CITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING - Jul 03, 2025

Good evening, and welcome to the July 3rd, 2025 City Commission meeting. I'm going to call the meeting to order, and we're going to start with invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, our City Attorney, Jen. Let us begin this meeting by taking a brief moment of silence and reflection as we enter this holiday weekend in celebration of our independence. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which he stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, before we start with presentations, we do have a special guest tonight, and I'm going to turn this over to the City Manager to actually introduce him and why he's here. Thank you very much, Mayor. Vice Mayor and Commissioners, good evening. As all of you know, and I'm sure many members of our general public know, we were the victims of a crime, actually two crimes, two thefts, over the past year. It has been mentioned quite a bit on social media and in the newspaper as well. We put out a statement saying we had no comment. It's an ongoing investigation. And being prepared tonight for our first public meeting, since a lot of this occurred, I reached out to the sheriff this afternoon to ascertain what it is I could say and should not say in a public forum. And thankfully, gratefully for me, the sheriff offered to come this evening to address the commission and our residents himself to give you the details that he would know much more than I, that he can give regarding the theft and what happened. And then thereafter, Mayor, I'd like to circle back and talk to you a little bit about what we've put in place since then to ensure this does not happen again. Thank you, Mayor. Sheriff Galtieri. Thank you, Sheriff, for being here. Good evening, everybody. So just to simplify it, I'm going to give you a brief overview, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you have. But in the simplest form, the city was the victim of a scam, something we see, unfortunately, all the time. And, you know, just questions have come up about this. There is absolutely zero indication at all. And this is a very extensive investigation over the last year. Of course, this happened in June of 2024. We recently made an arrest of the case. But there's absolutely zero indication that there's anybody within the city or anybody, I need, quote, inside that had absolutely anything to do with this. This happens when people are able to, through the dark web and through a variety of other ways, get access to people's emails, get access to the content and communications, find out who's doing business with others, and there's all kinds of ways they do this, especially through the dark web. And this started because you all have a business relationship or had, I don't know if you still do, I assume you do, with this paving company. And one of your city employees received a communication, an email, asking that you change how you do business with this paving company. And how you'd always done business with this paving company is you provide them old school with a paper check. And they said, oh, no, we don't want to do that anymore. We now want an electronic fund transfer. And the employees said, because it's common these days, sure. And so cut to the chase of it. They set that up and put that in place. And they used to communicate with this, the scammer used to communicate with this, is email addresses that were fraudulent. But at first glance, nobody would even pick out that they were fraudulent because they were very simply juxtaposing letters within those legit emails. So as an example, when the scammer was communicating and sending to the paving company what was purported to be a communication from a city employee at that time, and I think the city manager will talk about how changes have been made in that, but the Dunedin City email domain name was DunedinFL.net. Well, they used DunedinLF.net. So unless somebody's really paying attention to that, nobody would. You're not going to see that. So all these communications went back and forth, and what happened, it was about $600,000 plus that was due, and they sent them a bank account number at Bank of America and a routing number. And so the city did the electronic fund transfer and transferred it to this Bank of America account number and routing number. Well, even the scammers sometimes mess up and they get it wrong. Well, they didn't use the right, and I put that in quotes because it's all wrong, they didn't use the right routing number and account number. They used a routing number and an account number of some guy by the name of George Barlow who lived until we arrested him and dragged his tail end back here out in Utah. And George Barlow thought he won the lottery, but the problem is he didn't buy a lottery ticket. And the $600,000 of the city's money ended up in George Barlow's bank account out in Utah, and he took all that money and began to spend it. He bought a $70,000 truck that he ran into a ditch, and he bought just all kinds of stuff with it. And so through the investigation, what became evident to us, and it looked like to us, that this was a scam through the emails, through asking for the fund transfer, and it looked like it went to the wrong place. And that was evident by the communication that the true scammers, the bad guys, sent to the city early on, like a couple days after this, and said, Fraud alert, you sent the payment to the wrong location. Well, yeah, it was really the wrong location. It wasn't to the scammers, it was to George Barlow out in Utah, because the scammers got it wrong when they gave the city the routing number and the account number. So I went into this guy's, Barlow's, Barlow's account. So we issued all kinds of subpoenas. The investigation has been ongoing, of course, since June of last year, and saw all the expenditures. And when we got to the bottom line, it really looked like to us, and we were able to confirm it when we arrested Barlow out in Utah, that he really had nothing to do, excuse me, with the original scam. And he, nonetheless, committed a crime by taking, keeping, and using the city's money. You were able to recover through Wells Fargo, $100,000 plus a change. So the city is a victim of about a $500,000 theft, which Barlow has been charged with and he'll be held accountable for. And it's a very substantial amount of money, and he's facing significant prison time for that. The investigation is ongoing. If we're ever able to determine who actually affected the scam itself, of course, we would pursue those criminal charges and hold those people accountable. But to be honest with you is that we see this all the time. And this is a very common thing. Most of the people who are engaging in this are offshore. They're out of the country. And we will continue to investigate it. But the reality is that we're probably not going to find out who the actual scammers are. But I want to reiterate, there's no indication here that there is any wrongdoing on the part of anybody in the city. You all did have safeguards in place. They were able to get around those through what is a traditional scam. And there's nobody that would have seen or been suspicious of the communications or the email addresses. And it's just one of those things that happened. So I really can't stress enough. There's really no fault on the part of the city or its employees. You all are a victim of a crime just like so many people are these days. So that's the summary of what happened. But I'm happy to answer any questions anybody has. Anyone have questions, Vice Mayor or Commissioner Taylor? Sheriff, you may have answered this. At this moment, are there any entities or any individuals being looked at? Any specific investigative parts that you could discuss? Not really. You know, again, we continue to, because this is so hard, because it is all fictitious. And we continue to issue subpoenas and we continue to try, as I guess you would say, peel the onion back, try to dig deep in trying to get into it. But every time that we issue subpoenas and every time we go to the next place, we find something with anonymity, something that's anonymous. So it's very difficult with all these domain names and all these Gmail accounts and people register these. But behind it all, it's all fraud. It's all fictitious. So, you know, we keep, to be honest with you, we keep hitting dead ends. It doesn't mean we're not going to keep trying. And we will keep diligently trying. But so far, it's all dead ends. And, again, that's very common. That's how this works, unfortunately. Commissioner Dugard, any questions? I don't have any questions. I do remember when the city manager said that you guys had tracked the money, but then they got the bad news that the guy thought he won the lottery and started spending the money. So I don't think we have any other questions. We sincerely have anything else, Jennifer, that you want to? No. Oh, I'm sorry. Commissioner Walker's on line. Sorry, Robert. I really don't have any other questions. You know, it's really a shame that this happened. But, you know, it just sounds like it was just a confluence of errors. I mean, really. Yeah. I mean, I would say errors, I would say it's all scam. And people did this intentionally. And, again, I want to stress from our investigation what I see. I don't think that there were any errors on the part of any of your employees. I don't think that anybody did anything. The errors were is that people did their diligence. They were able to find out who you did business with. They were able to go in and create intentionally fictitious email. This is a very deliberate and intentional, well-organized scam and scheme by people who are experienced at this. And this is what they do. I mean, I can tell you, I mean, we had one last week. And another is a very sad situation where a person in their 70s, similar type thing, and they were able to or the scammers were able to. And the person, unfortunately, wired them a million dollars. So, you know, this is, it just, it's very prevalent out there by people who are very deliberate, very experienced at ripping people off. And I really believe that's what happened here. And, Sheriff, I know that our city manager used the term that I thought you used, which was they were very sophisticated with how they did the scheme. No, definitely, you know, very. And, you know, if there's anything here, you know, there's no perfect world. If there was anything that was perfect, and I would never expect it of our employees or of anybody, is that if you get an email, and, you know, we all get tons of emails every day, is the only way, and, again, it would be an unrealistic expectation that they actually saw the email name, saw the at Gmail, and were able to catch that slight juxtaposition of the two letters in the domain name. And to say that somebody, oh, they should have caught that, that's unrealistic. I mean, nobody's going to scrutinize that. None of us would. That's just, you know, setting a bar that doesn't exist. So, that's why I say, I think it's just, you know, sometimes things happen. Truly, you're a victim of a crime. And, unfortunately, so far, what I'd love to do is, of course, is hold those people accountable that actually affected the scam. This guy out in Utah, you know, what he should have done is the right thing. When he got all that money in his account, he should have traced it back and found out where it came from, and it wasn't his money. But, you know, he, too, is a thief, and at least he's going to be held accountable for that. But it would be much better for all of us if we were able to hold accountable to the people who actually affected this. Well, thank you very much. Yeah, you're welcome. We really sincerely appreciate you coming. Appreciate all you do for our city. No problem. Glad to be here, and good to see you all. Thank you, Sheriff. Thank you, Sheriff. And, Jennifer, you want to share some things that you've put in place since that time to triple our safeguards? Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Mayor. And, also, I'd like to explain how it was that the asphalt paving company was paid. I think that's very important. And so, we actually, one of the main things that we did was we changed the domain name to .gov. And Sue Burness and Michael Nagy, our director of IT and our director of communications, worked together to change that domain name to eliminate spoofing. When we were .net, we were subject to that. And there are a lot of cities that are still .com or .nets. But we switched to .gov, which means that we're sort of a closed network in those terms. And you can't spoof our website at this point or our emails. So, the other part is I immediately sat down with Les Tyler, who is our director of finance, and we put a number of things in place. And the first thing is that we decreased the amount that we would use the automated clearinghouse, the ACH. We also required that anything over $10,000 is going to be a check. And we don't really care how much they complain about it, quite honestly. We'll send it next day, but we're not going to send larger checks. Also, when we change a method of payment or a payment request from checks to ACH or anything like that, Les Tyler, our director of finance, will call the president of the company or whomever, the owner of the company, directly to verify that they want this done. We did have a system of checks and double checks in place. They got around that, as the sheriff said, is a sophisticated hack. I believe that we have closed that door, slammed it, if you will, as quickly as we could. You know, the thing is, though, is that the asphalt paving company then, we first became aware of the theft when they called us and said we haven't received our payment. So, that was three weeks, two or three weeks after we had sent the payment. So, still, they have a run at it. And then, you know, immediately the sheriff's office was on it. And I'm very grateful for the investigation that they did. It was a lot. A lot of subpoenas for routing numbers and those types of things. You know, but they got one of the two people or peoples who stole from the taxpayers of the city of Dunedin. So, I'm very grateful for that. But, as I said, we've put plenty in place. And we'll remain vigilant. We need to. Because these threat actors, they sit all day long and try to figure out how to defraud everybody sitting here, corporations, not-for-profits, and so on and so forth. So, to say I'm slightly angry about it is an understatement. So, in terms of how we paid for it, then the paving company still needed to be paid. Obviously, they performed a service. They were complete. And so, we have something called a risk fund. And the risk fund is a fund that we set aside where we put our liability issues in. And that's, for example, when there's a lawsuit that's settled or anything like that. And also, we had sufficient funding in there to pay off the asphalt paving company without impacting the general fund or anything like that. Was it still taxpayer money? Yes, it was. But we were able to pay the paving company. We balanced the budget. It was paid last year. And we still have the reserve in the risk fund. So, there's a purpose for that fund. And unfortunately, we had to use it to that purpose. My understanding that there's some that may come back from insurance. Yes. Yeah. We're still looking at what we did get about $25,000 back for insurance. But we're looking for more. Yeah. Okay. Anybody else have any questions for the manager? Sure. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. We'll kind of move on. Thank you. Obviously, we all take that role very seriously. It's a lot of money. It's unfortunate. And it's important for us to be on top of it. Okay. We're going to go to presentations. Our first one is National Parks and Recreation Month 2025 Proclamation. And I will turn to Commissioner Sandbergen. How about the hardworking staff? Come on down. Jocelyn, how are you? Don't look so excited, all of you. Come on now. It looks like some of you have been doing the camp today. It's supposed to be rushing up here. 350 acres of parks divided by 38,000 people gives everybody a chance in Dunedin to enjoy a park or some type of recreation from sunrise to sunset. We have pickleball, we have dog parks, we have a Purple Heart Memorial Park, baseball, soccer, volleyball, you name it, and then we have it. And on behalf of the entire city commission, I'd like to say thank you to the 100 of the employees that take care of it every day. I think our parks and rec separate Dunedin from a lot of our neighboring cities. So with that, I'd like to read the proclamation. Whereas we join the National Recreation and Park Association and the Florida Recreation and Park Association to recognize the month of July as parks and recreation. And whereas since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated parks and recreation month in July to promote building strong, vibrant, and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals, along with the hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and the volunteers that maintain our country's local, state, and communities park. And whereas the definition of purpose of recreation is to refresh, restore, and make anew and is recognized as an essential part of human life. And whereas parks are fundamental to environmental sustainability, our community by providing places to connect with nature, enhancing water quality, providing habitat for wildlife, and improving the air we breathe. And whereas our parks and recreation system is especially important to the quality of life in Dunedin, providing opportunities for people to come together as a community, transforming strangers into neighbors, attracting new residents and business, and reducing crime. And whereas parks and recreation service help build healthy, active communities, reduce stress, improve mental health, and emotional health, and aid in the prevention of chronic disease. And whereas as we observe park and recreation month, let us not forget the vital contribution of the employees, volunteers, and our community partners who assist with recreational programs and events, bringing communities together through services such as intergenerational and inclusive activities, fitness, wellness classes, arts and cultural programs, youth sports leagues, swim lessons, seasonal celebrations that enrich the lives of people of all ages. And who, through their dedication, help ensure that these opportunities remain inclusive, dynamic, accessible, and who also ensure that our parks are clean, safe, vibrant places that foster our connection, play, and well-being for all to enjoy. And whereas this Parks and Recreation Month, the theme, Build Together, Play Together, serves as a powerful reminder that the heart of everything thriving in this community lies in the places where we gather, grow, and connect. Now, therefore, I, Stephen Sandbergen, Dunedin City Commissioner, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Mayor Freeney and the City of Dunedin, and on behalf of the entire City Commission, to hereby proclaim the month of July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month in Dunedin. Encourage everyone to build together, play together, visiting their favorite parks and recreation facilities. Take a moment and thank this amazing staff and volunteers who are deeply committed to Dunedin and the citizens every day. It starts with parks, and I think I know where that came from. Thank you, Jocelyn, all yours. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. Thank you so much for presenting this proclamation in honor and recognition of National Parks and Recreation Month. The proclamation really does sum up what we do and what we're about, but if you'll indulge me, I'd like to share a couple of extra comments. And because it's summertime, share a little camp story. Many years ago, I was a summer camp leader, and we were celebrating a birthday, and what happens with birthdays? We get cupcakes. And so it was my duty to bestow upon the kids the correct way to eat a Publix cupcake. And that is, if you're curious, to split the cupcake into two and then divvy up the frosting from the top of one to the other so that you have two cupcakes. We can debate that later, but that's the right way. So a couple of years later, one of those campers comes back to me as a teen volunteer, and we have the opportunity to celebrate again with cupcakes. And she begins teaching the campers how to properly eat a Publix cupcake. So that seemingly innocuous moment of me teaching kids how to properly eat a cupcake is really just one larger example or speaks to the larger example of our impact on the community and what we do for families, kids, intergenerational activities, everybody. We try to be there for everyone, whether that be through our facilities, our programs, our events, our ball fields, our green spaces, or our other outdoor amenities. And I am so, so proud to work with this team, the small sampling, small but mighty sampling that's here with me this evening. So thank you to you guys for being here. But thank you also sincerely to the staff. We have an incredible team. And I would also like to thank, again, as it was said in the proclamation, our volunteers and our partners, without whom we could not do what we do and be as successful as we are. So I hope for those of you that are here this evening, this proclamation and this month serves as a reminder and encouraged you to come out and to visit one of our rec centers or our parks, because it does start in parks. We have a robust activity of schedules, something for everyone. So we hope to see you. Thank you so much. Hey, Jocelyn. So it's a good thing we didn't have our golf cart parade tonight at six, right? I wonder if we're going to get this tomorrow. What do you think? What's your guesses for tomorrow night? Is it going to go? I think we'll be good, yes. Okay, good. All right. Okay. Well, I think we need to get a picture, though. You guys all want to come up? I guess I better get it together, right? Okay. I guess we've got to get to the gym. Thanks to all you guys. You do make us special. Somebody needs a proclamation. Jocelyn? Okay. Got you. Okay. We're going to go to our next item, which is a Dunedin pipe band update. And we have Graham Donaldson, and we have Ian Donaldson, and we have Eric McNeil. And if you guys want to come forward, do you want to say anything as a liaison to the Scottish group first, Vice Mayor? Thank you, Mayor. Not a whole lot. Just it's always exciting to get to hear from the pipe band. It sure is. Come on down. You guys are doing good things again. I know I've heard that. We're trying. All right. Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Graham Donaldson, and I'm the president of the City of Dunedin Pipe Band. I'm here to provide you with an update on the band's success and future plans. This past August, we brought two bands consisting of approximately 70 players over to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete at the European Pipe Band Championships, as well as the World Pipe Band Championships. The Grade 4 Band won the European Championships, as well as the drumming title. This is the first time an American Grade 4 Band has won the European Championships on record. The band also placed fifth at the World Championships. For a majority of the Grade 4 Band, it was their first trip to Scotland in the largest competitions they've ever played in. There were also several players from the school program who competed with the band as well. Most bands that travel overseas don't have a large home cheering section when they go compete, but most bands don't have a community like Dunedin. Last year, we had a very large, enthusiastic crowd who came to support us at our competitions. We were honored to have the mayor, commissioners, and residents to cheer us on and celebrate our victory. Hearing a loud roar from familiar faces after performing in Scotland was an unforgettable feeling for myself and others. A few weeks ago, the Grade 2 Band traveled to compete at the Georgetown Highland Games in Ontario, Canada, where the band won first place and was rewarded the best dressed and deportment on the day across all bands. This coming August, the Grade 2 Band will be competing at the North American Championships in Maxville, Canada, and five days later, we'll be heading over the pond to Glasgow, Scotland to compete at the World Championships again. In October, the Grade 4 Band is planning to compete at the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Georgia after a successful Florida season, winning all three contests that were attended. Currently, the band has a great deal of youth and homegrown talent. We have over 25 active players across both bands that are either current students or graduates of the Dunedin Schools program. This means that a majority of current players have been taught by Ian Donaldson and Eric McNeil. Without the school programs and the leadership from Ian Donaldson and Eric McNeil, none of these achievements would have been possible. I would like to thank the City of Dunedin, its residents, and the Dunedin Scars Arts Foundation for the continued support over the years. And we will do our best to bring home some more trophies this summer. Thank you. That's awesome. Either one of you, gentlemen? You're good? So, obviously, we're so proud of our pipe bands, and we're proud of everything you've done. We were following it. Got a little heads up on everything so we could make sure we were getting everything out on social media. But, you know, you're, again, so much a part of what makes Dunedin special. And I appreciate you coming to give us an update. I think, Vice Mayor, that some of the competitions we should get on our calendars, you know, just in case, you know, like that it jives with some other trips that we have where we could be supportive. So, I'm just kind of throwing that out. I'm in favor of that, yes. Yeah, so, anyway. You're welcome to come to any of you want. I heard Stone Mountain. That has potential. Anyway, we appreciate all you guys do. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. You know, Mayor, if I can. Yes, please. I just want to acknowledge a story that I heard that came from Georgetown. And just, I certainly refer, and I think we all consider the pipe band really ambassadors of the city wherever they go. And in their time in Georgetown, the number of people in another country, it's Canada, but another country, acknowledged how much they love Dunedin. And so, it just kind of acknowledges on who we are as a community and the connection that the pipe band always has back to our city. So, thank you all for everything that you do. I appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. Citizen input. So, does anyone in the audience wish to speak on a topic that is not on the agenda? This would be your time to come up and name and address for the record. And three minutes. Hi. Rob Kozen, 1417 Chesterfield Drive, Dunedin. Like many of you here, I wear several hats in town, and I only plan to wear one, but I had a conversation with Commissioner Sandberg. So, I'm going to put on my Vice Commodore of the Dunedin Boat Club hat first. This commission has taken a significant amount of heat about the marina and the peninsula and things like that. And I am pretty sure, because I asked Steve about it, was there anybody that came up and actually thanked you for the fact that we're back open? So, I'm going to do that, because not only am I an officer of the boat club and enjoy that peninsula, but my boat was the first one back when I got the email from Laurie. So, I know it's been a long road. It has been difficult. I know it's an ongoing project. But I think that I speak for the majority of boaters in this town in thanking this commission for everything you've done. And for everybody that brings their golf cart and their kids and their dogs over to the peninsula and migrates west for the sunset, job well done. So, thank you. Now, I'm going to put on my hat for, I am the chairman also of the City of Dunedin Military Veterans Advisory Committee. And I think it was during one of the art festivals where we had Main Street kind of closed off. And I, as always, I'm wearing my Navy ball cap. And somebody came over to me and said, you know, I'm from out of town. Do you have an American Legion and VFW post? And I said, yeah, we do. And not only that, they're probably the best in the entire state. I went back to the committee and I said, we need something to advertise these posts. Well, Jory Peterson and Danielle Edwards, who are our liaisons to our committee, gave me the name Trevor Davis. A name that I'd never heard before, but he was our guardian angel. Job well done. Because normally a project like this gets caught up in some sort of bureaucratic twilight zone. But between Trevor's efforts and Jory and Danielle and Jocelyn, within a month, they were up. So, again, job well done. And I also want to say, because I know that Jocelyn's term is soon to come to an end. I just want to congratulate her for a job well done. Took over for Vince when Vince retired. So, one final thing, just about the parks and recreation. I have said it before and I'll say it again. Commission makes this town run. It's parks and recreation that makes it shine. So, thank you for recognizing parks and rec. Thank you, Rob. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you very much. Okay. Anyone else wish to come forward to speak to Commission on an item that is not on the agenda? And I think we've got some people back here. Come on up. So, just name and address for the record and three minutes. Okay. Hi there. My name is Jenny Funderburg. I live at 1373 Curlew Road. I purchased my townhome in Curlew Trails in 2020. By the way, I'm also a board member on our homeowners association. But when I purchased our townhome in 2020, we enjoyed walking our dogs across the bridge multiple times a day into Waybridge neighborhood with very little car traffic or in its very little danger walking back there. Now, we have an eyesore in our backyard, a giant do not enter sign, and a bridge that is closed. I have a 75-pound dog who requires a good amount of walking every day to keep her joints going, as the vet said. She's almost 10. So, we're forced to cross a very busy and dangerous Curlew Road and to go into country woods and do a nice walk every morning and evening. There's a sidewalk that leads directly to us. It faces Curlew Trails. But there's no crosswalk. There's no pedestrian signal, any signs, or anything. And we're right in the middle of a very perilous S-curve on Curlew Road. Cars are speeding, racing to and from the beach. Oftentimes, we look both directions. There's no cars coming. So, we enter. By the time I reach the middle, someone is flying around the curve. And it's very scary. In fact, twice last month that I personally saw, there may be more, on June the 5th, two cyclists were taken by ambulance that were hit right out in front of my house. And then on the 14th, I know one cyclist that was hit and taken out by ambulance. So, it's very scary. It's very dangerous. But the bridge provided a much safer way for us to get into those neighborhoods to walk. I'm also a cyclist. Part of the reason I bought that townhome, I'm right here at the Pinellas Trail. It's a much safer way to get to the trail than riding in the bike lane on that dangerous, curvy, traffic-laden, curly road. So, I'm just asking if you would please consider repairing and opening the bridge for the safety of our community, for that gateway into downtown shopping, dining, all the wonderful things that Dunedin has to offer. And finally, I would just say it would be a liability. It could be a liability for the city as it stands right now because we have all seen people still going over that bridge. I don't know how they do it because it's huge. But even minors, people that are not 18, and they could get hurt. And I wouldn't want to see the city have to be caught up in a lawsuit or some other circumstance. So, that's it. I'm just asking if we could repair the bridge. Thank you, Vern. Neighbors from Curlew Trails as well. Anyone else wish to come and speak on this? Name and address for the record and three minutes. Hi. Hello. Good afternoon. Thank you, everybody. My name is Christina Vidal. This is my son, Matthias Vidal. We live in 1355 Curlew Road. We're her neighbors. And as a mom, a proud mom, a sophomore student now, when he was enrolled in Dunedin High School, we were super happy about it, excited about it. And we also knew that the bridge would, we thought, oh, maybe the bridge is going to be open. And he could cross using the bridge. Little that we know that, no, this is not going to happen. And so, we are very scared and afraid of what might happen to him every single day, especially in days like this that is raining so much. He can go to school very fine, but because he has to go all the way through Curlew and up in different roads, he has to also, when he goes back home, he has to go through alternate 19, which floods. And then we are, again, with a big problem. So, I would like him to finish with my three minutes with his take of what it is to go back and forth using not the bridge route. Okay. Hey, guys. My name is Matthias, and I'm 15. I'm a sophomore at Dunedin High School. So, every day, I wake up pretty early in the morning to get ready for school. And as I'm going to school and I leave, I need to cross a really busy road called Curly Road. So, I stay on the left side because the right side, the sidewalks, they're all a little bit broken down, and it's really hard for me to go through it. It has caused a lot of flattened tires about six times or seven times. I've got laid to school multiple times because of that. So, I go on the left side. But the problem with the left side is really close to the left side of the cars. And also, because people leave trash for the trucks, and they also leave their garbage cans on the road. So, what I need to do is I need to go around them. And certain times, I need to go on the actual road. And that's really dangerous for me to get hurt. Also, going to school every day, I need to cross multiple roads like the other road going to school. All right. Yeah. So, I need to go by the Curly Road, and there's a lot of cars there. So, if we opened up the bridge, that'd be a lot easier because I'd be going by a neighborhood that everybody knows, and there's no cars in the morning. And then, I'd just be going right off there, getting into that. That community leads straight into the road of my school, which would be a lot safer. And that's really all I have to say. I've crashed once before on my bike going to school. It wasn't going to school, but it was still on the same track. I have a couple scars on my arm because of that. I was off from basketball and swim for two, three months because of that. So, if we could please open up the bridge, that'd be really happy. I'd be really happy. And it's Mateus, right? Yes, ma'am. You should be proud of him. That was very well done. That was very well done. Thank you. I just knew I was coming here about 30 minutes before this started. It's a good experience. Thank you. He asked me to join, so I said, why not? Thank you very much. Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. Please think about it and consider that. Thank you, everybody. Appreciate it. Bye. Okay. Anyone else wish to come forward and speak on this issue? Name and address for the record in three minutes. Hi. I'm Cheryl Jenks. I live at 1375 Curlew Road, and they're my neighbors. Aren't they great? They are. We delight in our neighborhood bridge, and we're missing the connection that we have with downtown Dunedin and all its shopping and all that it has to offer. We miss the long walks in the tree-lined streets that have no traffic other than a few golf carts here, there, and everywhere. We miss the duck pond in Fairway Estates and the little lending library and feeding the ducks. We miss biking and meeting up with friends for a five o'clock somewhere on the other side of that bridge. We miss the Santa's drive-by the weeks before Christmas and his red, shiny fire engine. We have so many wonderful memories of family and friends visiting and walking, running, and biking across the bridge on Thanksgiving, on Christmas, on Halloween, Easter, and 361 other days of that year. We miss the convenience of the way bridge. We miss the footpath of seeing neighbors come and go with their dogs and all the conversations. We miss what we have enjoyed for over 20 years. And what we miss most is the access to everything that is wonderful about Delightful Dunedin, and that is being able to walk or bike to all it has to offer and not get in a car. It really is a bridge to everywhere for us. So thank you for listening so much. Thank you for your comments. Okay, anyone else wish to come forward and speak on an issue that's not on the agenda? Name an address for the record. Hi. In three minutes. Hi. Excuse me. My name is Ann Louise Bernbach. If I look familiar, it's because I've seen so many of you at DYG functions. And you know we are dedicated to the city of Dunedin. Your address, please. I would like to paint. Oh, we need your address, too. Oh, I'm sorry. 1351 Curlow Road. Yes. There are so many things that we could say about the problems that we have in Curler Trails. But I would like to paint a bigger picture of the issue. This bridge has been called the bridge to nowhere, but I would maintain that this bridge doesn't even have to go anywhere to be useful. You would be surprised at how many people would just come walking over to the bridge, just to stand there, have a moment of quiet contemplation, or maybe watch the waterfall, or this delightful little otter. That's in the tributary by the river that's in the tributary by the creek, or fish, many, many people would come over and do that for about 20 years. But we were stunned on November 1st, 2023, to walk over the bridge and see it all boarded up. All of a sudden, this gem of our neighborhood was a monstrosity. And we would like to raise awareness, perhaps some of you didn't even know the bridge was there, or you haven't visited it. I would like to invite you to come and see it. I'll show you pictures of what it used to be, and you can see pictures of what it is now. And ask yourself, is this what I would love to have on a postcard for Dunedin? I think not. And then perhaps we could persuade you to realign some budgetary considerations with our values in Dunedin. Because I think few things are more important than preserving the beautiful green spaces that we do have. And right now, I'm afraid we are failing miserably at being stewards of this beautiful little spot. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else wish to come forward to speak on an issue that's not on the agenda? I have a feeling it's the same issue, right? Name and address for the record, and three minutes. My name is Trent Weigand. I'm 1361 Curlew. Sorry, 1363 Curlew Road. Mayor, commissioners, at the risk of reiterating some of the same things my neighbors had said, at the very least, I will drive home the point that there are a lot of us that are concerned about this. So three years ago, my wife and I decided to call Dunedin home, captivated by the small-town charm of the Dunedin Golf Club, TD Ballpark, and the restaurants and shops downtown, along with the Pinellas Trail. Six weeks ago, we also welcomed our son, Tate, one of Dunedin's newest residents, who is sleeping in the back. As a one-car family, we rely on biking and walking to enjoy these treasures, and especially the trail to get to downtown. It's how we share our town's magic with each other, our guests, and our neighbors. But for nearly a year, the closure of the bridge has cut us off. A single-car family living on busy Curlew Road were stranded in our neighborhood or forced to risk crossing the dangerous street. This summer, we've had multiple cyclist accidents occur while crossing the Curlew Trail's entrance, including two requiring ambulances that my other neighbor mentioned. My grandmother was visiting to meet her great-grandson, Tate, fell into the storm ditch crossing Curlew Road, trying to avoid traffic on her bike. Luckily, she walked away with just a few scrapes and bruises, but those others have not been so lucky. This bridge is our safe path to the Pinellas Trail downtown, and even school events for some of our neighborhood's children, which there are seven now. Without it, we're deprived of Dunedin's joys and put at risk. These closures impact residents, visitors, and local businesses, as there are fewer pedestrians that can now reach downtown. On behalf of my family, our neighbors, guests, I respectfully urge the commission to prioritize the repairs of Weybridge Bridge, and please allocate budget funds to provide a clear timeline for restoring this vital connection. Let's keep Dunedin safe, accessible, and welcoming for all. Thank you. Thank you, Trent. I was hoping Tate was going to wake up, you know. I know you don't want him to right now. Yeah. Anyone else wish to come forward and speak on an issue that's not on the agenda? Okay. I fully know where you're at, and I know how landlocked you are back there. I'm fully aware of the bridge. I think the city manager is ready to give a little bit of an update on it, if you could. Sure. Absolutely. Thank you, Mayor. And as you may know, that bridge saw a lot of golf cart activity as well, and that was detrimental to the stability of that bridge, and we had to close it. It's a public safety issue. So, and keep it closed. We will check. Thank you very much for the heads up on people illegally traversing it. We're going to send crews out there to have a look at it. Just one other thing before I get into the bridge itself, FDOT is adding a sidewalk on the south side of Curlew when they do their intersection improvements. So that's going to be good for Mateos. Where are you? Yeah, that'd be good for you. You want it to cross anyway. So we are looking, actively looking at the bridge. We have been in contact with the Condo Association. I know Jerry's there, and he kind of led that charge. In regards to an easement being established on the Curlew Trail side, and my understanding was the board did welcome that activity that would have to be established so we'd have public access to the general public on the other side, on the Curlew Trail side of the bridge. We have incorporated within our budget design and construction of the bridge, either construction or repair. We have many, many competing priorities, as you know. Right now, design is scheduled for fiscal year 2027, and construction or repair, whichever the City Commission chooses, is fiscal year 2028. I understand that that is not within the time frame that you were hoping for. However, we can discuss it when we get to the budgeting process with the City Commission. As I said, we had to move out a number of projects that are central to the general public because of supply chain issues and labor issues as well. And so we'll provide the City Commission with all the information that you need when you take that under consideration as part of the budget process. Underneath that bridge, right, it's not just a pedestrian bridge, but underneath that bridge is a two-inch wastewater force main and a six-inch water main as well. So there's essential infrastructure underneath the bridge, which is in good shape right now, but that would also have to be moved. If we were to replace it and repair, we've incorporated some funding in the budget to maintain that infrastructure. There are lots of things that are contributing factors to how we move forward, and they need to be considered along with all the other items that the City needs to consider when we're looking at a project like this. And so I'll continue to work with Jerry. Once the City Commission, I know, or the Board members, I know, Jerry, you've passed the baton, to Jerry's friend. Jerry's friend. That's right. We'll continue working with all of you. If we are going to establish an easement, then we would work together with you to establish that easement. But we need to look at it holistically, look at the entire project. We need to do the cost-benefit analysis, and you will have another go at it with the City Commission when the time comes. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. And thanks for sharing your input. Appreciate it. Okay, we are going to go to our consent agenda. And in our consent agenda, we have approval of minutes from the May 8th meeting, the May 22nd, 2025 meeting. We have board and committee appointments, Committee on Aging, Dunnean Causeway and Coastal Waterways Committee, Local Planning Agency, Parks and Recreation, Stormwater Advisory Committee, and U.S. Military Veterans Advisory Committee. We also have two other items. One is award of Sterling Skate Park Repairs, bid number 25-2519 to Tim Group Stucco, Inc., doing business as Tim Group Building and General Contractors, in the amount of $99,011. And the last item on consent agenda is award of a General Engineering Consultant Service Authorization Task Assignment to Ayers and Associates, Inc. in the amount of $114,802.35 for inspections of 23 non-qualified bridges slash culverts and one peer inspection, which is Weaver Peer Evaluation and Reports. Are there any items to be polled? 2D. 2D. Any other item to be polled? 2C. 2C. Questions only, though. Okay. Okay. And anyone else? Commissioner Walker, anything else? Or those two? No, nothing further, Mayor. Okay. Okay. Okay. So let's go ahead and, if I could have a motion for all the rest of the consent agenda other than 2C and 2D. So moved. Second. Second. Okay. So Commissioner Sandbergen is the maker of the motion and Vice Mayor is the seconder. And, okay, and is there any public input regarding the consent agenda without 2C and 2D? Anyone wish to come forward to speak on that issue? Seeing no one, I will close public input. And all in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? And motion passes unanimously. Okay. Okay. So we'll go to 2C, which Commissioner Sandbergen on Sterling Skate Park repairs. And you have just some questions, right? That's correct. Okay. Hi. How are you? Jocelyn coming up. I went up there this weekend and looked as much as I could to see it. I just can't get over how fast and how bad that's deteriorated. Was there any type of a maintenance program on it or is it just the way it deteriorated? So I worked out of the MLK Center. I believe it was starting in 2010. And the skate park at that time was a couple years old. Yeah. And we had been doing regular maintenance. Unfortunately, the coping, the metal railing that goes around the perimeter of the bowl, underneath that, the concrete started chipping. And our initial approach was to reach out to the builder of the skate park. And they were non-responsive in regards to any type of maintenance plan. And so we worked with other contractors to provide a scope of work. And then we were maintaining every couple of years. And that first maintenance plan included installing a row of tile, probably about 12 inches below the metal coping, around the entire perimeter of that larger bowl. So in what we're looking at and being proposed, it will be resurfacing the decking around it also or just the bowls? So it's not resurfacing the entire decking. That tile work we would address as we would see the chipping so that we would maintain a smooth surface for the skaters or the scooterers. Yeah. And the tile work, unfortunately, was not a sustainable repair. It was noticeable that it had to be done every couple of years. And so this repair that is being proposed should have a much longer lifespan. And it really involves, and Bruce, if you want to correct me if I say anything wrong, it will be cutting into the concrete and making it more stable below that metal coping so that it stays and adheres longer. Because if you're just putting a little patch of concrete on top of concrete, it's... How long has it been closed down? A long time. I thought so. I remember when my son was young going up there. Is there still a lot of participation? Is there a lot of usage of that? When the park is fully open, yes. Right now, that large bowl is the main draw. And you don't really have much of a flow to skate around the park if one of that major element is closed down. So it's sporadic, but I have full confidence that once that bowl is repaired, that the usage will bounce back. Okay. I mean, I support it. I just... It's a lot of money. And I didn't realize it was in such bad shape until I went to see it. So thank you, you too. Thanks. That's all, Mayor. Okay. Vice Mayor, anything? Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, the only real questions I have... Jocelyn, do we, as Parks and Rec, do we keep tabs on trends and what's up and coming? Where are skateboard parks, skateboarding scooters, where are they in the trend line? Are they peaking? Are they on their way down? Are they still climbing? I would say that they're either maintaining or rising. I think that we were ahead of the curve and that we were one of the first to have a skate park, especially locally. And we've seen skate parks grow and become developed since ours. But, yes, they are absolutely popular. What is different from ours is it has a little bit of what we would consider an old-school style with those larger pools, something that's called street skating, which we want the kids, we want to prevent them from skating out front. That would be what's currently trending. But, yes, it's still a popular sport. Thank you. They could be riding up and down our new City Hall steps, right? Can't you see it? Can't you see it? I'm going to turn to Commissioner Walker, but I'm going to apologize to him. I think I just got starstruck because we had the sheriff here. But I should have actually said that you were away in, I believe, Washington, working on a big project with your job. But we're very glad you joined us by Zoom tonight. Well, thank you, Mayor. I was happy to be able to do it. It's been a long journey, and I'm looking forward to coming home. Well, we want you home. But, anyway, in the meantime, any questions on skateboarding, which I'm sure you're not doing in Washington right now? No, no questions on this. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Okay, Commissioner DeGarden. Thank you, Mayor. By the way, Commissioner Walker, we were going to celebrate your birthday tonight. We will miss you, but we will postpone that celebration on your return. We ate his cheesecake. Yeah, we ate it all. I thought we were going to still eat it, yeah. I did order cheesecake. We ate it. It's gone. It's all gone. I'm not going to forget. As I understand, this is a single bid. There's only one bidder on this. I'd like to go over the procedures for single bid and how we manage that, please. Say that again. There's only one bidder on this contract. I'd like to make sure how we handle single bid and go over that procedure. Tammy is here to – if the bidder is qualified, then we review them like anyone else, whether we have one or we have ten or more. We will take the lowest qualified bidder out of a pool of bidders, but when you have one, you go forward under the same procedure. You check their references. You look at their – you know, making sure they have the proper documents in terms of insurance and those type of things. I will say this because I know where you're going. It is a bit of a – you know, raises an eyebrow, if you will, as to why you got one bid. And so we do look closely at the ability of the contractor to do this kind of work. This is the contractor, by the way, that did the pickleball courts on that service. And so they do have some experience in this. It's – I'll say this. It's – you know, I should learn to be quiet after all these years. But, you know, you're dealing – when you're dealing with courts, and whether it's a tennis court, the pickleball court was, by the way, you know, built on an old landfill, shifted, it moved, concrete in Florida wants to – wants to move. And so, you know, we're dealing with cracks and things. So we're going to look very closely. We hired a very good engineering firm to tell us what to do and how to do it. So we're going to look very closely to make sure that the contractor follows the specific directions and materials that were indicated to be used. Tammy, can you add anything else to the one-bid situation? Do you mind? Just give your name and your position. That would be great. My name is Tammy Spearman. I'm the City of Dunedin's purchasing agent. And we post this bid, like we do all of our bids out on DemandStar, which gives us an analysis of what happened. So we had 20 – we had 21 to pull down the plans and specifications for this bid. We only had one bid. I had a time. I called a couple of them, and it was mainly capacity. You know, we worked with this company before here at the City of Dunedin. And like they said, they were a revival with all the licenses and references, good references. So – Thank you. Appreciate that. You're welcome. Okay. Any other questions? When we have a single bid, how do we make sure that we're not paying beyond usual and customary? Maybe I can help you with that also. So one of the things that our consultant provided us was a cost estimate. So when we broke down the particular pay items, they looked at it. And we do this on every project. And they gave us that cost estimate. We actually published that in the invitation to bid as to what we say it's going to be. And their bid fell within that range. Very helpful. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Okay. And – okay, I think I asked everybody. So – and I don't have any other questions. So could I have a motion to approve the award of Sterling Escape Park Repairs? So moved. Second. That was Commissioner Walker. Was it a second? Yes. Okay, cool. Okay, so I have a motion and I have a second. All in favor? Wait, we need public comment. I'm sorry. Anyone in the audience wish to speak on this item? Seeing no one that wants to talk about skate parks, okay, I will close public input and ask for – I've already got the motion. I've got the second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Okay, we're going to go to 2D, Award of General Engineering Consultant Service Authorization Task Assignment, DAIRES and Associates. And do you want full presentation or just questions? Commissioner Degard? I think I could be satisfied with a couple questions. Okay, great. So you take it. Okay. Thank you very much, Mayor. With what we've had in bridge conversations this evening, I would like to get a general context of what we have in the way of the community bridges, frequency of inspection. I'm very pleased that we're inspecting our bridges and culverts. So that is not my issue. My issue is what our rotation is and how do we ensure that our bridges are safe. That's my question. So good evening. Clayton Watkins, Utilities and Engineering. So as we've sort of started to develop this program, generally speaking, the city was doing it on a five-year frequency. This was a little bit – probably about a year longer than what the Federal Highway does for roadway bridges. A lot of this is sort of dictated Federal Highway down to states because DOT will do all the inspections of roadway bridges, or what we prefer to do as a qualified bridge, which is either a culvert, groups of pipes, or what looks like a bridge that is 20 feet. They do those every two years unless it's noted as structurally deficient, and then they'll do it yearly. So we're on about a five-year schedule. Do you feel we're up to date with that and these roads are safe under this program of every five years? So roadway-wise, yes, we're fine. I mean, these are not – these inspections are not just for bridges that are for the general traveling public under roadways. These also include the cart paths on the golf course, the bridge that – the pedestrian bridge that golf carts use a lot, that head from Rodmar over into Highlander Park, there's all the wooden structure bridges that is in Weaver Park. So it's – it's encompassing all – mostly – it's mostly pedestrian inspections that this will cover. Okay. And that's why they're called non-qualified bridges because the qualified bridges are done by DOT. Is that correct? Yes. DOT does qualify bridges. And, again, it's – Federal Ohio has a strange definition of what a bridge is. So some of these are structures that are under roadways. But the investment tool, I think there is maybe – of the 23, I think it's like a handful, a little bit less than 10, that are actually – have traffic over top of them. Was it such an inspection that caused us to close the bridge that we were talking about earlier this evening? Yes. We had the same firm do an inspection last July on that bridge, and they gave us – they gave us about a 33-page report with pictures and everything that shows the deficiencies and the decay of such bridges. Thank you. That's all I have, Mayor. Okay. Commissioner Walker, any questions on this? No further questions, Mayor. Okay. Vice Mayor? No questions. Commissioner Sandbergen? The 23 culverts, how was that determined? A certain size, location? How was that determined? So most of the – the culverts would be – so I think our total is 23 inspections total, but I forget – I'd have to look at the actual number of those. But those are – what we would refer to as culverts is, for instance, there's two sections of pipes that go underneath Pinehurst that have Cedar Creek. That's what we're referred to as one of those culverts. Is this just general maintenance, or is it some type of a legal requirement that we look at these? Just general maintenance for the most part. I mean, we need to just make sure – they do it for general maintenance and make sure we don't have it. When the heirs and associates go out, they inspect the culvert. Do they report back on blockage, on the integrity? What exactly are they looking for, for that kind of money? They look at the structural integrity of the – whether it's a pipe or, you know, so it has end vents or the ends of a bridge or piers, depending on what we have and what they're looking at. So, for instance, if you look at, like, the pedestrian bridge that leads from Rodmar to Highlander Park that is used a lot by golf carts, though one thing will – does that have the proper structural load to carry that, and they make sure it's still in proper function for the function of it's being used for. How about the culverts? Will they get back to us on blockage? Yes. Yes. They will – we will get a – well, the Weybridge report was about 33 pages. We will get an identical report to what they report back for DOT. They do DOT bridge inspections. We get the same report back. Okay. Good. That's all I had, Clay. Thank you. Does the commission see the report? We can send them to you. Yeah, I'd be kind of curious just to see what one looks like or not. You want all 23 of them? You can have them. Just for fun. I mean, I'm kind of curious. Yeah, right. No. Some of you don't want it. Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah, electronically, of course. So, we did it in 2005. We did it in 2010. We did it in 2015. So, every five years, and it's been 10 years. So, reason for the delay, concern for the delay, you don't know? I don't know. Yeah. Do you know? I do not. Does anyone know? That was COVID, too, so. How do we track when we're supposed to do this? Obviously, you know what I mean. We'll know that now, luckily, it's on the five-year cycle, so it's easy to know. You know, in 2030, we've got to do it again, 2035. But it wasn't on the five-year cycle in 2020? You know, I would actually like to look into that, you know, where the decision was made at that point. I don't recall, but it was COVID. I appreciate that, since the answer didn't seem very reassuring. Yeah. I mean, you know, again, how do we track it, right? Because, I mean, I know it's foot bridges, but it's bridges, so. Yeek. Okay. Right. Gotcha. All right. Okay. I don't have any other questions, and you'll get back to us about that, how we track. Okay. That sounds good. So, I need a motion. So moved. Second. Okay. We have Commissioner Sandberg and Commissioner Walker for a second. And is there anyone in the audience who wishes to speak on this item? Okay. Seeing no one coming forward, I'll close public input. And I will say all in favor. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? And motion passes unanimously. Okay. So, that's our consent agenda. Okay. We're going to go to action items. Fiscal year. Thank you, Clay. 2024 ACFR. I know they're calling it something different now, which I'm going to try to remember what that is. Auditive financial statements. Staff is recommending postponing this item until July 17, 2025. Meeting. So, I just need a motion for postponement. So moved. Second. Okay. And so, that's to postpone 2024 ACFR and auditive financial statements until the July 17, 2025 meeting. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Okay. And now we go to 3B. Agreement to donate real estate between the Coca-Cola Company and the City of Dunedin for approximately 1.6 acres of vacant land located at 427 St. Christopher Drive, Dunedin, Florida. Again, staff is recommending postponement of this item until July 17, 2025. And I just need a motion to postpone. So moved. So moved. Second. Okay. Motion and a second to postpone this agreement to the July 17th meeting. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Motion passes unanimously. Okay. Okay. Now we are going to go to Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committee sign-up. And I see we don't have Nicole here to guide us through this. No, I can cover that one. Are you the guide? I am. So, okay. Well, all right. Let's go for it. So, every year, the 411 municipalities send representatives to the Florida League of Cities for the legislative committees. Legislative committees essentially put together for adoption the legislative platform for Tallahassee when they're in session. There are a number of committees, and the committees are listed as part of your agenda item. And every year, the city commission chooses which commissioners will be on which committees. And so, the committees are, and I'll just read them off very quickly, Mayor, Development, Code Compliance, and Redevelopment Committee, Finance and Taxation Committee, Intergovernmental Relations, Mobility, and Emergency Management Committee, Municipal Operations Committee, and Utilities and Natural Resources and Public Works Committee. And so, I actually, last year, attended the Florida League of Cities Conference and sat in on the Finance and Taxation Committee, and somehow, they made me a member. Yeah. So, and it's not unusual, actually. I do have some city managers, but I'm fortunate I could not do it. I did not have the time. But we're looking for all of you, if you will, to divvy up those responsibilities this evening. There is, the 2025 meeting schedule is attached with the first meeting on Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Hilton Orlando. Yeah, and then just, I mean, as I recall, because I know I couldn't do this last year, even though I'm down as having been assigned one. As I recall, and Vice Mayor, you help me. So, the September 26, I think there's a lot of brainstorming done and discussing what issues are going to be important to Florida League of Cities that they want to make priorities to go after with legislation. And then, I think the second meeting is kind of like a really big meeting, because then it's kind of decided as far as what will be the priority item. Usually, they pick one priority item per area, because they don't want, you know, they don't want to dilute it. And then, they work on the talking points. And then, I think the third meeting is almost kind of feta complete, if I recall. So, again, it's important, if you take one of these, you know, to be able to, you know, attend, especially the first couple. So, you know, we just need to discuss this and see if anybody's willing to take some of them, take one. I mean, we're only asking for one. I wouldn't mind doing finance and taxation, only because I have a feeling it's going to be a big deal with all the stuff they're doing, the studies on property taxes and stuff. But I'm not set on that. Anybody else able to do anything? I guess as I was reading through it today, I saw that Commissioner Torenga had the municipal administration. So, I guess I would be willing to accept that. I just, I think the way you explained that, either you, Jennifer, or Mo, looking at that meeting schedule, does that mean you would attend each of those meetings? Or, yes, yes. A lot of times what we do, too, is like, you know, we'll carpool over for, you know, and it's like, I don't know, what are the meetings, like half a day or something like that? You get over there, they're like 10 to 3, and then you get back, and, you know, and you're there and you're back. So, it makes for a long day, but that is the... So, looking at it, Dunedin will need someone for development code compliance, finance taxation. So, there's five of us. So, would we... I guess I'm trying to figure out. So, if I took, for example, the one that John had, municipal administration, then one of you, each of you would have one of those, you'd represent Dunedin and the other ones? Is that how I understand that? We would. Now, you know, to be clear, we haven't always had them all covered. We just couldn't. I mean, because it's a big time commitment. So, it's not the end of the world if we don't have it. I mean, we'll have Nicole monitoring what's going on there. So, you know, I don't want people to feel pressure if you just can't do it. Because it's a big time commitment. We have a lot of other commitments that we have. So, it's really if you feel like you can, and maybe you feel like you can now, but ultimately you really can't give it your all. I mean, don't, you know, again, it's based on our time commitment. Is this do or die has to be decided tonight? Or is this something that we can, I'd like to learn a little bit more about it. It's up to you, Jen. Yeah, what's our deadline? Yeah. Let me see. So, August, meeting's scheduled August 14th. They meet at the conference, right? So. Yeah, on August 14th. So, I'm not really, you know, Rebecca knows. I believe you have to register by August 3rd. Okay. I can check the email. So, we could actually talk about it. On the 17th. On the 17th. Yeah. Okay. Which, it's going to be, that's quite a meeting now. But, you know, if we all think about it, it ought to be a quick item. Yes. And if it helps, Steve, for six years, I spent the first three years on utility natural resources focused on the environment, and the last three on governmental relations, mobility, emergency management. And this year, right, just due to time conflicts and jobs, I can't participate in any of them. So, my most recent one, intergovernmental relations and mobility, that is also open for anybody as well. So, in that situation, what we would do, if we get everything else covered, then we would have staff cover that. They wouldn't be a member of the committee, they'll sit in and listen. Right. Right. They'd sit in and listen, because it's elected officials, except for, obviously, you know, Jennifer Bramley, who gets to be on it for some mysterious reason. And the benefits of those committees is, one, you get to talk to, the Florida League of Cities plays an incredible role in lobbying efforts in Tallahassee. And so, you're helping them decide on what their major topic is. And that's why they narrow it down to one topic, because they can't walk into a legislator's office with 15 different issues about one topic. So, they kind of hone it so they can tell their story. And so, what's fun about that, or really educational about that, is you will go into those meetings with an idea of, these are the concerns from Dunedin's standpoint, representing our citizens, our residents in Dunedin. But you have 411 other communities involved, and the rooms are huge, and you get to hear from big cities, small cities, about what their concerns are. And so, it really gives you a broad understanding of the issues of each city within the state. And so, just from the knowledge and learning opportunities, it's great, and it's fun to get involved. Yeah, and then you actually vote on the main issue. And, I mean, last time I was on it, it was a pretty close vote between two big issues. But I'm going to see if Commissioner Walker has anything to add to the conversation, since she's been part of this. Yeah, so, you know, my engagement with these committees has been really interesting. And I guess if we're talking about, you know, in terms of who's going to take which committee, I would be interested in the Finance and Taxation Committee. But, again, did I hear that we have to make this decision for August? Rebecca? The updated email that I had, because I'd asked for more information, and they've changed it to August 18th. So, basically, prior to the meeting started is that you need to register through FLC. So, we could actually do our workshop, decided our workshop the first week of August. August, yeah. So, yeah, we have time, Commissioner Walker, so. Yeah, no, I think that's a good idea. Okay, and Commissioner DeGuard, I don't know that you've chimed in here, but I want to make sure you've got a chance to chime in, if you wish. I will take whatever's left. Okay. Okay, well, so maybe we'll all think about it and, you know, talk about, you know, what our top two would be. And so, we'll schedule it for the workshop of August. Is that okay? In August? Sure. Yeah. The one thing that I did want to make sure that you're looking at the correct titles, because I used last year's just to show what everyone had volunteered for, but some of the titles are different this year. The ones that I read, right. Correct. But others have been referred to, and I just want to make sure that it's the correct one that you're thinking of. Yeah, I think the new name for what Commissioner Sandberg was talking about was municipal operations. Municipal operations, exactly. Yep. So, just as a reminder. But again, we're all going to do our studying and decide, you know, where our passion is, and then whoever can cover something, that's great. Okay, so. I'm sorry, before you continue. Sure. One other thing is that the August 14th, 2025 Florida League annual conference is actually during our break, and I think everybody has travel plans but Commissioner Dugart, who has volunteered to be— That's all five. Yeah. Our one person to go to that conference, and we need to make travel plans for Commissioner Dugart. That said, he has been everywhere this year since he took office, and we don't have the travel funding in his particular line-item account. And typically in that case, and this has happened before, so typically in that situation, the four of you would contribute funds to his travel so that he can represent us at the Florida League of Cities. He can have mine. He can have yours? Okay. I'm good. Take some of mine as well. Very good. All right. Thank you. It's like that Sipley fund that we can all get. Yeah. Don't be trying to get big steak dinner. He was hoping that you would all say no. We're saying yes. Thank you. No, I'm glad you brought that up, too, though. So, okay, great. Okay, so we'll talk about that when we have a little more time at the workshop, and everybody gets a chance to think about it. Okay, so the next one is the proposed agenda for July 17th, 2025 commission meeting. And anything, any additions or changes? Rebecca? Those additions that you just postponed are already added, just so you know, the Coca-Cola and the, what was that, A-C-A-F-C-R? A-C-F-R, yes. So those are already shown. Tell me what that stands for. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. Yeah, and they just shifted the... They did. Okay, just to throw us off. Okay, sounds good. So, any other thoughts from the commission before we take a vote, or are we good? Okay, so I just need a motion. So moved. Second. Okay, motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, motion passes unanimously. Okay, so I will go to commission discussion and comments, and I will start with the vice mayor. Oh, you know, I really don't... Summertime, it's so light everywhere. I really don't have anything to say. Although I do have something... I knew you'd think of something. I do. I do. And I don't know whether this is an agenda item or just things for you to think about. But as we... I'm really terrible at when to put something forward. I'm a good boy. I wait for agendas and things, and so much happens in between. And commission just shout things out. And so, for me, when it comes to... We've had some conversations about the new boat club and what that looks like and things. And before we get too far down the road, I just think it would be a wonderful opportunity to, within that scope of the boat club and where it will be, to also have an educational component to it that talks about the Gulf and the marina and the intercoastal and the hope spot. And it's also an opportunity to acknowledge Sylvia Earle and all that she's done to try and protect and save our oceans. And the fact that she was raised in Dunedin and graduated from Clearwater High School and St. Pete Junior College and Florida State, you know, she's really homegrown for what she's done. It's been truly amazing. And so, I just didn't want to get that too far down the road to where ideas like that, well, that's too late to be considered. And so, I don't know where and how to fit that in. You know, we have the letter of intent from the Dunedin Boat Club, but I guess that's more... I can give an update on that if you'd like. Oh, okay. If it... Yeah. You're right now? Yeah. Go ahead. If you'd like. No, go ahead. Okay. It is scheduled for the 17th. Not sure if we're going to make that date. Okay. Because I need to sit down with the vote club members and go over the letter of intent. We did... Staff made comments. I sent it over to the attorney's office. She's working on it now. When I get it back from the attorney's office, we'll sit with the bridge and the board of the vote club to go over each item in the letter of intent. Because, you know, fundamentally at this point, the city commission, you're the body that says, yes, it goes here and we'll give you three years to fundraise or no. You know, it's up to all of you. And the vote club really needs that assurance in order to move forward with their funding, their fundraising. So they're waiting, and they've been very patient. And when I've sat down with them and we've agreed and they have signed that agreement, then I'll put it before the city commission. And we will discuss with them next time I meet with them, the commissioner, if it's all right, with the city commission, the commissioner's statement and comments regarding the educational component. I do know that they're planning on having an educational component in there because they're working with the Sailing Foundation, and that's what they require. You know, a specific one dedicated to the Hope Spot and that type of a thing I would need to discuss with them. But they did talk, they do allude or rather identify in the agreement that they would be talking or using it for other community uses as well. Okay. So that would be kind of an opportunity because, yes. Okay. Yeah. And I would say that, you know, they are in the process of getting organized, and they're getting organized very quickly in terms of what they are trying to do. And I will tell you that no good idea is, you know, going to be ignored. And so that, you know, I appreciate you bringing that up, Jeff. I think that is definitely something that falls within the boat club mission and charter. And, anyway, that's my opinion. You know, my question would be, when we get this letter of intent, will we be obligating all these kinds of decisions about what's happening on the peninsula at the same time? Because I wouldn't, like, if you get it that night and you haven't really thought about it because you haven't seen it, and then you feel pressured to prove it versus think about really what the vice mayor is saying is, what's our own vision, too? So, you know, right. I mean, I guess we just need some lead time. Set that expectation, too, with the boat club that, you know, hopefully we're going to see on the same page right from the beginning. But maybe we'll need breathing time. I don't know. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Actually, what I'd like to do is that I have the terms. I think that they're being legalized by our city attorney. But I can sit down with all of you, you know, very shortly and go over those terms. That would be good. Yeah. That would be good. Thank you all. One more thing. No, is to have an opportunity to have PSTA come before us and give a presentation on their community bus plan that they update periodically. I believe it's every 10 years. And they just did that. And they did make some changes. And so I think it's just really important, since they are the professionals in the public service industry, public transit, that we hear from them, their thought process. And because it's a very labor-intensive update. When they update their bus plan, it's, they don't just have a meeting. It's, they do surveys, they get consultants, and they look at the entire county. And so there have been some changes to the Jolly Trolley. And so I just think it's important that we're up to date on what the bus plan is. And we hear it from them instead of myself or Commissioner Walker. Not that we're both experts in that field, but, you know, hear from the two experts. We will reach out to them and invite them. No, I think that's a great idea, too. Absolutely. Would we, and I would assume we do that at a workshop. Yes. Yeah. So that'd be a workshop item, which is good. So. Okay. Okay. You've done your two. That's it. And I'm done. No, you're good. You're good. Commissioner Sandberg. Just a couple things. First, I'm really proud of the entire city, how we did in Toronto. From meetings to, you know, I've been on that trip many years, and I think we really did well as a community. We had good support from the chamber and the other guests that went. And I know the time I got to speak with them, I heard exactly what I wanted to hear. So thank you for everybody. And I did get a kick out of when we were all standing, listening to somebody, how we all have the same pose. We all sit and, you know, we all stand with our. You and I both had like. Yeah. And as somebody said. Like so serious. Yeah. But yeah. Thank you on that. Someone recently came to me, and I'm not sure how to move this forward. You know, we have a nice welcome to Dunedin sign. I think there's one by Clear Sky. I guess I think maybe there's one over around the Belcher area about the possibility of signs coming in from the north, CR1 or Alt-19. I know Alt-19 is going to be under construction, but, you know, any possibility of finding a way, welcome to Dunedin signs on those two corridors? So I know that we did quite a bit of research on signers, the monument signage, and where they were all located. Let me, if you will, just consult with staff and talk a little bit about what we've done in the past. Okay. And, you know, there are all sorts of things about signage, as you know. It's the right-of-way, who owns the right-of-way, how we permit it, what infrastructure is in that right-of-way, and all those sorts of things. So let me look into that, and I can get back to all of you. Good. And the other thing was, I know we've had discussions on the safety response, you know, things throughout the city. I've had, over the past, I know we've been, we've received a lot of inquiries about, I believe, specifically Bay Street during the construction of speeding. You know, if a resident comes to me, to one of us, calls us, whatever, you know, there's cars speeding on my street. What, what, what do you feel we should, how we should respond? I mean, we can't have Deputy Renee run every time, but. She usually does. I know she's good, but, you know, what, you know, what, what can we do to appease and make people feel like that, that they're safe and that we're doing something as a city? Well, typically in that situation, we would forward it to the, first of all, you forward it to me, right? And then I would work with the traffic management committee, with staff, with the sheriff's office, and they do, we do a special detail on that street. We can also do speed studies on the street, and we do that quite a bit to ascertain really exactly what the problem is. If there is a, if there is a problem with the speed, in which case they, they, they do the detail. We don't do traffic calming right now in the city of Dunedin. That program was, was shelved several years ago. So it really is about enforcement. You know, we have done the flashing speed signs, you know, 25 miles per hour. As I usually see, you're going way too fast, you know, and so, you know, there are sorts of, all sorts of different types of remedies that we can put in as well that aren't that type of traffic calming. So the first thing to do would be to, to send it to staff, to me, and if I'm not here, to Jorge, and, and, and we'll take it from there and report back to you. Okay, good. And, you know, I'm sure some of this is going to change when Skinner is opened. Yes. You know, just, you just picture how, you know, people are looking for cut throughs. They're, you know, avoiding the, the traffic lights. Good. That, that's all I needed. That's all I had, Mayor. Thank you. Um, okay, uh, Commissioner Walker. Uh, well, nothing further to add. I'm, I'm really looking forward to coming home, though. Can you give us a date? No, you don't have to, but, you know, I'm just going to. Well, it could be in the next two or three days, or hopefully it's only that. Okay. Well, we'll reorder the cheesecake, Mayor. I was going to say, the cheesecake's gone. Why don't come home? I can't believe you guys ate it. I thought we were going to eat it tonight. Okay. And, and sing to them online or something. Yeah, we had a little accident and we ate it. Okay. Yeah, I, I hear you. Okay. Well, we know who's going to pay for the next cheesecake out of their own pockets. Okay. Anyway, uh, thank you. Uh, Commissioner Duggar. Thank you, Mayor. Um, we are in a process of healing. Um, and there's more and more evidence of that healing from our storms last year all the time. We hear it about the marina, but I'm pleased to also advise that the, um, Cala DC Island will be opening this, uh, week. And it's a soft opening. It's not going to be a grand announcement or anything like that. And it's limited, uh, to some degree, but that's another piece of evidence that we're getting things back in order here. And our good friends at the state who this commission met with has done yeoman work and helping getting everything up to speed out there. And I, if you see our park ranger, Don, please give him the best and congratulations for what he's done to get that, uh, park back up and running. Um, and they may have all of their bathrooms working in the next three months, which would be wonderful for those of you that don't like the little port-a-potties. Um, yeah, that would be me for sure. Um, I also want to congratulate our team for what we did up in Toronto. I also wish to give the Blue Jays a hearty welcome and thank you. Um, my gosh, what hospitality. Um, they're just a wonderful community partner. Uh, it was great getting to know them better, um, from top to bottom. And we won the last game. Um, I mean, that was, yay team. Um, so really proud of that. I'm looking forward to some of our agendas, uh, for those of you out there that are still watching, stay tuned. There's some important stuff coming. Thank you, Mayor. Great. Um, I'm going to tack on with the signage around the city because I think part of the issue with signage too was, um, you know, kind of how we were going to brand it. And, um, you know, I know we want the Scottish theme, but it would be nice. It's home of Toronto Blue Jays spring training too. But anyway, I know that within that, we were trying to figure out all that. So maybe that's just, maybe that's a workshop item sometime. I don't know. Um, okay. And then, um, I'm going to tag on when the Toronto trip was wonderful. And, um, and Commissioner Sandberg, and I commend you because he added a new twist, uh, when we were all together, the Blue Jays and the city and they were at, we were at the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago White Sox game. And, and, uh, I think that it would be fair to say that the president of the Blue Jays and myself thought Commissioner Sandberg is not going to be able to get everybody's attention with the chamber membership and the city membership to really kind of have some, you know, some things about how great our partnership is together. But you know what? He did it. He did it. And it was a great addition. And, um, I, there were some teary eyes in it because the partnership is going to be 50 seasons next year and it's a big deal. It's a special partnership. And I want to thank you, uh, Commissioner Sandberg, because I think you've, you're just trying to put your own mark on it. And it was, it was a special mark that you, that you put. So I wanted to commend you on that. I appreciate those kind words. Yeah. That was, I, I appreciate that. I won't say any more. It was, it was really nice. And I did wish our facial expressions were a little. Yeah, that was when that picture was taken. It just caught us at this very, like. When I was speaking, that's how we look at it. Anyway, um, but it was a special trip. It's a special partnership. And, and I know that Commissioner Sandberg and I both talked to the president, uh, Mark Shapiro about, uh, the importance of celebrating. They're going to be celebrating big time as a franchise in Toronto of 50 seasons, but 50 seasons here as well, since we're, we've been with them since the beginning. So, um, so we want to make sure that we, um, gear up for that city manager. So, um, yeah, oh yeah, you doubt we don't need to see that online. Uh, and then, um, let's see, of course, tomorrow night's our 4th of July celebration. Hopefully we don't get rained out our golf cart parade. I think that starts at six, if I'm not mistaken. Yes. And then, you know, lots of events at the, at the, uh, Blue Jay TD ballpark and, um, lots of fun stuff for kids and, uh, and fireworks, I think at nine 30, right? I'm somewhere around there. So that's it. And then, uh, finally I just moved back home. Um, and, um, and as I'm home and actually we were, I think, uh, the eve before the, literally the, the nine month mark of the, of Hurricane Helene is when we were back in our house and it's a little chaos right now. That's a little daunting, lots of work and organization to do, but it feels good to be home. Um, but, but it also being back on the street, I really realize even more so there's a lot of people not home. Um, neighbor two doors down is getting their house lifted and, and, uh, some houses have kind of been deserted. One house I just heard is in a bidding war for the property. And, um, so, um, you know, so we, I guess I say that to say there's a lot of stuff still going on in recovery. So when we talked earlier about healing, there's still a lot of healing going on with a lot of individuals that were hurt by the storm, including our business community. And so I just think we still need to be, um, you know, on top of that and, and kind of understanding those neighborhoods that were most affected and those businesses most affected. And, um, and, you know, that was the hundred year storm. We are not allowed to have another storm like that this year. Uh, so, um, but I, I do want to thank all my colleagues and the staff for all their support for my own personal situation. Um, there was a lot of, a lot of angels and volunteers that came out to help me personally. And, um, and it means a lot. And I know a lot of the rotary groups helped a lot of other people. And, um, um, you know, you, you, that's Dunedin, right? That's Dunedin. And, and, um, yeah. So I, I just want to say thank you. Okay. Um, so we go to city clerk update. Thank you, Mayor. I just have one quick announcement. I just wanted to thank, um, Catherine Lashkik. She's been with the city clerk's office for four years. And she was just offered a position in community development as their business manager. So she's in the process of moving down there. And I just wanted to give her a shout out for just a great four years and all the hard work that she's done in the city clerk's office. So, um, we're just, uh, that's all I had. Thank you. That's great. Yeah. Catherine's great. And hey, I hate to see her leave your office, but hey, I mean, a chance to grow. That's great. So, um, okay. City manager update. Yes, Mayor. Um, uh, uh, if I may, just, just a couple of minutes, I do want to announce the appointment of our new director of parks and recreation, Tony Malky, uh, just a little bit about his resume. Uh, Tony comes to us, uh, uh, from the city of Tampa. He is currently, or in, is working out his resignation, uh, as the director of parks and recreation for the city of Tampa. Uh, before that he served as their, uh, uh, special events coordinator with over 400 events. He has, uh, he has had oversight of, uh, golf courses, marinas, cemeteries, uh, recreation, uh, numerous recreation facilities and open space. Um, he, uh, has a master's degree in tourism and, and recreation from, uh, Michigan State University. So, uh, he worked, uh, he's worked for the city, city of Tampa, then went to the city of, uh, Pembroke, Pembroke, I said every time, Pinellas Park, um, as their recreation director and then back to the city of Tampa where he, he worked his way up to the director position. So, uh, right now his start date is July 28th. Um, so, uh, as you know, we did a very comprehensive, uh, uh, interview process, national search. Uh, we, we, we shortlisted, uh, about 20 applicants that, that Renee Narlock, our recruiter, recruiter had shortlisted down to 10. We read those resumes, shortlisted down to five, shortlisted that down to three in-person interviews. And once the, uh, the, uh, candidates were here, uh, they met with parks and recreation staff. They met with the department directors, um, they met with, um, included in staff, I actually was the director of parks and recreation, uh, the, um, chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee as well. So the committee is represented on the panel. Uh, we had a, a formal panel interview and that was, uh, Jorge Quintas, deputy city manager who, this director will be a direct report to Jorge, um, myself and Teresa Smalling. And that was the formal, you know, questions, you know, what, what kind of spirit animal would you be? Bless you. Um, I'm kidding. There was no question about his spirit animal. Thank you. But anyway, um, and also he, all three candidates were able to sit with the mayor, uh, to meet the mayor on behalf of the city commission. I don't usually do that, but as you know, but I thought it was very important, uh, given the, the, the outward facing, um, uh, uh, position that this is, you know, and how important it is in the community. Um, so Tony did a superb job through the interview process, checked all of our boxes and I'm really excited. I did meet with, uh, the, uh, parks and recreation department a couple of days ago, uh, introduced Tony, his resume, not Tony himself, but went through his resume. Uh, we did have an internal candidate and, uh, Jocelyn Broadhead, uh, she's done a wonderful job as interim. Um, and, and I had a private meeting with her to, to talk about her, her bright future here in the city of Dunedin. So, um, um, uh, but as I said, I'm, I'm very excited. I can't wait for them to, to, uh, get in step with Tony, uh, and for him to, to meet all of you. So, uh, I'm going to be arranging individual meetings, one-on-one meetings for all of you to meet, meet Tony once he, uh, he gets to, um, to the city and finds the coffee machine in the restrooms. So, and so on and so forth. So, um, anyway, uh, good news, very happy, wonderful recruitment. Got, we have a wonderful applicant and I'm really excited for the future of that department. So thank you, mayor. Okay. And we have city attorney update. There's no update. Wow. Okay. There you go. Okay. So if there's nothing else other than it say, again, happy birthday to commissioner Walker, who I think he's still online, but we can't see him anymore, but happy birthday. It sounds like you won't be home for the birthday, but you know, our wishes are with you, uh, commissioner Walker. Okay. So being nothing else for the good of the order, I'm going to adjourn the meeting. Thank you.