue, 30 years. Would you like to say something, Cheryl? So I wrote down a few thoughts about 30 years. It's gone by way too fast. I'm truly best blessed, excuse me, to work with some of the best fire chiefs, alongside exceptional coworkers, and with amazing employees. I'm incredibly grateful to each of them for their leadership, support, and for continually challenging me to grow throughout my career. However, I'm especially thankful to my husband, Harvey, who retired from ACFR back in 2018 for putting up with me and this crazy career that I've had, and to my family for their love and support over all these years. I've truly loved being a part of the Department of Fire Rescue and having the opportunity to contribute to our mission. Looking back on these 30 years, I'm filled with gratitude for the people I've worked with, the experiences that I've had, and the opportunity to serve my community. Thank you. Mark Luck, fire rescue, 35 years. Dana Lynch, court services, 34 years. Congratulations on your retirement. We want to thank all of our staff and employees for being here today. We truly appreciate all you do each and every day. It says a lot that you have come and stayed with Alachua County. It says a lot about our commissioners and our staff that support you and our leadership team. So thank you for being here today. Please all come up front, and we'd love to get some pictures. We will take... They weren't up there? Okay. Oh, we want to give the plaques out. Wow, real big. Thank you again for being here today, and thank you to our commissioner. Mr. Chair, the next item is a presentation of a proclamation recognized on October 21st as the lights on after school day in Alachua County, Florida. Mr. Chair, do this with our... I see some of our children's trust... Yeah, if our children's trust folks could come and join me at the podium over here, I'd appreciate it. We're so grateful to the voters for supporting our children's trust and understanding that investment in our young people is an investment in the long-term success of our community. And this is just a little... One small way in which the children's trust is doing amazing work to ensure safety, literacy, and opportunity for our kids. Hi. All right. Declaring October 21st as lights on after school in Alachua County. Whereas the Children's Trust of Alachua County stands firmly committed to investing in the quality of after school programs because they provide safe, engaging learning experiences that help children develop social, emotional, physical, and academic skills. After school provides a solid return on investment. Every dollar invested in an after school program saves at least $3. by increasing children's earning potential, improving their performance, and reducing crime and delinquency. The Children's Trust of Alachua County has provided significant leadership in the education and well-being of our children and youth, supporting 378 students in after school programs throughout Alachua County in the 25-26 year. And whereas many after school programs across the country are facing funding shortfalls and being forced to close, the Children's Trust of Alachua County is committed to investing in after school programs to ensure every child has access to a safe place where they can learn and grow while helping them develop the skills essentially for a success in life and work. Whereas Lights on After School, the national celebration of after school programs celebrates the importance of quality after school programs for children, families, and communities. This year, the local celebration will be held on October 21st at the Willie May Stokes Center in Micanope, Florida. I'm sure we have some more information about that shortly. But therefore, through the authority vested in me by the Board of County Commissioners of Alachua County, Florida, I do hereby proclaim October 21st as Lights on After School Day in Alachua County, Florida. It's signed by all the appropriate people and has this beautiful seal. And we just want to say a big thank you for all of the children's trust. Would you like to say a big thank you? Good afternoon. First of all, thank you to all of our commissioners. Thank you, Commissioner Prizia. And thank you all, taxpayers of Alachua County. Because of you, we exist. And we are able to support so many of our children and families here in Alachua County. We are excited about yet another year of Lights on After School. As Commissioner Prizia said, we will be celebrating this event on October 21st in the big city of Micanope. Please come and join us. Bring your children. Bring your families. We are going to kick off everything that afternoon at 2.30 at the Willie May Stokes Community Center. As you all know, our children need safe places to be. Our families need to be able to depend upon someone to keep their children while they work. We have phenomenal after school programs here in Alachua County. And quite frankly, the trust funds just a fraction of those. But all of them are doing great work. Please support them. Please support children. Please continue to support our families. So, I hope that I will see some of your faces. I know I'll see some of you. Because some of you in this room are our actual after school programs. And then lastly, I want to put a plug in for our Community Champion Awards. So, this year, the Children's Trust has kicked off our Community Champions Awards. If you think about it, there are so many people in this community, I say it everywhere I go, Alachua County is special. You are special. There are people in this community who have for years supported children and families. And they've never been recognized. I call them our unsung heroes. Well, we want to recognize them. So, if you go to our Children's Trust website, you will see all of the information about the five awards. There's a Lifetime Achievement Award. There's a Rising Star Award. Believe it or not, there are two awards for young people. One for kindergarten through fifth grade. And you might say, what is a kindergartner or a first grader doing? You would be surprised. Our children will surprise you in the most wonderful ways. They care, they are involved, they are engaged in their schools, as well as in our community. They are our future leaders, y'all. So, please, please, please check out these awards. I hope that you will make a nomination. And I also hope that not only will you join us on the 21st, you'll join us on December 14th, where we will be recognizing some of your neighbors as great community champions. Thank you, Commission, for this proclamation. And that December 14th is at the library headquarters? Yes, sir. At what time? At 4 p.m. 4 p.m. Yes, sir. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Commissioner Frizia. All right, Mr. Clerk, I think we are at noon. Yeah, why don't we go ahead and break for public comment? So, twice during the day, we open the floor up to anyone that wishes to address this board about anything not on the agenda, or if they want to address something on the agenda because they have to leave. This is their opportunity to do that. We'll take comments from the chambers first, and then we'll move to our phone lines. We've got a light system. Green means go. Yellow means 30 seconds. And red means next person's turn. Feel free to queue up at either of the two microphones. And we'll go ahead and get started. Mr. Connish, you are recognized. Mr. Chair, Jim Connish, I'd like to have the overhead, please. Overhead, please. I'll be speaking to you on a regular basis about Poe Springs, which remains close to human occupancy because it's unsafe to enter the water. In 1980, we purchased a residence on the river now owned by Fielding, and we resided there from 1980 to 2003. To protect our investment and the spring in the park, I purchased 36 acres adjacent to Poe Springs Park, this entire subdivision. You cut a corner. You didn't buy it. Henderson-Halloway carved it up for a trailer park. I bought it. We picked up 300 cubic yards of trash in here at a cost of $5,000. We didn't bury it. We picked it up. According to a plan by Mike Campbell, we by hand cut down laurel and post oaks and burned over and over again. I burned up my wrist. I don't do it anymore. And we hand planted longleaf pine approximately like $100,000 or so. This is not easy work, sir. In 2022, I invited Andy out, and I wanted to update the county on my progress over there because, after all, I had nominated land for acquisition in 2001 and never heard anything. Andy really liked what we had done. So she went back to headquarters, and the county, from the highest level of government, proceeded to trespass our farm, put a stop work notice on a four-story egg building constructed over a seven-year period with no address, no septic tank, no well, and no power off the grid with cordless tools, sir. Then, code enforcement actions. For two years, solid code enforcement actions. Seventeen members of your staff have generated 400 emails attacking everything we do out there, sir, which is, in fact, a showcase on even growth longleaf timber farm. I am appealing a bogus code enforcement decision. One, the property appraiser is in cahoots with you, revoking our agricultural classification, then giving it back, and then denying it down by the river. So I encourage you, I encourage you to change course immediately. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Connish. All right, next speaker, please. Hey, welcome. Hey, how are you? Good afternoon, Commissioner. It's Chris Deutsch here. First, I'd like to commend the outstanding effort Infirm Shelter Director Diane Suave has initiated to contain an extremely contagious and frequently fatal canine bacterial pathogen at ACAR. Once detected, she initiated quarantine antibiotic protocols for all dogs on site. I am very relieved Diane is in charge of this crisis. She exemplifies her competence and caring. I implore the county to support her in every way possible now. Secondly, I'd like to ask what the results of the county investigation of an unauthorized vaccine clinic held at the shelter August 22nd has uncovered. All the local news outlets reported that this clinic did not have a veterinarian present. According to the published stories, the county had committed to looking into the facts of the clinic. What has been found to date? Did official records that were reviewed indicate that the shelter vet performed pre-vaccine exams on all pets and was recorded as administering the vaccines? That 44 rabies vaccines were given to cats and dogs that by state law require a veterinarian to physically give the shot? It appears official records were falsified as the vet is alleged to not having been on site or had knowledge of the clinic. Did you find that at least 12 of the 28 individuals bringing their pets to the clinic were shelter employees and at least 30 of the 57 total pets were owned by shelter staff? Did you find that the vaccines were given to animals whose owners did not live in Alachua County, as spelled out in the clinic advertisement? How long was that clinic advertised for? Was it merely a pop-up clinic initiated by employees? In total, 44 rabies vaccines, 20 cat combo vaccines, 29 dog combo vaccines, and 29 canine bordadella vaccines were administered at an unauthorized clinic at taxpayer expense. What remediation can the county manager tell us about how the rabies vaccines in particular have been offered to clinic goers? I understand that former staff members Brittany Howe, Nii Diazo, and Kyle Fell were put on administrative leave and ultimately resigned. Was it due to the clinic and or the outrageous and disgusting email sent to this board trying to discredit Diane Suave? In retaliation for actually having to do their jobs after the investigative report came out, absolving them from all and any wrongdoing. It would be easy to say that we told you so from previous bad acts that held no accountability and it led to these actions with impunity. The farcical investigative report told them that, as did this board, accepting it as a moment to just move forward, performative. Who ultimately will now take accountability for this? Lastly, you all owe Sarah Gilley and Diane Suave a huge apology. Besmirching their character could have been avoided if a true investigation had been performed. And if, whoop, that should be good. Thank you. Okay, thank you for your comments. I hope we get some answers to that. Yep. Okay, next speaker, please. Hello, commissioners. My name is Quill Darling. I'm here as a representative for community group, The Free Market. I actually have some literature here for you, if anybody. Give that to the clerk. Yeah. He'll make sure we get it. I'm here today seeking a chair letter of support for our group. We are interested in opening a free store here in Gainesville where people could come into a retail environment and get things like clothing, home goods, groceries, and medical supplies all completely for free. We are interested in taking over the old Habitat for Humanity Restore building at the corner of 6th and 23rd. This building is currently owned by a company called Beezer. They are a chemical remediation company working to remediate the groundwater and topsoil, which has been contaminated by runoff from the adjoining Cabo Coppers Superfund site. At the moment, their intention is, once their remediation is complete, to flip the Habitat property to whomever. And they are having an open house on the 21st of October that anybody is free to attend. And they want to update people on their progress with cleanup. We intend to send a representative from the free market to petition them to donate the Habitat building to our project. So we are asking for the county commission to send letters of support for our project if that is something that you are interested in. I'm also happy to answer any questions about the project if you have them. Any questions? Yes, our contact information is there. Also, I've met with Chair Cornell and Commissioner Alford already. Thank you, Cole. Thank you. And I plan to be at that meeting, too. Thank you. Yes. Yeah. If anybody else who's not a commissioner wants to attend and advocate for us, that is October 21st, 5 to 7 p.m. I support you. Thank you, Cole. Thank you. All right. Next speaker, please. Hello. Do we have the overhead, please? No, you had it right. Yeah. For our Gainesville Circus Center folks. Yes. Hi. I'm here to talk to you about the Nature and Culture Destination Enhancement Grant. For the past three years, the Gainesville Circus Center has produced Brazil Fest, which has been largely supported by the Nature and Culture Destination Enhancement Grant. So if you are, before you go any farther, if you are currently being evaluated, we have a cone of silence, and I wouldn't want you to disqualify yourself speaking about the grants. So if you're not disqualified, then I would suggest you speak generally. Don't speak about the specific grants, because you could disqualify yourself under the cone of silence. Oh, wow. Okay. Well, what about a program that has been disqualified? If you've already been disqualified, you're welcome to speak. In your name. My name is Corey Cheval. Our application has not been entirely disqualified, but a specific program has been disqualified. Okay, go ahead. You can speak to that. Okay, great. You've already been disqualified. So this event has been supported for the past three years by the county, as well as the city, City of Gainesville, and for the next season, the funding was cut specifically for this event, citing Florida statute relating to DEI. While we understand that the statute requires the applicant to certify that the county does not and will not use county funds, requiring its employees, contractors, volunteers, vendors, or agents to subscribe to, or be instructed using materials relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We don't understand how a cultural celebration merits a violation, and I have read and reread and looked into various interpretations of the Florida statute, which is restricted to hiring practices related to DEI. So in the case of Brazil Fest, we do not have any sort of exclusionary practices on hiring staff, and as far as funding that goes to the event, we don't even, the majority of our events are not specific to a specific event. a specific culture, other than circus arts, which I could give you the whole history on international contributions to circus arts, but I'll spare you. The point is, we are not excluding other cultures so that we can celebrate a culture. It is also ludicrous to ask applicants to answer questions regarding our contributions to the cultural development of Alachua County, or the cultural significance, questions number 19 and 20, of our proposed project. Without outlining the specific cultural attributes that make the proposed project unique. Furthermore, without clarification on the matter, we're left to assume that the grant will only allow henceforth for cultural productions relative to Native American culture, specifically to Mukwen culture, as any support for your descendant culture, or otherwise, would inherently promote equity inclusion of diverse cultures in Alachua County. So, I will just close by saying, this is extremely punitive interpretation of an extremely vague statute that only hurts our community. Thank you. I'll ask the attorney to speak on that after public comments. Next speaker, please. Hello. My name is Abdullah John Koch, and I just wanted to call your attention to the condition of County Road 346. I'm glad to hear we're talking about potholes today. That road has many potholes repeatedly over and over. It seems like it's prone to potholes for some reason. I don't know why, but there have been many times where I've hit one traveling 55 miles an hour, the speed limit there, and I'm afraid I've damaged my car. Hopefully, that hasn't been the case. But if something can be done about that, it just seems like filling a pothole again, it's just, you know, the road just keeps getting bumpier. If something can be done for resurfacing, maybe it's already planned, I don't know, that would be greatly appreciated. Okay. Thank you. And thank you for the invocation this morning. Next speaker, please. Welcome. Good afternoon, commissioners. My name is Rachel Ryan, and I am the executive director of Family Promise at Gainesville. For the last 16 years, I have been proud to call Gainesville home. Alachua County has always been a community where I felt safe enough to be open about my past, a place that gave me room to grow, to learn, and to become the person that I am today. I have never felt like I had to hide where I came from or the mistakes I made along the way. I never had to worry about whether I would be accepted because of my background, my work, my dedication, and my commitment to this community spoke for themselves. And for a long time, that was enough. But today, I stand before you because I'm afraid that that is changing. And I want to be clear, my story is not unique. There are so many of us in this community who are just as impacted, people who have made mistakes, taken accountability, worked incredibly hard to rebuild their lives, and spent years giving back to the very community that gave them the second chance. We are case managers, advocates, leaders, and people who show up every single day to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community. And now, some of those same people are being told that they may no longer qualify to do the work they've been doing successfully for years, not because of their performance, not because of anything they've done recently, but because of something that happened in their past. Like so many others, I have worked incredibly hard to get where I am today. Nothing about my journey has been easy. But I have always believed that if I worked hard, did the right thing, and continued to show up for my community, my past wouldn't have to define my future. So when I saw the language requiring Level 2 background screenings and contracts with Alachua County, I was incredibly disheartened. Because I couldn't help but wonder, at what point is work we've done to change our lives enough? At what point do we stop being judged by who we were and start being recognized for who we've become? I understand that there are things happening in the state and federal levels that are outside of our local control. And I understand the importance of protecting the people we serve, but I also believe there is a difference between protecting our community and unnecessarily creating barriers for people who have already demonstrated their ability to serve it. That is why we are here today respectfully requesting that the Level 2 background screening language be removed from the county contracts wherever it is not otherwise required by law. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness. We are asking that our years of service, our character, and the work we have done to rebuild our lives mean something. I believe in this community. I believe in the leadership sitting before me today, and I believe that Alachua County has always tried to do right by the people who call it home. My hope is that we continue to be a community that opens doors instead of closing them. A community that recognizes growth, values lived experience, and understands that someone's past does not determine their ability to make a difference. Because the same people who once needed a second chance are now some of the people working hardest to give others theirs. Thank you for your time and for your continued commitment to our community. Thank you, Ms. Ryan. Next speaker. Hey, Lee. Hi. Thanks, you're going to get sick of me. My name is Lee Scott. I serve as the Director of Community Engagement at Family Promise of Gainesville. I'm here today to talk about Level 2 background checks that have trickled down into our county. Arbitrary rules that have begun to wall out the most effective, qualified, frontline workers in homeless services, substance use, mental health, and re-entry. Across our country, nearly 80 million people carry a criminal record. We have to change our approach to how we reintegrate people back into our community, and it starts with creating opportunities. In social services, having lived experience is not a liability, it's the ultimate qualification. These workers are the special forces of social work. They speak a language that a 23-year-old fresh out of a master's program simply cannot speak. They offer an expertise that a degree from UF cannot buy you. They know the streets because they're from those streets. And the data backs it up. National research shows that integrating peer specialists with lived experience reduces psychiatric hospital readmissions by over 50%. Cuts inpatient hospital stays by 70 to 80%. Peer-led support system saves taxpayers thousands of dollars every year by diverting folks from emergency rooms, state hospitals, and county jails. Engagement and trust in peer-led services increases positive health and housing outcomes 60 to 80% compared to traditional case management. Now there's about 40 to 50 of us formerly incarcerated workers across multiple agencies in Alachua County who've done this work for the last 10 to 15 years and produced undeniable results. These people in our community with criminal backgrounds have gotten hundreds housed, fed thousands, gotten hundreds into treatment for mental health and substance use, often on their own dime. And I want to be clear, all of us have been vetted and background checked by our own agencies. But we are allowed to sit with the CEOs, the hiring managers, and directors, and have a conversation about the distance and effort and recovery we had put into healing our past and righting our wrongs. These directors know what they're doing. While so many people talk about homelessness and addiction in theoretical terms, these frontline leaders are doing the work that nobody else will. Mark, I'm going to have to, okay. Go ahead, Lee. These are folks doing the work that nobody else will. They go to Majestic Oaks and Campus Walk to deliver food on their own time. These are neighborhoods that your traditional case managers won't go into. They go to Grace and encampments late at night to deliver medication they picked up from the pharmacy with their own money. We tell people who hit rock bottom to get clean, rebuild, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, they do exactly that, they get certified, they become a housing manager and an advocate, they turn around to pull others out of the exact same hell that they survived, and then our community builds a paper wall designed to keep them out. Make no mistake, our local agencies are feeling their hands tied more and more. I've talked to leaders across Grace, Meridian, Paramedicine, Grace Street Outreach, Family Promise. Every single one of them can tell you stories of having to fire, demote, or pass on the best candidate for the job of losing fear of funding. In Gainesville, where we lack robust industry, we're pushing proven leaders back into 14 hour jobs. Trust the leaders of these agencies to vet and hire the best people for the job. Thank you. Thank you, Lee. Next speaker, please. Hello, my name is Bianca Williams. I am Director of Operations for South Main Station. I came here today to ask you all to please consider opening the new parking garage that is being built by the courthouse for nights and weekends for the downtown community. I believe that downtown would greatly benefit from having access to this space. I know that it's a complex issue and that there are many, many aspects to consider in doing this, but I would hope that the county would consider coming up with some plans to present perhaps at the next meeting where we can discuss how we can make this possible. Downtown parking is a pretty contentious issue, but there are many, many local businesses and business owners that will greatly benefit. And who have definitely felt the impact of not having as much parking as they would like. I mean, no one has as much parking as they would like, but I do think that this is a solution that has problems that are surmountable. And I would ask that you all please consider how we can make this possible. Yeah, I know that's coming back to us at a future meeting. Yeah, thank you. Okay, thank you. Next speaker, please. Hey there. Commissioners. Thanks for hearing us out today. So I'm also here along with Bianca and there's several other people in the room, too, I'm sure, who are representing downtown organizations, downtown businesses that are in support of using the new county parking garage that's been constructed for your judicial campus on nights and weekends as public parking. And, you know, there's so many important issues that have come up. Like, I'm totally with the people who are talking about banning the box and allowing folks with criminal histories to have work without being questioned about it. But these issues tie together, but when it comes to downtown, people want to feel safe downtown, they want active streets downtown, they want services downtown, they want an accessible downtown and parking. I ride a bicycle. I don't have, like, a lot of skin in the game, but I am the director of Heartwood Soundstage, and so we bring thousands of people, tourists and also locals, every month into downtown to shop, to eat, to spend their money, to support local businesses like ours. And without parking, that reduces that accessibility and makes it really hard for people. Like, the number, the two top reasons I hear people talk about not wanting to come downtown is parking and safety, and those things are tied together. Because if you can safely park and have a place to be, and if there's, parking's accessible, more people come, and the more people that are there with their families shopping, enjoying the entertainment we provide, our great arts and culture in the downtown district, that makes a safer, more active place for people to be. So, thank you. All right. Thank you. Thanks for being here today. Next speaker, please. Hey, commissioners. My name is Paul Donsky. I'm here because I have an application in for the open seats on the Land Conservation Board, but I might need to leave soon, so I'll just come and introduce myself now. Yeah, great. Thank you. Yeah. I'm a scientist at the Suwannee River Water Management District in the Minimum Flows and Levels Office. I'm also a Ph.D. student at UF in Forest Resources and Conservation, and I've lived in Alachua County for the majority of my life, so I'm seeing, you know, our nature here is really what makes this community special, and the work that's been done to conserve natural areas in the county is amazing. We've also seen how much things have changed in the last 30 years, and, you know, as long as people keep moving to Florida, we're going to have, you know, increased development pressure pretty much, you know, everywhere within the county, right? So I think now is really a critical time to be strategic about, you know, where we want to conserve so we don't see things continue to change, you know, in the direction that we don't want to see and impacts our environment. So I'd like to serve on the board. I think, you know, my history in Gainesville as well as my work and my connections to the Water Management District would make me effective in that role. So I can take any questions if you have them now, but thank you for your time. Paul, okay, thanks for being here and for your application. Yeah, nice to meet you. Yeah, appreciate it. Nice to meet you, too. Hey, next speaker, please. Good afternoon. My name is Bailey Bruce. I am also here regarding the parking garage coming. I am the events director for the Top Restaurant and the Woolley Event Hall right here in downtown Gainesville. I'm here to ask for your help with the new county parking garage on Main Street. This is a 500-space garage courteous of taxpayer dollars. As I understand, it's intended solely for courthouse use, which means it will sit essentially empty on nights and weekends. Nights and weekends are exactly the times my business depends on. My venue hosts private bookings, public events, and I often have 100 to 400 people arriving at once. Downtown street parking is critical. Moreover, it is limited currently on the street parking is limited for two hours until 8 p.m. That doesn't work for someone attending a wedding, a fundraiser, or any evening event. Clients have told me directly they can't book with me because of the lack of available parking downtown. Here, I have, and I will present this email. I was saving paper, but I have more. I have just one email that directly cites downtown parking for a reason someone would not book with me downtown. They took their business elsewhere. Bless you. I have a handful more of these emails, but that doesn't account for the feedback that I haven't received for why people haven't booked downtown. I have even had someone cancel their tour because their bosses found out that the Wooley is downtown and parking is too difficult downtown. That is lost revenue for my business, lost activity for downtown, and lost revenue for the county. And the parking problem is about to get worse. The development of Lot 10 is coming soon, which will bring more people and more demand for parking downtown. At the same time, the new streetery has taken away 35 parking spaces. Downtown is adding activity while losing capacity. A 500-space garage that sits empty on nights and weekends could help offset that loss. Here is what we are asking for. We understand that operating and maintaining a garage costs money, but if you charged admission on nights and weekends, that could help offset the operating costs. And the fellow downtown businesses I've spoken with are fine with a paid option for this garage. We're asking the commission to have county staff explore options that would let the public park in this garage on nights and weekends through a paid arrangement. As taxpayers are funding this building, it seems contradictory that something so strategically placed in the heart of downtown would not be available to the public use of outside courthouse operations. Parking is essential for our downtown to thrive. Thank you for your attention. Thank you, Ms. Bruce. Yeah, thank you. You'll all have to come back when we have this discussion. Okay. All right. Next speaker, please. Who else is here to speak in person? All right. We'll go to the phones after the speaker. Good afternoon. You are recognized. Good afternoon. Alachua County Commissioners. My name is Aaron Dozier. I'm a resident here within the jurisdiction of Alachua County. And I come today to bring the concerns that we're having, that I'm having, my family is having, while residing in apartment complexes here within Alachua County. We're dealing with property management who are exploiting the tenants, such as myself, and using tactics of extortion with third-party billing companies, such as Real Page Utility Management. Rent, this is under Hallmark Companies Incorporated, which is located out in Atlanta, Georgia, the Real Page Utility Management. It's in Texas and California. They're using, this is one month bill for $320.19. I've also received a bill for $5,370.37 in one month. Hi. Yes. Flip it over. Yep. They are causing my family and us to go through chronic homelessness. We're, I have two daughters. We're working towards upward mobility. They're using tactics with saying that if we don't pay those egregious rates, they're using eight-day notices of evictions. I've brought this before the Alachua County Sheriff's Department and also made the reports. And they're deciding to make false police against me and retaliatory measures. The Alachua County Sheriff's Department stated to bring it before the courts, and I am, and we currently are before the courts. But they are using these tactics currently where we stay at to come into our apartment, our residence, without statutory purposes, without using statutory laws, giving us a two-day notice before coming in if it's not in emergencies. I know this is not enough time to actually explain everything that's going on. This is the current company. And so while I'm at the courthouse now, I'm also receiving death threat letters. So thank you. Thank you, Mr. Judge. All right, next speaker, please. Got one more? Hey, come forward. Welcome. This is Sayyad Muhammad. I'm not to leave. Just to make sure he doesn't leave. He's not leaving. Okay. Go ahead. This is Sayyad Muhammad Iqtadar Haida. I have sent email today in the morning for all of you just coming here, making humble submission to expedite that request as early as possible. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right, Mark. We'll go to the phone lines. You have anyone on the phone lines? No one on the phone lines. All right. We're going to go ahead and close public comment. Commissioners, I got Commissioner Fritzia and then Commissioner Wheeler. Okay. I'm going to address things in reverse order here that I want to speak. First, Mr. Dozier, I don't know if you've worked with our, that we do have in our EEO office an opportunity for you to file if you feel like you've been the victim of any kind of, you know, I guess I'll just say discrimination. And so that's definitely something to look into if you haven't. And I'm sure one of our team members can get you the contact information for that so that you could file that claim. That's just one piece I wanted to pass on to you today. Yeah, and they're located right downstairs. Yeah. Second, the level, so next up is the parking. I know you said it's going to be at a future meeting, but when I spoke with the manager, she said it wasn't necessarily coming back to us. Oh, it's definitely going to come back to us. We asked for it. We asked for it to come back to us, but then I was told it wasn't, or that it probably wouldn't. Tommy, can this come back to us in the next 60 days, 30 days? Yeah, 30 days. The last direction of the board was at a joint meeting. That joint meeting got canceled. So if you would like it to come back, yeah, it can come back whenever you're ready. It's ready for whenever you want to address it. Yeah, next meeting. It comes back at either the next meeting or the 10th. I don't know what the agenda looks like for the next meeting, but in the next couple of meetings, it'll come back to us. And this is a decision that needs to be made in the next six to nine months. So as long as it comes back to us in the next couple of meetings, I think that'd be good. And if we can make sure that everyone gets notice of that meeting so that they can be here, that'd be great. Okay, the level two. So that will all, so for those of you that came for parking, that's coming back to us. We've asked our staff to bring back some recommendations. It'll give you an opportunity to come back and speak to it again. And I know that the downtown group is organizing as far as the reasons why. I heard some really good comments today about a paid option, so that will be coming back to us. Yeah. And the judges will obviously have a say about that too. And I think, I mean, yeah, we can talk about it when the meeting comes. So I won't make any comments now about the position I have on it. But I do think it's important that as many folks as are impacted by this be there to share their perspectives at that meeting as well, on all fronts, judicial and community. So thank you for being here today. I did, I will say, I was told that it might not come back to us. So I do, I did, that's part of the reason why I asked folks to come and share their perspectives on this today. Because I was told it, I thought it was coming back to us as well, but then I was told it might not. So I was like, well, we, I know the community wants to hear it, so let's bring it forward. 100%. At least in this forum. Okay, great. Next up is level two background checks. I would like to make a motion that we remove level two background check requirements from any of our contracts where they're not fiscally required or legally required by statute. Second. Okay. Got a motion and a second to remove level two background checks. So, um, sorry, I guess we need to, I guess I, I can just want to, on top of that, say that I am, I am sorry to the community for having to consistently have to defend yourselves. You've proven your worth, you do good work, and it's really unfortunate that we're even in this place where we're having to have this conversation. We have a ban the box for the county, and we've worked really hard to build a reentry program and other places in which we support people with lived experience having jobs. So, I don't know how this made it into our contract to begin with. It must have been an oversight or a mistake, but I, I want to say that on, at least for myself, I'm sorry that you had to come and you have to defend yourself, and I hope we can clear this up quickly. Okay, we've got, Bob needs to comment on this. A lot of times, things, like, contract language is inserted due to grant requirements. Right. A lot of these positions are grant funded. This is a, this is general fund dollars. Okay. I had it looked into. Well, if, I'm just saying, we haven't had the opportunity to address this in our office, so I can't tell you why it's in there. I spoke with Sylvia about this, and then Missy spoke with Claudia and got back with me that it was general fund dollars that were funding this, because that was my question, was, is there a reason why we are doing this? And they said there was no reason other than that it's required by other agencies and that we thought it might be a good idea for us to require it, and so we added it into the contract, and that's why I, and they said it would be a board, a board conversation. Once again, this is direction I'm getting from staff after having conversations, so. Yeah, I will tell you at the Children's Trust, we have that requirement, and we had a whole board discussion about the importance of it at the Children's Trust. I didn't know that it was affecting Community Springs and Family Promise, which are two of our really important local organizations, and so I didn't know that actually until today. I do think, though, that it warrants a discussion for the entire board to talk about it. I understand what we're trying to do for Family Promise and Community Springs. You're actually giving direction that we remove it for all of our contracts. Unless it's required. I mean, here's the point. We have organizations that are regulated by agencies whose job it is to regulate on those things. Yep. Right? And their job is to make sure that those organizations and entities follow the law and protect vulnerable individuals and protect people. It isn't our job to add another layer of regulatory burden on organizations. They have a set of requirements that they have to follow if they meet the guidelines by the organizations that are designed to protect people with those laws. Us adding it on top of that just because we feel like it is just another regulatory burden. Those organizations have plenty of data that they could show, not just those two organizations, but I could list a bunch of others. Peaceful Paths, a lot of our nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations, that they never have any issues with the people with lived experience. In fact, more often than not, they have problems and issues with people who don't have lived experience. No, I'm a huge advocate of peer support. The peer advocates are the best advocates. Yeah, I guess I just don't feel like this is something that we need to be starting to build into contracts as a way to build another layer of essential regulation on organizations we work with. We trust those organizations to do good work. They have a history and a track record of doing that work. And if they're required to be regulated in that way by the state entity or the net federal agency, then they'll be regulated that way. But otherwise, why should we require it? Oh, I understand. Yeah, I don't disagree. Mr. Manager? Yeah, so a couple of points of clarity to maybe what the commissioner was shared with the commissioner. We didn't just start this. This has just been added. It's in our CAP programs. This organization has already accepted money in 24 under CAP with the same requirement in it. The motion was to partner with what CTAC is doing, Children's Trust is doing. This actually is the language in their contract that was included in this contract. That's why it's in there. It's actually a little more restrictive than our contract with CAP, with what they do with CAP. Yes, it is ultimately the board's decision on what they provide in the agreement in terms of those working with vulnerable populations. Whatever you want to require, that's a policy decision for sure. But I don't want you to be in thought that this is newly added language, that we're just now adding additional regulatory. This has been in our contracts for some time. Yes, CAP is general fund as well. It's not state or grant awards as well. So that needs to be a board discussion, a policy decision, but I want to make sure you have the foundational of how it came about and why it's in the contracts. Okay, we've got a motion. We've got a second discussion. Commissioner Wheeler? Yes, just very quickly. This has really been a problem, too, in the public schools where parents are unable to go with their children on field trips because of the level two requirement. Also, in addition to that, for even those who have passed that conflict with that ability to go, we've got people who are having a hard time paying the $80 fee to get that level two. I've just done it twice in this county and also in Bradford County and also for Cuskawilla. You know, so, you know, I just, if that's a legislative thing, it's coming from Tallahassee, then that's something we need to, you know, push upward to. Well, the motion says if it's required, then it would, by the state or federal agency. Well, this is what I understand for us personally in our group and what we're doing, but I'm saying, you know, for the community that's trying to interact with their children in the public schools, that's where they need to take it to Tallahassee. I mean, I'm 100% with you as well. I mean, I think there are times and places when it makes sense probably, you know, if you've got somebody who's going to be taking custody of a child and watching them solo and that person potentially has a background that may, you know, that impacts that. It's a violent crime or it's a crime on children or something like it makes sense. But, I mean, we're talking about level two background checks where somebody like stole something at Walmart when they were 19 or 25 and now it's still on the record and they can't clear a level two background check. They have to pay the 80 bucks. Yeah. They wouldn't clear it. Yeah. And so then they would have to be fired. And it has nothing to do with the work that they're doing at all. They could do something to the process. Right. So I would be with you in terms of also, I mean, I'm happy to add to the motion that we ask our lobbyists to work on ways in which they're enforcing that because it used to be that they enforced only the positions that were necessary. You know, like if you were directly interacting with children and now it's trying to, like I think at the state level and the federal level, in part because we have a different regime in both places, they're trying to enforce it across the organizations, which is really causing a problem. Because people, even people that aren't with children solely are ending up in these situations. So how did this come up? So it's in our current contract for the case managers that Family Promise, that's what Family Promise just said, that we have a contract that we sent to them for the case managers that we're matching from CTAC. And those contracts require that the people that are case managers be a level two background check and none of the potential case managers that they have or the other people in the organization. This can pass a level two background check. I'm hearing, too, about this. So is CTAC funding being held if it's the same wording? Well, yeah. I just heard that they just copied CTAC's wording. Yeah, CTAC would also be a problem, but we don't have control over that. So they're asking us. I'm sure they'll probably also ask CTAC, but. Bob, Tommy, can you answer that? Sorry. CTAC is working under a totally different environment because it works with children and it's any contact with children that you have to have the level two background. That's from the Department of Children and Families. So I will support the motion if you'll just add that because that's a policy that I've supported at CTAC. I hear exactly what they're saying, that we want to continue to have peer support. If it's required by a DCF, they're going to have to do it anyway because, you know what I mean? So I don't want us to have anything in our contract that's making them jump through another hoop. Unless they're dealing with children. That's my only issue. I have no issue with your motion other than I want to make sure it's consistent with CTACs. But if they're having one-on-one interaction with children, they can't unless they have a level two background check. Well, as a state level, I think we are, the kids, anybody dealing with kids is required by the statute. So that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. They're covered. Like, I don't want to add another letter. I actually don't agree with you. And I think CTACs is too restrictive as well to be totally. Well, we had this, yeah, we had a long discussion at CTAC about that. And I can't, like, I want to support the motion, but I can't, I can't, like, support one policy at CTAC and a different policy at the board. I need to be, I need to be consistent. Well, they're requiring that. I actually don't know what CTAC's language says. I only know what ours is saying. And I know that it's creating a situation where people that don't work directly with children solely, like, they're not alone with children. Yeah, I'm fine with that. I'm totally fine with that. If that's what your motion is, I'll support the motion. Like, I'm, I just don't understand why that's, and CTACs requires that. Even if you're not alone with children, you're still required to do a level two background check. So they're requiring basically anybody who works at the organizations to have a level two background check, even if they're not direct. So, like, you know. Yeah, so maybe we can refer the staff to agenda it at the next meeting so we can actually, I hate doing this on the fly. I hear them loud and clear, and I want to support them, but I would rather, I would rather. Have a conversation. Yeah, that's fine, that's fine. Refer the staff and bring it back to the board. Yeah, we can have a conversation. Because I didn't even realize this was affecting that board. I just knew it was affecting people who were working in. I want to be real clear with my, with Lee and with Rachel. I am a huge supporter of the work you are doing. I just want to make sure we have a good discussion. And it's, if it's not consistent with CTAC as a board member on CTAC, then maybe we work to have a joint meeting discussion with both of those bodies. Because the work that our peers are doing are important in our community, but I want to be consistent across both boards. Well, in the meantime, what does that do to their ability to work? As I understand it, they've signed the, did they sign the contract? Not this new one. Yeah, they've signed the new contract that we were, I have it in front of me, and they did. For the case managers? Yes. And so, and it actually was getting ready to go to the manager for signature, because it's under $250,000, until this issue came up yesterday. So, right now, we have it, the language. It's not holding up the contract. Well, they didn't want to sign it, they didn't, I can tell you, they didn't want to do it. They didn't realize, and they are going to potentially have to let people go. Yeah, we don't want that. So, I think we need. So, can we just refer it to bring it back at our next meeting? At our next meeting, that's fine. Yeah, are you good with that? Yeah, that's fine. Okay, so I withdraw my motion and move that we bring it back at the next regular meeting. Okay. Is that going to compromise anybody's job in the meantime? Hopefully not, two weeks. I don't think so. I mean, the contract's for future. Okay, no, I'm good. I'll be here. Yeah, second. Okay, got a motion and a second. We're referring it to staff. So, it'll be at our next meeting. We're filling up our next meeting again, which is fine. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, that's that item. Next item? The circus. I guess I just wanted to ask if we could please get either at a meeting or individually with legal, if we could please have the letters that were sent to these organizations and an understanding of what the determinations were and why of why these fall under the statute. It sounded like she went through the statute and felt like it was not clear at all that she would not be allowed to be funded under this. And so, I guess I just would love more clarity. Like, I didn't know that these letters, or maybe we did get told at the last meeting these letters went out. But I guess I'm trying to understand, like, how those determinations were made and if there's some level of interpretation there, just a conversation with our legal team about that so we can understand and how many organizations got these, the list of organizations that got these letters. Bob, can you speak to that now, or do you need to get back to us on that? I can tell you that legal was involved in the determination of where the contracts fell and what the RFPs put in there and the ones that were called were done with the consultation with legal. So, and the statute, I will echo, Mr. Chair, I'll echo Commissioner Prizzi's concerns over the poorly written statute we have, but it is the statute we have. We're in conversations with the other counties over how they're interpreting them, what their legal offices are saying. And the problem is that we can get sued at the drop of a hat for funding something that we're not allowed to fund under the statute. And funding is prohibited. Well, I guess. This seems like a policy discussion that legal can explain to us how they are interpreting it under our existing contract. Exactly. So why don't you refer that for a policy discussion? Our next policy meeting? Yeah. Because I think it's important that actually all five of us hear how legal is interpreting that and how that's then affecting our local grants. Yeah, that's fine. And I would move that we have a conversation regarding the statute, I don't know what the statute number is. The DEI statute. Yeah, the DEI statute and our interpretation of it in regards to how it's impacting funding for our community. Second. Got a second. Public comment. Just to add, we were not allowed an opportunity to rewrite our budget to put the funds that we would have counted on towards other events or to rework a different type of festival. Like, we weren't given that opportunity at all. So as is, our application just went forward with a huge cut because it was an all-or-nothing sort of letter. Yeah, so we are all struggling with the interpretation of this new state law. We have to follow the law, unfortunately, but I think referring this for a policy discussion so that legal can give us their interpretation, we can either push back or say we agree, and then they can tell us what the risks are of that, I think is appropriate. If I can, though. I think if I am right, and staff can maybe correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that those organizations that applied for funding and were disqualified in one area doesn't necessarily mean that their application in total won't be considered. It's just that those specific pieces of their activities wouldn't be allowed to be funded with the funding. So the full application amount is still being considered. It's just that the activities that were listed that would fall under the DEI would be restricted from being activities that you could fund with the amount that you're given. 20% for culture, 10% for DEI, 70% for something else. That 10% would be excluded, but the rest would be considered. As of now, I was told I could not resubmit. You're not resubmitting. I'm saying that they're still considering the full amount that all organizations have applied for. They're just saying that certain activities underneath that amount may not be able to be carried out. Under state law. Under state law. So you would have to reallocate those funds to different activities. Mr. Chair. If you're funded. Yeah. That's what I was told by the staff. Mr. Manager. Yeah. Okay. Well, any other public comment? Okay, Mr. Manager. Tommy. So, Mr. Chair, for clarification for the board of the application process, two of the applications were not good to proceed. They were UF, Cain, Afrofuturism Week, and Cultural Arts Coalition, Fifth Avenue Arts Festival. Those two applications did not have components in it. They were considered to be not in compliance with the new statute. And then there were five applicants who had programs. This was one of those programs. The other programs under the Gainesville Circuit Center are still under consideration as applicant, which is why you said earlier the Brazil Fest was one of those that was removed. So there were five that had been contacted and offered to remove the one program that was considered to be in violation. I'm understanding all five of them agreed to remove that program to continue their applicant process. Okay. And then five were okay. That's exactly what Commissioner Frizzi just said. All right. All those in favor of the motion, any further discussion? All those in favor of the motion, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion's unanimous. We'll have a discussion from our attorneys as to how they are interpreting DEI and how that's affecting our grant programs. And then we'll give us an opportunity to weigh in. Anything else? No. Okay. Do you have anything? Yes, I did. I wanted to tell Chris that the report is out and it is public record, so you can get your hands on it. For what you were asking about in terms of the inoculations, well, I guess you could make a public records request here. I don't know if who else might maybe, I don't know if Diane would be willing to share that with you all or not. I know she's out of town right now, but it is a public record. The report is out. Do you have anything about that? Yeah, go ahead. Not about that, I wanted, before we jumped off the DEI, I needed to bring the board's attention. Okay, go ahead. But yes, it is available if you do public records request. Gotcha. Thank you. There's already scheduled a DEI policy meeting in December, for the first week of December, but it is beyond the scope. It keeps going back to legals interpretation. They were part of that discussion, obviously. It's not just the grant applications, we have how it impacts our employee policies, so it's a global DEI conversation. I think it's the right time to have it. That's your request, correct? We'll have former Commissioner Wheeler who can participate from public comment. We'll have a new commission sitting in December. I think that's the right time. That will be the policy meeting in December. Perfect. Okay, that's fine. That's fine. The other is, Mr. Dozier, did you understand that there's a place downstairs, there's an office downstairs that would be willing to, available to help you, and I don't know if community support services, if you all have anybody, Claudia, that maybe could direct him better into some, okay. So, Mr. Dozier, there will be somebody here who will grab you before you get out this door to tell you where to go. May, can he do it quickly? I have dealt with EEOC previously in a case, and I took some steps in that process. Some reason and somehow they mixed up my background by stating that my race is Caucasian, and I don't know how, but this is a real case. Yeah, we can't help you right now, but if you'll go downstairs, hopefully they can help you with that. And explain to them that you are not Caucasian. No, I don't, yeah, okay. We've been working with the Lachua County Mobile Integrated Team, and... You're doing everything right. Yes, ma'am. Then you're fine, you're doing it right, but also community support services have lots of tricks. Thank you. Okay, thank you. All right, I think we now are going to close public comment, and Mr. Clerk, what's the next item? Mr. Chair, that takes us to the presentation of a proclamation recognizing October as American Pharmacist Month in Lachua County. So Mary was going to give this, but Mary is canvassing right now, so she has delegated that back up to me, the Chair, so it is my pleasure. I have the joy, yes, of declaring October as American... I actually do have the joy because we just opened up our employee pharmacy last week, so declaring October as American Pharmacist Month in Lachua County, Florida, whereas pharmacy is one of the oldest and most trusted health professions serving as a vital cornerstone of community health care and patient well-being, whereas pharmacists are highly educated health care professionals who provide essential clinical services, manage complex medication therapies, prevent dangerous drug interactions, and safeguard public health through continuous quality and compliance efforts, and whereas pharmacists serve in diverse and crucial settings across all our communities, including community pharmacies, critical access hospitals, rural clinics, long-term facilities, and specialized health systems, and whereas the dedication of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and support staff ensures that patients receive safe, accessible, and compassionate care every day, and whereas the contributions of pharmacists significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce overall health care costs, and enhance the quality of life for residents throughout our community, now, therefore, through the authority in me vested by the Board of County Commissioners of Lachua County, Florida, I do hereby proclaim October as American Pharmacy Month in Lachua County, duly proclaim this 13th day, it is signed by myself and attested to by our clerk, Jess Irby, and I will say when we opened up the clinic last week, it was actually open the previous Thursday, what I was most impressed was that we had actually dedicated an office in the lobby area where the pharmacists can have private consultations with the patients, because, you know, when you go to Walgreens or you go to Publix, you're sitting there talking and you've got four other customers, you know, learning about your health benefits, and so this is a nice benefit, and the work that you all do is really important, and so it's my pleasure. Why don't you say a few words? Chair, commissioners, staff, audience, thank you very much for having us. I'm not going to take too much time for you to conduct county business, because it sounds like you've got a lot to do, but as the proclamation says, you know, this recognition really belongs to every pharmacist, every community pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, technician, and support personnel, and as the proclamation noted, that we are not just compounders and dispensers. We get into medication therapy management and antibiotic stewardship and try to work with people to prevent chronic disease, and also, too, we want to make sure that the commission knows that as the pharmacy profession, it wants to work with the leaders and the physicians and the health systems to make Blatchewa County a lot more public health conscious. All right, and I also have a couple people from the Palms Medical Group that like to introduce themselves and to say a few words. Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Vice Chair, commissioners. Thank you so much for having us, and thank you for the honor of being able to be recognized for American Pharmacist Month. Palms Medical Group, as Bill suggested, Palms Medical Group began caring for our North Central Florida communities about 55 years ago in the Trenton community, which is just west of us here. Today, we now operate 13 locations across seven counties in North Central Florida. We employ more than 400 staff members, and we see more than 80,000 patients in the North Central Florida community every year. Of these 13 locations that we're talking about, 10 of these operate with an in-house pharmacy where we participate in specific drug discount programs, which allow us to pass significant medication cost savings along to our patients, all those 80,000 patients that we see in North Central Florida. These are medications that save patients' lives, and they're delivered by caring pharmacists and pharmacy staff all across our service area, and so it's my pleasure to also introduce our Pharmacy Director, Mr. Kurt Ellison. He would like to say a few words as well. Thank you. As he said, I'm the Pharmacy Director for Palms Medical Group and also a pharmacist. I just want to thank the commission for their support and recognition of the pharmacists of Alactual County, not only the pharmacists, but also the pharmacy technicians that work every day for the good of our citizens of Alactua County. Thank you. Okay. A round of applause. I feel like I'm going to hold it. Thank you. Mr. Chair, while they are taking that photo, I want to tell the Palms group that I was really excited to see you all move into the church between Alachua and High Springs because I tried really hard to get the county to buy that, and when I couldn't convince them that it would help us out, to see you all move in there was just the next best thing, actually probably even better. So thank you so much for being out there and taking care of that community out there. What are you doing with the big gym, the big area out there? We were hoping that you all were going to keep it into a gym for the kids in High Springs. Yes, please. I'm curious. That's actually one of our central locations where we have all of our supplies and everything for all of the locations. I got you. Okay. All right. Fair enough. Thank you. The billing looks great. Yeah, thank you. All right, Mr. Clerk, next proclamation. Mr. Clerk, next proclamation, recognizing October 22nd is Central Florida Community Action Day in Alachua County. That's me. Really? He works with me. I am the current chair of the Community Action Agency Board and have been there for a while and working with an outstanding team of community service workers, and Lori is one of those, and I've really enjoyed the whole thing, Lori. We are going to be having other people. When I come off the board, there will be other people who will be serving from our community. Claudia and her group are going to be joining, which is a perfect marriage of organizations to serve the community. Alachua County, Florida, a proclamation declaring October the 22nd, 2026, a Central Florida Community Action Agency Day in Alachua County, Florida. Whereas since 1981, Central Florida Community Action Agency, Inc., CFCAA, has fulfilled the community action promise by changing lives, embodying the spirit of hope, and strengthening communities through responsive services and collaborative partnerships that help individuals and families achieve greater self-sufficiency. And whereas for 45 years, CFCAA has been dedicated to serving the residents of Alachua, Levy, and Marion counties by helping families meet essential needs, improve household stability, and pursue economic independence. And whereas CFCAA collaborates with local governments, businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and community partners to address local needs and strengthen the communities it serves. And whereas the agency's board of directors, staff, community partners, and supporters have helped shape a legacy of service that has positively impacted residents throughout Alachua, Levy, and Marion counties. And whereas on Thursday, October 22nd, the Central Florida Community Action Agency will celebrate its 45th anniversary during the annual meeting and partner of the year awards breakfast. This event will honor the individuals in partnerships whose commitment has supported the community action mission for over four decades. Now, therefore, through the authority vested in me by the Board of County Commissioners of Alachua County, Florida, I do hereby proclaim October 22nd, 2026, a Central Florida Community Action Agency Day in Alachua County, Florida, duly proclaimed this 13th day of October, AD 2026. And it's signed by Chair Ken Cornell and attested to by Jess Irby. And I just want to say that on that morning of the 22nd, we will be having our breakfast. And Claudia and some of your group will be joining us so that we can actually make sure that this is a partnership, that a great marriage. So I just want to thank you all for being available. The work that you all do is pretty amazing. I don't know if any of you all have ever seen a great line out of GRU from time to time where people are having their bills paid by Central Florida Community Action Agency. They get a lot of money from the state and from the federal government, and it all has to be spent. And so we make sure that the folks in the community who have need of these funds are getting it. So, Lori, do you have anything you'd like to say? All right. On behalf of our board and our staff, we thank you for the special proclamation recognizing our commitment to community service. We are honored by this recognition and grateful for your support of our mission to serve and strengthen our community. Thank you again. Thank you. And I know you have really championed this on your term here. So thank you. And it's all right. Did you have a comment? I was going to say how much work you all are doing to reconnect and collaborate in the community. So thank you. Okay. Commissioners, I'm going to do a little bit of agenda management. We need to move the victim services, rape crisis center, advisory council, annual presentation up. So we're going to do that one next. And the recommended action is to hear the presentation. So if you'll come forward and then we'll get back on track. Thank you so much. So that's item G3. County victim services and rape. Get that microphone, Laura, right in front of you. There we go. Speaking of the mic, yeah. I can hear you, but I can't hear you at home. Right. So I am here today. We're presenting on our advisory council and the work that they've done in the last year. First, I do want to name our advisory council members. So Dr. Maddie Coy, she's here with me. She's going to come up in just a minute and talk to you a little bit. Sharika Nicole Williams O'Neill, she served for several years now and is currently working with the city, doing some really good work with economic mobility. Barbara Goodwin is a former victim advocate from Martin County, and she's been an important contributor to discussions at our center. So she serves on the board also. And Allison Ungaro, she's served for the last two years. She is the executive director of ANU. Rebecca McKenzie, she's a retired Gainesville Police Department police officer. And she has served for the last two years as well. And then Cushman Hans, he is involved in business locally and is a part of the Bikers Against Child Abuse and wanted to join the advisory council to be able to be a part of our work and advise us. So that's a little bit about who the members of the advisory council currently. And with that, I want to invite up Dr. Coy to talk a little bit about the work they've been up to. Dr. Coy, thanks for hanging with us. Sorry it's a little bit later. Thank you for accommodating. It is entirely because of me, because I have to run to class. We've been moved up. So thank you. I appreciate that. And thank you for giving us the time to share the work of the center. I'm here. I have the honor of being the chair of the advisory board council for right now. But I'm here speaking on behalf of all of us, I hope. So as well, I'm just going to summarize the work of the advisory council, talk a little bit about the work of the center. We've identified together, you know, areas of concern, particularly related to resources and the efforts that we've made to support the center and generate some ideas around that, as well as our usual administrative tasks of reviewing the budget and the bylaws and looking at staffing plans. So there are three points that Laura and I have identified that I wanted to just kind of talk you through fairly quickly that can continue from the report from last year. The first one is about survivor safety and housing. I'm sure you are hearing this from across the county too, that the center are aware that many survivors that they're working with are facing, you know, a really acute lack of safe, secure housing following the closure of some local resources. And with support from the advisory council last year began an initiative to count the number of clients at the center that were supporting who had no immediate safe, secure housing. That number was 47 survivors, including those that had witnessed shootings, been the victims of abrogated assaults. Even some survivors who were receiving financial aid from the state victims' compensation fund struggled to identify any affordable rental housing. And you can't really begin the rest of the work with survivors, you know, the healing, the rebuilding your life, if you just simply don't have anywhere safe to lay your head at night. So we've had long discussions at the advisory council meeting suggesting ways to look at how other services are managing this. So conversations with local apartment complexes, for example, where some older buildings in particular have significant numbers of units vacant. Could the center rent a unit that would be available to temporarily house victims of crime with immediate safety concerns when the other shelters are full? Thinking about some things that we hear from other services about arrangements with local landlords. You know, if they have available properties, could they help fast track crime victims who have a deposit and income ready to move in? Kind of have these immediate routes to safety. I think our main point that we wanted to just to impress is that the survivors that the center works with, you know, including victims of sexual crime, people have been victimized by people that they know, you know, traumatized, in shock. It's really not safe for those survivors to be in general homeless shelters or in provisions for all crime victims. So it's about finding a creative solution, really, to the problems of not enough secure temporary housing. It's extra work, right, for everybody involved. And I want to say a little bit more about what that means. And so the role of the advisory council really has been to kind of, you know, to have a space to think. It's difficult to find time to think in the busyness of the everyday work. So to bring ideas, to bring practices that we're aware of from the other aspects of the work that we're involved in. As you can see, it's a pretty brilliant group that the advisory council has at the moment. And to really think about how we can draw on our networks to think about new ways to address this need for housing. And this kind of leads me to the second point I wanted to talk about, which is sustaining support for survivors in the face of shrinking local resources and grants. You will know about the shortfall of funding for the center from the VOCA grant, the loss of two positions, a victim advocate and a specialist victim advocate that handled financial compensation claims. That means that all the staff at the center are doing more with less, right? They're all picking up more cases. They have larger caseloads of clients. They're doing more on-call rotations. And now they have the additional work, the responsibility of completing the financial compensation claims. More time learning that system, handling that paperwork. And the center has continued to be strong, continued to deliver support to everybody that needs it, despite the loss of those two positions. And maintained a presence in the community. And I feel particularly strongly about this because I see it so much, you know, doing outreach at local events, making sure as many local people as possible know that there are experts here full of knowledge, full of compassion, free, confidential there 24 hours a day. So the work of the advisory council has been just to support the center with these efforts, really, and to review the work plans. I'll say a little bit about our goals, perhaps, to look at the budgeting, to look at the staffing plans. And again, to make recommendations to the center about how to prioritize, continue doing this work. The center's adapted, but, you know, it's more work. It requires a constant assessment of how to keep going. And that leads me to the final point that I wanted to raise. The work that we've been doing is supporting the center to sustain the staff team. The center have a remarkable record of holding on to skilled and experienced staff, people there for many years, as you've seen, celebrated and recognized today. It's really a testament to the leadership. I think everyone in leadership at the center. Recently, staff have been promoted into new positions when others have moved on to bigger fields. So there's really, you know, the staff know that they can grow in the organization. But as I said, they're all doing more with less, more of what is already really tough emotionally and psychologically demanding work. How to prevent burnout is a constant question. I think, you know, we would all say on behalf of the advisory council that what we see is incredible thoughtfulness from the leadership about this, really looking at staff well-being encouraging staff to take leave, to think about the impact on them of the extra demands on their time and their emotional energy. So we know that everyone is so committed to serving survivors in the county. And our role as the advisory board is really to encourage the leadership team to keep thinking about how to support staff. And then it's our job as the advisory council to support the leadership team, to be a sounding board, to help problem solve. My sense as chair is that I think that we can do more as the advisory council in terms of supporting the center by taking on more of the administration work so that Laura and the team are free to do the specialist work that they excel in. So that would be a goal that I'd like us to work on over the next year. Commission, I think that is probably all from me unless Laura thinks that there is more. Okay. Laura, we're lucky to have you as our chair. Thank you for that report. Very good. We got a couple of lights here. Commissioner Wheeler and then Commissioner Prezio. You guys have caught fire. You know, I was on that board for a while, you know, and it was really kind of hard to get enough folks there to have the meeting. And that you all are now focused on particularly housing, I think is brilliant. Yeah, I think that is such a need and to have the input coming from this group for that, as advocates for that housing, I think is powerful. So good for you guys, you know, and of course in maintaining, sustaining support, you know, that, and of course Laura and her team, you know, I'm just amazed that you've been able to stay the course for so long because it's tough work. What you're doing is tough and it's, I just appreciate you and your team and the people there and I appreciate you staying there too with them because your leadership now is even more important. And I think going forward into the new tomorrow, we don't know what that means. And so having people who have the knowledge and the resources to put together clever and thinking out of ideas and solutions is where this community needs and the folks that you are serving need desperately. So thank you so much for the work on that. And it's exciting to see, you know, you're feeling good about the board too now. You're feeling like you've got some momentum and that's exciting. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Commissioner Priscian. Yeah. Thank you for your service. That was a very thoughtful report and I really appreciate you not giving us just a list of the things you've accomplished, but really bringing forward ideas of ways we can continue to support and move forward this work. I did have a question. It sounded like you were sort of on the housing front. I sit on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, so forgive me for that, like I tune into that immediately. You talked about sort of an apartment for victims and then potentially like maybe vouchers, like rapid rehousing type money that provides first-last security or is that, did I understand that correctly? Yes. Okay. I guess I had a question maybe for Ms. Tuck. I see she's in the room. If that's something that we could explore at our Sunrise Inn as a possibility of one of our units there being dedicated to victims so that we would have a spot and or funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to do something like we did with Family Promise for our victim services program, just questions, thoughts. Mr. Chair, Commissioners, Claudia Tuck, Director of Alachua County Community Support Services. And yes, we could meet with them. I can meet with their advisory board and talk about some different options. Sunrise Inn won't really be available to have an extra unit until we finish the renovation because we're having to keep at least 10 units empty as we're going through the process. But in the next couple of years, that might certainly be an option. Right now, we're using a motel room night stays. Okay. Well, I mean, I would be certainly happy to bring it to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee if you all have the discussion and think it's something worth us considering for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. So thank you. Ma'am, Mr. Chair, we can bring it through discussion through the Victims Advisory Board first and then if we need to bring it forward. Great. Thank you. Can you conclude? Yeah. I just have one quick question. Claudia, Arbor House was a discussion at one point. Where is that discussion? Can we let it go? Mr. Chair, through the Homeless Continuum of Care, we're trying to have discussions with the St. Francis House Board. They have been more focused on the closeout of the current services and programs. But we are hoping, we've had a couple meetings, we're hoping to reestablish that and talk to them again. They do have that building up for lease and the other building up for sale. Okay. It's a complex, right? Arbor House, is that complex over on 6th Street? It is. Okay. I always thought it was really a lovely site. It's a group home type facility. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Laura, we've come a long way. Thank you for that report. And your students are lucky to have you today. So we'll let you get off to that. Thank you, Dr. Clerk. Okay, Mr. Clerk, next item. Mr. Chair, that takes us to the Alaska County Land Conservation Board appointments. We have three vacancies and we have multiple, I think it's seven applicants. I'm not sure if there's anybody here. All right, Commissioner. So we've got a point three. I think we might have some folks that are here that would like to speak to us about being on the board. Come forward now. This would be your opportunity. We'd love to hear from you. Chair, Commissioners, I'm Jenny Rocca. I'd like to toss my proverbial hat back into the ring again for round two. My background is microbial community ecology, so a full-time nerd. When you look at the landscape, you see trees, you see deer, squirrels. I study the things you can't see that are equally, maybe even more important to the stability of that landscape. So I think about fungi, which are mushrooms, and soil microbes. And so I think I offer maybe a unique perspective to the Land Conservation Board, and I enjoy it. And I guess I would try to keep it brief because you guys probably want to get out of here. Let me look. No, it's that way. So I was born about a half mile that way in Alachua General across from 706. Neither of those places exist anymore. And so I'm excited to hear everything that everybody's been talking about today. Dealing, not even dealing, just accommodating the influx of people in a responsible and a respectful way. And I think there's a balance between that and protecting the land. And I think I get a little heartache from thinking about these places that are gone. And so serving on this board allows me a little modicum of control over what little land we have left. Thank you. Very important. Thanks, guys. Commissioner Scherz. I'm BJ Bucada. I'm a senior scientist here in Gainesville and have reapplied for the land conservation position. I really hope you'll potentially approve mine. I'm coming back onto the board. I've had a couple prior terms. So I do feel like my experience brings some knowledge to the board to help educate new members and also drive the discussion. And when we evaluate properties, I've been in Gainesville over 30 years and have a really good handle on the conservation lands we have now and what we're targeting in the future. And I really, really enjoy being on the board. It helps me stay abreast of our land conservation efforts, countywide, North Central Florida. So I hope you'll consider my nomination. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for both of you guys. Thanks for hanging with us for two hours. Anyone else? All right, Mr. Clerk, let's do a roll call. Mr. Chair, if I can request Commissioner Prizia's three nominees. My nominees are BJ Bucada, Jennifer Roca, and Lee Cook. Commissioner Wheeler, your three nominees, please. Bucada, Roca, and Cook. Chair Cornell, your three nominees. Same. All right, I move BJ Bucada, Jennifer Roca, and Lee Cook for the terms ending February, whatever, for their next term. Three full terms. It doesn't have a date. Sorry. Second. September 30th. Forever. No, I'm just kidding. Second. Got a motion of second for whatever. And for those three, Bucada, Roca, and Cook, any public comment? Back to the board. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion is unanimous. There's a lot of really good applicants again. For the record, it's through 2030. Yeah, we have a lot of. It's through 2030. Yeah, and you're right, Commissioner Wheeler. We had four excellent folks that did not make it, and we hope that they reapply and continue to. And they can go to these meetings, too, right? They can go to these meetings, too. Absolutely. Okay, Mr. Clerk, next item. Mr. Chair, the next item is the appointments of the Recreation Open Space Advisory Alternate. We have one opening, and we have three applicants. I'm not sure if there's anybody here that wishes to speak to their nomination. I don't think I have that. We don't. Yeah. Okay. Is there anyone here to speak on this one? Nope. All right. Let's do roll call. Okay. Commissioner Wheeler, if we could have your nominee, please. Santiago Casanova. Commissioner Prizzi, are you your nominee, please? Casanova. Same. Move Casanova. Second. Motion is second for Casanova. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion is unanimous. Okay. Thank you for that. I was hoping he would show, because I think I taught that young man. Okay, good. Well, you can call. No, he just got a point. All right, Mr. Clerk, next item. Mr. Chair, that brings us to a reading by the Alaska County Historical Mission on the First Baptist Church History. And Melanie has been waiting patiently, hanging in the back with us for almost two hours. So, Ms. Barr, thank you for being here, and you are recognized. Hello, everyone. I'm going to be reading about the First Baptist Church today. The First Baptist Church was organized in Gainesville in 1870. Their first building was erected in 1875 on South Main Street, 2nd Avenue. We generally think it's on University Avenue, but it was on 2nd Avenue at first. The second church was built in 1896-97, and it was a beautiful red brick Romanesque revival building with a large bell tower on the corner of Northeast 2nd Street and University Avenue. The church was demolished in 1950, except for the tower. It was located on the site where the library building adjacent to City Hall was built. In 1965, the tower was demolished. I was hoping the other old members of the commission, old family members, they would remember it because it was a landmark, and there was a tower restaurant adjacent to it for quite a while before it became the City Hall complex. Church members had already purchased five acres for a new building site before the Reverend Thomas V. McCall arrived in 1922. Some members wanted to be closer to the University of Florida and wanted a larger building. In 1923, the State Board of Missions for Florida Baptists agreed to fund the new building with $5,000 for five years. And now we have a second. There it is. Construction of the new building began in August 1923 with the Cornerstone Lane Ceremony held on September 24, 1923, 103 years ago, almost to the day. The Cornerstone Lane Ceremony happened, yeah, I just said that. Okay, the architects for the new church building were James E. Green of Birmingham, Alabama, and Newbold L. Gowen of Gainesville. F.H. Winston and J.L. Penney were the contractors of the $132,000 building, which is approximately equivalent to $2.6 million in 2026. The first service in the new church was held on September 14, 1924. It was front-page news and, in fact, the only news on page one of the Gainesville Sun. Several ads in the paper congratulated the Baptist church on their magnificent new edifice. Now, you wouldn't see this today, but everybody was so proud of it. The landmark building exhibits an architectural bas-relief in the pediment. Stately Corinthian columns and the stained-glass windows may still be in place under the plywood that was installed in 2023. However, some stained-glass windows have been removed, as seen when one window is for sale in a classified ad in the Gainesville Sun. And I saw the ad, and I said, $100? Well, it's $100, and what would I do with it? So I didn't buy it. And now I, of course, regret that. I'm hoping that some of the stained-glass windows are under the plywood. The sanctuary accommodated 1,200 people, and it included an elevated baptistry with artwork in the rear representing a river, so that would give a realistic portrayal of a baptism. The large Wurlitzer Hope Jones pipe organ was especially designed for the First Baptist Church by the Rudolf Wurlitzer Company in North Tawa, Tanawaga, Tanawanga, New York. It took five months to build in the factory and four weeks to install in the church. This is a program from 1934. I was hoping that Mary and Chuck would see the old family names and say, oh, I know them. So this is the back of the program. Here's a 1940 program, and here's what it looked like in the 1960s. As you may recognize, the travel lodge has now been renovated, and it's on the National Register as well. In 1970, the centennial of the founding of the church, there was a unanimous decision by the members to renovate the building at a cost of $650,000. Half a million would be financed with a mortgage, and they hoped to raise $150,000 in direct contributions. They received $166,000 in 10 days. That was a lot of money in 1970. It is now. The project ultimately cost $800,000, which included an enlarged choir loft, pulpit area, new chandeliers, carpet, and a new $85,250 organ. The renovated facilities were dedicated on June 1, 1975. Another renovation took place in the 1990s at a cost of $1.8 million. In 2000, a book was written about the church by C. Douglas Weaver titled, Every Town Needs a Downtown Church, even though there were rumblings about moving farther west in order to attract families. On May 1, 2005, 56% of the members voted to relocate to the new site. And even back then, I was involved when I was the chair of the Historical Commission. You can see in the letter I wrote saying, please save the building. Don't sell it to a developer. Maybe you can reuse it. And I did attend the meeting with the developers. Obviously, it didn't go that well because it's surrounded by a new building. The five-acre property was sold to Capstone DJG, LLC of Birmingham, Alabama, in May of 2010. They were the developers of the Continuum apartment complex. In February 2023, Gainesville Historic Properties, LLC, purchased the .79 acres containing the historic church building. The owner of this company recently renovated the Segal Building across the street from the First Baptist Church. We can hope the stained glass windows will be revealed and the new building will be renovated and upgraded for a bright and shining future. And I do have this photo I took off of this little ornamental figurine, I don't know what to call it, that I purchased at one time and I don't know where I got it. But I do hope the building is saved. Thank you, Molly. That's the end of my presentation. I want to congratulate you on your endorsement by the four A's. And thank everybody for listening to me. May I ask whoever's here? Have you a question? Yeah, Commissioner Wheeler. I'm having to get all my questions in on the last few days that I have. The churches, there are a lot of old black churches, ancient black churches, out throughout the county. Have you guys got your eyes on them in terms of maybe somehow helping folks get, you know, designations, historical? Well, of course, this was a white church. But back then when I wrote the letter and whatever the letter was dated, I can't remember now, some black churches did want to go in into this church. I see. But they sold to the continuum. Gotcha. Well, there's some out at, like, they're an archer. There's a church. There are a lot of these churches that are old, established churches. And I didn't know if they qualify for historic registration or if we've got any way to acknowledge those churches in the county, you know, in a certain document or something to let the history of these eight. They're on the master site file, most of them that are older, which is in Tallahassee. But that just gives them recognition. And in reality, being on the national register just gives recognition as well. But it does open you up for tax credits. So the person who owns this is technically a developer, and I don't know what he plans to do with it. But he could get tax credits if he preserves the building properly. And it really deals with mostly of the exterior. And generally, you can do what you want to the interior because that's not seen by the public. Gotcha. I just went with the Black Heritage Trail that we have going through the county. If we are acknowledging some of these historic churches, too, that are out in the outlying community. We could do that, in fact. It could be a thematic nomination where the theme is African-American churches. That could be done. Some of them are quite old. Right. I mean, older than this. Oh, yeah. This one, well, the church itself dates to 1870, but the building is 104 years old. So there are older ones in the county, older black churches. But it could be a thematic national register nomination. That's a thought. Okay. Well, thank you. If you all would just keep it in mind because there are a lot of them out there that, you know, have really wonderful histories. Right. They definitely do. Yeah. That's important. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Okay, Melanie, thank you so much. Okay, you're welcome. All right. Okay, Mr. Clerk, next item. That takes us to the annual new agendas. It's the fiscal year 2027 budget amendment to accelerate funding for transportation capital improvement plan and addition of roadway preservation funding plan. You should be welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chair. April Shuping, Budget and Fiscal Services Director. What we're bringing forward to you today is our first budget amendment of FY27 is related to accelerating funding for your existing transportation capital improvement plan with the intention of reducing any barriers to getting the road repaving projects that you've already approved in that plan accelerated to the earliest possible time. Our budget amendment is adding $9 million to that plan, $3 million a year in 27, 28, and 29 to help with our pothole service, and that is things like strip milling and resurfacing. I think I'm learning all these new work terms, strip milling and resurfacing, mastic, and chip seal work as well for the next three years to help with some catch up as well. We are not here asking for official approval to do any bond issues or debt issues. Those will be brought back to you in the future. We would be monitoring the cash flow in these different funds, including your fifth cent gas tax, infrastructure surtax, and your transportation trust fund funded by the general fund. We would be monitoring their cash balances, and as we see any need to go out and bond money, we would be coming back to you with those recommendations and approvals. But the intent is just to accelerate the funding portion of your plan. Hallelujah. Okay. Commissioner, you conclude? I conclude. Okay. Commissioner Prizia. Yeah, I guess I was just wondering, you mentioned the gas tax, but you also mentioned general fund. So are we, for the $3 million of road repair, I'm just wondering where that $3 million is coming from. Are we reallocating it from other budgetary items, or are we pulling from reserves, or did we allocate, did we anticipate this with carry forward? Like, I'm just wondering where that money is coming from. So it's a combination of carry forward, updated revenue projections that are coming in and interest earned as the project, as with any large project. The spending of the actual cash is much slower than your original adoption of the budget, and so there's some additional interest as well. We do believe, because we're looking at a six-year plan, that we will be reassessing it every year, coming back to you. We are not taking money away from any projects at this time, because we have such a long tail end of these projects. Okay. Okay. I am very excited that you all have found this funding and that we have the opportunity to accelerate these road projects and respond to the rapidly deteriorating situation our roadways are facing. I do want to say two things, though. One is that we also have other crises in our community, including a housing crisis that we just heard more about, even just today. And so I just want to make sure that we don't rob Peter to pay Paul and end up in a situation where other things are raising, you know, their heads even more drastically than they already are. The other thing I want to say is I hope that this isn't pulling away from our grading and repair from our existing Lime Rock roads. I know, and I wanted to see Ramon here, so I did want to ask him a question. We have had a number of different requests recently around our Lime Rock roads grading, and it sounds like the cycle, I know some of it's the rain, and some of it's that we had a grader down, but it sounds like even within the past several years, residents, several residents in different parts of the county I've spoken with have seen a reduction in the amount of times that they're getting their road graded and that the quality of the inputs that we're putting down on the roadway is like more muddy and not quite so lime rocky. And so I'm wondering if we might be able to address that today for those residents. I know it's not related to the budget amendment, but I've had four calls this week, so I'm trying to. Well, I mean, we've had some unprecedented rain in the last week. I know. But go ahead, Ramon. Yeah, good afternoon, Commissioner. It's Ramon Gavarrete, public works director. Okay, I'm going to address first the, actually I'm going to try to address everything together, but we'll see if I'm successful on that. If you remember back on August 23rd, I did inform the board that we have to move people from units to create this asphalt unit. That was a total of, the asphalt unit is 19 employees. Fifteen of them were moved from other duties to do asphalt duty. And I did inform the board at that time that, yes, some other items will probably suffer. We are beginning to see emails about tall grass. We have seen a few emails, and it might sound like a dot, but it's when you are grading 200 miles of land rock roads, when you get two or three emails, I know for that individual that might be very important, and it is. But let's not lose picture of the whole thing. We do maintain 200 miles of land rock roads. When it rains as much as it rained this past week, unfortunately, things are going to happen. We do take those items, and we do send the unit coordinator out there to inspect. If it's something that we can do fast, for example, in the 185th Avenue, southeast 185th right there in Mekanope, it was just a matter of going there and just removing part of a berm that all of a sudden was there. And then the water was moved out of the way on that side. Now, there is an area on 185th that is very wet, but that's on the east side of 59th. That's not a county-maintained roadway. But that's not the area that this individual was having concerns about. But that has been addressed. And I actually have asked engineering to also go take a look. A few years ago, I want to say about maybe four or five years ago, we actually did a lot of drainage work just to the east of that location, from 59th to the west. We did a lot of work in that area. This other area, this is the first time that we really hear that there's a big issue. But like I said, we found some obstructions that were there for XOY reason, and those were we did open up some paths to let the water go. Are we having challenges with the material that we're getting? No, the material is still the same. It's still Lime Rock Road. Now, I have staff. We do actually have the ability to buy some big rock, lime rock material, and it's actually big lime rock. Most of the time, every time we put it down, people don't like it because it creates a very rough riding surface. But that's what we really need to use. If we're going to go repair, for example, a roadway that is already underwater, that's what we have to use. And then we will come back later when it's drier to actually add the other type of lime rock. So, yes, we do use two types of material when it comes to lime rock, but it's not that the material has changed. Let's not forget the amount of rain that we also got last week. It's not just last week. I mean, this has been an ongoing thing that I've noticed from several people. Like I said, it's like one is on the east side, one is on the north side, and one is on the south side, and that's three. And then I had two calls that were recent. It was the rain, and I just told it it was the rain. And, Mr. Chair and Commissioner, that's what I'm saying. Let's not lose picture. We do maintain 200 miles of lime rock roads. You've got four graders that alternate. We actually, one of our unit supervisors that used to be an equipment operator right now is actually working as a grader because there's a vacancy in that unit right now. So we have more people around also in there to actually assist that unit. That, the grading of roadways is around an eight-week cycle. Unfortunately, when you get rains like we've got, you know, if we graded a certain road, let's say we just had just finished grading, and then the rain started, and then potholes get created because we do have potholes also on lime rock roads. And now the grader is on the other one. Sometimes if it's safe, we will wait until the next time we get it. If not, we'll send somebody out there in between the cycles. So that's something that we just have to manage. But we are also getting complaints, like I said, about mowing. So if you haven't received any emails about mowing, you might get one or two because, again, that unit was also people that we moved over to the asphalt unit. Now, I know the board back in August 23rd said get 13 more people for public works. But let's, you know, honestly, I haven't pushed for that yet. I'm waiting to see what happens in a few weeks in the elections. And then I'm sure we'll be talking about that a little bit more with Tommy and others. But right now we just need to hold. But, again, those issues, and I get the same emails, Commissioner Aprizia. And we do take them a look at it. And we go, we try to address them. But you do maintain 200 miles of lime rock roads. I understand. It just seemed like it was changing, like our level. So I just didn't know if it was pulling. And, again, that's why I just wanted to bring up, like, I don't want to. This funding is not pulling from operations. Okay. No, not the money. The money, too, but also the people. Like, I know that we said we were going to have to pull people from something. We did, like I said, we did have to pull people from other units. But pulling people from grading and fixing lime rock roads to fixing paved roads isn't, it's still roads. Like, roads complaints are road complaints. I just want to make sure we're not. Believe me, I understand. It's a juggling act sometimes. But that's what we had to do. We just had to move people and created this asphalt unit because, you know, that's where the traffic is on the asphalt roads most of the time. And, yes, there are other units right now that are shorthanded, not only because of the people that we moved away, but we also have had some vacancies now. The good news is that we are hiring more and more people right now. So, Lord willing, in the future, they'll be a little bit more fully staffed. And then we'll see what happens in a few weeks. I think it's progress. Okay. You conclude? Yeah. I just had a quick question, Ramon. Is the mowing that you're doing, is it cosmetic? Or is it something that's, you know, related to safety issues? Both. When people complain about mowing. Okay. That's what I didn't know. I want to say both. You know, some people, like, I maintain my grass, and mostly it's cosmetic, because I know how I like to maintain my grass. But when you mow right away, the primary concern is safety to start with. Okay. If the grass is too high and people cannot see at an intersection, there's side visibility issues. I got you. But our effort is safety. Okay. But the other item you said, cosmetics, is actually a byproduct of the safety when we mow. Okay. All right. Thank you. As we move into the winter months, so that should start to slow. And I think putting them, filling potholes was our direction, so thank you for doing that. I think our direction also was this agenda item, which is move forward as many projects as possible. Well, Ramon, the second item, it says to authorize appropriation of approximately 144 million of projects. That's over the next six years. How much of that will get moved into the current fiscal year? Mr. Chair, right now, I really cannot tell you that. I can tell you what I have told my staff, and that's the conversation we had also with April and Tommy. I don't want to leapfrog projects. No. Just moving them up. My direction that I have given my staff is we're going to concentrate in 2027 projects, and then we're going to go into 2028 projects, and so it will be a continuous effort, but I do not want to leapfrog projects. So we have published that we're doing 106 million of road work, and then Tommy provided a document that showed about 90 million of that was actually paving. 4.4 million was actually bike peds. How much more of the 90 million are you hoping to move up into the current fiscal year? Can you give me that? I want to say something about the 90 million, 106 million. A lot of that is projects that are already, let's say, a PO has been issued, but it hasn't been spent yet. So a lot of that is projects that contractors already have been given the go-ahead to start forward, and a lot of those projects are projects that were supposed to be completed, like their 2026 projects. Yep. So those are going to be starting soon. And some of those, by the way, include like Northwest 98 and also the road by the College 83rd. Those two have to be done before the end of December, especially the one in front of the college. That has to be done in those two weeks when the college is out. Both of those are going to be night work, because doing those two rows during the day is not something I would like to do. Right. So I cannot really give you how much of that extra 100 million or something is going to be moved forward. We just need to go finish, go to 2027, issue POs, and then start issuing POs for 2028. And my goal is, like I told my staff already, move, move, move, move, and if we can get to half of the 2028 projects, great. That would be my goal right now. I mean, we did do a lot of projects in 26 that was catch up from 24 and 25. So I believe that there is capacity out there, not just in my staff, but also in the contracting industry, to be able to do more than just a 2026 project. Okay. So we move forward with this motion. When will you be able to give us what that approximate number might be that we can start telling the public? Because they're asking. By November? By December? Well, my plan is to work with April and Tommy in November because you did ask, you did, in a recent motion, you did ask us to try to see if we can add the last mile to the West 76th Street. So we need to add that project anyways. So we do need to actually work on the TCIP. So I, right now, I cannot give you a time frame. I'll try to do it as soon as possible. November is a goal, but it's, we'll see. We'll see how we go. But that is my goal, and I've told my staff this, my goal that's in November was work on the TCIP. All right, do I have a motion? I would move the approval of the proposed accelerated funding to appropriate an additional $3 million annually with an annual report. Yeah, annual review. Annual review with the assumption that it would go for three years but pending the annual review of the program to authorize appropriation of the FY27, $144 million for the projects included in the TIP, and authorize staff to evaluate and pursue some financing options as needed based on cash flow. Second. Second. Yes, no, this is amazing work with the annual review added. Chair, I have one more update if you want me to say it. Amazing. We're working with procurement already to go out to bid for another bid where we actually will address, again, the street milling and resurfacing. Right now, the contractors do not have a four-foot paver available to them. So we are paying for almost seven feet of milling and resurfacing, which if you go see the road, for example, the Section 234 that we did, it was basically redoing 80% of the road width. But the problem, when you do seven feet like that, you're going to be using that milling and a half very fast. So we are going out to bid right now, and we are asking for four-foot milling and resurfacing sections. Perfect. We're also adding in there the mastic material, the rubberized material I was describing. Perfect. And also the pothole effort. In your current contracts, you already have contracts for annual road construction and also for cheap seals. So with this money also, I believe there's $500,000 for cheap seals. That is not, I want to make this clear, that is not to go cheap seal new roads. That's actually to go and do a cheap seal surface over those roads that were done back in, like, 2008, 2009. And now they are pothole heaven also, or pothole hell, depending on how you want to describe it. And so we're going to go and get that, and that's also going to be also a contracted job. We just do not have the staff to be doing everything else plus a cheap seal. So we're going to have to contract those roads out, and that's the half a million dollars. And we do have already that under contract. So my staff, now that this is going through, well, I hope it goes through. We, my staff, I also today directed my assistant to come out already with a list. We're going to start with the first road that was done back. I think it was around 2008, the first roads that were done. Like, for example, 85th Street is one that always comes up, 140 seconds, and that one always comes up. Those were done in those years. So we're going to go again, because cheap seals were surfaced. We're supposed to only last 8 to 10 years. 8 to 10 years, I'm wrong. You're 19 and 20. One thing I want to say, Rose, we were pushing the envelope, but it's not something to be proud of. Okay, well, I'm really pleased with you guys bringing this back so quickly. So thank you to OMB, working with Public Works to get this. It's an amazing response. No, just an amazing response. All right, so we've got a motion and a second. Any public comment to the motion? Back to the board. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion is unanimous. Okay, thank you, Ms. Shipping. Thank you, Tommy. Thank you, Ramon. All right, Mr. Clerk, next item. Mr. Chair, that takes us to the ordinance to amend the county code regarding fire arms. And the recommended action is to adopt the attached ordinance. Bob, is this yours? I'm familiar with it. This is actually a repeat. You've already voted on the concept, but the ordinance was not attached to the agenda. Okay, move approval, the ordinance, and with the same objection I had last time. Yeah, exactly. With the same objection I had last time. I wish we didn't have to do this. That was the objection. Oh, okay, I got you. Okay, second. Okay, motion, second. Any discussion? Any public discussion? Back to the board. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion is unanimous. Okay, this is the second opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting. Is there anyone here that wishes to speak to this board on anything related to public comment? All right, we'll close public comment. We've got a county attorney comments? No, sir. All right. County manager comments? No, sir. Thank you. All right, Commissioner Comments. Commissioner Wheeler, you got anything? I just didn't know if I needed permission from the board to contact the Seminole Tribe again to see about opportunities for funding for Cusco Willa, a little museum that we're trying to get out there, and also a Chiqui, and I was going to try to do that before I came off the board, and I didn't. There are grants that they, for grant opportunities that would help us establish, because there isn't anything like that along that corridor, and I just was going to do that. If that's okay, that I would just do that. And there was something else, too. Oh, Anna, I met a woman yesterday at the market on Cypress and Grove. That's amazing. That has really grown. But there's a woman there who lives in Hawthorne. I'm trying to pass all of these projects off to you guys. You know, we've been working on trying to focus on Hawthorne, you know, and the tourist economy there. And she has, she knows you, and I can't remember her name because it was written down on a scrap piece of paper. But she has Water Buffalo out there, but she also works through Santa Fe. You know who she is. Okay, good. So please grab her up. Yes, grab her up then, because we are really trying to get that Santa Fe outpost in working in community with the community center that they're actually putting out there, too. And she's real interested in helping get that going. She lives in Hawthorne and would love to work at the Santa Fe outpost there. So, you know, if you could grab her up and use her. I had brought up the idea that the Water Buffalo might could be used in the creeks and the rivers out there. I've always thought Water Buffalo would be a good way to get, you know, invasives out. You know, but knowing that she had some Buffalo out there, of course, that grabbed my attention. So grab her up. Okay, well, good, please. So the focus being on Hawthorne and being a center where we could work on aquaculture, and that's what Dr. Brody was interested in, the possibility of a center out there where we could study aquaculture because of the lake area and that sort of thing. And, you know, the rail trails goes out there. There's lots of opportunity for Hawthorne if you can just kind of carry that idea for it, which I'll be there to help you, too, from out there. But, you know, grab her up. You all would be a great team. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Jess, I did already make this request, so I don't know that I, but I just wanted to check in if we had an answer on if Govinity would allow us to do translation on the website for the agendas and minutes, if there was a way for that, for Govinity to provide translation services support, if we had gotten an answer to that question. Yeah, actually, I should have announced earlier, Govinity is sitting and walking through. Wonderful. Yeah, Govinity is sitting and walking through with Steve through the minute process and that process. So I'll let Tao the vendor. Okay, great. So our interest, yeah, our interest is, or my interest is in being able to either online with a click of a button, be able to get the agendas and minutes translated into various languages or to have it print, you know, for people to be able to print it off in a language that isn't English. Yeah, so my name is Tao. I'm the CEO and co-founder of Govinity. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be in partnership with the county. What an amazing experience it has been. So to answer your question, your public portal already has that capability. What happens is that rather than you just seeing like a, I want to translate in a different language, if someone's PC and browser is main language is in another language. So if their main language is Spanish, when they browse to your portal, the whole thing is in Spanish. And it also translates all of your PDFs as well. That takes a little bit longer for your packets because it does it kind of as people are requesting it. But when someone makes a request for, let's say, like an agenda outline or agenda package, our software actually goes and translates that as well. There will, on the PDFs, there will be some visual things that aren't exactly right because PDFs and translation isn't exactly, isn't exact. But the information is actually translated in real time. I think we may be the only system out there that's doing, that's doing this. That's great news. Yeah. So just know that like, that that's already happening. And your team actually sent us some other languages because we're not using sort of the Google Translate, like literal translation, but it actually translates in the language that they understand. You know, so for, let's say like the agenda, it won't, it won't be the literal word for agenda. It was, in Spanish, it's orders of the day, like, so just know that like, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a literal, I'm sorry, it's a, it's the, it's the language that they speak and not what's the literal word translation. Linguistics translation. Yes, exactly. There you go. So yeah, that's already in place. Yep. Wow. Thank you. Hey, Leo. See, the only thing I had is, I don't know if you remember, but Cole spoke about a letter of support for this free market. Yes. I was going to write it just as a commissioner, but if we could get a chair letter to that, that would be great. She's looking to get that building donated to her by Cabot Coppers, which would be amazing if they're able to do that. So she's collecting up letters of support from community members on the corner of 23rd and 6th. How are they supporting that? Do you know? How are they paying the electric? Donations. Really? And community support. Yeah. It's really a community-driven market, free market for food and clothing. Wow. Is it some of the people that started the free grocery that are like building this up? That's fantastic. Yeah. So could I get a motion? Yeah. I would move. Will we write a chair letter to support the donation of the Habitat for Humanity building for a free market? Second. Motion, second. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Thank you, Commissioner. So, Tom, if you could get with Cole on that, that'd be great. And the person that spoke today, I'll get you her information. Yep. Or actually, Becky has her information because she had a meeting with me last week, I think. And we'll draft a chair letter for you to send. Yeah. And I think she's got a number of examples already. Okay. That's all I had. So, Commissioner, we've got two more meetings. Yep, we've got lights on after school at the Willie Mae Stokes, October 21st from 2.30 to 5. We've got the Community Champions Award, which is the Children's Trust December meeting at the library on December 14th at 4 o'clock. Have you all gotten any information about this property, the Copper's property? They had the meeting last week. I wasn't able to watch it. But I know there was a big report that was sent out regarding... Do you have any information about that? No, it was in the newspaper. Yeah, I saw the article. We got an email about what the different things that they were doing, the slurry wall and the slurry radiation and the... Like a mile worth of that stuff. And I called them doing the work when I drove in today. But I would hope that somebody from the board would just pay attention, you know, when that property comes up, because the last I had heard from the city when we were talking about that, because I was even trying to promote it as a possibility for the animal shelter and a park and, you know, all of that there, because it's industrial on one side of it. But if you all would just keep your eyes on it, because the last I had heard from the city, they didn't have the money to do anything with it. You know, so if it's something you think would benefit the county, you know, just, you know, keep your eyes out on it. Yeah, it's a good location. It is for a lot of things. For a lot of things. Okay. So two more meetings. We've got a meeting on the 27th. We've got a meeting on November 10th. And is there a policy meeting on... There's not a... No meetings on the 3rd. We have a reorganization on the 17th. There's a reorganization on the 17th. A reorganization on the 17th. A reorganization on the 17th. A reorganization on the 17th. It's wearing it on the 17th. Yes, sir. Correct. All right, Commissioner, I think that's it. Things are changing. Things are changing. No meetings tonight, so we are adjourned.