Sep 09, 2026 Council Meetings - Special

[CALL TO ORDER:]

[00:00:02]

I'M GOING TO CALL THIS SPECIAL. IT IS NOW 1800 HOURS.

I'M GOING TO CALL THIS SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 2026-24 TO ORDER.

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WILL BE LED BY COUNCILMAN MIKE HAMMER.

PLEASE RISE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[ROLL CALL:]

COUNCILMAN JOHNSON IS BY PHONE. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON PRESENT.

COUNCILMAN HAMMER PRESENT. COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN IS NOT.

WHERE IS HE? HE'S IN THE RESTROOM. I BELIEVE.

I BELIEVE HE'S INDISPOSED, BUT HE'S ON PREMISES.

OKAY. MR. MORTON HERE, MISS EARLY PRESIDENT COUNCIL.

LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN IS ON THE DAIS.

[PUBLIC HEARING:]

I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND, MR. MORTON, THE CITY OF PALM BAY, FLORIDA, HAS TENTATIVELY ADOPT AN OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 6.6015 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027.

THE TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 6.6015 IS EQUIVALENT TO THE TRIM CURRENT YEAR AGGREGATE ROLLED BACK RATE.

THE CITY OF PALM BAY, FLORIDA, HAS ALSO TENTATIVELY ADOPTED A DEBT MILLAGE RATE OF 0.9385 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027.

THE TENTATIVE DEBT MILLAGE RATE SHALL GENERATE ESTIMATED REVENUES TOTALING $10,012,336.

BASED ON THE GROSS TAXABLE VALUE CERTIFIED BY THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE ASSUMING AN ESTIMATED 96% COLLECTION RATE, THESE REVENUES ARE RESTRICTED AND ARE DESIGNED FOR PAYMENTS OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS SERIES 2019 DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS TOTALING $3,528,500. THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS SERIES 2021 DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS TOTALING $3,445,400, AND THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND SERIES 2023 DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS TOTALING $3,039,075, ALL DUE IN THE FISCAL 2027 YEAR BUDGET.

THOSE ARE ALSO COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS THE GO ROADS BONDS.

ALL CONCERNED CITIZENS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2026 AT 6 P.M. IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOADED AT 120 MALABAR ROAD, SOUTHEAST PALM BAY, 32907. A FINAL DECISION ON THE PROPOSED TAXES AND THE BUDGET WILL BE MADE AT THIS HEARING.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANYONE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.

SO LET'S WORK ON THIS IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND I'LL I'LL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE INDIVIDUALS.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK. OKAY.

SO ONE, 234. ANYBODY ELSE FOR FIVE? I'LL TAKE MINE.

IS THIS ABOUT THE POOL AS WELL? IS THAT WHAT THIS IS? THE THE MILLAGE RATE. YES, SIR. THIS IS FINE.

YOU CAN. OKAY. FIVE. OKAY. STEP UP IN THE ORDER THAT I'VE CALLED YOU.

ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. IS HERE. YOU COULD STAND RIGHT THERE.

YOU COULD SIT. I'M JUST SAYING. COME, COME. APPROACH THE DAIS IN THAT ORDER, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

THANK YOU. YEAH. HI. MY NAME IS NATHAN FRENCH.

I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE SELLING OR THE DISPOSAL OF OUR POOL.

RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS ISN'T AS SIMPLY A POOL. IT'S A COMMUNITY ASSET THAT OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES, AND MULTIPLE SWIM TEAMS ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND IT PROVIDES THEM WITH A PLACE TO PRACTICE, TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AND EVEN TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY.

I UNDERSTAND WE GOT BUDGET RESTRAINTS. I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT BUDGET RESPONSIBILITIES. I GET THAT, BUT WE SHOULDN'T LET A VALUABLE ASSET GO AWAY SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S JUDGED WHETHER OR NOT IT GENERATES REVENUE. THINGS SOME THINGS ARE WORTH FUNDING BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THIS POOL IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND OUR ROOM, YOU SEE PEOPLE WEARING THEIR SWIM JERSEYS. YOU CAN SEE OUR LIFEGUARDS WEARING THEIR LIFEGUARD PIECES. I MEAN, OUR SWIM TEAM TODAY HELD A AYE SWIM A THON THERE TO RAISE FUNDS IN ORDER TO KEEP SWIMMING ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND SO WE REALLY ENJOY THE POOL, AND WE THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR TEAM.

[00:05:03]

IS GOING TO GO ON QUITE A BIT IN THESE CHAMBERS.

THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT IS I KNOW I'VE COME TO A LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.

I'VE COME TO A LOT OF THE BUDGET HEARINGS. THE ONE THING THAT I KEEP HEARING ARE THE NUMBERS OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE POOL AND GET THE MAINTENANCE IN PLACE AROUND 900,000 A YEAR IN OPERATING COSTS, ABOUT A MILLION AND 6,000,000.6 TO GET IT UP TO SPEED.

THE ONE THING THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE NUMBERS, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS REPRESENT IS A FULL BREAKDOWN OF HOW THAT FUNDING IS GOING.

SO IT'S ONE THING TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO COST US $2.5 MILLION, ROUGHLY AROUND THERE TO OPERATE THE POOL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.

I THINK WE AS A COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMING INTO PLAY. WHAT ARE THOSE OPERATING COSTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THAT 900,000 IS GOING TO WHAT IS THE $1.6 MILLION IN MAINTENANCE COST GOING TO? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

THE SECOND THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT AND ASK IS WHETHER OR NOT I KNOW WE COLLECT IMPACT FEES FOR PARKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE CITY. I WAS WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A SECTION OF THE CITY IN WHICH THERE IS ENOUGH IMPACT FEES FOR PARKS TO WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY CONSIDER BUILDING A MODERN SECOND POOL IN A KIND OF TEMPORARY CAPACITY, HAVE TWO POOLS WITHIN THE CITY WITH THAT IMPACT FEES.

IF THE OPERATING EXPENSES ARE IN PLACE AND THE MAINTENANCE EXPENSES ARE IN PLACE FOR OUR POOL BEING OBSOLETE OR OLD, OR A BAD DESIGN OR WHATNOT, IF WE HAVE THE PARKS IMPACT FEES TO WHERE WE CAN BUILD A NEW MODERN POOL IN ANOTHER SECTION OF THE CITY THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO THEN SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE COST, OUR COST INEFFICIENT PUBLIC POOL THAT WE HAVE EXISTING IN PLACE.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IF WE ARE ABLE TO.

THERE ARE KIND OF ALTERNATIVES THAT I THINK WE COULD TRY TO EXPLORE TO WHERE WE STILL HAVE A PUBLIC POOL IN PLACE, FIND A WAY TO GET A NEW MODERN ONE IN, AND THEN WE CAN DITCH THE OLD ONE THAT COST US A LOT OF MONEY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT. SPEAKER. NEXT. SPEAKER NUMBER THREE.

YES. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS BRENDA RAFANIELLO, AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE POOL, I THINK IS A GREAT, GREAT THING TO HAVE FOR OUR FAMILIES TO KEEP THEM BUSY.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AROUND PALM BAY TO KEEP EVERYBODY BUSY, AND I'VE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S NEGATIVE.

I'VE BEEN SEEING GAMBLING HALLS COME UP IN THE SHOPPING PLAZA OVER HERE AND OVER WHERE SHADY OAKS PLAZA IS.

THERE'S ANOTHER HIDDEN GAMBLING HALL. I EVEN SEEN HUMAN TRAFFICKING OUT RIGHT NEXT TO THE GAMBLING HALL IN THE SHADY OAKS PLAZA, WHERE THE CHILDREN WERE BEING ESCORTED OUT THE DOOR AND INTO THE THE VEHICLE AND TAKEN AWAY.

AND I CALLED AND REPORTED IT, AND NOBODY DID A THING ABOUT IT.

SO WE NEED THESE FAMILY THINGS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO GO TO WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AROUND PALM BAY, I THINK. I THINK WE NEED A BIG RACETRACK OR WE NEED A BIG WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, A BIG CENTER WHERE THEY CAN HOLD CONCERTS OR DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR FAMILIES TO KEEP FAMILIES BUSY OTHER THAN GAMBLING AND SEEING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.

COMMISSIONER. I'M HERE ABOUT THE POOL AS WELL.

AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO TALK TO NUMBER TWO. WE NEED TO FIND OUT, MA'AM.

THE POOL. ACTUALLY, MA'AM. IN AND ADDRESS. ADDRESS.

COUNCIL, PLEASE. WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE POOL BRINGS IN ADMISSIONS TO IN ADDITION TO WHAT HE SAID.

ALSO. OKAY. ABOUT. I'M A LIFELONG FLORIDIAN. I LEARNED HOW TO SWIM BEFORE I COULD WALK.

UNFORTUNATELY, RIGHT NOW, AT MY ADVANCED AGE, I CAN ALSO SWIM, BUT NOT WALK.

THE ONLY PLACE I CAN SWIM IS AT THIS AQUATIC CENTER.

I RECENTLY MOVED HERE. I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I'VE HAD LYMPHEDEMA PROBABLY FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE, BUT I WAS ALWAYS VERY ACTIVE.

SWIMMING CAME VERY NATURALLY TO ME AND I WAS EVEN RECRUITED FOR MY HIGH SCHOOL, MY COLLEGE SWIM TEAM.

BUT THAT WAS 50 YEARS AGO. NOW I CAN'T DO THAT.

WHEN I MOVED HERE, WE MOVED TO A 55 AND OLDER COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S US.

AND, AND THE AMENITIES THAT WE WOULD NEED WOULD BE THERE.

[00:10:01]

THEY, OUR DEVELOPER DID NOT BUILD A WAY FOR ACCESS TO THE POOL.

OUR DEVELOPER DID NOT BUILD A POOL THAT'S DEEP ENOUGH FOR US TO HAVE A WATER AEROBIC EXERCISE.

I THINK THAT I REALLY ENJOY. I DEFINITELY ENJOY LIVING HERE, BUT I'M BEGINNING TO THINK I MADE A MISTAKE.

AND IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE ONLY POOL THAT DOES HAVE THE DEEP WATER I NEED AND DOES HAVE THE ACCESS THAT I NEED I'M GOING TO BE VERY UPSET. I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE LOTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN THE SAME SHAPE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK US.

WE'RE ALL SITTING HERE. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KATE LEWIS AND I'M A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE BREVARD HEAT SWIM TEAM.

I'VE BEEN SWIMMING FOR OVER A DECADE AND HAVE CHERISHED THE SPORT.

AND I LOVE THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER BECAUSE IT HAS GIVEN ME MY TEAM THE ABILITY TO SWIM, TO DO SWIM MEETS AND BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT. RIGHT NOW, TEAMS LIKE MINE CAN AFFORD THE RENT TO RENT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER FOR PRACTICES AND SWIM MEETS, BUT THAT OPPORTUNITY MIGHT NOT MIGHT NO LONGER EXIST BY THE DECISION MADE ON THE 23RD.

HOWEVER, THE DECISION DOES NOT JUST AFFECT SWIM TEAMS, IT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE PALM BAY COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER IT AFFECTS THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO DO WATER AEROBICS FOR EXERCISE AND FRIENDSHIP.

IT AFFECTS THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO USE THE WATER FOR THERAPY TO HELP EASE THE PAIN.

AND IT AFFECTS THE CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO COME TO LEARN AND IMPACT OR LEARN THE IMPORTANT SKILL OF SWIMMING.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS POOL MIGHT NOT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THE POINT THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

THE POINT. THERE IS MORE TO THE POOL THAN JUST ABOUT MONEY.

IT IS ABOUT COMMUNITY. IT IS THE VALUE, THE VALUING.

THE POOL IS FOUND IN THE PEOPLE. IT BRINGS TOGETHER, THE OPPORTUNITY IT PROVIDES AND THE LIVES IT IMPACTS.

I KNOW THIS VERY WELL BECAUSE IT HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE.

THIS POOL HAS INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A LIFEGUARD AND TO BECOME A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF.

MY COMMUNITY WORKING AS A LIFEGUARD HAS TAUGHT ME WHAT RESPONSIBILITY LOOKS LIKE.

PEOPLE'S SAFETY DEPENDS ON ME WHEN I AM AT WORK.

I COULD COME IN TIRED, WORN OUT. BUT WHEN I GET ON THAT STAND, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE DEPENDING ON ME.

OF COURSE I'M HERE. I'M THERE AT THE POOL TO MAKE MONEY AND TO GAIN EXPERIENCE.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'M THERE TO SERVE OTHERS. THAT IS THAT IS WHAT THE POOL CAN DO FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT CAN GIVE US OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND LEARN AND SERVE OTHERS.

COMMUNITY IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT MAKING MONEY. SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

AND THIS POOL HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.

WHETHER I'M SWIMMING OR SERVING AS A LIFEGUARD, I HAVE GAINED EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE MADE ME A BETTER PERSON.

I HAVE BECOME PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND I WANT TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS.

THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER NEEDS TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE COMING TOGETHER, LEARNING, EXERCISING, SERVING, AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THERE'S MORE TO THE POOL THAN ITS REVENUE. THERE IS RESPONSIBILITY, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, AND THERE'S COMMUNITY. SO I RESPECTFULLY IMPLORE YOU TO RECONSIDER CLOSING OR SELLING THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SO THOSE WERE THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. I'LL BY SHOW OF HANDS I'LL PICK THE NEXT FIVE.

SO I'LL GO 12345. YES, MA'AM. YOU'RE ONE ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE TWO SIR. YES. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ANN DAVIS.

ONE. TWO. THREE RIDGEMONT CIRCLE. LOOK, BEING IN FINANCE FOR 35 YEARS.

I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT THIS STAFF WENT INTO TO TRY TO DEVELOP A BUDGET.

BUT I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OF SOUTH PALM BAY ARE REALLY SUFFERING.

WE'RE GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING, BUT WE'RE NOT GROWING WITH GREEN SPACE.

A LOT OF THE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL THINGS ARE NORTH OF MALABAR ROAD.

AND SO I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THIS CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE.

I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT I LOOKED THROUGH THE 98 PAGES OF BUDGET, VERY EXCITING STUFF.

AND I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE PEOPLE COULD LOOK INTO AFTER THE MEETING.

ONE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL FUTURE HEADCOUNT GROWTH BAKED INTO THE BUDGETS FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ODDS ARE OF ACTUALLY FULFILLING THAT HEADCOUNT GROWTH.

[00:15:04]

I MEAN, IN TWO LINE ITEMS, ONE LINE ITEM WAS 4.1 AND 2025, THEN 5,000,026, THEN 7.9 IN 27. SO AS A FINANCE PERSON, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF DID SOME ESCALATION AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT JUMPED UP ALMOST $3 MILLION AND THAT ONE LINE ITEM. AND THEN THE OTHER LINE ITEM WENT FROM 3.8 MILLION AND 25 TO 3.4 AND 26 TO 7.4 AND 27. SO I JUST WOULD LIKE YOUR TEAM TO LOOK AT THESE PENSION FUND LINE ITEMS OR LINE ITEMS. MAYBE THERE'S SOME ROOM THERE. HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS WENT UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE. IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER.

BUT I HAVE NO IDEA IF YOU GUYS SHOPPED AROUND OR IF YOU'VE TRIED TO GET NEW CONTRACTS FOR INSURANCE PREMIUMS. MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO GET BETTER PRICES FOR THE CITY, AND WE COULD SQUEEZE A LITTLE MONEY THERE.

WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FORECASTS, IT SHOWS ME THE BUDGET FOR 2026.

AND THEN IT SHOWS ME THE ESTIMATE FOR 2026 YEAR END, BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW ME ACTUALS TO DATE.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE UNDER RUNNING IN CERTAIN LINE ITEMS IN 2026.

AND SOME MONEY CAN BE SPENT THIS YEAR IN LIEU OF NEXT YEAR.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. AND THEN THE LAST THING I NOTICED WAS CONSTRUCTION HAS GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.

NOT A SURPRISE. 6,000,025. A MILLION AND A HALF.

NO. 2,000,026 DOWN TO 133 K AND 27, WHICH IS GREAT.

BUT I THINK, OKAY, WELL, WHERE DID ALL THAT MONEY ROLL BACK INTO IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY? FOR THAT LARGE OF A REDUCTION. SO I HAVE FAITH.

THANK YOU. THAT YOU SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS. THANK YOU MA'AM.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. FRED POPPY 562 PEDAL ROAD. SO THE POOL IS A BIG TOPIC AND IT'S A BIG TOPIC FOR ME.

IN 2015, THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL AT THAT POINT IN TIME THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE VERY SOLID IN OUR RECREATIONAL CAPACITIES AND FACILITIES.

SO I WAS TASKED WITH GOING TO BREVARD COUNTY AND SEEING IF WE COULD GET THE REGIONAL PARK, THE AQUATIC CENTER AND THE SENIOR CENTER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND THAT WAS $35 MILLION WORTH OF ASSETS, $2 MILLION WORTH OF EQUIPMENT, AND $3.2 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS TO HELP OFFSET OPERATING COSTS TO GET EVERYTHING MOVING.

SO THE POOL I'VE HEARD A LOT OF NUMBERS BOUNCE AROUND ABOUT THE COST OF THE POOL.

NOW, IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE SINCE I WAS THE DIRECTOR, BUT I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE COST OF OPERATING THAT POOL IS DOUBLED OR TRIPLED.

WHAT IT WAS. IT WAS BETWEEN 600 AND $700,000, IS WHAT THE OPERATING COST FOR THAT POOL WAS.

SO. SO I THINK THAT THE THE REQUEST TO SEE THE LINE ITEM ON THAT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM, BUT THEY DON'T SOUND RIGHT TO ME.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN TALKED ABOUT, THE POOL AND IN THE MANY OCCASIONS THAT I HAD TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THE POOL. ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT IS TO ME WAS AN INSURANCE POLICY.

OKAY. NUMBER ONE, CAUSE OF DEATH FIVE AND UNDER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS DROWNING.

YOU TEACH ONE KID HOW TO SWIM, YOU SAVE HIS LIFE.

THAT'S WORTH WAY MORE THAN THE OPERATING COST FOR ONE YEAR.

YEAH. AND AND AND THAT THAT'S A VERY THAT'S VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE MADE SURE THAT WE HAD FREE OR REDUCED SWIMMING LESSONS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS EVERY YEAR.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA.

THERE'S WATER ALL OVER THE PLACE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING, AND IT'S PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

IT'S PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS.

WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT? I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.

SO I THINK KEEPING THE POOL OPEN IS IMPORTANT.

[00:20:03]

RIGHT. YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT. YOU CAN'T SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL AND FIND MONEY.

THIS IS THIS IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL CITY BUDGET TO KEEP AN ASSET OPEN.

THE OTHER PART IS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? THANK YOU.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO MAINTAIN? THANK YOU.

IF YOU SHUT IT DOWN, IT'S GOING TO. IT'S GOING TO DIE. THANK YOU.

NUMBER THREE. FOUR AND FIVE. YES, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MARY TABELING. I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. HE STOLE MY LINE HERE.

SO BRIEFLY, I JUST WANT TO NOT TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I'M A MOM HERE.

I ALSO HAVE BACKGROUND IN NON-PROFITS HERE, SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF MAKING IT WORK WITH THE MONEY THAT COMES IN.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT CAN BE REALLY, REALLY TOUGH.

HOWEVER, I DO HOPE THAT IT IS RECONSIDERED UNDER A PUBLIC SAFETY LINE ITEM WHEN WE HAVE CHILDREN, THE LIKE HE MENTIONED, THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR UNDER FIVE IS DROWNING.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY. IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH A PARENT WHO HAS LOST THEIR CHILD TO THAT, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON IT. AND THE POOL IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THAT PURPOSE.

THE I WANT TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT ACCESS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN PALM BAY WHO MIGHT HAVE ACCESS TO A POOL AT HOME, AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR PRIVATE SWIMMING LESSONS.

THEY'RE EXPENSIVE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ACCESS, THEY CAN PRACTICE AND THEY CAN HAVE THIS LIFE SAVING SKILLS.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR A VERY LARGE CHUNK OF PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

THIS IS THE ONLY ACCESS THEY HAVE. AND TO HIS POINT, I BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE WORTH THE MONEY AND IT'S WORTH THE TIME.

AND IT'S WORTH LOOKING AT THE BUDGET TO MAKE IT WORK.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, I SIGNALED TO NUMBER FOUR.

WAS THAT YOU, SIR? BACK THERE IN THE BLUE SHIRT? YES, I BELIEVE I POINTED. DO YOU REMEMBER WHO FIVE IS? WHO'S NUMBER FIVE? OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME TONIGHT AND FOR HEARING ALL OF US.

I'M MIKE ROCHELLE. I'M THE OWNER OF BREVARD SWIM CLUB.

WE'RE HEADQUARTERED HERE IN PALM BAY. WE'VE USED PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER FOR MANY YEARS.

WE'VE PROBABLY HAD CLOSE TO CLOSE TO A THOUSAND KIDS COME THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.

WE'VE SENT MANY TO COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. AND WE'VE TAUGHT MANY, MANY KIDS THE VALUE OF MENTAL DISCIPLINE, HARD WORK MANY LIFE SKILLS THAT THEY OTHERWISE MAYBE WOULDN'T HAVE GOT.

I UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET CONCERNS. I HAVE A BUDGET AT HOME.

WE ALL DO. IT'S TOUGH. I'M RAISING THREE GRANDCHILDREN, SO I KNOW.

I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS. THERE ARE POOLS THAT MAKE MONEY.

THERE'S A POOL RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD IN STUART SAILFISH SPLASH WATER PARK THAT MAKES A PROFIT EVERY YEAR.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE A MEMBER OF USA SWIMMING AND WE WORK WITH A GROUP THERE CALLED TOTAL AQUATIC PROGRAMING THAT HAS A GREAT TRACK RECORD OF TEACHING MUNICIPALITIES AND POOL OWNERS HOW TO MAKE POOLS PROFITABLE.

I WOULD REALLY BE SAD TO SEE THIS POOL CLOSED.

IT'S ACTUALLY, I THINK THE NEWEST POOL IN THE COUNTY OTHER THAN FLORIDA TECH, WHICH IS NOT A PUBLIC POOL.

IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT OLD. IT WAS BUILT BY MURTHA, WHICH IS THE LEADING POOL MANUFACTURER IN THE COUNTRY.

THEY BUILD THE POOLS FOR THE OLYMPICS. THOSE POOLS ARE MADE WITH CONCRETE PAD AND STEEL WALL CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO NEED MAJOR MAINTENANCE FOR 20 YEARS AFTER THEY'RE BUILT.

AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN, YOUR HONOR, YOU YOU DID SUCH A GREAT JOB OF GETTING THE POOL OPEN AGAIN AFTER IT WAS CLOSED FOR TWO YEARS. WHICH WAS A GREAT DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I WAS THERE THAT DAY. IT WAS AWESOME. I'M CONVINCED THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS POOL WORK FINANCIALLY.

IT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE WORK, A LITTLE PLANNING.

AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS WE HAVE A LITTLE TIME.

I REPRESENT A GROUP AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY THAT WE'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN AND PROPOSE IT.

BUT IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A MORATORIUM ON CLOSING THE POOL UNTIL WE COULD FIGURE THINGS OUT?

[00:25:02]

THANK YOU. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE ASSETS OF KEEPING THE POOL OPEN, BUT I WANT TO BRING UP SOMETHING THAT MAYBE I'M SURE YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT, BUT MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T. JUST TRYING TO FIND MAYBE SOME PARTNERSHIPS, SOME SPONSORSHIPS, SOME FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES THAT CAN HELP BRING MONEY INTO THE, INTO THE COFFERS. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I'VE HEARD THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP VOLUNTEER AT THE POOL IF NECESSARY TO HELP WITH, WITH THOSE COSTS. I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY CHANCE, LIKE THAT GENTLEMAN SAID ABOUT DELAYING THE CLOSING OF THE POOL, IF THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO FIND WAYS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO JUMP IN AND TRY TO HELP SAVE THE POOL WITH DIFFERENT THINGS.

ONE THING I'VE NOTICED SINCE I'VE MOVED HERE IS THERE'S AN INTERSECTION AT CULVER DRIVE AND PALM BAY ROAD THAT SAYS NO TURN ON RED, NO RIGHT TURN ON RED. EVERY TIME THAT I'M THERE, THERE'S AT LEAST SIX CARS THAT ARE TURNING RIGHT ON RED.

IF THERE'S SOME WAY WE COULD CAPTURE THAT FUNDING OF PEOPLE RUNNING THAT LIGHT, THAT WOULD HELP.

OKAY. OKAY. THERE'S LIKE EVERY DAY. EVERY TIME OF DAY, THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE TURNING RIGHT ON RED ON THAT STREET.

SO THERE'S MONEY THERE. WE JUST NEED TO CAPTURE IT.

THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS FOR THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS. OKAY, I'LL START WITH YOU.

ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. FIVE. THE YOUNG LADY IN THE SECOND ROW ON THE LEFT.

THAT'S YOU, MA'AM. OKAY, YOU'RE NUMBER ONE. OH.

HELLO, JUDGES. MY NAME IS COBY SIMPSON, AND I'M REPRESENTING THE POOL TODAY.

I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE POOL, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO GATHER AROUND AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. AND IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE I LIVE CLOSE BY.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

MAYOR. MEDINA. MY NAME IS REBECCA PLUTA. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN WHO REGULARLY USES PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

I WON'T STAND UP HERE AND PRETEND THAT YOU GUYS HAVE EASY DECISIONS IN FRONT OF YOU.

YOU DON'T? ALSO, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US CAN PRETEND THAT THIS ROOM IS NORMALLY HAS EVERY SEAT FULL.

IT DOESN'T. THIS COMMUNITY CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

I SEE THAT THE OPERATING COSTS OF THIS POOL HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEARS.

I DON'T SEE THAT THE RATES TO GET IN AND USE THE POOL HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEARS.

IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? I KNOW WE WANT TO KEEP COSTS LOW FOR EVERYBODY AND I WANT TO KEEP COSTS LOW.

MY FAMILY USES THIS POOL CONSTANTLY AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP COSTS LOW.

BUT IF YOU'RE KEEPING THEM SO LOW THAT YOU THEN HAVE TO CLOSE THE POOL, THAT JUST DEFIES ALL LOGIC IN MY MIND.

I JUST DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER WATER PARK IN THE COUNTRY WHERE IT COSTS $4 TO ENTER AND STAY ALL DAY.

DO YOU? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU CLOSE THIS POOL? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT THIS POOL HELPS TO LOWER CRIME? IT HELPS SUPPORT PROPERTY VALUES. IT HELPS SUPPORT FAMILIES IN THE AREA.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAMS? MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN SWIMMING ON HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAMS HERE FOR MANY YEARS.

WHERE WILL THOSE SWIM TEAMS GO? WHERE WILL THE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT COME FROM THOSE SWIM TEAMS? WHAT ABOUT THOSE KIDS? ARE THEY GOING TO FIND A NEW COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN? I'M GUESSING THEY WILL.

WEALTHY NON-PROFITS GIVE OUT GRANT MONEY EVERY YEAR TO FUND ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN.

HOW MANY OF THESE GRANTS HAS PALM BAY APPLIED FOR? WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SUCCESSFUL POOLS THAT THAT OPERATE THAT ARE FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL.

HAVE WE STUDIED ANY OF THOSE? HAVE WE APPLIED FOR ANY GRANTS? THE CITIZENS, THE CHILDREN OF PALM BAY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS TRIED EVERYTHING.

AND ONE FINAL SUGGESTION. PERHAPS IF A WEALTHY DEVELOPER WANTS TO BUILD A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD IN PALM BAY, PROBABLY THE LAST THING WE NEED. BUT IF THAT HAPPENS, THEY SHOULD MAKE A SIZABLE DONATION TO THE PALM BAY AQUATICS CENTER MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING FUND BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, THEY ARE BENEFITING FROM THE EXISTENCE OF THAT AQUATIC CENTER THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO THIS AREA.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

[00:30:09]

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF BUDGET, A LOT OF MONEY THAT CAN BE THROWN AROUND.

RIGHT. BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THAT BEFORE ANY CLOSURE SHOULD BE AN OPTION FOR THE COUNCIL TO REPLACE THE VALUE OF THIS POOL.

YOU SHOULD REALIZE THAT, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SAID, SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS GO THERE TO PRACTICE.

THERE ARE NO POOLS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THIS ONE FOR THE SOUTH SIDE OF PALM BAY.

AND THERE'S NO OPTIONS BEING PROPOSED IN THE INTERIM.

THERE ARE NO HIGH SCHOOLS WITH THEIR OWN POOLS.

ALSO, TO REALIZE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO BUS OPTIONS RIGHT NOW.

SO PARENTS ARE FRONTING THE COSTS OF HAVING TO TAKE THEIR KIDS TO THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER TO PRACTICE.

IF YOU CLOSE THIS POOL, YOU'RE BASICALLY SHUTTING DOWN ALL OF THE PALM BAY.

SWIM TEAMS, FORCING THEM NOT TO HAVE TO CONTINUE THEIR SEASON, WHICH, IF YOU CUT IT OFF IN OCTOBER, THEY'RE NOT DONE WITH THEIR SEASON YET. SO YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING GOODBYE TO ALL THAT.

SECONDLY, IF YOU CLOSE THE POOL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, YOU'RE CONDEMNING THE POOL.

THE POOL AT EFSC COCOA CAMPUS WAS CLOSED AND NEVER REOPENED BECAUSE THE COST TO FIX BROKEN ASPECTS DURING THE CLOSURE WERE MORE THAN WHAT IT COULD BE IF IT HAD JUST CONTINUED TO RUN. ULTIMATELY, THIS POOL IS ALWAYS FULL ON WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS USED BY HIGH SCHOOLS, WATER SAFETY LESSONS, OPEN SWIM DURING THE WEEK.

WE HAVE UNDERUTILIZED. THE POOL. IF REVENUE IS THE CONCERN.

INCREASE ADMISSION AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, BUT YOU CAN STILL PROVIDE SUBSIDIZED ENTRY FOR FAMILIES IN NEED.

THERE ARE OPTIONS EVENT RENTALS DURING TIMES THAT ARE SLOW OR EVEN AFTER HOURS.

MORE PRIVATE LESSONS NOT ONLY FOR SWIM BUT FOR DIVING AT CONCESSIONS AUCTION OUT BUSINESS MARKETING SPACE ON THE CHAIN LINK FENCE TO L3 HARRIS, NORTHROP GRUMMAN, TO NAME A FEW. RIGHT.

AND MEMBERSHIPS. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ALL ABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS, SO WHY NOT LOCK IN PEOPLE FOR MEMBERSHIPS AND YOU'LL HAVE A GUARANTEED REVENUE? THANKS. THANK YOU. HEY, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

YOU'VE GOT A HARD JOB. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I SEE A LOT OF FACES UP HERE. I VOTED FOR. SO I'M IN THE ROOM FOR THE REASON I'M REALLY HERE.

BECAUSE MY PARENTS CAME HERE FOR THE GREAT SPACE RACE IN THE 60S.

WELL, THEIR PARENTS DID. MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT AT MERRITT ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL FOR 30 YEARS IN THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.

ALL NINE OF HER KIDS SWIM AND DIVE TEAM. GUESS WHAT ELSE? THEY ALL WENT ON TO BECOME FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY ALL WENT ON TO BECOME LIFEGUARDS.

THEY ALL WENT ON IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IN THEIR EARLY CAREERS TO SAVE LIVES.

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOT DOGS, GUMMY BEARS, WHATEVER.

BOLOGNA SANDWICH HAS BEEN SWEPT OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A CHILD THAT IS CHOKING TO DEATH ON IT.

YOU GO AND YOU ASK, HOW MANY OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, YOUR POLICE FORCE THAT ARE HERE LEARNED THEIR FIRST AID SKILLS ON THE POOL OF A DECK? IT'S WAY GREATER THAN YOU THINK. WE AREN'T TALKING JUST ABOUT THE LOSS OF THIS GREAT ASPECT OF OUR COMMUNITY, ABOUT RAISING OUR PROPERTY VALUES OR KEEPING THEM HIGH.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAVING LIVES. I WENT ON, BECAME A LIFEGUARD MYSELF.

MY DAUGHTERS ARE BOTH NOW WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTORS AT THE POOL.

I'VE GOT SKIN IN THE GAME, NOT JUST HERE BECAUSE OF THE SKIN IN THE GAME.

I'M HERE BECAUSE EVERYONE THAT COMES TO THAT COMMUNITY POOL GETS A CHANCE TO HAVE THAT SAME SKIN IN THE GAME.

YOU ALL LOOK PRETTY FIT. HAVE WE GOT SOME ATHLETES UP HERE? A COUPLE OF YOU GUYS FOR SURE. DID YOU LEARN TO SWIM IN THE RIVER OR DID YOU LEARN TO SWIM IN A POOL? I LEARNED TO SWIM IN A POOL. I WAS PRETTY BLESSED.

I'VE ASKED AROUND AT WORK. A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY SAY, HEY, MAN.

WICKHAM. WICKHAM PARK USED TO LET YOU SWIM IN THE POND THERE AND YOU COULD LEARN TO SWIM THERE. I SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD ALTERNATIVE COMPARATIVELY. YOU KNOW, I SAY THIS WITH THE UTMOST LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE WHOLE PROCESS WE'RE DOING RIGHT HERE.

IT'S THE RIGHT THING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP THAT POOL, TO CONTINUE TO TRAIN OUR FIRST AID AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR LIFEGUARDS, AND TO CONTINUE TO SAVE LIVES.

WE'RE SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES OF THE STATE BY WATER.

MY GOODNESS. I WAS AN OCEAN LIFEGUARD AT THE BEACH.

WE SAVED LIVES EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT HAD I NOT STARTED AS A BREVARD COUNTY LIFEGUARD AT A POOL.

YEAH, I WAS ON THE SWIM AND DIVE TEAM. RIGHT.

A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE. WHAT ABOUT THE DISCIPLINE? WHAT ABOUT THE FITNESS LEVEL? WE TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS ALL THE TIME, ABOUT PEOPLE BEING DAMAGED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GO GET FIT.

SO I SEE IT FOR THE REHABILITATION, FOR THE OLDER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE AND THEY'RE RETIRED AND THEY MOVED HERE AND THEY WANT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT I ALSO SEE IT FOR THE

[00:35:04]

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO BACK US ON THIS AND GET BEHIND US ON SAVING THIS POOL. SAVE THE POOL.

GOOD EVENING. I'M BECKY VAN HEYDEN. I'M HERE REPRESENTING BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL SWIM AND DIVE, AS WELL AS HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL. I TOO HAVE BEEN TRYING.

I'M HEARING A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO SAY TONIGHT.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED BY THE COUNCIL TO DO SO ABOUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

THREE WEEKS AGO. I'VE REQUESTED PBAC'S FINANCIAL INFORMATION, DOCUMENTATION SUPPORTING THESE ANTICIPATED REPAIRS.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'M STILL THE REQUEST IS STILL IN PROGRESS, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE SPECIFIC NUMBERS.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I STARTED TO LOOK AT OTHER MUNICIPAL POOLS IN THE AREA.

I CONTACTED COCOA BEACH DIRECTLY AND THEIR POOL MANAGER PROVIDED ME WITH THEIR 2026 BUDGET.

COCOA BEACH OPERATES A MUCH LARGER TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE REGULATED COMPETITION SWIM AND DIVE FACILITY THERE.

THEIR ENTIRE AQUATIC BUDGET IS 727,777, WHICH IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ROUGHLY 729 CITED FOR PALM BAY AQUATIC. SO IF THESE ARE. I'M NOT A NUMBERS PERSON, I'M A SOCIAL WORKER.

BUT IF THESE ARE COMPARABLE NUMBERS, PALM BAY APPEARS TO BE SPENDING ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT TO OPERATE, ARE MUCH SMALLER AND LESS COMPLEX FACILITY. AND THAT TELLS ME WE NEED TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL IS INCLUDED IN THIS PALM BAY 729,000 FIGURE AND LOOK CLOSELY AT OPPORTUNITIES TO OPERATE THE AQUATIC CENTER MORE EFFICIENTLY.

BEFORE DECIDING THE CLOSURE IS THE BEST SOLUTION.

ANOTHER NUMBER THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IN LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING, I HEARD THAT IT STATED THAT PBC, WHICH IS WHAT US LOCALS CALL IT PBC PBC COSTS THE CITY APPROXIMATELY $16 A VISIT APPLIED TO THIS ROUGHLY 729,000. THAT REPRESENTS ALMOST 46,000 VISITS A YEAR.

AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT INCLUDES PARENTS FAMILY MEMBERS CHEERING ON THEIR KIDS AT MEETS OR ATTENDING BIRTHDAY PARTIES OF THEIR KIDS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT USE OF A COMMUNITY FACILITY.

IT IS NOT AN UNDERUSED FACILITY, WHICH IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ALSO HEARING AT THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS.

THERE'S ONE MORE NUMBER THAT I ALSO THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

AND WHAT PBC COSTS TO OPERATE IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT TAXPAYERS ARE GOING TO SAVE BY CLOSING THIS POOL.

IF IT IS TRULY A TEMPORARY ONE YEAR CLOSURE, THE FACILITY DOESN'T DISAPPEAR.

IT STILL HAS TO BE MAINTAINED AND PROTECTED. EXPENSES WILL REMAIN AND ALL THE REVENUE THAT THEY MAKE IS GOING TO BE LOST.

SO THERE'LL BE A DETERIORATION, AND THEN THERE'LL ALSO BE DETERIORATION AND REOPENING COSTS ON TOP OF THE THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

SO WE SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THIS CLOSURE MEANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SAVING THAT MUCH MONEY FOR TAXPAYERS OR FIX THE BUDGET.

THE NUMBER OF MATTERS, THE NUMBER THAT MATTERS IS THE ACTUAL NET SAVINGS FROM CLOSING THE PBAC.

SO PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON IT YET. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

CAN I ASK A YES? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR HER. I CHOSE STANDFAST COUNCIL COUNCILMAN.

I'VE CHOSEN FIVE SPEAKERS. THAT WAS NUMBER FOUR.

WHO WAS THE FIFTH ONE? I THINK SHE WAS FIFTH.

I WAS. YOU WERE? OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN THANK YOU MAYOR.

I JUST HAD A CLARIFICATION QUESTION FOR YOU, MA'AM. WHEN YOU SAID YOU REACHED OUT TO COCOA BEACH, WAS THAT THE CITY OF COCOA BEACH OR THE COCOA BEACH HIGH SCHOOL? COCOA BEACH AQUATICS CENTER? THE POOL MANAGER. OKAY. DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S RUN BY THE HIGH SCHOOL OR THE CITY? I'M JUST CURIOUS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S ALL.

OKAY. NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS. I'LL I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON SECTIONS.

SO I'VE GOT THIS SECTION. SO THEN I'LL WORK ON THAT SECTION.

OKAY. SO YOU'RE NUMBER ONE. YOU'RE NUMBER TWO MA'AM.

YOU'RE NUMBER THREE. IS THAT BUTCH? NUMBER THREE? YEAR FOUR. AND THEN YEAR FIVE IN THE RED SHIRT.

OKAY, NUMBER ONE, PLEASE STEP FORWARD. HI, MY NAME IS CAMILA, AND I'M PART OF THE BAYSIDE SWIM TEAM.

MY TEAM AND I NORMALLY PRACTICE AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER AROUND FOUR TIMES, 4 TO 5 TIMES A WEEK.

AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS OR SINCE I WAS 14 YEARS OLD.

THIS AMOUNT OF TIME I'M PRACTICING AT THIS POOL MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG DEAL TO MANY, BUT IT IS TO ME.

AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT FOR THE REASON THAT YOU WERE THINKING. AROUND THE TIME I REACHED.

[00:40:03]

I WANT EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THEY HEAR YOU. THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU. AROUND THE TIME I REACHED THE AGE 13, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MY FIRST ILLNESS.

AT THIS TIME, I COULD BARELY WALK AND I COULD BARELY EAT. AROUND THIS TIME, I FELT HELPLESS.

AND IF I'M BEING COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT, IT FELT LIKE I WAS SLOWLY DYING.

A FEW MONTHS LATER, I REMEMBER ASKING MY DOCTOR WHAT TO DO AND HE TOLD ME TO SWIM, AND I DID.

I STARTED SWIMMING AT THE PBEC FOUR TIMES A WEEK WITH THE WITH THE TEAM CALLED THE ROCKETS.

IN THIS TEAM, I FOUND FRIENDS THAT LED ME TO BAYSIDE, THE SCHOOL AND THE TEAM THAT I SWIM WITH.

NOT ONLY DID I FIND THESE PEOPLE IN THIS SCHOOL, BUT I FOUND STRENGTH AGAIN.

I FOUND STRENGTH TO WALK AND EAT AND TO FUNCTION LIKE A NORMAL KID AGAIN.

FROM THIS TIME TO NOW, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THREE MORE ILLNESSES.

AND EACH TIME EVERY DOCTOR HAS TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO SWIM.

THEY TOLD ME SWIMMING WAS THE BEST WAY TO STAY ACTIVE WITH ALL THE SICKNESSES THAT I CONTINUE TO HAVE.

TAKING AWAY THIS POOL ISN'T JUST TAKING AWAY A PLACE PEOPLE SWIM, IT'S TAKING AWAY A PLACE THAT I LEARNED THAT I'M STRONGER THAN WHATEVER I'M DIAGNOSED WITH IS TAKING AWAY A PLACE. I GAINED MY LIFE BACK AND IT'S TAKING AWAY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS TO DO SO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

HELLO. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. MY NAME IS LINDSEY BRADSHAW.

I'M THE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN, ALL WHO HAVE SWAM BACK AND WORK AT PBAC IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

WITH OVER 150,000 RESIDENTS. PALM BAY NEEDS MORE PUBLIC COMMUNITY SPACES.

BEING IN FLORIDA, A COMMUNITY POOL IS ESSENTIAL.

MANY OF US MAY HAVE POOLS AT HOME. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, NEED THIS PUBLIC SERVICE. AS YOU'VE HEARD THIS EVENING, THIS POOL MATTERS TO MANY.

BUT TODAY I AM FOCUSING ON SENIORS, CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS POPULATIONS THAT MAY NOT BE REPRESENTED HERE IN THEIR ACTUAL CAPACITY, BUT WE STAND IN THE GAP FOR THEM. SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO REALLOCATE, NOT TERMINATE, NOT CLOSE, NOT SELL US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.

WHICH RAN TO 19 TRENTON AVENUE. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY ALL THESE PEOPLE, IT'S BEHIND US NOW, SHOULD BE UP HERE ATTENDING REGULAR MEETINGS SO THEY CAN GET THEIR POINTS ACROSS.

NOW, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE COUNCIL PASSED A ROAD BOND.

THEY PUT IT TO THE VOTERS. THE VOTERS SAID YES, THE MONEY WROTE IN.

THEN WE GOT ASSESSMENT FROM THE CITY FOR STORMWATER WATER.

IT'S GOING TO RUN OFF MY ROOF, RUN OFF THE DRIVEWAY INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

IT'S CALLED A FEE AND NOT A TAX. SO IF YOU GUYS COULD LOOK INTO POSSIBLY A BOND OF SOME TYPE FOR JUST THE POOL, LET THE CITIZENS DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO PAY FOR IT.

IF IT DOESN'T PASS, YOU CAN BLAME THE CITIZENS.

IF IT DOES PASS, YOU CAN BLAME THE CITIZENS ALSO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SPEAK. I HAVE BEEN A CITIZEN OF PALM BAY FOR 25 YEARS NOW.

I HAVE WATCHED IT EXPAND AND GROW AND MY CHILDREN HAVE SWAM AT THAT POOL.

SINCE THEY WERE FIVE. I HAVE CHILDREN FROM 10 TO 32 AND ALL SIX OF THEM HAVE SWAM AND STILL SWIM. I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT WAS ON BAYSIDE, NOT BAYSIDE HERITAGE.

I HAVE A SON THAT SWIMS ON BREVARD HEAT. AND I HAVE A SON THAT SWIMS ON SPIRIT KIDS.

ALL THREE OF THEM THAT ARE LEFT. THEY. THE. ONE OF THEM IS A LIFEGUARD.

THE OTHER TOOK THE JUNIOR LIFEGUARD CLASS. AND MY DAUGHTER, ESTHER IS ALSO WORKING AT PALM BAY POOL.

IT GIVES JOBS FOR TEENAGERS, FOR YOUNG ADULTS.

WE NEED THOSE JOBS IN THIS CITY. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.

WE HAVE MORE HOUSING IN THIS CITY AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAN WE HAVE JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

[00:45:01]

IT HELPS THEM. IT HELPS THEM WITH THEIR SCHOOL SCHEDULE.

THE COLLEGE KIDS IT HELP THEY CAN THEY HAVE A PLACE TO WORK.

OKAY. AND YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE AWAY JOBS OF MUCH NEEDED PEOPLE BEYOND THE JOBS.

IT'S THE SAFETY. MY SEVEN YEAR OLD HAS AUTISM AND ADHD AND MY TEN YEAR OLD HAS AUTISM AND ADHD.

HE LEARNED HOW TO SWIM IN THAT POOL AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT.

WE HAVE TONS OF PARKS WE DO IN THE NORTHERN PART, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY POOL.

NOT ALL PEOPLE HAVE POOLS IN THEIR HOMES OR CAN AFFORD TO BUILD ONE.

I DO NOT HAVE A POOL AT MY HOME AND MY KIDS LOVE TO SWIM.

THIS IS A SPORT GUYS. THERE IS SO MANY TEAMS THAT SWIM AT THIS POOL.

THEY NEED THIS POOL. PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR TAKING SPORTS AWAY FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, FROM LITTLE KIDS THAT DO CLUB SWIM. WE NEED THIS POOL. I'M A CITIZEN HERE, I DON'T.

YOU GUYS NEED TO CONSIDER THIS, PLEASE, BECAUSE I WOULD PREFER TO MOVE THAN TO STAY IN THIS CITY THAT HAS NOTHING FOR THESE KIDS.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CARSON ZANDER. I'VE WORKED AT THE POOL AS A LIFEGUARD FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

I WANTED TO BRING UP THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT I SEE IN OUR POOL EVERY SINGLE SHIFT.

TO US, IT'S MORE THAN JUST A COUPLE OF LANES AND A SLIDE.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE OUR OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER FOR EVENTS LIKE TEAM SWIM MEETS A PLACE WHERE OUR FAMILIES COME TO SPEND VALUABLE TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND A PLACE WHERE OUR VALUABLE SWIM LESSONS TAKE PLACE.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE OUR COMMUNITY COMES TO GROW AS A WHOLE.

I PERSONALLY LOVE THE COMMUNITY EVENTS WE HOLD.

THERE ARE CERTAIN EVENTS WE HAVE PERIODICALLY, LIKE MOVIE NIGHTS FOR OUR CHILDREN.

WE HAVE HOLIDAY EVENTS. LIKE OUR PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HAD AN EASTER EGG HUNT.

WE'VE HAD TRICK OR TREATING EVENTS DURING HALLOWEEN AND MANY MORE.

IN MY FIVE YEARS OF WORKING, I'VE GAINED MANY LIFE SKILLS AND A LIFELONG FRIENDS WHILE WORKING AT THE POOL.

I WAS A POOL GOER AS A YOUNG LING, AND I PLAN TO BRING MY KIDS TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES AT THIS POOL WHEN I WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. WERE YOU SPEAKER NUMBER FIVE, SIR? WERE YOU NUMBER FIVE? YES. OKAY.

LET'S GO. LET'S GO. ANOTHER ROUND. THOSE IN THE IN THE BACK.

YOU'RE FOUR. YEAH. ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. OKAY, COME ON UP.

SPEAKER NUMBER ONE. AND THEN YOU'LL BE NUMBER FIVE AND I'LL START ON THIS END.

THANK YOU. ARE WE. WE KNOW EACH SPEAKER BACK THERE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LORELEI CRITCHFIELD.

AND I DIE FOR THE BAYSIDE TEAM AT PALM BAY AQUATICS CENTER.

I GO THERE AFTER SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY AND COUNTLESS OTHER STUDENTS DO.

THE POOL IS NOT JUST A PLACE PEOPLE GO. IT'S A PLACE THAT PEOPLE GO TO LIVE OUT THEIR DREAMS AND GOALS IN LIFE.

FOR MY FIRST JOB EVER, I STARTED WORKING AT THE POOL.

I WORKED FOR AQUATICS AND EDUCATION, AND I GO TO THE POOL EVERY SATURDAY AND TEACH KIDS HOW TO SWIM, AND THAT IS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR THOSE KIDS. AND NOT ONLY DO KIDS GO THERE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM, BUT SO DO ADULTS. AND I DON'T THINK BUDGET WILL EVER COME ABOVE SOMEONE DROWNING.

BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT, WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND THERE'S WATER EVERYWHERE.

EVERY DAY WHEN I SEE KIDS COME OUT OF THAT POOL, I REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A POOL, BUT A SECOND HOME TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO LOVES IT. AND WHEN I LOOK AT OUR POOL, I DON'T JUST SEE A BODY OF CHLORINATED WATER.

I SEE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE GOES TO LIVE, BREATHE, SWIM, DIVE AND HAVE FUN.

THIS POOL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART IN MY LIFE AND MANY OTHERS.

I BEG YOU TO RECONSIDER AND I SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SUSAN LEE AND I SWIM FOR BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL.

[00:50:01]

OUR POOL HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT GIVES SWIMMERS A PLACE TO GO TO PRACTICE AND STAY ACTIVE.

KIDS ALSO GO THERE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND HAVE FUN, SPEND TIME WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES AS WELL.

IT ALSO GIVES OLDER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES A PLACE TO EXERCISE AND HELP WITH THE PAIN.

KEEPING THE POOL OPEN ALSO GIVES PEOPLE JOBS AND GIFTS OF AND GIVES FAMILIES A PLACE TO COME TOGETHER.

IT GIVES KIDS SOMETHING TO DO AFTER SCHOOL INSTEAD OF STAYING HOME.

IT MAY JUST LOOK LIKE A POOL AND NOT VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT HELPS SO MANY PEOPLE, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY.

SOMETIMES IT IS NOT ABOUT MAKING MONEY, BUT ABOUT HELPING THE COMMUNITY.

I HOPE YOU CAN SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND HOW IT HELPS US KEEP OPEN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MEGAN HOLLERAN, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU FROM THE HEART ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AT THE POOL.

SO I'M A LAP SWIMMER. I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO GOES SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

AND THE LANES ARE ALWAYS FULL. LIKE WE ARE WAITING FOR LANES.

THIS SUMMER WAS BRILLIANT BECAUSE THERE WERE ALL THESE LESSONS GOING ON, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE AQUA AEROBICS PEOPLE ARE HERE, BUT THEY ARE SASSY AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO MESS WITH THE AQUA AEROBICS.

THEY CAME IN THERE TAKING UP THAT WHOLE SECTION OF THE POOL.

THERE'S SWIM LESSONS. INDIVIDUAL ADULT CHILDREN.

THE LAP SWIMMERS ARE WAITING. THEN THERE'S SWIM MEETS.

WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN A FLUID COMMUNITY.

AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED HERE SIX YEARS AGO, I COULD BARELY WALK BECAUSE I HAD SUCH A BAD BACK SPINAL INJURY.

AND OF COURSE, WHAT DID ALL THE DOCTORS SAY? THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THE BEST THING.

GET IN THE POOL. AND I COULD, I COULD MOVE AGAIN.

I COULD WALK AGAIN. I DID SIDESTROKE FOR TWO YEARS, BUT NOW I, I DID MY FIRST SPRINT TRIATHLON LAST YEAR.

AND I DO FREESTYLE AND I, MY HUSBAND ALSO IS INVOLVED.

HE'S A VET. I ALSO WANTED TO REPRESENT. THERE'S A LOT OF VETS WHO COME TO USE THE POOL BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SO MUCH PAIN.

THAT'S ALL THEY CAN DO. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY OF THE BEAUTIFUL SENIORS SAY TO ME, I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN BEFORE I GOT HERE, AND NOW MY BODY FEELS SO MUCH BETTER AFTERWARDS AND I CAN WALK.

SO THAT'S ALL THAT FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO PROFESSIONALLY.

I'M A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, AND THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY TO SOMEONE EVEN BEFORE COUNSELING IS, HAVE YOU EXERCISED RIGHT FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND THE COMBINATION BETWEEN SWIMMING, THE FOCUS YOU HAVE TO HAVE BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND YOUR BREATH AND, AND THE WHOLE PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR BODY.

I MEAN, IT ALSO COULD BE REALLY DETRIMENTAL TO PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS COMMUNITY, NOT JUST PHYSICAL HEALTH.

I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE TIME.

THIS IS AN AWFUL PLACE FOR YOU TO BE. GOOD LUCK AND THINK ABOUT IT.

I THINK IT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, NOT A LIMITATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL FOR HEARING US. MY NAME IS THOMAS WILSON. I USE THE POOL ON OCCASION.

MY TWO DAUGHTERS USE THE POOL QUITE FREQUENTLY.

I WASN'T ENTIRELY SURE WHAT I WOULD SAY TONIGHT. I DON'T THINK I PERSONALLY NEED TO CONTINUE TO STAND AND FIGHT.

CONVINCE YOU TONIGHT. I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY COME OUT HERE AND DONE THAT.

I HOPE EACH OF YOU SEE THAT AS WELL. I THINK ACTUALLY MIKE FROM BREVARD SWIM CLUB, I BELIEVE HE SAID, SAID IT BEST SO FAR AND I'LL REPHRASE KIND OF EVERYTHING SLIGHTLY.

I THINK THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE OUTCOMES THAT COME OUT OF THIS MEETING IN MY OWN OPINION.

FIRST, YOU CAN KEEP THE POOL OPEN BASED ON HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT HERE TONIGHT. SECOND, YOU COULD CLOSE THE POOL BASED ON SOLELY ON THE PUBLIC FINANCIALS YOU'VE ALREADY PROVIDED, OR THIRD, IN MY MIND, WHICH IS REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT.

YOU COULD STEP BACK, CONTINUE TO HEAR IDEAS, PLANS, IMPLEMENT BUDGET WORKSHOPS, AND TO DEVELOP A PATH TO ALLOW THE AQUATIC CENTER TO BE A LONG TERM SUCCESS HERE. SO IF OPTION ONE IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED, WHICH IS KEEPING THE POOL OPEN, THEN I WOULD REALLY BEHOOVE EACH OF YOU THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IF YOU ACTUALLY DON'T PUT OPTION THREE BEFORE OPTION TWO.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. PALM BAY. DAN HOLMES 1107.

[00:55:03]

YOU'VE HEARD FROM COACHES, TEACHERS, LIFEGUARDS, SWIMMERS, ATHLETES.

TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE UNITED STATES MILITARY. OKAY.

SO LISTEN. I'M AN AVID SWIMMER. I'M A FORMER U.S.

NAVY RESCUE SWIMMER. I ALSO HAVE A KIDNEY DISEASE THAT I GOT FROM A RESCUE OPERATION THAT I WAS A PART OF.

I ALSO USED THIS COMMUNITY POOL AS MY THERAPY ALL THE TIME.

I RELY ON IT. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I WANT YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.

PALM BAY IS THE LARGEST CITY IN BREVARD. WE PROBABLY GOT THE BIGGEST POPULATION OF VETERANS IN IT.

WHERE DO WE GO TO SWIM? YOU WANT US TO GO ON BASE? WE GO TO PATRICK. THEIR POOL HAS BEEN CLOSED ALL SUMMER. THEY CAN'T GET A POOL PUMP.

WHERE DO WE GO? WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE VETERANS.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE ON DELAYED ENTRY, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FUTURE SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

THIS FUTURE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATOR, THE FUTURE SAILOR.

AIRMAN MARINE THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE RESCUING THE NEXT.

YOU UNDERSTAND? SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION BECAUSE OUR DELAYED ENTRY PERSONNEL ARE TRAINING.

THEY'RE USING THIS POOL. THE REASON I KNOW IS BECAUSE I'M WORKING WITH THEM.

AND NOW WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO OUT OF COUNTY OR OUT OF CITY TO USE A DIFFERENT POOL TO GET THE SAME JOB DONE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF EVERYBODY ELSE THAT USES THIS POOL.

I CAN'T GO TO PATRICK AND USE THE POOL, SO I'M FORCED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON ON A MEMBERSHIP THAT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY IN THE FIRST PLACE, TO GO TO A GYM THAT MIGHT HAVE A POOL IN IT.

I WANT TO OFFER A POSSIBLE SOLUTION. I RUN A LOCAL AND NATIONAL 501 C THREE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND WE HELP OUR VETERANS WITH THEIR BENEFITS, THEIR SERVICES, THEIR ATHLETICS, THEIR WORKOUTS, THEIR DISABILITIES, ALL ASPECTS. I'D LIKE TO OFFER OUR HELP.

WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE CITY, WITH THE PARTNERS OF THE CITY? WHAT CAN WE DO AS A NONPROFIT TO HELP RAISE THE FUNDS TO KEEP THE POOL OPEN? IT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS THAT Y'ALL ARE FIGHTING ABOUT KEEPING THE POOL OPEN.

WE NEED THE POOL. THE VETERANS NEED THE POOL.

THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THE POOL. THERE SHOULD BE NO OTHER OPTION, ESPECIALLY ON THIS COUNTY COUNCIL.

IF YOU'RE A VETERAN OF OUR MILITARY ESPECIALLY, IT CAN'T EVEN BE A THOUGHT OF REMOVING MORE VETERAN SERVICES. COME ON, COME ON, PALM BAY, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

OKAY, NOW I'M I'M WORKING ON THIS SECTION HERE.

BY SHOW OF HANDS, PLEASE. YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, MA'AM.

YOU'RE NUMBER TWO, SIR. YOU'RE NUMBER THREE, MA'AM.

IN THE RED AND IN THE RED. NUMBER FOUR. AND THEN I'LL GO WITH.

I'LL GO WITH YOU, MA'AM. MISS KRISTEN AND DIANA.

RIGHT. AS YOU WERE. AND THEN I'LL PICK UP THE NEXT BATCH.

OKAY. CARRY ON. MA'AM. HELLO? I DID NOT PREPARE FOR THIS AT ALL.

MY GIRLFRIEND CALLED ME AND SAID, HEY, YOU GOT TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

MY NAME IS LEAH FAMIGLIETTI. I AM AT 1657 COLORADO.

I LOVE PALM BAY. ONE OF THE REASONS I LOVE IT IS BECAUSE THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS AND ALL THAT THEY OFFER TO CLOSE THIS POOL WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL. I HAVE A 13 YEAR OLD WHO IS A HOMESCHOOLER.

EVERYONE'S GOT UP HERE AND TALKED ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOLERS THAT UTILIZE THE POOL, AND WHILE THAT IS WONDERFUL, WE HAVE HOMESCHOOL TEAMS THAT WITHOUT THIS COMMUNITY POOL, THEY HAVE NO NO OPTION FOR SWIM.

THEY'RE SHUT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOLS OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCHOOL SPORTS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE HOMESCHOOLERS, BUT THERE'S SO MANY TEAMS THAT THIS IS THEIR ONLY RESOURCE TO PRACTICE AND FOR MEETS THAT'S LOCAL. EVERY MORNING AT SWIM PRACTICE, THERE'S SENIORS SWIMMING IN THOSE LANES. IT'S COST, IT'S $2 FOR THEM TO GET IN.

AND YOU KNOW, THE POOL IS ALWAYS PACKED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE EVEN.

[01:00:04]

IF YOU'RE NOT IN THERE, YOU'RE NOT GETTING IN THERE. SO RATHER THAN CLOSE IT, WHY CAN'T WE JUST WORK ON A SOLUTION HERE? BECAUSE IF IT CLOSES, IT'S NEVER GOING TO OPEN.

THERE IS A COST TO REOPENING A POOL. I'VE TAUGHT A LOT OF KIDS HOW TO SWIM.

I TAUGHT A 66 YEAR OLD NURSE HOW TO SWIM THERE.

OKAY. TO SURPRISE HER FAMILY ON A CRUISE. YOU KNOW, IT IS THE HEART OF THIS COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I DON'T I DON'T WISH TO BE IN ANY OF YOUR SHOES, BUT JUST THINK OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND HOW IT BRINGS US TOGETHER.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YOU TOO.

HELLO. MY NAME IS JONAH CRIER. I'M A SENIOR AT BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M ONE OF THE TEAM CAPTAINS FOR THE BAYSIDE SWIM TEAM.

I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING, LOOK AT ALL THE REPRESENTATION IN HERE.

WE'VE GOT VETERANS, WE'VE GOT LIFEGUARDS, WE'VE GOT SWIM TEAM, WE'VE GOT OUR WATER AEROBICS.

WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO TEACH SWIM LESSONS. IT'S AWESOME.

OKAY. I LOVE IT. AND EVERYONE HAS GOT A BEAUTIFUL STORY, RIGHT? EVERYONE'S GOT A STORY. AND I WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF MY STORY AND SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME.

SO LIKE I SAID, I'M ON THE SWIM TEAM AND OUR TEAM RELIES ON THIS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO IF THIS CLOSES DOWN.

I'M KIND OF LUCKY THAT I'M A SENIOR, AND I'LL MOST LIKELY BE GONE BEFORE THIS STUFF GETS DECIDED.

BUT I HAVE NO SPECIFICALLY TWO FRIENDS IN THE AUDIENCE ON MY TEAM.

THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE. THEY HAVE GENUINE POTENTIAL TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR SWIMMING.

RIGHT. AND THERE'S SOME OF MY GOOD FRIENDS AND I WOULD HATE IT TO SEE THIS POOL CLOSE AND THEIR OPPORTUNITY GO AWAY WHEN THEY COULD GET A SCHOLARSHIP TO GO SOMEWHERE AND THAT THAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY I GET WHERE YOU GUYS ARE COMING FROM BECAUSE THE NUMBERS DON'T LINE UP.

I GET IT BECAUSE I USED TO BE A LIFEGUARD AT PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'VE LEARNED A LOT RECENTLY ABOUT MANAGEMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT.

THERE COULD BE DOING A LOT BETTER, RIGHT? THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE THE POOL.

ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, OH, WE NEED TO RAISE THE PRICES OR ALL THIS STUFF.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE MANAGEMENT THERE AND NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL TO ANYONE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GUARDS IN THERE.

THEY GET PAID HOURLY AND WE HAVE ISSUES LIKE THUNDERSTORMS AND THINGS WHERE WE CLOSE UNEXPECTEDLY AND GUARDS SIT IN THERE, CLOCKED IN, AND THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE STORM TO GO AWAY.

RIGHT. AND THAT IS A LOT OF WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY HOW MUCH, BUT THEY GET PAID PRETTY WELL THERE AND THEY DON'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE THIS MONEY IS GOING. AND THAT IS A LARGE PART OF IT.

RIGHT? YES. WE COULD RAISE THE PRICES, RIGHT.

I KNOW NORTH COUNTY POOL, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY MAKE A PROFIT, BUT THEY CHARGE MORE THAN US.

RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ANY OTHER POOLS CHARGE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY RAISE THE PRICES.

BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THESE PEOPLE BETTER.

OKAY. BECAUSE BEING A LIFEGUARD IS MY FIRST JOB AND IT WAS PRETTY FUN.

AND THEN I GOT MY SECOND JOB AND I REALIZED THE MANAGEMENT CHANGED COMPLETELY.

RIGHT. IF I WAS CLOCKED IN, I WAS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING. AND I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE RIGHT NOW WITH THE AQUATIC CENTER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JASMINE ROBERSON.

I AM A LIFEGUARD AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

AND I JUST WANTED TO COME UP HERE TONIGHT AND SPEAK ON MY EXPERIENCE.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE EXHAUSTING EVERY AVENUE POSSIBLE BEFORE WE MAKE THE DECISION TO CLOSE THE POOL.

SO OBVIOUSLY, OUR BIGGEST EXPENSE IS STAFFING.

COUNCILMAN JOHNSON DID BRING UP THE IDEA OF USING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.

HOWEVER, THE ISSUE WITH THAT IS ANY LIFEGUARD IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY CERTIFIED AND CERTIFYING A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS WILL BECOME EXPENSIVE.

BUT ONE SOLUTION IS THAT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, THEY PROVIDE A CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN THAT WILL SUBSIDIZE THE CERTIFICATION FEES.

[01:05:01]

AND WE WOULD JUST BE AN ADDITIONAL LOCATION WITH THAT.

AND THESE VOLUNTEERS WOULD SUPPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE OUR NECESSARY PAID STAFF.

VOLUNTEER LIFEGUARDS COULD HELP COVER THE LOWER DEMAND ACTIVITIES LIKE LAP SWIM OR OUR SWIM TEAM PRACTICES AND OUR PAID STAFF COULD COVER OUR HIGH DEMAND PERIODS LIKE OPEN SWIMS AND OUR CRAZY EVENTS. AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT MORE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TRY TO FIND CORPORATE DONATIONS.

THAT WAY THE CITY IS NOT CARRYING THE ENTIRE BURDEN ALONE.

THERE'S A COMPANY WE COULD APPROACH WATER SAFETY PRODUCTS INTO DONATING OUR LIFEGUARD EQUIPMENT LIKE OUR HIP PACKS, WHISTLES WE COULD REACH OUT TO OUR LOCAL PRINTING COMPANIES.

THEY COULD SPONSOR, DONATE OUR STAFF SHIRTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

ANOTHER THING WE DO NEED TO DO IS INCREASE REVENUE.

A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MENTIONS THEY WANT CONCESSION.

WE CAN START SIMPLE WITH WATER, GATORADE, CHIPS, JUST BASIC STUFF WITH A HIGH MARGIN.

AND WE COULD BE MAKING A GOOD AMOUNT TO COVER ADDITIONAL COSTS.

EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED RAISING PRICES. WE NEED TO OFFER DYNAMIC PRICING.

LAP SWIM SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY COST THE SAME AS OPEN SWIM.

WHEN OPEN SWIM REQUIRES SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STAFF AND RESOURCES.

WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK INTO PARTNERSHIPS. WE COULD APPROACH LOCAL HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS HEALTHFIRST ABOUT PARTNERING FOR REHAB AND AQUATIC EXERCISE PROGRAMS. YEAH. NONE OF THESE IDEAS WILL SOLVE EVERY FINANCIAL PROBLEM, BUT THESE GRANTS, SPONSORSHIPS, VOLUNTEERS AND EXPANDED PROGRAMING CAN REDUCE THE POOL'S DEPENDANCE ON THE CITY'S FUND.

WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND WE'RE SURROUNDED BY POOLS, BEACHES AND WATERWAYS.

LEARNING TO SWIM AND HAVING ACCESS TO WATER. SAFETY IS NOT SIMPLY RECREATION.

IT IS A LIFE SKILL. SO WE NEED TO THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

HELLO. MY NAME IS MACKENZIE JOSEPH. I'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE POOL FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I COME FROM A MILITARY FAMILY. WE MOVED DOWN TO FLORIDA IN 2022 AFTER MY DAD RETIRED FROM THE AIR FORCE.

TOWARDS THE END OF 2023 TO THE BEGINNING OF 2024, I WAS IN A VERY ROUGH SPOT IN MY LIFE.

SOME THINGS HAPPENED AND OVERALL IT WAS JUST NOT A GOOD TIME FOR ME MENTALLY.

IN FEBRUARY OF 2024, I JOINED A SWIM CLINIC THAT WAS HELD AT THE BACK OR THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

THAT ALLOWED ME TO GET OUT AND MEET PEOPLE. IT WAS HONESTLY THE FIRST POSITIVE EXPERIENCE I HAD HAD IN MONTHS.

I THEN WENT ON TO SWIM MY LAST TWO YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITIVELY ALONGSIDE MY SISTER.

WE HAD OUR PRACTICES AND SOME OF OUR MEETS AT THE PARK.

SEPTEMBER OF 2024, I STARTED WORKING AS A LIFEGUARD AT THE POOL, AND SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN ABLE TO EARN MY WSI, BECOME CAPTAIN AND COACH FOR SWIM TEAMS THAT MY SISTERS AND FRIENDS HAVE BEEN AND ARE A PART OF.

OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE HAD SO MANY BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCES WITH NOT ONLY MY COWORKERS, BUT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. I HAVE GAINED SO MANY RELATIONSHIPS THAT I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE, I WOULD HAVE NOW IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE POOL. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TEACH WELL OVER 100 KIDS TO SWIM, THANKS TO THE LESSONS HELD AT THE POOL, WHICH IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FLORIDA.

I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FORM BONDS WITH THOSE KIDS AS WELL AS THE PATRONS THAT COME TO THE POOL.

OF COURSE, WHAT I'M SAYING IS NOT JUST ABOUT ME, BUT OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW MUCH THE POOL HAS HELPED IT.

THE DECISION TO BE MADE ON THE 23RD WILL TRULY SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW IT FUNCTIONS.

YES, THE FUNDS CONVERSATION IS AN IMPORTANT ONE AND ONE THAT SHOULD BE HAD.

IF YOU TRULY CARED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE OUTCOME OF THE AQUATIC CENTER.

MY MAIN POINT HERE IS THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER HELPED ME IN A TIME THAT I REALLY NEEDED IT.

AND HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'D BE WITHOUT IT.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR OTHER PEOPLE? IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN THINK ABOUT AND TAKE TO HEART, THAT JUST SHOWS WHO THE LEADERS ARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT.

IF YOU TRULY WANTED TO, YOU WOULD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MA'AM. MOTHERING IS NOT EASY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.

COUNCIL KRISTIN JONES, RESIDENT OF NORTHWEST PALM BAY.

MY MY FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB OF POINTING OUT A LOT OF THINGS. I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A PERSONAL STORY. I HAVE A UNIQUE STORY

[01:10:03]

THEN IN 2006, I JOINED THE BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM.

IN 2007, I STARTED WORKING AS A LIFEGUARD. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, I BECAME CERTIFIED AS A WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR, AND BY 2010 I WAS THE HEAD COACH OF OUR SUMMER SWIM TEAM.

IN 2017, I WAS HELPING RUN THE FACILITY AFTER WORKING MY WAY THROUGH THE RANKS FROM RECREATION AIDE TO RECREATION LEADER.

CURRENTLY THE RECREATION SPECIALIST. I'M A PRODUCT OF THIS FACILITY, AND WHAT STARTED AS A HIGH SCHOOL JOB EVENTUALLY BECAME A CAREER.

TODAY, I OWN MY OWN SWIM SCHOOL. I TEACH LESSONS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.

AND UP UNTIL THIS POINT. UP UNTIL THIS FALL, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF DEVELOPING CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMING THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS ASKING FOR OUTSIDE OF THE TYPICAL GROUP LESSONS. THOSE WERE OUR TODDLER TIME PROGRAMING, REVIVING THE SUMMER SWIM TEAM AND YEAR ROUND SWIM CLINICS.

I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH CHILDREN COME THROUGH THIS FACILITY AND BECOME STRONGER, MORE CONFIDENT SWIMMERS.

I'VE WATCHED YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH LIFEGUARDING, AND I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN HOW A PUBLIC POOL CAN BECOME A STARTING POINT FOR A CAREER IN AQUATICS, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. THIS FACILITY DOESN'T GIVE ME JUST A PAYCHECK AND A WAY TO PROVIDE FOR MY THREE YOUNG BOYS.

IT ALSO GAVE ME SKILLS, CERTIFICATIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND A CAREER THAT I GENUINELY LOVE.

THAT'S WHY I WANT TO ALSO ADDRESS THE IDEA OF RELYING ON THE VOLUNTEERS TO KEEP THE POOL OPERATING, AS IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED ALREADY. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING.

I ALSO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED THE VOLUNTEERS.

BUT LIFEGUARDING AND WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTION ARE SKILLED JOBS.

THE PEOPLE DOING THEM HAVE TO MAINTAIN CERTIFICATIONS, CONTINUE TRAINING, AND CARRY AN ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY WHEN WE STEP ONTO THAT POOL DECK.

MANY OF THE LIFEGUARDS ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS. THIS ISN'T JUST A JOB FOR AN EXPERIENCE.

IT HELPS THEM PAY FOR SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION AND BASIC COSTS OF BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT.

I KNOW THAT I PERSONALLY COULDN'T SUPPORT MY FAMILY DOING THIS WORK FOR FREE, AND WE SHOULDN'T BUILD THE FUTURE OF THE FACILITY EXPECTING PEOPLE TO DO SKILLED WORK WITHOUT COMPENSATION. I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO FUND THIS POOL IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THE CITY EXPLORE RENEWED PARTNERSHIPS WITH EASTERN FLORIDA AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, TO LOOK AT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE OPERATION, MAINTENANCE OF THE FACILITY, AND TO MAYBE GET A GREATER USE OUT OF IT.

THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THROUGH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL.

I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES OR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, BUT I DO KNOW THIS I SPENT NEARLY 20 YEARS WATCHING THIS FACILITY SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. I'VE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO CREATE PROGRAMING WHENEVER I SAW A NEED, WHEN FAMILIES NEEDED MORE SWIM LESSONS, I FOUND WAYS TO PROVIDE THEM.

WHENEVER SWIMMERS NEEDED ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, I HELPED CREATE MORE PROGRAMS. AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE SHOULD MAKE A DECISION THAT LIMITS FAMILIES ACCESS TO WATER SAFETY WITHOUT EXHAUSTING EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'M GOING TO COMPLETE ON THAT SECTION. I KNOW YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, YOUNG MAN WITH THE BLUE.

YOU'RE NUMBER TWO. YOU'RE NUMBER THREE. DID YOU SPEAK ALREADY, SIR? YOU'RE NUMBER FOUR. OKAY. NUMBER ONE, COME ON UP.

YOU GOT FIVE AND FIVE AND SIX. THANK YOU. HELLO.

OH, HELLO. MY NAME IS XAVIER. I HAVE BEEN WITH THE BARRACUDAS FOR THREE YEARS, AND IN THOSE YEARS, I HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES. FUNNY ONES.

YOUNG MAN, PLEASE STAND FAST. I WANT YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME, OKAY.

SO CAN YOU HELP HIM WITH THE MIC? MR. ROBINSON, PLEASE? YOU'RE VERY COURAGEOUS, I APPRECIATE YOU. WHY DON'T YOU START AGAIN WITH YOUR NAME? MY NAME IS XAVIER. I HAVE BEEN WITH THE BARRACUDAS FOR THREE YEARS, AND IN THOSE YEARS, I HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES. FUNNY ONES, SILLY ONES, AND IMPORTANT ONES.

AND WE GET TO BE TOGETHER AS A TEAM. AND IF YOU CLOSE THE POOL, WE MIGHT HAVE TO BE IN DIFFERENT SWIM TEAMS. KEEP THE POOL OPEN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

HELLO ONCE AGAIN. I'VE COME TO SAY SOME SIMPLE THINGS ABOUT THE POOL.

MAINLY THAT I HAVE GROWN UP THERE THROUGHOUT THE MAJORITY OF MY LIFE.

AS A CHILD, I WOULD RUN AROUND, HAVE SOME FUN.

I WOULD AT THE NIGHT. I WOULD LIKE, GO IN THE BATHROOM AND I'D HELP CLEAN WITH THE OTHER LIFEGUARDS.

[01:15:03]

I HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL OR SOMETHING. A LITTLE BIT SAD ABOUT THAT, BUT I EVENTUALLY ENDED UP JOINING THE SWIM TEAM.

I WAS ON THE SWIM TEAM FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS UNTIL I WAS LIKE, I WANT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I WOULD. I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.

IT'S OKAY. GOOD. IT'S MAINLY ONE THING WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LEARNING HOW TO SWIM AND LIKE ACTUAL PEOPLE ENJOYING IT. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE IN LIKE AN OPEN SWIM DAY AND YOU SEE LIKE 50 CHILDREN ALL JUST LIKE RUNNING ABOUT TO HAVE LIKE THE BEST TIME OF THEIR LIVES INTO THE WATER PLAY AND HAVING FUN.

BEST TIME OF THEIR LIFE RIGHT THERE. IT'S SO MANY THINGS.

THERE'S SWIM TEAMS. THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE LEARNING HOW TO SWIM.

AS YOU SAID, THE NUMBER ONE DEATH HERE IS DROWNING.

POOL IS STOPPING IT FROM DROWNING. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD ONE THING WITH THE FLOCK CAMERAS.

YOU SAID THAT SAVED AT LEAST ONE LIFE. IT'S THE LIFE.

IT'S REALLY GOOD. BUT THIS POOL IS SAVING SO, SO MANY MORE.

AND YOU WANT TO SHUT IT DOWN? IT'S. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. HI.

HI. MY NAME IS SHARI. I'M THE WATER FIT INSTRUCTOR AT THE POOL.

AND I DO HAVE A STORY. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES TONIGHT, SO I KIND OF WROTE DOWN JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT JUST GENERAL.

OF COURSE, IT'S COMMUNITY. IT'S FAMILY, IT'S FRIENDSHIPS.

IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE THAT WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

WE KNOW, AND I LOVE EVERY SINGLE STORY THAT'S BEEN TOLD, BUT HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS, RIGHT? LIKE, SO WHERE WOULD SPECIAL OLYMPICS GO? RIGHT.

I MEAN, HAS ANYBODY TALKED ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS OR WHAT ABOUT WHERE? SORRY, WHAT ABOUT LIKE THE FIRE, THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT COME THERE AND THEY TRAIN.

RIGHT. THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR WEEKS IN A ROW. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SAID BEFORE, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S TALKED ABOUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

I FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENT THOUGH.

YOU SAY IT COSTS 700 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS TO RUN THE POOL.

LIKE HAVE WE HAD SECOND AND THIRD OPINIONS? HAVE WE ASKED ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO DONATE SUPPLIES OR DONATE SOME TIME, OR LIMIT SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES? DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION HAS ACTUALLY COME TO OUR POOL ALSO TO TRAIN AND TO LEARN? AS FAR AS LIKE RAISING MONEY, HAVE WE EVEN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND RAISE SOME MONEY? COULD THE MONEY FROM THE FLOCK CAMERAS GO? WE JUST GOT $3.5 MILLION TO BUILD UP PART OF THE COMPOUND THAT'S BEEN SITTING THERE, YOU KNOW, EMPTY AND NOT DOING ANYTHING. PUT SOME OF THAT MONEY INTO THE POOL.

THIS IS. AND THESE AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT I HEAR. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. YOU KENNY SAID HE'S NOT HERE, BUT HE'S ALL LIKE, BRING US SOME IDEAS. RIGHT.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE IDEAS.

RAISING MONEY WITH DONATIONS, SPONSORS, A FUNDRAISER.

WHAT ABOUT A 21? AND OVERNIGHT? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE POOL EXISTS? I PUT IT OUT THERE ON FACEBOOK. AND SO MANY. WE HAVE A POOL.

HOW DOES MELBOURNE HAVE THREE POOLS WITHIN TEN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER, AND THEY'RE ALL UP AND RUNNING.

AND WE CAN'T EVEN KEEP ONE UP AND RUNNING. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND, ANY CITY THAT I EVER LIVED IN HAS ALWAYS HAD A COMMUNITY POOL.

AT LEAST ONE. SO WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, CLOSING A LITTLE BIT.

I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO LOSE THEIR JOBS THOUGH, ESPECIALLY ME, BECAUSE I DEPEND ON THIS INCOME.

RIGHT. NO, IT'S TRUE THOUGH. SO SPONSORSHIPS, FAMILY NIGHTS OUT OTHER KIND OF SOCIALS, MOVIE NIGHTS.

AND WHERE IS IT ADVERTISED. RIGHT. LIKE, YEAH, YOU CAN GO ON THE CITY OF PALM BAY WEBSITE, BUT THE POOL NEEDS LIKE ITS OWN LITTLE COMMUNITY.

IT NEEDS ITS OWN LITTLE COMMITTEE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN, KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED.

YES. USE VOLUNTEERS WHERE YOU CAN, FOR SURE. YOU'VE HEARD THOSE, ALL THOSE IDEAS.

BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY TO BAND TOGETHER AND RAISE MONEY.

WHERE IS OUR PRIORITY LIST OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED IN THE POOL FIRST? WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, WE NEED $1 MILLION TO FIX THE POOL WHEN NOBODY KNOWS WHAT.

WHAT IS THAT? WHERE ARE THOSE? WHERE ARE THOSE COSTS? WHAT'S THE PRIORITY? WHAT CAN WE DO FIRST? WHEN THERE WAS AN ASSESSMENT DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WHY WASN'T IT WORKED ON THEN? I ALSO HEARD THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERED US SOME MONEY FROM THEIR BUDGET.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? THANK YOU.

WHAT'S GOING ON? MY NAME IS NOAH SEAHORSE. I'M REPRESENTING ALL THE ATHLETES AND THE LIFEGUARDS.

[01:20:08]

THIS POOL MEANS A LOT TO ME. AND MY LIFE WAS ACTUALLY SAVED IN THIS POOL.

I HAD A CARDIAC ACCIDENT, AND MY. MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF MY SWIM TEAM, MY SWIM.

SORRY. SORRY. I'M REALLY NERVOUS. TAKE. TAKE YOUR TIME, BUDDY.

TAKE YOUR TIME. BUT, YEAH, MY LIFE WAS SAVED.

THAT WAS, WHAT, LIKE A YEAR? TWO YEARS AGO? YEAH.

YES, SIR. I REMEMBER THE INCIDENT. YES, SIR. AND SO IF IT WASN'T FOR THOSE LIFEGUARDS AND IT WASN'T FOR THOSE YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN THAT TOOK THE TIME TO LEARN THOSE SKILLS AND REALLY GOT ME OUT OF THE WATER WHEN I HAD MY CARDIAC ISSUE DURING THAT SWIM MEET.

I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT WAS MENTIONED TONIGHT, AS YOU KNOW, LIVES BEING SAVED, CHILDREN, NUMBERS, JOBS. BUT I THINK MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT'S ABOUT THE LIFE THAT THIS POOL BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK CONSIDERING THAT LEAVING IT OPEN, YOU'LL SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU'LL CREATE MORE FUTURES.

YOU'LL SEE THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO GROW JUST BECAUSE YOU KEPT THE POOL OPEN AND AS SMALL AND AS BIG AS THIS ISSUE IS, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME. IT MEANS A LOT TO MANY OTHERS.

AND I JUST THINK THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER KEEPING THIS POOL OPEN BECAUSE MY LIFE WAS SAVED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. I'M ERIC JAFFE. MIKE JAFFE'S LITTLE BROTHER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY. MIKE. I KNOW THIS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU WANTED TO SPEND IT.

SO. AND I'VE MET MANY OF YOU. SO, YOU KNOW, SWIMMING HAS BEEN A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF MY LIFE.

YOU KNOW, I SWAM FROM AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER ALL THE WAY THROUGH COLLEGE WHERE I SWAM ON THE VARSITY SWIM TEAM AT ROLLINS COLLEGE, AND NOW I'M COACHING A CLUB SWIM TEAM. AND WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE, I ALSO TAUGHT MANY CHILDREN WITH AUTISM.

I WORKED WITH WOMEN ON THE SPECTRUM AND TAUGHT AND DID SWIM LESSONS FOR THEM.

AND YOU KNOW, I WOULD NOT BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY WITHOUT SWIMMING.

AND, YOU KNOW, SWIMMING HAS OPENED SO MANY DOORS FOR ME.

AND I WOULD HATE FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ROBBED FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE POOL ISN'T MAKING MONEY CURRENTLY.

IT'S LOSING MONEY. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THE POOL HAS NEVER GENERATED PROFITS SINCE IT'S BEEN OPEN.

AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S THIS IS A CONCERN FOR THE CITY, BUT IF IT'S A CONCERN FOR THE CITY, MAKE EFFORTS TO CHANGE THAT SO THE POOL CAN MAKE A PROFIT RATHER THAN JUST CLOSING IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE CITY'S EFFORTS FOR IN DOGE AND, YOU KNOW, GREATLY APPRECIATED.

AND ON THE SAME TOKEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD THE PHRASE FOR YEARS NOW DRAIN THE SWAMP.

WELL, I THINK THE CITY SHOULD DRAIN THE SWAMP AND FILL THE POOL.

LET ME. LET ME END WITH THIS. YOU KNOW, I WATCHED YOU ALL GET SWORN IN WHEN MY BROTHER TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR CHANGE, AND EVERYONE IN THE ROOM WAS SO EXCITED FOR THIS.

AND I'M GOING TO BE HONEST, THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE THAT ANYONE WANTS TO SEE.

YEAH. YES. SO AND YOU KNOW, MR. HAMMER, LAST WEEK I WATCHED YOUR SPEECH.

WHERE? ON THE FLOCK CAMERAS. IT WAS A GREAT SPEECH.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

WELL, I IMPLORE YOU ALL TO LOOK OUT IN THE ROOM TONIGHT AND SEE WHERE THE COMMUNITY STANDS ON THIS ISSUE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

BILL BATTEN 586 OCEAN SPRAY STREET, SOUTHWEST.

AS USUAL, I'LL UPSET EVERYBODY. THIS IS PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER ONE, WHICH WAS DISCUSSION OF MILLAGE RATE AND PROPOSED BUDGET IMPACT.

KEEPING THAT IN MIND, WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A TREND LOOKING AT THE MILLAGE RATE OF TRIM.

WHAT WOULD THE MILLAGE RATE BE IF WE TRIED TO SAVE THE POOL? WHAT WOULD THE MILLAGE RATE BE? WHAT IS THAT GOING TO? WHAT DOES THAT LEAD COMING DOWN? THE FUTURE WILL BE A SMALL INCREASE IN IN THAT MILLAGE RATE TO SAVE THE POOL.

BUT REMEMBERING. AND THIS GOES BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OF PALM BAY COMING UP ON THE BUDGET IN NOVEMBER.

WE HAVE AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS GOING TO CUT FUNDING TO THE CITY OF PALM BAY.

[01:25:02]

IS THAT POTENTIAL? SO THE RESIDENTS OF PALM BAY, YOU WANT TO SAVE WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE CITY.

DON'T BE VOTING TO TAKE AWAY MORE OF OUR CITY'S FUNDING.

THAT'S ON YOU. THAT'LL BE ON YOU TO KEEP THAT.

NOW, ME BEING THE IDIOT THAT I AM, I'M GOING TO REALLY UPSET THE COACHES THAT ARE HELPING THE BALLPLAYERS.

HOW MANY OF THE BALL FIELDS DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY THAT SENSE STAGNANT FOR SO MUCH OF THE DAY? THEY'RE JUST GREEN GRASS. ALL THEY ARE FOR MOST OF THE DAY.

SWIMMING POOLS GETTING USED FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN AND AFTER DARK.

WE COULD POTENTIALLY CLOSE SOME OF THE BALL FIELDS.

AND THAT MONEY THAT WE SAVE FROM THE BALL FIELDS COULD BE WHAT FUNDS THE SWIMMING POOL.

THAT'S JUST A PROPOSAL, RIGHT? SO STAGNANT TIME MINIMUM TAKE FROM PETER TO PAY PAUL. KEEP THE FUNDING COMING BACK IN BY NOT VOTING FOR AMENDMENT THREE.

THAT'LL GIVE FUNDING TO THE CITY TO KEEP THE CITY RUNNING.

AND I KNOW I PISSED OFF EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO CUT THEIR TAXES.

I KNOW I PISSED OFF THE BALL COACHES, AND I KNOW I JUST PISSED OFF THE CITY MANAGER BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO KEEP IT AT TRIM.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. SHOW OF HANDS. ANYONE ELSE? YES, SIR. YOU TWO. HI. MY NAME IS PETER SEIDEL. I'VE BEEN A SWIM COACH IN BREVARD FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS.

I ALSO GREW UP IN BREVARD AND SWAM COMPETITIVELY.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT THE PALM BAY POOL OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A DIFFERENT POOL ON A DIFFERENT EFSC CAMPUS THAT A COUPLE PEOPLE MENTIONED.

A LOT OF THIS I SAW FIRSTHAND, SOME OF THIS IS SECOND HAND, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INACCURACIES.

I'M NOT HERE TO PLACE BLAME. THE LARGEST POOL IN BREVARD COUNTY NO LONGER EXISTS.

IT WAS ON THE EFSC COCOA CAMPUS IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF CLEAR LAKE.

IT WAS 50M LONG BY 25 YARDS WIDE. TWO DIMENSIONS.

MOST WIDELY USED FOR COMPETITIVE SWIMMING IN AMERICA.

LARGER THAN THE PALM BAY POOL. EVEN A LITTLE LARGER THAN THE COCOA BEACH POOL.

I TRAINED THIS POOL AS A KID, AND I COACHED AT THIS POOL AS AN ADULT A COUPLE OF DECADES AGO.

FSC THEN BCC ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE YMCA WHERE FSC WOULD OWN THE POOL, BUT YMCA WOULD OPERATE THE POOL. AT SOME POINT, THIS CREATED A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO OVER WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE COSTS.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, FSC TRIED TO CLOSE THE POOL, BUT GOT HARD PUSHBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.

THEN, IN MARCH 2020, THE COVID PANDEMIC EXPLODED, AND OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, ALL PUBLIC POOLS WERE TEMPORARILY CLOSED.

WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, MOST OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BREVARD HAD REOPENED AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ALL BUT ONE EVENTUALLY REOPENED. THE COCOA POOL REMAINED CLOSED, WITH NO PUMPS RUNNING AND NO CHLORINE.

WILDLIFE MOVED IN QUICKLY. FIRST, ALGAE AND FROGS.

AFTER A WHILE, TURTLES, DUCKS AND LILY PADS. BY 2022, THE POOL WAS NOT PRACTICALLY RECOVERABLE.

THIS TIME, WHEN DEMOLITION WAS PROPOSED, THERE WAS LITTLE OPPOSITION.

WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO, BULLDOZERS REMOVED EVERY SCRAP OF POOL AND POOL DECK AND REPLACED IT WITH FILL DIRT.

NO ONE EVEN BOTHERED TO PLANT GRASS AT THE END OF THE PROJECT.

IT WAS A BARREN FIELD OF BARE FILTERED. IF YOU LOOK AT GOOGLE MAPS TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE A SCAR ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CLEAR LAKE.

MY OPINION IS THAT A POOL THAT IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED NEEDS TO HAVE A MINIMUM MAINTENANCE PLAN AND A PLAN TO REOPEN, OR IT MAY NOT BE TEMPORARY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION I USED TO HAVE A COUSIN WHEN HE WAS TWO YEARS OLD.

HE DROWNED IN A RETENTION POND IN ORANGE COUNTY BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN. MY NAME IS GRANT BRATCHER.

I AM CURRENTLY SENIOR ON THE BREVARD HEAT SWIM, AND I AM A LIFEGUARD AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

[01:30:02]

OKAY. I MOSTLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID SO FAR.

I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW WE ARE TAKING A STEP FROM.

WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE.

THE NEXT STEP IS CLOSING. THERE ARE MANY STEPS IN BETWEEN.

I MOVED FROM COLORADO ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID IN THIS COMMUNITY WAS WE JOINED A SWIM TEAM.

I'VE BEEN SWIMMING MY WHOLE LIFE AND WE JOINED SPIRIT KIDS THAT MEETS AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

THAT WOULD NOT EXIST IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

I WENT ON FROM SPIRIT KIDS SWAM THERE FOR TWO YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN AT BREVARD HEAT FOR THE PAST THREE.

I'VE LIVED MY PAST FEW MONTHS AT THE BACK. I'VE WORKED THERE EVERY MORNING AND I HAVE SWAM THERE EVERY OTHER MORNING.

AND PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER HAS BECOME SUCH A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

LIKE THEY WERE SAYING, DROWNING IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH.

ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY WE MOVED FROM COLORADO TO FLORIDA IS THE POLITICS.

BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE COLORADO IS NOW, FLORIDA IS MUCH MORE PREFERABLE.

OUR POLITICS HAVE BEEN SHIFTING FROM THE SPIRIT BEHIND THINGS TO THE MONEY AND THE WORDS BEHIND THEM.

ONE OF THE CORE THINGS ABOUT FLORIDA IS THAT WE AREN'T JUST ABOUT THE NITTY GRITTY.

WE ARE ABOUT THE SPIRIT BEHIND. WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND WE ARE NOT JUST A GOVERNMENT THAT IS LEADING A PEOPLE.

IF THIS. THE MONEY. THE MONEY IS IMPORTANT. I DO NOT ENVY YOU GUYS.

YOU GUYS HAVE A HARD DECISION TO MAKE. HEAVY LIES.

THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN. BUT THE MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING.

WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE WITH THIS AQUATIC CENTER.

AND THAT ROLE ISN'T JUST TO MAKE MONEY. IT IS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND BY CLOSING THE POOL WITHOUT TAKING THESE OTHER STEPS, WE ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

I KNOW YOU GUYS MEAN THE BEST FOR THIS COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER EVERY OTHER ALTERNATIVE.

SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU GUYS DO.

I JUST URGE YOU TO LOOK AT EVERY OTHER OPTION BEFORE MAKING THIS DRASTIC CLOSE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BY SHOW OF HANDS. I HAVE ONE ALREADY. WHO'S NEXT? YOU'RE NEXT. SO. ONE, TWO.

WHO'S NEXT? YOUNG MAN, SIT UP FRONT. THERE. THAT'S THREE AND FOUR.

CARRY ON. HELLO. MY NAME IS DENISE AND I'M FROM 1801 WINDING RIDGE CIRCLE.

AND I COULD TALK ABOUT A BUNCH OF REASONS WHY THE POOL IS SPECIAL, BUT I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING FROM 21 YEARS AGO.

21 YEARS AGO. THE FIELD OF DREAMS, WHICH IS IN WEST MELBOURNE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN IN PALM BAY.

I KNOW YOU GUYS WERE NOT HERE PART OF THE BOARD, BUT WE TURNED THAT AWAY AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A COMMUNITY PARK IN PALM BAY.

WE COULD HAVE BEEN MAKING MONEY OFF OF THAT. SO EVERY TIME SOMEBODY GOES TO FIELD OF DREAMS, THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY IN WEST MELBOURNE INSTEAD OF PALM BAY TO BACK IT UP.

MY DAUGHTER, 21 YEARS AGO WAS SIX YEARS OLD. SHE WAS THE FACE OF FIELD OF DREAMS AND STILL IS.

HER NAME IS BRITTANY. SHE LEARNED HOW TO SWIM AT 27 YEARS OLD.

SHE IS ABLE TO FLOAT ON HER BACK AND THE SAYING IS SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.

SO SHE DIDN'T LEARN IT LIKE MOST KIDS AT THREE YEARS OLD, BUT SHE LEARNED IT AT 27, BROOK WAS HER COACH AND SHE WAS ABLE TO FLOAT ON HER BACK FOR 14 SECONDS. SHE'S NOW UP TO 50S. SHE NOW CAN GO UNDERWATER FOR 14 SECONDS.

AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IS, IS THAT GOD FORBID SHE WAS AROUND.

SHE USES A WALKER, LIKE MANY OF YOU KNOW. SHE USES A WALKER.

AND IF SHE WAS TO GET PUSHED, AT LEAST WE KNOW BRITNEY CAN HOLD HER BREATH FOR AT LEAST 14 SECONDS.

SHE STILL COULD DROWN. SHE HAS CEREBRAL PALSY.

SHE STILL CAN DROWN. BUT AT LEAST FOR 14 SECONDS BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS TO HER, HER LIFE IS BEING SAVED.

ON TOP OF THAT, THE THE POOL IS ALWAYS PACKED.

I MEAN, WE HAVE AQUA AEROBICS. THAT'S LIKE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.

THE LAP SWIMMERS ARE CONSTANTLY BACK AND FORTH, AND I SEE PARENTS, THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT LAP SWIM AND THEY MAKE THAT THEIR OWN TIME BECAUSE THE POOL IS PACKED. THE OTHER THING IS WHEN WE DO AQUA AEROBICS, THE FIREMEN ARE THERE.

WHERE ARE THE FIREMEN GOING TO DO THEIR DRILLS AT? ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO COCO? AND THEN WE'RE PAYING THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO DRIVE TO COCO, AT LEAST IF THEY'RE DOING IT IN PALM BAY. IF THEY GET A CALL, THEY GO TO THEIR CALL.

[01:35:04]

LET'S NOT PUT IT IN ANOTHER CITY TO MAKE THE FAMILIES HAVE TO GO THERE.

LET'S KEEP SOMETHING THAT'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE NOTHING ELSE BUT THE FIREWORKS AND THE PARADE.

AND THAT'S REALLY ALL PALM BAY HAS RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SECOND SPEAKER. WHO WAS THAT? THE YOUNG MAN? YES, SIR. THANK YOU, DOCTOR ROBINSON.

THANK YOU. HI. SO THREE YEARS AGO I MOVED HERE.

I STARTED SWIMMING LESSONS ABOUT WHEN I MOVED HERE I.

AND ONCE I STARTED SWIMMING LESSONS, I WAS LEARNING COLT SAFETY AND I WENT TO MY AUNT'S HOUSE AND I WENT TO USE THE BATHROOM. I FORGOT TO PUT MY LEFT MY LIFE VEST BACK ON.

I FELL IN THE POOL. I MEAN, I LITERALLY WALKED INTO THE POOL WHERE THEY THOUGHT I HAD MY LIFE VEST ON.

I ALMOST DROWNED, JUMPING UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN.

BUT FINALLY, MY AUNT, MY AUNT'S HUSBAND CAME.

HE RESCUED ME. AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO HAVE THE SAME.

THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME HAPPENED TO THEM, OR EVEN WORSE.

SO PLEASE KEEP THIS POOL OPEN SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND STAY SAFE IN THE POOL. THANK YOU.

NEXT SPEAKER.

GOOD EVENING. I'M GRACE BANNER. I AM A FORMER LIFEGUARD.

I SWIM FOR BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M ALSO A SWIM INSTRUCTOR.

SO I THINK THE POOL IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP OPEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO OTHER POOL IN THE AREA FOR PALM BAY FOR BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL.

IF WE WERE TO GO TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, WE'D HAVE TO GO TO MELBOURNE, WHICH IS A PRETTY FAR DRIVE CONSIDERING MOST OF US LIVE REALLY CLOSE TO BAYSIDE.

I ALSO THINK OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO LOOK INTO THE BUDGET BECAUSE SOMEBODY ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THIS.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SIT THERE AT WORK AND THEY ARE GETTING PAID TO SIT THERE DURING THUNDERSTORMS OR THEY'RE OFF FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THEY'RE JUST ON THE CLOCK AND THEY DO MAKE A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY DOING THAT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU DO HAVE TO GET PAID.

YOU ARE SITTING THERE WAITING TO OPEN BACK UP TO THE PUBLIC.

SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STAY OPEN MOSTLY TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO OTHER POOLS NEAR US.

IF YOU WERE TO GO TO SEBASTIAN, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF TIME.

IF YOU WERE TO GO UP TO THE POOLS IN MELBOURNE, HALF OF THEM ARE ONLY LIKE SEASONAL POOLS AND WE DO NEED LIFEGUARDS.

SWIM INSTRUCTORS NEED TO BE ABLE TO LIKE, TEACH KIDS HOW TO SWIM.

BUT SAY A LIFEGUARD WAS TO TURN LIKE A LIFEGUARD NOTICES SOMETHING THAT A SWIM INSTRUCTOR DOES NOT NOTICE.

A LIFEGUARD DOES NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THAT PERSON IN TIME.

BECAUSE I HAVE NOTICED, LIKE I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHERE LIKE WHERE WE WILL BE IN GROUPS AND THERE WILL BE A SWIM INSTRUCTOR WORKING WITH A KID, AND A KID IS BEHIND YOUR BACK AND THEY FALL UNDER.

AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN IN THAT TIME.

AND PALM BAY AQUATICS CENTER DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB ABOUT KEEPING THAT IN CHECK AND GETTING IN THE SECOND YOU NOTICE ANYTHING HAPPENING.

SO I DO FIND THAT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER SHOULD STAY OPEN.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LIKE, LOOK INTO THE BUDGET AND SEE WHERE THINGS CAN BE CUT.

WORKERS DO GO INTO OVERTIME DUE TO STAFFING ISSUES OR OTHER ISSUES.

SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE IT GOING LIKE CLOSED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

YEAH. I HEARD A LOT OF OPINION WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THIS POOL FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND REALLY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW. BUT HOWEVER THERE IS A CONSTRAINTS, BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, MONEY PROBLEMS. SO I WOULD PROPOSE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY MOTIVATED TO TRY TO KEEP THIS POOL OPEN.

MAYBE TO. I PROPOSE A COMMITTEE, A COMMISSION THAT CAN COOPERATE WITH THE CITY MAYOR OR CITY MANAGER.

[01:40:06]

SO IT MAY BE THE COMMUNITY ALSO TO, TO HELP AND COORDINATE WITH THE CITY MANAGER OR, OR THE COMMISSION, WHATEVER IT IS IMPORTANT. BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD STEP FORWARD BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE HAVE MONEY AND, AND WE HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS TOO, BECAUSE THERE IS A HIGH INFLATION.

NOW, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE GASOLINE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL, WILL, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PAY MORE TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES, HOWEVER WE CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM JUST CREATING OTHER, OTHER, OTHER VENUES.

SO HOW CAN RESOLVE THIS BUDGET PROBLEMS? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WHO IS NEXT? WHO HAD RAISED THEIR HANDS? WERE YOU THE LAST SPEAKER? OKAY. YOUR NEXT MA'AM.

ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK AFTER THIS, YOUNG LADY? RAISE YOUR HAND, MA'AM. RAISE YOUR HAND. HAVE YOU SPOKEN ALREADY? NO. OKAY. SO, HAVE YOU SPOKEN? YOU GUYS JUST CAME IN AFTER THEN YEAH.

OKAY, SO LET ME COUNT. RAISE YOUR HANDS AGAIN, PLEASE.

ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. OKAY. WHERE? GREAT. GIRL FIVE. OKAY. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER ONE.

THAT'S YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING.

MAYOR. COUNCILMAN. WHAT? EVERYONE IN CHARGE THIS EVENING? I WOULD LIKE US TO SAVE THE POOL. I MOVED HERE FROM NEW YORK 25 YEARS AGO.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, TWO WEEKS BEFORE NINE OVER 11, I HAVE SEEN THAT POOL BUILT.

I TOOK MY DAUGHTER. NOW I TAKE MY GRANDKIDS. MY GRANDKIDS LEARN TO SWIM AT THAT POOL.

WHY TAKE AWAY SOMETHING THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO KIDS, ADULTS, EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY, WHEN YOU COME ON THE 95 AND YOU GET OFF, YOU SAY, WELCOME TO PALM BAY.

WHAT IS PALM BAY OFFERING THE COMMUNITY? NOTHING.

IF YOU ALL TAKE AWAY THE POOL. THAT POOL IS THERE FOR A REASON.

WHEN YOU TAKE IT AWAY, IT WOULD BE LIKE A STATUE.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? ANOTHER VANDALISM, ANOTHER OPEN SPACE FOR FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE.

SORRY TO SAY. WHAT IS GOING TO BECOME WHAT WE NEED SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS, OUR COMMUNITY.

PALM BAY IS OFFERING NOTHING TO THE COMMUNITY APART FROM CAR WASHES AND STORAGES.

LET'S KEEP THE POOL. WE NEED THE POOL FOR PALM BAY COMMUNITY.

WE PAY TAXES AND WE NEED SOMETHING. YEAH. TWO SECOND SPEAKER. FOR THE RECORD, WE DON'T DECIDE ON CAR WASHES.

THOSE ARE BUSINESSES. HELLO. MY NAME IS JACKSON WHITE.

I'M A CURRENT EMPLOYEE AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC POOLS APART FROM MY RECENT HIRING AND THE LITTLE EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD HERE AND THERE WITH THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER BEFORE THAT.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT EVERY TIME I'M THERE, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL JUST BE THEY WILL COME UP TO ME AND JUST EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL THEY ARE THAT I'M THERE WORKING, GUARDING THEM.

AND JUST THIS IS LIKE THE BEST PART OF SOME PEOPLE'S DAYS.

AND I JUST HATE TO SEE THAT GO AWAY. I CAN TELL FROM MY WORK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD JUST HATE TO SEE THAT GO AWAY.

ESSENTIALLY. YEAH. SO THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY.

THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU.

SO I SOMETHING I MY NAME IS DEBORAH. I'M A HOMEOWNER IN PALM BAY AND ONE OF THE REASONS I MOVED HERE IS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD A COMMUNITY POOL.

OKAY. I WAS IN A BAD CAR ACCIDENT YEARS AGO AND HAD TO LEARN HOW TO WALK AGAIN.

I WAS TOLD THIS CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT. FIRST THING THEY DID WAS PUT ME IN A POOL.

[01:45:03]

YOU HAVE A GENTLEMAN WHO RUNS A VETERANS ORGANIZATION.

YOU HAVE A WOMAN WHO SAID SHE WORKS FOR L3 HARRIS.

YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT OWN FACILITIES THAT HELP CHILDREN.

NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM VETERANS, WHICH IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO.

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT HELPS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.

IT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO. NUMBER TWO, I HAD A SISTER WHO IS DEVELOPING DISABLED THAT I TOOK CARE OF FOR YEARS WHO WOULD SEE WHAT PALSY, LIKE THIS WOMAN WHO TALKED ABOUT HER SISTER, I MEAN, HER DAUGHTER WHO'S 27, THAT POOL IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, THAT I USED TO TAKE MY SISTER TO HELPED.

SHE LEARNED HOW TO FLOAT AND IT REALLY, MA'AM.

GO AHEAD. MA'AM. PLEASE DIRECT YOUR. SHE LEARNED HOW TO FLOAT.

IT REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART BECAUSE IF SHE WAS EVER WITH HER C P AND SLIPPED IN A POOL, SHE COULD HAVE DROWNED.

BUT SHE. BUT THANK GOD THAT NEVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

WE HAVE THE ELDERLY THAT NEED IT BECAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITIES.

YOU'RE TAKING A LOT AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I.

DEBORAH FALKOFF, WHO LIVE HERE, IS WILLING TO HELP PUT TOGETHER A COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN GET TOGETHER, SIT AS A PANEL AND TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT INSTEAD OF SAYING, I KNOW THAT YOU ONLY HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE HAVE TO CLOSE IT.

YOU'RE DESTROYING PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO TO COLLEGE.

THAT THAT'S THEIR WAY OUT. YEAH. YOU'RE DESTROYING.

I'M JUST SAYING IT'S DESTROYING LIVES. I'M NOT SAYING YOU, YOU AND YOU.

IT'S DESTROYING LIVES. IF YOU TAKE THIS AWAY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE DREAMT ABOUT GOING TO COLLEGE BUT KNEW THEIR FAMILY COULDN'T AFFORD IT, AND THE ONLY WAY OUT IS A SCHOLARSHIP. OKAY. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

YOU HAVE SO MUCH AEROSPACE AND SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES THAT CAN HELP.

AND I AM WILLING, DEBORAH FALKOFF, TO HELP ORGANIZE THIS SO WE CAN BRING THE MONEY IN FOR YOU.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PALM BAY HAS A LOT GOING ON, BUT THIS POOL IS THE ENTITY THAT BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER, WHETHER THEY'RE A VETERAN WHO FOUGHT FOR US TO BE SAFE, PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE OR INJURED, GO THERE. ME WHO WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT, A WOMAN WHO HAS A DAUGHTER WHO HAS CEREBRAL PALSY, SPECIAL OLYMPICS THAT HELP THESE KIDS, THE HIGH SCHOOLS, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THE KIDS THAT ARE HOME SCHOOL.

YOU'RE TAKING THAT AWAY FROM EVERYBODY, NOT YOU.

BUT IF YOU MAKE THIS DECISION TO CLOSE THE POOL, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY AND HURTING A LOT OF DIFFERENT LIVES.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.

HELLO, MY NAME IS DESIREE ANGULO. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT MYSELF.

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES LAST MONTH. 806 I WALKED INTO THE HOSPITAL.

THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBED ME FOUR INSULIN SHOTS. I TAKE PILLS IN THE MORNING AND PILLS IN THE NIGHT.

SINCE I JOINED THE WATER AEROBICS WITH THESE BEAUTIFUL LADIES, MY INSTRUCTOR.

MA'AM, JUST. YEAH, I'M DOWN TO ONE SHOT A DAY.

OKAY. AND WE NEED THIS POOL OPEN. BECAUSE EVERY DAY THAT I GO TO THIS POOL, I DO EXERCISE.

I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH THINGS THAT THIS POOL IS GOING TO DO.

AND THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO SAY. AND I'M THANKFUL TO THESE LADIES AND TO MY INSTRUCTOR BECAUSE I'M DOWN TO ONE SHOT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. OKAY.

HELLO. MY NAME IS HADASSAH HALL. I AM A CURRENT LIFEGUARD AT THE PALM BAY AQUATIC CENTER.

AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AT THE AQUATIC CENTER.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I HAVE SPENT MORE TIME AT THE POOL WITH THE WATER AEROBICS LADIES, THE REGULARS WITH MY COWORKERS, WITH THE OPEN SWIM PEOPLE THAT COME IN MORE THAN MY FAMILY.

I WAS THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR SOME DAYS, 12 HOURS, SOME DAYS EIGHT, YOU KNOW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THE REGULARS WE KNOW HAVE DISABILITIES AND IT IS REALLY NICE ON THEIR JOINTS WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO SWIM IN THE WATER.

I THINK WE HAVE SOME. NO, WE DEFINITELY DO HAVE SOME THAT COME EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT ARE DISABLED.

THE SWIM TEAMS. I SWAM ON BAYSIDE FOR FOUR YEARS.

I WENT TO ODYSSEY AND SWAM ON BAYSIDE, AND THEN I DECIDED TO SWITCH SCHOOLS SO I COULD SWIM ON BAYSIDE.

AND I LOVED IT. IT WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE.

I WENT ALL THE WAY TO REGIONALS AND THEN DECIDED TO BE A LIFEGUARD THERE BECAUSE I SPENT SO MUCH TIME THERE.

[01:50:01]

IT WAS AMAZING. I LOVED TALKING TO THE KIDS AND TEACHING THEM HOW TO SWIM.

I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT I SPENT SO MUCH TIME WITH THAT COULDN'T EVEN SWIM ALL THE WAY DOWN THE POOL AND NOW ARE SWIMMING HUNDREDS, WHICH IS LIKE SO MUCH, SO MUCH IMPROVEMENT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM A SWIM INSTRUCTOR I INSTRUCTED FOR WHAT IS IT CALLED? AQUATICS EDUCATION AND ALSO THE PALM BAY AQUATIC INSTRUCTORS.

I HAVE TAUGHT ADULTS, CHILDREN, BABIES. AND I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM, NOT ONLY BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE POOLS IN THEIR BACKYARDS THAT BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN THERE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE POOLS IN THEIR BACKYARDS.

AND I'VE TAUGHT WELL OVER 200 KIDS. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THE LIFEGUARDS MAKE IT SAFE FOR KIDS TO SWIM OR JUST BE AROUND THE POOL.

WE PREVENT WEIRDOS COMING TO THE POOL. WE'VE HAD TO TRESPASS PEOPLE INJURIES, DROWNINGS AND YEAH, PLEASE SAVE OUR POOL. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

NEXT SPEAKER. WHO WAS THE NEXT SPEAKER? SHE WAS THE LAST ONE.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? YES, SIR. ANYONE ELSE AFTER THIS YOUNG MAN.

DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK? ARE YOU SPOKE? OKAY. CARRY ON SIR.

AS YOU ARE. CARRY ON. JAMES SCHWARTZ, THIS AMENDMENT THREE THING I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.

I WAS RESEARCHING IT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CUT THE BUDGETS OF CITY BY 66%.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT. EVEN MORE THE NEXT YEAR.

I THINK TAXPAYERS LET'S SAY PEOPLE THAT WANT THINGS FROM THE GOVERNMENT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO GET IT.

NOW, I UNDERSTAND ALL THIS IS GREAT. THE POOL IS GREAT, BUT ASKING THE TAXPAYERS OF 45,000 HOMES TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT ONLY ONE SIXTH OF THE PEOPLE USE ISN'T, ISN'T VERY FAIR. SO I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE AS MUCH MONEY TO DO THESE THINGS. THIS DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE NECESSITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE REGULATIONS ON SPENDING IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES.

SO GREAT IDEAS FUNDRAISING TO SUPPORT THE, THE, THE POOL.

I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS. IT'S GOING TO COST $3 MILLION TO KEEP THAT POOL OPEN NEXT YEAR WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

I COULDN'T FIND WHETHER THE POOL COULD STAY OPEN EVEN WHILE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING MADE.

THEY MAY NEED TO CLOSE JUST TO DO THOSE. SO I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

AND BUT IF AS ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE POOL WORK TOGETHER AND FUNDRAISED, THEY CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE POOL WITHOUT GOING TO THE TAXPAYERS.

THAT'S ALL. OKAY. NEXT. NEXT. THANK YOU SIR. NEXT SPEAKER.

THAT'S IT. I GUESS I'LL START OFF WITH JUST A FEW COMMENTS, AND I'M GOING TO TEAR IT OFF TO THE CITY MANAGER.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY OF THIS POOL.

SINCE MANY OF YOU JUST CAME HERE BACK IN THE EARLY 2000, AS IT WAS ELOQUENTLY PUT BY ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, AND I WORKED BEFORE MY CONGRESSIONAL TIME AS AN AIDE, I WORKED FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE COUNTY THAT WAS A COUNTY POOL, AND THAT WAS SPEARHEADED BY THAT BY THAT ELECTED OFFICIAL.

ALONG WITH AT THAT TIME WAS THE CLERK OF COURT, WHICH WAS SCOTT ELLIS.

THE REASON IT WAS SPEARHEADED WAS BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN WERE DROWNING, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN AVENUE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM.

SO THAT WAS BROUGHT INTO A SOUTH AREA SECTOR OF THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND YOU'D BE GREAT AND UNDERSTAND TO KNOW THAT A VIETNAM VETERAN THAT SAT ON THAT COMMITTEE WAS ONE OF THE SPEARHEADED THAT POOL. AND LET ME JUST SHARE WITH YOU HOW SIGNIFICANT THAT WAS.

COUNTLESS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY NAMED THE PARK OR A COMMUNITY CENTER AT FRED POPPY REGIONAL PARK.

IT IS NAMED AFTER TED WHITLOCK AND IT IS TED WHITLOCK.

THAT WAS THAT VIETNAM ERA INDIVIDUAL THAT SPENT TIME IN VIETNAM.

AND HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT POOL. NOW, ALL THAT TO SAY THAT I KNOW AS THERE WAS THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS A

[01:55:10]

YES, SIR. THAT YOUNG MAN, TED WHITLOCK, WAS GLEAMING FROM EAR TO EAR.

HE'S NO LONGER WITH US, BUT EVERYONE THAT TESTIFIED HERE TODAY WAS A A BIG HURRAH FOR TED WHITLOCK BECAUSE HE SPEARHEADED THAT POOL, AND I WAS LITERALLY FIGHTING BACK MY EMOTIONS BECAUSE I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THIS POOL IS A TREASURE WITHIN OUR CITY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS COUNCIL LAST MEETING STATED THAT THE POOL SHOULD REMAIN AT LEAST OPEN TILL NOVEMBER. SO OUR CHILDREN, OUR OUR SWIM TEAMS CAN CONTINUE THEIR MEETS.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER REGARDING COLLABORATIONS, SO I'M GOING TO TEE IT OFF TO HIM AND THEN I'LL HAVE COUNCIL WEIGH IN.

MR. MORTON, IF I MIGHT, I'LL JUST SORT OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION IN CONTEXT.

THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS ASKED RHETORICALLY OR DIRECTLY.

SO LET ME START THERE AND SORT OF GO THROUGH AND SET THE STAGE A LITTLE BIT AND THEN TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE AT. AND SO SOMEONE BROUGHT UP FUTURE HEAD GROWTH IN THE CITY.

THERE IS NO FUTURE HEAD GROWTH IN THE CITY. WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 32 POSITIONS IN THIS BUDGET AND DOZENS MORE FROZEN THAT LIKELY WILL NOT BE FILLED GOING INTO THIS YEAR.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE STRUCTURAL THINGS WE DID TO TRY TO GET AHEAD OF THE BUDGET PROJECTIONS.

NOW, WITHOUT AMENDMENT THREE, IT'S AMENDMENT THREE DOESN'T PASS. WE'RE GOING TO START NEXT YEAR SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 15 AND $20 MILLION IN THE HOLE ALREADY.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US RIGHT NOW? WE'RE TRYING TO IN THIS BUDGET, WE DON'T HAVE ONE SINGLE POLICE CAR FUNDED.

WE NEED 23 POLICE CARS AS OF THE LAST COUNT OF THE BUDGET.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BROWNING OUT SQUADS. SO WE'RE HOLDING UP SIGNS ABOUT SAVING LIVES IF WE DON'T HAVE OUR RESPONSE SQUADS ON FIRE.

THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP IN THE FIRST 1 TO 3 MINUTES TO SAVE YOU. WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR A STROKE. WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW UNTIL ABOUT JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, AND WE'RE HOPING WE HAVE RESERVES COME IN SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO FUND THAT THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR. SO WE'VE GOT SERIOUS PROBLEMS STRUCTURALLY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH. EVERYONE THAT DRIVES DOWN THE ROAD EVERY DAY SAYS PLEASE FIX MALABAR, PLEASE ADJUST THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL, TIMING, ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, LIFE SAFETY MATTERS. SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CREATE A PROBLEM IN THE BUDGET.

SO I'M GOING TO STOP THERE. JUST SAY, HEY, THERE IS A LOT GOING ON, AS PEOPLE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I AND I APPRECIATE THAT. WE ACTUALLY SPENT TODAY AT A HEALTH CARE FACILITY LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTH CARE IN THE FUTURE. SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY DOING THAT. BUT ON THE POOL WE SAT AT A MEETING HERE SIX WEEKS AGO AND I ACTUALLY IMPLORED THE COMMUNITY TO PLEASE COME OUT AND GIVE US IDEAS, ADVICE, SUGGESTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES. SO AS OF YESTERDAY, TUESDAY, MONDAY'S THROWING ME OFF.

WE HAVE MET WITH FIVE GROUPS. FOUR OF THEM HAVE VERY CREDIBLE ALL BE IT VERY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, JUST LIKE WE HEARD TONIGHT. SOME PEOPLE SAY VOLUNTEERS, SOME PEOPLE SAY NEVER A CHANCE OF A VOLUNTEER. SOME PEOPLE SAY INCREASE THE HOURS. SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN'T INCREASE THE HOURS. SOME PEOPLE SAY SWIM LESSONS. THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS. SOME PEOPLE SAY, NO, THERE'S A BUNCH MORE THAT MATTERS. SO BUT WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT SEVERAL OF THE GROUPS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD ARE CREDIBLE. AND I THINK THEIR GOAL IS TO CONNECT AND CONTINUE, NOT JUST TO CONNECT THE POOL AS IT EXISTS WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT TO EXPAND THE SERVICE.

THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS GOVERNMENT DOESN'T DO VERY WELL. RUNNING POOLS AND GOLF COURSES ARE ONE OF THEM. AND SO WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION INTERNALLY, PEOPLE SAYING, WHAT HAVE YOU LOOKED AT? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? I'VE GONE TO EVERY ONE OF THE PARTNERS THAT EXISTS. BREVARD COUNTY BUDGET IS $2 BILLION FOR THE SCHOOLS. THEY TOLD US THEY HAVE ZERO MONEY TO HELP US. I'VE GONE TO EASTERN FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE AND MET WITH THE PRESIDENT. SORRY. GREAT. HAVE A POOL. WE HAVE ZERO MONEY TO HELP YOU.

I'VE TALKED TO DIFFERENT GROUPS. I USE THE POOL. YEP. WE WANT IT OPEN. WE HAVE ZERO MONEY TO HELP YOU. SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.

SO NOW WE'RE DOWN TO THESE FOUR GROUPS, AT LEAST IN THIS INTERIM PERIOD. AGAIN, VERY CREDIBLE.

A LOT OF GOOD OPPORTUNITIES THERE. I THINK A GROUP THAT UNDERSTANDS THE SWIMMING BUSINESS, THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN THE SWIMMING INDUSTRY, THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE SWIMMING COMMUNITY, IS GOING TO DO A FAR BETTER JOB, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM SOME FOLKS TONIGHT, MAINTAINING, OPERATING AND MANAGING THIS THING, I THINK ONE THING DID EMERGE, AND MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME COMMENTARY ON THAT, BUT A LOT OF THE GROUPS SAID WE COULD LOOK AT THE POOL SEASONAL.

WHY ARE WE OPEN? DECEMBER. JANUARY, FEBRUARY.

POOL IS MARCH THROUGH SEPTEMBER. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE I'VE HEARD THAT THREE DIFFERENT WAYS TO FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE. I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSPECTIVE. IT IS, IT IS OPEN THROUGH THE SWIM SEASON. SO, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU SUGGESTIONS NOW.

YOU'VE HEARD THE NEEDS. WE'VE GOT FIRE TRUCK PAYMENTS. WE GOT $3 MILLION NEED FOR OVERTIME. WE'VE GOT WE NEED 15 POLICE OFFICERS TO STAY CURRENT WITH OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND RESPONSE TIME. I'M NOT SURE ANYBODY ON THE BUS. WE NEED 20 FIREFIGHTERS TO STAY CURRENT WITH OUR LEVEL OF RESPONSE TIME. OUR MEDICAL CALLS HAVE GROWN 158%.

AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU? BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON, I'LL GIVE YOU THE REASONS.

BUT OUR FRONT LINE EMS HAS BECOME THE FIRST LINE OF HEALTHCARE.

WE HAVE AN AGING POPULATION. WE HAVE GAPS IN ACCESS AND PROVISION TO HEALTHCARE.

PEOPLE HAVE INSURANCE. SOME DON'T, A LOT A LOT THAT HAVE IT CAN'T AFFORD TO USE IT.

WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY CALL 911. THERE'S A LOT OF RISK SHIFTING IN NURSING HOMES AND ALFS.

[02:00:04]

AND I'M HEARING WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING. WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, YOU'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE DIRECTION. BUT THE WAY I WAS UNDERSTANDING IT, WE HAVE FOUR CREDIBLE, AT LEAST FOR NOW, MAYBE MORE COMING PROPOSALS.

I THINK THAT NEEDS TO OBVIOUSLY BE FORMALIZED IN SOME SORT OF PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

WE HAVE TO HAVE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE AND OPEN, TRANSPARENT BID OR PROPOSAL FOR THE POOL.

IT'S OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER. YOU GUYS GOT A COUPLE OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN DECIDE TO.

AND I DON'T PROPOSE THESE LIGHTLY BECAUSE THERE IS NO, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO START NEXT YEAR, 18 TO 20 MILLION UPSIDE DOWN AND ADVANCE ON TWO FIRE PAYMENTS. YOU COULD DEFUND ABOUT $660,000 OF ROAD MAINTENANCE OUT OF YOUR GENERAL FUND AND DO THAT ON A MONTHLY ALLOCATION AND GIVE US A MONTHLY CHECK UNTIL WE HAVE AN ALTERNATE OPERATOR OR PURVEYOR OF THE POOL.

YOU COULD TAKE AWAY THE $1 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY PROPERTY RESERVE THAT WE'VE TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER.

AND THE REASON THAT MATTERS IS WE HAVE A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION WE KNOW NEEDS TO BE MOVED SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 6 TO 18 MONTHS.

WE CAN BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL AT THAT TIME FOR THAT OR SEE IF WE CAN, I DON'T KNOW, DO SOMETHING.

I'M JUST LOOKING FOR IMMEDIATE SOURCES OF CASH BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY LAYING AROUND. YOU COULD REMOVE MONEY FROM THE HURRICANE STABILIZATION FUND.

YOU COULD LIKELY TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY OUT OF. WE BARELY HAVE 90 DAYS.

I THINK NOW RESERVES. I THINK WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, 90 PLUS X AND YOU COULD AGAIN DO A MONTHLY ALLOCATION.

WE COULD TAKE MONEY OUT OF THAT FUND. BUT THERE ARE NO EASY DECISIONS OTHER THAN, I GUESS, PROVIDING FOR THE TIME, IF THAT'S COUNCIL'S WISH TO SEE IF THESE COMMUNITY GROUPS CAN PUT TOGETHER A CREDIBLE PATH FORWARD.

WELL, YOU SEND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH I BELIEVE IT'S ROBIN.

IS SHE HERE? OH, I DON'T WANT TO CALL ANYBODY OUT.

OKAY. OKAY. AGAIN, WE HAD FOUR VERY GOOD, VERY DIFFERENT PROPOSALS, DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL METRICS, AND SOME VERY HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY TOWARDS HOW DO WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY? COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SOME MORE TOWARDS WHAT'S THIS BLEND OF COMMERCIAL.

WE'VE HEARD THE, YOU KNOW, RAISE CONCESSIONS. DO YOU KNOW ALL THAT STUFF IS GREAT. TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THOSE THINGS GOING. SO CAN THESE GROUPS PULL IT OFF? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAYBE YOU WANT TO KNOW AT THIS POINT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I'VE GOT COUNCILMAN JOHNSON WHO'S ON ON, ON THE PHONE.

AND THEN I WAS ASKED REALLY QUICK, I'M SORRY TO TALK ABOUT THE. OH, HOLD ON SIR.

HOLD ON. HE'S. CITY MANAGER'S NOT COMPLETED YET.

OH, SIR. STAND. STAND FAST. COUNCILMAN. YEAH, THEY DID GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

I THINK WE REALIZED ABOUT A $7 MILLION PENSION INCREASE.

THOSE ARE PRIMARILY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS.

THOSE ARE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THAT WERE LOCKED IN FROM A THREE YEAR CYCLE.

WE'RE ENDING A THREE YEAR CYCLE THAT WAS NEGOTIATED THREE YEARS AGO. WHY DID IT GROW SO EXPONENTIALLY? BECAUSE WE HAD ONE OF THE LOWEST PAID FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE IN THE STATE.

WE COULDN'T ATTRACT TALENT. WHEN YOU RAISE THAT SALARY, IT'S LIKE ANY JOB YOU HAVE.

YOUR BENEFIT COSTS, RAISES COMMENSURATELY WITH THAT SALARY.

WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT SALARY ADJUSTMENTS ACROSS SOME OF THE BANDS, WITH SOME OF OUR LONG TERM FIRE PERSONNEL THAT WE CONTINUALLY KEPT LOSING.

AND SO WHEN THOSE SALARIES GO UP SEVEN, EIGHT, TEN, 12, 16%, SO DOES THAT PENSION COST.

I THINK WE'RE UP TO AN AVERAGE OF $0.41 AN HOUR FOR EVERY HOUR OF FIREMAN WORKS.

AND I THINK IT'S ABOUT $0.36. I THINK I'M DIALED IN THERE ON POLICE FOR EVERY HOUR THEY WORK.

THAT'S ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE SALARY, BENEFITS, MEDICAL CAR EQUIPMENT, TRAINING.

THERE'S ANOTHER COST WE'RE THROWING ON TOP. AND SO YOU SAW THAT REALLY COME HOME, COME HOME THIS YEAR.

WHY IS THAT RELEVANT? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE'RE NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS AGAIN WITH POLICE AND FIRE.

AND THOSE ARE ALL THOSE COSTS THAT WE HAVE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND DEAL WITH.

WELL, HERE'S HERE'S WHERE I STAND, AND THEN I'M GOING TO TEE IT OVER TO TO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHEN, WHEN THIS BILL WAS WHEN THIS POOL WAS BUILT, IT WAS MAYBE 2002.

I KNOW THAT I WORKED ON, I WAS A SMALL SPOKE IN THE WHEEL OF THAT AS A STAFFER.

AND BACK THEN WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE 100,000 PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY OR THEREABOUTS.

WE'RE AT 160 000 PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO FPL. SO I KNOW THAT THE NEED IS THERE.

PERHAPS INCREASING THE FEES IS IS AN OPTION. I REALLY FEEL THAT THAT WE CAN ENTERTAIN THAT.

AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE I, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE HAD LOCAL VENDOR THERE PROVIDE SNACKS OR SOME KIND OF FOOD TRUCK. MAYBE WE COULD OPEN THAT UP PUT IT OUT TO BID AS WELL TO SEE IF WE COULD CONTRACT AND, BUT HAVE THAT AS A REVENUE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'LL HAVE TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

SO THOSE ARE IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD EXPLORE AND HOLD THIS OVER AND DO THE VOLUNTEERISM OR HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT.

[02:05:01]

AND I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF L3 HARRIS PARTNERING IN NORTHROP, NORTHROP GRUMMAN, BUT I, I WANT TO GIVE HONOR TO A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE. SO I WANT TO TEE IT OVER TO HIM BECAUSE HE'S UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S NOT HERE.

AND, AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AS WELL.

COUNCILMAN JOHNSON. THANK YOU. MAYOR. CAN YOU HEAR ME CLEARLY? YES, SIR. AWESOME. WELL, HEY, MAYOR, I HAVE TO SAY I'M WATCHING AND LISTENING AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THIS IS THE MOST PACKED BUDGET HEARING I'VE EVER SEEN OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS ON BEING ON COUNCIL.

SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

I APPRECIATE THE CITY MANAGER DIVING IN AND, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING A LOT OF THE HARD ISSUES.

I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL. MAY I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE STANCE THAT WE WILL KEEP THIS POLL OPEN.

AND WITH THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE SPECIFIC DIRECTION TO OUR CITY MANAGER MOVING FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT THE POOL STAYS OPEN.

THE FIRST ONE I WOULD LIKE FOR CONSENSUS FROM COUNCIL FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO PURSUE A POTENTIAL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND TO CREATE A PROPOSAL, BEING THAT HE'S MET WITH A FEW POTENTIAL PARTNERS WHO WOULD LOOK TO KEEP THE POLL OPEN AND POSSIBLY CAN OPERATE IT MUCH BETTER THAN THE CITY OF PALM BAY COULD. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US A THUMBS UP OR GIVE THE CITY MANAGER A CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

ADDITIONALLY, I APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON TONIGHT, BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY OF WEST CITY OF MELBOURNE HAS.

I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER AND MOVING FORWARD REGARDING OUR LIFEGUARDS.

IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED BY THE CITY MANAGER PREVIOUSLY IN REGARDS TO US.

WE TERMINATED OUR FLOCK CAMERA AGREEMENT. AND THOSE FUNDS COULD BE ALLOCATED IF NEED BE TO THE AQUATIC CENTER AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS THAT I FEEL AND I'LL SHARE IN A MOMENT OTHER ITEMS THAT I FEEL CAN BE DEFUNDED.

I THINK THAT MONEY CAN BE REALLOCATED TOWARDS AQUATIC CENTER FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.

ASIDE FROM THAT, I DID HEAR THE CITY MANAGER SAY, YOU KNOW, HE MET WITH BREVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, EASTERN FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GIVE SPECIFIC DIRECTION TOWARDS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, OUR LEGAL TEAM, TO REVIEW ALL OPERATING AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

BECAUSE THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET THEM WHO AGREED AND SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE TO PARTNER ALONGSIDE AND JOIN IN WITH THE CAUSE. I ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER THE 1.5 MILLION FROM THE SOUTH OF OUR REFERENDUM THAT COMES FROM OUR TAXPAYERS AND GOES TO BREVARD COUNTY. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO LOOK TO EXPLORE THAT, TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE THAT ALLOCATED FROM THE COUNTY TOWARDS THE AQUATIC CENTER FOR MAINTENANCE OR FOR OTHER OPERATING COSTS. AND THEN LASTLY, I SPOKE TO A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HEALTH FIRST AND I WANT US TO EXPLORE AND I HAVE A CONTACT, BUT I WANT US TO EXPLORE LOOKING INTO SOME FORM OF A REHABILITATION AND WELLNESS PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTH FIRST.

SO IN ALL, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GIVE OUR CITY MANAGER CONSENSUS ON A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH THE CITY AND TAKING ON THE AQUATIC CENTER.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER LINE ITEMS I JUST MENTIONED ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL AND MOVE FORWARD ON.

THANK YOU. I'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR PAINTING THAT PICTURE FOR US.

SO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING AND YEAH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

THE LAST BUDGET HEARING, I THINK IT WAS ONLY SENIOR CHIEF BILL BRATTON.

SO IT WAS A LOT QUICKER LAST YEAR. BUT, YOU KNOW, NONE OF US UP HERE.

I, I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY. NOBODY UP HERE HATES THE POOL.

WE ALL LOVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WE LOVE THE POOL.

FOUR OF US UP HERE HAVE KIDS, AND I'M SURE WE ALL TAKE THEM TO THE POOL.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, LIKE WHATEVER DECISION WE MAKE.

IT'S NOT BEING DONE LIGHTLY. SO THE PICTURE WAS MOSTLY PAINTED, YOU KNOW, BY THE CITY MANAGER.

YOU ALL HEARD HOW DIRE THE SITUATION IS. OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH FIREFIGHTERS.

OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE. HE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST. AND I'M GOING TO RUSTLE SOME FEATHERS HERE FOR A SECOND. THREE OF US WERE NOT UP HERE UNTIL LESS

[02:10:08]

IF IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY WAS MISMANAGED BEFORE IT WAS.

I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY MISMANAGED ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR.

AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE MOTION TO FIRE THE LAST CITY MANAGER, AND WE HIRED MATT MORTON.

WE'RE MOVING AT THE SPEED AT THE FASTEST I'VE EVER SEEN GOVERNMENT MOVE TO TRY TO FIX PROBLEMS, TO TRY TO BRING A COMMERCIAL BASE IN. THAT'S WHERE THAT $3.5 MILLION FOR THE COMPOUND IS GOING, SO THAT WE CAN BRING A COMMERCIAL BASE IN SO THAT WE CAN FUND MORE THINGS LIKE THIS.

I'M INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH OUR STAFF AND HOW HARD THEY'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE PAST YEAR AND STILL WITH THE AMOUNT OF DOSING THAT WE'VE DONE.

YOU KNOW, THE PENSION CONTRACT WAS BROUGHT UP.

MR. MORTON WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, WE DIDN'T NEGOTIATE.

WE LET THE UNIONS RUN US OVER. AND NOW WE'RE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE HOLE JUST IN TWO YEARS ON THAT WE WERE SUBSIDIZING TRASH BY LIKE $1.6 MILLION. WE WEREN'T, WE WERE APPROVING ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS AND WE WEREN'T ASKING THE DEVELOPERS TO DO ANYTHING.

YEAH, WE'RE IN A TOUGH POSITION RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF PEOPLE BROUGHT UP OTHER CITIES.

I GREW UP IN TITUSVILLE. OKAY. SO LET'S LOOK AT TITUSVILLE AND THEIR POOLS.

I LEARNED HOW TO SWIM IN THE YMCA PRIVATE POOL.

THEN I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL. MY THE SCHOOL BOARD FUNDED THE SCHOOL AT TITUSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL AND WE SWAM IN THAT ONE.

THE CITY DIDN'T FUND THOSE. MELBOURNE WAS BROUGHT UP WITH THREE POOLS.

MELBOURNE HAS HALF THE POPULATION AND PROBABLY TWICE OR THREE TIMES THE COMMERCIAL TAX BASE AS THE CITY OF PALM BAY.

THEY HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THEIR CITY.

COCOA BEACH WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN, A 10TH OF THE POPULATION OF PALM BAY, AND A HUGE TAX AND COMMERCIAL BASE.

I'M NOT SAYING ANY OF THIS. I LOVE THE POOL AND I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE YOU GUYS ARE AT. I'M JUST TRYING TO PAINT THE PICTURE AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT YOU GUYS BROUGHT UP TONIGHT. SO ANOTHER, A GOOD QUESTION THAT'S BEING ASKED IS WE HAVE HOW MANY SCHOOLS REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT, SWIM TEAMS THAT ARE SWIMMING IN OUR POOLS. MY SWIM TEAM AT TITUSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL HAD A POOL THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD FUNDED, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR SOUTH BREVARD TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN SOUTH BREVARD. NOBODY WANTS TO CLOSE THE POOL DOWN, BUT I THINK, WELL, I KNOW FOR A FACT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ALL 150,000 RESIDENTS OF PALM BAY IS LIKE, IF YOU CALL 911, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE RESPONSE.

AND WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE THAT'S BECOMING TOUGH, THAT IF YOU DRIVE ON THE ROADS, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN COSTA RICA.

I LOVE VISITING DOWN THERE. IT'S ADVENTUROUS, BUT WE DON'T WANT OUR ROADS TO LOOK LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, SO IT'S MORE OF A FUNDING ISSUE AS FAR AS WHO SHOULD BE FUNDING IT THAN THE FACT THAT WE WANT THE POOL OR WE DON'T WANT THE POOL.

WE WANT THE POOL. WE WANT THE POOL IN PALM BAY.

IT DOES HAVE HAVE BENEFITS, I COMPLETELY AGREE, BUT THE FACT THAT EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL IN SOUTH BREVARD SWIMS THERE AND ALSO THE SCHOOL BOARDS ARE NOT GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE AMENDMENT THREE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A DIME THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT THE POOL WITH. YOU GUYS ALL ELECTED YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, WHY AREN'T YOU ASKING THEM ABOUT THAT? MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, SOLUTION RIGHT THERE. IF, BY THE WAY, THE PICTURE THAT WE JUST PAINTED IS ONLY.

IT IS LIKE NOT INCLUDING. IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, WE'RE ALREADY IN THE HOLE.

IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES, THEN WE'RE LIKE DRAMATICALLY IN THE HOLE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE EVEN DEEPER CONVERSATIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, TO ME, I'M GLAD THAT IT'S WE'RE KEEPING IT OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO OUR SWIM TEAMS. YOU KNOW, THROUGH THEIR SEASON.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE PLAY LIKE THE KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, THEN NOBODY'S GOING TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO THINK THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO CAVE AND FUND IT EVENTUALLY. SO TO ME, I SAY WE NEED TO TELL THE SCHOOL BOARD AND EVERYBODY ELSE, AND YOU GUYS NEED TO PUT PRESSURE ON THEM AS WELL.

BE LIKE, HEY, PALM BAY IS GOING TO CLOSE THIS DOWN.

IF WE DON'T COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IF I NEED TO CALL 911 FOR MY SEVEN MONTH OLD DAUGHTER, I WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET THERE IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE CLOSE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO GUARANTEE THAT ANYMORE. AND AGAIN, THAT'S ONLY THAT'S EVEN RIGHT NOW BEFORE. AMENDMENT THREE. IF AMENDMENT THREE PASSES. WE'RE GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLY DIRE STRAITS AT THAT POINT.

SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON THE POOL. YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, I THINK COUNCIL IS PROBABLY GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S PULL SOME MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE AND TRY TO MOVE IT. YOU KNOW, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FIRST.

SO EVEN IF WE DECIDE WHERE THAT MONEY IS COMING FROM TO KEEP THE POOL OPEN A LITTLE LONGER, I MEAN, IT CAN'T COME FROM POLICE AND IT CAN'T COME FROM FIRE. I REALLY DON'T THINK IT SHOULD COME FROM INFRASTRUCTURE EITHER, BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY FAR BEHIND ON INFRASTRUCTURE.

BUT THAT'S MY $0.02 ON ON THAT PROBLEM. SO WITH THAT, I'LL YIELD.

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HAMMER.

I'M NOT GOING TO GO TOO FAR INTO THIS. A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS I HAD WERE ANSWERED, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A QUESTION WHETHER THE POOL IS NEEDED.

WE ALL KNOW THE POOL IS NEEDED. WHEN WE WERE ELECTED IN HERE, ONE OF THE BIG WORDS THAT I SPOKE OF WAS ACCOUNTABILITY.

WHEN I KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. WE ALL KNOW THE POOL IS BROKEN.

WE ALL KNOW THERE'S THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED ON IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT RUN EFFICIENTLY.

[02:15:05]

THAT'S WHAT OUR CONVERSATION IS, IS IT ISN'T IT ISN'T.

HEY, HOW BADLY DO WE WANT THE POOL? WE ALL WANT THE POOL.

WE LOVE THE POOL. IT'S AWESOME TO HAVE ONE OF MY, YOU KNOW, ON, ON.

SOMEBODY SAID THAT SOMEBODY ON COUNCIL SAID IT WASN'T.

IT'S NOT USED. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I HEARD UP UNTIL THE TIME THAT I SAID THAT WAS PEOPLE WEREN'T HAPPY WITH THE HOURS.

THE HOURS SHOULD BE CHANGED WHETHER WHETHER PEOPLE AGREE OR NOT.

I'M HERE THAT OPENS AT 12:00 ON THE WEEKENDS.

I MEAN, I GO TO THE BEACH, I GO OUT TO THE WATER.

I'M THERE AT 9:00 IN THE MORNING. SO I WOULD THINK ON THE WEEKENDS, OPENING UP EARLY WOULD GIVE IT A BETTER UTILIZATION.

BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

MY OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNEW IS HOW BADLY THE SCHOOLS NEED THIS.

BUT HERE WE ARE TELLING CITY COUNCIL THAT THE SCHOOLS NEED IT, BUT THE SCHOOLS AREN'T WILLING TO HELP US.

THAT'S THAT'S SAD TO ME. THAT'S THAT'S REALLY SAD.

THE SECOND THING IS THERE'S ALL THESE PEOPLE SAYING HOW BADLY WE NEED IT, BUT THE COUNTY, YOU ALL PAY IT RECREATION TAX TO THE COUNTY. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COUNTY PARK.

WE WANT HELP FROM THE COUNTY, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO HELP US WITH THAT EITHER.

I AM JUST I'M AT A POSITION TO WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A STRATEGY.

I THINK WE WERE VOTED IN HERE TO FIND A STRATEGY AND NOT JUST KEEP ON KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD LIKE IT WAS SAID BEFORE.

FIND A STRATEGY TO MAKE THIS FUNDABLE, NOT YEAR AFTER YEAR, BUT FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFE.

I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ONE TIME THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR.

WE CAN'T GO INTO EVERY SINGLE BUDGET YEAR FIGURING OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FIND MONEY.

WE NEED TO FIND STRATEGIES. WHEN WE SEE A PROBLEM, WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT AND ADDRESS IT FOR THE LONG TERM.

I DO REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF UTILIZING IMPACT FEES FOR AN EFFICIENT POOL BECAUSE WE DO NOT OWN THAT POOL.

THAT POOL IS NOT A PALM BAY POOL THAT'S OWNED BY THE COLLEGE, I BELIEVE.

CORRECT. IT IT'S OUR POOL AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND.

BUT IT'S ON IT'S, IT WAS EAST EAST OR IT WAS BCC AT ONE POINT.

THE LAND THE LAND IS LEASED. YEAH. THE LAND IS LEASED.

SO WE'RE, PUTTING ALL THIS MONEY INTO REPAIRS AND TO FUNDING A POOL THAT WE'RE LEASING.

SO I, I THINK IT'S SMARTER TO FIND A LONG TERM GOAL HERE.

MY OTHER QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE'VE ACQUIRED BECAUSE I BELIEVE ARPA FUNDS CAN BE USED ON FACILITIES AND THE POOL WOULD BE CONSIDERED A FACILITY.

CORRECT. I WILL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WOULD MEET THE ALLOCATION OR WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE WITH ARPA FUNDS OR INTEREST, BECAUSE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, ARPA FUNDS CAN BE USED ON FACILITIES FOR REPAIRS, NOT FOR MAINTENANCE OR UPGRADES.

IT MIGHT EVEN BE USED FOR UPGRADES TO. BUT I DO KNOW IT CAN BE USED ON FACILITIES.

I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY ADDRESS A LOT OF THIS, OF A LOT OF THE OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE COMING IN FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO PARTNER. I THINK IT COULD BE USED A LOT MORE.

IT CAN BE USED FOR EVENTS. IT CAN BE USED FOR SO MANY MORE THINGS THAN IT'S BEING USED.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH THAT, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE WE MAKE ANY DECISIONS WHATSOEVER.

BUT A CONVERSATION DOES NEED TO BE HAD ABOUT IT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR. SO I GUESS I COULD USE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY FROM COUNCILMAN HAMMER AS FAR AS LIKE A TIMELINE ON LIKE WHEN THIS CLARITY IS SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE PLACE.

YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS MY POSITION GOES, I, I AGREE WITH A LOT WITH COUNCILMAN LANGERMAN, YOU KNOW, I WAS SOMEONE THAT SWAM COMPETITIVELY FROM 11 YEARS OLD ON FASTER THAN MY BROTHER JUST DECIDED NOT TO GO TO COLLEGE ABOUT IT.

SO BUT, YOU KNOW, SWIMMING, SWIMMING IS A PASSION FOR ME.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT ARE 11 AND AND TEN YEARS OLD.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE EXPERIENCED YOU KNOW, FRIENDS OF OUR FAMILY THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE LOST CHILDREN THROUGH THROUGH DROWNING.

AND IT'S INCREDIBLY TRAGIC. BUT THE, THE FISCAL BATTLE THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW, THE CITY IS,

[02:20:05]

AND IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT THAT IT'S, IT'S SEWER AND WATER.

AND YOU KNOW, THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HAVE RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT THAT CAN LAST A LONG TIME.

AND THIS CURRENT COUNCIL BODY AND THIS CURRENT STAFF AND MANAGEMENT ARE FACING THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE LONG BEFORE WE GOT HERE.

AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A COUNCIL TO CONTINUE WITH THE POOL BEING OPEN THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THE SWIMMING SEASON FOR THE SCHOOLS THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER.

AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF OF A POOL BEING SEASONAL.

AND I THINK IT SHOULD CLOSE DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, AND THAT WOULD ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF THOSE PRECIOUS MONTHS TO FIND A SOLUTION TO REOPEN THE POOL WITH A PARTNER IN FEBRUARY.

BUT TO CONTINUE TO BLEED CASH AND RESOURCES WITHOUT A VIABLE SOLUTION IN PLACE TODAY.

RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO RIP THE BAND AID OFF BECAUSE DESPERATION CAN FIND THE GREATEST SOLUTIONS IF WE KEEP THE POOL OPEN THIS MONTH, NEXT MONTH, NEXT MONTH, NEXT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER YEAR AND WE SPENT CLOSE TO $1 MILLION.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE POOL OPEN THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER, SHUTTING IT DOWN FOR THREE MONTHS, FINDING A SOLUTION AND FINDING PARTNERS TO REOPEN IT WITH THOSE PARTNERS SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY.

THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMEND. MAYOR BUT YOU ARE SHUTTING IT DOWN.

SUSPENDING IT IS WHAT I'M HEARING. YOU GOING TO KEEP IT FLOWING, RIGHT? NOT JUST MINIMAL MAINTENANCE COST JUST TO KEEP THE POOL COVER THE POOL.

CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN. JOHNSON.

ARE WE GOOD? I'M HERE. MAYOR. SO, BASED ON WHAT I HEARD, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD CORRECTLY.

MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL IS OPEN TO A PARTNERSHIP OF SOME FORM, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC, PRIVATE OR SOMETHING, AND MOVING FORWARD. REGARDING THE AQUATIC CENTER, I'M DEFINITELY IN AGREEMENT WITH DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE.

I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THE POOL IS VERY LOW ON NUMBERS IN REGARDS TO THE WINTER SEASONS.

SO TO SAVE ON STAFFING COSTS AND EXPENDITURES, I DO AGREE WITH HIM ON THAT AS WELL.

I BELIEVE HE SAID NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT CLEAR DIRECTION BECAUSE CITY MANAGEMENT MOVING FORWARD BEING THAT WE ALREADY AGREED AS A COUNCIL TO KEEP IT OPEN TO NOVEMBER. SO THAT GIVES OUR CITY MANAGEMENT A, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS TO COME BACK TO US WITH A POTENTIAL AGREEMENT.

AND WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ACCORDINGLY FROM THERE.

OKAY. AND THEN THERE WAS A SPEAKER. WHAT WAS IT? DID YOU TAKE HIS NAME DOWN? GENTLEMAN FROM BREVARD POOLS.

I THINK HE'S IN THE THAT. MIKE. OKAY. SO YOU MET WITH HIM.

OKAY. I'LL SEND. SO JUST TO CLARIFY THE CONSENSUS WITH A THUMBS UP.

ARE WE GOOD WITH THAT? COUNCILMAN HAMMER, WITH WHAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH.

I'M OKAY WITH WITH APPROACHING THE PARTNERSHIPS.

AND I ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF WAITING UNTIL FEBRUARY TO DO THAT.

I THINK WE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY START APPROACHING THESE ISSUES, FIND OUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, AND LET'S DO IT RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, I MEAN, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WERE DISCUSSING WANT TO USE IT AS A VENUE.

WELL GUESS WHAT? THEY HAVE WEDDINGS, THEY HAVE PARTIES, THEY HAVE EVERYTHING. IF THEY'RE GOING TO USE IT AS A VENUE, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE OR THE THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

SO THE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S I KNOW I'M A, I'M A BOAT OWNER.

THEY SAY THE BEST TIME TO SELL YOUR BOAT IS DURING BOATING SEASON.

I WOULD SAY THE BEST TIME TO APPROACH THIS IS DURING HOLIDAY SEASON.

SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE FORWARD ON FINDING A PARTNER AND SOMEBODY THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO ALLOW THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE WADE, TONIGHT BE USED STILL.

SO IT'LL HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT THAT IS THAT IS UTILIZED THROUGH ALL OF US.

AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A, HAVE ANOTHER ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.

BUT I AM FOR THAT, BUT NOT WAITING TILL FEBRUARY RIGHT NOW.

I THINK DEPUTY MAYOR WAS JUST GIVEN A TIMELINE IN THAT SENSE AND NOT NOT HAVING TO SPEND MONEY ON MAINTENANCE AND AND EMPLOYEES.

IF I'M TRACKING YOU CORRECTLY, DEPUTY MAYOR. WELL, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS. YEAH. SLOW.

YEAH. RIGHT. AND IF SOMEBODY CAME WITH A SOLUTION FOR DECEMBER, THEN WE WOULD OPEN IN DECEMBER.

RIGHT. BUT JUST TRYING TO SET SOME REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT YOU KNOW, I THINK THE POOL SHOULD CLOSE AFTER THE SCHOOL TEAMS ARE COMPLETED.

[02:25:07]

IT'S WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING. THAT'S IT. SO THAT'S HIS TIMELINE.

ARE YOU ARE WE CONSENSUS WITH THAT GENTLEMAN? I'M NOT IN AGREEANCE WITH IT CLOSING FOREVER.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE IT CLOSES FOREVER. BUT I AM IN AGREEANCE WITH MOVING FORWARD ON FINDING A PARTNER AND MAKING THAT OUR OUR PRIORITY WITH THE POOL.

ARE YOU COUNCILMAN LANDSMAN? YEAH, I'M IN AGREEANCE WITH THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S PROPOSAL.

OKAY, SO THE CLOSING PART. HE HAS A DIFFICULTY WITH WHAT? WHAT DO YOU. IN OTHER WORDS, HE'S ASKING FOR IT TO COME BACK, NOT AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE IT.

I MEAN, I'M COMPLETELY OKAY WITH IT COMING BACK.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BUT MY VOTE'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW? SO. OKAY. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, ARE WE GOOD? WE GOT THUMBS UP.

I THINK AT LEAST THAT MUCH. YES, SIR. OKAY. MR. MOORE, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE FROM US? ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. AND THANKS. I'M. AT THIS POINT, I'M CLOSING THAT PUBLIC HEARING.

HEARING RIGHT NOW. AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO ITEM NUMBER ONE IN IN BUSINESS, MR. MORTON. WELL, IF Y'ALL ARE ABOUT TO EXIT, THEN I'LL. I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS TO ALLOW Y'ALL TO GO AHEAD AND EXIT.

I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING BACK TO ORDER. WE ARE NOW ON BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER ONE, MR.

[BUSINESS:]

SO THE BUSINESS ITEM ITSELF IS CONSIDERATION OF THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2627.

AND WE HAVE PETER NAPOLI FROM STANTEC. HE'S GOING TO COME UP AND SORT OF SET THE STAGE BECAUSE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS.

PETER, YOU HAVE 18 SECONDS. SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN YOU CAN JUST KIDDING.

HOPEFULLY YOU CAN PRESENT 17, 1716, 16. THIS IS FOR THE UTILITIES.

YEAH, WE HAVE TO OH, WE SKIPPED. I'M SORRY. OH, WE SIR, WE DON'T HAVE STANTEC YET.

THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S MY FAULT, I APOLOGIZE. SO I'VE GOT NOTHING TO PRESENT OTHER THAN THE STATEMENT I'VE READ AND THE BUDGET STATEMENT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT'S ON THERE AGAIN. SO OKAY, THE PROPOSED MILLAGE.

I CAN READ THE STATEMENT AGAIN IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO FIND IT.

BUT IT IS ROLLBACK. YES. AND IT IS TENTATIVELY ADOPTED AS AN OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 6.6015 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026. AND OF COURSE, WHEN THAT WAS TENTATIVELY ADOPTED, THAT IS YOUR HIGH WATER MARK.

YOU CANNOT EXCEED THAT MILLAGE RATE. AND I THINK FINANCE HAS PREPARED EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT, REPORT AND STATEMENT AROUND THAT RATE. THANK YOU.

I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. SIX SEVEN. ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISH TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? OKAY, I'M GOING TO NEED TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.

I NEED A MOTION FOR THE TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE FOR THE TAX YEAR.

APPROVED THE OPERATION OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR THE ROLLBACK RATE.

SECOND, I GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, GENTLEMEN? YES, MAYOR.

GO AHEAD, SIR. ALL RIGHT. 2 OR 3 QUICK ITEMS. SO WHEN I WAS AT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES, ONE THING I LEARNED ABOUT WAS THE FLORIDA SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION PURCHASING PROGRAM.

AND I THINK WE DISCUSSED IT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DISPATCH, HOW THE SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION GETS A MORE COMPETITIVE BID ON ITEMS AND VEHICLES THAN TYPICALLY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DO. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS, APPROXIMATELY THREE.

3 MILLION OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES IS ELIGIBLE WITH THE SSA PROGRAM.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO EXPLORE THE FSA PROGRAM FOR ALL ELIGIBLE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE AS COMPETITIVE IN OUR BIDS, AND WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PRICING FOR EACH OF OUR VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT THAT WE CAN.

ASIDE FROM THAT HOLD ON ONE SECOND. REDUCING ANY FORM OF REDUNDANCY.

COUNCILMAN. JOHNSON. COUNCIL. JUST ONE. ONE STEP AT A TIME, BROTHER.

HOLD ON. MR. MORTON, DID DID YOU GET CLEAR DIRECTION ON THAT? CLEAR DIRECTION? THE STORM WATER PURCHASE IS REFERENCED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE F 550.

[02:30:04]

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. CARRY ON WITH YOUR SECOND ITEM, SIR.

THANK. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS.

SO ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF AND BUDGET.

PAGE BUDGET PAGES ONE THROUGH THREE AND SEVEN AND NINE IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CONTENT CREATION STRATEGIST.

THAT POSITION IS $124,509. FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CONTENT CREATION AND OUTREACH FOR STORMWATER UTILITIES. AND I SEE, AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO ALREADY DOES THIS, I DON'T FEEL WE NEED TO CREATE ANOTHER POSITION.

AND EVEN WHEN I LOOKED AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES LIKE MELBOURNE, ORLANDO, MIAMI, NONE OF THEM ARE PAYING THIS AMOUNT FOR A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR COMMUNITY STRATEGIST POSITION. I FEEL THIS CAN BE CONSOLIDATED.

I DON'T FEEL WE NEED THIS POSITION. SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A COST SAVINGS IN REGARDS TO X AMOUNT.

124,000 AND EVEN POTENTIALLY, I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NUMBERS IN REGARDS TO THE UTILIZATION OF OUR POLICE AND FIRE WELLNESS COORDINATORS, BECAUSE IF THERE'S LOW NUMBERS ON ONE AND HIGH NUMBERS ON THE OTHER, THEN THAT POTENTIALLY CAN BE CONSOLIDATED AS WELL.

ON TOP OF OUR GRANTS COORDINATORS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE MULTIPLE GRANT COORDINATORS.

I WANT TO SEE THE NUMBERS OF HOW HOW MANY GRANTS EACH OF THEM ARE PUTTING OUT.

BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY IF YOUR GRANTS COORDINATOR, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRANTS FOR THE CITY.

SO I WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE CAN CONSOLIDATE THAT POSITION AND BE EVEN MORE EFFICIENT AND PROFICIENT WITH THE TAX DOLLARS AND WITH OUR SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. MR. MORTON. FIRE AND POLICE MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATORS ARE BOTH CONTRACTUALLY NEGOTIATED AND AGREED TO. AND I THINK THE METRICS ON BOTH THOSE PROGRAMS JUSTIFY THEIR CONTINUATION.

WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH OUR FIREFIGHTER, A FIREFIGHTER, EXCUSE ME, AND POLICE MENTAL HEALTH.

I WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE FROM A MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE OF REEVALUATING THOSE AT THIS TIME, I THINK THERE ARE MORE THAN SERVING THEIR PURPOSE IN SPEAKING WITH BOTH THE COORDINATORS AND MANY, MANY MEMBERS. WHEN I DO RIDE ALONGS, WHEN I GO TO FIREHOUSES FOR DINNER THAT IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT I BELIEVE WE NEED TO CONTINUE.

WE CAN LOOK AT HOW WE AUGMENT THAT SERVICE DELIVERY AS WE LOOK THROUGH OUR MULTIPLE OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT FOR SUPPLEMENTING OR REDUCING OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS.

IN TERMS OF THE OUTREACH COORDINATOR, THAT WAS THE ELIMINATION AND RECREATION OF SEVERAL POSITIONS TO TRY TO DO A BETTER JOB COMMUNICATING TO THE COMMUNITY. WE GET THOSE CONVERSATIONS ALL THE TIME. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU WHY ARE YOU DOING IT? WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE? WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE? PART OF THE STRATEGY IS THAT GIS DASHBOARD THAT'S COMING ON.

I MEAN, CANDIDLY, IF COUNCIL HAS HEARTBURN ON THIS ONE, CUT THE POSITION.

IT'S FINE REALLY. I MEAN, WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT.

WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE CHRISTINA SOME SOME SUPPORT IN ADDITIONAL WAYS. WE'RE JUST NOT VERY PROACTIVE IN COMMUNICATING. BUT THAT'S A CHOICE WE MAKE.

FINE WITH THAT. AND THEN IN TERMS OF GRANTS, THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED BEFORE.

WE DON'T HAVE A SINGULAR FULL TIME GRANT WRITER IN GENERAL FOR THE CITY.

WE HAVE SEVERAL. WE HAVE DO YOU REMEMBER THE FULL COUNT? YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME BLENDED FTES.

AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES, RIGHT. YOU HAVE TANYA, WHO DOES A LOT OF OUR LEGISLATIVE OUR DIRECT APPROPRIATIONS.

THAT IS HER SPECIALTY. SHE ALSO CAN PITCH IN ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WHEN IT COMES TO UTILITIES, RIGHT? IT'S THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION DESIGN, KNOWING OF WHAT WE NEED TO APPLY FOR WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SRF LOANS OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY GRANTS. SO THE REASON WE DON'T HAVE A DESIGNATED PERSON IS ALMOST LIKE, I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE LAW DEPARTMENT FOR A MINUTE.

RIGHT. YOU HAVE SO MANY LITTLE INTERSTITIAL SPECIALTIES THAT HAVE TO HAVE NICHE THAT WE'VE SORT OF BIFURCATED THOSE SERVICES AND ROLL THOSE INTO EXISTING DUTIES THAT FTS PERFORM, WHETHER IT'S COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH GRANT WRITING, WHETHER IT'S LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT AND GRANT WRITING, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT WITH GRANT WRITING. SO THAT WOULD BE A LONGER TERM LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT. BUT I THINK FOR OPTIMIZATION RIGHT NOW, I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT, IN FACT, WE WERE JUST JOKING ABOUT IT ON THE WAY OVER HERE.

WE DON'T HAVE A GRANT PROBLEM IN TERMS OF GETTING GRANTS.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF MANAGING ALL THE GRANTS. NOW THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AGAIN, I'M NOT BRAGGING. I'M JUST BEING HONEST. WE'VE GOT OUR HANDS FULL WITH THE GRANT COMPLIANCE, THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDITS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO GO INTO MANAGING THE GRANTS THAT THE MINI GRANTS THAT WE'VE WON THIS YEAR. THAT'S MY BIGGER CONCERN, HONESTLY. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON. I THINK THE FIRST ITEM IS GOOD.

THE SECOND ITEM IS TOO CONVOLUTED. BROTHER, DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR YOUR MOTION? SO IT DOESN'T CHANGE MY MOTION. I WAS JUST TRYING.

THE STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, TRIMMING DOWN THE BUDGET BASED OFF OF OUR RECOMMENDATION IN REGARDS TO THE

[02:35:03]

THE MAIN AREA I DO FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IS I DO NOT FEEL WE NEED TO PAY BEFORE A THOUSAND TO SOMEBODY FOR A COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

I THINK THAT IS A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT, AND I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT.

WELL, SIR, NOW YOU YOU AGREED WITH THE MILLAGE RATE, CORRECT.

SO MAYBE WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS. THIS DISCUSSION STARTED IN JANUARY.

PERHAPS WE SHOULD HONE IN ON IT A LOT SOONER FOR US TO START GETTING INTO THE WEEDS LIKE THIS AT THIS POINT.

IT'S LIKE, IT'S, YOU'RE CONVOLUTING THE WHOLE PROCESS AT THIS POINT, IN MY OPINION.

LET THE CITY MANAGER HANDLE THESE ISSUES. I, I'M ALREADY CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITIES.

I THINK COUNCIL AS A WHOLE HAS ALREADY COMMENDED HIM ON SEVERAL LAYERS.

AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CONVOLUTE THIS PROCESS.

AND I'M, I'M, I'M AT THE POSITION WHERE MR. MORTON.

YOU CARRY ON. AND AND I UNDERSTAND THE FIRST ITEM, BUT NOW THE SECOND ITEM WE'RE TRYING TO REGULATE AND TELL YOU HOW YOU TO RUN, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS ON A ON A DEEPER LEVEL, WHEN I THINK THIS DISCUSSION SHOULD ENSUED A WHILE AGO.

THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH THIS RIGHT NOW. I GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER.

ARE YOU STILL GOOD WITH YOUR SECOND, SIR? MY SECOND IS JUST TO APPROVE THE SIX SIX.

RIGHT. THAT THAT'S OKAY. JUST JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO GO ON SAYING THIS.

I AM IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IN SUPPORT OF, OF ANYTHING WITH WITH WELLNESS COORDINATOR FOR POLICE AND FIRE BEING CHANGED WHATSOEVER. YEAH. I, YEAH, AS A, AS, AS A FIRST RESPONDER IN THE PAST THERE IS A NO ON NO PLANET I WOULD WANT SOMEBODY JUST A REGULAR WELLNESS COORDINATOR FROM FROM HR.

NOT SAYING SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH HR, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY SPECIALIZED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DEAL WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ISSUES.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN PEOPLE BESIDE ME, AND I HAD A STRONGER STOMACH THAN OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THERE WAS THINGS THAT ARE SEEN THAT CAN'T BE UNSEEN.

YOUR STAPLER NOT WORKING. IS IT GOING TO BE IN COMPARISON TO, TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE OUT ON A CALL? AND I, I AM EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT. RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST EYE OPENERS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS PEOPLE'S WELLNESS. WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVES. I'LL SAY THAT I DO NOT THINK WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WELLNESS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND I WILL NOT BE BEHIND THAT. I COPY THAT, THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN HAMMOND. COUNCILMAN. JOHNSON. I'LL PUT IT IN THIS.

IN THIS TERMS FOR YOU. WHAT? WHAT HE'S SAYING COMBAT VETERANS GET COUNSELING FROM COMBAT VETERANS. THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE IN TUNE TO RECEIVE THAT COUNSELING FROM SOMEONE THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN IN BATTLE.

SO IT'S THE SAME THING AS, AS WHAT HE'S DESCRIBING.

YOU FOR US TO MIX THAT. SO, AND I, I'M IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH THAT.

THAT'S WHY I FEEL THAT THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT THOSE ARE CONTRACTUAL ISSUES AS WELL.

SO LET'S JUST STICK WITH THE, THE, THE MOTION THE WAY IT IS.

YOU'RE AGREEING TO THE SIX. SIX. GO AHEAD, DEPUTY MAYOR.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. YES. YOU KNOW, I'M IN AGREEMENT OF THE MOTION.

BUT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, TO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON'S POINT, I WOULD LIKE THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER FREEZING THAT POSITION OR ALLOCATING THE MONEY FOR THE CONTENT CREATOR ENGAGEMENT. YOU MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CONTENT CREATION STRATEGIST FOR $125,000 A YEAR.

SO IS THAT IS THAT THE ONE WHERE YOU'RE GIVEN COMMUNICATIONS? I WILL DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, FREEZE IT. IT'S FINE. BUT IT'S, THAT'S THE FULL LOADED ADVERTISED SALARY BANDWIDTH.

YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'D HIRE SOMEBODY THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE FULL BENEFITS. IT WAS SPLIT BETWEEN THREE FUNDS, TWO ENTERPRISE FUNDS THAT NEED TO COMMUNICATE COMPLIANCE REPORTS DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES. THE WHAT WE DO BOIL WATER NOTICES, TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON HOW, HOW WE DELIVER YOUR WATER, HOW WE CLEAN UP YOUR WASTEWATER FROM THE STORMWATER SIDE, WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE A LITTLE MORE ON WHAT WE DO. WHAT ARE SWALE REQUIREMENTS, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM REALLY. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON A MOTION AND DEPUTY MAYOR.

[02:40:01]

I JUST SAID JUST CONSIDER WHERE WE'RE AT. I MEAN, THAT'S THE SAME CONVERSATION WE GAVE OUT TONIGHT WITH THE POOL. I HAVE NO PROBLEM FREEZING IT AND WE CAN COME BACK IN A FEW MONTHS AND REEVALUATE.

I KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING. LOOK, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT SAID THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WASN'T GOING TO BE DISCUSSED. SOMEBODY WALKED OUT OF THE DOOR AND TOLD ME, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR COUNCILMAN JOHNSON GOING LIVE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE POOL TODAY. SO COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL AND WHAT WE DO WITH THAT? YEAH. I DON'T MIND GIVING YOU THE DISCRETION, BUT TO, TO HONE IN ON JUST ONE PERSON TO, TO COMMUNICATIONS.

THAT THAT'S AN ASTRONOMICAL ASK IN PARTICULAR WITH TODAY'S DAY AND AGE.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING INTO THAT. AT THE SAME TIME CONSIDER HOW DIFFICULT THOSE JOBS ARE RIGHT NOW.

I GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER.

YES, I APOLOGIZE, SIR. AND, YOU KNOW, WE IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR IF EVERYBODY LOOKS AT THEIR EMAILS, WE RECEIVE THE FULL PROPOSED ON FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET FRIDAY.

SO I KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I'M KIND OF I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE I'M REALLY PICKING AT WEEDS OR, YOU KNOW, COMING AT EVERYTHING BUT I'VE FROM FRIDAY ON THIS WHOLE WEEKEND UP UNTIL NOW, I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, JUST LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM JUST TO SEE, HEY, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP ALLEVIATE COSTS OR HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE FOR THE POOL OR FOR OTHER AREAS? SO IT'S NOT ME COMING AT STAFF OR COMING AT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BUT JUST LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN EVEN BE BETTER STEWARDS OF WHAT WE HAVE.

SO I RECEIVED IT FRIDAY, JUST LIKE YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE AND HAVE JUST BEEN TRYING TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. SO IT WASN'T ME COMING AT STAFF OR ANYBODY.

MAYOR IT WAS JUST ME LOOKING TO SEE HOW I CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO THE TEAM.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. RIGHT NOW, I GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON.

SEND THE TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR THIS TAX YEAR.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER. ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NOW, I NEED A MOTION TO SET THAT TENTATIVE DEBT MILLAGE RATE FOR THE TAX YEAR.

I'M GOING TO READ THAT OUT HERE. ARE WE DOING THAT? SEPARATE CITY OF PALM BAY, FLORIDA TENTATIVELY ADOPTED A DEBT MILLAGE RATE OF ZERO POINT OR EXCUSE ME, ADOPTED A DEBT MILLAGE RATE OF 0.9385 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026, ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027, TOTALING $10,012,336 BASED ON GROSS TAXABLE CERTIFIED PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE.

ASSUMING A 96% COLLECTION RATE, AND THIS WILL BE USED TO PAY DESIGNATED PAYMENTS FOR SERIES 2019, SERIES 2021 AND SERIES 2023 DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS FOR WHAT IS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS GO ROADS.

I NEED A MOTION. SO MOVED. SECOND. GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER, SECONDED BY DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFEE.

ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'RE NOW ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.

THANK YOU, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. I THINK THIS GOES TO MISS SHIRLEY.

SHE NEEDS TO READ THE CAPTION. YES, SIR. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2020 634, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE TEN IMPACT FEES.

CHAPTER 106 IMPACT FEES. SUBCHAPTER SUBCHAPTER WATER AND WASTEWATER IMPACT FEES BY ADJUSTING THE WATER CAPITAL CHARGES PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT, HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY CODE OF ORDINANCES.

PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. MR. MORTON, THANK YOU, I GOT EAGER, I WAS TRYING NOT TO CUT INTO PETER'S 12 SECONDS. SO MR..

MR. NAPOLI, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP. PETER NAPOLI FROM STANTEC DOES A LOT OF CONSULTING.

AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THAT'S A VERY SPECIALIZED FIELD THAT WE HAVE TO GET EXACTLY RIGHT.

SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE YEARS WITH STANTEC. HE'S GOING TO KIND OF GIVE US AN OVERVIEW, AND THEN WE HAVE STAFF HERE FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU SIR.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS PETER NAPOLI, STANTEC CONSULTING.

I HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR YOU GUYS TONIGHT THAT ESSENTIALLY SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 FOR THE UTILITIES.

SO YOUR WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES. SO THIS PERTAINS TO BOTH ORDINANCE NUMBER TWO AND ORDINANCE NUMBER THREE.

AND I GUESS ONE PRESENTATION FOR, FOR BOTH OF THEM NOT SO MUCH ON THE IMPACT FEE SIDE, BUT MORE SO ON THE WATER AND SEWER UTILITY RATES.

[02:45:02]

IT'S A TEN YEAR FORECAST OF THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE FUND FOR WATER AND SEWER OPERATIONS.

IT INCLUDES ALL OF THE OPERATIONAL COSTS, CAPITAL COSTS, DEBT COSTS THAT ARE ENVELOPED BY THE WATER AND SEWER UTILITY.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS WORK THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE CITY.

IT'S BEEN A CONTINUATION OF SEVERAL YEARS NOW THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY AND UTILITY STAFF TO PROPOSE THE APPROPRIATE RATE INCREASES TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FUNDING. SO MOST RECENTLY IN 2026, THERE WAS A 1.75% WATER RATE INCREASE AND A 3.75% WASTEWATER INCREASE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT INFLUENCE RATE INCREASES AROUND THE STATE, AND PARTICULARLY WITH FLORIDA UTILITIES, BUT REGULATORY CHANGES IS ONE OF THEM.

SO ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT THAT AFFECT WATER QUALITY, CAPACITY PRESSURES GROWTH AND THE GROWTH THAT INFLUENCES CAPACITY PRESSURES AND THEN JUST INFLATIONARY COSTS THAT THE UTILITY IS SUBJECT TO FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT AND A CAPITAL AND CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT. SO THE UTILITY IN THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW PRETTY RAPIDLY IN COMPARISON TO OTHER PLACES AROUND THE STATE, AROUND 3% AVERAGE GROWTH IN UTILITY ACCOUNTS.

AND THEN THE IMPACT FEES WEREN'T REVIEWED AT THIS TIME.

THEY WERE LAST REVIEWED IN 2025. THE STATE NOW HAS A RESTRICTION ON HOW OFTEN YOU CAN ADOPT IMPACT FEE INCREASES, SO THE NEXT TIME THE CITY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT IS IN 2029.

SO JUST A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON THE INCREASES THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO THE CITY'S UTILITY RATES IN RELATION TO THE INFLATION THAT'S OCCURRED OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD.

SO THIS CHART HERE SHOWS IN THE ORANGE THE INFLATION THAT'S TRACKED FOR THE THE CPI WATER AND SEWER INDEX.

SO THIS IS SPECIFIC COSTS RELATED TO WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES.

YOU COULD SEE OVER THE COURSE OF 2013 TO 2025, JUST THE INCREASE IN COST FROM INFLATION HAS BEEN ABOUT 78%.

AND THE GREEN IS THE INCREASE TO YOUR WASTEWATER RATES.

SO YOUR WASTEWATER RATE WASTEWATER RATES ARE BELOW THAT, BUT HIGHER THAN WATER.

SO THAT'S 63% OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD. AND THEN YOUR WATER RATES HAVE GROWN BY 30% OVER THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.

AND THOSE ARE THE AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREASES, 4.2% ON AVERAGE FOR THE US CPI AND THEN 3.6 AND 1.9.

SO CAPITAL SPENDING IS REALLY THE THE BIGGEST FACTOR WHEN IT COMES TO UTILITY SPENDING.

ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE, IT'S PERSONNEL AND SALARIES AND BENEFITS.

BUT ON THE UTILITY SIDE, IT'S MORE SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE GROUND AND THE CAPITAL NEEDS.

AND THE CITY HAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

SO IDENTIFIED PROJECTS IN THE TIME PERIOD 2027 THROUGH 2031, IT'S ABOUT $300 MILLION IN PROJECTS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS ARE RELATED TO PLANTS AND PLANT CAPACITY UPGRADES OR PLANT WATER QUALITY UPGRADES.

SO THAT'S REPRESENTED IN THE GREEN PORTION OF THAT CHART.

IN THE YELLOW, THAT'S MORE THE RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT.

SO YOU'LL SEE THIS IS MORE TYPICAL FOR A GROWING CITY WITH A LOT OF CAPACITY DEMANDS ON THEIR SYSTEM.

THE FUNDING PLAN AS IT STANDS CURRENTLY FOR OUR TEN YEAR FORECAST IS, IS HEAVIER ON THE DEBT SIDE.

SO THESE LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE MOST EFFICIENTLY FUNDED USING UTILIZING DEBT, BECAUSE THERE IS AN WHAT WE CALL AN INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY OF MAKING THESE BIG UPGRADES AND INVESTMENTS IN YOUR WATER PLANTS AND WASTEWATER PLANTS, THEY'RE GOING TO BENEFIT MULTIPLE GENERATIONS TO COME.

SO THE DEBT HELPS SPREAD THAT COST OUT, WHEREAS CASH FUNDING PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON TODAY'S RATEPAYERS.

SO THAT'S THE FUNDING MIX THAT WE HAVE FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

IT ALSO UTILIZES IMPACT FEES WHERE POSSIBLE IMPACT FEES CAN BE USED FOR EXPANSION PROJECTS.

SO TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS MONEY IN THOSE AND PROJECTED BALANCES IN THOSE ACCOUNTS, WE'RE UTILIZING THAT TOWARDS THE PROJECTS, THE MAIN LINE EXTENSION FEES. AND THEN THERE STILL IS A CASH COMPONENT OF FUNDING THE CAPITAL.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE NOTABLE PLAN EXPANSIONS.

YOU HAVE THE NORTH REGIONAL R.O. PLANT IN THE 2028 TO 20 2029 PERIOD.

THAT'S ABOUT 110 MILLION. AND THEN THAT WAS THE FIRST THREE MGD.

AND THEN INCREASING THAT 3 TO 10 MGD IS ABOUT 120 MILLION IN THE LATTER PORTION OF OUR PROJECTION PERIOD.

[02:50:02]

THOSE TWO EXPANSION, THREE EXPANSIONS AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS.

THIS IS THE THE SNAPSHOT THE SCREEN FROM OUR DASHBOARD AND OUR MODEL.

THIS IS THE TEN YEAR PROJECTION. SO IT SHOWS.

SO IT SHOWS THE PROJECTED RATE PLAN FOR A TEN YEAR PERIOD.

AND IT SHOWS SOME KEY VARIABLES OR KEY METRICS THAT WE LIKE TO TRACK.

STARTING FROM THE TOP, YOU'LL SEE THE RATE PLAN AND THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDED RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 ARE AN 8% INCREASE FOR THE WATER RATES, AND THEN A 3.75% INCREASE FOR WASTEWATER. THE CHANGE THERE IS REALLY ON THE WATER SIDE.

THE 3.75 IS WHAT THE CITY IS USED TO ADOPTING FOR THOSE RATES ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE.

THE INCREASE ON THE WATER SIDE, HOWEVER, IS IS REALLY BEING PRESSURED BY THE CAPITAL SPENDING THAT'S IN THAT TEN YEAR PLAN.

AND THE THE NEXT PART HERE THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IS THE, THAT LINE CALLED ALL IN DSC.

THAT'S DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE. SO WHEN YOU ISSUE DEBT IN THE FORM OF A REVENUE BOND, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPAY THAT DEBT USING YOUR RATES. THE RATING AGENCIES ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE REVENUE GENERATED BY YOUR UTILITY AND MAKE SURE THAT IT GENERATES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OVER THE DEBT REQUIREMENT. SO THAT'S DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE.

YOU DON'T WANT YOUR DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE TO FALL BELOW MAYBE A 1.0.

THAT BASICALLY MEANS AFTER YOUR REVENUE IS SUBTRACT YOUR YOUR OPERATIONAL COSTS.

YOU HAVE ONE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF NET INCOME TO PAY YOUR DEBT SERVICE.

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO TARGET IS A 1.5 TO A 2.0.

THAT'S A STRONG COVERAGE RATING. AND JUST LIKE YOUR CREDIT RATING AGENCIES YOU KNOW, GIVE US A CREDIT SCORE PERSONALLY.

THAT'S WHAT YOUR RATING AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT WHEN THEY GIVE THE CITY ITS CREDIT SCORE FOR ISSUING DEBT LIKE THIS.

SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME PERIOD IN THE FIRST PART, REALLY THE MORE URGENT PART OF THE THE PERIOD, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE STRONG COVERAGE BETWEEN 3 AND 1.5, THE LATTER PORTION OF THE PROJECTION PERIOD.

IT'S GETTING A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT TOO MUCH OF A CONCERN TO US.

AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

AND THIS IS KIND OF AN ANNUAL REVIEW PROCESS.

SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE FIRST FIVE YEARS AND IN THIS MODEL HERE, YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, THAT'S WHERE THE BORROWING IS ISSUED. THAT FIRST BIG BLUE BAR THERE IN 2028.

THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE ISSUING DEBT FOR SOME OF THESE NEAR TERM PROJECTS.

WHEN YOU ISSUE DEBT, THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND RATING AGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS TO ENSURE THAT THE UTILITY HAS SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR THAT DEBT SERVICE. JUST SOME A FEW MORE THINGS TO POINT OUT.

THE TOP LEFT GRAPH. THAT'S YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUND.

YOU WANT THOSE BLUE BARS TO REMAIN ABOVE THAT BLACK LINE IN EVERY YEAR.

THE PROJECTION PERIOD, THE BLACK LINE REPRESENTS THE MINIMUM BALANCE IN THAT ACCOUNT.

AND THAT'S A POLICY THAT THE CITY HOLDS. YOU DON'T WANT THAT ON YOUR YOUR CASH BALANCES TO FALL BELOW THAT.

IT'S USED FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES, LIQUIDITY, AND THEN ALSO USED FOR RATINGS PURPOSES.

SO AFTER 2027 YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONLY THOSE ARE THE ONLY RATES THAT YOU'RE DECIDING ON TODAY.

I BELIEVE AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE WE PUT IN, WE PLUG IN RATES THAT WILL WORK FOR THE REST OF THE TEN YEAR PERIOD.

AND WHAT WE HAVE IS A 3.75% FOR BOTH WATER AND SEWER RATES FOR THE REST OF THE PROJECTION PERIOD, WHICH, AS YOU SAW, IS ABOUT CONSISTENT WITH THE RATE OF INFLATION FOR COSTS LIKE THESE.

SO THAT IS PROVIDING SUFFICIENT REVENUE OVER THAT TEN YEAR FORECAST.

THIS SURVEY SHOWS FOR 5000 GALLONS, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER USAGE, THE WATER ONLY BILL.

SO ABOUT HALF OF THE CUSTOMERS IN THE CITY ARE WATER ONLY.

CURRENTLY, THE BILL, AS IT STANDS IN 2026 IS ABOUT $37.

AND WITH THAT 8% INCREASE, THAT WOULD MOVE TO ABOUT $40.

SO MOVE YOU ONE SPOT UP THAT SURVEY. AND ONE THING THAT THIS SURVEY DOESN'T, I THINK IT'S A BIG ASTERISK TO POINT OUT IS THAT IT HOLDS THE REST OF THESE OTHER ENTITIES, THEIR RATES STATIC, WHEREAS THEY ARE LIKELY TO ADOPT RATE INCREASES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 PERIOD.

THIS NEXT SURVEY SHOWS THE COMBINED BILL SO THE OTHER HALF OF THE CITY'S CUSTOMERS.

THIS IS WATER AND WASTEWATER COMBINED. SO THE MONTHLY BILL FOR 5000 GALLONS.

CURRENTLY IT'S ABOUT $101.77. AND IT WOULD BE ABOUT A $6 INCREASE ONCE THOSE RATE INCREASES ARE ADOPTED FOR 2027.

[02:55:11]

SO EVERY TIME THERE'S A NEW UTILITY ACCOUNT, THERE IS A NEW WATER AND SEWER BILL THAT DOES GENERATE REVENUE TO HELP OFFSET THE INCREASE IN COSTS. BUT THE RATE OF CAPITAL SPENDING AND THE REGULATORY PRESSURES FROM A WATER QUALITY STANDPOINT, AS MUCH AS A CAPACITY STANDPOINT, ARE REALLY THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE ON THE NEED FOR A FUTURE RATE INDEXING PLAN? THESE COST INCREASES ARE DRIVEN LARGELY BY THE WATER SYSTEM, AND THAT'S WHY THAT 8% WAS ATTACHED TO THE WATER RATES.

AND THE WASTEWATER WAS STILL CONTINUING WITH ITS NORMAL RATE INCREASE PLAN.

THE TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL BILL IS COMPARABLE TO LOCAL ENTITIES, EVEN AFTER THE RATE INCREASES ARE APPLIED AND EXPECTED TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.

SO JUST A FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS. THE 8% INCREASE FOR WATER FOR 2027, 3.75% FOR WASTEWATER RECLAIMED.

AND WE RECOMMEND THE CITY CONTINUE ANNUAL UPDATES TO REEVALUATE AND ADJUST THE RATE PLAN IF NECESSARY.

THE CAPITAL CHARGES AT THIS TIME, THE IMPACT FEES OR CONNECTION FEES ARE WERE SUGGESTING TO HOLD THE SAME THE SAME LEVEL.

THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REEVALUATED AND AT THE TIME THE CITY CAN REEVALUATE THEM.

PER THE STATE REGULATIONS, WE'D RECOMMEND THE STATE LOOK AT THAT.

OR THE CITY. LOOK AT THAT. SO THAT'S THE CONCLUSION OF MY PRESENTATION.

AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL.

YEAH. YES, SIR. THE CITY MANAGER. AT FIRST I WAS JUST HOPING AT SOME POINT IN THE DISCUSSION.

SORRY. YOU COULD TOUCH ON. I KNOW ONE OF THE BIG COST DRIVERS ON THE WATER SIDE IS THE PFAS.

AND JUST EXPLAIN THAT REAL QUICK TO FOLKS AND WHY THAT'S DRIVING THE COST PRESSURE SO HIGH.

SO THE EPA HAS COME OUT WITH REGULATIONS IN RELATION TO PFAS.

AND PFAS IS THE CONTAMINANTS THAT ARE FOUND IN OUR WATER SUPPLY.

IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE REGULATIONS AND GET AHEAD OF THAT, THERE'S AROUND THE STATE, THERE'S A LOT OF UTILITIES ARE HAVING TO UPGRADE THEIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS AND UPGRADE THEIR ABILITY TO FILTER OUT THE PFAS CONTAMINANTS.

SO THAT IS A, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART, A BIG COMPONENT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND INVESTMENT IN THE WATER PLANT FOR THE CITY.

COUNCILMAN DEPUTY MAYOR. THIS QUESTION MAY BE MORE FOR STAFF, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE THE LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM AND THE ORDINANCE DON'T MATCH. AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE VOTING ON AN ORDINANCE ON AN IMPACT FEE AMOUNT THAT'S NOT CHANGING AND STAYING THE SAME.

CAN I GET AN EXPLANATION ON THAT? FOR CLARITY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TOPIC ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE IMPACT FEES THAT ARE NOT CHANGING BUT ARE THERE FOR YOU TO VOTE ON.

WELL, THE LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT AN 8% INCREASE TO WATER BASE FACILITY CHARGE, A 3.75% TO WASTEWATER BASE FACILITY CHARGE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

NONE OF THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE ORDINANCE. SO I GUESS I COULD PULL IT UP AND I CAN SHOW YOU WHEN YOU, WHEN THE, THE RATE INCREASES FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT LINES IS AN 8% CALCULATION FOR CAN WE, CAN WE PULL IT UP? BECAUSE I DON'T, I'M NOT SEEING IT IN THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. YEAH.

YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE. THAT'S THE ORDINANCE TIED TO THE ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.

BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER TWO, BUT THE LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM AND THE ORDINANCE DON'T MATCH THIS.

GO AHEAD AND SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN THE MEMO.

I THINK THERE'S A LINE THAT SAYS THAT WE ARE SPEAKING OF THE MIC.

CAN WE OPEN UP THE LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM FOR THIS ITEM ON THE ON THE BIG SCREEN? JUST A MINUTE.

[03:00:30]

UNLESS WE'RE BOTH WRONG. BUT WHERE'S THE ORDINANCE? IS IT IN DOWN BELOW? ARE YOU WANTING THIS ORDINANCE? I THOUGHT THIS SAYS EIGHT UNDER ITEM TWO. UNLESS I'M MISUNDERSTANDING AS WELL, WHICH IS POSSIBLE.

IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? NO, I'M LOOKING FOR THE ORDINANCE.

OH. IT'S THERE. HOLD ON. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S RELATED TO ONLY THAT ITEM.

IT'S JUST. THAT'S THE ONLY MEMO FOR ALL OF THE ITEMS. THIS RIGHT HERE. IT'S THE MASTER. THERE ARE NO OTHER MEMOS IN THERE.

ARE YOU REFERRING TO THIS, SIR? WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE, MIKE.

NO, I DON'T WANT TO BE MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE. MR. JAFFE ANSWER THE QUESTION. I'VE GOT THE. LEGACY.

THE LEG MEMO UP. THIS IS 2651. IT'S EFFECTIVE AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2024.

THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGE. AND THE LEGISLATIVE MEMO.

WATER AND WASTEWATER IMPACT FEES UNDER SECTION 140.

AND THE WATER IMPACT FEES ARE NOT BEING ADJUSTED AND WILL REMAIN AT THE CURRENT RATES OR THE CURRENT LEVELS.

MAYBE THE CITY CLERK CAN EXPLAIN IT AS FAR AS THE MEMO OR.

YEAH, WE HAVE THE ORDINANCE THERE. IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN HOW THE MEMO IS SET UP.

SO WHEN STAFF PROVIDED THE MEMO IN ORDER TO JUST INCLUDE IT WITH EVERYTHING, I JUST PUT THE MEMO WITH THE FIRST UTILITY ITEM.

OKAY, SO THERE ARE NO OTHER UTILITIES MEMOS IN THERE.

SO I JUST PUT IT, I ATTACHED IT TO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. THANK YOU. AND THEN I GUESS, JUST A QUESTION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY OR THE CITY CLERK IF, IF THERE IS ALREADY AN AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE FOR IMPACT FEES, AND THE AMOUNTS AREN'T CHANGING. LIKE WHY DO WE VOTE ON WHY ARE WE VOTING ON THEM AGAIN? BECAUSE I WENT BACK AND HISTORICAL DATA. WE'VE NEVER WE'RE NOT CONSISTENT ON THAT BEHAVIOR.

SOMETIMES WE DO, SOMETIMES WE DON'T. YEAH. IT WAS JUST THAT PARTICULAR CHAPTER THAT HISTORICALLY IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN ON THE AGENDA.

ALL THE OTHER ONES, EVEN IF THEY IF NO FEES CHANGE, WE TYPICALLY STILL ADOPT IT EVERY FISCAL YEAR JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION AND JUST FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES. OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE WE GOOD? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISH TO SPEAK? PLEASE STEP FORWARD. BILL BATTEN, 586 OCEAN SPRAY STREET, SOUTHWEST. WHEN? WHEN THIS PRESENTATION CAME UP.

I SAW THAT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $300 MILLION FOR PLAN EXPANSION AND.

BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY KIND OF EXPANSION FOR THE RESIDENTS LEADING INTO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE CITY WATER, CITY SEWER. THERE'S NO NEVER SEE ANY PLANS FOR EXPANSION ON THAT.

THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE BENEFITING ARE THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE BENEFITING WITH WATER AND SEWER.

AND THE REASON WHY I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT AT THIS TIME WHEN WE'RE DOING THE BUDGET, IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE I'M TALKING TO RIGHT NOW THAT ARE ON THE BORDERLINE BETWEEN APPROVING OR DISAPPROVING OF AMENDMENT THREE IS THEY'RE GETTING READY TO FACE MANDATORY SEWER UPGRADE.

I MEAN, MANDATORY SEPTIC UPGRADES, WHICH IS 20,000 OR $30,000 AT THE RESIDENTS.

SO THEY'RE DEBATING SAYING, WELL, IF I HAVE TO, IF I HAVE TO INCREASE MY SEPTIC SYSTEMS AT $30,000, THEN I'M JUST GOING TO TRY AND SAVE EVERY PENNY I CAN.

SO I'M SAVING FOR THAT. SO THEY'RE, THERE. THEY'RE STARTING.

THEY'RE STARTING TO I DON'T WANT TO COMPARE AMENDMENT THREE TO THEIR MANDATORY UPGRADES OF THEIR SEPTIC TANKS.

SO I'M SAYING, WELL, MAYBE THE CITY IS GOING TO BE SAYING SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO GET EITHER SOMETHING OUT THERE FOR THEM OR EVENTUALLY START GETTING WATER AND SEWER HOOKUPS TO THE RESIDENTS, WHICH, THANKS TO THE STAFF, JUST TOLD ME IT'S ALMOST 50%.

WELL, IT'S OVER 50% OF THE HOMES ON SEPTIC. SO IT'S, IT'S A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WEIGHING AMENDMENT THREE OR HAVING TO PAY FOR MY SEPTIC. YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.

[03:05:03]

I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT I'M TRYING TO SAY IT'S IT'S ON THEIR MIND JUST BECAUSE OF THE COST OF IMPACTS.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY, I NEED A MOTION.

COUNCILMAN. JOHNSON, ARE YOU STILL THERE? ARE YOU STILL THERE? OKAY, GENTLEMEN, I NEED A MOTION.

OKAY, SO YOU WANT TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE OR JUST BYPASS ITEM NUMBER THREE? I MEAN, THE WHAT I NEED THE FEES DON'T CHANGE WHETHER WE HAVE A MOTION OR NOT.

I MEAN. OKAY, SO YOU WANT ME TO SKIP TO ITEM FOUR? MAYOR, IF I MAY. I'M SORRY I FORGOT TO USE MY CALL BUTTON, BUT I WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT IF THERE'S NOT A CONSENSUS TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT, THAT WE HAVE A MOTION TO DENY IF THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. MA'AM.

I NEED A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DENY THE INCREASE TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER.

AND, MAYOR, I'M SORRY AGAIN TO INTERRUPT. JUST TO CLARIFY AS TO ORDINANCE 2020 634.

IT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ORDINANCE PASSES OR DOESN'T PASS, THE RATE REMAINS EXACTLY THE SAME.

SO FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THE MOTION A MOTION TO DENY ORDINANCE 2020 634.

WELL, I DON'T HAVE A SECOND. AT THIS POINT. OKAY, I'LL SECOND IT.

I GOT A MOTION TO DENY THE ORDINANCE BY COUNCILMAN HAMER, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN.

ARE YOU STILL THERE? COUNCILMAN JOHNSON? YES.

YES, MAYOR. I'M GOOD. OKAY. CALL IT. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING I TO THE DENIAL. AYE. ALL OPPOSED SIGNIFY BY SAYING NAY.

NAY. OKAY, WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2020 635, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, TITLE 20 UTILITIES CODE.

CHAPTER 200 UTILITIES CODE BY ADJUSTING THE RATES, FEES AND CHARGES FOR THE CITY'S UTILITY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES.

PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT.

HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY CODE OF ORDINANCES, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

MR. MORTON, I DO NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT WE DO HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE ANY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISH TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE, I NEED A MOTION. MAKE A MOTION TO DENY.

GOT A MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON.

ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I. I SEE WHERE EVERYBODY'S GOING NOW.

ALL RIGHT. NUMBER FOUR, MISS EARLY. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS ORDINANCE 2020 636, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. EXCUSE ME.

TITLE 20 UTILITIES CODE. CHAPTER 201. SEWER USE.

SUBCHAPTER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS BY ADJUSTING PERMIT FEES AND OTHER CHARGES RELATED TO THE CITY'S UTILITIES.

WASTEWATER SYSTEM. PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT.

HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF.

IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY CODE OF ORDINANCES, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM, MR. MORTON. AGAIN, NO PRESENTATION.

WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. ANYONE WISH TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM?

[03:10:01]

GOT A MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE. SECOND, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HAMMER.

ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. HI.

WE'RE NOW ON NUMBER FIVE. MISS SHIRLEY. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS ORDINANCE 2020 637. MR. MORTON. LET ME READ THE TITLE. SORRY.

I'M SO SORRY, MAYOR. ORDINANCE 2020 637, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, TITLE 20, UTILITIES CODE.

CHAPTER 202 RECLAIMED WATER BY ADJUSTING THE RATES, FEES, AND CHARGES FOR RECLAIMED WATER, PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT.

HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY CODE OF ORDINANCES.

PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU MA'AM. ANYONE WISH TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASKING FOR A CONFIRM MOTION.

MOTION TO DENY. GOT A MOTION. GOT A MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE.

SECONDED BY SECOND COUNCILMAN HAMMER. ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. WE'RE NOW ON ITEM NUMBER SIX, MISS HURLEY.

THE NEXT ITEM IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2020 638, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET AND IN APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

OKAY. ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISH TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? OKAY, I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE. GOT MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE.

SECONDED BY SECOND COUNCILMAN HAMMER. ALL IN FAVOR? SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.