CITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING - Apr 03, 2025

Tom Dugard: yes · Jeff Gow: yes · Robert Walker: yes · Steven Sandbergen: yes · Mayor Betrany: yes

Outcome: And that motion passes unanimously. ✓

and the maker of the motion

Steven Sandbergen: yes · Jeff Gow: yes · Tom Dugard: yes · Robert Walker: yes · Maureen "Moe" Freaney: yes

Outcome: passes unanimously. ✓

Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the April 3rd, 2025 City Commission meeting, calling the meeting to order. And we're going to start with invocation and pledge by our city attorney, Jen.

Let us begin this meeting by taking a brief moment of silence and reflection. Amen.

I pledge allegiance to 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 for all.

Okay, we're going to start with presentations, and we do have four of them tonight. We're going to start with National Library Week and the 130th anniversary of the Dunedin Public Library. Very exciting. And I'm going to turn that over to Commissioner Sandbergen.

Thank you, Mayor. Step right up. So, from 1895 to 2025, from 200 books to what we are today, the first time I got that nice tour with you, it really changed my, you know, it's no longer a sterile, keep your, you know, your inside voice and, you know, sit down and not do anything. So, but from movies to study rooms to DVDs to CDs to even ukuleles, doesn't get much better than that, and it doesn't get much better in the leadership. So, if you don't mind, I would like to go ahead and read this proclamation to you. Whereas the Dunedin Public Library is celebrating 130 years of service to the community on April 25th, 2025, and whereas libraries spark creativity, fuel imagination, and inspire lifelong learning, offering a space where individuals of all ages can explore new ideas and be drawn into new possibilities, and whereas libraries serve as vibrant community hubs, connecting people with knowledge, technology, resources, while fostering civic engagement, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, and whereas libraries provide free and equitable access to books, digital tools, and innovative programming, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, have the support they need to learn, to connect, and thrive. And whereas libraries partner with schools, businesses, and organizations, connecting the dots to maximize resources, increase efficiency, and expand access to essential services, strengthening the entire community. And whereas libraries nurture young minds through story times, STEAM programs, and literacy initiatives, fostering curiosity and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. And whereas dedicated librarians and library workers provide welcoming spaces that inspire discovery, collaboration, and creativity for all. Now, therefore, I, Stephen Sandbergen, by virtue of the authority vested in me, and Mo Freeney, the mayor of the city of Dunedin, and on behalf of the entire city commission, do hereby proclaim April 6th through the 12th, 2025, as National Library Week. During this week, and especially on April 25th, I encourage all residents to visit the library, explore its resources, and celebrate all the ways that the library draws us together as a community, and has done so for 130 years. Thank you, Ms. Phyllis. The floor is yours.

Okay, so for 130, I get to talk for 130 minutes. Mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, thank you for recognizing National Library Week and the amazing milestone of the 130th anniversary of Dunedin Public Library. I want to thank the staff, the advisory members, the friends members, and foundation members here this evening. They're all here today. For all of their support, years of staff members and volunteers from the past have woven into the history of our library. Founded in 1895 with 200 books from Christopher Boone, who lived on Victoria Drive, the library was the hub of the city, before the city was even incorporated as a city, at Library Hall in Edgewater Park. It's the oldest library in Pinellas County. On April 1st, 1935, Library Hall was officially deeded to the city of Dunedin. The library has moved through various locations from Edgewater Park to Loudoun Ave to Main Street. All of these locations, City Hall has moved to after. Just to know. And finally, to the two iterations on Douglas Avenue. We are celebrating the whole month of April, our anniversary, with an author talk, a library movie screening, a local author showcase, trivia, and inviting our community, so everyone here today, to an open house on the anniversary day of April 25th, 1895, is when it was founded, but you can come on 2025. From 1 to 5 p.m., and we have a special history of the library with a special guest, Eric Houghton, at 2 p.m. So we invite everyone to join. Come, you'll see all these historic pieces that we have. We have the library ledgers from 1900, so you can see what L.B. Skinner checked out, and what Grant checked out, and Sutherland, and you'll recognize all the names. I feel honored to be part of the Dunedin Public Library history, and thank all of those before me, and those to come. So I have something special to share. One of our staff members, Jennifer Castle, that's here, and Brooke Nolan from our Communications Department, created a short video of Dunedin Library through the years, so see if you remember these locations. The logs are, but I do have one in my office. Thank you so much, and again, please welcome everyone to come to our open house on Friday, April 25th, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the library. So thank you so much.

I think we're going to get a picture. Yep. Library advisory. Yeah, let's get everybody up. We'll try not to mess up the picture here. Okay, our next item is Shredfest Recognition for Dunedin High School, NJROTC, and Achieva Credit Union, and I guess Natalie and Savannah are going to come forward and take this over.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, and all of those joining us here today. Natalie Gass, Sustainability Program Manager for the city, and joined by Savannah Bunch, our Environmental Specialist. We are honored to stand before you today to recognize two outstanding partners who have played a pivotal role in the success of our annual Shredfest event, Dunedin High School NJROTC Program, and Achieva Credit Union. We are grateful to celebrate over a decade of partnership with these two excellent organizations on this event. Over the years, the annual Shredfest event has become a highly anticipated, greatly appreciated, and eagerly expected tradition within the community, as it provides residents with a free and secure way to dispose of their personal documents. Shredfest started in 2014. Some may remember when it was branded as Shredtoberfest and fell in the month of October. About six years ago, the event was moved to be held in the January-February timeframe to stay clear of hurricane season, and just so happens to coincide with the annual decluttering that is usually a result of New Year's resolutions. Event attendance has grown throughout the years as community members utilize this key service. First, to recognize the NJROTC students, chief, and program staff from Dunedin High School. Thank you. Year after year, these dedicated young volunteers show up on time, work with professionalism and respect, and demonstrate a level of commitment that speaks volumes about the values instilled in them by the program. These students continue to represent Dunedin High School with pride, and we're incredibly fortunate to have them as key partners in this event. Their hard work not only ensures that residents can dispose of their personal papers safely and securely, but it also directly contributes to the success of this event and, in turn, our community.

We'd also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Achieva Credit Union. Achieva has been an invaluable partner, hosting the event at their headquarters right here in Dunedin, providing crucial service, providing crucial funding for the shredding trucks, creating marketing materials, and overseeing donations for the Achieva Foundation, which provides support for local school grants. Through the dedication of Dunedin High School and Achieva Credit Union, we've been able to provide a service to our community that is both safe and cost-free to residents. Pulling data from 2017 to 2025, the event has helped collect an impressive 371,481 pounds of paper from over 10,000 vehicles and raised over $31,000 for local school grants. This event has become a well-oiled machine with a streamlined process that has made it efficient, safe, and secure. The Pinellas County Sheriff Office Deputy, who supported the most recent event, mentioned how impressed he was with the smooth traffic flow and safety protocols. However, we can't mention this event without taking a moment for a critical PSA. Despite safety protocols in place with constant messaging, truck fires have unfortunately occurred multiple times due to rechargeable batteries being mixed in with the paper being disposed. It is really critical for all to know that during these shredding events, paper is the only accepted material to be disposed of and shredded. Rechargeable batteries and other hazardous materials ignite when they're crushed and multiple truck fires have occurred, damaging the shredding trucks and creating risks to personnel. Messaging and education will continue to broadcast this message to ensure that future events are safe for all involved. We are truly grateful to both Dunedin High School and Achieve a Credit Union for making this event a success year after year. Thank you, and we look forward to many more successful ShredFest events with them by our side. So at this time, we're going to present two honorary certificates of recognition and appreciation. Appreciation.

And we can get a group photo.

Could we just, could each person introduce themselves just so we know who the ROTC member and the Achieve individuals are?

I am Manuel Becerra. I'm a cadet from Navy JROTC from Dunedin High School. I'm a senior, and thank you for having me here.

Thank you very much.

I'm Emmanuel Arkins from Dunedin High School. Thank you for having me here.

Thank you.

I'm Katie Hoenote. Thank you for having us here.

Thank you.

I'm Roland Bryant, a twice-retired boarder of director at Achieve a Credit Union, working on a third retirement.

Can't let it go. They can't let you go, I'm sure.

Although we'll never let him retire. Jessica Hernandez, I'm the marketing manager at Achieve a Credit Union.

That's great. Well, thank you very much. So, picture. And again, thanks to the NJROTC and Achieve a Credit Union both do a lot for our community. So, we appreciate you stepping up again. Thank you. Okay, we're going to turn it to National Tartan Day Proclamation. And let's see, who should we have to do that? Yeah. He did, I know. You put him on the spot. Anyway, we'll go to Commissioner Gao.

Sorry, the comment up is here. It should go to the person in the kilt. And my apologies. There's a story behind it. But we are in the middle of Highland Games Week. And what a wonderful week it is. It starts on last weekend with the Kirkin of the Tartan, a church service. It's put on by First Presbyterian Church. And it ends with our Highland Games this Saturday. And we have a wonderful, wonderful series of events that occur throughout the evening, throughout the week, from Scotch Tastings to, actually, I believe tonight is a haggis hunt. And so if you hurry quickly down to Flanagan's, you can get involved and hunt for haggis or hag-eye, I guess, because they're small ones. But, you know, everybody knows the history of Dunedin. You know that, right, it started in 1957 with bagpipes in our middle school. Dunedin High School opens up in 1961. Bagpipes start there. And in 64, we create our city band. The city of Dunedin adopted officially of the Elliott Tartan as the city's official Tartan. And you can see that anywhere from the city seal to the community center. And actually, you just saw it in Phyllis' 130th anniversary logo. It was displayed there. So that was really wonderful. And we have three, at least three organizations in Dunedin. We have the New World Celts. We have the Scottish Arts Society or Foundation and Dunedin Scottish American Society. And all three of those organizations work together and separately to support all the piping that occurs in our community, all the dancing, all the drumming that occurs. And so it takes a true village to keep our Scottish culture and heritage alive. But we do it. We do it well. And our Scottish culture and heritage is strong. And so why would we think that we need one extra day while April 5th is our Highland Games? We need just one more day. And let's celebrate that. So April 6th is Tartan Day. And so with that, I'd like to have the Vice President of the Scottish American Society of Dunedin, Jerry Johnson, for each step forward to receive this proclamation. And I'm sure I have wonderful things to say and whatever lame excuse the President and First Husband has for not being here tonight to receive this. But National Tartan Day, whereas National Tartan Day was declared by U.S. Senate Resolution 144 to honor the role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of our nation. America's ties to Scotland are great. Almost half of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence, which was based on Scotland's 1320 Declaration of Arboreth, and 34 of the 45 U.S. presidents have been of Scottish descent. And whereas Florida has a rich history of Scottish influence, is reflected in its culture and in the names of many of our counties, towns, and cities, including Dunedin, which was founded by two Scotsmen, J.O. Douglas and James Somerville. And whereas Florida was the home to some famous Scottish descendant residents, such as Thomas Edison, Ernest Hemingway, Henry Flagler, Andrew Carnegie, and Seminole Indian chief Osceola, go Knowles. And whereas we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and way of life and strive to promote Scottish traditions internationally through our sister city relationships of Stirling, Scotland. And whereas Dunedin encourages its youth to embrace Scottish traditions through the art of Highland dance and the music of pipes and drums in the middle school and high school pipe bands. And whereas no fewer than 10 Highland Games and Celtic festivals are held each year throughout the state, including Dunedin, where people from around the world attend. And whereas we commend the organizations in Dunedin who honor Scottish heritage traditions and culture, such as the Scottish American Society of Dunedin, Scottish Military Society, and the Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation, and our New World Celts. Now, therefore, I, Jeff Gow, by the authority vested in me by the mayor of the city of Dunedin, and on behalf of this entire commission, do hereby proclaim Sunday, April 6, 2025, as National Tartan Day in Dunedin, and urge our citizens to observe this holiday by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States, and recognize the contributions of Scottish Americans to our nation, the state of Florida, and the city of Dunedin. Yeah. I don't think you could ever just sit down.

Thank you, and good evening, mayor, commissioners, and city staff. I'd like to say I just met Jeff Gow for the first time, but our daughters went through high school and Florida State together, and many, many events we've seen each other at, and it's really warm to see so many faces here that do come to our club for our events, dances, whiskey tastings, and concerts, so I feel really good about that. My name is Jerry Johnson. I'm the vice president this year at the Scottish American Society of Dunedin. Today I have with me Fiona and Deb, who are board members, sitting there next to my beautiful wife, Felicia. They're very nervous. They don't want to come up here. But you mentioned Joan and Alan McHale. They're currently on a plane to New York, and they're going to represent the SAS there and the city of Dunedin in the National Tartan Day Parade this coming weekend. Oh, I'm so jealous. So, but it is a privilege to accept this and everything here on behalf of all the Scots in Dunedin. Tartan Day doesn't only celebrate the contributions Scots made to this great country, but it also celebrates our rights as a people to determine our own destiny. The Declaration of Independence is like the Declaration of Arbroath written in 1320, which had these lines. It is in truth, not for glory, nor riches, nor honors, that we are fighting, but for freedom alone, which no honest man gives up, but with life itself. That document was written to ask Pope John XXII to use his influence and have Scotland acknowledged as a country and for its people to have the freedom to determine who would lead them. Even today, there are some countries and some people around the world who don't have that right, and we should never take freedom for granted. Here in Dunedin, we honor Tartan Week with our Highland Games and festivals and many other events staged by different groups. The Scottish American Society will be celebrating Tartan Week on April 26th, April 26th, with a whiskey tasting and a gathering. I understand there's a really handsome, fun DJ who's going to be there that night too, so check that out. We welcome all of you to our event as we bring the community together again to celebrate our culture and our heritage. But a short word on the Scottish American Society, which is now in its 43rd year. In spite of the storms last fall, we had our best year ever. Thank you to all of you for coming. You all support us. All that money and celebration is wonderful. We are able to provide over $15,000 in scholarships, grants, and financial aid to students of the Scottish Arts programs, as well as over $150,000 in subsidies to the various groups and teachers who use our facilities for lessons. We hosted more events than ever, even though we lost five events due to the storms in their aftermath. Our concert lineup included a list of festival headlining bands, and we also brought a theater group to the Cultural Center featuring David Ganey and his band. David was five times World Irish Dance Champion, and his show was one of the most energetic and entertaining events we have ever produced. We are a member-based 501c3 organization, and our membership is now touching 400 members. That's unbelievable. If you have not joined us, please consider it. The membership helps us maintain the venue and also for us to financially help the many Scots arts programs and the students in the city. Thank you once again for this proclamation, and if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them or save them from the McHales when they come back and they can brag about their trip. And also, we will, of course, be at the Highland Games with our tent, so stop by and have a dram with me, and we'll celebrate Scottish history and heritage. Thank you.

You're going to get a picture?

There's no music up here for me. I'm lost.

Maybe you can get Fiona and the gang to come up for a picture. I want to do my board members too.

That was great. Yeah, we've got a big fun weekend coming, so it'll be a good time. So the next item is the Dunedin Boat Club Proclamation, and we'll turn it over to none other than Commissioner Walker, proud Boat Club member.

Thank you, Mayor. So first of all, I do want to thank the Bridge Board and Blue Gavel of the Dunedin Boat Club for your service. And we have several other members who have supported the Boat Club over the years, and I'd like to call all the Boat Club members up to the podium. Wow, what a group. So as we finalize our planning for the decommissioning of the Dunedin Boat House Clubhouse, it's important we acknowledge that it's not the end of an era, and we're planning for the decommissioning, but we are also planning for the future. It is fitting to honor the rich history and significant legacy that our sailing communities contributed to the great city of Dunedin. This moment, though poignant, is not the end of our legacy, but rather marks a new beginning. It opens the door to the future, boating and sailing in Dunedin, a future that will continue to be shaped, fostered, and promoted by the Dunedin Boat Club. As we move forward, we are committed to securing historical landmark designation for the clubhouse and rebuilding a resilient foundation for the future. This commitment underscores our dedication to preserving the legacy that was built by the Dunedin Boat Club and ensuring that it thrives for generations to come. A proclamation to follow. The Dunedin Boat Club was formed on September 3rd, 1929, serving as a cornerstone of the local boating community and promoting the enjoyment of sailing in the waters surrounding Dunedin. And the Dunedin Boat Club, centered around its historic clubhouse built in 1936, stands as the oldest boat club on the west coast of Florida and remains one of the oldest buildings in Dunedin, financed and constructed by the dedication and passion of its founding members. This esteemed clubhouse was rightly recognized in 2008 for its historical significance within our local community and throughout the state of Florida, making it a cherished landmark and a symbol of our maritime heritage. And despite experiencing various challenges over the decades, including significant damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, the spirit of the club and its members has remained resilient in their dedication to introduce a younger generation of boaters and continue the traditions of racing, exploration, and community gatherings. Today, the Dunedin Boat Club boasts over 400 active members who uphold the club's dynamic legacy and foster a sense of community, history, and shared love for the sea, contributing to its reputation not just as a place for boating, but as a vital part of our community's social fabric. The city of Dunedin recognizes the need to preserve the historical integrity and enduring legacy of the Dunedin Boat Club for future generations, especially in light of recent natural events that have tested our resolve and commitment to our historical landmarks. Now, therefore, I, Robert Walker, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Mo Franey, Mayor of the City of Dunedin, Florida, and on behalf of the entire City Commission, do hereby proclaim Friday, April 11, 2025, as Dunedin Boat Club Day in Dunedin, Florida. I'll add this to you.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Madam Mayor, members of the commission, Jennifer. First, I have to say that we just had a ceremony, you know, commemorating the Highland Games, and I have never seen Tom Dugard in a kilt before, and being, one of the things I share with Rob Walker was we're both Navy guys, and we never miss a chance to see a great pair of knees. So you've been sitting down here the whole time. Would you please

please sit

and show off that kilt? Thank you. I know, I know, I know. And so, you honor and flatter us for not only tonight, but for all the support that the City Commission has given our boat club over the years. The proclamation says it all. You know, when the story of Dunedin is finally written, the Dunedin Boat Club will play a part in it. We have always been, and we will continue to be, you know, part of the fabric and the mosaic of this town. At your State of the City presentation, one of the things you had up there as your mission was to preserve historic sites. And you should know, and I think the town should understand that we did absolutely everything that we could to possibly save this building. But the expression that I have to use is that nostalgia finally collided with reality. And that reality is that Milton and Helene made the decision for us. And the best path forward is for us to bring down our old building and construct a new one. And like every other presentation that you've made today, we are going to look to forward generations and make new memories. So our decommissioning is going to be a bit nostalgic. But again, it is with great tenderness and great memories and looking forward to making new memories that we are going to have this decommissioning. We are so proud that you will all be there. And, you know, we welcome anybody else in this room to be there. But again, I'm sure that I speak for everybody here as well as all of our membership in thanking you for all of your support. You know, together we're going to make this happen. And again, I look forward to the next proclamation when we are cutting that ribbon for our new building. So again, thank you so much for everything you have done for us.

I think we're going to get a picture here. Right.

Scott, please stand over here.

I have a couple more on this side.

Three, two, one.

Okay, right. Thank you very much, Rob. Where's Craig tonight? But Rob does a great job. Okay, we are going to go to citizens' input. So does anyone in the audience wish to speak on a topic that is not on the agenda? This would be your time. And, okay. Okay. And you get name and address for the record in three minutes.

So, yeah,

and just pull it down a little bit and make sure it's on. There you go. Oh, sorry.

Thank you. Yeah.

My name is Joanne Holiday

with two L's. I live at the Lakes, Building K, Unit 106. And I'm here to talk about the pickleball court. I understand that aging well is living well and activity and many other aspects of lifestyle contributes to a healthy lifestyle. However, when you are recuperating from a stroke and you need rest, you need to heal, and you have a pickle court, 10 of them behind me, parking my condo would be at that wall. That wall, just imagine, is the fence where two rows of cars and trucks park to fill these 10 courts. and I hear the noise going constantly. And it's not like when I first moved there 22 years ago to beautiful Dunedin where it was so serene go to the Eagle Park and walk the quiet walkway to enjoy the wildlife that was there. And the Eagle Scout Park had a beautiful garden there. Now I can't even walk there to even enjoy a short walk. It is too noisy. The animals aren't there anymore. It's hard for people to garden. I understand, like I said, there are many aspects to aging well. But when your health fails you and you need serenity, I feel as though I am in a water torture chamber. The noise is constant. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. I have a job. I gotta wait to go to sleep at night. Cars and trucks, diesel engine trucks running the engines. I'm sitting on my recliner and the vibration is going through my bones. It is intrusive. My real estate is stolen from me. I can't sit on my lanai and read a book anymore. I can't. It's too noisy. I don't have any serenity. It's stolen from me. And I need it to remain healthy. I need it to remain active, as active as I can. I'm recuperating still. I do a lot. I've healed a lot. I have a long way to go. And so, to try to sum it up, I'm concerned about the hours. I'm concerned about the loud noises. I mean, when somebody comes in and they're playing the volume on a big, heavy bass.

I have to wrap up, Joanne, but I appreciate it.

The noises, the trucks, the music. They even sit in their car waiting to get online to wait for a pickleball court to open up. Thank you. It just is so invasive and I would like for somebody to re-look at the planning. The parking is too close to the buildings where we live and the cars are too loud and the walkways

could be reconfigurated.

Thank you, Joanne.

I do have to, you know, call it to a close, but we hear you. We hear you. So, thank you.

I would hope that you take all these issues into consideration.

Thank you. Anyone else in the audience wish to speak on this issue or any issue that's not on the agenda? Name and address for the record and three minutes.

Yes. My name is Jane Powell and I am a resident at Heather Lakes right behind the pickleball courts on Eagle Scout Park and I would like to play a recording for you. It's only 47 seconds long.

So, mind you,

this is next door to where she lives. I live directly behind where the gardens are and this recording is one, this is only one set of pickleball courts that are being used. So, multiply that by 10 and this was recorded from my couch inside, inside from, not out on my lanai. So, the noise is incredible. The sound of the vehicles going back and forth, the pickleball people show up at 6.30 in the morning so they can get a court. They're there until, they're tailgating until 10.30, 11 o'clock at night. We have cars racing, racing back and forth. They honk their horns when they get there to say hello to their friends. They honk their horns when they leave and this is, you know, it doesn't matter that they can look up and see residents that are there, that we live there. It's like, we don't even, we don't even matter. They yell back and forth and they have conversations from their cars. I am directly in front of the gardens and so they park, they back their cars in, they turn their headlights on and my whole living room and bedroom are illuminated. I can't even look outside because I'm looking into headlights. And I can't sit on my deck and enjoy the sunset or the, not the sunset but the sunrise and the moonrise. I can't sit out there and have my coffee anymore. I can't leave my windows open and my doors open. I spent $8,265 on a new door because that was helping with the soundproofing and it did help with the soundproofing but I've done my part. I would like you to do your part. I don't believe that these courts should even be there in the middle of a residential area. And we walked around on the other side of where the fences are, where the houses are. There's houses for sale over there and it's just as loud over there. So I, you know, I'm really concerned about the property, how, if I'm going to be able to sell my property because anybody looking outside is not going to be able to afford or is not going to appreciate the sound that we have. Thank you. Fire engines are one thing. They were there first.

Thank you. Believe me, we hear you. Thank you. Anyone else wish to come forward and speak on this issue? Final victim. Name and address for the record in three minutes.

My name's Hicky Stevens. Hi, Becky. I live at Heather Lakes at 952 Virginia, Unit 306. And I reached out to you, Mayor Mo. I reached out with letters to Parks and Rec. And now I'm reaching out to you fine folks. The hours are 7 in the morning till 10 at night. And again, it's more like 6.30 to 11. I would like the hours to be 8 to 8. I would like the sheriff to patrol at closing time to run people off because it is not party time at the courts after that. And we are subjected to all the noise of them partying, laughing, cars running. It's noisy. We live in a 55 plus neighborhood. This is the youngsters, the kindergartners that live there. A lot of our residents are 80 plus. It is hard for them to get out and try being subjected to all of that noise for 15 hours a day. You live with it. You get up with it and you go to bed with it. I back up to the courts and in fact, my view was grass. Now my view is a court. I no longer live next to a park. I live next to a stadium. The lights are so high like this. When I look out my patio door, I see the top, the bottom of the lights. There's so many of them and they're so bright. It's unbelievable. We used to have birds that came. There is no birds. It is just pickleball noise, balls bouncing. The cars shine in on anybody who lives on the first floor. They are subjected to cars, car lights. I'm on the third floor. I'm subjected to the park lights. I can no longer use my patio. I also have invested $8,400 in a new sliding glass door. Our values are low and now I have added more to a place I will never get the money out of. It's, and where am I going to go? I have no other place. I love Dunedin. I cannot afford to move. I cannot afford to buy a house. I cannot afford to go to another set of condos. So again, like, it is torture for 15 hours a day. You have no idea. In my letter and to you, Moe, and to Parks and Rec, I said, please, I invite you to my home to see what I experience. I'm inviting all of you also to come. It is one thing for me to stand here and tell you. It is another thing for you to come and actually see what I'm experiencing. Thank you.

Thank you, Vicki. Is there anyone else that would like to speak on an issue that's not on the agenda? So, appreciated your letter. When I got your letter, I felt the frustration. I felt the pain. I felt, I felt it all. I've obviously, I had passed it over to Vince Gizzy and actually, you probably don't know this, but my own pet sitter lives over in that area and she said, it's nonstop. It's just, you know, it's torture. So, and so I'm going to ask for a city manager. I know, you know, you've got a little bit of an update on what we, what we can or thinking of doing over there.

I do, Mayor. Thank you very much and thank you for your comments and coming here this evening. So, we do have our interim director of Parks and Recreation here and we have our sheriff's deputy as well. So, there are some things that we can address. We are putting together a plan for all of you. We're putting together a plan for all of you. Your letters were forwarded to myself and to my office. And Vince has retired. That's why Jocelyn is here this evening. So, there's, the good news is there are things that we are going to do and that we can do. Some of them is right now we're researching acoustical windscreens to put up between the pickleball courts and your property as well. And we're, when I say we're researching, we're finding the most effective noise abatement or noise mitigation that we can find between the pickleball courts and yourselves. It was designed with the lights that were pointing down a certain type of a light with kind of a cap over it. So, we'll have a look at that and see if there's anything that we can do about the lighting. We are going to address the hours. I'm not prepared to say right now what they will be because if and when we reduce the hours, we need to make sure that's enforceable and we'll work with the sheriff's office as well to make sure that that's enforceable. in terms of during the summertime, it's still light out and even if we turn out the lights, they're still going to try to play and so we need to be able to address that as well. We can put some landscaping in and planting in right along the property line there. In fact, that was something that we were talking about from the day that it opened, the pickleball courts opened. And one thing that I think that we can do that's not on the list here is post some signage for them to be respectful of the neighborhood and to keep their voices down, especially along the parking areas. We can also have a look at those headlights if you're in a ground floor unit and they're pulling in their parking spaces, what we can do about the headlights. It may be more of an opaque fence than what we have up there now. We can have a look at that and see what we can do. So what I'd like to do, Mayor, Vice, Mayor, and Commissioners, is work with Jocelyn and we'll put together a plan and report back to you. I'll give you my business card tonight. If you could just shoot me an email so I'll have the contact information and then we can circle around and talk to all of you about how we're going to address this situation. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you very much and thanks for coming. We do understand and we're going to take some actions. Thank you. Okay. We're going to move to our action items and the first action item is going to be Resolution 25-14, Equipment Master Leasing Services with Bank of America for one solid waste vehicle and one fire engine E-1 pumper truck. Total cost $1,291,844.13. Jen, could you please read Resolution 25-14 by title only?

Resolution 25-14, a resolution of the City Commission of the City of Dunedin, Florida, authorizing the lease-purchase financing of the acquisition of an E-1 pumper truck and a solid waste vehicle, providing the forms of and authorizing the execution and delivery of Schedule No. 4 and Schedule No. 5 to the Master Equipment Lease Purchase Agreement with Bank of America Public Capital Corp, approving the forms of and authorizing the execution and delivery of escrow agreements in connection therewith with Argent Institutional Trust Company, authorizing the execution and delivery of other documents required in connection therewith, making certain covenants and agreements in connection therewith, and providing an effective date. That was Resolution 25-14 read by title only.

Okay, could I have a maker of the motion?

So moved.

Second.

Okay, and staff presentation, Les. Good evening, Mayor, Vice, Mayor, Commissioners. I'm Les Tyler, the Finance Director. And as mentioned, this is Resolution 25-14, an equipment lease for the Bank of America for the purchase of one solid waste vehicle and one fire engine. I'd like to give some brief background on this item. The City Commission awarded a contract to Bank of America in January 2022 as a result of RFP 22-1195. The City entered into an agreement with B of A in January 2022 as a result of that award. And the master lease agreement is for a five-year term with Bank of America and it expires in January 2027. The purpose of the award and the contract with B of A was to identify a financial institution that the City could use to contract to finance the purchase of various vehicles that the City wishes to finance over the next five-year time frame. The lease debt service payments are made in arrears on an annual basis under the agreement. The City Commission approved the purchase of the solid waste vehicle as part of the fiscal year 2025 fleet replacement plan that was presented to the City Commission on March 4, 2025. In addition, the City Commission approved the purchase of the fire truck, fire engine, as part of the presentation for the fiscal year 23 fleet replacement that was presented to the Commission on February 21, 2023. The City Commission was informed that the City staff planned to finance both of these vehicles in both those staffing reports. The solid waste vehicle and fire engine are listed in the staffing background and what we're purchasing is a 2024 New Mammoth 40 cubic yard battle motors. It's a low-tilt entry solid waste vehicle for $391,746. And the fire engine is an E1 pumper truck at a cost of $900,098. The solid waste vehicle is expected to be delivered at the end of this month. We expect it to be delivered at the end of April. And the fire engine is expected to be delivered sometime in December 2025. The total cost or a borrowed amount will be $1,291,844 for both vehicles. B of A has proposed an interest rate, a tax-exempt interest rate of 3.84% over a five-year period with payment and arrears for the solid waste vehicle. And B of A's proposed interest rate is 3.99% for a seven-year term for the fire engine. The annual payment, total payment for both will be $237,528. And that will be $149,923 paid out of the general fund for the fire engine and $87,605 for the solid waste vehicle out of the solid waste fund. The total amount for both vehicles, including interest and financing charges, would be $1,487,485. And that comes to a cost of funds or total interest paid for these two vehicles of $195,641 in total. The city is required to enter into this master lease agreement for these two vehicles. And I want to mention that Jennifer Cohen, our city attorney, and also Dwayne Draper and Dana Makish with BMO, who is our bond and disclosure counsel, they reviewed the terms and conditions of this agreement, this lease purchase agreement and financing documents, and found them to be acceptable for the city. And Dana is also here today to assist with any technical questions that may come up this evening. Acceptance of Schedule 4 and 5 to the master lease agreement requires approval of Resolution 25-14 and staffs requesting the City Commission to approve Resolution 25-14 and authorize staff to enter this agreement and to borrow $1,291,844 to finance the purchase of these two vehicles. That concludes our presentation. Happy to answer any questions.

Okay, questions for Les. I'll start with Vice Mayor.

Les, did we look at different size trucks looking at the cost and the details, any side-by-side comparisons? How did we arrive if this was the size of the truck that we needed in Dunedin?

Yeah, the vehicles are all analyzed for the solid waste vehicle. You know, the solid waste department, Bill Pickram, looks closely at what vehicles needed, and that's all part of his proposal when it goes to the commission for the fleet replacement plan. So yeah, there's a lot of thought into determining what vehicles are needed each year. We were going to purchase two or three vehicles this year, and then we ended up only purchasing one and we'll be re-evaluating more next year. But yeah, there's a lot of time and effort put into what the needs are every year, definitely.

Thank you.

Commissioner Sandbergen?

Les, what's the difference in Bank of America with a C and Bank of America with a K?

That's a different branch they have for lease financing. When we signed the formal agreement, they had a different acronym for this lease financing division, basically. Okay.

Are we eliminating a vehicle or trading in vehicles on these deals?

The pumper truck will be, the older one will be moved to a reserve for now, and the fire department will determine when they will sell off because they have older reserves that will be sold off eventually. And the solid waste vehicle, same thing. We've got other reserves. This would likely fall into a reserve and then another older vehicle would be sold at auction.

Okay. Good. That's all I had. Thank you.

Commissioner Walker?

Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, along those lines, just so I can kind of picture the cycle this is clarification is that, because, you know, I think what the public needs to understand is these are very specialized vehicles and that's why we enter into a different agreement than we did for the vehicle equipment replacement and purchases that we discussed earlier in March, right?

Yes. We've been financing our solid waste vehicles for a number of years now. I think nine or ten years now we've been financing solid waste vehicles. We will be evaluating that. We're doing a rate study now just beginning for the solid waste fund. We will be evaluating if we continue that or if we move to a pay-as-you-go basis, but right now they've found that to be the best method back then. And for this fire truck, this fire truck is the only fire asset that we have that's not in the fleet replacement plan. Funding Stream pay-as-you-go. This vehicle was purchased back ten years ago and was financed and we are financing again. We had discussions about do we try to pay cash for this vehicle back last year and from a priority standpoint it didn't make sense. We knew we could get some reasonable financing rates which we have. We think these are pretty good market rates so we decided to finance this again this fire truck. In the future, ten years from now when we replace this again we'll be re-evaluating our options. You know, we have a few options moving forward. We can ten years ten years from now we finance again or we could start setting aside funds over the next ten years and build up to purchase the next one with cash or pay-as-you-go. That gets expensive because we're paying debt service for the one vehicle and then we're also contributing towards the next purchase. Well, the other thing we can look at is I talked to the city manager a little bit is a lot of cities pay for safety vehicles out of the penny for Pinellas and we could also consider in our plan for penny five, penny phase five, assuming that's approved we could consider putting this vehicle to be paid by the penny fund when due ten years from now and then have the general fund replenish it from that point on. So we'll be evaluating the next one but in this case we financed the last one and we considered purchasing it but from other priorities it made sense to not and, you know, with the storms and everything else I'm glad we did not, you know, because cash is important to have but those are sort of our options moving forward.

Yeah, that totally makes sense. So there was definitely a cost comparison between an outright purchase and a five-year lease essentially, right?

Yes, yes, that's right. We, you know, when we did this lease back five years ago, you know, we knew we would evaluate the assets, you know, as time went on and again, we evaluated the fire truck a lot, talked about it and it made sense to finance this again and this time and we'll look at that again down the road when we purchase this one again as well.

Okay. So basically, the lease route was cheaper and then are you, what are you using for your useful, useful life for these assets?

Yeah, the solid waste vehicles are about five to six years depending, then they, then they, they get a lot of use and they generally are replaced and can go into a reserve and the, the fire engine should be ten years.

Okay. And least, these are, this is tip, this is primary, this is a lease to own type of a range.

this is a lease purchase. We own it, yeah, we, we own it the day it's delivered and it's, it's really a loan but it's called a lease, it's called a lease purchase and we own the asset the day it's delivered. Yeah.

All right. Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Dugard.

What depreciation schedule will you use on these assets?

Five year, five year for the solid waste and, well actually depreciation schedule we'll use a ten year on the fire truck and a five year on the solid waste vehicle. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. On the fire truck so that we'll, we'll pay this off in five years is that what I saw?

No, the fire truck we did a seven year loan. Seven year. Okay. Yeah, and we did, that's a good question. We did that because we knew it had a longer life and we, we could have done a ten year loan but to save some financing costs it made sense to go seven years.

Now we call this a lease so for the period of the lease we do not actually own the item. Is that correct?

No, actually this is, this is, we actually own the asset. It's a lease purchase so we own the asset the day it's delivered. Okay. We make the payments and, and you know, over the, over the term and then, and then we own the asset at the, from the beginning to the end basically.

So we're doing this methodology to avoid a, initial large cash distribution. Is that correct?

That's correct. That's correct.

I have no more questions.

So I guess my question goes to the heart of that, this and I, I mean, I didn't go back and do research but as my memory serves that there's the possibility and let's see if you know the answer to this that when this decision was originally made it wasn't necessarily a financial, what was the best financial decision. It was more of a short term, we don't want to pay that upfront cash so we're going to go this way and I remember at the time feeling, well, we'll never get out of it because we're never going to want to do just what you said, do two things at one time. So are we kind of, and I think you said we really are that. We're either going to have to do two things at once, pay for the lease and re-save money for the fund or wait for the penny we don't really have that option every year to say, oh, this is the interest rate so we're going to buy it because we've spent the money which I think might have been the intent when it started.

Any?

Yeah, no, I think that, I think I wasn't here then but I have read documents back then and I do believe that was the intent back when they did finance it 10 years ago and again, you know, you're, we could double up and set aside but that does get expensive and, but, you know, but again, or we could also, if we're in a good position, you know, the general fund could also pay for it too 10 years from now. In other words, you know, I mean, we had that discussion Jennifer and I and we could have done that. We had the reserves to do it but I didn't think it made good business sense and now, you know, looking back, it's kind of, hindsight's easy. I'm glad we didn't just for cash flow purposes.

it's a hard sell to use general fund. I mean, the penny is maybe a future to get kind of out of this rotation but thank you for that. Okay, so I'm going to open it to public input if anybody in the audience wishes to come forward to speak to this issue. Seeing no one, close public comment and we'll go to commission comments and I start with the maker of the motion, Commissioner Sandberg.

Nothing really to add, Mayor. I can see that he's done a good job. The city staff's done a good job putting this together. Thank you.

Okay, and Commissioner Walker.

Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, that checks all the blocks for me. I mean, these are specialized vehicles. They are very expensive vehicles. Either way, you parse them and I do appreciate the fact that there was the due diligence to do the cost comparison between purchase and the lease to own and then finally, I will say, I think we all greatly appreciate that you took into account cash flow, you know, going forward. So anyway, great job on this. Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, Commissioner Dugard.

How in the heck did you get 3.84 percent? I mean, that is incredible.

The tax-exempt helps. I guess it does. Congratulations on that. Yeah,

it helps. I need you to help me negotiate my next car purchase. Thank you. I have no more questions.

And Vice Mayor?

I'll reserve my comments during budget discussions. Thank you, Mayor.

Okay.

Yeah, and I'll just reiterate, you know, you already could hear my irritation because I think when it was done, it was done to get to money and that did take our options away. But Les, you weren't here and I think you've done a great job and you're doing the smart thing right now. So appreciate it and I'm obviously in favor of it. So I'll go to roll call vote. Commissioner Dugard?

Aye.

Vice Mayor Gao?

Aye.

Commissioner Walker?

Aye.

Commissioner Sandbergen?

Aye.

Mayor Betrany?

Aye. And that motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Les. We're going to go to 2B, Resolution 25-10, authorizing execution of a license agreement with the State of Florida Department of Transportation as part of the FDOT project number 448486-1-5602, Alt-19, Alt-US-19, Broadway widening and repaving at State Route 586, which is Curlew Road. Jen, can you please read Resolution 25-10 by title only?

Resolution 25-10, a resolution of the City Commission of the City of Dunedin, Florida, authorizing execution of a license agreement between the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the City for Construction Work on City Property for FDOT project number 448486-1, alternate U.S. 19 widening and resurfacing at State Route 586 slash Carlew Road, providing for an effective date. And that was Resolution 25-10 read by title only.

Okay. Could I have a motion for Resolution 25-10?

So moved. Second.

Okay. And we go to staff presentation. Clay.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor Clayton Watkins and Commission Clayton Watkins Utilities and Engineering. Adoption where the item 2 point excuse me, item 2 dot B is the recommendation to adopt Resolution 25-10 for the authorization of the execution of a license of maintenance agreement, rightness agreement between the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Dunedin for the for the regrading of two city driveways in association with FDOT Project 448486-1-56-02 Alt-US-19 Broadway widening and repaving at SR 586 Curley Road and the authorization for the mayor to execute the license agreement subject to commission approval. FDOT is finalizing the design of the widening of the repaving of Alternate 19 Broadway at Curley Road. The scope of the work includes new turn lanes, repaving existing and repaving of the existing turn lanes, new sidewalks, median construction, bus pull-offs, a new stormwater system including a retention pond, some seawalls, roadway, gravity walls, and a new mast arms at the intersection. The widening and Curlew for the additional eastbound lane will raise the elevation of the road. The increase of elevation requires walls and regrading outside of FDOT right-of-way. Two of these areas for regrading are city properties. These are the access drive to lift station 15 which is behind the animal hospital and the access drive to the turtle tower. The license agreement will allow FDOT's contractor to perform the regrading work on city property at FDOT's expense. The city attorney has reviewed the resolution and the license agreement. Each have been approved as to form. As such, staff hereby recommends adoption of resolution 2510 authorizing the execution of a license agreement between FDOT and the city of Deneen for regrading city properties in association with the FDOT project 4484861-5602 U.S. 19 Alternate 19 Broadway widening at State Road 586 Curly Road. And that concludes the presentation and here for any questions.

Okay, questions for staff for Clay. Commissioner Walker, I'll start over with you.

Thank you, Mayor. So the only question I, okay, I have two questions. I just want to make sure we clarify that. First of all, this is the natural follow-on to what we discussed on April, March 20th. And this is probably more of a process question, but why this one second and the undergrounding of the utilities first?

We tried to get them on the same meeting. It was a matter of two different groups working with FDOT to get us to get these agreements together. And this one just sort of lagged behind just far enough where we couldn't get them all in the same meeting.

It was a matter, okay, just a matter of staff review and all that stuff. And then the second question is the license agreement is required because FDOT is going to be essentially grading city infrastructure.

Yeah, FDOT gets license agreements anytime they're doing work outside of their right-of-way. So they'll also be getting it with all the other businesses along the way that they'll have to encroach onto their property.

Okay, no further questions. Thanks.

Okay, Commissioner Dugard.

Pardon me, thank you. Does this impede any drainage or is there going to be some conduit work also done at this location?

No, all this today naturally sort of sheet flows towards the golf course and into Curlow, so it doesn't really change anything.

No, conduit required. All right, as this is not a financial consideration, this is more of a permission thing?

This is just a permission thing.

Got it. Thank you. That's all I have.

Vice Mayor.

No questions, Mayor.

Thank you.

Okay, Commissioner Sandberg.

So what are those white boxes with those numbers?

So when you design roadways, if you can see sort of a long curler, there is a line that has some other numbers on it that's stationing. So what that's saying is that at whatever station that is, and it looks like it's probably roughly station, what I can barely read of this exhibit, it's probably about station 24 plus 83.11, and then it's 108 feet, 108.5 feet right of the center line. So it's a spot location on the plans. I asked for an exhibit that didn't have stationing on it for a little less clarification, but this is what we got.

Okay, so in the red, those pieces of property owned by the city you said?

That's the area. The area in red is the area that they will be performing work.

Okay, okay, good. I understand. Thank you, Clay. You're welcome.

Okay, I do not have any questions, so I will open it for public input. Anyone in the audience who wishes to come forward and speak to the issue? Seeing no one, I will close public input and go to commission comments, and the maker of the motion was Commissioner Walker.

I have no additional comments. Thank you.

Commissioner Dugard.

No comments.

Vice Mayor.

No comment.

And Commissioner Zandbergen.

Nothing to add.

Okay, and I don't have anything either, so roll call vote.

Commissioner Zandbergen. Aye. Vice Mayor Gow.

Aye.

Commissioner Dugard.

Aye.

Commissioner Walker.

Aye.

Mayor Franey.

Aye, and that motion passes unanimously. Okay, cool. So we know we're going to go to proposed agenda for April 17th. We can all get there. Anything that needs to be added or take additions or changes?

Not that I'm aware of. Not that you were? Okay.

You know, the one thing, there's the Gus Cooper plaque dedication, and trying to find out how to get a hold of his daughter Lynn for that, so maybe that's, we'll see if that stays there versus gets postponed. Okay. Gus Cooper was one of the early pioneers for our television station at the time, and some of the early just basically communications to bring citizens in, so, and there was a plaque in the old city hall that we just want to dedicate in the new city hall just to honor him in some way. He's passed away. Okay, anything else? So I need a motion. So moved. Okay. Second. Okay, and all in favor?

Aye. Aye.

Aye. Any opposed? Okay, motion passes unanimously. Okay, and informational items. Any informational items for the good of the order? I have one thing I'm just going to throw out at you. Surprise, surprise. As we're, Jocelyn's still here. Vince was not in favor of this. I'll just put it right out there. But one of the other comments I get about Pickleball is it's a lot of non-residents. Now, I'm all for non-residents being part of our programs. You know, all for that. That's not a good way to go to not have them. But it used to be that they had to get non-resident ID cards. And when they got non-resident ID cards, they had to sign the Hold Harmless Agreement. And they had to pay the non-resident fee. And I think if we're going to have some of these issues going on with some of our courts like this, that we should reconsider that. And I know part of the issue was everybody didn't want to pull out their ID at the time they're playing pickleball or tennis. So what used to happen is there was a little board up there and you had to put your card up while you were playing on court such and such. You put it up. So there would be random checks sometimes to say, oh, okay, everybody's got their IDs. But I just think it's a way to protect ourselves liability-wise and also, you know, just make sure we're not, it's not a complete free-for-all and we can actually get some understanding of, you know, how many residents versus non-residents are playing out there. So, sure.

I was a little bit early for that meeting we went to this morning and I went in at the community center and when I walked in to watch them, the lady that, she seemed to sort of be in charge of the pickleball and she came over and talked to me and it's so funny you brought that up,

Mayor.

She said that they're playing inside and obviously I thought she was talking about the air conditioning and a little bit better conditions but she specified that it was residents from Safety Harbor that were moving in on our Virginia street courts and I thought that's, it's interesting you brought that up. I heard that same thing. She really gave me a long explanation this morning at the community center so, I don't know, Jocelyn or Jen, if you guys have an eye, you know, I realize it's owned by the taxpayers but the Dunedin taxpayers sure do.

Yeah, I just, I want you to just think about it because again, bend down the track of knowing we need non-residents as part of our programs or we don't get to do as much quality programming but I do think for some of these outdoor courts we need to have a good understanding and make sure, you know, people have a non-resident card.

Very good.

So anything else for the good of the order? Okay. This meeting is officially adjourned. Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada