CITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING - Sep 04, 2025

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the September 4, 2025 City Commission meeting. I'd like to call the meeting to order, and we'll start with our invocation and our Pledge of Allegiance by our City Attorney, Jen. Please stand. Let us begin the meeting by taking a brief moment of silence and reflection and extending our thoughts to the family of Mike Bowman and to Ed Armstrong's family. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, before we do start the proclamations, I did want to make sure that we tried to put it out on social media as much as we could, that there will be the second reading of Ordinance 25-02 is being requested to be postponed, and it would be postponed to the October 9, 2025 Commission meeting. Now, it's on the agenda. We'll vote on that. I'm assuming it will pass because the reason is for the Florida Department of State Historic Resources Division to weigh in. But at that time, on October 9, we would actually go through full presentation again and then have public input at that time. So I just wanted to make sure everybody understood that as we start the meeting. Mayor, if I can. Sure. Just a clarification on the vote that we will take is to postpone the conversation. Correct. Correct. All right. Okay. Anybody else up here have a question? Okay. So we're going to go ahead and go start with our presentations. And first we have September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. So I will turn it to Commissioner DeGuard. Thank you, Mayor. Anybody here from the libraries? Oh, I know better than that. Come on up. Come on up. Come on down. With the famous dress on. Good to have you here. Thank you. Any more? We're not missing anything? All right. All of you that have a library card. No, I'm sorry. Whereas libraries are foundational to education, imagination, and opportunity, offering everything from early literacy programs to digital tools that support lifelong learning and personal growth. And whereas libraries welcome all people, serving as inclusive and accessible community hubs that connect individuals across cultures, generations, and experiences. And whereas libraries curate collections and design programs that reflect the diversity of the populations they serve, ensuring equitable access to information, technology, and culture for all. And whereas libraries help individuals navigate life challenges by providing trusted information, digital access, job search support, and connections to essential services. And whereas libraries contribute to thriving local economies by equipping job seekers, entrepreneurs, students, and creators with tools and training to succeed. And whereas in times of both crisis and calm, libraries and their staff remain steadfast in supporting and strengthening their communities. And whereas library resources help households save money, reduce waste, and make substantial choices all through the simple power of shared public good. And whereas a library card opens doors to endless possibilities from books and technologies to lifelong learning and imagination. Now, therefore, I, Tom Dugard, by the virtue of the authority vested in me by the mayor of the city of Dunedin, Florida, and on behalf of the entire city commission, do hereby proclaim September 25th as Library Card Sign-Up Month and encourage all residents to sign up for a library card and explore the endless possibility it offers. Let's have it for our library. Okay, I just have a book to read right now. So thank you to the City of Dunedin Commission for your proclamation of September as Library Card Sign-Up Month. The Dunedin Public Library is proud to serve the committee community, and I want to extend my gratitude to all the exceptional library staff. We have our assistant director, Carrie Caliccio, and our library manager, Katie O'Connell, with us tonight. Their dedication, the staff's dedication and hard work, make our library a vibrant hub of learning and connection for everyone. I also want to recognize our stakeholder groups. We have some library advisory members in the audience. Our library foundation, we have a representative. And we also have, I know lots of friends, and I have one of our best friends, Shannon Tob-Kathen, who is so great helping with our friends of the library. So this September, we celebrate the fact that a library card is the smartest card in your wallet or in your phone, granting you free access to a world of resources and possibilities. And guess what? Getting a library card is totally free for residents. Just remember to keep that magic going, because your card will expire every three years, so you'll have to swing by for renewal. Even our mayor and commissioners and our city manager are all in on the secret. They are all proudly holding their library cards. And their cards are in good standing. I will let you know that. So thank you for setting a stellar example for our city. To celebrate library card sign-up month in September, I'm excited to announce two special events. The Friends of the Library, and I know Shannon's always working on this, we are having our autumn book mini sale, which will take place on September 19th and 20th from 9.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. And then the GFWC of North Pinellas will host a children's book giveaway at our weekly story time. So we do have a big group of the GFWC North Pinellas here, and I'd like to invite Lori Larson, their president, to share just a brief thing about our partnership. Lori. Lois. Hi, I am Lois. There we go. Oh, wow. Thank you. We have a long history of partnering with the city of Dunedin and the Dunedin Library to serve the residents of Dunedin. In 2024 alone, we, our members, volunteered over 22,000 hours in our community. So we have two or three things every day. So if you're bored, sign up. We are so grateful to the Rotary Club of Dunedin and their grant to help us fund our Books Across Pinellas project. So this money did come from the Rotary Club of Dunedin. Books Across Pinellas is our ambitious countywide initiative to distribute over 1,700 free children's books to underserved families. So we went to all of our nonprofits that serve families. We got the ages and the number of kids and exactly the number of books they thought they could distribute. We're doing this in partnership with the Dunedin Public Library, and this is their one-card endless possibilities drive this month. This project aims to inspire a love of reading, improve literacy rates, and connect more families with the resources of public libraries. By placing books directly into children's hands, we hope to build strong readers and stronger communities that will go to the libraries. As a way to help get children and their families into the library, we are advertising all over social media that you'll get free books if you come to Storytime next week. So we hope we have a great turnout. And we thank the Dunedin Commission and the Dunedin Public Library for partnering with North Pinellas Women's Club and the Rotary Club of Dunedin. We look forward to this opportunity and to continue working together with this city. Thank you. Thank you for all you do. All right. So don't forget, the possibilities are truly endless, and they all start with a library card. So stop by the library, encourage our residents to come in and get theirs. And next commission meeting, I will be carding at the door. So thank you. I know we want some quick photo ops. Yeah. Best library in the universe. You guys do great. Hey, I'm not messing. Three, two, one. Perfect. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very much. Okay. We're going to go to National Constitution Week Proclamation. And Commissioner Walker, I will turn it over to you. Thank you, Mayor. Do we have members of the Cal-Disi Chapter, the Daughters of the American Revolution, in the audience? Thank you, Mayor. Hi. Hello. I know. I don't talk first. Although I could. Okay. Well, this is a... I really enjoy this proclamation. And I will say that where would we be without the Constitution of the United States of America? And with that said, National Constitution Week. Whereas, September 17, 2025, marks the 238th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution in the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. And it is fitting and proper to accord official recognition to this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary and to the patriotic celebrations which will commemorate the occasion. And throughout America's history, in times of turmoil, peace, liberty, and oppression, our faith in the Constitution's promise of freedom and democracy has been a steadfast rock of national stability against the raging seas of political change. And to this day, the Cal-Disi Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution continues to encourage public awareness of the historic significance of this milestone in our nation's heritage. Now, therefore, I, Robert James Walker, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Mayor of the City of Dunedin, Florida, and on behalf of the entire City Commission, do hereby proclaim the period of September 17th to September 23rd as National Constitution Week in Dunedin. And we urge all citizens to join with the Cal-Disi Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution along with DAR Chapters Across America in honoring and recalling the importance of our rights under the Constitution by public display of our nation's flag during National Constitution Week. Thank you. Commissioner Walker, I would like to honor your mother for reminding her family that family history is world history. And that's really important these days, to remember something about history. In fact, oh, by the way, I'm Lori Coffey, the regent for Cal-Disi Chapter, and these are members of, there's other ones here, but they're shyer. She's staying in the picture. Oh, she's staying in the picture. Hi. Okay. So we're all members of the Cal-Disi Chapter. In the summer of 1787, during the Constitutional Convention, 55 men discussed America's future, moving from a loose confederation of states on the verge of collapse to a constitutional form of government, the first in history to use a social contract between those who will govern and those who will be governed. That's heavy stuff. You know, that's good stuff right there. But I want to give you some fun facts about this incredible journey. Eleven years earlier, in 1776, you have to remember that, the Declaration said we hold these truths to be self-evident that all what are created equal? All men. Fifty percent of Americans were included in that, right? So even though Abigail Adams told her husband, remember the ladies. Well, he was only one person. So how does the Constitution start? We the people. We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, a little change with big consequences, because all the wives encouraged all the husbands to remember the ladies, right? Fast forward to 1865, when women were on the verge of getting the 13th Amendment with the right to vote. Frederick Douglass, the well-spoken abolitionist and escaped slave, encouraged the women to jump out of line and take a back seat to the abolishment of slavery, which they did. This is called working together, right? These are partnerships. Women had to start over. They didn't know they were going to go to the back of the line. So they had to start all over working steadily for 50 years until 1920, when we finally got the 19th Amendment. The 13th, of course, was to abolish slavery. Our foundational document, the Constitution, is worthy to be celebrated in all kinds of ways, and it's still being written today to create a more perfect union. In fact, the most recent amendment, who knows what number it is? Good guess. A little high. 27th. There was a lot that I didn't know about because it didn't affect me personally. It didn't seem to. So the 27th, it took 200 years to be ratified. It started 200 years. Sometimes you have to wait. You have to be patient, right? But you do work together. And Jane Turner here will display a three-dimensional presentation celebrating this phenomenal document at the Dunedin Public Library. Thank you to them. They're already gone. Well, thank you to them. We love librarians. Throughout September. So be sure to go in there, especially if you have kids and family. Take them. They've got to see that. And we have a little gift to remind you. Your own flag. Well, Jane gives whoever wants the flag to hang over the building. I'm going to give everybody a flag. No, thank you. Appreciate that. That's awesome. I like your hat. Thank you. Yes, we should definitely. Come on up. With everybody. How about our flag? I'm going to hold on. Hold on. One. Did you want to miss me too? Three, two. Did you want to get your phone? Oh, thank you. You're jumping in? I know. No, no, no. I don't need to be in anymore. I know, right? The display is excellent. So definitely stop by and visit. Okay. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I'm so glad you gentlemen gave us the right to vote. Thank you so much. No, no, no. We are going to go to artist recognition, Betsy Orr. Is it Orr? Yes, Betsy Orr Glass. Betsy Orr Glass. And so I guess we have you and Elizabeth Brinklow. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. Nicole Delfino, Strategy and Sustainability Manager, here to celebrate our commission gallery artwork. I'm going to have Elizabeth come up so she can introduce the artist, talk a little bit about her work in the gallery process. Thank you. Thanks, Nicole. Residents, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, staff, good evening. Elizabeth Brinklow, your arts consultant and a co-curator for the City Hall Chamber Gallery. First of all, thank you for the opportunity to celebrate and support the arts by having a chamber gallery in your City Hall. It's an amazing, amazing, amazing amount of support that it provides to each of the artists who are exhibiting here. Co-curators Mary Childs and I showcase a curated selection of mid-career and established artists, offering a platform where experienced practices meet innovative exploration and fresh ideas. Through our carefully chosen exhibitions, we foster a dialogue for artists across backgrounds and mediums, honoring artistic mastery while inspiring and allowing new conversations that engage and challenge our audience. The selected works reflect the artistic excellence of the Tampa Bay region and help reinforce Dunedin's reputation as a vibrant city for the arts. Currently on exhibit through December is the work of Betsy Orr Glass, Waves. A reception and artist talk will occur on November 13th, 6.30 to 8 p.m. in this room. We'll do a deeper dive with some light bites and some bubbly, so we invite everyone to come for that evening. And we'll do a deeper dive into Betsy's, the inspiration of these particular works and current work, current series of work that she's working on now. Betsy Orr Glass is a coastal artist, writer, and photographer whose work is rooted in a deep love for the sea and its ever-changing beauty. A former broadcasting and advertising professional, Betsy discovered her passion for photography in 2000. What began as a hobby quickly grew into a calling, leading to contributions in North Carolina newspapers and recognition from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, and the North Carolina Sea Grant Association, documenting hurricane effects. Her favorite subjects remain the timeless ones, waves, old beach cottages, and sand fences, images that capture the soul of the shore. Betsy's creative journey expanded into writing Reflections by the Sea, a collection of inspirational thoughts and coastal memories that began as a personal gift to her children. Accompanied by her photography, the column became a weekly feature in newspapers and online, now running for over 25 years. In recent years, Betsy has turned many of her photographs into reference material for painting, transitioning into pastels, oils, and acrylic. Living in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, she continues to find inspiration in boats, waves, and local coastal scenes. Betsy believes her gifts, writing, photography, and painting, are God-given, and she is passionate about using them to share her faith and the life experiences, her life experiences, with others. I'd like to introduce Betsy or Glass. Thank you, Elizabeth. That was nice. I hope I can live up to that. Good. Are we on? Okay. Thank you, Ms. Mayor, Assistant Mayor, and City Commissioners. I appreciate this moment to be with you and all of those that are in attendance this evening. This moment would not have been possible without Elizabeth Brinklow and Mary Childs, who co-curated this, as she said earlier. And I think that they are wonderful to work with. You all are very blessed to have these ladies with you. And I thank you very much. I want to also say that this lady over here that's taking pictures is my assistant, my curator, my friend, Taryn Mohajeri. And saying her last name is hard. In this room, you all are doing a lot of important work. And I know that. And you're trying to do the best thing for the community. And so I think maybe, probably not in here with this group, but possibly you might have some spirited conversations. And if you do, I hope that the artwork in the gallery will bring you comfort, peace, and a little bit of serenity while you all are making these important decisions. It's, from the bottom of my heart, I really want to thank you all for making this gal's dream come true. This kind of recognition is just unreal. And I thank you very much. I would like to say that if you'll come on November 13th, I will give you the ABCs. That's art, broadcasting, and cancer. And it's all good. So don't miss that. And for the distinguished people this evening on the panel, I've got a little mini piece of artwork that doubles as a business card. But anyway, enjoy the art. Oh, my goodness. And Betsy, I think we might have a few questions up here for you. So don't sit yet. Thank you very much. Thank you. Well, I'm going to ask my colleagues. Anybody have a question? I do. Vice Mayor, you? Sure. Vice Mayor? Betsy, thank you for your passion. Thank you. And thank you for sharing your passion with us. Thank you. It is frequently said, or at least I've heard it said out in public, that when it comes to City Hall, that for the public art that we have here, it's not that we have public art in our City Hall, but City Hall is in a museum. And so thank you for putting that perspective on our building. It's a beautiful sentiment. Thank you. And when it comes to the pictures that you paint, it seems you keep coming back to the waves, and that seems to be kind of a general theme, the ocean, the waves. It does. Can you talk to us about that, why you keep going back? Yes. Yes. Well, if you forget my name, I'm also known as the Wave Lady, and that might be a little easier for you. So I love the waves. Well, number one, there's no two alike. And there's no one to look over your shoulder and tell you, you got that all wrong, because who knows? And so it's been fun to be creative. And you take photographs, and you look at different things, and you make it your own. And I like the vibrant ones, because that just shows passion and volume and energy. And then I like the calm ones, too. But, you know, nobody really buys the calm ones. But that's why I keep coming back to the waves. It's something that I enjoy. I love the colors. It's serene. And it's where I gravitated. I don't know how or why, but I just ended up there. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Sandberg? You are very talented. I have a very special talent there. Thank you. How do you achieve that sense of motion on canvas as we sit here and look at those waves? It's like they're actually crashing into our room. Oh, good. I did my job. How do you achieve that? Well, you know, it's interesting. There's a thing called the anatomy of a wave. And when you're first starting out painting, people don't understand that. And the paintings are flat. They don't show motion. That's where you can tell someone is a beginner. But if you look at a wave and you understand the anatomy of a wave, it's the crest. It's the movement. It's a barrel shape. And you have to keep all of that in mind when you're painting it. Because if you don't, then you've lost it. And then I like the translucence. That's where the wave is at the thinnest. And that's where I get the wave from. Cool. And very well done. Thank you. Thank you. How about Commissioner Walker? These are pretty good so far. I think I'm mastering them. We're going to take one more? Okay. Thank you. The art that we put up here does, in a sense, set the tone of our atmosphere in here. Good. I would say, I have looked at those on occasion. And it is calming. But I'm sure that you had an intent when you started this. What is it that you would hope people would feel or take away from the art that you produce? I think that art can speak to people. You know, some people have a hard time with their emotions or talking or children or if people are going through a difficult time, they can look at a piece of art and it will give them peace. It will give them comfort. It will say things to them. It will take them. It will transport them into a place that maybe they want to be but can't be at that moment. And so I always believe that art can talk to us. And if we are open to it, you know, it's not just paint thrown on a canvas, which I know a lot of people call that art and they do that and I respect them for it. But I like to give you a feeling, a touch. I want you to go there with me. And that's, I hope that's answered your question. Yeah, it sure does. I think you achieved your goal. Thank you. Thank you very much. Hey, Commissioner Degard, you got one? I always am impressed with courage because I know how much that canvas costs. Yes. And it's not inexpensive. And just that first moment. Tell me about how you get the courage to get that first moment of creating. Well, you know, that's an ongoing thing. I have two easels in my studio now. Both of them have empty canvases on them. So I'm waiting for the inspiration. So, yes, it's always hard. It is a lot of courage. Some people will go to the great lengths of sketching things out in advance. I want the paint, the canvas to paint itself. I want the paintbrush to do its own thing. Now, are you a painter also? You have? Okay. I'm teaching at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center in January. And we'd love to have you. Okay. But I hope that answers your question. It is courageous. And it's hard. And the bigger the canvas, the more you sit there and think, I don't want to mess this up. But I have. And I do have a dumpster nearby. And, you know, you save some and you get rid of some. But fortunately, these made the cut. So I'm glad that you all are enjoying them. So I have a question as well. But first, I'll just say that a former commissioner many years ago advised me that when I'm up here, if any of my colleagues are irritating me, you know, because they're talking on and on about something that I might not agree with. It rarely happens. Rarely happens. Yeah, they don't. They don't. They rarely irritate me. But she suggested that look at the paintings, get lost in one of the paintings. Yes. And so if any of you see me looking over at the paintings that Betsy did and getting lost in it, well, maybe getting on my last nerve. That's my signal to keep going then. Mayor, tell us which one is your favorite. Which one do you focus on? You know, I really do, for some reason, it's the fourth one down, the second from the last. Yes. I don't know why. But it's just like, it's in the perfect spot and it just kind of speaks to me. Translucency kind of gets you there. Yes. So Betsy, I do have one question. And that is like, are these coastal scenes anywhere in particular in the area or are they just being close to water? My husband has moved me all over the U.S. And so this is a compilation of things. Plus, also, I do my own photographs. And I'll go, I have photographer friends. And they will let me use one of theirs for free. Isn't that nice? But, yes, it's all over. I'm going to say the second one would be more like what you'd see in Dunedin. And probably the fourth one. The fifth one, I would say, would be more of something on the Atlantic coast or whenever we're having a hurricane. So I didn't say that. I don't say that. Any other questions? I don't think so. But we certainly appreciate your contribution to this important program. The arts are really important to Dunedin. And you make a difference by being part of it. Thank you. We really appreciate it. This is a thrill. This, you just don't know what a thrill this is. So thank you so much. I think that art will speak to people if they'll allow it. And I hope that this all speaks to you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Oh, photo op. Photo op. Oh, photo op. Library card. Yeah. How about our picture? Oh, picture, though. That's good. Thank you, Elizabeth. And thank you, Nicole. Okay. We are going to go to our citizen input. Does anyone in the audience wish to speak on a topic that is not on the agenda? Okay. Seeing no one coming forward, I will close citizen input. We're going to go to the consent agenda, and it will be the approval of the minutes for the 7-3-20-25 meeting, 7-17-20-25 meeting. We have various board and committee appointments to Code Enforcement Board, Housing Authority. Also, 2C, renew the fiscal year 26 annual support and licensing of the citywide data backup system from vendor Hayes, Inc. in the amount of $95,137.70. 2D, we have letter of intent, Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center Project. 2E, approval of the continuation of the service agreement with NeoGov for human resources-related software in the amount of $209,142.53 for fiscal year 25 through fiscal year 27. The last item, 2F, which is Clearwater Ferry, that's officially pulled, right? We're going to request that you pull it. Okay, I can just pull it off agenda, though, right? Do we have to actually approve that getting pulled or just not vote on it? I think you would just make a motion to postpone that item. Okay. So pull it off consent. Okay. And then you could handle the rest of consent. Gotcha. Okay. So we'll pull off the Clearwater Ferry services. Are there any other items that anyone wishes to pull? Item 2D. 2D. And what would that be, sir? That would be the letter of intent for the Boat Club. Somehow I knew that would be it. That's great. Okay. So anything else? No. Okay. So with the exception of 2D and 2F, can I have a motion for approval of the consent agenda? So moved. Second. Okay. Well, I think I've got Commissioner Dugard and Commissioner Sandbergen. Okay. Okay. And so is there any public input on any of these consent items? If there is, please come forward now. In case seeing no one, I'll close public input. And all in favor of approval of the consent agenda? Aye. Aye. And any opposed? Okay. The agenda is approved unanimously. Thank you. Okay. Now we'll go to, let's go ahead and go to Clearwater Ferry. And if I could have a motion to postpone. So moved. Second. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Okay. Aye. And that motion passes unanimously. Okay. So we will go to 2D, Letter of Intent, Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center Project. And do you want a full presentation? Do you have questions? Or? I don't need a full presentation. I don't think I have a lot of questions. But what I'm hoping is, is just for the general group here. We have a lot of members from the boat club here tonight. And I, it makes my heart very warm to see you all. But what I'm, I'd just like a summary of where we stand with that LOI and, you know, what the next steps are, if that's possible. Absolutely. Thank you. Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Commissioners. I had a sneaking suspicion that this will be pulled from the consent agenda. So we're prepared for, with a very short presentation. As you know, the, the boat club was damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. And it was demolished in May, I believe it was, of, of this last year. After a decommissioning ceremony, that, that was just absolutely wonderful. And I think all of you were there at the ceremony. So we got to work right away with the board and the bridge of the Dunedin Boat Club to put together a letter of understanding. As far as activities moving forward. So, um, I have a meeting with, with the board and the bridge of the boat club. Been very clear with them that until the city commission approves the, the site, uh, for the, uh, new Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center, um, then, then we weren't good to go. Um, and, uh, so that's what's here before you this evening is a letter of intent to site the new Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center, uh, exactly where the old one was. And so, um, I just, to go over some of the, some of the, uh, uh, uh, some of the recitals within the agreement. First of all, the location and use is on the old site. And it would be, everybody knows, I think that that's at the end of the peninsula. Um, it would be the Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center on the property. This, the, uh, facility will be a multi-use, uh, facility. It will be a city-owned building in the home of the Dunedin Boat Club, Dunedin Youth Sailing Association, Dunedin Wind Lasses, Sailability, Greater Tampa Bay, and other organization and activities as mutually approved. So the future design and construction, uh, this agreement also outlines the conditions that the parties must meet for construction of the boat club and the sailing center to move forward. Um, the funding would be, Dunedin Boat Club would, uh, would have a fundraising campaign through the Pinellas Community Foundation in very much the same model as the Gladys Douglas property, which was very successful. Um, the, um, they would use a foundation to raise the funds. Uh, this agreement gives the Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center three years from the effective date of the LOI to raise sufficient sums, sums, with an option for an extension of one year approved by the city commission. So that wouldn't be approved administratively. It would be approved by the commission. Uh, then the design, there is an attachment, and I wanted to show you a little bit of, uh, what the, uh, Borden Bridge has been working on as far as the design goes. I have been sitting with them, uh, going over the design. Uh, you will notice that it is, uh, open in the, uh, below, uh, so you can see the other side, uh, into the sound, which was an improvement that they had made, uh, at the city's request, as a matter of fact. And so we're very grateful for that. I think it looks great. Um, it is modeled very much after the old boat club. Uh, um, I think it's even the same color. So, um, so the architectural and engineering plans then will be done by the Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center. They are well underway. Um, the construction then would be, uh, they would then hand over the funds to the city through the Pinellas Community Foundation. And we would have an agreement with the Pinellas Community Foundation to, um, design, uh, to, excuse me, to, uh, build the boat club itself. And, uh, Jorge Quintas, our deputy city manager, has been sitting in on those meetings regarding construction, uh, moving forward. So post-construction then, the, the agreement, the letter of intent states that the, uh, sailing center would have the use of the property, excuse me, Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center for 50 years for a huge sum of $1 per, per year. So we will be looking at that on January 1st, uh, promptly. No, I'm just kidding. Um, and so thereafter, after, after it's constructed, uh, it would be turned over to the city and it would be a public building. It would be very much in the same, um, uh, mode of operations, if you will, the DFAC, where the Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center runs the day-to-day operations. Uh, the city owns it. We're also committing to, um, they have committed to also adding a public restroom on the ground floor, which I think would be a huge, uh, positive addition to the peninsula for all of those groups that I just mentioned. And we would contribute $100,000 to construction, um, of that public restroom on the peninsula. So, um, I'm, I'm glad this is here before you this evening. I know that they want to get their fundraising efforts underway. In fact, they already have. Um, and so we're recommending that the city commission approve the letter of interest and we all get to work. Thank you. Okay. Uh, any questions? I'll start with you. Uh, no, I don't have any good questions. I do have a, just one comment. Okay. Well, let me ask for other questions. Uh, Commissioner Duarte, Vice Mayor. Uh, yes, Mayor. Um, were there any sites other than the original location that might have been considered? No. Okay. Okay. No, sir. Okay. I've, I've got a comment, but I'll wait until a comment. Okay. Uh, Commissioner Sandbergen. Just one. And on page three, there's the, um, the initials QA slash QC. What does that stand for? Jorge. You looked comfortable sitting there. So, yeah. Good evening. Uh, Jorge Quintas, Deputy City Manager. Uh, yes, Commissioner. QA, QC essentially stands for Quality Assurance, Quality Control. So, it's our ability to then, once the plans are produced, the city would then make sure to review them, uh, review the cost estimates, make sure the project is added. Is your microphone on? Yes. Okay. Yes. Um, so, it's essentially that final check before the project gets advertised to make sure there's sufficient funding to move forward. Okay. That's all I need. Thank you. All right. That's it, Mayor. Okay. Um, I don't have any additional questions. So, I'll go ahead and final comments. Or, Commissioner Walker. Thank you, Mayor. Um, can we, the rendering? I do not have the rendering. Okay. Um, so. Oh, we have a rendering. There it is. Imagine that. Go, Craig. Oh, no, that wasn't planned. Yeah. Um. Yeah. And show the audience. Yeah. Great. Thanks, Craig. So, uh, you know, this, this has been, this has been a remarkable journey that started off, um, with, uh, quite a bit of devastation and damage and, uh, not just, uh, across the community. And, uh, you know, I, it's taken us the better part of a year to, to, to get things truly back to normal. And, uh, the, uh, I have to, I have to acknowledge and recognize the boat club because of how quickly they, first of all, a lot of, a lot of very difficult decisions had to be made. And, uh, I, you know, it's, it's been, it's been, it's been tough as we, we've, there, the boat club has gone through. And so, um, what's been remarkable is, is the energy and the enthusiasm and just the pure commitment of the boat club. And actually what it really, really, it's nothing different than, than what, what's going on in our entire community. Because you, you take a look at the community and it's like, you, you see the exact same thing. And the boat club is an example of that. And so, the fact that they've rallied, you've, you've got fundraising in, in progress, you've, uh, got your 501 3C in place. You know, I mean, it's, things have happened pretty darn quick. And so, I, I do, you know, and it's not just the boat club. Boat club is just an example of our community. And it's been amazing to, to watch the recovery. And, anyway, that's, that's the comment I want to make on this. Um, it's, uh, that's, uh, that's all. Okay. Commissioner Dugard. Every sailor worth their salt knows that, uh, they're not tested until they hit a storm. And when they hit a storm, they know how good they are. We hit a storm. We know how good you are. Congratulations. This is a great start. Thank you. Um, Vice Mayor? Oh, sure. Now I've got to go. Be careful. No, no pressure here. Oh, absolutely. Um, no, I'm certainly in, in, in, in favor of this. Um, I love the collaboration between the boat club, uh, you sailing windlasses. I just think it's fabulous. Um, my only concern is we were very quick to decide what to do and no other places were considered. And I understand why they weren't considered, right? It's a beautiful location. It's the original spot. Uh, but, uh, since the hurricane and even before the hurricane, we talked a lot about the value of the marina, the value of the pier and the, the rush on trying to put the marina back together. We heard time and time again, the value of that marina from a tourist standpoint and the number of people that go to visit the marina. And at least I wanted to point out that if you're out on the pier and take a picture, things are fine. But if you're on the east side of the marina, if you're at Old Bay Cafe and want to take a beautiful picture of the marina, that, that background has now, will be forever changed. Right? You had a one story before. And so you could see past the, the, um, the original building and you could catch a sunset. You could catch it dropping behind County D.C. Island and there are just stunning. And we've all seen them all over Facebook, stunning pictures of the marina from the east side. And I just want to acknowledge that in us making this decision and deciding to put it back there, those pictures will now be different. I won't tell you they'll be uglier, worse, et cetera, but there is going to be, I think, some value lost. And I just want to at least make that comment. Okay. Commissioner Sandbergen. I think it's so much more than that. It's a beautiful picture, Craig, but there's a lot more. The wind lasts, sailability, you sailing, that continued commitment to the residents of Dunedin. I mean, that's, that's priceless. You folks have done a great job keeping it together and keep pushing it down the road. You know, I love that you'll be able to take the history, bring it to today and continue forward so that, you know, continue interest in the youth of today in the sailing program. And thank you for all your hard work to all of you. Thank you. So I guess my comments would be, you better make it look good. And I think as you go along, you'll know, are there any other features that we could add to make it look good? Because to your point, it is part of the new picture. It will be part of the new picture. And that's really important. So, but I agree with what Commissioner Walker said. I mean, I look at Terry, because he got back in his house not that long ago, and I've gotten back in my house not that long ago. And houses are being sold, and houses are being raised, and one's being lifted two doors down from me. It is part of the evolution of what's happened in our community because of the storms. We don't want any more. But I give you guys so much credit. Your passion for the boat club, and the boat club is just a huge part of our history. And so I think that passion is going to take us to the finish line. And so I appreciate everything, and I appreciate your attendance. You know, you can feel the passion. And I'm there with you. I'll give money. So anyway, so I will ask for a motion. So moved. Second. Okay. Motion and second. And I do need to ask if there's anyone in the public who wishes to speak on this issue. You have to come forward, Claudia. It's all good. Yeah. Yeah, you do. So I know it's a long way, but just name and address for the record, and you get to speak. So I'm Claudia and Abel, 1094 Sumo Road. I'm a member of the boat club, sailability, and windlasses. All right. Okay. So in respect to your question about did we seek out places? Yes, we did. Not the boat club, maybe, but the Dunnington Community Foundation, when we were anticipating the possibility of that beautiful boathouse to be blown down. We're trying to be proactive about it with the donation that was made. That was back in 2017, I think, that we started. Unfortunately, there were no places around. And I think you were part of it because you were the new commissioner then when we came to meet with you. We even looked at Ben's house at one point. We even looked at Ben's house for a possibility. No, I mean, that's what I'm saying. So it is what it is. We got to do what we got to do. And let's move forward. Thank you. Thanks, Claudia. Anyone else wish to speak on this issue? Okay. Seeing no one, I will ask for a voice vote. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay. And the motion passes unanimously. So congratulations. And let's go get the money. Thank you all. Okay. We're going to move from there to action items. And I was going to say, don't feel like you all have to stay, but you can. Okay. So second reading of Ordinance 25-02, amending Chapter 111 of the Land Development Code, Historic Preservation. Staff, as I said at the beginning of the meeting, is requesting that Action Item 3A, Ordinance 25-02, be postponed to the October 9th, 2025 Commission meeting for the purpose of allowing the Florida Department of State Historic Resources Division to review and provide comment on the ordinance content and to assure compliance with all state and federal preservation laws mandating consideration of a project's impact on historic and archaeological properties. Mayor? So, yes. I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to say that this item, rather than postponement, it would be a motion to continue it to a date certain, time certain, and location. So we would need to specify that in the motion. Okay. So can I have a motion to continue? Wait. Say it again? Why don't you tell us what the motion is? That probably good. So it would be a motion to continue the second reading of Ordinance 25-02, amending Chapter 111 of the Land Development Code, Historic Preservation, to October 7th, or I'm sorry, October 9th at 6 p.m. here in the Dunedin City Hall. So moved. Second. Okay. So Commissioner Dugard, Vice Mayor, and that's it. Can I have a voice vote? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? And the motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Okay. So again, that will be moved to October 9th, where we'll have a full presentation, we'll have the input from the state, and we'll have an opportunity for everyone to give public input again. So the next item is really a related item, which is 3B Resolution 25-13, amending the Certificate of Appropriateness Matrix, as required by Chapter 11, the Land Development Code. Staff, is your question that Action Item 3B, Resolution 25-13, be continued to the October 9th, 2025 Commission meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the City Hall. Can I have a motion? So moved. Second. Okay. So I have Vice Mayor. Who had that one? Okay. Commissioner Sandbergen. Okay. Okay. So, and again, I just need a voice vote. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And motion passes unanimously. And again, so those two items will come forward on October 9th, City Hall, 6 p.m. So, thank you. Okay. So now we're going to go to the second reading of Ordinance 25-06, City Commission Salary Adjustment. Jen, could you please read Ordinance 25-06 by title only? Ordinance 25-06, an ordinance of the City of Dunedin, Florida, establishing the annual salary of the City Commission of the City of Dunedin, providing for the effective date of the new salaries, providing for a review of salaries every five years, and providing for an effective date. That was Ordinance 25-06, read by title only. Okay. Could I have a motion? So moved. Second. Okay. I have Vice Mayor, and I have Commissioner Sandbergen. Okay. And we have presentation. Teresa. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commission, Teresa Smalling, Director of HR and Risk Management for the City. As this is the second reading of Ordinance 2506, the first reading, it was approved on August 7th, 2025. In a nutshell, this ratifies or memorializes the new salary of the commission as of October 1st, 2024, with the mayor receiving $15,000 per, I'm sorry, $19,100 per year, and city commissioners receiving $15,600 per year. At this time, I'll take any questions that you may have. Okay. Questions for staff, starting with Vice Mayor. Good questions. Commissioner Sandbergen? No questions. Commissioner Walker? Yeah. And I just want to clarify that this is a result of not doing this, what needed to be done a year ago. Is that correct? Correct. This is, and it is part of the pay plan that was approved in fiscal year 2020, for fiscal year 2025. I think the City Manager wanted to add. Yeah, and if I could just add that you adopted the pay plan every year, and that we actually throughout that pay plan, we were raising everybody to minimum wage throughout the city. And so we're raising you all to minimum wage for 20 hours a week, I think. 15. For 15 hours a week. I'm sorry. It's 20 hours per week. The minimum wage is $15 per hour. There you go. Thank you. So, you know, it really was. We spent it all in one place, gentlemen. Right. It was part of the pay plan. And now everybody's up to minimum wage, including our city commission. Congratulations. And this is housekeeping. It is. Yeah. Any other questions? I have to ask this question. If this doesn't, if we don't vote to approve this, what happens? If you don't vote to approve this, then I'll confer with my boss and the city attorney as to what happens next. If they don't vote to approve it, they wouldn't get the increase. Yeah. And to the extent there was any increase that was provided, they have to pay it back. Okay. Rob, please. No further questions. You haven't seen my bank account. Please. Please. Okay. Oh, yes. Let's quickly go to Commissioner Dugard. How was the term decided that we wouldn't review this for five years? The ordinance review committee, when they were going through the, they go through the ordinance, I believe it's every five years. It's now as needed. As needed. As needed. And they made the recommendation for it to be evaluated every five years. In the event that the minimum wage is increased, what happens? We would have to approve that as part of the pay plan. Nothing automatic, though. Right. Correct. Nothing automatic. Correct. Correct. That's all I have. Thank you, Mayor. Okay. I don't have any questions, so I'll open it up. Anyone in the public wish to speak on this issue, come forward. I don't have one for it. You have to. You got it. You have to. Name and address for the record and have it. Address for the record. Jim Davis, 1991 Spanish Pines, Dunedin. All right. Good to see you guys. And officially, I just want to say that that raise was not enough. All right. You guys work tremendously hard, and I just want to thank you, and we all do. And also, off topic, sorry, we forgot to have anybody show up for the grant that came through from the city back when you had a workday with your commission, and we wanted to apologize for that, and let everybody know that we are grateful for the opportunity to get your money. Thank you. Thanks, Jim. Thanks. Appreciate it. Okay. Anyone else in the audience wish to come forward and speak on this issue? Okay. I will close public input, and I will go to commission comments, and I will start with the vice mayor. No comments. Commissioner Sandbergen. Nothing to add. Commissioner Walker. Nothing further to add. And Commissioner Dugard. Thank you. Nothing to add. Okay. And I will go to roll call vote. Commissioner Dugard. Aye. Commissioner Sandbergen. Aye. Commissioner Walker. Aye. Vice Mayor Gow. Aye. And Mayor Franey. Nay. Just kidding. Just kidding. Aye. And that motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Okay. You're a joker. Sorry. You're a joker. Here we go. Okay. We are going to go to resolution 25-29, amending the marina user fees. Jen, can you please read resolution 25-29 by title only? Resolution 25-29, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Dunedin, Florida, establishing Dunedin marina user fees, including rates for use of boat slips pursuant to section 86-76 and charges for use of boat ramp launch pursuant to section 86-105 of the code of ordinances of the city of Dunedin, repealing resolution 24-22 in its entirety, providing for severability and providing for an effective date. That was resolution 25-29, read by title only. Okay. Could I have a motion to adopt resolution 25-29? So moved. Wow. Okay. I'm going to, I think, Commissioner Degard and Commissioner Sandbergen. Okay. And we will go to staff presentation, Les and Lori. Yes. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. Les Tyler, the finance director. And I'm here with Lori Ferguson, the harbor master for the city. Just some, as mentioned, this item, resolution 25-29 is a recommendation to increase the marina slip renter user fees by 10% effective October 1st, 2025. And some brief background on this item. In late 2022, the city of Dunedin did a comprehensive rate study prepared by our consultant, Raftelis, for the Dunedin Marina to determine what the rates for the enterprise fund should be to make the funds sustainable long-term. The report was received by the city commission in January of 2023. And the study recommended a series of five percent, of five, 10% increments, increase rate increases five years in a row that the rates have not been increased since 2015. The initial 10% increase was made in April 2023, with the second 10% increase was made on October 1st, 2024. And that was approved by the city commission on September 3rd, 2024, just about one year ago today. The next scheduled increase before the commission this evening is the proposed rate increase of 10%, which would be effective October 1st, 2025. I want to mention that the marina fund, the 26th budget marina fund was presented and long range plan was presented to the marina advisory committee. We met with them twice. We met with them on June 16th and then again on July 21st and walked through the fiscal year 26th budget and some of the long-term financial planning. And we discussed there that there was a planned 10% rate increase October 1st, 2025. We shared that with them, and it was acknowledged by the marina advisory committee at both those meetings. And that includes their overall comments. We'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Okay, so questions, I will start with Commissioner Walker. Thank you, Mayor. Just to revisit what you just said with regard to, so this went to the marine advisory committee, last marine advisory committee. Yes. Okay. And what was their response? Because the minutes of those meetings were not in the packet. So I just want to get an eye feel for where they sat on this. Yeah, they acknowledged the increase. They didn't have a formal vote, but they – and I'll turn it over lower, but my interpretation was that we – they were aware that the fact that we were planning these rate increases. I did mention and went through with their – with the committee that we do anticipate, assuming that our FEMA funding comes in as planned and that FEMA pays for 87.5% of the damage we have for DOC A and B, that the fund be a little better off. And those 10% increases, the next few years, it would be more like 7% is what we're estimating now. We did explain that, but overall, I felt like they were – accepted the increase and didn't – and nobody had any negative comments at the meeting. Do you want to add to that or – No, we didn't have anyone express concerns. It's been discussed, you know, throughout the last year. I think most expected it. So, they all – like Les said, they didn't necessarily take a vote, but there were no concerns or any pushback. Maybe we shouldn't. I think they understand the situation at hand. Yeah, you actually said something, which is kind of what I'm getting at. So, the 10% – and I know that we – this was part of the master plan, and I know that this is what we approved a couple years ago, but just in the light of what we've experienced in the last year, and based on projections, obviously the 10% is going to be required for cash flow and maintaining our reserve in the enterprise fund this year, until we start seeing our FEMA reimbursements and all that. But your projections actually might be more positive than – and with no guarantees, I'm just looking at what you're seeing as a trend, because I think I heard 7% and not 10%. Is that – did I hear that correctly? Yeah, in the – in 27 through 30, we've got 7% increases estimated, and we'll be looking at those every year as we move forward, but we are looking at 7% – less than 10%. And, again, that does assume that FEMA does reimburse us, you know, the – and I will say that FEMA reimburses us 87.5% of the cost of floating docks, because we're assuming that they will pay that mitigation. So, I want to mention that, too. Right. On top – if I may, Mayor? Sure. On top of that, we got the $1.5 million appropriation for the – to repair the day dock as well. So, we can figure that into that rate moving forward. What was that appropriation? So, we submitted for a – a Department of Agriculture appropriation for gabion repair and for the marina repair, and we were awarded $1.5 million for repair. So, that will – we can figure that into – into the Enterprise Fund and, you know, moving forward, look at those rates. Yeah. Okay. And I – the only thing that – last thing, somewhat related, can we – at some point in the near future, can we get an update on where we stand with the pier and all that, just so we understand where we're headed with that? That would be good. Sure. Okay. All right. Thank you. That's all I have. Great. Commissioner Degard? Thank you, Mayor. In the same line of questioning, we – when the Reptilis plan was created, of course, we were not looking at a hurricane doing what it did, and we were not looking at FEMA money being engaged in the process of renovating the marina. It does appear that that's going to be the case. It does appear that there will be some system improvements. And so I think many of the – at least my impression, let me say it that way, was that with such a windfall for us, we would be able to actually afford more and possibly have lower fees for slip rentals. Am I in error, or is that – is that what we're looking – or are we just following the Reptilis plan? Well, we are having lower projections, lower increase – lower increase in rates currently than what we had two years ago or a year ago before the storm. We are getting some relief from FEMA. But we are also having – but, for instance, you know, the seawall was not in the plans, and we're having to pay a match on that that we didn't have to pay before. We're having to pay our 12 percent of those costs that were not in there before. So most of it is positive. Some of it's not as far as before and after storm. But overall right now, you know, I would say that we were estimating 10 percent for multiple years, and now I think we've – after this increase, we'll be evaluating it every year and taking into consideration the grant, the grant that Jennifer mentioned, the city manager, the state grant, along with the FEMA grants, and we'll be monitoring it closely as we work through FEMA with these grants. But we are expecting that the rate increases will be less than we expected to be before the storm. Yeah. Good. I just wanted – For sure. I wanted to make sure. It would be helpful because of some of the cooperation we asked for in all of this to make sure we well document that particular aspect of our rate fees. And speaking of that, when I take a look at this rate schedule that was on page five of the handout, I'm trying to figure the calculus on slip rental rates. Was this simply an incremental over previous rates, or is there some kind of magic sauce I don't understand? Because the square footage rate seems to be different for each one of the slip sizes. Can you help me understand this? Yeah. There are lots of different square footage rates. That's true. All of these rates, except the very first one, are recreational rates. The very first one is commercial rates. But there are various sizes of slip rentals for the recreation. So that is true. And they all have – they do have different square footages applied to them. That's correct. Lori can probably help. It would be nice. So, from a long time ago, the rates were determined by a part A and a part B. Okay. So every – and I should have brushed up on this, but I've been on vacation. I didn't expect to address the part A and part B. One of the parts has a fixed rate per slip for, I believe, it is improvements in projects. The second part B is calculated on a square footage. So it doesn't come out to a per linear foot rate in the slips like is pretty much industry standard now with marinas. And if you break it down that way, you'll see an inequity. That the – if you don't pay attention to the part A and part B and you just try to do the math, it'll look like the smaller slips actually pay more per linear foot. I did notice that. Than some of the bigger slips. So – Okay. And that's where that comes from is the part A and part B. It's a bargain under any circumstances. Thank you. That's all I have. Okay. Vice Mayor. Thank you. Most of the questions have been asked and answered. And I understand where we came from and the need for the increases, the multiple increases. At some point, will we go back not to do a market analysis again, but any type of comparable to go, okay, we might still need some funds, but we're kind of comparable with other marinas in the area. Or we just – or at this point, next year we'll look again and decide without looking at comparables. And I know this is probably a next year question. Yeah, I think we would definitely probably consider doing another rate study in 27 or 28 timeframe. That would be a five-year period. Yes. And so I would say in 27, 28, we'll do another rate study either with a consultant or internal. We'll determine that. But at the five-year period, we'll want to look at the rates again compared to our peers and also just look at our capital needs at that time and just like we do with our other enterprise funds. Okay. Thank you. Great. Commissioner Sandberg. Three forms of income down there, the slip rental, rents from the commercial tenant, the restaurant, and the ramp use. Is there any other income streams down there? Any other? There's parking decals, and that's – Not substantial. Minimal. Yeah, not substantial. Okay. And I think page one of it referred to properties at 690 and 700 Edgewater. What are those? I know the marina has an address, but there's an Edgewater address. What is that? That would probably be the parking that we lease. It may be Edgewater Park. Yeah, could be. And the parking that's associated with it. Yeah, that most likely. And do we have a good mechanism for enforcement of nonpayment if we do run into a problem? We are – we're working with finance on working together, basically, on letters, notifications, sending out emails. It is greatly improved. Okay. And with the new user agreement, we've reduced the window where the late fees kick in. It was a 15-day payment window before late fees kicked in, and we've reduced it to 10 days. So we've got people on board with making that payment in a shorter period of time because the larger window was creating confusion. Okay. And it was generating people to pay late because the taxes were paying on time, but they were actually paying late. Okay. So you're comfortable that you have enforcement ability? You can bring these people to the table quick then? Yes. And we don't have a lot of issues like that, but we have put something in the user agreement that – for kind of repeat offenders. So there's some new terminology and a new agreement that will help us with that, too. Okay. Good. That's all I have, Mayor. Okay. I don't actually have any additional questions. You guys about covered it there, so I will open it for public input. Anyone in the audience wish to come forward and speak on this issue? Okay. Seeing nobody coming forward, I'll close public input, and I will go to Commission comments, starting with maker of the motion, which is Vice Mayor. No comments. Okay. And seconder is Commissioner Sandbergen. Nothing to add, Mayor. Oh, wait, wait. I'm sorry. I am very sorry. I was flipping up to my last one. The maker of the motion was Commissioner Degard. I apologize. Thank you. Thank you. I apologize. No comment. Okay. There you go. Now, seconder of the motion, Commissioner Sandbergen. Nothing to add, Mayor. Okay. All right. And I'll go to Commissioner Walker. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, I appreciate the clarification on where we stand on the reserve and all things associated with it, and I know that we've got some, I think, I do believe the floating docks are the way to go, and I know that that's a big ticket item, and we need to get those done. But I also know that, you know, in terms of that, if there were, and I know it's just a projection, there's no guarantee here, but to keep, you know, it would be awesome if next year we can come in under that 10%. That's, that would, anyway, but that's my comment. Okay. And now, Vice Mayor, sorry. Well, no, I've had a lot to say. No, ma'am, nothing further. Okay. Yeah, I, my only comments are, I think, Marine Advisory looked at this, which is great. I think it's kind of a unique set of circumstances that we face as we potentially get the FEMA money. We're able to actually add resiliency, sustainability to our marina, and, you know, so, and then we're able to achieve even, you know, something that's kind of more of a middle ground on the rates. It's, I think that's win, win, win all the way around, so I'm certainly in favor of this for now. Okay, so we're going to go to roll call vote. Vice Mayor Gow. Aye. Commissioner Walker. Aye. Commissioner Sandbergen. Aye. Commissioner Dugard. Aye. Mayor Franey. Aye. And that motion passes unanimously. Okay, I am thinking we should take about a five-minute break and come back and go at our meeting. Meeting adjourned for five minutes. We're going to start the meeting, and we're going to go to Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Hold on. Sorry. Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, fiscal year 26, annual addendum to the contract with the City of Dunedin to provide law enforcement services at a cost of $6,134,860 for fiscal year 26. And now we'll turn it to staff presentation. Teresa. Do we need to ask law enforcement to step out if we're talking about it? Yeah, I know. Yeah, they'd readily do it. Like, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Wait, I've got the button right here. It clearly didn't work the other day, so, you know. Okay, Teresa. Sorry, Teresa. Good evening again, Mayor of Vice, Mayor of Commission, Teresa Smalling, Director of HR and Risk Management, as well as the City's liaison to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. This is a renewal of the contract with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, who serves as our law enforcement arm, if you will, for the city. It is renewed each year, and so you have the Exhibit A, which shows the addendum renewal for the October 1st, 2025. There is a 7.44% overall increase over last year that's mainly attributable to the increased cost per deputy from $122,730 to $132,550, as well as the addition of another school crossing guard for Dunedin. We have five community policing deputies, which includes two deputies that are assigned to traffic enforcement, and then we also pay for secondary employment, 680 hours per year, and that covers our deputies in the back, as well as special events. And then all the contract cities contribute $10,000 to the funding of Safe Harbor, which is a jail diversion program operated by the sheriff to keep our jail population down and also provide diversion services to people who commit minor offenses or homeless people. So I'm happy to take any questions that you may have at this time. Okay, questions for staff. I'll start with the Vice Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. Looking at the attachment, Teresa, item C, where it says under number 1 times 1 times... Yes. Just the explanation, just curious. It says evening for nine months and days for three months. So nine months, three months. So we had a, last year, in recognition of the need for additional enforcement during the midnight hours from 11 p.m. through about 3 a.m., we started a pilot program where a deputy was assigned for those hours. So the way the sheriff's office is, they have a shift differential for those employees that work those overnight shifts. So that's the additional amount that you see for the nine months. And then that deputy continues on a regular schedule for the remaining three months of the year. So the deputy is, does that additional shift during the season, what we call season, which starts about November through, November 1st through April 30th. And there was a pilot program. And just real quickly, everything's good on the pilot program? We haven't heard anything. It seemed to be effective. So... Yeah, I would, it's very effective. And Renee is here. She can, she can attest to that, Deputy Renee, in terms of providing that personal touch, if you will, to the deputy in downtown and around the city as well. So it's been very successful. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out enough to request that you fund it again this year. Okay. Thank you. And did I hear an additional crossing guard? Yes. So the, the sheriff's office oversees the crossing guard program. There is a community, I believe it's in South Dunedin, where they have an increased population of school children that are walking to school. So they, you know, they, they said they actually started it this year, but they absorbed the cost and just requested that we would start as October 1st, 2025, paying for that additional crossing guard. Okay. And that's South Dunedin? I believe so. It's, I think it's off County Road 1. Ah, okay. Um, and just if I understood that correctly, this is one of those deputies that they tell us we need it and we have to pay for it. Right? We didn't ask for it. They told us you're going to get it. The crossing guard. Right. Yes, ma'am. Yes. The crossing guard. Yes. And I get, and I understand that. Um, that's all that I have. Thank you, mayor. Commissioner Sandberg. So as I was reading through this, I guess these are kind of just housekeeping things. Uh, and it's a lot of money, but obviously we, it's not like we can shop around. Uh, you know, if a crime happens, there's, I'm sure there's investigative charges maybe against the person that committed the crime. Is there any, or, or a traffic enforcement, citations, violations being written. Is there any of that money that would come back to the city or does that all stay into the coffers of the sheriff's office? The, um, we have a law enforcement impact fund, if I get that right, um, that some of that money goes into when they, when we have, uh, fines. Okay. Yeah. So that does come back into the city. A portion. A portion. Yes, just a portion. I, I forgot the, um, total percentage. And, you know, also keep in mind that, um, one of the advantages of having the contract with the sheriff's office is we not only have, um, the deputies and the staff, admin staff that's assigned to the North District, but we would have, um, use of, um, the boat, the patrol, their patrol boats, their helicopter, all, the SWAT team, every, all the other services that comes with the sheriff's office. So the, the contract does include a portion that, of the expenses that goes towards funding those. Good. You beat me to that when I had that one. So as we speak right now, they, excluding the two deputies here, how many full-time deputies do we have in Dunedin, in the Dunedin city limits? Uh, besides the five, we have, um, as it shows the, I thought it was 20, might've been 28 sworn. I mean, at, uh, at this moment right now, on set at 730. Oh. On Thursday night. How many deputies are on, on patrol right now? I would, I would have to check on that. They work 12 hour shifts. Okay. Uh, so it depends on who's assigned to the night, the night shifts. I think it's two different shifts. Okay. So. So our contract does, it's the helicopter, K9, CSI, SWAT. We get the full gamut of everything, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Correct. Okay. Okay. Okay. And I know last year during the hurricanes, I'm sure there was a pretty extensive overtime that they put in. Did the, was that part of our contract agreement or did we have to pay more for the amount of hours, the amount of labor that they had? We only pay what's here. The only thing that may increase from time to time, if, if we use more special employment hours than we have, uh, budgeted for, and then they would let us know if, um, we need to pay more for that. Okay. And the last thing was, I've owned, um, office buildings in the past and we still, we had a glass breakage, uh, microphone and so we, we had false alarms. Um, does the city give someone a, uh, get out of jail free card for the first one? And then do we fine merchants or residents? And if so, does that money come to the city or? We don't, we don't oversee, that's the sheriff's program. So they, they, correct. They, um, the sheriff's office oversees the alarm program. So then if you, you get the first one is when I remember the first one is you're okay, we had an accident. And then I think the second one on, you get fined. Okay. And that money goes right to the sheriff's office. Yes. That's the sheriff's program. Okay. As far as one where, uh, it was a birthday and that was, we had all those mylar balloons and the helium went out at two o'clock in the morning. So I, I had to go meet him to let him in and, uh, we never had parties again. So yeah, good. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go in a personal story there. That's all I had, Teresa. Thank you. Teresa, just to follow up on that though. I've always thought there's like five different zones in the city. And so there's at least five, you know, on the move officers around the city at any given time. Am I, am I right on that? You could be correct that I don't know the exact number of, um, deputies at work each shift. Right. I mean, I know there can be variations, but as far as coverage, I just thought that was always kind of the minimum. So, okay. Um, okay. So, uh, uh, Commissioner Walker. So what, um, so obviously there, we had some, some changes in the contract in the last year with bringing on CPO for the later shift Thursday to Sunday. Um, and then some of the overtime. Um, what in your, what in your observation has been another cost driver? Because the, the contract this year is, is how, how much larger is it than? 7.44. So the, um, the, the deputies are in a bargaining unit. And so, um, the increases to their salary would be according to the, their current contract with the sheriff's office. The increase is 7.44%. Okay. Gotcha. Um, yeah, I don't have any other questions. Thanks. Okay. Commissioner Dugard. Thank you, Mayor. Um, do we get response time reports from alarms? Do we get those kinds of reports? For alarms? Yeah. Do we see any kind of performance metric relative to response times? I don't think I have seen those. Um, every month the, um, sheriff's office releases, uh, a report that goes to the city managers is included in the city manager's monthly report. Uh, they mostly talk about, uh, uh, traffic, you know, deputy, deputy, um, activity, the 10 most, um, crash areas, um, and the, uh, summary of the, the, um, crimes that took place. But I haven't really seen a response time. But, you know, it is, we could ask if that's something that the commission would like to see if they're able to track that. That would be, uh, I would welcome such a report. I know we have at least an informal measure, and that is actually, in all seriousness, through the citizen survey. And the citizens just seem to be very, very, very, very okay with law enforcement and response times. Oh, yeah. They've rated Dunedin a very safe community, and I think that's something that we should be proud about. Yes. But on the other hand, it would be nice to see response time metrics as well. Oh, that's all I have. Thank you, Mayor. Okay. Um, I don't think I have any additional questions. Mayor, I do have a follow-up. Oh, sure. Go ahead. Just in regards to, like, adding the deputy for the, um, late night. I mean, the contract is the contract, but that doesn't mean it's not flexible enough. If something arises, we can have those negotiations with the sheriff and add more deputies or make adjustments. Correct. So, uh, a few years ago, we added the two traffic deputies, and then with the, you know, need for more coverage overnight, we added the, um, the overnight deputy. So, yes, there's always leeway for change. All right. Yeah. I'm just thinking about the Panama's trail. We just had a conversation with that. And if all of a sudden we decided we wanted more enforcement on the trail, the contract would be amended to accommodate that. Correct. Yeah. That, that's what I was going to say. Exactly that. Well, that's very articulate. Thank you for that. Um, okay. Again, uh, anybody else have any? Okay. Um, so I'm going to open it for public input. Anyone in the audience wish to come forward and speak on this issue? Alan, you want to talk about this? Yeah. Okay. Um, I'm sitting as far away from us as he is. It's his message. So I'll close public input. I'll ask for a motion. So moved. Second. Okay. Vice mayor and commissioner Walker. So I will go to commission comments and I will start with the maker of the motion. Vice mayor. No comments. Just thank you for your continued job that you do. Seconder, commissioner Walker. Uh, thank you for your service. Okay. Commissioner to guard. Um, as I said, just a second ago, we have a extraordinarily high, um, ranking when it comes to our own citizens review of safety in this community. That's not an accident. I think that we should be very grateful to, um, those that serve us to keep us safe. Um, but we, we do need to measure it. Um, and make sure that we have, um, pushed it to the best possible service that we can create. Thank you, mayor. And commissioner Sandberg. No, it's just an incredibly professional run organization and very proud and, uh, appreciate everything that all of you do. Thank you. Well, I'm going to leave my comments off by saying I got this great text the other day. It was Friday and it was a picture of deputy Renee's business card. And it said, you need more officers like this lady in Dunedin. I just had a conversation with her about a complaint of the coastal Hummer. She's great. Explanation point. So thank you for all you're doing. And I get a lot of compliments by you, Deputy Renee. So appreciate your, you know, local touch, I guess is the way to say it. Um, and so, and, and my only comment, I mean, is, um, I'm going to be the historian, as you said the other day, I cannot believe it will be 30 years next year since we started a contract with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, um, after disbanding our hundred year police department. And, um, it has been, uh, when you talk about, well, we can't chop it around, we can't, but you know what? We did the best. We, by comparing the department, we had a great Dunedin police department by going that way, we save a good couple million dollars a year, despite some of the increases we face. So we're doing the best, most efficient thing we can. And I'll tell you, it's been a tremendously successful partnership. And I will say at the time, uh, the committee that studied it, because I was the chair, our only, our only worry as history continued was that we'd get a crazy sheriff in there who wouldn't serve us well. And that has not happened. And, uh, and God bless. I'll just cap that. It will not happen because we've had very professional little, uh, sheriff's leading and very professional people. So, so thank you to you guys for all you do. So, okay. We need to go to a roll call vote. Commissioner Dugard. Aye. Commissioner Sam Bergen. Aye. Commissioner Walker. Aye. Vice Mayor Gao. Aye. And Mayor Franey. Aye. And the motion passes unanimously. Okay. Thank you. And we will go, but you guys can't leave because you're protecting us. So, there you go. Um, so, uh, the next. I'm Alan McHale. Yeah. Uh, appointment to the, uh, PSTA Board of Directors. Um, I will, uh, Michelle, do you want to kind of lead that off? Yes, ma'am. So, currently, Commissioner Walker is, is, is serving on the Board of Directors. That appointment ends on September 30th. They are, PSTA is requesting a recommendation for either the reappointment or an appointment to be made for a three-year term that starts on October 1st, 2025 and ends on September 30th, 2028. Okay. Well, let me ask, uh, Commissioner Walker, if you want, do you want to weigh in on this first as far as what you're feeling? Uh, yeah. I'd be honored to be reconsidered. Okay. Um. We need a motion to that effect. We do. So moved. Second. Okay. Motion. Vote. Vote. Vote. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Uh, that motion passes unanimously. Done. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Appreciate the service. Oh, sorry. Any public input on this? Yeah. We're not taking debate on this one. It's done. No. Okay. Okay. Seeing no one coming forward to give public input on this item, uh, we are closed public input and so moved. You are done. You are on it. But we appreciate it. Uh. Commissioner Walker, appreciate it. Cause I know it's a big commitment, especially, you know, with your work schedule and all the other things you're asked to do. So. Yeah. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Okay. Uh, so we are going to go to propose agenda, I guess is next. Sorry. Let me get back to it. All right. Okay. And any items that anyone sees that need to be pulled or added to the agenda. So we have nothing else? New. Mayor, there are two additions, but they're consent. Okay. Okay. All right. Do I have a motion to approve the proposed agenda for September 18th? So moved. Second. Okay. With Mr. Sandbergen, Mr. Walker, all in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Okay. All right. We now go to our informational items, commission discussion and comments. I will start with vice mayor. Thank you, mayor. Maybe I should have brought this up earlier. I don't know. But, uh, thank you again, Rob, for reconsidering your appointment. But I was going to talk about it during that discussion, but there's also an open seat on the school transportation safety committee, which, and in December, y'all were kind enough to say, well, you keep it, even though it was acknowledged I can't attend. And so I haven't been attending. And now they're starting to say, hey, I haven't seen you. And so I don't know if we can just decide amongst tonight if there's any interest or that needs to be agendized in a formal conversation. What's the committee again? Uh, the school transportation safety committee. Okay. I mean. Uh, it's part of Ford Pinellas. It meets quarterly, four times a year. Is it always an elected official? I don't know that it's always. It seems to me looking around the room. It was either elected officials, school board members, other municipalities, um, and then Ford Pinellas staff. Okay. Um, so why don't we put it on the agenda? I think that's probably easiest. And then everybody gets a chance to think about it. Can, can we have something put out that explains what it is and time commitment and all that? You can help with that. Appreciate you bringing it up. Okay. Anything else? Uh, schools back in. Um, that's all that I really have. Okay. Commissioner Sandbergen. I know we have a meeting coming up in Orlando and we've all seen emails about going together. I guess I said today that I was interested in ride sharing. Any, any, uh, input from the rest of you that are going? Yeah. No, I, I chimed in that I'd definitely ride share. As did I. Yeah. Even if it was kind of a secret thing, but all right. Yeah. I, I, I, I, I mean, no, so that sounds good, so. All right, good. Well, just by virtue of the fact you're going, we may have had to vote on this, so. Yeah. I want to know who's driving. Uh, all I want to say is you don't want it to be me. Okay. Yeah, I, yeah, so. I used to say that about Deborah, too. Well, no, that's another level, if you don't. I think I'm a, you know, I could, but I like to, you know. At least now I won't lose sleep over how we're going to get there, because we have to, of course. We got to be back for the chamber, right. All right, and, uh, I had one other thing, Jen, can I take, like, 45 seconds about a Marina question? Sorry. You can ask her during the, during her, her common area, too, but go ahead, it's fine. I know that the, there was talk that the wall would be mid-August, and then it went to September. Is there any update on the wall? I think I've heard some things, but I just want you to make sure I know what I'm talking about. Yeah, I, I don't have an official update for you, um, and I, I, we will update you on September 18th. We're still working with a contractor to, to put together that timeline. I guess I was, I was talking about specifically about an issue with steel, with steel pilings. Is that, wait till the 18th if you want me to? Yeah, and then we can put together the whole timeline. Okay, that's all I need. Thank you. Okay, Commissioner Walker. Well, I really don't have a lot, but, uh, Travis Kelsey is in my fantasy football league, and, uh, I was very excited about his pending nuptials, and, oh, by the way, the game starts in an hour. It's not, it's eight, eight. Yeah. All right, starts in 15 minutes. Okay, Commissioner Dugard. Um, thank you, Mayor. Um, as you know, on Saturday, we will be in attendance at the Celebration of Life for Mike Bowman. Um, I was extremely gratified when I put out my text that everyone that could be there is going to be there. Um, I will tell you something about Mike. Mike and I had a long conversation about three years ago about him running for office, and he didn't tell me why, but he said he couldn't, and he encouraged me to. So, I'm so glad all of you will be there. Uh, he was a gentleman in every regard, a good Christian man, and someone I will miss. Thank you for that. Right, very nice, very nice. Um, well, that's hard to follow, because Mike was awesome, very engaged. If everybody was engaged in the city like he was at, you know, at an early age. So, um, I guess a couple things for me. Um, I don't know, Michelle, um, how are, did our evaluation rankings from Citizen Academy, were they better than usual, or? Oh, okay, so maybe they'll be better. I was just curious. Okay, all right, you're good. No anchovies. No anchovies. Yeah, I think there's a very little chance of that. Just wait to think of the sheriff's office. No, no, no. Wait, we have a representative from the Citizen Academy. Oh, look at him. Yes, but Alan actually said, forget about the pizza. I'll buy you the pizza. You're probably not going to get you. For the record, Alan is only here for extra crap. Right, that's what it is, that's what it is, I love it. I was wondering what that was about. Okay, now at least we have the mystery solved. Um, and I know this is, uh, Commissioner Sandbergen's role, but continue to watch those Blue Jays, right? Come on, man, I mean, I'm afraid to, I'm knocking on wood. We'll have to start by looking tickets for that. Yankees are catching up. Yeah, they lost yesterday and the Blue Jays won, so we're three and a half games up, and that isn't bad for right now, but, but we're going to be playing them, I think. I think we play them next, so that, that'll be. That could change, that could be the game changer. Um, uh, also, um, Jennifer, there's been some stuff going on about the causeway, you know, the whole directional thing that the, the pilot program the county was going to do. Can we get an update of that? Sure. Because, you know, trust me, when the, when the Duny Beach Civic Association starts again, which they will be soon, that'll be their first question, what's going on? Because as far as I know, there, it's not even, the pilot's not happening, is it? I, I'm not sure. And then, of course, it was all, they were cleaning up the storm stuff out there on the other side. That's why it was closed. And, you know, I mean, I'm not going to say there couldn't be a rationale for that, but it just doesn't seem like there's that much there to get it reopened, so. And it might be good if that update, Jennifer, can be from the county, if they can come and give an update. So, any, any member of the public that is interested has an opportunity to ask you. So, um, quick question for you. Um, we can do that on the, um, workshop, Tuesday morning workshop, but typically, you know, residents, I guess they could watch a video later, but typically they aren't able to attend that they're working. So, maybe a Thursday evening might be better to try to get the county here. Yeah, that's fine. No, that's fine. No, yeah, don't put it on the 9th. We're actually actively not, and taking things off the 9th and rolling it if we can. Yeah, okay. Sounds good. Um, and then I did want to say that, uh, tomorrow, um, I have, uh, County Commissioner Chris Shearer coming. He is going to get a tour of City Hall, and he, we are going to have lunch together. And, um, he's on Forward Pinellas, uh, with me, and so we've kind of struck up, you know, friendship, and, um, and he was just really interested in coming. So, um, anyway, and I, and I do think that's some of the value of when we get on those countywide boards, you know, you just get to know each other, and that's really important when some of the big issues start to happen. So, okay, um, other than that, I don't have anything else, so I'll go to City Clerk Update. No, just thank you all for Tuesday night, our first session of Citizens Academy. You looked great in your shirts. All, all of you up on the dais looked great. Thank you so much. We're looking forward to fire on Tuesday. Awesome. Did a great job on your inaugural run there, too, so, um, okay, and I'll go to City Manager Update. Uh, I do have an update. Okay. I have an exciting update. Oh. So. I like that. Um, our Superness is at the, uh, City County, uh, Communications and Marketing Association Conference in Las Vegas. So, it's a national association. It's a national conference, which attracted communicators and marketeers. Is that what they are? Marketers, uh, throughout the nation. So, we had submitted, uh, for an award for, um, the State of the City, uh, video that we did to Need and Strong, which was, yes, we did. There were, um, the total entries, uh, for 2025 were 1,166. The unique jurisdictions, I don't know what that means, were 365. Unique finalists, 141. Uh, and states with awards were 35 plus Canada. So, uh, that there was only 35 plus Canada. So, um, for our city, our size, we won. Yes. Wow. We did. That's awesome. And that video was amazing. So, it- Was this the past video? It truly was. Yeah. The Need and Strong about the hurricanes. Wow. It started off. That's really awesome. Yeah. It really is. And I have a little photo here of Sue proudly standing there with our trophy. And also, congratulations to Pinellas County, who won, it's called the Savvy Award, who won a Savvy Award for Social Media Campaign 2024, Hurricane Education Overcoming Complacency. That's great. Yeah. So, so, Pinellas County really showed up there. And I'm just incredibly proud of our communications. That's great. Uh, staff who did that video entirely in-house. Um, and, and, um, they, uh, you know, we'll get, we'll, we'll get them here and Sue will tell you all about it herself and we'll probably play the video again. Uh, but, uh, it's a national award and I'm exceptionally proud of them. Thank you. Very cool. You should be. Well done. Well, we should be. And I'll tell you, you know, Sue's been through a lot, but I'm so proud of her. She's amazing. She's amazing. She really is. Um, any, anything, is, is, uh, did, is she gambling out there or is she not? Yeah. I thought you were going to say she won seven. It's kind of like, yeah. It's kind of like when Jorge went to Las Vegas, when, when he left and when Sue left, I said, I hope you lose. I hope you lose big. Hope you need big. That's right. Yes. No. Okay. Um, all right. Uh, city attorney update. No update. Okay. And so. Mayor, I do have one, one more. Sure. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Yeah. Uh, yeah. I thought it was on our calendars, but it's not. But, um, October, I think it's 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th, Clay and McPherson will be here for their annual gathering. And they have, it is for Friday morning, their annual meeting, but Friday night they have a dinner. And they would, they are requesting if the commission can attend. And, uh, seriously attend. They want us all there. And the, they were last here in 2017, I think it was. What's the date? And the 24th, which is the same day as Halloween happenings, I believe. So, there is that. Um. I have to go in costume. It's on my calendar. Is it on your calendar? It's on my calendar. Bonne petite. Mm-hmm. Sweet. We'll have our new kilts by then. October 24th. Yes, we will. Yes, we will. She said, like, work a little bit, you know, make sure I can fit in it, you know. And, and not every, I mean, they were here in, uh, 2017. Uh, not all the commission attended, but several of us did. And, and it was very, very much appreciated. And if you've ever seen a McPherson annual gathering, it's, it's really cool. They'll parade down the, uh, bike trail. And they're trying to reserve a spot on the stage at Pioneer Park for a giant picture. But they, we've told them, you can't reserve it because it's Halloween happening. So they're going to show up at five o'clock and hope they can get three minutes to get everybody on the stage and get a picture. But then the dinner is at Bon Appetit. And Katie Descharmes is going to come and sing the national anthem. Nice. Everything. So, so strongly consider attending. Thank you. Okay. Sounds good. And, um, I mean, other than trying to drag this out, so you guys missed the opening kickoff. No, here we go. Okay. I think, uh, anything, anything else good for the order? Then meeting is adjourned. All right.