um i don't know but i'll find out okay yeah i'm watching you call good morning we have a few seats up here if those in the lobby want to come in all right good morning everyone thank you for joining us this morning for the swearing in of our county commissioners it's going to be a great day we're going to start our meeting this morning with an invocation from blaine albright and then followed by the pledge of allegiance blaine good morning it's an honor to kick us off on this day of celebration pastors love to see a full house so let's pray together father what a privilege we have to come to you in prayer with the assurance that you hear us that you are interested in our thoughts and concerns and that when we draw close to you you give us a promise in your word in james 4 8 that you will draw close to us when you tell us how to pray you tell us that we're to present our request to you with thanksgiving and so we do right now we come and we express our gratitude you're the giver of life you're giver the giver of liberty the giver of our freedom and we don't take for granted the benefits the blessings the freedom that we experience every day in our county in our state in this country so we celebrate we honor our public servants today those stepping into new leadership and those renewing their commitment to serve the citizens of martin county with integrity with responsibility we seek you for your wisdom for the holy spirit's guidance in decision making for hearts that understand and pursue principles that are close to your heart to equal scales and justice and for understanding and insight so that we can be holy stewards of holy work caring for people through budgets and resources and opportunities god i pray for these commissioners that they would experience your strength that the weight of leadership would not be burdensome as they take you up on your offer to cast their cares upon you to take your yoke upon themselves experiencing your rest and your strength when they do that bless and protect their families i pray that you'd give them grace and understanding as the work to serve our community will often spread beyond the walls of this chamber i pray for our citizens that we would pursue what's right and what's holy you tell us in your word that it's people not actually the government not elected officials but it's the righteousness of people that determines uh nations and we can say counties success so let us submit to you in all things that we would trust your word as our ultimate authority and guide and that as we do that i believe that you'll keep your promise to us to grant us peace and unity and continued blessings we pray all this in the name of jesus amen thank you blaine if you would stand with me please for the pledge of allegiance i pledge of allegiance thank you you can be seated it's truly my honor and privilege to welcome some of our our family friends community members this morning to witness the swearing in of these commissioners firstly let me recognize a couple of the dignitaries we have in the um gallery we have angel robertson from congressman mass office samantha rosenberg from representative representative overdose office i see former senator joe negron in the room welcome we're going to welcome our district one commissioner elect eileen vargas district three commissioner elect blake caps district four commissioner sarah heard and district five commissioner edward campy we have our county administrator don donaldson county attorney sarah woods assistant county administrator george stokas and assistant county administrator matt graham we have our sheriff william snyder thank you for being here and we also have our sheriff elect john budensee we have our tax collector ruth ski i saw her somewhere school board vice chair amy pritchett and we have the town manager from sewell's point robert daniels thank you all for being here today we get to celebrate both continuity and the renewal of leadership here in martin county commissioner ed campy has faithfully served this board for three terms and will be returning to continue his service we're also pleased to welcome our newly elected commissioners blake happs and eileen vargas as you begin your journey on public service you are joining the board at a very exciting time and it's pivotal in martin county's history as we will proudly celebrate our 100th birthday in 2025 the milestone reminds us of the progress we've made in martin county and the bright future that we're all working toward together now for what you've all come for today it's my pleasure to welcome judge stephen levin to administer the oath of office good morning everybody morning um it's absolute pleasure and an honor to to be here always is and every time i come here it's like old home day to see everybody that meant so much uh to my to my life and to the lives of people i know um when i first came to martin county in 1989 uh um and now to see everyone here and i say to some of you it's amazing all of you never change but look what happens to me that's what i say that comes up that way it goes that way but it's really a pleasure to be here and i appreciate the honor to be able to swear in the uh commissioners uh today let me uh call up to uh uh commissioner elect vargas and robert heise to the lectern please hold that put you i think you're gonna be in this go okay welcome here i'm gonna swear you in now your official capacity um i should stand here repeat after me please i eileen vargas you solemnly swear that i will support protect and defend protect and defend the constitution of the united states the constitution of the united states and the state of florida and the state of florida that i'm duly qualified to hold office qualified to hold office under the constitution of the state under the constitution of the state and that i will well well and faithfully and that i will well Well, well and faithfully perform the duties perform the duty of Martin County Commissioner of Martin County Commissioner District one District one, on which I'm about to enter, which I'm about to enter. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations to you. OK. Good morning, everyone, friends, family, neighbors and fellow citizens. I stand before you today with a heart full of gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility. This moment, this responsibility is something I will never take lightly. I'm truly honored and humbled to be entrusted with the privilege of being and serving as your District one Martin County Commissioner. This is not just a personal victory for me. This is our victory, the victory for the voters that have come together to speak with one voice for Martin County and for the brighter and better future we are building together. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your trust, your support and your belief in what we can achieve. I want to begin by thanking my husband, Bobby. Your unwavering support has been my anchor. You sacrificed alongside me. You believed in me when the journey was long and hard and stood by my side when the road ahead seemed uncertain. I could not be here without you. And for that, I'm eternally grateful. You are my inspiration and my strength. To my campaign team, thank you for your tireless work, your commitment, your belief that together we can make a difference. Gail and Nick, your spirit was contagious and your drive brought us to this moment. I will never forget the conversations, the late nights, the laughter, the challenges we face together. You helped make this dream a reality, both of you. To the incredible volunteers and friends who gave their time, their energy and their passion, you also made this possible. You lifted me up when I felt I needed it the most, encouraged me when the trail got tough and believed in me even when I doubted myself. Your dedication and hard work has been inspiring, every door you knocked on, every phone call you made, every conversation you started has made a real difference. You are the heartbeat of this campaign. You are the heartbeat of this campaign, and I'm so grateful for each of you. This election wasn't about me. It was about all of us. It was about our families, our neighbors, our community. It was about what we stand for and the kind of place we want to leave for our children and our grandchildren. The challenges we face, the rising cost, better health care, safer roads, stronger schools, that's all real. But I believe that together, we can overcome them. We can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth, the connection, and the prosperity we deserve. As your county commissioner, I promise to always listen. I promise to be the voice for every person in the community, whether you've lived here for decades or you moved in yesterday. I will work tirelessly to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. Your concerns will be my concerns. Your dreams will be my dreams. Your struggles will be my struggles. I want to be that someone that you can count on, someone you can reach out to when you have a question or you need support. I believe in the power of community. I know that together, we are stronger. So, I ask for your continued trust and your partnership as we work to build a county that is thriving, fair, and full of opportunity for all. This journey is just beginning. The work we do together in the coming months will shape the future of this county for years to come. And I can't wait to get started. But we'll need each other, your ideas, your energy, and your commitment to make this future a reality. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. And I promise I will work every day to earn the faith you've placed in me. Thank you again for your support, your belief, and your confidence. Now, let's roll up our sleeves, work together, and make Martin County the very best it can be. Thank you. I'd like to invite Commissioner-elect James Blake Capps and Robbie Capps to the lectern, please. Raise your right hand, please. Repeat after me. I, James Blake Capps, do solemnly swear that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Florida, that I'm duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State, and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of Martin County Commissioner, District 3, on which I'm about to enter. So, help me God. Congratulations, Commissioner. Good morning, and thanks to each and every one of you for being here with us today to celebrate this occasion. Thank you, Judge Levin, for administering the oath of office. I've thought a lot about the oath and what it means to me personally and what it means to our community and society. It is a great honor to be elected by the people of your community and then to raise your right hand and make some promises before them. The last four words speak to me the most. So help me, God. Scripture tells us that all good gifts come down from God above and that he enables us to accomplish great things for others. I thank God today for this moment, and I pray for wisdom in the days ahead. As I begin, I want to thank my predecessor, Commissioner Harold Jenkins, for all that he has done for our county and, more particularly, for his and my hometown of Hobe Sound. I thank my dear wife, my best friend, soulmate, and partner in all things. Thank you for stuffing thousands of letters at our kitchen table and keeping the campaign books straight. When we set out on the campaign, we didn't know that Robin would be having open-heart surgery just four weeks before election night. But she handled it with calmness and grace, just like she handles all other challenges in life. Thanks to our three adult kids, Jonathan, Lauren, and Sarah, and our son-in-law, Chris, who are all here today. All four of them live in our beloved town of Hobe Sound and are gainfully employed in our community, for which we are very, very grateful. As members of the next generation, they provide the inspiration for us to do crazy things like running for public office. If we can make things good for them and for your kids, we will have done our job. I want to thank my mother, Barbara McIntosh, for being here today and for being my most devoted and enthusiastic campaign volunteer. If you know her, you probably got a call or a text from her urging you to vote for her son, even if you were one of my good friends. My mom brought my two younger brothers and me to Hobe Sound with no money. When I was 13 and in the 8th grade in the summer of 1977, I have often said that her four greatest gifts to me are faith, hope, love, and Hobe Sound. Thanks also to my stepfather, Larry McIntosh, who cannot be with us here today, for taking good care of my mom and for being such an encourager to me. Thanks to my brothers, Dave and Mark, and their families for being here today and for all of your encouragement to get me to this point. I want to thank the residents of Martin County for this awesome privilege and responsibility. I say all with great intention. Those of you who voted for me, those of you who did not, and those of you who did not vote at all. Thanks to all my friends in the community, both the ones I met on the campaign trail and the ones that I met before the campaign, and those of you that I've known over the years. You tend to just think of people in your daily path. But when you run for office, you take a full inventory of everyone you have ever known. And it was very humbling to see how many people we had come to know in our 47-year history in this community. I said during the campaign that my top priority was to preserve the Martin County difference that makes our community such a rare and special place to live, work, and play. We must preserve and protect our endangered wetlands and uplands, our open spaces, and our three great rivers for generations to come. We must also improve our neighborhoods and infrastructure, focus on customer service, and keep our taxes in line for our taxpayers, realizing that we work for them and that it is our job to spend their money wisely. We must remember the needs of the next generation and all of our planning for the future of our county. Their needs for a good job and a place to live, for it is they who will be the next taxpayers who will sustain and preserve all that we have here in Martin County. I want you to know that I desire to listen to you and to learn from you, to be open, accessible, and available to you. Leadership is not just about crossing the finish line. It is about bringing others across the finish line. The best dreams, ideas, plans, and strategies will come from you. We will discover them together and then work together to bring them to fruition. I close with a timeless truth from the ancient prophet Micah that sums up all to which we should devote ourselves. He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. And also a great promise from the book of Joshua. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Thank you. God bless each and every one of you, and God bless our great community. I want to invite Commissioner Campy and Sarah and Liz Campy up here also. These are the names from the past now. These are some familiar names. This family I've known. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Okay. Are you sure? To me. I, Edward V. Campy. I, Edward V. Campy. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear. That I will support, protect, and defend. That I will support, protect, and defend. The Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States. And the State of Florida. And the State of Florida. That I am duly qualified to hold office. That I am duly qualified to hold office. Under the Constitution of the State. Under the Constitution of the State. That I will faithfully and well. I'm sorry, that I will, well, I have it in front of me too. That I will well and faithfully. That I will well and faithfully. Perform the duties of Martin County. Perform the duties of Martin County. Commissioner, District 5. Commissioner, District 5. On which I'm about to enter. on which I am about to enter. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations. Judge Levin, thank you so much. Good morning. Thank you all very much for being here. Today I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to represent you and our wonderful community once again. I did not get to this moment on my own. Many amazing people worked very hard to afford me this incredible chance to serve. To my parents, to my wife Liz, to our daughter Sarah and her boyfriend Cole, to our son Nick who is serving in the U.S. Navy, to our daughter Emmy who lives in New York City, to my brother Bill, to all of my friends and everyone who voted for me and supported our campaign. Thank you. Thank you very much. To my new colleagues, welcome. Congratulations on your successful campaigns. Today you are joining Commissioners Hurd and Hetherington and myself as we represent over 160,000 Martin County residents. Today I renew my commitment to each of you to work together in a professional and collaborative manner. And when we might disagree on something that we do so respectfully and politely. To our remarkable staff, you are the backbone of this organization. Everything begins and ends with you. This county is the wonderful place that it is because of your dedication and hard work. Today I again pledge to ensure, excuse me, ensure you a workplace that is safe, respectful, and productive. I will strive to offer clear and decisive leadership. To our residents, you have once again allowed me the honor of representing you. I will work hard every day to prove you made the right decision. The next four years starts today. Thank you very much. I believe that was the shortest comments that Ed has ever made. New beginnings. Thank you again for joining us this morning. Once again, I want to congratulate our newly sworn commissioners. We are confident that your leadership and dedication will help guide Martin County into a prosperous future. As we embark on this exciting chapter in our year of the 100th birthday of Martin County. Immediately following this ceremony, we want to invite all of you that are here today to support these newly sworn commissioners to join us in the lobby. And we will reconvene with our commission meeting at 10 a.m. And as we close today, I'll leave you with an inspiring quote from Muhammad Ali. Boxing has become a big thing lately. That embodies the heart of public service. Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. May this serve as a guiding principle as we move forward in serving our community together. Thank you all for being here. God bless. Please join us in the lobby and we'll see you at 10 a.m. for the beginning of our meeting. Before you leave, I just wanted to recognize that Lee Roberts from the school board, I see that you snuck in and thank you for being here. Check one, two. Check one, two. Can you hear me? Okay, I'm barely here. Okay. Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone. I'm going to call our official county commission meeting from November 19th to order at 10, 11 a.m. And this morning we had our swearing in of our newly elected county commissioners. So I welcome you. But we are going to start this meeting with a moment of silence, if you'll stand with me, and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. And you'll still please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic that stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. On our agenda this morning, we have one additional item. It is consent number eight, Martin County local bill, request inmate medical costs. We have a consent agenda pull. Consent number four, request for alteration of an existing preserve area, and an amendment of an approved preserve area, and that's pulled by Commissioner Vargas. With that, I will take a motion to improve our agenda. So moved. Second. Okay. We have a motion by Commissioner Campy, seconded by Commissioner Hurd to approve the agenda. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries unanimously. We're off to a good start. See that. Okay. So our next item of business today is going to be proclamation number one. We're going to approve the consent agenda after we reorg? Well, actually, you just did. We'll follow. No, no. Do you want to talk about the rules of procedure and the change? We'll do, Sarah Woods, county attorney, we'll do that when we adopt the rules of procedure again. It was pointed out to me that the rules of procedure would be adopted after the approval of the agenda, so we'll proceed with our past policy and then go to the new procedure next meeting. Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Okay. We'll move on to proclamation number one, and that will be presented by Don Donaldson. It is the organization of the Board of County Commissioners. Yes, Commissioner. So the first order of business under this proclamation is to elect a chair and vice chair, and then followed by approval of the use of the vice chair's signature plate for signing purposes. We're also asking that you adopt a resolution designating who may sign documents on behalf of the board, and then we also are going to ask you to make appointments to boards and councils which require commission membership. Administration staff will notify the liaison of each board council, and also we are requesting that Districts 1, 3, and 5 commissioners make district appointments to the local planning agency and board of zoning adjustment and adopt the resolutions, and staff will contact the members and send them Sunshine Law information. So first item would be request that you elect a chair and vice chair. We have a light on by Commissioner Campy. Thank you. Good morning. Welcome to my new colleagues. Congratulations. Glad to have you. I'd like to make a recommendation for these positions. I will start with a motion that we elevate our existing vice chair, Commissioner Hetherington, to become our chairman, and that I would nominate Commissioner Hurd to become our vice chair in two separate motions. A motion for you to become the chair. That's a motion. We have a motion on the floor by Commissioner Campy. Commissioner Vargas. Yes. I would like to nominate Sarah Hurd as our chairperson. Do I have a second? Well, we had a motion on the floor by Commissioner Campy, so let's follow that motion through, and then we'll move on to the next. All right. So we have a motion on the floor by Commissioner Campy. You were able to pass the gavel and second your motion if you choose to. I will. Would you pass the gavel to, Commissioner Hurd? So your motion was Commissioner Hurd. To elevate you from vice chair to chairman. Pass the gavel. You're the most senior. There's a motion to, a recommendation, a motion to elect Commissioner Hetherington as chair, and it's seconded by, it was by Campy, seconded by Hetherington. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Opposed. That motion fails. So I'll go to my, you can. I would like to make a motion to nominate Sarah Hurd as our chairperson. Second. Okay, we have a motion on the floor by Commissioner Vargas, seconded by Commissioner Campy. All those in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Okay. So now, due to that we've elected new chair, do you want to take a five-minute recess, and then we will reorganize? Sure. And then the chair can conduct the rest of the reorg? Yes. That makes sense. All right. And public comment. Now we're back. Now the next item is to elect a vice chair. Any nominations for vice chair? Use your, you all know how to use your lights? Okay. Yeah. I would nominate Commissioner Ed Campy to be our vice chair. Seconded. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Now we have to approve the use of the prior vice chair's signature plate for check signing purposes until the new signature plate arrives. Is there a motion to move that? Yes. Hello? Oh, sorry. Second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Uh, now we need to make a motion to adopt a resolution designating who may sign documents on behalf of the board. Is that everybody? Mm-hmm. Everybody right? Is there a motion? So moved. There's a light on. Oh. Commissioner Capps. Um. Did someone make a motion, Ernie? Okay. I'll second that. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. All right. Now we go to board appointments. So, commissioners, board appointments are on page 22 of 2246, if you're familiar with that. Um, so we'll start off with Commissioner Capps, since your light's on. Um, I don't know if this would simplify things, but, um, I wouldn't mind taking my predecessor's, uh, appointments if that helps to simplify things. I would like to defer to the more senior, uh, members of the board if they have preferences. Um, that would be another thought that I have about the matter. Does anybody have the list of Jenkins? Mm-hmm. So, uh, you do? Yes. So, why don't you announce those? Tell you what they are. And see if everybody else is in agreement that you can... Commissioner Jenkins was our appointee, our designated appointee for the Business Development Board. You want to do that? That'll be fine. All right. Commissioner Jenkins was the second member of two members for the County Health Care Review Board. That'll work. Okay. Commissioner Jenkins was on the Internal Audit Planning and Priority Committee. That'll be good. Okay. Commissioner Jenkins was the Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council member? Yes. That'll be fine. Okay. All five of the commissioners now serve on the Metropolitan Planning Organization? That'll work. Commissioner Jenkins was the alternate on the Palmar Water Control District Board of Supervisors? That'll be fine. Commissioner Jenkins was on the Public Safety Coordinating Council. It is normally the chair or the chair's designee. So Commissioner Hurd would have to designate you as that person? You want to do that? That'll work. Okay. Commissioner Jenkins also served on the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments? That'll be fine. Commissioner Jenkins was the alternate on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. It has two members and two alternates. He was one of the alternates? Yes. That'll work. And Commissioner Jenkins was the alternate on the Value Adjustment Board. Two members, two alternates? That'll be fine. Okay. Commissioner Campy? Um, I reviewed the list. There was a couple of things. I serve on the four-county task force for affordable housing. That was a task force that I actually formed. I'm more than happy to stay on it, but I would give anybody the opportunity. We traditionally meet in either Indian River or St. Lucie counties. Actually, sometimes Okeechobee. Anybody have a burning desire to serve on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee? No, it's the four-county task team. It's the first one on the list. It might not be on your list. It's, yeah. Mine says affordable housing advisory. That's a different one. That's down lower. Okay. Okay. So I'll keep it. Um, the next one is the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. I am on that. Um, I have no problem serving, but if someone else would like to have it, I have no problem letting someone else have the opportunity. Commissioner Vargas, do you want to serve on that? I would like to serve on that committee. Is that okay with you? Absolutely. That's why I said it. Um, I also served on Access 67 initiative, which was through the Florida Association of Counties. But George Stokas is normally the person that does that. I could keep it. Um, I was not on, well, I was, but Commissioner Smith was the main on the Arts Council. I would like to stay on the Arts Council. There'll be an extra spot for that Commissioner Smith spot. There are two spots? Let me see. Yes. Commissioner Vargas, you have your light on. Do you want to serve on the Arts Council or does anybody else want to serve on the Arts Council since we have two designees? I have some preferences on others. Okay. Thank you. Oh, Commissioner Hetherington. Yes. I, uh, last year or the year before I had expressed interest in the Tourism Development Council, which is held by Commissioner Smith. So I would like to raise my hand again and serve on the TDC. And I would also then, if I move over to the TDC, recommend, um, for Indian River Lagoon Council that potentially, um, Mr. Capps would want to serve on that. So, but the TDC, I do have a interest and I know that was Commissioner Smith. So I wanted to. We were just working our way down from Arts Council. We didn't get to the other parts yet. Oh, that's. I'm not done telling you the rest of it. Would you like to be on the Arts Council? Anyone? I could be on the Arts Council by myself. I'll be on the Arts Council. Oh, you didn't say anything. Okay. That's why I put my line on originally. Oh, that's what. Then I got going. Yes. I'm going, I'm going to, um, this is just a negotiation. So I'm going to turn all the lights off. Yeah. Just speak up. Okay. All right. Because we're, we're on uncharted territory here. So. Okay. So I'll just keep. Yeah. Just keep going down the list. My next one was. Business Development Board. And that's. Well, I was just going to tell you the ones that I had, like, because I thought when you said it originally, the ones that Harold had, I thought that worked. Yeah. You know, I thought, and then just see. Then by the time I get to the bottom, I'll be done. Um, I'm on the County Healthcare Review Board. Uh, I was with Commissioner Jenkins. I'd like to stay on that, but Commissioner Capps is on that. But if somebody else would like to be on that. Anybody have a burning desire to be on the county? It's a short meeting. We meet once a month at 8 a.m. Keep it. Yeah. Keep it. I was the alternate on the Law Library Committee. They meet every other year. That's. I'm sorry. I serve on that. I'm happy to continue. Okay, and so I'll continue to be the alternate unless someone has, will speak up, so those are staying. Um, we all serve on the Metropolitan Planning Organization, as I said. I was the alternate on the Public Safety Coordinating Council. It's normally the chair or the chair's designee. Commissioner Jenkins was that. So did you. You want to be on it? I'm the alternate. I'll stay. And I think you did designate Commissioner Capps to do it, correct? Okay, sure. Want to do that? Okay. Um, I was the alternate on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. That's two members and two alternates, so that's basically nearly all of us. I don't mind staying as an alternate. Normally, the members go, but, you know, maybe that's something great for our new members to, it's, um, you get to meet the other elected officials in the region, Palm Beach and others, so it's. Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. That's. References, y'all? Go ahead. Okay, yes. I would like to, uh, be on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Good idea. As a member. I would gladly be an alternate. Okay, so you want to be, let's see. I'll be an alternate. I want to stack you, it sounds like we're stacking Commissioner Capps with too many. That's what you do with the new guys. Uh, I had actually looked last time how it worked. Um, Commissioner, Commissioner Smith had eight, Commissioner Hetherington had four, Commissioner Jenkins had seven, Commissioner Hurd had six, and I had eight alternate or member. So. Okay, we're still, we're still okay. So, Commissioner Capps, he's going to be the actual member then, not the alternate. Yes, I think so. That's fine. And then I was the representative on our Trico Board, which is our self-insured board. Uh, we meet with the other counties, um, normally in St. Lucie County at like one of their civic centers. Uh, I don't mind staying on it. Okay. Um, Don Donaldson, our county administrator, is the alternate because sometimes it does not require the, they're supposed to be an elected official from each county on the Trico Board, and, um, sometimes they have meetings that do not require the elected officials to be there, and they handle it at the staff level. So, I don't mind keeping it unless somebody wants it. It's very exciting. You got it. And then finally, I was the alternate on the value adjustment board. That's, again, two members and two alternates. I don't mind being. So, uh, Commissioner Vargas, that was Doug Smith. You want to keep value adjustment board? That was Doug Smith and me. We meet, Layla, how often we meet? Like twice a year. We meet about twice a year. Yeah. Um, for org meeting and final meeting. Yeah. Okay, sure. Okay. Make a suggestion, Commissioner Hurd, that you become the chairman then because Commissioner Smith was the chairman. Okay. Well, we'll elect, the value adjustment board will elect the chair. No, you have to do it. Oh, we do? Okay, I'll do it. Okay. That's the end of your list? That's the end of me. All right. Um, so let's go to, we've done, let's go to Commissioner Vargas and let's see what are the, the ones that were, or Commissioner Hetherington, we'll do you. Okay. Which ones, which ones were you on last time? And do you want to retain those? Okay. I'm on the canvassing board. I would love to retain that. I don't, I don't know if you, you won't be able to, it's going to be an election cycle potentially for you. Well, this is only for a year. So we would reorg, special elections there might be. No, but we would reorg again next year. So there's no election cycle this coming year. So we would reorg this board the following year. And that, at that point it would be an election year. So I wouldn't mind serving this year as either a member or an alternate on the canvassing board because there will be no election unless there's a special election. Agreed. Agreed. You're eligible. So. I'd like to serve on that with you as well. Okay. You want to be the alternate? Sure. Okay. Okay. So then Indian River Lagoon Council, I'm happy to serve, but I do want to switch one of the positions lower. So I want to move past that. Yes. The MPO, of course, I want to stay on the MPO. I'm the alternate on the small county coalition, which I would be happy to be the alternate. Okay. And the Council of Local Governments, and I think we named new members for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. I'm happy to stay as an alternate for that. And what I would really like is I know Commissioner Vargas is the member of TDC, but I would like to be the primary member of Treasure Coast Tourist Development Council. Commissioner Vargas, do you want to retain that position? I would like to. Is it possible you could be an alternate? Well, I'd like to, I've expressed interest for probably three years now in the TDC, and so it's been something that I've been wanting to be on and sit on for the last couple years. So I would like to be the primary member. Maybe I have to come to a motion. Sure. I make a motion to allow Commissioner Hetherington the opportunity to finally be on the TDC. Second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Okay. I'll be happy to stay on the value adjustment board as an alternate. Okay. All right. So now let's go down the appointments that Commissioner Smith had. Do you want me to read them or you'll read them? Please. One at a time. Commissioner Smith was on the Arts Council, but I've taken, we've, it's going to be Commissioner Hetherington and Commissioner Campy. Commissioner Smith was on the County Coalition for Responsible Management of Lake Okeechobee, St. Lucie, and Caloosahatchee Estuaries and Lake Worth Lagoon. I would love to be on that committee. That's going to be your... Is that okay? That's fine. We need an alternate. You were the alternate. Now it's you. So would one of our new members like to be there? Somebody want to be the alternate? I'd be happy to be the alternate. Okay. Commissioner Smith was also, well, everyone's on the Metropolitan Planning. Small County Coalition is part of, is part of the Florida Association of Counties. It's the chair and the vice chair or its designee. It was Commissioner Smith with Commissioner Hetherington as the alternate. That's a great opportunity for new commissioners to meet the commissioners from other small counties. Would you like to stay on that? Small County Coalition? I'll stay on that. Would Commissioner Hetherington like to be the principal or the alternate? I'll be the alternate. Okay. Okay. We discussed the TDC. Commissioner Smith was... May I ask a question? Is there any negotiation on the TDC if I'm giving up the Arts Council? Seems fair to me. You want to give up the Arts Council? You want to sit on the Arts Council? No, on the TDC. Well, that's the one we voted on. We just voted on that one. We could be on the Arts Council. Which is where Commissioner Hetherington is and I am. That's an interesting one. No, I think my preference was the TDC. We voted on that one. Treasure Coast. So the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments is actually very interesting. It is all four counties and every municipality, Sewell's Point, Jupiter Island, Indian Town, Ocean Breeze, and all of the small municipalities in St. Lucy and all the small municipalities in Indian River. However, it's an opportunity to meet a tremendous amount of your other elected officials from the other communities. I have found it. I served on it a couple of times, and it gives you a chance to meet people that you can speak to because you're not in the sunshine with people in another county. And then you see them at events, and I found it was a great way to meet new elected officials. That's my pitch for the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments. Commissioner Smith was the alternate. Commissioner Hetherington was the alternate. And Commissioner Jenkins was the main one. I don't mind. I would be interested in that. I would be an alternate on that one. Did we give this? Is this one of the ones that Commissioner Kapps kept? Okay. I didn't put a checkmark. I apologize. You want to stay as the alternate? Would you like to be Commissioner Hurd? No. I've served on that also. Okay. So Commissioner Vargas will be an alternate. You're done with that? I'll be an alternate. I like that group. So there's three alternates and one appointee. No, I have Commissioner Vargas alternate, Commissioner Jenkins, Capps as the main, and Commissioner Campy as an alternate, not Commissioner Hetherington. And Doug was on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. There's two members and two alternates. We have Commissioner Hetherington as an alternate, Commissioner Capps as a main member. I was an alternate. You want to be a member? I'll retain. Yep. Okay. Then there is Commissioner Smith also served on the Treasure Coast Workforce Consortium. One member and two alternates. We only had one member. It was Commissioner Smith. There was no alternates. You want to do that? Not now. No. No. I don't think so. Okay. We need someone to be a member. What is that? It's a consortium. Very, very. Consortium. Is there anyone want to give an explanation before you volunteer for something? Don't we have a list of, like, the descriptions for each one? You do. Didn't I read that? Otherwise, we've got to do rock, paper, scissor. Yes. I'd like to know what it is before potentially volunteering. You can add? Commissioners, it principally works with the Workforce Development Board and Opportunity Act grant recipients and administrate the entity. So for the development of local workforce innovation and Opportunity Act grants. So you'd be working on- Employment issues. Employment issues, yes. I would volunteer to serve on that. That's nice. Okay. Treasure Coast Workforce Consortium. You remember the consortium now. Any alternates? Nope. There was not one. And the Trico Board is the one we discussed. I kept that. And then the Value Adjustment Board. Commissioner Hurd became the chairman. Commissioner Vargas is the other member. And then the Hetherington and Capps are the alternates. Okay. Yep. That good? Yeah. But it's not supposed to be me. It's only supposed to be two and two, correct? Yes, Donna? Two and two. Yeah. Two members and two alts. So the two members are Commissioner Hurd as the chairman, Commissioner Vargas as the member, Commissioner Hetherington as an alternate, and Commissioner Capps as an alternate. Okay. Let's see. I will be happy to take Indian River Lagoon Council if Commissioner Hetherington is agreeable, and County Coalition for Responsible Management of Lake O. No, and I have Airport Noise Advisory Committee. Am I checking these off? You're saying them very quickly. Are we, everyone's agreeable for what we're hearing? Can you, Indian River. Do that again. ANAC. No. Are you starting at the top? Yeah. Children's Services Council, County Coalition for Responsible Management of Lake O. One second. On the Children's Services Council, Commissioner Hetherington, we didn't mention that. You're the alternate. Are you staying the alternate? Yes, please. Okay. Children's, and then you said what, Commissioner? Children's Services Council, you got that? Yep. And County Coalition for Responsible Management of Lake O. Yep. Indian River Lagoon Council. You're the alternate? No, I'm the main person. Commissioner Hurt, do you want to serve on, I wasn't thinking about you serving on the 16 County Coalition when I mentioned the Indian River Lagoon Council. Do you want to serve on both? Yeah. The other? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. So then on the Indian River Lagoon Council, it was Commissioner Hetherington as the main and Commissioner Hurd as the alternate. We're switching on. So I'll be the alternate. Okay. Law Library, Palmar. Does Palmar have an alternate? I think it does. Yes. It does. I think it does one. Okay. Okay. So you're staying on as the main and Commissioner Capps will be the alternate. Yeah. Did we discuss the, oh, that's Internal Audit Planning and Priority Committee? Did we discuss that when we were talking about Commissioner Jenkins? No. No. Positions? Anybody want to? You are, so you want to keep it? Yeah, that's fine. Very exciting. Good. Good. Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council, that was Commissioner Jenkins. Did we give that? Is Commissioner Capps? Yep. I wasn't making check marks at the time. Okay. What else do you have? That's about it, right? We've covered everything. Yeah. Donna, do you look like you have checks in every box? Can I go down? Yes. Yes. First of all, Commissioner Vargas, do you have, besides the Tourist Development Council, are there any other appointments that you would like to have? That you don't currently have? I've looked through this. I've studied it. I've marked it up. I've read everything. And I think that what I stated earlier is where my preferences were. But we had the negotiation with Commissioner Hetherington. Yeah. So I'm going to stay with what I have. Okay. Selected. I'd just like to get a review from you, please. Yes, do. I would like one as well. And Commissioner Capps, you satisfied? Yes, with a review. Yeah. And Commissioner Hetherington? Yes. That's an old line. All right. Then let's go down the list and see if we've got everything covered. Okay. I'm just going to say last names. So it's not four-county task team, Campy, Access 67 Initiative, Campy, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Vargas, Airport Noise Advisory Committee, Heard. One second. I thought on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee that was Heard. That's what you said. No, it was Vargas. I said Vargas. Airport Noise Advisory Committee, Heard. The Arts Council, Hetherington and Campy. Business Development Board, Capps. Canvassing Board, Hetherington, Campy, Alternate. Children's Services Council, Heard, Hetherington, Alternate. Circuit 16 Juvenile Justice Board is Michelle Miller. Continuing Florida Aviation System. You said Circuit 16 on here. It says Circuit 19. 19, sorry. Continuing Florida Aviation System Planning Process Steering Committee, Andrew McBean. County Coalition for Responsible Management. Heard. Okay, Heard and Hetherington Alternate. Yep. County Healthcare Review Board, Capps and Campy. Drug and Alcohol Abuse Awareness Committee, Michelle Miller. Indian River Lagoon Council, Heard with Hetherington Alternate. Internal Audit Planning and Priority Committee, Capps. Law Library Committee, Heard and Campy Alternate. Land Acquisition Selection Committee is inactive. Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council, Capps. MPO, Metropolitan Planning Organization is all five of you. Palmar Water Control District Board of Supervisors, Heard and Capps Alternate. Public Safety Coordinating Council, Jenkins and Campy Alternate. Small County Coalition, Vargas and Hetherington Alternate. Tourist Development Council, Hetherington. Treasure Coast Community Action Agency Advisory Board, Jennifer Salas. Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments, that's Capps with Vargas and Campy as alternates. Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Vargas with Hetherington. Nope. Regional Planning Council, Capps and Vargas as appointees with Hetherington and Campy as alternates. Treasure Coast Workforce Consortium, Hetherington. Trico Board, Campy. Value Adjustment Board is Heard and Vargas. Hetherington Alternate, Capps Alternate. And Commissioner Hurd is the chair of the VAB. Okay. Everybody squared away. Okay. Next one is a motion to confirm commission districts one, three, and five appointments to the local planning agency and the Board of Zoning Adjustment and adopt the resolutions. So, let's move to District 1, Appointments to LPA and Board of Zoning Adjustment. Okay. I am working on that now, and I will have that imminently. Okay. Good enough. Yep. To Donna. Want to make any of them? Or do you say they're all pending? They're all pending. Okay. I just want to confirm. District 3. Yes. For the LPA, I have a gentleman who's willing to serve named Howard Brown from Indiantown. Keep in mind, there are two Howard Browns. Not that Howard Brown. There are two Howard Browns in Indiantown. One was the former town manager, and then there's this other guy who is a very decorated soldier, Navy commander, Howard Brown. He's also a college professor at IRSC and at Florida State College in Jacksonville. And then for the Board of Zoning Adjustment, Mike Dooley has served in that capacity for District 3 for quite some time, and he has agreed to continue. Okay. District 5. For my LPA appointment, I'm going to reappoint Rick Hartman for the time being. He's willing to continue to serve as I transition through my thought process for that. I'd also like to just state during this reorg that I don't believe that my LPA appointment will be a four-year term. I believe it will either be a one-year term or a two-year term. Okay. So two years from now, I'd like the opportunity to potentially rotate someone new in for the position without my current appointee feeling like they've been let go. Okay. So I'm stating that up front. Board of Zoning? I don't have a person at this time yet. Okay. So those are the – is there a motion to approve those appointments and to sign resolution and to adopt the resolutions? I'll make a motion to approve those appointments. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Don, what can I do for you? It's just an announcement. Apparently, our Internet and TV service has gone down. The meeting is still being recorded in terms of all actions are being taken. It's just that, unfortunately, our viewership beyond the audience is unable to see us at the moment. But apparently, IT is working diligently to fix that. I just wanted to let you all know. Thank you. Will we proceed? You may proceed. Obviously, the agenda is light. If you wanted to take a few minutes, you may. If there was a hope or a promise of the repair being made? I would say there's a hope, but there's – my information to date gives me no hope that it's soon. All right. We'll proceed. Thank you. All right. Now let's look at the calendar, which is – all right. The calendar is on pages 22 and 23. Anybody have any objections to this schedule of calendar? Looks good for everybody? It does. Okay. Hard to know a year ahead of time what will be happening. Maybe I'll have some weddings or something. I don't know yet. In that case, is there a motion to approve the proposed schedule of the Board of County Commission meetings for the 2025? So moved. Calendar year, yep. Is there a second? Second. Yes. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. There is also a schedule of approved holidays for 2025 that's on page – well, same page, 23. Is there a motion to adopt the holiday schedule? So moved. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. And lastly, there are some proposed amendments to our rules of procedure. Is there a motion to approve the amended rules of procedure? Did you want me to speak to that? Sure. So I'd like to thank Frank Morley, who's an assistant county attorney in my office. He went through the rules of procedure. Most of the changes, except for one, are grammatical and typographical changes, but the one substantive change to our rules of procedure is to have the adoption of the agenda and the consent agenda. The consent agenda will be adopted after public comment. That provides the public comment to be of substantive nature, so when people want to talk about anything that's on the consent agenda, we will not have adopted it yet. And then we'll adopt the consent agenda after the public comment. That's a terrific amendment. I believe that provides a more substantive approach for someone having the right to speak to things on the consent. I agree. I agree. I agree. I need a motion to adopt the rules of procedure. I'll move to adopt the rules of procedure. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Ms. Woods, is this an old light? Yes. All right. That is that, right? So then we move on to public comment. And public commenters will have three minutes to make comments to us. The first comment, request to speak form, is Gail Goldie, followed by Tom Pine. Morning, Commissioners. My name's Tom Pine. I've been a resident of Martin County for over 50 years, presently living in the Jensen Beach area. I speak for those of us that make or made around the median income in Martin County. Today is a special day. We have two newly elected county commissioners that will be taking their seat today. I'm excited because of their commitment to being more prudent with our tax dollars, something that's been lacking for well over a decade. About 22 years ago today, a newly elected county commissioner was appointed to be the chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. And that's when the consent agenda started being used to hide from the public where some of our tax dollars are being spent today. Between January 1st of this year and October 31st, our Martin County commissioners held 20 meetings for a total of 60 hours. Between January 1st and October 31st of 2024, only 10 years ago, our Martin County commissioners held 28 meetings for a total of 146 hours, over double the number of hours today. Between January 1st and October 31st of 2007, the last time I could find this information on the county's website, the commissioners held 29 meetings for a total of 266 hours, over four times the number of hours today. Because the consent agenda was not used to hide all of the expenditures that are being used in front of us, not routine expenditures. While using the consent agenda in a deceitful manner, it does speed up public meetings. It also violates any pretense of open sunshine laws. No matter where you look up the definition of the consent agenda, whether it's the Roberts Rules of Order or the American Heritage Dictionary, it says basically the same thing. The consent agenda is a tool used to streamline these procedures by collecting routine, non-controversial items into a group whereby all are passed with a single motion and vote. Key words, routine, non-controversial. That does not mean new projects. It doesn't mean county golf courses being hidden, the clubhouse costs not being discussed at meetings. Massive RV parks being built on the taxpayers' back, the costs never discussed in public meetings, all hidden in the consent agenda, improperly, unacceptable. Thank you for your time. Gail Goldie is followed by Pauline Becker. Mr. Donaldson, the meeting is back on TV. I don't know. My sources tell me that. Good morning, commissioners and public. Gail Goldie, Martin County resident since 1987 and a permanent resident since 1999. First, I'd like to thank the sitting commissioners, all of you, for the jobs that you're doing and have done and you're about to embark on. I'd like to also mention that I'm hoping that as we move forward in this new commission seating, that all of our wishes for our comprehensive plan, that we keep a close eye on our comprehensive plan and make sure that the Martin County difference is ironclad and we keep it that way. We really need to focus on that. I'd also like to let you all know that my hope is that the best is yet to be. So thank you, each and every one. Thank you. Pauline Becker is next, followed by Casey Ingram. Good morning. My name is Pauline Becker. I have resided here permanently since 1998, and I came to visit here in Martin County on a regular basis since 1970. I am here this morning to congratulate our new elected commissioners because we certainly need them. I have this to say about our recently departing two and our remaining District 3 commissioner who only got elected by the skin of his teeth because of a third candidate. Last Tuesday, during their very last meeting, they approved a million-square-foot industrial park, once again breaking the urban service boundary, which they had done for the past three years. Well, my friends, the citizens have spoken and have voted, both in the United States and in Martin County. I pray and hope that the vote will no longer be a four-to-one and give our new commissioners a helping hand to Commissioner Kerr. She certainly needs it. And around it, around it to, the commit to be a three-to-two, obeying our very excellent comprehensive plan. We certainly do not need another four-to-three standing in our urban service boundary. Please, commissioners Vargas and CAPs, live by your promises and help her. Thank you. Ingram is followed by Jim Snedeker. Good morning, Casey Ingram. Congratulations to the newly elected and re-elected commissioners. I hope that your leadership will usher in an era of unprecedented transparency and accountability towards the public whom you serve. However, what seems to be the intentional omission of public input, particularly regarding Brightline, has left me profoundly disheartened. Here is an abbreviated overview with my limited time to catch you up to speed. December 2023, a proposal submitted for Stewart-Brightline Station with equal cost sharing between Martin County and Brightline, following the parameters of the 2018 agreement. March 4, Brightline announces Stewart as the chosen station location, sending a letter to officials outlining new requirements. A press conference was held with no mention of these requirements. The county administrator responded in a letter on March 25. Public input and knowledge were absent. It's unclear which commissioners were involved or if agreements were made in private meetings. I have to wonder which commissioners knew. As a reminder, commissioners cannot discuss this with each other privately. The changes included Martin County commits $15 million not only for the train station, but also for all necessary rail infrastructure. Astonishingly, the county agreed to remove Brightline's responsibility of 50% of the station cost. Also removed was Brightline's $1 million commitment toward fencing and only obligates them if they get grant money. The county agreed to give Brightline a fourth parcel, the lot where people park at Sailfish Ballpark in Stewart, to develop for transit-oriented development, such as apartments retail. This item has just fallen silent since this was discovered. The Board of County commissioners on August 6th scheduled the first public update since December 2023. However, the agenda item was canceled without discussion. On August 12th, the City of Stewart voted to approve a lease without seeing it. The lease was also kept from the public, again not allowing for public input or scrutiny. This is the first time the public finds out Brightline is not contributing financially, contrary to the proposal in 2018 settlement. October 22, BOCC unanimously agrees to put out a bid for Brightline. This was not on the agenda, once again bypassing public scrutiny. Please note that even though the Sunshine Law does not prohibit a board from adding topics to the agenda of a regularly noticed meeting, the Attorney General's Office has advised boards to postpone formal action on any added items that are controversial, yet the BOCC moved forward without public notice. This RFB was done at breakneck speed, published in DemandStar on October 24, and the bid closed on November 1. The county website states, quote, If any properties become available, the county will advertise the parcels for lease in local newspapers. This was not done. There were other issues with lack of public notification too lengthy to cover in three minutes, and those concerns were summarily dismissed at the BOCC meeting. Note, only Brightline could bid, as no other passenger train company has tracks adjacent to the two advertised parcels. Yet, the assistant county administrator stated they put out multiple bids to SunRail, TriRail, and Amtrak. None of those mentioned companies possessed the necessary infrastructure or the capability to meet the bid's specified requirements. It's somewhat ridiculous to imply otherwise. Finally, residents have never been asked for their opinion via ballot or poll on the issue, not even in 2018. I believe more would support if Brightline was not getting a free ride on our dime. Moving forward, I sincerely hope for increased transparency in the decision-making process, and I wish you all the best wishes in the next two to four years. Thank you. Jim Snedeker is next, followed by John Dial. Good morning. I'm going to read this. As most of you know, I often don't read things, but limited time. My name is Jim Snedeker. I'd like to congratulate Commissioner Vargas and Commissioner Capps on the recent vote and look forward to supporting you in the future. Along with Merritt Matheson, we've been the primary movers behind the Martin County Forever Initiative. I would like to thank you profusely for your support in enabling us to get the referendum and ordinance on the ballot. As is the case with the Taxpayers Association, we did not ask for your endorsement, but the fact that both you and the Taxpayers Association supported us putting it on the ballot is greatly appreciated. As we all know, the 2006 referendum clearly and explicitly stated that facilities such as Sailfish Splash were to be built with the proceeds from that vote. Yet, certain parties have overlooked this fact and tried to kill our referendum and ordinance, stating that ours was the same as the 2006 referendum. To counter this, most fortunately, over the past three or so years, you, the commissioners, have been most cooperative in helping us construct a referendum and ordinance that resulted in our building in legally binding guardrails that, if executed properly, will help reinstall trust in all of us. As you know, these guardrails resulted in support from the environmental groups, as well as key players, such as the Chambers of Commerce and individuals such as Harry MacArthur and others. Perhaps most importantly, I would also like to commend you for hiring and retaining some incredibly professional and skilled staff, specifically Don Donaldson and John Mayle, including Sarah Woods and Mike Houston. All of these individuals are consummate professionals, and I really can't praise them enough. Martin County is indeed blessed, and I mean blessed, to have people such as these in its employment. Going forward, Merritt and I look forward to supporting you in any way possible and hope that you won't hesitate to call us at any time. As I've often said to my colleagues and to a number of yous, both at work and in my community service capacity, I encourage feedback and course corrections and hope that you will always feel comfortable giving such input. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. John Dial is next, followed by JoLynn Jensen. Good morning, Commissioners. My name is John Dial, 25-year resident in Martin County. I want to say thank you to the existing commission and welcome aboard to the new commission. I don't have anything really written down here. I didn't have time to prepare, but just to reiterate what I've heard and what I believe is we need transparency, especially on this Brightline station. If that information of the agreement is available, I would like to be someone give it to me and let me at least have a look at it, along with I'm sure everyone else. I did a little poll myself online and through a couple of the agencies, and it was a resounding five to one. Everybody wants to know what's in that deal. It's not that we're against Brightline, just against paying for all of it. So I would hope that this new county commission and the existing, and congratulations for finally getting the chair position, but I would hope that the county commission would take into account what the taxpayers and all of us that support you and want to support you in all your decisions, just to be transparent with us on the finances. Thank you very much, and I appreciate you being here. Thank you. JoLynn Jensen is next, followed by Walter Lloyd. Good morning. Good morning. I'm JoLynn Jensen, and I'm serving as the president of the Rio Civic Club this year. Rio is a neighborhood in Jensen Beach founded in 1893 by German pineapple growers, hence the pronunciation of Rio instead of the Spanish pronunciation of Rio. The Rio Civic Club was founded in 1950 mainly to pave State Road 707 at the time, also known as Dixie Highway. The Rio Civic Club constructed the Rio Civic Center in 1951, expanded it in 1964, and donated it to the Martin County Parks and Recreation in 2005. Currently, there are over 1,600 residences and businesses in Rio. Many were built in the 1950s as fishing cottages or a part of an auto park, today known as an RV park. There were motels and restaurants on the river and private marinas. Rio is now experiencing a revitalization, with new restaurants opening and redevelopment of residential and commercial property. The Martin County CRA, the Martin County Commissioners and staff, and the Rio NAC have all worked together with the Rio Civic Club to improve streets for vehicles and pedestrians, improve drainage, clean up the area and the St. Lucie River, complete septic-to-sewer conversions, and redevelop commercial properties. We look forward to continuing that with all of you. We thank those of you who have been on the commission. We congratulate those of you who are new to the commission. We hope that many of you will join us on March 5, 2025 for our 75th anniversary celebration. We'll be sure to bring invitations to you all at a future meeting. Thank you. Walter Lloyd is next, followed by Kerry Coble. Morning, commissioners. In this season of Thanksgiving, I just wanted to express my thanks for the new commissioners and the new chair. I just believe this is going to bring new perspectives and new representation from the taxpayers. Keep going. Thank you very much. New perspectives and new representation from the taxpayers, as they voiced in the last election. When it comes to the bright line issue, I heard, and of course our comments come before the commissioner's comments, so I did hear one of our commissioners state that traffic was one of the concerns of the public with the bright line and that he didn't see that as an issue. But my perspective is much like the Costco, and I realize this board didn't vote on Costco or put that in place, but it's going to be one of those additions to our community which brings traffic from all over the region. Traffic is going to come in. In the case of Costco, they're going to fill their cars up with groceries and go away. Bright line, they're all going to come in. They're going to go north. They're going to go south. They're going to come back and go away. This is something we could do to keep the quality of life better in our community, keep the traffic from coming down with not so much benefit to it. And the other thing is the transparency around this issue. I don't understand, again, how we hold meetings with no previous notification to the public, and I would ask you, please, going forward, allow us to have a say in these things. Give us some information that we can respond to prior to making these decisions. I'm asking you to please stop this thing now and get it back to where we aren't footing 100% of the bill for this private company. Thank you. Carrie Kogel is next, and that's the last request to speak for him. If you would like to speak to us, please fill out a request to speak for him. Thanks. Good morning, Commissioners, and welcome, Commissioner Capps and Commissioner Vargas. Okay. What are you going to do about this problem? I have never been able to get an answer from the previous board. On numerous occasions, I have asked that Martin County Commissioners to change the morning meetings from 9 a.m. to late afternoon or early evening. The working public is unable to attend morning meetings, or maybe is that the intent. You are able to push through all your projects because of the lack of attendance and the public's lack of opportunity to learn what is going on in our county. This lack of transparency in our county has to stop. You are financially pulling this county apart piece by piece. Also, I have been a member of Save Our Salerno Movement for over two years, and in that time, our elusive district commissioner has attended one out of the 12 NAC meetings. This pretty much summarizes why there is so little communication, transparency, and increased misinformation within our community and with our elected officials. So, please don't lecture us on our misinformation. You believe you answer to yourselves only. This past federal election should act as a warning to the board. Be careful who you abuse on your way up. You might need them on your way down. Thank you. Thank you. Sure. Good morning, commissioners. Jeff Whitman, Hope Sound. Boy, I've been waiting for this a long time, 24 years. I am so grateful to Eileen and Blake for running. It's a tremendous undertaking. It took a lot of work, a lot of dedication. God bless you all. I am so happy for you. Two of you have the opportunity to have a re-vote on Stewart Commerce Park. You have the opportunity to re-vote on it if you so decide. I was hoping maybe you have a change of heart. I think it's a very bad precedent for Martin County. But I don't know. Maybe you had a change of heart. Just saying. And I know how much you love Hope Sound. I know how much you love Martin County. God bless you and congratulations. Thank you so much. Okay. Anybody else wish to address us? For the record, that was Jeff Whitman. And he's going to fill out a request to speak for him right now. Let's see. So, commissioners, it is time for commission comments. Commissioner Vargas, you want to start out? Sure. I've heard from constituents, and this is before I was even seated, who feel disenfranchised by the swift action to vote for Brightline at the final meeting before this commission, this new commission, was seated. They feel it was disrespectful and would have been more prudent to just wait one more week. Pushing the item through only furthered suspicions of cronyism and creates a perception of exclusion. Anything else? Commissioners, you can all, we can all always propose that there be an agenda item that's placed on a future agenda. If you would like to have a Brightline agenda item brought before us, all you have to do is ask. Thank you. Thanks. Commissioner Capps. I would just like to thank a few people who helped me get prepared to take on this role. First, I want to thank our county administrator, Don Donaldson, and his team for three days of orientation that were just excellent. And I feel bad. I kept them all until about 6.15 on a Friday evening, one evening. And I apologize for that once again. But my curiosity and my questions just kept coming. So they were very kind and gracious and patient with me. Thank you, County Attorney Sarah Woods and your staff for answering many questions and always being available to me during my time of preparation. And then I'd like to thank the board members on several county boards that I was privileged to serve on in the last several years. The Hopesound Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Local Planning Agency, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizens Advisory Committee. Thanks to the first responders, the Sheriff's Office, Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Operations Center for inviting me to tour their offices recently and to have discussions with each one of them. I was incredibly impressed with these folks and all that they do to keep us safe. And then I want to mention a few community organizations that had me in recently to tour their operations that I thought I'd just like to highlight them. Elevate Hope in Port Salerno, led by Rina Spirik. And I was very, very moved at all they do for people in crisis, particularly for the tornado victims as of late. And then House of Hope in Golden Gate, led by Rob Ranieri. They have a small army of volunteers there that do amazing things for people in need. And then the Boys and Girls Club of Martin County, led by Keith Fletcher. If you haven't toured their operations, you would be amazed at what they do for the kiddos in our community. And lastly, the Elliott Museum slash House of Refuge slash Historical Society of Martin County, led by Robert Steele. And if you haven't been to the Elliott in recent days, please go and take a tour with Rob. It's an amazing depository of incredible artifacts and very interesting things. So, I think I'm done. Thank you. Commissioner Campy. Madam Chair, I'm not sure how you're going to proceed. I know that there was a consent agenda that was pulled, consent number four. I know that the folks and their people are here. I was just wondering if after the comments we could take that one before out of order. That's what we'll do. Thank you very much. That's all I have. Okay. I'll just welcome Commissioners Vargas and Capps to the board. And I'm all set for today. Thank you. And I have two things. One is, Mr. Snedeker triggered my memory. We should, I would like it our, we have a tentative land selection committee. I think we landed on nine categories of people who will be appointees to that board. We'll start collecting revenues in January of next year. I'd like to put together that board before, sometime in the near future. So, can we have an agenda item to talk about who is going to, who will represent us in each of those categories? And then we'll have to decide. What I recall last time, we selected the organization and then the organization made recommendations to the board. And we ratified those decisions about who will sit on the land selection committee. We need to have a discussion about how we're going to do this. Yes, Commissioner, we plan to have that, your meeting in December. That would give us time to get the committee together the beginning of next year. The actual revenues will probably come in March, April when we start collecting funds. But anyway, exactly your same thoughts is that in the next meeting we would have a present you the sales tax agenda and the committee and get seek input from you on getting that appointment. Probably the appointments be made in January. Okay, terrific. And also, Commissioners, we can initiate comprehensive plan amendments. The board can at any time. And I'm going to propose that we revise the rural lifestyle amendment and that we advertise that and that it be brought back to us. And at the very, very least, that amendment be revised to exclude all freestanding urban service boundaries to be used as a basis for any rural lifestyle proposals. And I would like that to be brought back also at the next meeting for discussion. Any other comments? Mr. Donaldson. Okay. Ms. Woods, then we will take up the consent pull, which is a request by Commissioner Vargas to alter an existing preserve area, an amendment of an approved preserve area management plan. Take it away. You want to tell us why you pulled it? Yeah. I had a lot of concerns about this particular item. And there's an existing preserve area on this property. I don't quite understand why this was not built on in the past. And I'd like to get those answers. The other thing is I did look at the reference material, and I see that the applicant is offering additional preserve area with the amended change to construct the property, the home, on area that previously was not permissible. There exists gopher tortoise burrows, and I feel that by offering this increase is going to destroy the gopher tortoise burrows. You know, what exists there today will never be the same again. If you were to put a structure, if we were allowed for you to put the structure here. And, you know, again, I've been receiving a lot of phone calls and e-mails. The people of Martin County are very upset, deeply upset, as evidenced in this campaign, this election that just passed, about what they feel is the corruption, allowing amendment after amendment to take place with no questioning. And I believe you're requesting an amendment to an existing preserve boundary under the approved preserve area management plan, the PAMP, which was issued in 2008. It would be like swapping out certain portions of the Everglades. We'll take this piece of land over here so that we can construct an Everglades area, which is protected. So I feel there should be no exceptions to the PAMP. Staff? Good morning. My name is Matt Gierczak. I'm with Growth Management. I'm a senior environmental planner. With me is my supervisor, Mr. Derek DeLue. Good morning. If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce this case from the beginning and then get to your questions, Commissioner. This is a request from Mr. and Mrs. Bellucci for an amended PAMP to the existing preserve area boundary under the approved PAMP that was issued in 2008. Pursuant to Section 4.36C, Land Development Regulations, Martin County Code, any alteration to the size, shape, or design of a previously approved preserve area shall be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. This proposal concerns the property located at 6908 Southwest Moore Street in Palm City. In 2008, a PAMP known as PON LLC PAMP was approved by the Growth Management Division as part of an individual lot development for a single-family home that was associated with a building permit that was applied for at the time. This building permit was ultimately canceled, and the lot was never developed and remained what we refer to as a virgin lot. This parcel is approximately 4.9 acres in size and has a future land use of ag ranchette or agricultural ranchette and a zoning of A2. At the time of the PAMP issuance in 2008, the vegetative communities on the property consisted entirely of upland habitat, resulting in 0.83 acres being preserved under the PAMP in 2008. The current property owners have applied for a single-family home building permit and are requesting a reconfiguration of the existing upland preserve area to accommodate the design of the proposed home and associated infrastructures. The approval of this request would also result in an increase of the preservation area. The proposed preserve area is located to the south portion of the property and is wider and larger than the current preserve area. Since the entire property is comprised of common pine flatwood upland habitat that is uniform and cover, there is no change to the type or quality of the habitat within the proposed preserve area. As I mentioned, this proposal will increase the preserved area from 0.83 acres to 1.23 acres. All details of current and proposed preserved areas are shown in Exhibit 4 or page 75 of the docket. If you'd like, I can move to it or someone else can. Can you go to page 75? So, if you can see here, the areas that are marked in green are the current approved preserve area. The area that is marked in yellow or brownish, that is the proposed preserve area, which also includes the overlapping portion of the previously approved preserve. On November 1st, 2024, a staff site inspection was concluded by Sean McCarthy of the Growth Management Department. At the time, Mr. McCarthy observed no violations present and verified that the common pine flatwoods upland habitat within the current preserve is the same as the habitat within the proposed preserve area. In addition, minimal to no exotics were present throughout the entire lot. This proposed PAMP amendment has been reviewed by the environmental staff and director of the Growth Management Department and has been approved as meeting the applicable requirements of all Martin County Code, including the land development regulations and comprehensive growth management plan. The applicant has provided a need for the change and provided an equal amount, or in this case, actually an increased amount, of upland habitat to compensate for the proposed alteration as required by the land development regulations. Therefore, the Growth Management Department director recommends approval of the PAMP amendment by the Board of County Commissioners. County staff has also verified that the amended preserve area currently meets all the requirements of the original PAMP within the increase of common pine flatwoods upland habitat preserved under the proposed PAMP amendment site plan. This concludes my presentation. Getting back to your questions, ma'am. The new preserved area, the new proposed preserved area, actually would encompass gopher tortoise burrows that are currently not captured by the current preserved area. And so actually approving this would protect those species and, in addition, would create wildlife corridors with adjacent properties. And if I may just help you interpret what you're seeing here. Remember, this square area is the existing preserve area that was established in 2008, and the proposed change in preserve configuration follows this kind of trapezoidal shape here and now captures areas of gopher tortoise burrows. So those burrows would be protected in preserved habitat over here where they're not in the current preserve area configuration. And we do have the property owner here today and his environmental consultant that could answer any questions about gopher tortoises if you have those. Can you put page number 74 on the screen? Thank you, Donna. Yeah, it's just 74. Yep. And I really, I want to look at specifically at the, this map shows where these burrows are and they are within the new PAMP. That's correct. They were not within the old PAMP. That's correct. That's correct. Commissioner Campy? Barring the opportunity for the applicant or his representatives to make a comment, I did have the opportunity to go by, take a look at this property. The reason it was not done, the house was not built. Obviously, everyone knows 2008 was the beginning or for some people, the middle of the recession and the folks that are now living on the property are looking to build the, as Commissioner Hurd said, the gopher tortoise mounds are now incorporated into the PAMP. And I would make a motion to accept staff's recommendation. Commissioner Hetherington. Yes, I would second your motion. Commissioner Campy, I think this is a great opportunity for a working family here in Martin County to build a single family home. And in addition, we're getting more of a preserve area. So I can appreciate that. There's an increased preserve. And I love when locals actually build and stay here. So I'll second the motion. Would Mr. or Mrs. Bellucci like to talk to us this morning? Good morning. Thank you for having us. Thank you for listening to our story. And thank you for all your work putting this together. Basically, you know, we worked with our environmental consultant and looked at the property prior to buying it and learning this process to make sure we followed all the county rules and regulations, which are not easy to learn. And so we came up with this PAMP that correlates the preserve area required as well as protecting the natural beauty of this property. So that's why we designed it the way we did and so that the house can be anatomically correct on the parcel and hopefully do everything at one time. So thank you. Can I ask him a question? Sure. Sir, how much money did it cost you to do all this work? A lot. More than a little. I can tell you that. Between time, energy, equipment, the PAMP, the environmental assessment, there's a lot involved in it. But I appreciate it. Mr. Vargas, do you have any questions? Yeah. I mean, you obviously had designed for a home originally, correct? Not until we bought the property. Okay. But then you did. Mm-hmm. Why don't you just keep within the design of the property without having to request an amendment? Well, because the original one was someone else's dream for their property. And at the time, I don't believe there was any of the natural habitat accounted for on that square. Like, I have some very beautiful oak trees that I don't want to have to touch in order to put the house there and things like that. And the tortoises weren't, I believe, weren't shown on there before I bought the property. So, in an effort to keep my trees intact, as well as the tortoises, and get a nice layout, I think it captured everything we needed with this PAMP. You know, this sets a precedent for everybody saying, well, he did it, so now I want it. And this, I don't feel, is in the best interest of the majority of people in Martin County that want to continue to see amendments and exceptions. I made a statement at the beginning. I've had many, many people call me. And we have to, you know, draw a line in the sand. We really do. I agree with you, but also, at what point does a property owner get to make decisions on his property, you know, as far as you buy a piece of land, right, and then you find out that you're told that other people have more say in your actual land than you do. Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I'm all for buy rights, and you can certainly build a home there. We're not denying that whatsoever, but just not to request an exception. Yes, ma'am, but it follows all the rules, and I addressed this before I bought the property that this was able to be done, and I was told it was. And so we bought the property. Otherwise, we probably would not have, and we would have bought the property next to us. But again, you know, it's, you know, I still have to pay taxes on five acres, even though I'm not allowed to touch, but 3.75. And then you're not allowed, you know what I'm saying? And so I think there's give and take, and by giving more preserve area and protecting these tortoises, otherwise, you know, it's kind of a contradiction, right? You want to protect the tortoises, but don't want to change the preserve area to do that. Well, no. I mean, there is area for you to construct a home. We had a property in the Florida Keys. Same thing. And we had to continue to pay taxes, and there was already septic to sewer there. So we had to take care of what we had to take care of. We were not allowed to build. So others were making a decision for us, so I understand what you're saying. But unfortunately, there were too many changes and amendments. The Florida Keys is not the way it used to be, me growing up there. So I totally understand what you're saying. This is where I stand. Well, thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Hetherington. That's an old light. Any further comments? There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. We will now go on to committee appointments. Ms. Gordon, do you have all your NAC voting sheets? No, I do. It's right there. Pretty spry. Thank you. Want to take some time? Want to go on to the next item? Let's keep moving forward. Okay. And we'll go on to department quasi-judicial one, which is request approval of the revised final site plan for West Jensen planned unit development, phase 1B, parcel 12.7. This is quasi-judicial. So do you have any ex parte disclosures? No, I do not. It's already been filed. Okay. Yes. How about you? If I have any, they have been filed. I don't, if I have any, they've been filed. I don't have any, and I filed that. I don't have any, and that's been filed. All right. All right. I'm, next is, uh. Swearing the witnesses. Okay. Can we swear the witnesses? Raise your right hands. Do you swear or affirm the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Provided all necessary paperwork to the clerk. Turning a copy of my one as Exhibit 1. Excellent. Proceed. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, Commissioners. I'm John Sennett, Senior Planner with Growth Management. I'm presenting the revised final site plan application for West Jensen PUD Phase 1B Parcel 12.7. This project is for the construction of a fifth-third bank branch. This is a request by Bowman Consulting Group on behalf of B.W. Jensen Federal LLC for revised final site plan approval to develop an approximately 2,417-square-foot bank building with drive-through teller lanes and associated infrastructure. The 1.54-acre site currently contains a vacant restaurant building located at 4110 Northwest Federal Highway at the southwest corner of Northwest Eugenia Street and Northwest Federal Highway in Jensen Beach. Included is a request for a certificate of public facilities exemption. The site is approximately 1.54 acres. It's located at the corner of Eugenia Street and Federal Highway in Jensen Beach. The site will be accessed via an existing internal drive which connects to Eugenia Street. There's no proposed direct access from US-1. This large building to the southwest, that's the Lowe's, and directly to the west across Eugenia is the BJ's. The site is located within Phase 1B of the West Jensen PUD. The West Jensen PUD is a development of regional impact which was originally approved in 1989. The non-residential parcels of Phase 1B of West Jensen total approximately 130 acres along the Federal Highway and Goldenrod Road corridor. The proposed project is consistent with the most recent revised master plan for Phase 1B which was approved in November of 2022. The project does not result in any increase in square footage beyond what was previously approved in the master plan. The future land use of the property is general commercial and it's surrounded by other properties with that same future land use designation. The subject site has been occupied by an approximately 5,300 square foot restaurant since 2003. This building has been vacant for some time. The current application proposes to demolish the existing building and construct an approximately 2,417 square foot bank building with drive-thru teller lanes. The development is consistent with the most recent West Jensen Phase 1B revised master plan approved in November 2022. This is the revised final site plan. As you can see, the primary entrance to the building is along the northwest facade. It faces northwest Eugenia Street, the teller lanes along the southeast facade, and to the west you see the internal access drive with the proposed connection. The development is subject to the commercial design provisions of Article 4, Division 20 land development regulations. The applicant is requesting alternative compliance from certain commercial design provisions, particularly for the northeast facade and southeast facade. Staff recommend approval. The Board of County Commissioners is the final decision maker for this application. We have here the architectural elevations. This one at the top is the northwest elevation where the primary entrance is. This elevation faces Eugenia Street. At the bottom is the northeast facade, which faces US 1. Second sheet here, we have the southeast elevation on top that shows the drive-thru teller lanes. And at the bottom is the southwest elevation, which faces the existing Lowe's building. Pursuant to Article 10, Table 10.5F9, Martin County Land Development Regulations, review of this application is not required by the local planning agency. Development review staff have found the B.W. Jensen Federal LLC application to comply with all applicable regulations and the comprehensive growth management plan as detailed in the staff report. Staff recommendation is to move that the Board receive and file the agenda item and its attachments, including the staff report as Exhibit 1. And move that the Board adopt the resolution approving the revised final site plan for West Jensen PUD, Phase 1B, Parcel 12.7. I'm available for any questions. Any questions for staff? I'm very familiar with that property, familiar with the restaurant before also, and I did review the details about this. So my only concern is US 1 is like a speedway, and I see that you have Eugenia Street and also the lows as ingress and egress for this property, is that correct? Correct. There's no direct access proposed from US 1. The project will utilize the existing connection internal to the site. Any further questions? Is there an applicant? No, I didn't either. Did he stand to get sworn in? Good morning. Good morning, Commissioner. Have you been sworn in? I have not. Would you please raise your right hand and be sworn in? Anyone else will be testifying also. Please stand up, raise your hand, and be sworn in. Raise your right hands. Do you swear or affirm the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. We were sworn in this morning as well, so it's okay. Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Christian Morales. I'm with Bowman Consultant on behalf of the applicant. We just wanted to thank John and staff for working with us through the application. As you mentioned, we are proposing approximately 2,417-square-foot bank, which is to replace the existing restaurant building. The existing restaurant building is around 5,100 square feet or so, so we're reducing the square footage by half. And like staff mentioned, we're not proposing any new direct access to US-1. We are going to be using the existing internal accesses to the property. And the proposed use, which I just kind of understand your question about the concerns regarding traffic on US-1, is a lot less of an intensive use than a restaurant use. And we're also diminishing the square footage of the building overall. So the intent is to reduce the overall square footage of what was previously approved, reduce the intensity, so we don't expect any anticipated issues with traffic. Thank you. Commissioner Campy. After public comment, I would make a motion to accept staff's recommendation. And my thanks to the applicant, that restaurant has sat empty and derelict, vacant for a long time. And for the folks that are entering our county from north, it's one of the first lots you see, and forever it's been vacant. So I'm happy to see that someone has taken the opportunity to revitalize it. And like you said, less intensive use, smaller building, less traffic demand. So my pleasure to support your project. Thank you. Is there any public comment? There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, all. We'll take up Department 1. There are no items. Department 2, contracts that meet the threshold for board approval of a million dollars or greater. Ms. Brotherton. Good morning. Christy Brotherton. I'm your chief procurement officer. I have two items for your consideration today. The first one is a contract approval for continuing services agreement for grinder electrical control panel installation. This contract has a maximum not-to-exceed value of $1,500,000 and a maximum not-to-exceed term of five years. And staff is recommending that the board award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, which is Apex Electric, and move that the board authorize the county administrator or designee to execute all documents related to this request. And that concludes this item. Commissioner Capps. and move that the board authorize the county administrator or designee to execute all documents related to this request. And that concludes this item. Commissioner Capps. I'm sorry, that was an old one. All right. Any questions for staff? Seeing no questions, I will move staff's recommendation for approval. There's a motion. Is there a second? I second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. We'll go back to board appointments. Which is? BNC 1. Somewhere. Yeah, BNC 1. Everybody hand their voting sheets in? Yeah. I think I do. Yeah, just circle. This is 1. Okay. Donna Gordon for administration. There are two vacancies on the Golden Gate Neighborhood Advisory Committee. I didn't receive any applications for that, but I will solicit again soon. Hope Sound need two people. And let's, Mrs. Mary Gavin received four votes. Mr. Michael Banas received three votes. And I'm asking that you determine whose term will end next February and February of 2027. Any preferences? Mr. Capps? Yes. We'll make, I would propose that we make Ms. Gavin's term the longest. Is there a second? There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. And for Port Salerno, there was a supplemental memo and Mr. Casey Cass received three votes. That's it. Motion to accept Casey Cass as the new member. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? That motion passes unanimously. That brings us to the end of the meeting, where we do Commissioner comments. Any comments, Commissioner Vargas? No, I think I've made enough comments this morning. Thank you. Commissioner Capps? I'm here. I'm good. Commissioner Campy? I'm all set. And Commissioner Hetherington? I'm all set. I have none. Mr. Donaldson? I have none this afternoon. Thank you. Ms. Woods? We're adjourned. Awesome. Thank you. Great.